The Business of Changing the World

The late economist Milton Friedman famously said, "The business of business is business."

Milton Friedman was wrong.

More than ever, the business of business is not only business -- it's also about changing the world. Around the globe, companies large and small are leveraging their internal resources (money, employees and products) and making tremendous contributions to the lives of others. In turn, they enhance employee performance, boost morale, reduce turnover and heighten their brand recognition.

Among many great examples: Hasbro(HAS Quote) has donated more than one million toys to needy children, Safeway(SWY Quote) donates $100 million in food to local and regional food banks annually and GlaxoSmithKline(GSK Quote) has committed a contribution worth $1 billion to help eradicate a disfiguring tropical disease called elephantiasis. ...