Philanthropy

There was a panel of individuals involved with non-profit work at the RAF today.  They discussed how companies are looking to incorporate programs that give money back to local communities or initiatives into their business models.  The panel members included William McGinly (President of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy), Aaron Sherinian (Vice President, Communications and Public Relations for the United Nations Foundation), Scott Sapperstein (Executive Director, Public Affairs, AT&T External & Legislative Affairs), and Kevin Webb (Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation).  In this digital media and social networking era it is easy for either negative or positive news about a company to spread like wildfire.  Emitting a positive image about giving money to scholarships, donating to healthcare, or improving the environment can increase consumer support for a company.  This, in turn, makes CEOs and stockholders interested in partaking in these efforts, creating a beneficial cycle.  I was able to bring up the Dozer scholarships that we have in Cambridge during the course of discussion, and maybe recruited some new donors?  I’ll be working on homework for the rest of the night, goodnight!