do well by doing good

present singular third person does well by doing good · participle present doing well by doing good · past did well by doing good · participle past done well by doing good

1. idiomaticTo achieve social acceptance or financial success as a result of behaving in a benevolent or charitable manner.

   Of course, like most aid donors, Japan does well by doing good.

   1988, John Greenwald at al., "Japan From Superrich To Superpower," Time, 4 July

   3 more examples

   Ev'ry evening you will find him / Around our neighborhood / It's the old dope peddler / Doing well by doing good

   1954, Tom Lehrer, “The Old Dope Peddler”, in Songs by Tom Lehrer (LP record), Lehrer Records, Track 2

   The sanctioning doctrine of Good Works has been at hand every since Benjamin Franklin canonized the Arminian Heresy. So Cash McCall, like his patron saint, does well by doing good.

   1960, Albert D. Van Nostrand, The Denatured Novel, volume 3, Bobbs-Merrill, page 170

   He wants companies selling Red products to make a profit by helping the poor—doing well by doing good.

   2006 January 27, Matthew Bishop, “View from Davos: Bono marketing his red badge of virtue”, in telegraph.co.uk, retrieved 21 Jan 2010