Side Effects of Corporate Philanthropy

It's a rainy Saturday ... a rare occurrence here in the Hill Country, in recent history. As I sit in my office at home and take care of random obligations, I reflect on the various things that Trevor, Roger, Joann, Lori, and I have undertaken taken over the past two or three years that have made an impact on Boerne.

We've tackled a few projects with little or no monetary compensation—and others at highly reduced rates—which hasn't gone undetected on the income statement. But these projects have, on the other hand, helped bring our team together, and they've given us a cause. It's amazing how well we've done financially, given all the time spent on the pro bono stuff, and yet it may be the spirit these projects have engendered that has spurred us to work more diligently and more efficiently on these projects and others.

If you're experiencing morale problems in your own company, you might try getting your team together and figuring out a cause on which, as a team, you can make a positive impact. I'd wager that you'll feel a positive impact yourselves, and you might find, as we have, that it makes you better able to tackle your paid gigs, too.