Corporate Philanthropy: Implications for Urban Research and Public Policy

Corporate philanthropy has become increasingly important to organizations providing voluntary services, particularly in light of recent reductions in government funding for service delivery. This paper is a critical review of the existing literature on corporate philanthropy. It is found that social science research on the patterns of corporate giving and on the reasons for corporate largesse has focused on national level observations and analysis, leaving many unanswered questions about geographic variations in corporate contributions behavior, and about the role of corporate giving in local politics and policymaking. An agenda for additional research on corporate philanthropy is outlined, focusing on urban and regional geographic questions that need to be addressed if governmental decentralization and social expenditure curtailment policies are to be adequately evaluated on equity and efficiency grounds.