Josh Baron: Is Doing Good "Good Enough?" Unleashing the Power of Self-Interest in Philanthropy

Josh Baron: Is Doing Good "Good Enough?" Unleashing the Power of Self-Interest in Philanthropy: Encouraging businesses and individuals to identify what they can get out of philanthropy can feel uncomfortable, even tawdry. But there are two problems with relying on altruism as the main motivation for philanthropy. First, most people are altruistic only a small percentage of their time. To really get their attention, they have to see some value for themselves. Second, it is relatively easy to do good. Real change is more likely to happen when there is a goal in mind in addition to satisfying the altruistic urge. Therefore, to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities for philanthropy to make a difference in society, we have to encourage people to think more consciously and creatively about: "What's in this for me?"