The two founders of Google, the company that defined the standard for Internet search engines, have set up a for-profit philanthropy called Google.org, starting it off with a billion dollars in seed money and an ambitious mission to fight poverty, disease and global warming.

One of the first projects of Google.org is a hybrid car that will run on any combination of ethanol, gasoline and electricity and go more than 100 miles on a gallon of gas.

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Because it is a for-profit organization, Google.org could start a company to sell the cars, form partnerships with venture capitalists to finance the company, and even lobby lawmakers to offer tax incentives to people who buy the cars. Google.org will also have to pay taxes.

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin tapped Dr. Larry Brilliant to serve as executive director of Google.org. Brilliant, 61, is a physician, public health expert, and former Silicon Valley entrepreneur.

In an interview with The New York Times, Brilliant said he would like to see ventures such as the hybrid car make a profit, but wouldn’t really care if they didn’t. "We're not doing it for the profit,” he said. “And if we didn't get our capital back, so what? The emphasis is on social returns, not economic returns."

Some people have questioned the structure of Google.org as well as its ambitions, wondering whether such a relatively small organization can really expect to make much progress on major global issues such as poverty and disease. But one thing seems certain: Google has taken to heart its famous slogan—Don’t be evil—and put it into action.

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Google helps needy and makes a profit at same time – The New York Times/International Herald Tribune