Corporate or Business Philanthropy has been in focus long time by now. In the business world, organizations are showcasing how they are taking care of their society, community and humanity by being engaging in programs that benefit society or humanity at a full circle. Great Stuff!

But there are few things, which leads to concerns or which reveals the contradiction by organizations being responsible towards society and acting responsibly towards society. These two can be same yet in times can be extraordinary, as can be found in the present time of Coronavirus when entire humankind is enduring and confronting the outcomes with no expectation of progress for, in any event, weeks if not months to come.

As said by James Lane Allen:

“Adversity does not build character; it reveals it.”

In the time of Coronavirus, it has noted that the majority of the organizations have increased prices wherever they could. For instance, talking about Masks, they are being sold at insane prices. Not only have the masks, but even for other items, the rates increased significantly.

Is it pragmatic making $10 million extra out of the crisis by taking benefits of increased demand and hence increasing the price and then donating $1million (for the sake of publicity, or even to make real donations) to provide support in those crises or some other cause?

Even if the whole $10 million was donated later for same crisis or some different cause, it might not make that impact. Firstly, if an organization is really concerned, it wouldn’t be focusing on making profits out of the crisis. Besides, what a gift would do to somebody who couldn’t bear the cost of something because at that point of expanded costs which turned into a survivor of the emergency, for example, theoretically state, somebody couldn’t offer a Mask to the entire family because of inflated expenses and a relative ceased to exist of this.

I don’t consider this to be a social obligation or a commitment or help to humankind, particularly during the emergency time frame. The genuine donation is the point at which the general public/humanity needs it most, during the emergency time frame like that of Coronavirus.

If any organization is making a massive profit by taking advantage of the crisis and then making fraction donations (or even huge donations) out of that to help overcome the same dilemma or for a different cause. it can showcase as acting liable for humankind, yet not being responsible to the society in genuine. The union couldn’t view as a bona fide association. Being and working dependably has two clear implications for such sort of organization.

Service or donation is when and in what form it is necessary

I do acknowledge the concept of pricing using demand and supply and organizations may want to make use of that in a given situation. Further, it is understandable and must acknowledge that an organization is likely to get closed for some time (if not permanently) during such crisis.

Likewise, this needs to ensure that they have surplus cash to survive during the non-trading periods, and it makes sense too. For-profit organizations main goal is to make profits (along with other purpose or mission as applicable), and they exist of this purpose.

Benefits marks as a noteworthy of the achievement for the organization over the time. I recognize that, yet what I am attempting to state is that if an organization is worried about society, the best time to accomplish something is the point at which it is required generally, as in today’s’ season of Coronavirus. More or less, it is ideal to be liable for society instead of representing being firm.

Further, I do understand that organizations may prioritize causes and may be doing its best for one purpose while ignoring others and that is acceptable as well, as it is not harmful to have priorities. But just to mention that there is no point sparing time, funds and energy and resources for other causes when human lives are at stake. No cause is greater than human lives.

Something to me is astonishing. An Organization is a set of humans. When operating at an individual level, humans show great sympathy for any incident or crisis. But what happens when those humans collectively form an organization?

Frequently, when we combine similar forces, they make a more significant impact. During school days, I came across a story about sticks. When one stick was there, it can break easily, but with a same applied concept, one can’t break a bundle of sticks easily as the strength got multiplied and hence the force required to break got increased in the same proportion.

As per this rule, the set of the same emotions or behaviours must be more durable and should have a more positive impact. But why it goes contrary instead?

One of the reasons, I see is that our positive feelings are more of unreal and must have or must act thing, to get recognition from society. If we do not respond to a crisis in a thoughtful way, society won’t accept, and this led to the sign of cold-hearted kindness.

So, to showcase human nature, one must be sympathetic and do good deeds that benefit the victims of the crisis. But when we represent an organization, we are not the front face, and that is where our real self, the authentic selfish self comes out.

I am not mentioning any association to cut benefits, and I am not even investigating any organization or industry. I am my-self a business owner. Be that as it may, I possibly ask the organizations to be genuine and bona fide, and if a connotation is worried about society, the best time to act is during this emergency period.

There would be no point at a later stage making donations out of the profits made during the current crisis which could otherwise save lives and leave a more significant impact today.

So, let’s stand together to save humankind from this harmful virus. The actual battle of chaos isn’t the virus. It’s our anxiety and ignorance.

Stay Home, Stay Strong!