This is a great article about a bank in Fargo, ND which gave their employs $500-$1000 each to use for the cause of their choice.  Though I can definitely see some hurdles to overcome, it’s a creative way for a company to give back.  I will say that I have become pretty immune to companies giving me a huge number and saying we donated that to charity.  This not only gave the employees a reason to feel good about themselves over the holidays, but also generated amazing publicity and all it cost the company was a donation they would have probably given anyway.