How do business owners contribute economically to their communities?

When a business donates to charity, it is said to be “giving back to the community.” That phrase has always irritated me. If I have to give something back, it implies I have taken something that did not belong to me in the first place.

As a business owner, you produce a product or service that improves people’s lives. If you have money in your pocket, it is proof you have served someone and they have rewarded you for it. Author Rabbi Daniel Lapin writes, “The virtue of service is in no way compromised or diminished by the monetary reward received for doing so.” Profit is produced as a result of serving other people in an honest and transparent way.

Business professionals may have different motives for charitable giving. They may give for publicity, recognition, the need for a write-off or a genuine desire to help, but it doesn’t change the results. Society at large benefits.

And don’t forget, your most significant economic contribution is providing an income for your employees. Your community is the place it is today because you and your business are creating wealth.