Public Interest Group Awards Good Corporate Consciences : Philanthropy: Council on Economic Priorities cited programs benefiting causes such as education, the arts and AIDS.

Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive and Timberland were cited Thursday for putting their consciences before profits.

The companies were among six winners of “America’s Corporate Conscience Awards” given annually by the Council on Economic Priorities, a public interest group that also surveys the top 10 corporate polluters.

The six winners, chosen from 30 top contenders, each operated programs with direct social benefits that exceeded the call of duty.

The winners were chosen by a panel of leaders from business, academia and the public-interest sector.

Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. was cited for extensive support for minorities and women, with active job recruitment programs and summer internships for minority youth.

Colgate-Palmolive Co., which makes everything from toothpaste to soap, donated more than half a million dollars over the last four years for special schools in New York City, including buying an arts-school dance floor and desktop computers for young writers.

Timberland Co., the Hampton, N.H., maker of outdoor shoes, pledged $5 million over five years to a community-service program that teaches youths to read, clean up trash-strewn lots and generally learn to be leaders.

New England Electric System, a regional utility, helps protect the environment with a pilot plant that converts waste into gas and the largest wind power plant on the East Coast.

Cambridge, Mass.-based Polaroid Corp. was recognized for a comprehensive AIDS education and awareness program.

Merck & Co., the world’s largest drug maker based in Rahway, N.J., won for a partnership with Costa Rica to help preserve the rain forest.

The New York-based Council is best known for its consumer guide, “Shopping for a Better World.”