The truth is that corporations have more power than many politicians. This might be for good or for ill, but with power comes responsibility. Corporate social responsibility can do a lot to change the world and make things better. In the past and even in modern day world, some businesses do things as cheaply as possible even if it means exploiting some people's weaknesses.
It doesn't have to be this way and many businesses are starting to see that being more charitable and giving back to their communities and the environment is actually helping their business improve. This is because the consumer and many small business owners are looking to connect with businesses that are socially minded.
Large corporations are a huge resource for improving humanity all over the world. The truth is that two-third of the world's population lives on less than a pound a day. If the top 10,000 companies in the world committed to giving just one percent of their profits towards helping with global poverty this would provide well over 50 billion pounds per year. This could happen without any governments getting involved. This help could go right to the people who really need it.
One example where government is getting in the way is Nigeria. Although by global standards Nigeria is financially struggling, in comparison to other African nations the country is very successful with over a 400 billion GDP. But even with the government success forty-three percent of the countries people try and survive with less than one pound a day. Millions of people from this country are going to bed hungry. Millions of people from this country are not getting adequate medical care. This is because the money is not getting to the people who really need it.
A way to shift corporate thinking about giving to help combat global poverty is to look at the people they are helping as potential clients. If someone receives help and that help comes from the name of your business they are going to remember that. When that person gets on their feet they are going to be one of the most loyal customers your business has ever seen. Although this is not one of the more altruistic reasons for getting involved with ending poverty, it is one of the more motivating factors for many businesses looking to make changes.
Some of the largest companies in the world take corporate social responsibility very seriously as they see that their efforts can have a positive effect on global poverty.