(NAPSI)—A growing number of corporations are finding that good works and good business can go hand in hand.

Whether they are volunteering, helping fund community-based projects or working to strengthen public-private partnerships such as United Way, more companies are taking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) seriously and investing in communities where they are located.

Here are some examples:

U.S. Bank works closely with United Way and its partners in communities across the United States to provide financial education, affordable housing and more. United Way is U.S. Bank’s largest grant recipient and sole partner of the annual employee giving campaign. Employees are encouraged to volunteer through eight hours of paid time off. In 2010, more than 36,000 employees volunteered.

Microsoft provides software and cash grants and employee fundraising—overall providing $14.3 million in cash, software and in-kind donations to United Way in 2010. Plus, when its employees volunteer more than 10 hours for an eligible organization (employees volunteered 363,000 hours last year), Microsoft provides a $17 matching donation for every volunteer hour.

Bank of America employees volunteered more than 1 million hours last year. The bank was also the first financial institution to support the United Way Financial Stability Partnership, with $4.5 million in grants over the past few years, plus employee volunteers, providing free tax preparation and filing assistance, resulting in $2 billion in total tax refunds, reinvested into communities.

Procter & Gamble works each year to touch and improve lives around the world through its partnership with United Way. Last year, P&G employees joined together to participate in more than 145 volunteer events. Since 2007, more than 300 million children worldwide have benefited from the company’s Live, Learn and Thrive Program.

Dominion granted $24 million and partnered with United Way to provide heating assistance in 2010. Last year, Dominion employees volunteered 150,000 hours.

To learn more, visit http://liveunited.org/soa.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate(NAPSI)