How your business profits can help other people

When it comes to owning a business, it’s not all about making the most profit possible. It isn’t just about increasing the bottom line, hiring more employees, or making more money. Ultimately businesses have the reach, power, and influence to make a real difference in life for millions of people and have been responsible for some of the greatest philanthropic work the world has seen. Here are a few examples of businesses making an effort to do their part and make the world a better place:

 

Discovery Communications

In 2010, Discovery Communications launched their first event called “Creating Change” in Silver Spring Maryland. The event lasted 12 hours and allowed 40 non-profit organizations to come together and meet with leading experts in the fields of marketing, communication, design, event planning, among others so these non-profit owners could increase awareness about their causes and properly spread the word about their organization.

Attendees at the first event included non-profits who worked with homeless children, AIDs victims, disabled veterans, and animal shelters.

 

Microsoft

Microsoft founder Bill Gates and wife Melinda Gates are well known for their personal philanthropic acts, but the leading software producing company does a lot of work as well. Since 1983, Microsoft employees have successfully raised over $1 billion for non-profit organizations. Taking the services, software, and donations together raise the amount the company has given to charities to over $6 billion in the last decade.

 

Kiva.org

You don’t have to be a multi-billion dollar company to help make the world a better place. Take Kiva.org, for example; they’ve managed to make helping others their business model. Kiva, which is sponsored by short-term cash loan company www.wonga.com, revolves around the simple principle of helping entrepreneurs in underdeveloped countries get the capital they need to run their own small businesses and provide a happy life for themselves and their families, repair their homes, or just provide food to make it through a long winter.

 

Users on the site can read stories about those seeking loans (like 61 year old Tamaz of Georgia who needs $1,225 to purchase 2 cows to help provide income and food for his family) and give loans for as small as $25. After the loan is given, lenders will receive periodic updates and―based upon a predetermined loan schedule―your loan will be returned to you as Kiva credits which you can then use to lend to other causes.