ABSTRACT

This chapter presents an analogy of public relations practitioners within corporations who have recognized the value of integrating the philanthropic activities of their organizations into their public relations programs. Many major corporations in the United States continue to operate their philanthropic activities through separate corporate foundations that are not headed by public relations practitioners, or through organizational departments other than public relations. Discussing new approaches to building consensus through community relations, M. Lowengard said that corporate affairs officers see community relations as “inextricably linked with the business of corporate philanthropy”. The chapter concludes that charitable organizations, like corporations, can reap economic and sociopolitical benefits by incorporating fund raising within the public relations department. Finally, environmental charities seem to be moving toward a donor relationship with corporations in general, some of whom have been charged with environmentally harmful business practices.