Why Business Must Step Into the Gap: Social Change Needs More Than Philanthropy
At the same time, authoritarian figures are gaining influence across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Humanitarian aid and international development budgets have been dramatically slashed—leaving an entire, multifaceted, and deeply interconnected ecosystem dedicated to human and social progress scrambling for funding.
If even a fraction of marketing budgets were aligned with progressive values or social impact, the world could change significantly—and quickly.
In a podcast-style conversation, Comotion discusses: if government funding is drying up and philanthropy is overburdened, who’s left to fund change?
Corporations and private businesses represent one of the last largely untapped forces for driving meaningful social change. While governments, non-profits, and grassroots movements have traditionally led the charge, the private sector holds immense potential to contribute at scale. A few pioneering companies — such as Patagonia and TOMS — have already demonstrated what’s possible when profit and purpose align.
These brands have proven that doing good isn’t just a moral choice; it can also be a smart, sustainable business strategy. However, they remain exceptions rather than the norm. The broader corporate world has yet to fully embrace the idea that social impact and financial success are not mutually exclusive but can, in fact, reinforce one another.
What’s often missing in our sector is the failure to reframe the conversation: Not “Do this because it’s morally right,” but “Do this because your customers expect it—and your survival may depend on it.”
