Companies that Have Social Conscience??

Well, both.

It's become good PR to show a caring side, so it's part of the corporate presentation of some organisations. But I try not to be too cynical about their intents, partly because I see no reason why good people can't sometimes find themselves running big companies, but mostly because whatever the motives, I want companies to behave better, and dismissing it all as PR removes much of the incentive.

take the power back

Starbucks really does stuff like that. They leave it up to the managers to do at least one event a month per store. So its PR crap yes but the end result is a bunch of employees do community service, Im not sure how that can be bad. Then again I might be biased in the case of *$s.
My company is HUGE on United Way and the social committee does organize several events through out the year that give to various charities. In most cases they don't even claim the tax reciepts, which go to the employees.

Like Pauls Newman's company. I feel like I am not sure I can trust these things, but I guess I may as well believe them. You see, I have "Starbucks Conscience". After working in one (I was hired when I was in college, and had never heard of Starbucks before) for a year I cannot drink other brands of coffee. I have tried many, most recentyl Millstone. I do not like the fact that Starbucks stores are built in places where they are not really wlecome, like next to independent cafes. But I just buy the grounds at the supermarket, I never go in a starbucks. So really, better Starbucks than Maxwell house who are rumored ot sponsor death squads in south america