The giving Back Awards: 15 People Who Make America Great

Even controversy can be turned into a charitable moment at Target. Two years ago Target suffered boycott threats when it banished Salvation Army bell ringers, citing a policy of not allowing solicitors. The move cost the Salvation Army $9 million, but Target promised to make up for it. Then last fall Target came up with an idea for an online "Wish List" to enable its shoppers to donate goods for Katrina victims to the Salvation Army. The result: thousands of toys, clothes and household items were given to needy families during the holidays. "Two years ago our relationship was strained," says the Salvation Army's Maj. George Hood. "But when Katrina came along, they knocked on our door." It's a knock that charities have come to know and welcome.

—Keith Naughton

11 - Career Changer

John Read
Outward Bound

His wallet took a hit when he left the private sector to run an ailing nonprofit.

In 1992 John Read was a manufacturing executive locked in a race to become CEO when he took an Outward Bound trip with his oldest son, with whom he had a strained relationship. Rock climbing together transformed their bond, so over the next few years Read took expeditions with his two other kids. Impressed by the impact of Outward Bound on his family, he joined the board of its North Carolina affiliate. By 2001 he'd successfully launched a private equity fund, but when 9/11's impact on the markets delayed his plans to launch a second, Read, a Harvard Business School graduate, became Outward Bound's interim CEO. After three months he was hooked--not just by the organization's mission but by the sense that his business skills could help it operate more effectively. In April 2002 he left his lucrative private-sector life behind for good.