Developing an effective strategic mix of corporate philanthropy

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a very important issue in the business and academic communities alike. However, among various activities of CSR, corporate philanthropy has not attracted much academic effort to date. Therefore, many firms find it challenging to establish the most appropriate mix of philanthropic activities. This study tries to find the most effective strategic mix of corporate philanthropy. For this purpose, three dimensions of philanthropic activities (i.e. who, what, and to whom) are examined, along with the most effective attributes of each. The results show that consumers prefer the activities in which firms, rather than employees, donate their own products to the general public. Implications of the research results are discussed from an academic as well as from a practical standpoint.