When I left the corporate world, many people were surprised. They often asked why I’d make the switch—and quickly told me how wonderful it was that I was leaving corporate America “to do good.”
That’s when I realized something troubling: we’ve created a narrative that says if you work for a nonprofit, you’re doing good—but if you work in corporate America, you’re not. Some even assume you might be doing harm. But if nonprofits are the only ones doing good, what does that mean for everyone else?
A Call to Rethink Doing Good
Nonprofits make up only about 7% of the U.S. economy. Government represents roughly a third. That means we have an enormous opportunity—through the remaining two-thirds—to engage the broader economy in solving society’s biggest challenges.
Issues like poverty, homelessness, and racial and gender inequality are too complex for just one sector to tackle alone. It’s time to evolve our mindset around “doing good.”
From Charity to Social Enterprise
When people think of doing good, they often think of charity or giving back. Charity matters deeply—but it’s not the only way to advance society.
Many companies have embraced corporate social responsibility (CSR), setting up departments to organize volunteer days and employee giving. I like to call that “Charity Plus.”
But what if doing good wasn’t just an add-on? What if it was integrated into the core of how a business operates? That’s where the concept of social enterprise comes in.
Three Ways Businesses Can Lead and Accelerate Impact
Within a social enterprise mindset, I see three approaches:
- Social Catalysts mobilize their customers (and other stakeholders) to act on important issues.
- Social Innovators design their businesses around solving social problems.
- Social Value Creators embed positive impact into every part of their operations.
In Chicago and beyond, we see all three in action:
- Social Catalyst: In the early days of Uber Chicago, they once partnered with animal shelters to help customers adopt puppies through the app—resulting in a 100% adoption rate. They’ve also activated riders around key policy issues.
- Social Innovator: Rumi Spice, founded by U.S. military veterans, helped Afghan farmers replace poppy crops with saffron, creating economic opportunity and empowering Afghan women as the company’s largest employee base.
- Social Value Creator: McDonald’s is a remarkable example of a business using its scale for impact. Through diverse supplier networks, franchise ownership, and community employment, McDonald’s has created more Black and Latino millionaires than any other corporation. It’s also committed to sustainability and equity—at one time having pledged to source 2 billion cage-free eggs and maintaining a board where 50% of members are women or people of color.
Doing Good—Together
The idea that only nonprofits “do good” is outdated. Every organization, from small businesses to Fortune 500s, can choose to act as a social enterprise.
If we all view our work as an opportunity to create a better human experience—no matter the sector—we can transform communities and economies alike.
It’s time to move beyond the binary of good versus profit and recognize that value can also be created while benefiting society
Doing good is everybody’s business.
