… And Double the Impact

Today’s corporations routinely sponsor or make large contributions to charitable organizations that help hungry people, sick children, neglected animals, and a wide variety of other good causes. Some provide direct cash contributions to organizations that serve a cause. Others contribute products (shoes, medications, animal food).

There are two main reasons why businesses do this:

• their consumers expect them to be charitable, and without some level of acceptable social responsibility, many of their customers would buy a similar product elsewhere, and
• their employees want them to do so — many want to get directly involved with charitable efforts — which actually creates happier workers.

Corporations have learned how to make their charitable efforts pay off … literally. They make sure that the buying public is well aware of their efforts by integrating their charitable efforts in their product marketing. Thus, everyone wins. Hungry people get food, workers in a non-profit agency get paid to give out the food, and the company that donates the money gets public acclaim and tax credits … and a larger customer base.

Students need to use these same principles while building their portfolio of accomplishments for the college admissions process. Every college applicant should build a record of providing some level of service to people or organizations. There are many things students can do — two suggestions follow.

• students who are great in Mathematics can work with Math teachers and provide tutoring service to students who might need some help, or
• student can provide services to worthy causes, such as the local animal shelter.

Then these charitable students can double that impact by securing letters of gratitude or certificate of thanks from adults who are appropriately connected to the undertaking.