How does the former CEO of Ben & Jerry’s think about sustainability, profit, culture, trust… and the future of business? Probably not the way you’d expect. Because according to Matthew McCarthy, the biggest threat to most organizations isn’t always their competitors. It’s themselves.
On It Shouldn’t Be This Hard, we talk to business leaders, sustainability professionals, and social impact entrepreneurs working at the intersection of purpose and performance—hosting lively, playful (and often provocative) discussions around why sometimes it’s so hard to do the right thing… and do the right things.
In this two-part conversation, former CEO of Ben & Jerry’s Matthew McCarthy challenges some of business’s most deeply held assumptions, from the false choice between purpose and profit to why trust, culture, and leadership may matter more than most organizations realize.
Grounded is a multi-award-winning, B Corp certified brand activation agency — thriving at the intersection of brand experience, commercial innovation, sustainability and social impact. They work with brands, retailers, startups and nonprofits all over the world, helping them transform purpose into profit, commercialize sustainability and drive positive behavior change at scale. Learn more.
In response to strong interest, SCS Global Services is offering an additional Introduction to CSRD session to address questions on getting started with audit readiness and to revisit key topics for those who missed the original broadcast.
As organizations prepare for CSRD reporting, understanding assurance expectations is critical. This complimentary webinar will provide an auditor’s perspective on what assurance providers will be looking for, including governance structures, controls, documentation, data quality, and evidence to support reported disclosures. Attendees will gain practical insights into common readiness gaps and actions they can take now to strengthen their reporting processes and prepare for assurance with greater confidence.
Every chatbot query and every model trained runs on electricity. This prompts not just the desired query response, but also a familiar set of social and environmental impacts. In most industries, operational impacts like energy consumption and emissions, water stewardship, and community relations are the subject of corporate sustainability disclosures. This week’s news looks at both challenges and sources of hope related to AI’s ESG impacts and the related transparency.
First, the Environmental Integrity Project recently determined that 74 gas-fired plants have been proposed to power U.S. data centers. These “behind the meter” facilities – which would collectively emit approximately the same amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) a year as France or Australia – could bypass the usual permitting process that public plants face. Reporting on EIP’s findings, Reuters notes that only one in three Americans approves of the pace of data-center construction, which has given rise to a political dilemma heading into U.S. mid-term elections in November 2026.
This week, the United Nations set out to close the gap between the physical footprint of AI infrastructure, and expectations of transparency and good governance. As Fast Company reports, UN Secretary-General António Guterres just launched an AI Environmental Transparency Initiative calling on every major AI company to measure and disclose its full footprint — carbon, water, land — and to run its data centers on renewable energy sources by 2030. For a sense of the urgency of this demand, data centers drew about 1.5% of global electricity in 2025, headed toward nearly 3% by 2030. Given their role in global energy consumption, Guterres said “It is time to come clean.”
It’s important to remember that building AI infrastructure can also help drive growth in the green economy – as long as electrification is linked to renewable energy. As reported by ESG Dive, the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) found that for the first time, the global green economy has passed US$10 trillion in market capitalization, with electrification and AI infrastructure among the drivers. LSEG calculates that if the green economy is considered as a standalone industry, it “would now be the world’s third largest, surpassing Health Care, only behind Technology and Industrials.”
The supply chain is a specific area of the AI economy with crucial opportunities for greener infrastructure. TIME’s new Most Sustainable Companies list scores companies on transparency, and names several companies that help power the AI industry as disclosing well, including graphics processing unit (GPU) maker Nvidia (#31), chip-equipment maker ASML (#24), and data-center power specialist Delta Electronics (#34). The emissions impact of tech supply chains is the focus of a new G&A paper that maps what Microsoft, Apple, Google, and Meta now expect. G&A’s Scope 3 and SBTi target-setting teams help suppliers deliver on these ambitious expectations from their largest customers.
With the evolution of AI raising new questions about transparency, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the world’s leading standard-setter in corporate ESG disclosure, has flagged AI and other aspects of digitalization as a research priority that could shape future guidance. This week, GRI named G&A co-founder Lou Coppola as the new Chair of its Stakeholder Council, a multistakeholder body that advises on the standards and helps shape its priorities. GRI’s standards are referenced by companies representing 62% of global market capitalization across 107 jurisdictions. Lou plans to bring meaningful stewardship at a moment of high stakes and substantial impacts for sustainability reporting.
Also in this issue: California moves to delay its first SB 253 emissions deadline from August to November; ESG Today covers the ISSB allowing metrics for nature disclosure as part of the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD); Responsible Investor has investors backing SBTi’s net-zero revisions, with caveats; an EcoVadis study finds that 80% of Tier 1 suppliers still lack any process for managing supply-chain sustainability risk; and G&A’s new paper on extended producer responsibility in the EU hones in on steps to take by August 12 for companies that place packaging on the EU market.
This is just the introduction of G&A’s Sustainability Highlights newsletter this week. Click here to view the full issue.
Every year, billions of dollars in potential charitable giving go unclaimed, not because employees don’t want to give, but because their employers haven’t made it easy. Matching gift programs are among the simplest, most impactful tools a company can offer, yet a surprising number of organizations haven’t taken the step of launching one.
If your company is on the fence, here’s why matching gifts matter and what you need to know to get started.
The Case for Matching Gifts
Today’s workforce expects more from employers than a paycheck. Research shows that 71% of employees say it’s important to work at a company with a culture that supports giving and volunteering. Nearly three in five employee donors say it’s imperative that their employer match their personal donations with corporate funds.
The impact on charitable giving itself is significant. 84% of donors say they’re more likely to give when a match is offered, and one in three say they’d give a larger amount if matching is applied. In short, a matching gift program doesn’t just reflect well on your company — it actively moves the needle on how much good gets done in the world.
And yet, fewer than three in ten small and mid-sized companies currently offer matching programs, and more than one in three large firms haven’t launched one either. That’s a major missed opportunity.
A Win for Everyone Involved
What makes matching gift programs especially compelling is that they create genuine value for three distinct groups at once.
For companies, matching gifts amplify charitable impact without requiring a single large donation. They help build corporate culture, strengthen brand equity among nonprofit partners, and are a proven tool for attracting and retaining talent in a competitive hiring landscape.
For employees, matching gifts mean their personal donations go further, giving them a stronger connection to causes they care about and a deeper sense of alignment with their employer.
For nonprofits, the benefits extend beyond larger donations. Some organizations are able to build lasting relationships with companies through matching gift programs, leading to broader partnerships around cause marketing and employee volunteering.
Getting a Program Off the Ground
Setting up a matching gift program is more straightforward than it might seem, especially with the right partner. There are five core questions every company needs to answer:
What’s your budget? Decide whether you’ll set an overall program cap, a per-employee cap, or both. Factor in not just the matching funds themselves, but the staff time and technology needed to run the program well.
What’s your match ratio? Will you match dollar-for-dollar or offer a percentage, such as 50%? Will all employees be eligible, or only full-time staff? Keeping your overall campaign goal front and center, whether that’s maximizing participation or total dollars raised, should guide these decisions.
What’s your timeframe? Some companies run campaigns during a specific season or month; others keep their programs open year-round. Time-limited campaigns can create urgency, while year-round programs build a sustained culture of giving.
Which nonprofits are eligible? You can open giving to any IRS-recognized charity or limit it to a curated list aligned with your company’s philanthropic mission. Broader choice tends to increase employee participation; research shows that 30% of employee donors have opted out of workplace giving simply because their preferred causes weren’t available.
What’s your contingency plan? Plan ahead for both scenarios: what happens if you hit your cap early, and what happens if you fall short? Communicating these policies clearly to employees before the campaign begins prevents confusion and builds trust.
The Bottom Line
A matching gift program is one of the most cost-effective investments a company can make in its people and its community. When employees see their employer standing behind the causes they care about, it strengthens loyalty, deepens engagement, and creates a culture of purpose that goes far beyond the bottom line.
The mechanics can be managed, and experienced partners handle the complexity for you. The harder question is simply whether your company is ready to step up. For most organizations, the answer should be yes.
Ready to Get Started?
Launching a matching gift program doesn’t have to be complicated. America’s Charities has spent 40 years helping employers build and manage employee giving programs, from defining your campaign goals to processing donations and reporting impact. Their team can walk you through every step of the process.
Training local surgical teams, such as this one in Ghana, helps build stronger health systems worldwide.
Cleft Care as a Health Systems Model
At its core, Smile Train frames cleft care as a systems challenge.
Clefts are treatable, and whether a person can access safe, high-quality cleft surgery when they need it offers something powerful: a window into how well a health system is functioning overall.
Groundbreaking research coauthored by Smile Train-affiliated experts shows that the age at which a child receives cleft lip surgery can act as a “bellwether” indicator of surgical system strength – a proxy for whether a country’s health system can deliver timely, essential pediatric surgery.
A baby in Brazil rests before receiving Smile Train-supported cleft surgery.
Countries where children receive surgery earlier — on average at seven months of age for a cleft lip — tend to have:
Stronger surgical workforces
Lower maternal and child mortality
Higher overall health system performance
Conversely, delayed access reflects gaps in healthcare systems and their capacity to deliver essential care, especially pediatric surgical care.
This is what makes cleft care more than a series of individual treatments — it is a diagnostic tool for the entire surgical system.
Partner Hospitals: Anchors of Local Health Systems
Smile Train works through a global network of partner hospitals and clinics — comprising more than 20,000 interdisciplinary medical professionals across 75+ countries — embedding high-quality cleft care, improved surgical safety, and lasting expertise in otherwise underserved communities around the world.
Comprehensive cleft care includes long-term speech support, like the care Dr. Sally Adel provides in Egypt.
By strengthening existing institutions, Smile Train ensures that care is:
Surgical Workforce Training: Building Capacity at Scale
A surgical system is only as strong as its workforce.
Across low- and middle-income countries, shortages of trained providers are one of the biggest barriers to accessing care. The data reinforces this: countries with fewer surgical specialists see significantly delayed cleft surgeries, signaling weaker surgical system capacity overall.
Simulation-based training helps cleft teams strengthen their skills before entering the operating room.
Smile Train addresses this through:
Hands-on training
Surgical and anesthesia fellowships
Long-term mentorship
Global knowledge exchange
Digital and simulation-based education
Each provider trained expands not just cleft care, but the entire health ecosystem.
Infrastructure: Investing Beyond the Operating Room
Surgical access is not just about surgeons — it’s about systems.
Delivering high-quality cleft surgery requires:
Pre-surgical patient screening
Referral pathways
Safe anesthesia
Equipped operating rooms
Post-operative care systems
Facilities capable of performing cleft surgery reflect increased specialization and management of complex care, meaning they are strong enough to deliver a wide range of essential surgeries.
Infrastructure investments like advanced imaging equipment help local teams deliver safer, more comprehensive cleft care.
Smile Train invests across this ecosystem, including supporting:
Trained multidisciplinary surgical teams
Hospital infrastructure
Surgical and anesthesia equipment and supplies
Digital patient tracking systems
Comprehensive care (speech services, nutrition support, psychosocial care, and more)
Surgery as Essential Healthcare
For decades, surgery has been overlooked in global health conversations, viewed as a specialized service rather than a foundational one. That perspective is changing.
The evidence is clear: essential surgery is foundational to universal access to health coverage, a principle now enshrined in global commitments like World Health Assembly Resolution 68.15 — which Smile Train advocacy efforts helped bring to fruition — and, more recently, WHA Resolution 76.2, which formally integrated emergency, critical, and operative care as essential to universal health coverage.
Cleft care illustrates this powerfully:
It is cost-effective
It is life-changing
It is time-sensitive
And critically, it reveals whether a system can deliver pediatric surgical care when and where it is needed.
A baby in Argentina rests before receiving Smile Train-supported cleft surgery.
When cleft surgery is delayed, it signals broader failures:
Weak referral systems
Lack of equipped healthcare facilities
Limited workforce
Financial barriers to care
When it is timely, it signals strength. And that signal doesn’t stop at cleft care — it speaks to what a health system can do for every patient who needs a surgeon.
Building Surgical Systems in LMICs
Low- and middle-income countries, or “LMICs,” carry over 90% of the global burden of congenital surgical conditions, yet access to specialized surgical care remains uneven. The same systemic gaps that delay cleft surgery, such as undertrained workforces, under-resourced facilities, and weak referral pathways, limit access to essential surgery more broadly.
Smile Train-supported cleft care can support confidence and inspire children to pursue their dreams.
Smile Train’s model directly addresses these gaps by:
Investing in local ownership
Embedding training within local health systems
Supporting long-term infrastructure
Strengthening referral and care pathways
Improving the surgical capacity of local health systems, as indicated by improved access to cleft surgery, may also yield improvements in:
Life expectancy
Maternal and child survival
Financial protection from health costs
This is health systems strengthening in action.
A Scalable Model for Global Surgery
Smile Train has supported millions of cleft surgeries, but our deeper contribution is systemic.
By positioning cleft care as a bellwether for surgical capacity, we provide something invaluable in global health: A measurable, scalable way to track progress in building surgical systems.
Each cleft care journey reflects the broader impact of timely, locally available surgical care.
As children receive essential surgical care at increasingly younger ages, it signals:
Increased workforce capacity and skill
Improved access to timely and essential surgical care
Stronger health systems overall
The Takeaway
Smile Train is not just closing the cleft care gap, we are helping close the global surgery gap.
By treating cleft care as both a service and a signal, Smile Train is redefining what it means to strengthen health systems:
Not episodic. Not external. But embedded, measurable, and built to last.
And in doing so, we are helping create a future where safe, timely surgery is not a privilege but a standard.
On June 26, 2026, we proudly celebrated the Grand Opening of Cliffmore Park in Fayetteville, North Carolina, alongside amazing colleagues, local leaders, and development partners. Cliffmore Park is a newly constructed 72-unit community designed for seniors. Following the devastating impacts of Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018, which caused the destruction of many homes in the Fayetteville area, the development of Cliffmore Park was designed to support the rebuilding of the community. The project was awarded a prestigious Community Development Block Grant through the Disaster Recovery program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. We are proud to play a role in delivering thoughtfully designed homes and were honored to celebrate this exciting achievement!
CVS Health‑Aetna is proud to support developments like Cliffmore Park, which reflect our commitment to strengthening communities and showcasing that Housing is Health Care. Developments like this remind us of the lasting impact our work has in the neighborhoods where we live and serve.
On Sunday, June 28, AEG’s LA Kings hosted a ball hockey Jamboree at Charles Wilson Park in Torrance, bringing together over 100 youth participants for a day of competition, teamwork and community engagement. Held at the park’s roller hockey rink, the event featured two age-based tournaments — one for children ages eight and under and another for youth ages 12 and under.
Throughout the day, players were assigned to teams and competed in a series of closely contested games culminating in championship matchups. Guided by LA Kings Hockey Development coaches and volunteers from LA Kings STREET leagues across Los Angeles, participants had the opportunity to sharpen their skills while learning the values of collaboration, perseverance and sportsmanship. The event demonstrated the power of sport to connect young people from diverse backgrounds and foster a sense of belonging both on and off the playing surface.
The Jamboree also underscored the impact of LA Kings STREET, the organization’s flagship ball hockey initiative, implemented in partnership with local operators, the National Hockey League (NHL) and RCX Sports. Designed to expand access to hockey, the program addresses some of the sport’s most significant participation barriers — the need for skating experience, access to an ice rink and the high costs traditionally associated with play.
Through community-based programming like the STREET Jamboree, the LA Kings continue to advance their commitment to youth development and equitable access to sport, introducing a new generation of players to hockey regardless of background or financial circumstance.
NEW YORK and LONDON, July 13, 2026 /3BL/ – AccountAbility is pleased to share the release of a new article withCapital Finance International (CFI) – Boards and AI: From Oversight to Insight– authored by AccountAbility CEO Sunil (Sunny) A. Misser.
The article examines how artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to reshape board effectiveness and corporate governance. As directors face growing responsibilities spanning technology, risk, sustainability, geopolitics, and regulation, the demands placed on boards continue to increase.
Against this backdrop, the piece explores how AI can improve the quality, speed, and depth of board oversight, while strengthening directors’ ability to focus on strategic and judgement-based decision-making. It also addresses practical questions surrounding adoption, including where AI can add value, where human oversight must remain central, and how organizations can approach implementation responsibly.
Importantly, AI should inform board decisions, not make them.
The article explores several themes shaping the future of board effectiveness and governance, including:
Using AI to help directors distill & digest information and ask targeted questions.
Supporting more informed and independent oversight.
Freeing up valuable “board time” for judgement-based decision-making.
Enabling “evidence-based” evaluation of directors and management.
Ensuring that AI informs decisions without replacing human judgement.
As organizations continue to navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by AI, the article offers a practical perspective on its role in the boardroom of the future.
AccountAbility is an expert international Sustainability Advisory and Standards firm. Established in 1995 and structured as a Public Benefit Corporation, we work with businesses, investors, governments, and multilateral organizations to innovate and lead the global sustainability agenda by improving the practices and performance of organizations. We focus on delivering practical, effective, and enduring results that enable our clients and standards users to succeed.
AccountAbility operates globally from offices in New York, London, Riyadh, and Dubai, supported by a highly qualified team recognized by the Financial Times, Forbes, and Capital Finance International. AccountAbility is also acknowledged in the U.S. Library of Congress as a source of ESG & sustainability research and thought leadership.
About CFI.co
CFI.co (Capital Finance International) helps professional readers identify the ideas, institutions, leadership models, and investment opportunities that drive durable, inclusive growth and economic convergence.
Since 2012, we have reported on the forces reshaping the global economy for an international audience of executives, institutional investors, policymakers, and strategic decision-makers. We believe the old distinction between “emerging” and “developed” markets is becoming less useful. What matters more is understanding which strategies, organisations, and leaders are expanding opportunity, narrowing divides, and creating lasting value. We do not simply describe change. We explain what is working, why it works, what risks could undermine it, and what others can learn from it.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact:
In my first year as GoDaddy’s Chief People Officer, I was inspired by how our employees bring our purpose to life. Our belief that opportunity should be inclusive for all is more than an aspiration. It shows up in how our teams collaborate, support one another, and serve the customers who trust GoDaddy to help them grow their businesses.
This focus is reflected throughout GoDaddy’s 2025 Global Stakeholder Impact Report. The report highlights progress grounded in transparency, trust, and shared accountability, and it connects the employee experience, including engagement, growth, wellbeing, and belonging, to outcomes that matter to our customers.
Building an Inclusive Foundation
For more than a decade, GoDaddy has publicly shared workforce representation and pay parity outcomes because we believe trust is built through consistent, transparent disclosure. In 2025, we again achieved gender pay parity globally and race and ethnicity pay parity in the United States, reinforcing our focus on fair compensation.
Pay parity reflects the kind of environment we work to build. When people trust that systems are fair, they can focus on innovation and collaboration, build skills, and contribute in ways that advance our mission. That foundation supports strong teams and helps us deliver for customers and stakeholders.
Preparing Our People for the Future of Work
As the workplace evolves, expanding opportunity means preparing our people for new ways of working. In 2025, we focused on building practical AI capabilities through inclusive learning and experimentation. This work supports our broader focus on continuous learning, leadership development, and career growth so employees can build skills alongside our business.
Moving Forward, Together
Our people remain at the center of every decision we make. In the year ahead, our employees will continue to integrate AI into daily tasks, aiming to boost efficiency and shorten cycle times. We will continue investing in AI skill development, wellbeing, and safety because when people feel supported and connected, they are best equipped to help our customers succeed.
I am proud of the progress reflected in this report and grateful to every employee who makes it possible. Guided by our purpose, we will continue advancing this work together.
The GoDaddy 2025 Global Stakeholder Impact Report details our progress toward our corporate sustainability goals, strategies, and initiatives in support of our overarching purpose and values. Unless otherwise noted, this report reflects our corporate sustainability performance across our global operations covering the fiscal year period from January 1 to December 31, 2025. To demonstrate our commitment to transparent communication regarding our sustainability progress, we routinely share updates through our website and our annual reporting. We welcome your questions, comments, and feedback on this report by contacting ESG@GoDaddy.com.
This report references the Global Reporting Initiative Standards, includes select Sustainability Accounting Standards Board metrics for the Internet Media and Services sector, and the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures. We also disclose our contributions and progress toward priority UN SDGs. For additional information on how we align with these frameworks and key indicators demonstrating our sustainability performance, please refer to the Frameworks & Metrics section.
About GoDaddy
GoDaddy, the world’s largest domain name registrar, helps millions of entrepreneurs globally start, grow, and scale their businesses. People come to GoDaddy to name their idea, build a website and logo, sell their products and services and accept payments. GoDaddy Airo®, the company’s AI-powered experience, makes growing a small business faster and easier by helping them to get their idea online in minutes, drive traffic and boost sales. GoDaddy’s expert guides are available 24/7 to provide assistance. To learn more about the company, visit www.GoDaddy.com.
July 13, 2026 /3BL/ – The Baltimore Orioles and Truist today announced “Homers for Homerooms,” a new philanthropic initiative that will generate a donation for every Orioles home run at Oriole Park at Camden Yards throughout the 2026 season. For each home run hit, Truist will donate $212.01 to Harlem Park Elementary Middle School, the club’s Adopt-A-School. A nod to the iconic ballpark’s 21201 zip code, the program connects on-field performance directly to meaningful community impact, with funds supporting students, teachers, and administrators at Harlem Park.
“There is nothing like celebrating an Orioles home run, and this added element to each moment will make those celebrations even greater,” shared DON ROVAK, Orioles Chief Revenue Officer. “We’re grateful to Truist for their on-going partnership, and their shared dedication to giving back to our adopted school of Harlem Park Elementary Middle School.”
“Through ‘Homers for Homerooms,’ every Orioles home run becomes a meaningful investment in Baltimore’s future,” said T. J. HUGHES, Truist Regional President for Greater Washington and Maryland. “At Truist, our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities, and this initiative brings that to life in an impactful way for students, teachers, and the broader community.”
The “Homers for Homerooms” initiative builds on the recently announced partnership between the Orioles and Truist, in which Truist was named the official bank of the Baltimore Orioles. Together, the organizations are committed to creating memorable fan experiences and lasting impact across Baltimore.
The Orioles robust partnership with the Harlem Park community began in April 2024, when the club launched the Adopt-A-School program, which is grounded in the belief that unwavering support and impactful opportunities can play a pivotal role in accelerating student and school success. This allows the Orioles to stand as a committed partner in impacting Harlem Park students’ lives and learning for years to come.
Truist Financial Corporation is a purpose-driven financial services company committed to inspiring and building better lives and communities. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Truist has leading market share in many of the high-growth markets in the U.S. and offers a wide range of products and services through wholesale and consumer businesses, including consumer and small business banking, commercial and corporate banking, investment banking and capital markets, wealth management, payments, and specialized lending businesses. Truist is a top 10 commercial bank with total assets of $549 billion as of March 31, 2026. Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Learn more at Truist.com.
About the Baltimore Orioles
Since moving to Baltimore in 1954, the Orioles have become an institution in the city they call home. Over the past 70 years, the Baltimore Orioles have become one of the most storied franchises in all of Major League Baseball, winning three World Series Championships, 10 Division Titles, with the most recent coming in 2023, and calling The Ballpark That Forever Changed Baseball™ home. The Orioles are proud to give back to the community, focusing their year-round philanthropic efforts on two distinct pillars: Strengthening Our Community and Empowering Our Youth, while generating more than $10 billion in economic impact since 1992, and acting as a catalyst for tourism for the City of Baltimore and State of Maryland.
