Apple remains one of the only Fortune 50 companies without a charitable foundation. This is particularly surprising since Apple tops the list of Fortune's most admired companies for 2011.

Aug. 30, 2011: Andrew Ross Sorkin, editor of NY Times' Dealbook, writes:

"At one time in his life, Mr. Jobs clearly spent time thinking about philanthropy. In 1986, after leaving Apple and founding NeXT, he started the Steven P. Jobs Foundation. But he closed it a little over a year later. Mark Vermilion, whom Mr. Jobs hired away from Apple to run the foundation, said in an interview, “He clearly didn’t have the time.” 

"Two of his close friends, both of whom declined to be quoted by name, told me that Mr. Jobs had said to them in recent years, as his wealth ballooned, that he could do more good focusing his energy on continuing to expand Apple than on philanthropy, especially since his illness. “He has been focused on two things — building the team at Apple and his family,” another friend said. “That’s his legacy. Everything else is a distraction.”

Understandable... but I don't think it would take too much time or focus away from product and business innovation to allocate a few Geniuses to design a philanthropic program that is as efficient, effective and successful as Apple itself.

Philanthropy doesn't have to just be about giving away money because you have a lot of it. Smart philanthropy utilizes an individual's or a company's strengths - and/or resources - to solve social, economic, environmental and/or political challenges or inequities.

If Apple can fit all of my music, pictures, applications and the internet on a 4.5" phone, I'm confident a few Geniuses can help solve any number of the many challenges we face as a human family (Jobs directed his energy on building his Apple family...).

Just a little Apple magic could make a world of difference.

Here's to you, Mr. Cook.  Keep doing what Apple does best: Innovate & Find Solutions.