For a generation, Special Olympics has worked with some of the world's leading companies to create the kinds of relationships that deliver authentic value both to its athletes and corporate partners. Our vision is of unified partnerships where we share goals and deliver results together not unlike any business relationship.

We seek partners who are serious about being successful in the marketplace and authentic in how they achieve that success. We seek partners who see the value of doing well by doing good with us that has a positive impact on the return on investment and return on objective.

In such relationships, we seek to move beyond the concept of "corporate social responsibility (CSR) " to a new model of "corporate social opportunity". While CSR as a concept has been successful in raising the level of awareness and attention that companies give to the social, political and economic consequences of their actions, it puts that awareness and attention in a fundamentally reactive framework. In most cases, CSR is not seen as integral to achieving business objectives. It is often seen as necessary but not primary. "Responsibility" is a term that implies duty not opportunity.

Finding and capitalizing on shared opportunity should be the new unifying ground of partnerships between businesses and causes or social organizations. For example, the Special Olympics movement of more than 6 million athletes, families and volunteers is rooted in the power of sports to make a significant difference in the health and wellness of people with intellectual disabilities. Our mission calls upon us to deliver that value daily in real and lasting ways in communities around the world. We run more than 70,000 games and competitions every year, each of which is designed to promote the physical benefits of sports and play while also promoting the social benefits of inclusion and diversity.

Special Olympics is not unlike many other successful NGOs that want to develop relationships that are driven by a sense of corporate social opportunity, not corporate social responsibility. We want to be held accountable for delivering results for both our stakeholders and our corporate partners. The meaning of a "good business" in today's marketplace of ideas involves a double bottom line: good economic performance and good social performance. The challenge for both business and social leaders in today's era of rapid change is to expand these models of unified partnerships. Profits cannot and should not be sustained by companies that ignore basic social values. But companies that embrace them can and should expect to be rewarded both financially and socially.

The author is the chairman of Special Olympics.