????節(jié)假日為公司們提供了一個(gè)極為誘人的機(jī)會(huì)，去改變這一年里給人們留下的吝嗇鬼形象。

????不論是提供食物和衣服等基本生活用品，幫助老兵或現(xiàn)役軍人，還是為殘疾人士建造房屋，公司集中在年底節(jié)日季組織慈善活動(dòng)的做法非常普遍。這類(lèi)活動(dòng)層出不窮，甚至首次出現(xiàn)了一個(gè)Pinterest頁(yè)面，讓人們可以全方位了解這些慈善活動(dòng)，其中也包括越來(lái)越多社交媒體與在線活動(dòng)。這些活動(dòng)的目的是將現(xiàn)金和商品送到貧困人群的手中。

????例如，家得寶（Home Depot）基金會(huì)的做法是，在1月1日之前，每一名家得寶顧客只要發(fā)布一條帶有#teamdepot主題標(biāo)簽的Twitter內(nèi)容，基金會(huì)便會(huì)向非營(yíng)利組織Operation Homefront捐款1美元，用于為受傷的士兵修繕?lè)课??；饡?huì)的目標(biāo)是在年底之前捐款金額能夠達(dá)到100,000美元。

????而恒適公司（Hanes）則連續(xù)第四年與救世軍組織（Salvation Army）合作，開(kāi)展年度網(wǎng)上捐襪活動(dòng)。這家公司Facebook主頁(yè)上的“馬上捐贈(zèng)”按鍵只要獲得一次點(diǎn)擊，它就會(huì)捐贈(zèng)一雙襪子。它計(jì)劃捐贈(zèng)250,000雙襪子，最終這些襪子將被分發(fā)到無(wú)家可歸的人手中?？ǚ蚴称罚↘raft Foods）和其他公司則有向食物銀行捐贈(zèng)飯菜的活動(dòng)。

????其他公司的做法則更加傳統(tǒng)。例如，只要顧客購(gòu)買(mǎi)或租賃一輛公司的新車(chē)，斯巴魯（Subaru）就會(huì)向慈善機(jī)構(gòu)捐款250美元。這個(gè)品牌的活動(dòng)已經(jīng)持續(xù)了六個(gè)年頭，公司計(jì)劃的最高捐款金額為3,500萬(wàn)美元，而這些錢(qián)將被用于流動(dòng)福利餐車(chē)（ Meals on Wheels）、為美國(guó)而教（Teach for America）和國(guó)家公園基金會(huì)（National Park Foundation）等組織。而在美國(guó)運(yùn)通（ American Express），只要用戶使用已注冊(cè)的信用卡外出就餐，公司便會(huì)向拒絕兒童饑餓組織（No Kid Hungry）捐款1美元——最高捐款100萬(wàn)美元。敦豪快遞（DHL Express）連續(xù)第十年為現(xiàn)役軍人運(yùn)送圣誕樹(shù)。

????如果把慈善活動(dòng)的高尚理由放到一邊，大多數(shù)公司的捐贈(zèng)并不是真正出于情感。越來(lái)越多的公司聘請(qǐng)專(zhuān)業(yè)顧問(wèn)，幫助他們確保自己的慈善之舉符合公司的商業(yè)目標(biāo)。以食物銀行為例，相比其他慈善捐贈(zèng)，向食物銀行捐贈(zèng)有助于增強(qiáng)卡夫公司核心食品制造商的身份。

????印第安納大學(xué)（Indiana University）禮來(lái)家族慈善學(xué)院（Lilly Family School of Philanthropy）十月份公布的一項(xiàng)“捐贈(zèng)無(wú)界”（Giving Beyond Borders）研究顯示，大多數(shù)公司表示，支持公司的使命與價(jià)值才是他們捐贈(zèng)的首要目標(biāo)。之后依次是：回饋社區(qū)、打造、強(qiáng)化公司的信譽(yù)、幫助解決社會(huì)問(wèn)題，以及招募、留住和激勵(lì)員工。

????波士頓咨詢公司The Philanthropic Initiative的主理合伙人杰米?賈非說(shuō)：“我們看到越來(lái)越多的公司希望將商業(yè)目標(biāo)與哲學(xué)目標(biāo)掛鉤，希望以一種有意義的方式調(diào)動(dòng)員工的積極性。”這家公司與波士頓科學(xué)公司（Boston Scientific）、利寶相互保險(xiǎn)公司（Liberty Mutual）和J. Jill服裝公司等合作，為其他公司提供戰(zhàn)略建議。

????For companies, the holiday season offers an irresistible opportunity to soften the Scrooge-like aura that has enveloped them year-round.

????Whether it's providing basics like food and clothing, helping veterans or active soldiers, or efforts like building homes for the disabled, company campaigns centered over the end-of-the-year holidays are ubiquitous. So much so that, for the first time, there is a Pinterest page that provides a panoramic glance at such charitable efforts, which include a growing number of social media and online campaigns to channel money and goods to the needy.

????Home Depot's foundation, for example, is donating $1 to Operation Homefront -- which, among other things, retrofits homes for injured soldiers -- for each Home Depot (HD) customer who tweets with a #teamdepot hashtag before Jan. 1. The foundation is aiming to give $100,000 by the end of the year.

????Hanes is partnering with the Salvation Army for its fourth annual virtual sock drive, which donates socks for each click on its Facebook page's "donate now" button. It plans to donate 250,000 pairs of socks, which are distributed to the homeless. Kraft Foods (KRFT) and other companies have programs to donate meals to food banks.

????Other companies have more traditional formulas. Subaru, for example, donates $250 to charity when a buyer purchases or leases a new car. It is the brand's sixth annual campaign, and it expects to wind up donating $35 million to groups such as Meals on Wheels, Teach for America, and the National Park Foundation. American Express (AXP) donates $1 to No Kid Hungry -- up to $1 million -- each time a registered card is used for dining out. DHL Express, for the tenth year, is shipping Christmas trees to soldiers on active duty.

????Good causes aside, most companies do not donate out of sentiment. Increasingly, corporations hire professional consultants to help them make sure any charitable efforts line up with the company's business objectives. Food banks, for example, further Kraft's core food identity in a way that giving to other causes might not.

????Most companies, according to a "Giving Beyond Borders" study released in October by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, said supporting their mission and values is the No. 1 goal for their giving. Following that, in order, are: giving back to their community, building and enhancing the company's reputation, helping to address social problems, and recruiting, retaining, and motivating employees.

????"We see a real uptick in companies that want to align their business and philosophical goals, and to engage their employees in meaningful ways," says Jamie Jaffee, managing partner for the Boston-based consulting firm The Philanthropic Initiative, which has worked with corporations like Boston Scientific, Liberty Mutual, and J. Jill apparel on company giving strategies.