Charity That Defies Economics (washingtonpost.com)

Charity That Defies Economics (washingtonpost.com): "Charity That Defies Economics
By Steven Pearlstein
Friday, December 24, 2004; Page E01
O ne of the blind spots of classical economics is that it cannot explain why people give money and time to charity. This is particularly true of supposedly profit-maximizing companies, which year after year -- often without much fanfare or publicity -- provide the crucial base of support for many of the nonprofit organizations in the Washington region that provide necessities of life to those most in need.
Neither time nor space permit a definitive accounting of this 'irrational' corporate generosity, but consider these examples: "