Getty Images and Ray Ng
The Case for Philanthropy
By Stacy Perman
For many entrepreneurs, philanthropy and business go hand and hand. Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's (UN), the ice cream company with a conscience, once famously said: "Business has a responsibility to give back to the community." Indeed. Two years ago, researchers at Indiana University's Center on Philanthropy conducted a study that found that when it came to charitable giving, on average self-made entrepreneurs gave twice as much as those who had inherited their wealth.
Today, entrepreneurs are redefining what it means to be charitable. Flip through this slide show to see how a dozen top entrepreneurs are applying their business acumen to a host of social and environmental issues. For them, philanthropy and profitability aren't mutually exclusive.
