Fussing about the right thing to do, without thanks
June 27, 2005
By Cam Tait
Not that anyone is asking, but I wonder how many people shake hands with their personal banker at a Bank of Montreal branch after signing a new deal and are told that a certain portion of their business is going to charity. Or, how many customers, just as they open a new package of gum on their way out of a Shopper's Drug Mart, are stopped by a clerk - hearty handshake and all - and informed that part of their purchase is going to a worthy cause. BMO and Shopper's are in the No. 1 and 2 position, respectively. I could give you 48 other examples, but have a peek for yourself in last week's NewsBytes. There you'll find a story about Canada's 50 best corporate citizens, as ranked by Corporate Knights magazine (www.corporateknights.ca).
The list is interesting. But perhaps more interesting is the fact we have such a list. In a world that seems to be spinning out of control with competitiveness, are corporations now racing to make the top 50 list in Corporate Knights at the same pace they want to top the TSE? Does it become bragging rights when corporate executives meet in their private clubs and compare who gives to whom? And how much? And, most significantly: will they make the top 50 list of the most generous companies in Canada?
Now, don't let me be understood. I feel very fortunate - indeed, blessed - that I live in a country where giving to charity is top of mind for some of the biggest movers and shakers. I applaud them, and I hope for the sake of everyone that their example of philanthropy continues.
Nevertheless, there are two things that...well, I don't know what the right thing is to call them. They really don't bother me. Nor do they concern me, honestly. Issues? Nope, not that, neither. Let me just continue and then you can decide what they are, or are not.
The reason companies have profits and good returns is because of customers. Nothing more. Nothing less. Without people going through the checkout lines or refinancing their debts - or a thousand other business transactions - there simply wouldn't be any extra cash in the pot to share with charities. So one would think, without boldly assuming, that those people would be thanked. Or, somehow recognized. Since I haven't spent the last six months on a desert island, I don't think I've missed any massive advertising campaigns, or letter-writing campaigns to say a simple thank-you to consumers for helping to give a corporation the honour of being in the top 50. And, it is an honour.
Chances are quite good that if we thumb through the pages of a corporation's annual report - you know, the ones on glossy pages - we'll find a list of charities the company gives to.
I think there needs to be more.
How about a message of thanks on a bank statement? Or, on a brown paper bag? Or, when you get your hotel bill slid under your door on the morning you check out, seeing a happy face with a word of thanks and a list of causes the hotel has helped? Or, in the glove compartment of a new car? Or, better yet: rather than listening to music or a spiel about what a company does when someone is on hold, list all the good works they do, and how they are shaping the community.
And now for my second point. Why must we continue making a fuss about doing the right thing?
Cam Tait is a sports reporter and columnist for the Edmonton Journal. He covered community investments and volunteers for 19 years. E-mail Cam at cam@charityvillage.com with thoughts, suggestions or ideas.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
