Month: May 2023

Benevity’s Corporate Goodness Awards, also known as “The Goodies,” celebrate the bold, innovative, inclusive and creative ways our clients are making a difference in the world — and how they inspire other people through purpose 

Congrats to the 2023 Goodie Award winners announced at our annual corporate purpose conference, Benevity Live! in San Diego, California. 

The Bestie Award — American Family Insurance 
For best‑in‑class approach and overall impact

American Family Insurance isn’t afraid to disrupt the status quo. They are radically changing the landscape of philanthropy as one of the first companies to fully embrace trust-based granting. Plus, they make long-term grant commitments that increase by 5% every year and renew automatically. On top of that, they encourage employees to step away from their day jobs to work full-time with nonprofits for months at a time and find ways to reduce the burden on nonprofits so they can focus on what matters. They’re giving people a sense of meaning that inspires more action and impact, and they’re setting a new bar for how companies think about philanthropy.

The Moonshot Award — Vancouver Airport Authority 
For boldness and creativity

Vancouver Airport Authority was recognized for their creative and collaborative approach to corporate purpose. In a year marked by the economic fallout from COVID and a war in Ukraine, they creatively rallied employees, customers and surrounding businesses to help address food insecurity and a refugee crisis. The team took a new approach to their usual food drive. Instead of asking folks to donate non-perishable food items, they pre-purchased food at wholesale prices and created a pop-up market that filled 1,264 hampers and raised over $26,000 for their nonprofit partner (which included 200% donation matching) — feeding 7,500 British Columbians! They kept that collaboration going, rallying everyone again to Fill a Box with essential items for refugees arriving from Ukraine, and fulfilling their purpose to be a place where “people feel safe, welcome and supported”. For these, and all the other ways they took a departure from their traditional programming, Vancouver Airport Authority achieved a sky high level of impact in 2022.

The Buzz Award — HP Inc. 
For catalyzing purpose through communications and storytelling

HP Inc. partnered with communication teams, their company team leads, ERGs and more to reach tens of thousands of colleagues across the world. Then, to create a steady buzz for their massive volunteer campaign, they used creative video emails, social media posts and virtual info sessions. And HP Inc. understood the best stories come directly from their people, so they incentivized their employees to share with extra volunteer rewards and provided them with ready-to-use content to make it easy. They even ran a whole campaign to remind employees to log their volunteer hours, for a chance to earn $500 to donate to a nonprofit they love. HP employees logged 258,131 volunteer hours in 2022, making it their best volunteering year ever. Not only are they this year’s Buzz winner but they made People Magazine’s 100 Companies That Care list, and they credit their collaborative storytelling for getting there.

The People Power Award — Visa 
For promoting purpose through people’s passions

Visa’s culture fuels their commitment to global equity — with their people using their program to drive equitable impact in the world. Their program is led and supported by 225+ volunteer leads. And in the last year, they increased their ERG membership by a remarkable 50% to 9,000 members. Employees are actively involved in decision-making for the company’s granting program, nominating issues they want to help solve – with up to two nonprofit partners in each city receiving grants of up to $250,000. Additionally, employees get to support underrepresented small businesses across 80+ countries through mentorship and loans. Supported by the company’s partnership with the world’s first online lending platform, Kiva, they’ve directed $1.2 million in loans to 52,000 SMBs in 40 countries, 86% of which are women-owned. With an awe-inspiring 80% of their 26,500 employees globally participating in granting and volunteering, Visa proves that employee involvement and empowerment builds best‑in‑class programs.

The Community Hero Award — Motorola Solutions 
For best-in-class approach to community investment

Motorola Solutions stepped up to help the first responder community, dedicating a big part of their granting program to providing these community heroes with mental health and family support. It’s also important to them that they drive more diverse representation in the next generation of tech leaders, so they provide tech and engineering scholarships and work placements to underserved youth in their communities. Involving their employees in reviewing grants applications is central to their program philosophy and employees can track that time as volunteer hours to receive donation currency to further multiply their impact in their community. In 2022, $9.5 million in grants were awarded to more than 160 organizations in 23 countries. An impressive 75% of that funding benefited people of color, and over 2 million first responders, teachers and students benefited directly from their investments. 
 

The BeCause Award — CSAA Insurance Group 
For dedication to causes

In 2022, CSAA Insurance Group worked with teams across the company to find new ways to help their nonprofit partners create more impact. That involved everything from working with HR to offer free temporary office space to nonprofits, including a food bank undergoing renovations, to tapping their legal team to run clinics that offered their expertise. CSAA also offers unrestricted funding for grantees, pays for all volunteer events that nonprofits often have to cover themselves, and ensures Goodness opportunities are infused in team meetings and town halls. Offering double volunteer rewards for skills-based volunteering meant that nonprofits got the help they really needed. And implementing special matching campaigns for their community partners saw a 200% increase in donations. CSAA’s cause-focused approach to giving ensures roadblocks are removed for their nonprofit partners so they’re able to do even more for their communities. 
 

The NewB Award — Toast 
For most transformational approach

Toast is brand new to the Benevity community and they hit the ground running with employee giving and volunteering, granting and client and end-user giving — involving all of their stakeholders from the very start. They implemented every best practice, including seeding giving accounts and recruiting employee ambassadors to create 20 events in time for launch. They took the creativity further with three minute donate-a-thons that doubled their participation in just one month. They also involved employees in the granting process and empowered them to create their own giving opportunities. Plus, they used the Benevity Giving API to empower their clients and their clients’ customers to round up their bills to support local nonprofits. Since their program’s launch in 2022, 225,000 restaurant guests have already rounded up their bills for charity. 
 

The BUFFY Award 
For individual leadership, innovation and impact

Fabian Lopez, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Appfire lives by the program’s motto, “if it’s big in your heart, it’s a call to action for us.” He works every day to make Appfire’s program inclusive of every cause and everybody, encouraging participation from employees as well as their families and friends, customers and partners. Fabian is known for always showing up, whether it’s rolling up his sleeves to paint a school in Guatemala to traveling around the world to raise awareness for the Appfire Town program. Launched in 2022, it’s a space where everyone is invited to become a “neighbor” and create social impact in their local and global communities through giving and volunteering. In just four months under Fabian’s leadership the program raised $20,000 for Ukraine relief, planted 120 native plants in Patagonia and increased participation in doing good tenfold.Noah Salata, Community and Social Impact Advisor at American Family Insurance wasted no time searching for answers when his company asked, “How can we be better community partners?” When “removing barriers” emerged as a response, Noah championed moving to a trust-based approach to philanthropy before many companies were doing it. This led American Family Insurance to remove all reporting and application requirements for its grantees so they could focus 100% of their efforts towards creating impact and changing outcomes for the people they serve. Noah pushes for an equitable approach on behalf of communities and nonprofits alike, embedding decolonization and anti-racism principles into the company’s philanthropy practices. He has helped American Family Insurance establish a new vision for community investment that centers around stakeholder philanthropy, and he’s paving the way for other leaders to do the same and become the best community partners they can be.

The Employee Catalyst Award 
For an employee whose passion creates movements

Julia Coussens from CITGO is not only CITGO’s most avid volunteer — logging 115 hours in 2022 alone — but she’s rallying others by creating and leading many of Team CITGO’s volunteering and fundraising activities. As an active member of CITGO’s Environmental Stewardship Committee ERG, she coordinated a team of 390 volunteers in the 2022 Houston Trash Bash. Through this event, she facilitated over 20,000 minutes of volunteer time and generated over $3,000 in volunteer rewards that were then donated to great causes.Scott Woolcott from Morningstar has been instrumental in taking Morningstar’s program global — going well beyond his day job to unify their entire workforce right after a big global acquisition. He helped onboard 15 offices in the EMEA region so everyone, everywhere could participate in their upcoming Global Volunteer Days — achieving over 50% participation. Scott continues to step up as a program resource for employees everywhere, all while leading local efforts for Morningstar’s London office and working with local causes.

This year’s winners, and all of the nominees, are setting the standard and raising the bar for what it means to be a purpose-driven company. 

READ THE FULL STORIES OF EACH GOODIE WINNER ON BENEVITY’S BLOG.

Alison Lewis, Kimberly-Clark’s chief growth officer, was a recent guest alongside Pree Rao, the global co-head of Egon Zehnder’s marketing and sales practice, on the CMO Podcast with Jim Stengel. In this episode, Alison shared insights on resilient leadership from her recent keynote at the Kellogg Marketing Leadership Summit and discussed the importance of embracing a growth mindset, the power of stepping outside your comfort zone, and the evolving responsibilities and challenges for chief marketing officers (CMOs).

“I want to leave whatever I touch shinier and better, making an impact not only on the business, but on people as well. Inspiring those around you to be better leaders is the greatest legacy you can leave,” said Alison.

Listen to the full episode here.

About Kimberly-Clark 
Kimberly-Clark (NYSE: KMB) and its trusted brands are an indispensable part of life for people in more than 175 countries. Fueled by ingenuity, creativity, and an understanding of people’s most essential needs, we create products that help individuals experience more of what’s important to them. Our portfolio of brands, including Huggies, Kleenex, Scott, Kotex, Cottonelle, Poise, Depend, Andrex, Pull-Ups, GoodNites, Intimus, Neve, Plenitud, Sweety, Softex, Viva and WypAll, hold No. 1 or No. 2 share positions in approximately 80 countries. We use sustainable practices that support a healthy planet, build strong communities, and ensure our business thrives for decades to come. We are proud to be recognized as one of the world’s most ethical companies by Ethisphere for the fifth year in a row. To keep up with the latest news and to learn more about the company’s 150-year history of innovation, visit kimberly-clark.com.

May 12, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), with support from its funders, invites small business owners from across the United States and Canada to apply to the 2023 Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) program – a tuition-free, 40-hour “mini-MBA” program that combines executive education, webinars, and coaching delivered by top-ranking university professors, local experts, and financial institutions.

The ICCC program is designed to help small businesses in underserved communities develop strategies that build their capacity for sustainable growth and present opportunities to connect with capital sources to create local jobs.

“I am so grateful that this program exists – the focus, generosity, and caliber of everyone contributing is just amazing. It is undoubtedly a must for any entrepreneur to take part if they are invited – I can’t imagine who wouldn’t want to glean great advice from professionals in the field, it certainly gives one a great advantage to know there are people and resources available to be successful,” said MJ Atelier founder and 2022 ICCC participant Maria Apelo Cruz.

Since 2005, ICCC has helped more than 5,000 businesses access $2.4 billion in capital, achieve 141% revenue growth, and create more than 26,000 jobs in their communities. In 2022, the initiative served more than 800 businesses, with 85% identifying as BIPOC-owned and 60% as woman-owned businesses.

“We’re proud to offer this transformative program which has helped so many small business owners grow revenue more quickly, create well-paying jobs, and access critical capital, including a $2,000 grant for every participant who completes the entire program,’ said ICIC CEO Steve Grossman.

Entrepreneurs accepted into the ICCC program will participate in 40 hours of high-impact in-person and virtual learning divided into four components designed to maximize each participant’s experience and accommodate their busy schedules. In-person and virtual cohorts will be held in cities and states across the United States and Canada as follows:

LocationApplication DeadlineOpening SeminarBostonFriday, May 19, 2023Tuesday, June 6, 2023ChicagoFriday, May 26, 2023Monday June 12, 2023MemphisFriday, June 9, 2023Tuesday, June 27, 2023New JerseyFriday, June 30, 2023Wednesday, July 19, 2023U.S. National Latinx (virtual)Friday, June 30, 2023Tuesday, July 18, 2023, & 
Thursday, July 20, 2023U.S. National (virtual)Friday, July 7, 2023Tuesday, July 25, 2023, & 
Thursday, July 27, 2023DallasFriday, July 14, 2023Tuesday, August 1, 2023Springfield & Western MassachusettsFriday, July 21, 2023Tuesday, August 8, 2023DetroitFriday, July 28, 2023Tuesday, August 15, 2023BaltimoreFriday, August 25, 2023Tuesday, September 12, 2023TorontoFriday, August 25, 2023Thursday, September 14, 2023NashvilleFriday, September 1, 2023Wednesday, September 20, 2023Canada National (virtual)Friday, September 8, 2023Tuesday, October 10, & 
Thursday, October 12, 2023

Throughout the program, participants engage in digital learning sessions, webinars, and one-on-one business coaching that tackle each business owner’s immediate challenges. The program culminates with the ICIC Annual Conference, hosted in Miami, Florida, the week of December 11, which focuses on building resilience strategies and connecting participants with capital providers.

Application deadlines vary by cohort. Visit ICIC’s website for additional details about the ICCC program, including eligibility criteria, and applications.

For more information and to connect with an ICIC subject matter expert, please contact André Ledgister at aledgister@icic.org or (617) 238-3012 or Jasmine Martin at jmartin@icic.org or (617) 238-3010.

About Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC)

Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) was founded by renowned Harvard Business School Professor Michael Porter in 1994 as a research and strategy organization that today is widely recognized as the preeminent authority on the economies of underserved communities. ICIC drives inclusive economic prosperity in under-resourced communities through innovative research and programs to create jobs, income, and wealth for local residents.

Inner City Capital Connections (ICCC) is a tuition-free executive leadership training program designed by ICIC to help business owners in under-resourced communities build capacity for sustainable growth in revenue, profitability, and employment. ICCC is uniquely designed to provide three critical elements for sustainable growth: capacity-building education, one-on-one coaching, and connections to capital and capital providers. The program is supported by Kaiser Permanente, Bank of America, Yum! Brands, Pizza Hut Canada, FedEx, Regions Bank, Santander Bank, AmerisourceBergen, PNC Bank, Mass Mutual Foundation, Arctaris Impact Investors, Cardinal Health, Vizient, Rose International, and Blackstone Consulting.

Learn more at www.icic.org or @icicorg.

Press release template 2023 FINAL.pdf

The Transformational Tech series highlights Cisco’s grant recipients that use technology to help transform the lives of individuals and communities.

Cisco’s purpose is to Power an Inclusive Future for All. One way we fulfill our purpose is through collaborations with organizations that have aligning values. Similarly, with the mission to create impactful, innovative, and successful social enterprises, Villgro® has helped build and accelerate startups in India for over 20 years. And when Cisco and Villgro partnered to organize Tvaran, we leaned into both our missions.

Cisco and Villgro selected seven winning startups to explore and accelerate over the coming months through Project Tvaran. An India-based startup accelerator program in its first year, Tvaran means “acceleration” in Hindi. Each winning startup is focused on a facet of climate resilience and is founded and run by women entrepreneurs. Meet our first-ever winners of Tvaran:

GreenGrahi Solutions, co-founder Shivali Sugand

Growing up witnessing Delhi’s giant landfills, Shivali Sugand was always keen on changing the paradigm of waste management. In 2021, her purpose found a way, through her startup GreenGrahi Solutions, where she addresses India’s three pressing problems: waste management, food insecurity and climate change.

According to World Resources Institute, “the world throws out a billion tons of food each year, while one in nine people remain malnourished.” Most of this waste ends up in landfills where it has adverse economic, environmental, and social repercussions on the local population and on the natural ecosystem.

As a circular economy company, GreenGrahi Solutions upcycles food waste into high-quality ingredients for animal and plant nutrition using an insect bio-conversion process. They take food waste from bulk waste generators; let insects use it in climate-controlled chambers powered by a network of sensors and an algorithm, and convert the results into high-quality insect protein, fat, and fertilizer.

“We truly believe that insects and our technology can act as a catalyst to fix the broken food system and empower our farmers,” Shivali said. “And can drastically reduce the greenhouse gasses from the current unsustainable waste management and resource-intensive agricultural practices.”

Bharat Krushi Seva, co-founder Sharayu Lande

In 2021, 42% of the population in India lived in poverty. And in a overpopulated country with an unknown number of farmers, many do not have access to a quality value chain—like technology, personal advisors, and technical support.

Bharat Krushi Seva (BKS) uses remote sensing technology to drive digital and climate-smart agriculture, to help farmers make more informed decisions and focus on precision farming. This gathered information is critical for farmers who are looking to mitigate the impact of climate change while maintaining sustainable and profitable agricultural practices.

“By having this information in advance,” Sharayu explained, “farmers can make better decisions about resource allocation and optimize their production processes.”

BKS’ technology provides crop-specific, personalized support, equipping farmers with customized, actionable advice based on farming practices and local conditions. This helps them to improve their crop yield, reduce input costs, manage risks, and make better decisions. This tech-based service provides sustainable and climate-smart farming practices, promoting a healthier environment.

Green Delight Innovations Private Limited, founder Niveda Ravi

India faces major social and environmental challenges with plastic waste disposal. Per ResearchGate, in 2010, only 12% of women in India used sanitary pads. By 2016, that number had increased to 57%. Every year the number of feminine hygiene products users grows. This inspired Niveda Ravi to develop a process that benefits both women and the environment.

Niveda founded Green Delight Innovations to solve two significant challenges that stem from plastic waste disposal:

Plastic – Nearly 113,000 tons of hygiene products are disposed of annually in India. And often, these products are burnt for disposal, which may release harmful gases and toxins into the atmosphere.Chemicals – Almost 70% of reproductive diseases in India are reportedly caused by poor sanitary pad hygiene.

Niveda noted that while the “leaves of the Kenaf plant are edible, the stem goes to waste.” This inspired her to create a processing technology that can extract fibers from the common plant, using no chemicals or plastics, making it suitable for use in feminine hygiene products. Green Delight Innovations is the first startup in the world to make Bliss hygiene pads from Kenaf, and India’s First to offer United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA)-approved and biobased-certified feminine hygiene products. Additionally, Green Delight operates with the aim to offer gender equality with more direct jobs to women and people who are transgender, and economic growth for women and men in local areas.

Niveda revealed, “Women switching to this technology will experience good health and wellbeing. Women will have better hygiene and sanitation practices. [And this product may offer a] reduction in pollution.”

KNP Arises – Green Energy Solutions, co-founder Kirtti Vaishnav

Frying cooking oil increases the Total Polar Compounds (TPC) value of an oil. And if the oil is reused, consuming it can cause severe health problems, like “non-communicable diseases, heart ailments, and organ damage.” Cooking oils with a TPC value higher than 25% should not be consumed and should be immediately discarded, according to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). But in India, 60% of used cooking oil can reenter the food chain due to lack of awareness and an unstable food safety infrastructure.

Kirtti Viashnav co-founded KNP Arises to collect used cooking oil and convert it into fuel.

Through KNP’s mobile application, anyone who wants to discard used cooking oil can submit a request. The KNP team then coordinates to collect the oil and transfer it to the KNP warehouse. On collection, the vendor gets paid to dispose of their oil, along with a compliance certificate and “green” certificate showing their contribution towards the environment. KNP provides 100% oil traceability through notifications in the mobile application.

“Our work will secure millions of people’s health. By providing a strong infrastructure, we can safely guard bodies of water,” Kirtti disclosed. “And using this fuel will ensure our environment is cleaner and greener.”

Swachha Eco Solutions Pvt Ltd, co-founder Victoria D’Souza

As an environmental activist and social entrepreneur, Victoria D’Souza understood that while plastic is an alternative to metal, there is no alternative to plastic.

The use of packaged products has increased exponentially—especially single-use, multi-layered plastic (MLP), like the plastic wrapping around food or shampoo. Long-time exposure to the chemicals within this multi-layered plastic may produce leachate, resulting in water and soil pollution. Currently, India’s Plastic Waste Management (PWM) process for MLP is to recycle about 60% and dump the rest in a landfill.

Victoria explained, “We take a look at a variety of ways a collaborative, collective approach helps in creating a clean, green, and sustainable environment.”

Through Swachha Eco Solutions, this MLP can be collected, shredded, and mixed with hot bitumen which is sometimes referred to as asphalt or tar. The formulated plastic waste mixture is added to course aggregate, resulting in a mix that can be used for road construction and repair. Swachha Eco Solutions aims to reduce emissions and lifecycle carbon intensity from dumped single-use plastics.

Mowo Fleet, founder Jai Bharathi

Every city across the world is driving toward the electric vehicle revolution. Many women in India, especially from lower socioeconomic groups, are unaware of this transportation transformation. Jai Bharathi felt it important to include women in sustainable mobility-related livelihoods, so she founded Mowo Fleet.

Through Mowo Fleet, Jai redefined urban mobility by bringing women into the driver’s seat—specifically on electric two- and three-wheelers. Mowo Fleet uses technology to optimize and schedule commutes and delivery services to enable women to consider driving for their career and maximize their earning potential.

And while many women are already willing to drive for their livelihood, it can be a challenge for these women to earn maximum revenue for the hours they spend away from home. Through Mowo Fleet’s technology, empty rides are mitigated, providing many women with equal footing.

“Being a part of the Villgro-Cisco Tvaran program, we have the opportunity to be mentored as we are at the initial phase of building technology, which will be a game changer in enabling many women to join the sustainable mobility workforce,” Jai disclosed.

Farmers for Forests (ClimateSense Pvt Ltd), founder Krutika Ravishankar

“One of the primary reasons why ecosystems like forests, marshes, grasslands, mangroves, peats and bogs are being destroyed at an alarming rate,” disclosed Krutika Ravishankar, “is because the services they provide—like carbon sequestration, soil regeneration, fresh water, and pollination—are not being correctly priced by global economic systems.” For example, according to data from the IPBES, insects pollinate 75% of crops globally, a service priced at $577 billion.

Thriving ecosystems are key to climate resilience. Krutika co-founded Farmers for Forests to focus on restoring and protecting India’s biodiverse forests, in close collaboration with agrarian and Indigenous communities.

“Farmers for Forests compensates farmers and communities for the protection and restoration of biodiverse forest cover,” Krutika explained.

Through the use of drones, satellite data, and modified open-source AI algorithms, Farmers for Forests can count trees, identify species, and track forest cover to capture tree health and risk potential for forest fires. This data is used holistically to understand forest health and quantify sequestered carbon and biodiversity levels of the forests and agroforestry plantations—helping to more accurately price services provided by these ecosystems.

So far, Farmers for Forests manages more than 2,940 acres of vulnerable forests each year, has planted 600 acres of new forests and agroforestry plantations, and has generated over 17,000 days of rural employment.

Congratulations to these seven outstanding Tvaran startup winners. We look forward to seeing how these women entrepreneurs will impact and innovate the future of climate resilience around the world. To learn more about Villgro’s and Cisco’s efforts to help entrepreneurs in India accelerate climate resilience, please visit our Project Tvaran webpage.

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HOUSTON, May 12, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, was again named to the Fortune’s Modern Board 25, a list of the most innovative boards of directors among S&P 500 companies. This year, Baker Hughes comes in at No. 5, up one spot from 2022.

Fortune collaborated with the Diligent Institute, the research arm and think tank of the global corporate-governance software company Diligent, to develop the ranking — based on criteria that include the expertise, independence, diversity, and tenure of board membership. Using information gathered by Diligent and ESG data from Refinitiv to quantify board success across several dimensions, the ranking measures board independence, sustainability, diversity, financial performance and more.

“We are proud to once again appear on Fortune’s Modern Board 25 list, a testament to the breadth and strength of our Board’s expertise. Strong governance is fundamental to our ability to grow sustainably as we transform our company and industry throughout the energy transition,” said Baker Hughes Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Simonelli. “I thank our Board and shareholders for their unwavering commitment to and support of our strategy as we take energy forward.”

Read what Fortune wrote about the Baker Hughes Board and view the full list here.

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For more information, please contact:

Media Relations
Adrienne M. Lynch
+1 713-906-8407
adrienne.lynch@bakerhughes.com