“Giving Forward”
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
Recently, it was announced that Hillshire Brands and Tyson have recently devoted resources to helping the hungry. Hillshire Brands has made a multi-year commitment to two Illinois food banks, and Tyson Foods is helping a military veterans group provide food and logistic support in conjunction with disaster relief efforts. The 350 Cargill Cares Councils provide nutrition and health programs, as well as other services, to local and international communities, all through local Cargill employee volunteers.
Corporations don’t have ethics, people do. Technically, a corporation is simply a piece of paper (a piece of digital paper, probably) in a law office, officially documenting the financial accounting and liability structure of a business or other entity. But also, that corporation is made up of human beings, each with some degree of integrity, morality, and compassion.
There are certainly financial benefits to the corporation—the legal entity—in the form of reduced tax obligations, particularly following an especially profitable fiscal year, to giving to a worthy (and officially recognized by the federal government) cause. But there are also emotional benefits to the human beings involved in the corporation as well. In fact, the intangible energizing and unifying effects of a corporate charity effort are profound.
Whether your organization operates in rural America or near a large urban area, there are people near you who are in need. There are likely people within your team who have (a) the passion and (b) the natural gifting to organize and promote a charity effort throughout your organization. There are possibly also people on your team who personally know others who are in need and will eagerly (a) connect your organization to a worthy charity and (b) make a personal statement to others on the team as to the very real human benefits of your team’s outreach effort.
Outreach and giving make your organization a good local citizen. Your employees live and interact in the local community. By providing them with a meaningful and locally beneficial focal point for their own charitable aspirations, you will touch something deep within your team members which resides outside the boundaries of salary and your profit sharing plan.
If recent volatility in agricultural markets has caused your organization financial pain, then please disregard this message. But if the recently rising tide has floated your corporate boat, then please consider how your outfit can make a difference in the local community, as well as within your own corporate family.