Corporate "Philanthropy Strategy" and "Strategic Philanthropy": Some Insights From Voluntary Disclosures in Annual Reports

This study examines voluntary charitable donation policy disclosures in annual reports of UK companies (FTSE 100 and selected others) to assess the adoption of "philanthropy strategy" and "strategic philanthropy" concepts. It uses Post and Waddock's descriptions, assuming high disclosure benefits accountability and charities. The findings reveal relatively high policy disclosure but inconsistent narrative detail and only a minority of companies adopting a fully strategic approach to philanthropy, highlighting gaps in transparent reporting and strategic integration.