Tag: 3BL

At its recent annual meeting in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, The World Economic Forum (WEF) cited IBM SkillsBuild as one in a select group of “Skills-First Lighthouses.” It said that these programs demonstrate unique significance, quantifiability, scalability, and sustainability for long-term workforce and learner impact.

In an Insight Report, titled Putting Skills First: Opportunities for Building Efficient and Equitable Labour Markets, the WEF detailed the goals of IBM SkillsBuild, described as “a free education program dedicated to bridging the digital skills gap.” It placed IBM SkillsBuild at the heart of the company’s commitment to “skilling 30 million people by 2030, aiming to democratize economic opportunity in the digital economy.”

The WEF also positioned IBM SkillsBuild in the context of WEF’s Reskilling Revolution, powered by public and private-public sector initiatives projected to provide 680 million people with better skills, job opportunities, and education.

The WEF suggested that, as a Lighthouse, IBM SkillsBuild is one example of a public-private collaboration “taking innovative approaches to education and skills” that “inspire other organizations aiming to contribute to the Reskilling Revolution.” It noted that IBM SkillsBuild will also help IBM fulfill its pledge to inclusively skill two million people in AI through 2026.

Visit skillsbuild.org to learn more.

The tech world is increasingly looking to leverage technology in ways that enhance environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs. Equally, they are identifying how to ensure that technology is developed in sustainable, equitable, and accessible ways.

Here are some predictions from Keysight executives on how the technology world will consider ESG in 2024.

Environment

AI and the sustainability quandary – Gareth Smith, GM Software Test Automation

There has been significant hype around how AI systems will transform our lives, but little attention has focused on the compute power required. In 2024, AI’s impact on sustainability will enter the spotlight, and organizations will start to monitor the carbon footprint of their entire technology infrastructure as they strive to meet net-zero targets. As a result, companies will need to decide where and how to judiciously use AI rather than thinking it can be deployed everywhere. And when it comes to testing software and applications, businesses will also have to pivot from testing everything to predicting the tests that matter most to reduce the environmental impact.

Energy consumption and the need for more energy alternatives drive technology decisions – Mark Pierpoint, VP of Strategic Innovation and Partnerships

Technology decisions, rather than solely evaluating performance and cost, will increasingly take into account sustainability. Energy efficiency will be a C-suite imperative influencing every decision in order to achieve environmental goals.

To support the shift to more renewable energy, the grid will increasingly need to add storage to enable utility companies to manage the peaks and troughs of demand efficiently. Additionally, before the end of the decade, there needs to be a widespread acceptance that nuclear energy is a critical component required to meet Net Zero goals.

The wireless drive to net zero – Sara LaSelva, Director of 6G

With sustainability concerns growing around wireless networks, AI will play a pivotal role in helping reduce the environmental impact of 6G. For example, the technology can determine how to optimize power consumption by turning on and off components based on real-time operating conditions.

As 6G networks roll out and more devices and machines become wirelessly connected, it will create an opportunity to optimize operations and reduce carbon footprints. For example, 6G will help autonomous vehicles become more advanced, which will reduce traffic and some of the waste and inefficiencies associated with human-led driving. In farming, IoT devices connected to 6G will monitor soil conditions and help optimize water and fertilizer use. Once 6G becomes ubiquitous, it will usher in a new era of sustainability-driven operations.

The industry will look to standardize sustainability measurements in 2024, including measuring the total carbon footprint of a wireless network. This will help avoid greenwashing claims and accelerate the drive to net zero.

Social

AI & Digital Twins: Changing the face of healthcare – Marie Hattar, SVP and CMO

Digital twins are increasingly ubiquitous, and now, with AI-infused, they are creating a new reality in healthcare. The technology will significantly reduce the pressure on the system and provide individuals with more options, helping improve the quality of life. AI-powered digital twins will usher in a new era of caring for an aging population, allowing people to live independently for longer. AI will play a pivotal role in the early diagnosis of potential health issues. For example, full-body MRIs will tap into AI’s ability to identify, predict, and analyze data patterns to help diagnose disease long before it’s visible to the human eye. In addition, AI will take on a more prominent role in assisting medical staff to understand and interpret findings and provide treatment and care recommendations.

Emerging sectors of the cloud industry becoming significant in 2024 – Dan Krantz, CIO

As traditional cloud capabilities mature, I predict the emergence of Cloud High Performance Computing (HPC) in the next 12-18 months. Current HPC workloads typically utilize on-premise supercomputing infrastructure, but the cloud providers will bring to the HPC market supercomputing capabilities wrapped in cloud-native characteristics of elasticity, programmable automation, and metered usage, democratizing the most compute-intensive scientific and engineering workloads.

Inclusive Innovation: Quantum community champions gender equality – Dr. Philip Krantz, Quantum Engineering Solutions

Quantum has the potential to become the first technology sector to achieve gender equality. This will result from an ongoing concerted effort to attract women and ensure a diverse workforce is the norm rather than the exception.

Governance

Regulation on the radar – Sara LaSelva, Director of 6G

In 2024, regulation will be on the agenda as the industry looks to provide a framework so that the entire ecosystem, including companies, operators, and countries, can work in unison. Due to the complexity involved, particularly at the geopolitical level, this will take several years to resolve.

Regulation needs to be deep and wide – Gareth Smith, GM Software Test Automation

There is universal acceptance of the need to regulate AI. However, what the regulation should encompass will be subject to much debate due to the breadth and complexity of the technology involved. It will take a seismic event with significant negative consequences before the necessary funding is available. Only then will clear standards and best practices come into effect. If regulation doesn’t happen in the near future, it increases the risk that it will no longer be possible to rein AI in.

International Harmonization of IoT Cyber Regulations – Scott Register, VP of Cybersecurity Solutions

There are numerous country-wide regulations to improve IoT cybersecurity, including the Cyber Trust Mark in the US, the ETSI EN 303 645 standard in Europe, and a labeling program in Singapore. In 2024, there will be more harmonization of the legislation to avoid manufacturers having to grapple with a multitude of requirements, which slows production and drives up costs. However, a global standard will remain elusive for now.

Technology equity, accessibility, and sustainability for global good

Technology has the potential to transform the way we interact with the world. Because of this, Keysight’s executive leadership has taken deliberate and actionable steps to ensure that ESG is embedded into the culture and steers the decisions made at every level. In 2024, we will see a more concerted, collective effort to ensure that technology drives benefits for all well into the future.

January 29, 2024 /3BL/ – Businesses with major operations in Virginia today called for state lawmakers to pass the Savings Achieved Via Efficiency (SAVE) Act (HB 746 / SB 565), to ensure the Commonwealth’s utilities achieve robust energy efficiency targets and to align its efficiency standards with industry best practices.

Akamai Technologies, eBay, Holcim, IKEA Retail U.S., and Worthen Industries sent a letter to the General Assembly to support the legislation, stressing that energy efficiency yields cost-savings for ratepayers, improves the resiliency of the electric grid, and brings economic and anti-pollution benefits to the whole state.

“Our businesses have made substantial investments associated with our commitment to a clean energy economy in Virginia, and we think the SAVE Act is an important step the state can take to ensure the continued growth of the clean energy economy in Virginia,” the letter says. “The continued cost-savings associated with energy efficiency will allow businesses to make further investments in Virginia through expanded operations, additional sustainability commitments, and more.”

The SAVE Act would establish new efficiency targets for Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power for 2026-2028 and a new process to update those standards every three years. The state’s current standards, included in the Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020, expire in 2025.

“As a manufacturing company, Worthen Industries has long realized the value and benefits of energy efficiency for our business and the economy as a whole,” said Eric Worthen, president and CEO, Worthen Industries. “Virginia has made a great deal of progress in encouraging and enabling a cleaner, more efficient economy in recent years, and we strongly support the SAVE Act to ensure the Commonwealth continues to experience the benefits.”

“At eBay, we know that reducing energy waste is good for the climate and the bottom line,” said Renée Morin, chief sustainability officer, eBay. We encourage the Virginia General Assembly to pass the SAVE Act to make further progress in efficiency, so that the Commonwealth can continue building a more sustainable and competitive economy.”

The letter released today was organized by Ceres, a sustainability nonprofit that works with companies and investors to advance sustainability practices and policies, and which helped organize corporate support in 2020 for the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Businesses support strong climate and clean energy policy both to mitigate the significant financial threats of the climate crisis and to grow the economy by investing in solutions.

“Robust energy efficiency standards are a crucial foundation for a clean economy and reduce costs for all ratepayers,” said Alli Gold Roberts, senior director of state policy, Ceres. “The SAVE Act will strengthen that foundation, create policy certainty, and ensure Virginia remains an attractive place for companies to invest.”

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.

Media Contact: Helen Booth-Tobin, booth-tobin@ceres.org, 617-247-0700 ext. 214

Las Vegas Sands

Sands Team Members around the world collectively assembled 57,000 hygiene kits from October through December as part of the 2023 Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build, which supports Clean the World’s mission of providing hygiene supplies to people affected by hardship, disasters and personal crises.

Nearly 900 Sands Team Members and community volunteers assembled kits containing soap that had been recycled by Clean the World after collection from Sands’ resorts and other hospitality partners, along with shampoo, conditioner, dental care items and inspirational messages handwritten by Sands Team Members.

Sands has hosted the annual kit build since 2014 with Team Members creating nearly 1 million hygiene kits for Clean the World.

We continue to be awed by the incredible passion of Sands Team Members around the world for the annual Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build,” Shawn Seipler, founder and CEO of Clean the World Global and chairman of the board of the WASH Foundation, said. “Sands’ global events are one of our longest-standing kit-build initiatives, and the thousands of resulting hygiene supplies have helped us provide critical support to organizations that are saving lives and restoring health and hope on the front lines. We extend our deep appreciation to everyone who joined the build – these efforts make a tremendous impact.”

The 2023 Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build kicked off at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on October 25, with 600 Team Members assembling 27,200 hygiene kits in one day. Clean the World distributed a portion of the kits to Children International in the Philippines, and Marina Bay Sands provided kits to the Singapore Red Cross, The Food Bank Singapore and local nursing homes.

More than 70 corporate Team Members in Las Vegas assembled 2,600 hygiene kits over four days in late October for distribution to Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth and Clean the World’s Fresh Start mobile shower units for people facing homelessness in the region.

Kit builds culminated on December 1 in Macao, where nearly 200 Sands China Team Members and local community volunteers assembled 27,200 kits that are being distributed to Children International to aid families in need and people facing natural disasters and other crises.

“The annual Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build with Clean the World is an essential and beloved part of our annual volunteerism calendar,” said Ron Reese, senior vice president of global communications and corporate affairs, who oversees corporate responsibility initiatives and the global Sands Cares program. “This event represents the essence of what we aim to achieve through Sands Cares – providing community service work to address the hardships in our communities. We value our Team Members’ contributions to Clean the World and the needs of their communities and appreciate their continued excitement and dedication year after year.”

The 2023 Sands Cares Global Hygiene Kit Build with Clean the World addresses Sands Cares’ priorities on providing hardship relief and supporting disaster response and preparedness efforts. The kit builds are Sands’ longest-standing global Sands Cares initiative, which also includes the Sands Cares Accelerator, a program launched in 2017 to help advance nonprofit organizations for greater community impact, and the Sands Cares Global Food Kit Build launched in 2022.

Together, these programs unify Sands’ properties around the world in addressing the company’s core community priorities: hardship relief, disaster response and preparedness, education, local business and partner development, and preservation of the cultural and natural heritage of the company’s host regions.

To learn more about Sands’ focus on ensuring its regions remain great places to live, work and visit, read the latest environmental, social and governance report: https://www.sands.com/2022-environmental-social-and-governance-report/

KeyBank and the KeyBank Foundation announced an investment of $150,000 in South Bend’s Center for the Homeless, aimed at bolstering its brand new NEXT (Neighbors Excelling as Tenants) Program.

The NEXT program has been uniquely developed to help engage individuals who are living at the Center for the Homeless and are preparing to move out or who have recently moved into apartments or other housing. The 16-class curriculum is specifically designed to help educate this population on every aspect of finding and maintaining safe and permanent housing for themselves and their families. Most importantly, by creating good tenant practices will lead to creating good neighbors for community now and for the future. It’s expected that 40 individuals will go through the program each year.

“For more than three decades, the Center for the Homeless has helped improve the lives of thousands of people across the greater South Bend area and is a major advocate for systemic change,” said Bhumika Norris, KeyBank’s Northern Indiana Market President. “We are thrilled to support the Center and its new NEXT program to promote safe, quality and affordable housing for the individuals and families they serve. The work their staff is doing to ensure our most vulnerable neighbors can achieve their goals and dreams is truly invaluable. Most importantly, creating good tenant practices will lead to creating good neighbors for our community now and for the future.”

“We are so grateful to KeyBank for their steadfast support and for investing in the guests at CFH with their sponsorship of the NEXT initiative that will impact so many lives,” said Steve Camilleri, Center for the Homeless Executive Director.

The Center for the Homeless is the South Bend area’s largest residential facility for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. To date, the Center has served over 65,000 people and continues to serve as a place of hope and opportunity for the up to 200 people a night including children who walk through the front doors looking for safe shelter and a warm meal.

KeyBank has supported the Center for the Homeless since 1998.

Since 2017, Key has made community investments totaling more than $105 million in Northern Indiana which supports low to moderate income individuals and neighborhoods through lending for affordable housing, small businesses, mortgage and transformative philanthropy.

ABOUT KEYCORP

KeyCorp’s roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $188 billion at December 31, 2023.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit https://www.key.com/. KeyBank is Member FDIC.

ABOUT CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS

The Center for the Homeless is the South Bend area’s largest residential facility for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. To date, the Center has served over 65,000 people and continues to serve as a place of hope and opportunity for the up to 200 people a night including children who walk through the front doors looking for safe shelter and a warm meal.

International Olympic Committee news

Twelve athletes from seven African countries, all recipients of Olympic Solidarity Scholarships for Paris 2024, were welcomed at Olympic House and the Olympic Museum during a two-day visit to Lausanne. Five of them, who took part in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016, were invited to sign the Olympians Wall in the presence of IOC President Thomas Bach.

Competing in athletics, boxing, judo and swimming, the visiting athletes are all currently training at the Centre Régional Jeunesse et Sports (CRJS) Petit-Couronne (France) with a view to qualifying for Paris 2024, thanks to their selection by their respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) for an Olympic Solidarity scholarship. The training programme, hosted at an elite-level facility approximately two hours northwest of Paris, is the result of a partnership between Olympic Solidarity and the French National Olympic Committee (CNOSF).

During their stay in Lausanne, the athletes were given the chance to immerse themselves in the Olympic values, history and culture, with various workshops at Olympic House and a visit to the Olympic Museum.

The group included five Olympians, who were invited to sign the Olympians Wall at Olympic House. Four of these athletes competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: judokas Housni Thaoubani (COM) and Ismael Alhassane (NIG), plus sprinters Seco Camara (GBS) and Natacha Ngoye Akamabi (CGO), who was a flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony. Judoka Andrew Mlugu (TAN) competed at the Olympic Games Rio 2016, and was also a flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony.

An elite-level facility to help fulfil Olympic dreams

The CRJS has played host to scholarship-holders from around the world since 2010, providing an elite-level training facility to help them fulfil their Olympic dreams, while also allowing the centre’s young French students, aged 12 to 18, to engage with athletes from different backgrounds and cultures.

Thanks to the infrastructure and facilities available at the centre, I was able to significantly improve my level. This led me to win a silver medal at the African Open in Dakar, Senegal, last year.

Andrew Mlugu (TAN)
Olympian, Rio 2016

Seven other athletes training at the facility took part in the visit, including swimmer Salima Youssoufou Ahmadou (NIG), who competed at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018, as well as judokas Abdoulaye Millimono (GUI), Jason Patrick Zacko Ngawili (CAF) and Resquain Graig Logan Mongondo (CAF), boxer Moussa Sahabi Gado (NIG) and swimmer Fode Amara Camara (GUI).

It would be such an honour to represent my country at the Olympic Games. Training in France has allowed me not only to improve my performance but also to meet athletes from other horizons and learn a lot about society.

Salima Youssoufou Ahmadou
Nigeria

Scholarship-holders reaching and succeeding at the Games

Olympic Solidarity has delivered great success over the years, helping athletes who otherwise might not have been able to progress their sporting careers. At Tokyo 2020, 827 Olympic scholarship-holders qualified and took part in the Games, winning a total of 30 gold, 26 silver and 47 bronze medals between them.

For Paris 2024, nearly 1,300 individual scholarships have already been awarded to athletes from 145 NOCs.

NOCs with larger delegations can also benefit from Olympic Scholarships for their athletes via a “tailor-made” option, which provides additional flexibility in the use of the support. Some 36 additional NOCs are already benefitting from this option for Paris 2024, with over 50 having used the option for Tokyo 2020.

Giving athletes an equal chance

Olympic Solidarity aims to ensure that talented athletes of all backgrounds have an equal chance of reaching and succeeding in the Olympic arena by providing crucial funding to help finance their Olympic dreams. With a particular focus on athletes and NOCs most in need, individual scholarship-holders receive financial support through monthly grants that contribute to their preparation and qualification for the Games, whether in their home country or at a high-level training centre.

Our company has been recognized for our leadership and strong performance powering the work we do for patients and everyone who depends on us. We were named No. 10 on The Wall Street Journal’s list of the 250 best-managed publicly traded U.S. companies in 2023, advancing 78 places from the previous year.

“This recognition reaffirms our strategic focus, innovation, hard work and collective, unwavering commitment to our purpose of saving and improving lives each and every day.”

— Rob Davis 
Chairman and chief executive officer

“To make the list of The Wall Street Journal’s 250 best-managed companies is quite an honor,” Davis said, “and to be ranked in the top 10 is especially exciting and humbling.”

This year, nearly 800 companies were scored. Placement on the list is determined by a company’s strength in five components:

Customer satisfactionEmployee engagement and developmentInnovationSocial responsibilityFinancial strength

We placed first in customer satisfaction and were one of seven companies to score in the top 20% in each of the five components.

“Customer satisfaction is directly tied to the innovation we bring and the benefit we can deliver for patients,” Davis told The Wall Street Journal.

Top ranking for corporate citizenship

In addition to our Wall Street Journal recognition, we’re deeply honored to be ranked No. 1 on Newsweek’s 2024 list of America’s Most Responsible Companies. This marks our first time in the lead spot, a distinction that affirms our steadfast commitment to operating responsibly and doing good for people and the planet.

Learn more about Merck’s sustainability strategy: https://www.merck.com/company-overview/sustainability/

View original content here.

Koch Minerals & Trading (KM&T) recently participated in a $700 million debt and equity financing round for Hybar, a newly formed company that plans to build, start up and operate a technologically advanced and energy-efficient scrap metal recycling steel rebar mill in Arkansas.

KM&T joined TPG Rise Climate and Global Principal Partners in the investment, $470 million of which will be spent to build the mill, with the remainder used to start up and operate it, build a solar power plant and port facility, and pay certain debt service costs during construction.

BY THE NUMBERS:

The mill is expected to take 22 months to build on a 1,300-acre site with direct access to barge, rail, and truck transportation options.Hybar plans to produce 630,000 tons of rebar annually with approximately 154 employees, or 4,090 tons per employee.

WHY KOCH INVESTED: “We’re excited to support Hybar in bringing this transformational scrap metal recycling facility to market,” said Vance Holtzman, senior vice president of KM&T Investments. “Moving forward, we see this as a mutually beneficial partnership, matching KM&T’s capabilities with the Hybar and TPG teams’ proven track record in developing innovative projects that meet market needs.”

The partnership with Hybar follows a successful investment in Big River Steel, which was subsequently fully acquired by U.S. Steel.KM&T subsidiary Koch Metallics will provide metallics procurement services to Hybar and risk management services to Hybar customers.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING: “We’re proud to have the backing of Koch Minerals & Trading as part of a group of investors that see the potential promise of our innovative scrap metal recycling steel rebar technology,” said Hybar CEO Dave Stickler.

GO DEEPER: Read more about Koch Minerals & Trading.

BOSTON, January 29, 2024 /3BL/ – Vanguard Renewables®, a national leader in organics-to-renewable energy production, is excited to announce the addition of Foremost Farms USA®, one of the largest dairy cooperatives in the United States, to the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA). This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone in the pursuit of sustainable organic waste reduction and renewable energy generation within the dairy industry.

Foremost Farms, owned by hundreds of dedicated Midwest dairy farm members across seven states, has long been recognized for its commitment to producing high-quality milk used in the creation of award-winning cheese, butter and dairy ingredients. By joining the FPSA, Foremost Farms aims to further strengthen its dedication to sustainable practices and support generational dairy farmers across America.

“We are delighted to welcome Foremost Farms to the FPSA,” said Neil H. Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Vanguard Renewables. “Their members’ commitment to sustainable farming practices is helping to create a more sustainable future for the dairy industry, and their desire to work with and learn from like-minded organizations to explore solutions for food waste aligns with our mission.”

The FPSA, a collaborative initiative focused on driving systemic change, is dedicated to promoting sustainable organic waste reduction and regenerative agriculture solutions. With the addition of Foremost Farms, the Alliance gains a valuable partner with extensive experience in sustainable agriculture and is dedicated to supporting America’s dairy farmers.

“Foremost Farms is dedicated to building strong partnerships with organizations that focus on sustainability in the dairy industry,” said Greg Schlafer, President and CEO of Foremost Farms. “We’re pleased to join the FPSA as another step in continuing our trajectory as environmental stewards that take care of our world and create value for dairy farm families.”

Vanguard Renewables partners with food and beverage manufacturers to recycle their inedible food waste via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion, which converts organic waste into renewable natural gas (RNG). This RNG is then used to generate electricity, heat, and transportation fuel, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. By diverting food waste from landfills and transforming it into clean energy, Vanguard Renewables is making a significant impact on the environment while also creating economic opportunities for farmers and local communities.

“This partnership allows Foremost Farms to amplify our commitment to sustainability and support our members in their efforts,” said Rachel Turgasen, Senior Director of Member Relations and Corporate Sustainability at Foremost Farms. “Together we will drive positive change in the dairy industry and contribute to a more sustainable future.”

The Alliance continues to grow, with Foremost Farms joining other industry leaders such as Danone, AstraZeneca, Unilever, Starbucks, and 15 other national partners. This collaboration of like-minded companies is working to make a lasting impact across industries and setting a new standard for sustainability and environmental stewardship.

For more information about Vanguard Renewables and the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance, please visit https://bit.ly/FPSA23.

Visit Vanguard’s Media Room:

https://www.vanguardrenewables.com/media-kit

About Vanguard Renewables:

Vanguard Renewables, based in Weston, Massachusetts, is a national leader in developing food and dairy waste-to-renewable energy projects. The Company owns and operates on-farm anaerobic digester facilities in the northeast and currently operates manure-only digesters in the south and west for Dominion Energy. Vanguard Renewables plans to expand nationwide to more than 150 anaerobic digestion facilities by 2026. Vanguard Renewables is committed to advancing decarbonization by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from farms and food waste, generating renewable energy, and supporting regenerative agriculture on partner farms via Farm Powered® anaerobic digestion.  Vanguard Renewables is a portfolio company of BlackRock Real Assets. To learn more visit vanguardrenewables.com.

About Foremost Farms:

Foremost Farms USA® is a dairy cooperative representing hundreds of Midwest dairy farmer members located across seven Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin – America’s Dairyland. It is one of the largest, leading dairy cooperatives in the United States and a major food manufacturing business. Every year, Foremost Farms produces millions of pounds of cheese, butter, whey and milk protein ingredients from the high-quality milk produced by its members. Its customers represent respected top brands and category leaders at national and regional levels in retail and foodservice channels, that are served with innovative solutions, technical services and customized products. For more information, see foremostfarms.com.

CALGARY, Alberta, January 29, 2024 /3BL/ – Benevity Inc., the leading provider of global corporate purpose software, today announced a surge in corporate granting, with 38% year-over-year growth in grants processed on its platform. In 2023, Benevity clients made more than 25,000 grant disbursements worth almost $665 million. Benevity’s growing client community has contributed to the increase, with a quarter of new clients in 2023 leveraging Benevity’s grants management products as a part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

Throughout 2023, Benevity has added 105 companies to its client community consisting of nearly 1,000 purpose-driven brands. Some of the new clients include Levi Strauss Foundation, FirstEnergy Corp, Pinterest and others.

In a year marked by ongoing economic volatility and polarizing social issues, we are inspired by the number of businesses who are putting significant social capital behind their statements and truly exemplifying what it is to be purpose-driven.

– Kelly Schmitt, Benevity CEO

“In a year marked by ongoing economic volatility and polarizing social issues, we are inspired by the number of businesses who are putting significant social capital behind their statements and truly exemplifying what it is to be purpose-driven,” said Kelly Schmitt, Benevity’s Chief Executive Officer. “These companies are seeing the dual benefit of driving positive social outcomes while achieving brand trust and other measurable business benefits.”

The growth in Benevity’s client community and spike in corporate granting demonstrate that as brands are being held to a higher bar of trust and accountability, they are seeking ways to ensure they can reliably, consistently and efficiently manage all of their social investments across multiple geographies and nonprofit partners, make data-driven decisions, deliver the impact they want and communicate that impact to their stakeholders. To date, Benevity has managed 1.2 million grants worth $19 billion on its grants management platforms.

Benevity’s grants management software has significantly enhanced the Levi Strauss Foundation’s capacity to manage and distribute funds to both domestic and international community partners and improved the efficiency and transparency of the foundation’s grant-making operations.

– Liz Tellez, Operations Manager at Levi Strauss Foundation

“Benevity’s grants management software has significantly enhanced the Levi Strauss Foundation’s capacity to manage and distribute funds to both domestic and international community partners and improved the efficiency and transparency of the foundation’s grant-making operations,” said Liz Tellez, Operations Manager at Levi Strauss Foundation. “We can now better align our philanthropic initiatives with our mission and values, ensuring that the grants we disburse are more targeted and impactful. Benevity also allows for better tracking and reporting of data, enabling our team to make data-driven decisions and optimize our grant-making strategy for the benefit of our community partners.”

Volunteering has also continued its upward surge in 2023 as a way for companies to build greater community in a hybrid working environment. The number of unique volunteers grew by 56% in 2023 compared to 2022 and the average monthly volunteering participation rate grew by 59% compared to the previous year. Increasingly, purpose-driven brands are looking to align all of their social impact initiatives – granting, employee giving, volunteering and DEI efforts – in a holistic way to meet their corporate mission and drive strategic impact.

In 2024, Benevity is continuing to invest in reporting and data-driven solutions to help companies truly understand and manage their impact.

To learn more about Benevity and its grants management solutions, visit benevity.com/products/grants.

###

About Benevity 
Benevity, a certified B Corporation, is the leader in global corporate purpose software, providing the only integrated suite of community investment and employee, customer and nonprofit engagement solutions. Recognized as one of Fortune’s Impact 20, Benevity offers cloud solutions that power purpose for many iconic brands in ways that better attract, retain and engage today’s diverse workforce, embed social action into their customer experiences and positively impact their communities. With software that is available in 22 languages, Benevity has processed more than $14 billion in donations and 72 million hours of volunteering time to support 450,000 nonprofits worldwide. The company’s solutions have also facilitated 1.1 million micro-actions and awarded 1.2 million grants worth $19 billion. For more information, visit benevity.com.

Media Contact: Zamira Tasneem│ Media & Communications Manager │ 1.416.451.6511 │ press@benevity.com