Programs in which companies align themselves with the work of charities often help those firms succeed in the marketplace, reports the San Antonio Business Journal.

A recent advertising industry poll suggested social responsibility was more influential to consumers than paid advertising, the newspaper reports.

Target helps education by giving 1 percent of qualifying sales purchased on its credit card to any educational institution the cardholder chooses. In 1983, American Express raised more than $1.7 million in four months toward the restoration of the Statue of Liberty.

In San Antonio, companies and organizations also have begun tying causes to some of their marketing efforts.

For example, the San Antonio Area Tourism Council developed the Literacy for Life program, which provides funding and volunteers to fight illiteracy. Tourism-related companies such as the Adam's Mark, Hilton, Plaza San Antonio, Crockett and Marriott hotels, Homewood Suites, Casa Rio Restaurant, Sea World and Six Flags Fiesta Texas all have signed on with the group, which will offer English as a second language, GED completion and computer skills courses for employees.

Pizza Hut and Taco Bell have formed their own educational foundation, the San Antonio Youth Education Scholarship Foundation, to provide money to area students for college scholarships.

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1999/02/01/focus1.html