Strategic Philanthropy: Literature Review

Abstract

This literature review article aims to facilitate a better understanding of the concept of strategic philanthropy as a controversial topic at the crossroads of business and society. The strategic role of corporate philanthropy has been emphasised by both academics and practitioners and is a topic of long-standing discussion as is the original concept of corporate philanthropy. This article summarises the different definitions, approaches and categorisations that have been adopted by management scholars working in the field of corporate philanthropy and published in the top academic journals. Four main lines of inquiry were distinguished within the literature: the evolution and essence of strategic philanthropy, theoretical foundations of strategic philanthropy, empirical foundations of strategic philanthropy and the measurement of the impact of strategic philanthropy. The results show that the concept of strategic philanthropy is still evolving and different approaches to define and theorise it can be found. The implications for further research are provided at the end of the article.

Do Companies Really Care? Strategic Philanthropy and Imagine Canada’s Caring Company Program

“…Logically, with this optionality comes the question, "What's in it for me?" It appears that corporations have made the most of their choice to give and, in turn, embraced a form of philanthropy that is strategic (Mescon & Tilson, 1987;Kubičková, 2018). Corporations have developed narrow and calculated philanthropic focuses while engaging in measurement and evaluation tactics that promote efficiency within their giving (Dennis et al, 2009;Maas & Liket, 2011).…”