Contractual relationships are frequent in the world of corporate philanthropy, where gifts are conveyed often with relative detachment, but where there is some assumption of alignment between values—or at least interests.

Companies that give are reluctant to get too closely connected to the organizations they support for a range of reasons. Chief among them is the fear of exposure to negative publicity should charitable programs backfire or fail. While executive may want to see their employees involved in community volunteer projects that aim to rehabilitate buildings or clean up beaches, they may not want to get too deeply involved in designing a community program aimed at tackling a tough problem such as crime or drug abuse.

Moreover, the focus on the arts funding that is often present in corporate philanthropy makes engagement more difficult, because there are few real opportunities for company executives to help design an exhibition or design a theater production—although there are ample opportunities at each to fly the corporate banner.

The engagement level of corporate donors is generally lower compared to other donors for another reason: Few company foundations have large enough staffs to really do more than process requests and focus on making sound grant decisions.

Real engagement requires a substantial commitment of time, resources, and people that are not always available in the context of corporate philanthropy. Many corporate giving programs are more set up to negotiate and structure issues related to profile and recognition than they are to rigorously intervene in the work of nonprofits.