Total corporate contributions in the U.S. and abroad (among 197 major corporations and corporate foundations) amounted to $10.97 billion in 2007, up slightly from $10.2 billion in 2006, The Conference Board reported in its annual survey of corporate giving to worthy causes.

Total U.S. giving among 197 corporations polled was $8.62 billion in 2007, with a median contributions budget of $10.03 million.

For the overall survey sample, total international contributions held steady from 2006 to 2007 at $2.35 billion. The majority of international contributions were non-cash.

The vast majority (83.59 percent) of total 2007 contributions were made by companies with the largest giving budgets — budgets totaling $50 million or more.

Reflecting the increased global reach of business operations, international grantmaking is continuing to rise as a significant component in the giving programs of many large companies. Total overseas charitable contributions (as reported by 74 companies surveyed in both the 2006 and 2007 samples) reveals a 30.18 percent increase in international contributions, while median contributions for these same companies increased nearly 17 percent.

Health and Human Services Remains Top Beneficiary

Health and human services continued to lead as the top-ranking recipient of U.S. corporate support in 2007, as they have for five of the past six years. They also received the most support internationally. The share of U.S. contributions directed to this area rose 22 percent from 2006 to 59.28 percent.

U.S. giving to education remained about the same as the previous year at $1,459,743. Donations to culture and the arts rose from $337,277 to $366,942. In fact, with the exception of giving to the environment, which declined by 4.42 percent from 2006 to 2007, giving to all other beneficiary categories increased from the previous year.

Managing Employees at Distant Sites is Becoming a Reality of Doing Business

As signs of an economic turnaround remain elusive, business leaders are becoming more focused on increasing employee productivity.

With business operations growing increasingly global, maintaining dispersed employees and identifying key tools for optimizing their efficiency and engagement become all the more vital to business success. To make managing an employee at a site other than one's own a mutually rewarding experience, several factors must be taken into consideration.

"The issue of whether or not to allow employees to work at a distance is no longer a cost benefit issue — it is simply the reality of doing business," says Linda Barrington, Research Director and Labor Economist at The Conference Board. "And effective management of dispersed employees is a key to success in that new reality."

The report examined the issue of managing distant workers at recent meetings and through interviews, surveys and focus groups of relevant high-performing, dispersed work teams.

The goal of the research working group was to identify effective ways to address the organizational, managerial and individual challenges of managing distance employees. In addition to survey responses, this report includes case studies from MetLife, Qualcomm and Lincoln Financial.

Five practices were found to be shared among effective distance teams: in-person meetings; clear agreements on accessibility; good use of group software; adequate company support; and clearly defined roles for members.

Peter Linkow, author of the study, says: "Great distance managers must first and foremost be inclusive, empowering, supportive and trustworthy. Then, they must master the fundamentals of management, like setting goals, evaluating, giving feedback and coaching. Finally, they must be superb at three competencies — cultivating relationships, focusing on outcomes and developing employees."

Although managers and employees disagree about how much time is spent developing relationships, they both agree that it is vital. Of managers and employees surveyed, about 90 percent and 70 percent said "the phone" and "in person," respectively, were the two most effective communication tools for building distance relationships.

In addition to identifying the challenges presented, the group also identified key skills for managers and employees which maximize productivity and lead to effective manager-employee teams. At the heart of managing distance employees well is proper communication and employee engagement in order to create a productive work environment. Effective distance employees were identified as those who know how to execute, use technology and collaborate.

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