Corporate foundations represent only one of the many channels businesses use to make community investments through charitable donations. Many corporations choose to have corporate giving programs (rather than corporate foundations). Cash and in- kind contributions are drawn from the company's pre- tax earnings. Through corporate giving programs administered within the company, contributions to charities include: Cash Equipment, computers and furniture Employee volunteers Loaned executives Office and meeting space Printing and graphic design services Product and service donation Also, by undertaking cause- related marketing, sponsorships, contracts, and other joint promotional activities, corporations provide funds to nonprofit organizations in forms that are not counted as charitable contributions but that directly support the work of the nonprofit sector. Pennsylvania corporations have gone through a dynamic and fluctuating era of restructuring and mergers. Yet corporations continue to recognize the importance of community investment to their businesses and bottom line. Pennsylvania corporate foundation giving trends from 1992 to 1999: Increased from $107.3 to $108.6 million, a 15% decrease when adjusted for inflation. Corporate foundation grant share dropped from 14% to 9% of Pennsylvania's grant dollars.   Due to under reporting, it is very difficult to determine the true scope of corporate contributions. Therefore, corporate giving (other than through corporate foundations) is not adequately reflected in this report. From 1998 to 1999, Pennsylvania corporate foundation grants declined by $23 million. Nationally: Corporate contributions rose to $3.4 billion in 1999, up from $3 billion in 1998. Nationally, corporate giving is on the rise. However, with current challenges to the economy this rate of increase may be tapering off. Corporate giving generally shows the effects of a volatile stock market before individual, private foundation and community foundation giving. Pre- tax profits of U.S. corporations increased 8% in 1999. The surge in stock values from 1995 to 2000 and a sustained record of corporate profits suggest that many companies have the capacity to build corporate foundation assets that would support higher levels of giving. Non- cash corporate contributions have increased consistently since 1992. In 1999, companies reported that 28% of their contributions were in forms other than cash donations. According to The Giving Project, philanthropy is good for the community and the corporate bottom line: 83% of Americans have a more positive image of companies that support a cause they care about. 87% of employees feel a strong sense of loyalty to companies with a charitable program, vs. 67% of those employed in companies without a charitable program. 74% of executives surveyed agree that volunteerism increases employee productivity. 94% of executives agree that volunteerism improves a company's public image.