In the last year or two, with the burgeoning of the green trend and more attention given in media to general public welfare and social causes, a growing number of corporations have sponsored marketing campaigns around encouraged participation among individuals, organizations, and governments to become active in community projects and activities.

To that end, a number of websites have popped up:
www.willyoujoinus.com As presented by Chevron (Oil, Natural Gas, and Energy)
www.membersproject.com As presented by American Express (Credit Cards)

And some ad campaigns:
IBM Green As presented by IBM (Technology Solutions)

In some sense it’s an outgrowth of a companies need for recognition in a certain area, such as Chevron’s support of alternative energy. Despite the company being largely into big oil and having a few unnatural disasters to their credit, if you compare them to Enron, Exxon, or pretty much any other large petrol company, their track record looks pretty good. The website is an extension of their corporate philosophy, which is: Finding Newer, Cleaner Ways to Power the World.

In other cases such as with American Express, the members project is an outgrowth of their business model, allowing their membership to be a part of social programs that make them feel they have a say in the company and in helping the community at large.

In the case of IBM, it’s a simple outgrowth of their business serving a growing consumer need.

As demand for social and environmental programs has grown in society at large, companies have begun to find ways of making larger contributions. Many are beginning to find ways of making money within the system that are more responsible then they were ten years ago. In a culture dictated by public scrutiny, consumers demand it.

Thoughts?