Making a "Growth Does Good" commitment improves a company in some obvious ways, and in some that are not so obvious. Combined they make a compelling case.

Here is why entrepreneurs should choose a GDG model.

The first reason is the (only) obvious one—people seeing others do good, tend to want to respond positively if possible. If those who share a cause support each other's undertakings, they will succeed beyond what would happen without the support. By putting the good side of human nature to work on behalf of your venture you can harness the enduring notion: "If you do good things, good things happen."

You'll still have to work hard and deliver excellence at a fair price. Making a corporate tithe commitment is not like turning on a faucet of business, but it can help generate sales by (a) opening doors that might otherwise be closed, and (b) acting as a tie-breaker in your favor in parity selling situations. Anyone who has sold in the trenches knows this covers a lot of ground.

Second, people commit most when they have an elevated sense of purpose. We all want to be part of something special—something that takes us beyond ourselves, the next paycheck, or promotion. Mission statements are a start, but mom and apple pie credos tend to look alike, and they hardly inspire after years of cynical Dilbert Jokes. By embedding a social enterprise component into the DNA of your company, you credibly set it apart. Your mission statement can take on a unique and genuine tone that truly can elevate the sense of purpose.

A Growth Does Good Good commitment goes beyond the typical promotion or a corporate donation; it is more a part of who you are. This elevates standards and the sense of purpose and responsibility throughout the organization. It also gives the leader a strengthened belief that the forces of good will are allied in the endeavor. There is no better time than during the stressful days of a startup to tap into the oft repeated covenant that those who tithe will be rewarded.

Third, it is, counter-intuitively, easier in some ways to give at the starting gate when the value is more abstract, than after the value is created.

Fourth, the alliance of a nonprofit and a commercial enterprise can enable mutually supportive activities not possible for either organization alone, including knowledge and point-of-view exchange, scale, and brand enhancement. Sometimes a cross-sector partner can more credibly speak about the other than when promotion is purely in self-interest.