Author: sHq_LoGiNz

9/11 Day is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that created and continues to organize the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance – the largest federally recognized day of charitable service in the U.S. This year, with the support of hundreds of corporate and community partners, more than 27,000 volunteers nationwide packed over 9.4 million meals for families in need. Paramount employees participated in 9/11 Day meal pack events in New York City and Los Angeles, helping to transform this day of remembrance into action. Thank you to the Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center and the Intrepid Museum for providing volunteer sites this year.

About Paramount, a Skydance Corporation Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY) is a leading, nextgeneration global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Filmed Entertainment, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. The Company’s portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS – America’s most-watched broadcast network, CBS News, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Showtime, Paramount+, Pluto TV, and Skydance’s Animation, Film, Television, Interactive/Games, and Sports divisions. For more information, please visit www.paramount.com.

NEW YORK, October 16, 2025 /3BL/ – Despite an ever-changing operating environment, companies that align their business practices with corporate purpose continue to outperform their peers, according to Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose®’s (CECP) Giving in Numbers™: 2025 Edition. In 2024, 87% of companies had a corporate purpose statement, and over 90% used it to guide both social investment and broader business decisions. Among a matched set of companies, 67% had metrics in place to align business practices with their purpose, up from 58% in 2020. These purpose-aligned companies experienced a 31% increase in median pre-tax profit between 2023 and 2024, compared to just 3% for companies without such metrics—demonstrating a strong correlation between purpose integration and financial performance.

Median Total Community Investment (TCI) for all companies participating in Giving in Numbers in 2024 was US$21.5million, which includes direct cash, foundation cash, and non-cash such as product donations or pro bono services. Despite inflationary pressures, the median TCI increased by 5% between 2022 and 2024, though it declined 16% from 2020 levels in a matched set. A matched set of companies over three years—2022 and 2024—shows stark differences in median TCI for each program area. 

• Increases:
  • Community and Economic Development: 22%
  • Civic and Public Affairs: 18%
  • Environment: 12%.
• Decreases:
  • Disaster Relief: 41%
  • Higher Education: 30%
  • K-12 Education: 24%
  • Culture and Arts: 13%
  • Health and Social Services: 2%

The decrease in Education funding and the increase in investment in Community and Economic Development may be two sides to the same coin. As many companies move to better marry their social investment and business priorities, the more immediate effects of workforce development and strengthened economic conditions may be more appealing than the long-term payoff of educational investment.

CECP’s Giving in Numbers™ remains the premier industry survey and research, providing standard-setting criteria in a go-to guide that has defined the field and advanced the movement. Over 24 years, CECP has created the largest and most historical dataset on industry trends, data shared by more than 650 multi-billion-dollar companies, representing more than US$510 billion in corporate social investments over that time. Embraced by professionals across all sectors globally, Giving in Numbers shows how corporations invest in society through cash and in-kind/product, employee volunteerism and giving, and impact measurement. Whether it’s by answering quick questions or facilitating in-depth presentations to company teams, boards, and CEOs, CECP serves as a trusted advisor to companies, providing and analyzing the crucial data that they need to advance their strategy and measure the business value.

Additional key findings include:

• Disaster Relief experienced the steepest decline in median TCI between 2022 and 2024, dropping by 41%, suggesting companies may be responding more selectively to crises over time. However, Military and Veterans Causes had the largest adoption as a focus area from 2022 to 2024 in a matched set of companies, growing by 75%.
• Volunteer participation rate averaged 25%, with smaller companies and the Materials industry showing the highest engagement rates. Those with fewer than 10,000 employees had a 31% volunteer participation rate, compared to the 16% participation rate of companies with over 100,000 employees. Smaller companies may have stronger local community ties that make volunteering more accessible.
• Employee engagement extended beyond giving and volunteering, with 94% of companies supporting Employee Resource Groups and over 70% offering sustainability and mentorship initiatives. This may be because companies are increasingly recognizing that employee engagement drives retention, performance, and culture, prompting them to expand support beyond volunteering.
• Median management and program costs decreased by 22% in three years, suggesting that operations have become more streamlined and efficient.
• In 2024, Human Resources (HR) was the most common department overseeing societal/community investments and employee matching gifts and volunteering, cited by 20% of companies. This may be because HR departments are a natural fit to oversee societal investments, matching gifts, and volunteering programs that align with talent, culture, and organizational values.
• As CSR and ESG functions continue to converge, the scope of Full Time Employee (FTE) responsibilities is expanding beyond grants management. While the number of recipients and budget sizes (program costs decreased by 22% in three years) may be shrinking, new duties such as impact measurement, stakeholder engagement, and cross-functional collaboration are increasingly part of the role.
• In 2024, 77% of surveyed companies had foundations or trusts. Foundations offer benefits beyond the ability to diversify strategy, with 84% of companies perceiving raising community awareness as one of the unique benefits of having a foundation.
• Measurement and evaluation, particularly of grants and nonprofit partnerships, are still important practices among companies. The most common evaluative data collected are both outputs and outcomes, at 80% of companies, followed by program activities, at 76% 

“As the data shows, companies that align their purpose with business strategy are not only doing well—they’re doing good,” said Daryl Brewster, CEO of Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose. “Purpose is no longer a side initiative or a communications exercise; it is a strategic imperative. Companies that embed purpose into their operations, measurement, and decision-making are seeing tangible business benefits—from stronger financial performance to deeper stakeholder trust and long-term resilience.”

Giving in Numbers™ provides helpful insights to practitioners seeking to find information quickly to benchmark their own programs against their peers, as well as information on trends to provide contextual summaries for anyone looking to understand how and why the field is changing. One such case study highlighted in the report is Citi, which celebrated the 20th anniversary of Global Community Day—its annual tradition of coming together as a worldwide team through volunteerism. For its 20th anniversary, Citi recorded over 114,000 volunteer hours across more than 80 countries and territories. Volunteers partnered with community organizations at the forefront of addressing local needs, including painting classrooms, packing food baskets, and cleaning parks and beaches. 

CECP thanks its sponsors for their generous support of CECP’s Giving in Numbers™: 2025 Edition Altria, Entergy, Citi, Wells Fargo, Chevron, Moody’s, and Travelers.

Key insights from the Giving in Numbers Survey of 2024 data were released at the CECP Summit in May 2025. CECP-affiliated companies can access a custom analysis of the data at no additional cost through CECP’s secure online portal on MyCECP or by contacting CECP.

Note to Editors: the report author is available for comment and a more in-depth look at the community investment data collected from 189 of the world’s largest companies.

CECP Media Contact
Katie Leasor
kleasor@cecp.co

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About Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP)

Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose® (CECP) is the only nonpartisan business counsel and network dedicated to driving measurable returns on purpose. We promote responsible purpose-driven business as it increases customer loyalty, builds employee engagement, improves brand trust, attracts top talent, connects with strategic investors, and contributes to the bottom line.

More than 200 of the world’s leading companies seek to improve their return on purpose through access to CECP’s solutions in insights and benchmarking. With our companies, we harness the power of purpose for business, stakeholders, and society.

For more information, visit http://cecp.co.

 

Originally published on newsroom.marykay.com

In the highly competitive and crowded beauty industry, standing out requires more than just great products – it takes authenticity, relatability, and a deep understanding of your audience. Enter “Miss Conceptions,” Mary Kay’s bold and refreshingly candid social media content series recently launched in the United States and Canada. It is designed to break through the noise and connect with the next generation of beauty lovers and aspiring entrepreneurs. With an eye on the future and a finger on the cultural pulse, the Miss Conceptions social series is helping redefine what it means to be both a beauty brand and a direct seller topping the charts in today’s world – one myth-busting moment at a time.

At the heart of this social series is the character Miss Conceptions herself – a witty, culturally relevant persona who brings humor, clarity, and confidence to the conversation around beauty, business, and the Mary Kay brand. Through her vibrant and playful tone, she tackles common myths and misconceptions with a no-nonsense attitude, delivering the kind of “real talk” that resonates with today’s younger audience. As she puts it best: “No filters. Just facts.”

The irresistible Miss Conceptions has invited quite a lot of attention, with top features including the Business of Fashion press feature highlighting Candie Rodriguez, Mary Kay’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales Support for North America Region, the NewBeauty feature story, and the Fashionista feature story.

In an exclusive interview, Candie shared with us some insights into the viral social series focused on introducing the iconic Mary Kay to Gen-Z in the United States and Canada.

Q: Candie, who is Miss Conceptions?

A: Miss Conceptions is more than just a fun character – she’s a cultural connector! She is a strategic voice created to bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. As Mary Kay continues to embrace new ways of storytelling, social series like Miss Conceptions serve as a powerful reminder that empowerment and education don’t have to be boring. They can be bold, funny, and unapologetically real.

Q: Candie, what exactly are the goals of the Miss Conceptions social series?

A: We are building bonds through bold storytelling. At its core, this social series is all about reaching and engaging the Next Gen consumer – individuals who are not only passionate about beauty, but who are also looking for meaning, empowerment, and community in the brands they choose. Nearly 30% of Independent Beauty Consultants who started a Mary Kay business over the last year are under the age of 35¹, and as of June, 38% of Mary Kay social following is made up of the Next Gen audience across Instagram and Tiktok in the U.S². We see so much opportunity to grow with these audiences and support the next generation of women entrepreneurs.

In a nutshell, Miss Conceptions aims to:

• Build awareness and brand recognition among younger, digital-native audiences.
• Shift perceptions of the Mary Kay brand by addressing outdated assumptions with an empowering and modern voice.
• Educate and inform in an entertaining way, delivering valuable insights about Mary Kay’s business model, and products through a culturally savvy lens.
• Create connection and trust by presenting real, relatable content in a tone that is genuine and fun—not forced or overly promotional.

Q: Why Did Mary Kay Decide to Combat These Misconceptions? 

A: Today’s consumer is not only beauty savvy but brand savvy. She is bombarded with products and consumer choices, and we saw an opportunity to break through industry noise to tell our REAL story of our Mary Kay brand where beauty and opportunity meet. With so much chatter online, we want to share who we really are in a fresh, humorous, and empowering voice that both aligns with our values and meets the needs (and questions!) of today’s consumers.

Q: What Are the Most Frequent Misconceptions You Hear About? 

A: To determine the most important misconceptions to address, we leveraged social listening across key platforms — digging into mentions, comments, and creator content. We also utilized internal feedback and intake surveys that helped identify the most relevant and recurring myths to debunk. Through these efforts, we selected: Is Mary Kay still around? Isn’t Mary Kay a brand for grandmas? Mary Kay is hard to shop! Do I have to attend a Mary Kay party to purchase or sell?

We also understand that direct selling isn’t for everyone, and transparency is key. That’s why we’ve taken proactive steps to ensure our Mary Kay selling opportunity is presented ethically and accurately.” Like any entrepreneurial venture, success with Mary Kay requires effort, consistency, and skill development. But we provide the tools, education, mentoring and community to support the entrepreneurship journey.

Q: What Sets Mary Kay Apart in 2025? 

A: Mary Kay in 2025 is not just a beauty company; it’s a global movement rooted in empowerment, sustainability, and innovation. Let me share what truly sets us apart today. 

• For over 60 years, Mary Kay has championed women’s entrepreneurship. In 2025, we’ve expanded our reach to over 40 markets, where we are empowering women to build successful businesses, and achieve their dreams.
• Through our entrepreneurship programs, STEM grants, and leadership development initiatives we are impacting hundreds of thousands of women around the globe. We develop high quality products while stewarding our natural resources and engaging on a path of continuous improvement as part of our sustainability commitments.
• Mary Kay was ranked #9 on Forbes’ 2025 Best Brands for Social Impact – the only beauty brand and direct selling company in the top 10. We’re also the #1 Direct Selling Brand of Skin Care & Color Cosmetics globally for the third consecutive year³.

Final Thoughts from Candie

Mary Kay is an icon. We know we own a legacy far greater than simply selling makeup, but today, we know it’s time to look forward instead of only looking back—to honor our legacy, always, but also pursue innovation and growth for TODAY’s woman, by meeting her needs. Stay tuned as we have many exciting innovations and news coming up!

****

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her dream beauty brand in Texas in 1963 with one goal: to enrich women’s lives. Learn more at marykayglobal.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or follow us on X.

# # #

¹Source: Mary Kay Inc., 2024 U.S. data.

²Source: Mary Kay Inc., 2025 U.S. data.

³“Source Euromonitor International Limited; Beauty and Personal Care 2025 Edition, value sales at RSP, 2024 data”

by Leslie Samuelrich, President, Green Century Funds

Biodiversity loss and the resulting nature-based risks have gained increased attention in the past few years, and investors have taken notice. New investment strategies that include screening out companies involved in deforestation have been launched. But with biodiversity loss affecting so many companies and their supply chains, investors have largely focused on changing company policies to address this rising concern. Green Century’s shareholder advocates – in concert with other sustainable financial institutions – press companies to conserve nature, ecosystems and wildlife habitats.

Action is urgently needed to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity, allowing for the wise and equitable use of our natural resources. Urging companies to measure their impacts on nature will help conserve and lead to more thoughtful, sustainable use of a limited resource. Without action, our warming planet will result in oceans too hot for aquatic life, air too polluted with contaminants and could lead to the eventual demise of life as we know it.

Companies also depend on nature. In the past they could take nature’s abundance for granted. But now they need to start planning for it. Companies need to begin taking responsibility for their impact on nature and account for the ways they rely on it. Investors like Green Century have pushed companies to assess their impacts and dependencies on water, soil, forests and other natural resources and help preserve the functioning ecosystems that we all rely on for food, medicine, clean air and water.

Read Leslie’s full article here – https://greenmoney.com/companies-have-a-key-role-to-play-in-the-future-of-biodiversity

 

 

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As part of the global community, we recognize the importance of helping to address some of the world’s biggest challenges as outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We strive to be a trusted provider of safe and sustainable chemistries and demonstrate the value of partnership through our work with both suppliers and customers to ultimately deliver on our vision of improving people’s lives and helping communities thrive. Among the global environmental and social megatrends our products address: 

• Decarbonization and Electrification
• Increased Connectivity and Data
• Growing Middle Class and Urbanization
• Circular Economy
• Food Security 

We released EVOLVE 2030 Version 2.0, our portfolio sustainability assessment methodology, in June 2024. This methodology helps Chemours evaluate our product offerings and their development pipeline in relation to the UN SDGs. Grounded in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSD) Chemical Industry Methodology for Portfolio Sustainability Assessments, the updated EVOLVE 2030 Version 2.0 includes considerations on product and packaging circularity, as well as insights gained from Chemours’ experience using the methodology since its initial launch in 2019. In an effort to drive industry-wide progress, we made our EVOLVE 2030 2.0 methodology publicly available for others to leverage. 

We evaluate offerings based on a Product-Application Combination (PAC) approach, which considers a product’s benefits and burdens throughout its lifecycle, including its contribution to the UN SDGs and its overall impact on people and the planet.

A key part of the EVOLVE 2030 evaluation process is the identification and prioritization of product and process improvement opportunities. For example, in the manufacturing of Nafion™ products at our Fayetteville site, we have reduced fluorinated organic chemical emissions by more than 99% and GHG emissions by more than 85%. To avoid the pitfalls of complacency, we continue to improve our footprint, societal contributions, data, methodology, and mindset. Specific improvements made in recent years include: 

• The development of a detailed set of instructions and tools for use in the PAC scoring process to enhance reproducibility and the quality of data, processes, and outputs.
• A data management system that documents all inputs, calculations, and analysis, and tracks the product improvement recommendations made to each business team.
• A visualization system to better communicate findings to business teams.
• With the second version of EVOLVE 2030 completed, we received a new limited assurance statement from LRQA.

By incorporating lessons learned into our process, we continue to strengthen our resolve and further enable Chemours’ product portfolio to support a more sustainable future.

2024 Actions Toward Sustainable Offerings: Meeting Our Goal Ahead of Schedule 

We are incredibly proud to announce that we have met our 2030 Sustainable Offerings Corporate Responsibility Commitment (CRC) goal of achieving 50% of revenue from offerings that make a specific contribution to the UN SDGs six years ahead of schedule. Not only did we meet our goal, but more importantly, we integrated our methodology into our key portfolio processes for both existing and new products, ensuring the benefits of this work will continue to deliver enduring value. This means that while we will no longer report on our Sustainable Offerings CRC goal moving forward, the benefits of the EVOLVE 2030 methodology will be seen for years to come as we continue to use the insights gained to make key decisions about our product portfolio, our investments in innovation, and how we deploy resources.

The Chemours Company is a global chemistry company with a vision to deliver Trusted Chemistry that makes people’s lives better and helps communities thrive. Read more in Chemours’ latest Sustainability Report. 

Watch Season 5 Episode 9: Cooling the Cloud: Innovation at the Heart of Data Centers

The digital world is expanding at lightning speed, powered by vast data centers that have become the critical infrastructure of our time. From streaming services to AI breakthroughs, these facilities are the engines of growth and innovation. And with that power come important challenges: massive energy use, complex cooling demands, and the need to consider sustainability in an industry in continuous evolution.

In this episode, we hear from Scott Smith, Director of Mission Critical Offerings at Trane Technologies, and Dr. Dereje Agonafer, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. Together, they unpack the scale of the data center boom, explore the cutting-edge cooling technologies reshaping the industry, and share why collaboration between industry and academia is essential to building a more energy efficient data center model and a more sustainable digital future.

Featured in this Episode:

Hosts:
Dominique Silva, Marketing Leader EMEA, Trane Technologies
Scott Tew, Vice President Sustainability and Managing Director, Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, Trane Technologies

Guests:
Scott Smith, Director of Mission Critical, Trane
Dr. Dereje Agonafer, Presidential Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington

About Healthy Spaces

Healthy Spaces is a podcast by Trane Technologies where experts and disruptors explore how climate technology and innovation are transforming the spaces where we live, work, learn and play.

This season, hosts Dominique Silva and Scott Tew bring a fresh batch of uplifting stories, featuring inspiring people who are overcoming challenges to drive positive change across multiple industries. We’ll discover how technology and AI can drive business growth, and help the planet breathe a little bit easier.

Listen and subscribe to Healthy Spaces on your favorite podcast platforms:

Apple Podcasts 
Spotify 
YouTube 
Amazon Music

How are you making an impact? What sustainable innovation do you think will change the world?

Share your story with us and learn more about the Healthy Spaces Podcast.