Philanthropy Catches On in B-Schools
In 1987, the movie “Wall Street” summed up the ethos in the business community as “Greed is good.” More than 20 years later, a competing philosophy is emerging: “Giving is good.”
Philanthropy is an increasingly popular subject in MBA and undergraduate business programs, reports Businessweek. There are reportedly 100 course offerings in philanthropy in schools across the U.S., with the largest program being run by Pay It Forward. The federally funded, Ohio-based program offers courses on 33 college campuses, and allocates a chunk of money to each class for students to donate to local nonprofits.
The growing interest in philanthropy as well as fundraising reflects greater emphasis by MBA programs on ethics and corporate responsibility. Students may wish to work in the nonprofit sector, serve on the board of a nonprofit, or prepare themselves to become philanthropists after a successful career in business, like Bill Gates.
