Tag: 3BL

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, October 11, 2023 /3BL/ – KeyBank (NYSE: KEY) will present homeownership workshops across the State of Utah in October. Various KeyBank Community Development Loan Officers will offer advice and details on products and assistance programs available to homebuyers.

The workshops will take place at a variety of branches and times listed below:

October 17th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Family Center Branch- 924 E Fort Union Blvd, Midvale, UTOctober 18th- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Draper Branch- 348 E 12300 S, Draper, UTOctober 18th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Park City Branch- 1555 Snow Creek Drive, Park City, UTOctober 19th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Tooele Branch- 201 N Main Street, Tooele, UTOctober 20th- 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. – South Davis Branch- 1065 N Hwy 89, North Salt Lake, UTOctober 20th- 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. – Daybreak Branch- 11422 S District Dr., South Jordan, UT

Events are free and no registration is required.

Get tips on homeownership from KeyBankHow (and Why) To Buy a Home Despite an Uncertain Market

About KeyBank

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 $195 billion as of June 30, 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 1,300 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. Equal Housing Lender. Mortgage and Home Equity Lending products offered by KeyBank are not FDIC insured or guaranteed. NMLS #399797

Copyright © 2023 KeyCorp®. All Rights Reserved CFMA #231010-2279189

Originally published on Tork News Center

PHILADELPHIA, October 11, 2023 /3BL/ – Tork, an Essity brand, announced the launch of Tork WorkflowTM for Restaurants, an expert consultation designed to improve experiences for both guests and staff, maximize operational efficiency, and ensure a hygienic and sustainable environment throughout restaurants. As foodservice leaders and employees face a fast-paced work environment and increasing expectations from guests, the offering helps reduce interruptions and improve both the guest and staff experience.

Challenges facing foodservice

Foodservice is a fast-paced world, and expectations for hygiene, sustainability, and guest experience are higher than ever. Operators know the more seamless the service, the more satisfied the guest – and the more successful the business.

But daily pressures can make it hard to focus time and resources on making business better. In fact:

77% of restaurant employees agree service interruptions affect guest experience, and3 out of 4 kitchen staff would be happier if their workplace was more organized.1

For many foodservice operators, these challenges can overload an already full plate.

Tork Workflow for Restaurants

That’s why Tork, an Essity brand and global leader in professional hygiene, developed Tork Workflow for Restaurants. The service not only provides foodservice leaders with advice on how to make sure staff always have the hygiene tools they need, but also helps operators, managers, and chefs discover ways to improve staff retention, save costs and do more with less throughout the restaurant – front of house, back of house and washroom. For example, want to save staff time refilling dispensers while saving money on reduced waste? Look for controlled dispensing systems with higher-quantity refills like those provided by Tork, which can decrease unnecessary consumption yet hold more product to reduce the frequency of refills.

The Tork Workflow for Restaurants Guide is also available for download, which includes tips based on more than 50 years of sustainable hygiene management expertise.

It’s a challenging environment and restaurants need support to deliver on guest expectations. With Tork Workflow for Restaurants, help is on the menu.

“Today’s restaurants are under more pressure than ever to deliver a flawless and differentiating experience. Too often there are important aspects of the workflow that get overlooked – we offer expertise to help find those gaps so our customers can do what they do best.” [Dotti Haynes, Marketing Director Customer Segment HoReCa]

For more information, please visit the Tork website www.torkusa.com/restaurantworkflow

1. Based on third-party market research in US and Europe, 2020

About Tork 

The Tork brand offers professional hygiene products and services to customers worldwide ranging from restaurants and healthcare facilities to offices, schools and industries. Our products include dispensers, paper towels, toilet tissue, soap, napkins, wipers, but also software solutions for data-driven cleaning. Through expertise in hygiene, functional design and sustainability, Tork has become a market leader that supports customers to think ahead so they’re always ready for business. Tork is a global brand of Essity, and a committed partner to customers in over 110 countries. To keep up with the latest Tork news and innovations, please visit www.tork.com

About Essity

Essity is a leading global hygiene and health company. We are dedicated to improving well-being through our products and services. Sales are conducted in approximately 150 countries under the leading global brands TENA and Tork, and other strong brands, such as Actimove, JOBST, Knix, Leukoplast, Libero, Libresse, Lotus, Modibodi, Nosotras, Saba, Tempo, TOM Organic, Vinda and Zewa. Essity has about 48,000 employees. Net sales in 2022 amounted to approximately SEK 156bn (EUR 15bn). The company’s headquarters is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and Essity is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. Essity breaks barriers to well-being and contributes to a healthy, sustainable and circular society. More information at www.essity.com.

For more information, please contact:

Raquel M Carbonari 
Brand Activation Director NA 
raquel.carbonari@essity.com

Originally published in Enbridge’s 2022 Sustainability Report

Building trust and value through dialogue and collaboration 
Enbridge is committed to clear, honest, respectful and timely engagement with Indigenous nations and regional stakeholders— including landowners, governments and communities—near our projects and operations.

We use a four-step community engagement process to help us identify, understand and engage with community members about opportunities or concerns.

By adhering consistently to this process as well as maintaining a company-wide public awareness program that meets or exceeds regulatory requirements, we aim to build trust and maintain positive, productive relationships with landowners and communities wherever we work.

In addition to engaging with communities on new projects and activities, we meet with landowner groups to keep communication channels active and open, and to support mutual awareness of any emerging concerns.

Learn more 
Management approach: 
Community engagement Public Awareness Program

2022 highlights 
Hundreds visit Great Lakes learning and engagement hub 
In late 2021, Enbridge opened the doors to a new Informational Center in St. Ignace, Michigan, where residents and visitors can learn about the past, present and future of Line 5 and its passage under the Great Lakes. Line 5 has delivered a reliable supply of energy for decades, and Enbridge plans to build a new tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac with state-of-the-art safety and water protection features to relocate the pipeline.

The opening of the Informational Center was intended to provide local residents and other stakeholders with a place to seek information about the project and to speak directly with on-site Enbridge representatives. Visitorship in 2022 attests to strong local interest in the project and to the power of in-person engagement. More than 400 visitors have taken advantage of our regular office hours, during which members of the public can drop in, ask questions and take in interactive displays. An additional 200 people have attended special events at the Center.

The facility uses a range of educational resources to help visitors understand the tunnel’s technology, engineering, safety features and overall function. These include life-sized diagrams and murals; geological information about the area; core samples from the project’s geotechnical program; and information about how officials manage interactions between nearby infrastructure and ship traffic in the Straits.

The Information Center will continue to complement our numerous other methods of community engagement around the Great Lakes Tunnel Project, including in-person and virtual meetings and open houses, presentations and tours of Enbridge facilities.

Saint-Nazaire: Stakeholder consultation at the heart of the project 
EDF Renewables and EIH S.à.r.l, a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc. and CPP Investments, have achieved a significant milestone as France’s first commercial-scale offshore wind project, the 480-megawatt Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Project. Located between 12 and 20 km from the southwest coast of France, the wind farm will help support the French state’s energy transition goals, which include targets to generate 32% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. After nearly three years of construction, the Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Project first produced electricity at the beginning of June 2022 and proceeded to incrementally connect its 80 wind turbines to the national electricity transmission network. Throughout the development and construction phases, the project team worked closely with local stakeholders. Environmental protection associations, such as France Nature Environnement, Bretagne Vivante, the League for the Protection of Birds, and associated experts from the National Museum of Natural History, National Institute of Research for the Exploitation of the Sea and independent design specialists provided the knowledge needed to design the wind farm while respecting its environmental considerations and biodiversity. Fauna and flora were rigorously monitored during the various phases of the work and environmental monitoring will continue.

A fuel-switching opportunity in Tennessee 
Like many areas across the U.S., Tennessee is exploring opportunities to replace coal-fired power generation with cleanerburning, lower-carbon natural gas. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), an electric utility, is studying the possibility of replacing the energy some Tennesseans currently receive from the Kingston Fossil Plant with natural gas.

Natural gas could be provided to customers in the region through an expansion of Enbridge’s existing East Tennessee Natural Gas (ETNG) system. Enbridge is proposing to design, construct and operate the Ridgeline Expansion Project, which would include the construction of about 117 miles of 30-inch pipeline looping, an approximately 8-mile 24-inch lateral and one new electric motor drive compressor station.

Wherever possible, the route for the expansion would be located adjacent to the existing ETNG right-of-way, to minimize impacts on landowners and the environment. In a further effort to minimize the project’s environmental effects, Enbridge’s proposed plans call for about half the power for the compressor station to come from solar self-power equipment.

Engaging the community 
Enbridge is committed to providing ample opportunity for local residents and the wider public to review proposed plans for the project and offer input. Enbridge and TVA—should both agree that they wish to move forward with investment in the project—are also committed to engaging with landowners to identify the optimal route for the expansion. We have already been working with and listening to local stakeholders for nearly a year before planning to embark on the multi-year regulatory review process, to achieve alignment with the community before engaging regulators.

Extensive in-person engagement is ongoing, including small meetings, presentations to local and state public officials, and open houses for the public, to allow for dialogue issues resolution even before the regulatory authorization process commences. A range of complementary resources—including a suite of fact sheets and a virtual open house—are available online to help the public understand the nature of this project, including how the infrastructure operates and the benefits fuel-switching would stand to deliver to the region.

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Originally published in Quest Diagnostics Corporate Responsibility Report 2022

Empowering consumers with direct health insights 

In October 2022, we launched questhealth.com to better deliver actionable diagnostic insights directly to health-minded consumers without first requiring a doctor’s visit. More than 70 diagnostic tests are available— from general health profiles to tests for specific conditions, including heart health and sexually transmitted infections. Consumers can shop, schedule appointments for tests at our PSCs, and access results securely from their phone or computer. Beyond ease of use, questhealth.com reaches:

Patients interested in reducing perceived barriers when accessing lab testing (lack of time, inconvenience, cost due to lack of health plan coverage, gaps in knowledge of tests and test selection, privacy concerns)Patients with chronic conditions who need regular testingPatients with higher risk who are focused on preventionProactive patients who are in good health and want more data on how to stay healthyPatients who want to understand an acute issue they are experiencing

Patients are given the option to speak with an independent physician regardless of results. We plan to continue to expand the types of tests offered through this site.

Access and affordability 

Quest continued to grow access to and affordability of our industry-leading diagnostic services in 2022 by expanding our reach across the US and building on our financial assistance programs. Quest for Health Equity (Q4HE), our philanthropic initiative with the Quest Diagnostics Foundation, has also made strides in expanding the availability of services in under-resourced communities.

Scaling access to our services 

To reach more consumers, Quest introduced new relationships with retailers and hospital systems in 2022.

We acquired the outreach lab services business of Summa Health in Ohio and Northern Light Health in Maine. This strengthened our ability to give access to our innovative test offerings to more providers and patients. We also continued to provide professional lab management services to health systems and hospitals, helping them to reduce their costs and make their services more affordable.

Expanding accessibility through financial assistance 

We aim to find solutions to serve patients who cannot easily afford diagnostic services. If a patient has a past-due bill, we offer clear communication regarding assistance options available to them. In addition, our Patient Financial Assistance (PFA) program provides a capped price on testing to patients whose income is near or below federally identified poverty levels. Effective January 1, 2023, we revised the PFA program to include more patients by extending the duration of eligibility following initial qualification from 6 to 12 months.

Continued action on COVID-19 

Quest has played a significant role in mitigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 and continues to do so. We have performed approximately 77 million COVID-19 molecular and serology tests and provided population health insights to federal, state, and local agencies, including the CDC, to aid the public health response strategy.

In 2022, Quest expanded its COVID-19 retail pharmacy testing footprint from CVS®, Walmart, Giant Eagle®, and Safeway to include a national collaboration with Rite-Aid®. Rite-Aid and Bartell Drugs® worked together to offer at-home PCR specimen kits at 2,350 stores and on-site PCR collection at drive-through locations. Additionally, Quest participated in the CDC’s Increasing Access to Testing program, which provides free COVID-19 lab testing at select Quest PSCs for uninsured patients in historically marginalized communities.

Quest for Health Equity’s growing impact 

Q4HE was launched in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Through Q4HE, Quest and the Quest Diagnostics Foundation are focused on addressing inequities in under-resourced communities by collaborating with local stakeholders to support community-driven priorities and advance equity in healthcare. In 2022, Q4HE expanded its reach through new relationships, providing grant funding, offering no-cost lab testing, and expanding workforce development.

Expanding a community health program: Bread of Life 

Bread of Life has empowered communities in downtown Houston for the past 30 years by providing social support and services. Q4HE has accelerated the development of Bread of Life’s Community Care Program by providing training and career opportunities for phlebotomists and community health workers. Q4HE investment also goes toward sustaining collaborations with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Free and Charitable Clinics. A portion of the grant issued to Bread of Life is regranted to other community-based organizations that address issues such as food insecurity and provide access to behavioral health services.

“We are proud of the progress we’ve made through our Q4HE collaborations to address the health equity gap and look forward to deepening our impact in 2023.” 

MICHAEL K. FLOYD, Sr Director, Quest for Health Equity

Increasing outreach with Choose Healthy Life 

Q4HE has continued to fund Choose Healthy Life, a program dedicated to enhancing the capacity of Black churches to promote community wellness. Pairing community health workers (Health Navigators) with church leaders at each of the program’s 60 churches, participants benefit from having “trusted messengers” from the community assist them in making decisions impacting their health.

The next phase of Choose Healthy Life launched in October 2022 with a focus on providing no-cost access to Blueprint for Wellness®. Participants are given specific insights into the state of their health, as well as guidance on how to improve results. Participants can also be screened for eligibility for key social services, like housing, food benefits, and connecting to a healthcare provider.

Delivering specialty care to patients who are uninsured and underinsured 

Through Q4HE, the Quest Diagnostics Foundation has provided a grant to ConferMED™, a national network of specialists providing telehealth services. ConferMED brings their technology and network of specialty physicians to provide e-consults to patients at underserved community health centers. Patients benefit from efficient access to specialty care, fewer trips to providers, and reduced expenses caused by additional medical visits, including childcare, transportation, and time away from work. Patients also avoid unnecessary or duplicative tests and procedures and other risks inherent to exposure to the medical system. These translate directly to increased productivity at work and reduced absenteeism. Through the Q4HE grant, as of December 1, 2022, ConferMED has enrolled 19 FQHCs, serving patients who are uninsured and underinsured in the Miami, Chicago, Baltimore, Houston, and Boston areas.

Changing the face of healthcare 

To make healthcare more accessible—and truly patient-centered— inequity in both access and outcomes must be addressed. Expanding the pool of minority medical students, researchers, and administrators is one way to build awareness and trust and give underrepresented communities an additional voice in the medical system.

In 2022, the Quest Diagnostics Foundation continued its support of the American Heart Association’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Hispanic Scholars Initiative programs. These initiatives provide undergraduate professional, workforce, and research development opportunities for future leaders in STEM and healthcare. One hundred percent of participants in both programs have graduated or are on track to receive a 2-year or 4-year STEM degree. Of those who have obtained their undergraduate degree, about half are pursuing additional degrees in this space while the other ~50% are either working in biomedicine/ healthcare or are seeking employment in these fields.*

Visit our Quest for Health Equity website to learn more.

*2022-2023 school year.

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Today, on the 11th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) International Day of the Girl Child, we shine a spotlight on the progress and persistent challenges that young women face.

This year, we focus on Kenya, which like many nations has witnessed increased awareness of the issues that matter most to girls, leading to improved opportunities to have their voices heard on the world stage. However, amid concurrent global crises such as the economic recovery from COVID-19, climate change, and humanitarian conflicts, investments in girls’ rights remain limited. While Kenya has made significant strides in promoting gender equality and women’s economic empowerment, girls continue to grapple with various obstacles hindering them from realizing their full potential.

The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report is a longstanding index that monitors countries’ progress in narrowing gender gaps since its inception in 2006. The 2023 report positions Kenya at 77th place among 146 countries, indicating that there is room for improvement. Further to this, the representation of women in decision-making processes in Kenya remains inadequate, and gender-based violence lingers as a pressing issue. Women and girls continue to spend extensive hours on household responsibilities, such as fetching firewood and water, which not only hinders their school attendance rates and employment prospects but also impacts their overall well-being.

How can Kenya empower its girls and young women to overcome these challenges and achieve their full potential? One promising solution is mentorship, which can provide guidance, support, and access to opportunities that young women might not otherwise have.

Forging a Path to Empowerment

In Kenya, the youth (ages 15-24) unemployment rate hovered at around 13.35% in 2022, with little improvement from the previous year. To improve these statistics, mentors can serve as role models, demonstrating what is possible when women break down barriers and enter the labor force. Through mentorship, young women can gain valuable insights into various career paths, access networks, and receive advice on navigating the challenges they may face.

“At SAP, we believe that educating girls and women is one of the most effective ways to promote economic growth,” says Alexandra van der Ploeg, global head of Global CSR at SAP. “With this in mind, our Business Women’s Network joined hands with the Global Give Back Circle in 2019 with the aim to support vulnerable girls and young women based in Kenya. This initiative not only acknowledges the resourcefulness, creativity, resilience, and unwavering tenacity that girls embody in the face of adversity, but also actively harnesses these qualities. Through the impact of mentorship, education, and sponsorship, the program drives empowerment and achievement for these girls and young women.”

SAP employees volunteer as mentors, dedicating their time and contributing $1,000 annually, a commitment that is matched and directed by the company toward beneficiaries’ tuition, school materials, and exposure to industry intellectual property. The $2,000 covers a university scholarship for one year. At-risk girls require extra assistance to shift from a state of marginalization to one of empowerment. This support encompasses access to information, expanding their perspectives on possibilities, gaining 21st-century skills and life skills, as well as a caliber of mentoring that steers transformative leadership.

Operating in close partnership with local high schools and communities, the initiative pairs high school and college girls with inspirational mentors from across the globe. It provides them with a toolbox of skills, bolstering self-confidence and fostering crucial networks essential for success, both in the workforce and as budding entrepreneurs. Closing the gap between education and employment equips the girls and young women with knowledge they need to succeed in the workforce.

Collaborative Achievements Have Formed a Springboard for Success

The 2023 achievements of SAP’s mentor chapter for Global Give Back Circle are a testament to the commitment of SAP colleagues and the program’s vision. Monthly meetings, mentor-mentee pairings, financial support, and mentorship from 12 SAP colleagues have made a tangible difference in the lives of 12 young women.

When asked about what they enjoyed about the program, a first-year student at the University of Nairobi shared the following feedback: “Seeing how our mentors care about us and how they gave us much-needed advice in life situations really impacted me,” Another mentee who is currently a first-year student from the Coast Institute of Technology added that they liked the fact that they were encouraged to share their unique viewpoints, both on and offline: “The program taught me that I should not be afraid to air out my points of view in a public place. I feel enlightened on how to build my communication skills.”

The Global Give Back Circle also emphasizes the importance of bridging cultural differences, career development, and preparing mentees for the job market. As these girls and young women transition into the labor market, they contribute to the country’s GDP by bolstering its workforce and fostering economic development. In addition, Kenya’s GDP also stands to benefit further from the inclusion of a skilled and empowered female workforce. This mentorship initiative aligns with Kenya’s broader efforts to achieve gender equality, thereby contributing to a more equitable society and sustainable economic progress.

Mentorship can have profound impact on both individual lives and the overall prosperity of a nation. With the right skills and opportunities, these girls and young women can be the changemakers who drive progress in their communities.

The Future Looks Promising

In line with our purpose, SAP’s objective is to create positive economic, environmental, and social impact within planetary boundaries with a special focus on climate action, the circular economy, social responsibility, and holistic steering and reporting.

As we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, SAP’s mentor chapter for the Global Give Back Circle stands as an encouraging example of the power of mentorship and investment in girls’ education. We hope that the success of this partnership will serve as a source of inspiration for nations to invest in their young women.

By empowering girls and young women with essential skills, education, and mentorship, we unlock the boundless potential of Kenya’s female population. Collaboration between the private sector and local communities not only changes individual lives, but also contributes to the growth of the Kenyan economy, paving the way for a brighter future for all.

Girls are not just beneficiaries of change, but powerful agents of progress who, with the right support, can shape a more inclusive and prosperous world for everyone.

Samantha Naidoo works in Global Strategic Initiatives at SAP.

Originally published in Owens Corning’s 2022 Sustainability Report

Like the rest of her team, Danielle Wittorp believes employees should enjoy the best possible experience throughout their careers, and she uses a data-driven approach to ensure that Owens Corning delivers. Danielle appreciates the ability to combine empathy with scientific rigor to gain a true understanding of the ways Owens Corning employees can get the most out of their work life. Throughout her career, including her six years with Owens Corning, Danielle has seen a great deal of change in the ways the employee experience is measured, and she has been instrumental in helping us stay true to our core value of being global in scope and human in scale.

“Owens Corning has a global presence, but we’re small enough that one person can make a difference and truly influence the company.”

On the evolution of our approach to the employee experience

We’ve begun to think about employee experience differently over the last few years, and it’s been a really exciting evolution to see. Historically, a lot of our investments in employees have been focused on leaders and targeted audiences within the organization. Those are absolutely still important — leaders, and senior leaders in particular, play a very important role in our strategy. But we have really been challenging ourselves over the last few years to provide the same level of coaching, support, resources, career exploration, and career development at scale to all employees, and not just small groups of members through cohort-based learning. That’s been a really exciting development to see.

On increasing inclusivity in our employee development programs

As we grow and diversify in terms of the people working here, the skill sets that we employ, and the types of roles, I think it’s challenging us in a good way to include many more perspectives when we design programs and experiences. As someone who’s in our Human Resources Center of Excellence, I’ve seen a big shift in how we’re constantly thinking about the whole enterprise. We are doing far more projects and initiatives now that focus first on our hourly workforce. It’s exciting to see that we are not always automatically prioritizing the same people or locations. We are trying to approach things differently and be much more inclusive in how we deliver solutions, form teams, and design experiences.

On the value we seek to create for our people

I love that more investors and others are looking not just for our profitability, but our role in the lives of our employees and how we’re treating them. Employees spend most of their waking hours dedicated to us. I think it’s our responsibility to make that experience meaningful to the employee — and to improve that experience to the best of our ability. So I think it’s wonderful when we think very responsibly about our role in the communities where we work and the lives of the people who dedicate years to us.

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As part of our Recipe for Change, we are working to eliminate food waste going to landfill, reducing plastics and packaging in our Own Brands products, and accelerating our transition to a more circular economy.

Eliminating food waste going to landfill starts with preventing food from ever becoming waste. We have implemented innovative new systems to order and produce the correct amount and assortment of products for our customers. When food can’t be sold, we prioritize our efforts by donating edible food to those in need and then diverting inedible food from the landfill. At the end of 2022, more than 90% of our stores were donating food on at least a weekly basis, resulting in the donation of the equivalent of more than 65 million meals to Feeding America partners. In addition, last year we diverted more than 321 million pounds of food and trimmings through inedible food waste diversion programs that are in place in the majority of our stores.

As part of our Plastics and Packaging Pledge, in 2022 we achieved our goal to provide recycling instructions on more than 7,000 Own Brands packaged products and more than 40,000 store-made items.

Learn more about our Recipe for Change, goals, and progress in our 2023 ESG Report.

See original post on LinkedIn and learn more about the Albertsons Companies and our Recipe for Change on our website.

Whole Planet Foundation is proud to showcase top donating brands that support microentrepreneurs in our global communities through Whole Planet Foundation. Their collective contribution of $400,000 this year will help funding business capital for the world’s most vulnerable entrepreneurs. Microloans enable entrepreneurs to start or develop small, often home-based businesses in hopes that the profits will help support their families and make their communities more resilient. 2023 top donating brands include Primal Kitchen and KeVita donating $100,000 each this year.  Brands contributing $50,000 this year include Health-Ade, Seventh Generation, Topo Chico and Traditional Medicinals. 

Suppliers have been supporting Whole Planet Foundation since 2007, donating $17 million to alleviate poverty for microentrepreneurs around the globe. “Long-time supporters Primal Kitchen, KeVita, Health-Ade, Seventh Generation, Topo Chico and Traditional Medicals are critical to Whole Planet Foundation’s mission, and we couldn’t do our work without them.  Many of the leadership of these brands have met microcredit clients on impact visits around the globe, gaining a deep understanding of the impact of their generosity.  We are so grateful for their commitment that has helped Whole Planet Foundation fund 7 million microcredit loans with a 98% repayment rate!  Microentrepreneurs prove time and again that access to opportunity is what they need to generate income for themselves and their families”, says Joy Stoddard, the Foundation’s development and outreach director.

With deep missions of their own, these like-minded companies understand the power of providing a hand up and have committed to our highest giving levels. We truly appreciate their contributions to further our cause, which include funds, time, and in-kind donations. This month we invite you to join us all in celebrating their generosity and our annual impact on Wednesday, October 25 via our Party With A Purpose Annual Benefit and Auction. This event will take place both online and in-person in Austin, Texas.  If you are local to Austin, please join us from 4-7pm on the Whole Foods Market Lamar rooftop for a gathering of 500 like-minded supporters as we celebrate our impact with delicious food and beverage, music, a cultural performance, onsite auctions and more.  Not in Austin?  Join us online from October 25- 29 to bid on auction items in support of our mission. Beyond this celebration, we invite you to stay connected via our e-newsletter, Instagram, and Facebook page. For more information on the work we do, and how we do it, visit wholeplanetfoundation.org. 

Torod B. Neptune, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, Medtronic

Businesses face rapidly growing, and often contradictory, expectations regarding their role in society. Alongside calls to do more to address deeply rooted societal issues are opposing voices telling companies to “stay in their lane.” Without clear values as a guide, brands find themselves at an impasse, unsure if they should stay the course or take the next exit.

We can debate if these expectations are fair. In most cases, I’d argue they are. Business wields indisputable power to improve circumstances for people and our planet while making a fair profit. At Medtronic we talk about these responsibilities openly, from our Mission written 60 years ago, to our sustainability report published today. (You can read highlights here.)

Expectations won’t diminish anytime soon, and it’s not just external stakeholders applying pressure. A Glassdoor study of job seekers found 86% “would not consider working for a company with bad social standing.” An Edelman survey of more than 200 Fortune 500 and Forbes Global 1000 Chief Communications Officers revealed employees are “putting the most pressure on companies to act on social issues” (61%); ahead of regulators, investors, and NGOs.

Navigating these divergent expectations is no small challenge. Executives are faced with a tremendous obligation – to employees, communities, and shareholders – and an unparalleled opportunity. How can leaders chart a path forward? Transparency, accountability, and commitment – what I consider the three non-negotiables of responsible business.

Transparency 

The era where any company can simply call itself responsible is behind us — today, business must prove it. Unfortunately, economic anxiety, disinformation, and increased polarization have eroded trust in institutions, and left people feeling vulnerable. As a result, brands are facing increased scrutiny, and the need to build trust is more urgent. Per a special report from Edelman, 71% percent of consumers say, “it is more important to trust the brands I buy or use today than in the past.”

At its core, transparency is about building trust. It’s being open and honest, telling people what they can expect, and how your business is upholding its promises. Transparency is easy when the news is good, but even more important when a business falls short. In those honest moments businesses can build trust and even attract new partners and allies who understand goals most worthy of our time and effort are often the hardest to accomplish.

This is one reason Medtronic publishes an annual sustainability report and annual inclusion, diversity, and equity report. Through these reports and other channels, we share stories, document our progress, and acknowledge where we need to do more.

Accountability 

Transparency means more when tied to clear goals. Perhaps you’ve heard “measure what matters” or read John Doerr’s book of the same title. Setting clear targets sends a signal about what matters to a company and provides a framework to publicly hold businesses accountable.

This is simply good business. Research shows consumers are more likely to buy from brands that commit to taking actions like improving access to healthcare (7 times more likely), addressing climate change (5 times more likely), and ending racism (4.5 times more likely). But consumers also want action.

Aligning with leading reporting frameworks and standards, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) helps us demonstrate accountability for our impact and share it with our stakeholders. Medtronic also ties our business operations to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, recognizing the collective power of the private and public sectors to address the world’s greatest challenges.

Commitment 

In recent years, business has faced criticism for talking too much and not doing enough, on societal issues ranging from racial justice to climate change and income inequality. These are deeply rooted, systemic issues that have been compounding for centuries. Meaningful progress will take years and is possible only through collective action.

This doesn’t excuse business from inaction. I can’t think of a single brand that can’t have a positive impact by being conscious of how it conducts its day-to-day business. A responsible business recognizes its power and influence – and uses both accordingly.

Medtronic has built our commitments into how we operate. We’re doing business with diverse suppliers that reflect the communities we serve, which in turn bolsters their business and local economies. We’re leveraging our expertise in healthcare technology to improve healthcare access for underserved communities around the world – including significant investments in Medtronic LABS. And, recognizing innovation is only possible with a diverse and engaged workforce, we’re ensuring our hiring and other workforce practices reflect that.

Change is constant, and expectations of companies continue to evolve. I believe that’s a good thing — for our brands and all our stakeholders. There will likely be rough waters as business continues to navigate its role, but staying focused on transparency, accountability, and commitment will help all of us chart a path forward.

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It’s safe to say that an organization founded on its dedication to children, equity in education and positive change-making should keep its priorities where they’re meant to be — on its mission. However, often regulations, requirements and general housekeeping gets in the way. First Book was established in 1992 to focus on children and the people and organizations that serve and believe in them. As its leadership team is aware, though, there’s a lot more to ensuring a nonprofit’s needed services are sustainable than a meaningful mission, generous donors and a strong budget.

In a world where all organizations face both the risks and benefits of electronic data collection every day, failures in the way the data is managed, or governed, can interfere with the ability of a nonprofit to succeed in its mission and its intent to remain compliant with regulations.

“Like many other nonprofits, we recently moved very quickly from a time when we didn’t have enough data to a day when we had too much,” said Chris Stine, SVP Information Technology for First Book. “With multiple accounts, duplicate entries and other challenges, we could see that addressing these concerns could help us strengthen our communications with both donors and beneficiaries, but we’re in the business of kids and books, and needed help.”

First Book is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides books and other resources to classrooms, libraries and programs serving children in need from birth to age 18 to remove barriers to quality education. Its fundamental belief is that education is the best way out of poverty for children in those circumstances — and that working to eliminate poverty, in all of its forms, should be a high priority. Providing millions of books to a network of more than 550,000 librarians, teachers, after-school programs and more, the organization succeeds, in part, because it is thoughtful about how it uses its resources. Recently, First Book received in-kind technological support from TCS.

“This project was unique because we worked closely with every one of the organization’s business units, rather than just their IT experts,” said Ninad Sathe,  Program Manager, the TCS leader for this TCS Tech4HOPE initiative. “This gave us a rare opportunity to hold deep-dive conversations about each department’s work, so we could understand their challenges in a holistic way. The quality of information provided in these day-in-the-life explorations helped make our work more effective and meaningful.”

First Book faced challenges related to data quality, data integrity and demographic reporting. It also encountered additional challenges related to the extra time and manual labor needed just to manage their collected information and ensure it was accurate, nonrepetitive and collected appropriately. Through its deep dive with First Book’s business units, the TCS team was able to learn enough to provide short-term and tactical recommendations that could help immediately, as well as long-term strategic solutions. In completing next steps and looking to First Book’s plans for future initiatives, the nonprofit’s data governance efforts will be brought to current best practice standards — a beneficial step toward helping it ensure stronger stakeholder relationships and greater availability of both funding and books for kids.

The work meant a lot to the TCS team, said Vishnu Prasadh, Delivery Partner, who noted that customers in all sectors have recently been revamping their data governance practices and advancing their implementations to meet new standards. He saw immediately that First Book would particularly benefit from innovation around data governance practices.

“This was the first corporate social responsibility initiative my team has worked on — and it’s important to all of us because First Book’s focus is literacy, one of our company priorities, as well,” said Prasadh. “We really wanted to bring out and deliver the best we had in both collective and contextual knowledge; we wanted to be sure we made a difference to their mission.”

TCS’ five-member team worked diligently, developing 21 detailed problem statements and tying specific solutions back to each. The effort revealed that most of the challenges First Book faced were with data capture, as opposed to data storage and management. The knowledge gleaned from the conversations with business units provided TCS with a deeper understanding of how data serves each part of the business. That intense understanding made developing specific and strategic solutions easy. Tactics that could be implemented immediately offered quick wins and longer-term solutions included future state mapping from the perspective of a data-driven enterprise.

Stine was impressed with how quickly and deeply the team was able to identify the problems and deliver a plan.

“The discovery process was extremely thorough as the TCS team worked with every single department individually to identify everything we needed to get our hands around,” said Stine. “Team members had great questions, and I was impressed with how easily they grasped our situation and determined our path forward.”

When the volunteer TCS data governance project team concluded its work, it was with a strong sense of reward. According to Sathe, the team’s initial in-kind gift of time and expertise was the equivalent of approximately $31,000. Stine said that cost is equivalent to distributing nearly 7,000 books to children across the United States.

“Ensuring high-quality data governance is something all businesses and nonprofits are obliged to do these days, but it was something very new to us and, from our perspective, it was just more of a ‘housekeeping’ issue than a project with mission focus,” said Stine. “Our time and budget are meant to be spent on products, cataloguing and distribution, so we’re very grateful for the capable work of the TCS team. Their generosity means we can spend that money getting kids set up for the great adventure of reading.”