The Operative Goals of Corporate Philanthropy: Contributions to the Public Broadcasting Service, 1972-1976

Abstract

In the past decade American corporations have donated approximately one percent of their net profits to charitable causes, for a total exceeding one billion dollars annually since 1972. In an effort to understand the relationship of corporate wealth to corporate power, this paper infers the operative goals of such apparent generosity. It reviews four years of contributions to a significant recipient, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and finds no support for explanations which emphasize the greater social responsibility of donor corporations. It finds support for the hypothesis that contributions to national cultural recipients such as PBS are efforts by corporations having difficulties with public relations to influence the opinions of their critics. Apparent philanthropy may be one way that profit is transformed into social influence.