A "tax" on customers for donations?

When a company donates money to an organization, is this a "tax" on customers? Should the government be the entity to give money to (i.e. subsidize) these organizations instead?

Normally, when a company donates money to an organization, they take it off the profits of that company. If we assume the first question above is correct, for the sake of argument, then the donation would have to be included as a "fixed" or "variable" cost in the production of said product or service. This would then make the price go up. Most companies are vigilant in reducing costs. Six Sigma and LEAN are concepts many companies have been falling all over themselves to implement. It makes good economic and business sense to keep costs down and maximize profits while offering high value to customers. The powers of supply and demand dictate no other choice. Additionally, many companies like to donate to organizations a majority of their customers agree with and support. There's a reason you don't see a lot of corporate donations going to NAMBLA...

The government, on the other hand, cares nothing for reducing costs. The government, also, does not care if you support their spending of your tax dollars. Only in the government can you have one bureaucratic entity exist side by side with another contra-bureaucratic entity to the first. Your tax dollars at work.

The nice thing is that you can choose to not do business with a company if you don't like who they donate to; you don't have that option with the government.