PRINCETON, New Jersey ¨C It seems counterintuitive, but in a capitalist economy, doing the most good can provide a competitive edge.
I am not referring to businesses that donate a tiny percentage of their profits to charities or tell you that they are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I am talking about businesses that donate 100% of their profits ¡ª or close to it ¡ª to effective charities that do a lot of good.
Newman¡¯s Own, the American food company founded in 1982 by the actor Paul Newman and author Aaron Hotchner (both now deceased), is an early example of a business donating all of its profits to charity ¡ª specifically, to the Newman¡¯s Own Foundation, which to date has distributed over $600 million to organizations working for disadvantaged children. Actor Hugh Jackman cites Newman¡¯s Own as an inspiration for his own foundation, Laughing Man Coffee.
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