Tag: 3BL

In rural Brazil, a group of women banded together to gather a wild chestnut called baru. When they had little luck selling the nuts as a snack in local markets, they came up with a plan to turn their harvest into a base for a dark, frothy Guinness-like beer. Despite their ingenuity and hard work ethic, the women were missing a key ingredient for success: access to capital needed for equipment and to distribute their first batch.

The plight of this baru cooperative is common for women entrepreneurs around the world, whether it’s a simple one-woman operation or a hot tech startup with growth potential, women-owned firms are plagued by funding challenges.

Companies with only female founders raised just 2.2% of all venture funding in the first eight months of 2021, according to an analysis by Crunchbase; this is lower than any of the five previous calendar years. Historically, women entrepreneurs are less likely to get approved for bank loans and are often subject to higher interest rates and smaller loan amounts. In developing economies, women-owned businesses make up 23% of micro, small and medium-size businesses but account for 32% of the overall financing gap.

Women entrepreneurs also do not always have banking services or digital tools, which can help grow an informal cash-based business into one with a larger financial footprint. While the proliferation of mobile money in sub-Saharan Africa has boosted financial inclusion for women, the gender gap in account ownership in developing economies overall has fallen but stands at 6%, according to the World Bank, and 740 million women — equivalent to 13% of the world’s adults — still do not have a bank or mobile money account.

Nevertheless, there’s a significant upside to supporting women-led businesses.

On a larger scale, attaining economic parity for women could add $12 trillion to the world economy, according to the World Economic Forum. If women were able to participate in entrepreneurship at the same rate as men, global gross domestic product would rise by an additional 3% to 6%, equivalent to $2.5 trillion to $5 trillion in value, according to one estimate.

Up to $5 trillion

Amount the global gross domestic product could rise if women were able to participate in entrepreneurship at the same rate as men.

Lenders would also do well by investing in women. One study found that even though female-led startups receive less than half the funding that male-founded ones do, they generate 10% more cumulative revenue. This benefits the wider community as well, creating financial security and an asset base for entire family groups and local economies.

Mastercard is working to connect women entrepreneurs to the tools they need. We recently announced the fulfillment of our pledge to connect 25 million women entrepreneurs worldwide to the solutions they need to grow their businesses, two years ahead of schedule. To meet that ambitious goal, we focused on digital acceptance of payments, access to credit and mentorship, as well as networking and other forms of expertise.

In Latin America, Mastercard co-created a new value proposition to digitize small retailers so they are able to accept electronic payments and pay suppliers digitally. For instance, we are partnering with some of the largest consumer packaged goods brands by arming their network of small mom-and-pop distributors with the ability to accept digital payments. That allows these entrepreneurs to get paid almost in real time, giving them funds with which to purchase more stock, while at the same time equipping these brands with insight into which distributors might need additional capital in order to grow.

Meanwhile, for the women harvesting baru nuts in Brazil, help for their traditional business came in a very 21st-century form. Moeda, a social investing platform and veteran of our Start Path startup engagement program, uses blockchain to link worthy entrepreneurs with investors looking for both profit and social good, and it extended a microloan that allowed the cooperative to purchase equipment and turn their harvest into Baru Beer. That beer sold out in a matter of months, netting perhaps five times what the women could have earned by selling the nuts alone. And as those newly converted Baru Beer fans will agree, unlocking the potential of these fierce entrepreneurs will benefit everyone.

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Over a third of the world’s largest publicly traded companies now have net-zero targets to radically reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or earlier. But, 65% of corporate targets do not yet meet minimum procedural reporting standards. This is indicative of a data issue that has more far-reaching consequences than annual reporting requirements. As has been drummed into us, we cannot manage what we do not measure and the stark consequences of not addressing human-caused climate change have been clearly set out in the 2023 IPCC AR6 report.

Carbon accounting is still undertaken manually or using semi-automated tools that rely on estimates or averages. Additionally, many more organizations still need to set targets. To move forward, they must first ascertain current emissions levels. But with supply chain emissions representing a much higher proportion than direct emissions, this is proving challenging for four key reasons: a lack of data, poor or unreliable data, a skills gap preventing effective data analysis, and issues exchanging data.

Organizations must account for carbon, not only for climate and compliance reasons but to aid decision-making, reveal opportunities for efficiencies and growth, and differentiate their business. As a result, organizations across industries are racing to slash the carbon footprint of their products and services. As businesses at every level of the value chain ramp up their own decarbonization efforts, business leaders know the lowest carbon offerings are likely to become the most desirable and hence the best opportunity for growth and profit.

A Lack of Emissions Data

Emissions data is used in three areas of a company’s net-zero strategy: to measure and identify hotspots for emissions reduction; to make improvements such as selecting suppliers and redesigning products and processes; and to continuously anticipate business outcomes and identify new opportunities for greenhouse gas reduction.

For successful decarbonization, emissions data must be embedded in an organization’s decision-making process. Incomplete and unreliable data hinders the creation of an effective net-zero strategy. This issue is particularly prevalent across the value chain in scope 3 emissions, which regularly account for 75% of a company’s emissions across all sectors. Due to a lack of influence and control and an absence of disclosure rules, supply chain emissions go vastly underreported, weakening net-zero strategies.

It is essential for companies to close the gap and gather data on all scope 3 emissions. Not doing so leaves them open to allegations of greenwashing and non-compliance penalties as policymakers worldwide move increasingly towards making scope 3 emissions reporting mandatory.

Poor Quality Data

Data that is accurate, granular, and comparable is indispensable for a comprehensive understanding of an organization’s carbon footprint. However, much of the data being relied upon is spend-based, estimated, or reliant on regional or sector-based averages as opposed to primary data directly from a business’s operations and suppliers.

By its nature, secondary data cannot provide an accurate indication of a company’s greenhouse gas emission hotspots, nor can it be used for comparison purposes. It also lacks granularity, impairing decision-making. Relying on inconsistent data carries potentially significant risks, which can lead to a decline in trust and credibility.

Sustainability Skills Gap

The number of green jobs grew by 8% between 2015 and 2021 and is expected to continue to increase. But there is a significant skills shortage, and candidates don’t yet have the competencies to be able to fulfill the roles. Short courses and micro-credentials run by universities, professional bodies, and NGOs are helping to fill the gap, but on-the-job training and upskilling are also necessary to equip employees and business leaders with the necessary skills to be able to interpret the data and turn pledges into progress.

Data Exchange Issues

Carbon accounting challenges within a single organization are an issue, but the problem is multiplied when it comes to achieving carbon transparency between companies in a given value chain. Incompatibility of data, inconsistencies in carbon accounting rules, software platforms that don’t easily interact, and a lack of collaboration across supply chains leave business leaders fumbling in the dark for information.

The automobile industry is an obvious example. With 98% of emissions falling into scope 3, exchanging carbon footprint data can seem like an impossible task due to its complex supply chain, a lack of trust between suppliers and customers, a scarcity of quality data, inconsistent carbon accounting methodologies, and incompatible data management platforms.

The Impact of Carbon Accounting Challenges

The aforementioned challenges result in wasted time and resources, compromised decision-making, an inability to affect meaningful emissions reduction, missed opportunities, a lack of transparency, and higher exposure to business risks, not to mention the global risks of deadly heat waves, devastating floods, rising sea levels, and a decline in biodiversity.

Moving Towards a Green Ledger

What if sustainability performance could be managed with the same rigor as financial performance? Where it becomes as effortless as financial transactions in your enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, where a carbon network makes data exchange easy, and where end-to-end carbon accounting tracks product emissions across the entire value chain?

Ledger-based transactional carbon accounting provides all of this and more – and it’s not new. It is an amalgamation of a suite of solutions, an ecosystem of platforms. Working together, they have the power and interactivity to collect and assimilate emissions data using a hybrid approach to help businesses transition from estimated or average emissions values to actual and verified data. A double entry approach allows companies to balance emission in- and outflows.

A sustainability ledger provides auditable carbon reports and attaches emissions to financial costs and revenue. This provides companies with the capability to analyze carbon emission hotspots through a financial lens across cost centers, profit centers, and market segments.

Finding the Key to Collaboration in the Automotive Industry

Perhaps most importantly, the sustainability ledger approach provides a platform for collaboration and integration of data throughout an entire value chain. The Catena-X Automotive Network is the first open and collaborative data ecosystem capable of allowing companies to work together to establish transparent processes and common data standards from material acquisition to manufacturing and distribution to meet sustainability and regulatory requirements.

By partnering with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Catena-X was able to achieve a standardized carbon footprint value that could be used throughout the supply chain.

Thanks to the GreenToken by SAP solution, companies can manage this standardized product carbon footprint data and share it easily, on a material level, between business partners in an efficient and secure way.

Other Industries Incorporating the Green Ledger

The automotive industry isn’t alone in identifying a need for a more scientific and collaborative approach. Other industries, including manufacturing and healthcare, are moving towards a more holistic green ledger solution.

Multinational chemical and consumer goods company Henkel has recently implemented SAP S/4HANA while simultaneously transitioning to the cloud. Henkel will benefit along its entire value chain from increased data-driven, real-time decision-making and leaner and more sustainable processes.

The Next Steps

Plugging the gaps and improving the quality of emissions data is a clear priority to turn an organization’s carbon reduction targets into actionable plans, but collaboration must not be underestimated if a real reduction is to be achieved across industries. Companies now need to identify the best software solution for their business that will not only collate emissions data on a transactional basis but also report it holistically and provide the possibility to share it throughout the supply chain.

Find out more about SAP Sustainability solutions.

Last year, Trane Technologies became the first in our industry—and one of the first companies in the world—to have our long-term net-zero carbon emissions targets approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative, following previous approval of our near-term 2030 targets. Getting these long-term targets validated was a huge milestone for our vision of a sustainable future, but setting our sites on 2050 required the courage to take action and work toward solving the hard issues. That’s the path we are on.

And for the same reason we shared our Gigaton Challenge playbook to help others see a more sustainable path for themselves, we are sharing a first glance at our net-zero roadmap to build momentum for ourselves, our industry and beyond. Here is what our plan outlines. 

Our Scope 1 and 2 Actions

We’ll reach our Scope 1 and 2 net-zero goal by taking these actions:

Expanding renewable energy at our facilities and through virtual power purchase agreements and leveraging clean hydrogen fuel as it becomes available for our facilitiesIncreasing our operational energy efficiencyTransitioning to low-global warming potential refrigerants and reducing leakageFully electrifying our fleet and optimizing routesContinuing to accelerate energy efficiency and smart technology

For example, on expanding renewable energy—we’re nearing completion of a 10,000-panel solar power installation at our Monterrey, Mexico facility—the largest in the country. When operational, this photovoltaic system, which includes a Tesla Battery Energy Storage System, will supply 70% of the electricity needed to power the facility each year.

And in our latest ESG Report, we spotlighted our commitment to transition 100% of our global fleet of more than 8,000 vehicles, including service vans and trucks, to all electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030. In alignment with the Climate Group’s EV100 initiative, we will help accelerate the transition to EVs in our industry and beyond, while supporting the critical deployment of charging infrastructure for employees and communities near company-owned offices, manufacturing facilities and service centers.

Our Scope 3 Actions

We’ll reach our Scope 3 net-zero goal by taking these actions related to our customer’s use of our products…

Increasing sales of high-efficiency equipmentExpanding product mix to accelerate electrificationManaging the transition to lower-global warming potential refrigerantsIncreasing system-level efficiencyContinuing to accelerate energy efficiency and smart technologyExploring direct carbon capture pathways as technologies matureExploring alternative approaches to heating and cooling

For example, Trane® recently launched the first thermal battery storage-source heat pump system, an all-electric heating system for buildings in extremely cold climates and dense urban settings. The system includes thermal energy storage used for decades that employs ice tanks to reclaim and restore excess heat in the form of cold water for future heating needs. Chiller-heaters, air-to-water heat pumps and controls complete the system, which eliminates the need for fossil-fuel-powered boilers.

And Thermo King® is accelerating the electrification of transport refrigeration for our customers, pledging to deliver all-electric, zero-emission solutions for every segment of the end-to-end cold chain by 2023 in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and 2025 in the Americas.

Opportunity across our entire value chain

Our value chain is rich with opportunities to reduce embodied carbon – with suppliers’ operations, in how we design and manufacture products, and how we ship. We are implementing policies that keep sustainability central to supply chain decision-making.

Last year, as the first our industry to join SteelZero, we pledged to increase our purchase of low-carbon steel over time to move the market toward near zero materials and technologies. We announced purchase agreements with two supplier partners to purchase low-carbon steel nearly 80% less carbon intensive than traditional blast furnace steel, representing 20% of our annual steel purchase. By 2050, we’ve pledged to procure 100 percent net-zero steel.

Finding new roads

While we’ll continue accelerating energy efficiency and smart technology, we’re open to the idea that we don’t know what we don’t know, and options that appear to be experimental or beyond our core competencies could end up being something we should pursue. Our chair and CEO Dave Regnery recently said, “It’s not often you find an incumbent who is also a disruptor. But that’s exactly who we are.”

And that’s exactly how we will innovate our way into a more sustainable future.

In the heart of Houston, where diversity thrives, the Montrose Center stands as a beacon of hope and support for the LGBTQ community.

Established in 1978 under the name Montrose Counseling Center, the facility’s service and program offerings have expanded far beyond counselling and therapy over the years.

“The center was first created to provide a safe space for our LGBTQ community through culturally competent mental health services,” says Alex Torres, Volunteer Manager at the Montrose Center. “As the community has grown and changed in the past years, we’ve come to encompass different services.”

The center and its team of trained clinicians, therapists and volunteers provide support to the community through substance use treatment, senior and youth services, rehousing services, and an anti-violence program that serves survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual assault, and hate crimes, to name a few.

Hatch Youth Services is one of four key initiatives run by the Montrose Center. The youth group is for LGBTQ youth, ages 13 to 20, through which the center offer plenty of resources, including a tri-weekly drop-in session that incorporates educational seminars with social events.

“Providing a safe space for our youth is really going to help them develop in their future years,” says Torres. “In addition to the educational programming, it’s important for these kids to have a place to just blow off some steam and hang out with their friends.”

“Speaking from personal experience, I would have loved something like this growing up,” says Torres. “I feel like it would have shaped me a little bit better and given me a more positive outlook on the world.”

Enbridge’s Fueling Futures corporate citizenship program supports safe, vibrant and sustainable communities. In 2023, a Fueling Futures grant of $10,000 to the Montrose Center has directly supported programming within Hatch Youth Services such as educational sessions, mental health counseling, rehousing services, and social events.

In 2021, 62% of clients were making less than $20,000 per year, 52% were uninsured for health and 70% were people of color.

People can support not only the Montrose Center but the 2SLGBTQ+ community at large by finding their local community center and supporting through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading awareness so others know about their presence and support available.

“We’re here for to empower LGBTQ Houston,” says Torres. “This is a safe, affirming place where you can be you.”

Calling all change-makers and non-profits! 

Applications for this year’s Kentucky Fried Wishes are now open! 

We’re granting $10,000 to 50 non-profits to make their wish list projects come true.  That’s $500,000 towards causes that make the world a better place!

Know a deserving non-profit making a positive impact in your community? Tag them, share this post and help us spread the word! Together, let’s make wishes come true! 

Don’t miss out! Applications close June 30, 2023.

Learn more at kfcfoundation.org/wishes

Read About The 50 Kentucky Fried Wishes Grant Recipients In 2022!

Originally published on HBI Sustains

“If we want a better world, we have to create it by inspiring others to not just win, but to Champion what they believe in.”

– John Shumate, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Champion – Global

A collaboration between Champion, the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and Method Man, has received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award from the 5th annual Hashtag Sports Awards. The Hashtag Sports Awards honor effective engagement and the best work in the sports, media and entertainment industries.

The collaboration delivered a new capsule collection of logo crewneck tees, athletic shorts and hoodies, plus gifted gear to 10 nonprofit lacrosse organizations to promote inclusion and expand lacrosse.

“This collaboration symbolizes the impact we make when we come together to give access to sports in underserved communities,” said John Shumate, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Champion – Global. “Collaboration with purpose is key to championing our communities. Together, with the PLL and Method Man, we want to inspire others to Champion a better tomorrow.”

Method Man told Rolling Stone his love for lacrosse inspired the collaboration. The capsule collection gave nod to Method Man’s hometown of Hempstead, New York, where he discovered lacrosse – a passion he hopes to share with a new generation of players.

The donation to the community is part of a five-year plan to make lacrosse more accessible and increase diversity on the field – particularly in underserved communities nationwide.

It’s easy for anyone to get stuck in old habits, but grantmakers are particularly susceptible to “that’s the way we’ve always done it” reasoning. There often aren’t outside markets forces or broader power structures to force change. For grantmaking organizations, the inspiration and drive to evolve must come from within.

Though finding the time and resources to innovate can be tough, it’s worth doing. Grantmakers need to continue to evolve if they want to improve equity, center the communities they serve, build programs for the long term, and make a lasting impact. This work takes intention, strategy, and a willingness to transform when necessary.

For some inspiration, we’ve highlighted six examples of how some funders have reimagined what it means to be a grantmaker.

Let’s dig in.

1. Seeking community feedback to set priorities 

When Brenda Solorzano and her team at the Headwaters Foundation in Western Montana looked to set direction for the organization, they went a different route than many funders usually go.

Often foundations will hire a consultant to scan the landscape and complete an assessment to determine community needs. If community members are involved, it’s usually at the end of the process, to give feedback on a narrow set of options. For the most part, the foundation leadership and staff have the final say.

However, Solorzano and her team wanted to center the community perspective right from the beginning. They skipped hiring a consultant and instead went straight to community members themselves.

What did this look like in practice? The foundation team went out into the community.

“We talked to everyone from high schoolers to hospital CEOs and everybody in between,” Solorzano says.

At the end of each conversation, they asked who else they should talk to. In the end, they chatted with almost 600 people.

We talked to everyone from high schoolers to hospital CEOs and everybody in between.

Brenda Solorzano, CEO of Headwaters Foundation

Through these conversations, the foundation staff started to see some consistent themes. To narrow their focus, they decided to seek another round of community feedback. They hosted meetings in every county they serve. The meetings were open to the public and everyone was encouraged to attend. Here, the foundation staff presented their findings from the conversations they’d had. Then they turned it over to the community members to determine which were the highest priority issues.

In almost every community meeting, the consensus was early childhood development.

“People said that’s the greatest opportunity for this foundation to have a long-term impact on communities across Western Montana,” Solorzano says. “So that became what we focused on.”

2. Building a listening practice 

Because of the inherent power imbalances in the funder/grantee relationship, it’s essential for funders to formalize channels for community feedback. Without that structure, it’s easy for the conversation to become very one-sided.

“Our approach at Brooklyn Community Foundation always starts with listening,” Marcella Tillett explains. “Not only does this develop an open line of communication with our communities, it creates the space for more people to enter the conversation.”

Brooklyn Community Foundation formalized their listening practice in 2014, launching Brooklyn Insights. This allows the foundation to set priorities based on community members’ lived experiences instead of outside values or inaccurate assumptions.

For the foundation team, the work doesn’t stop at listening.

“We’re not just listening to hear, but listening to take direction,” Tillett says.

These conversations direct how BCF prioritizes resources for grantmaking, as well as determines how they engage with the media, what issues they highlight, and how they shape their capacity-building strategies.

We’re not just listening to hear, but listening to take direction.

Marcella Tillett, VP of Programs and Partnerships at Brooklyn Community Foundation

Brooklyn Community Foundation applies a racial justice lens to its work. This shapes who they seek feedback from. It’s not about trying to listen to everyone.

“We want to hear from people experiencing harm as a result of systemic injustice and oppression,” Tillett explains.

3. Understanding community ecosystems

For funders, it’s important to understand communities on their own terms. If you are making assumptions and imposing your values, you’re probably not building your programs around what the community really needs.

Lori Pourier of First Peoples Fund recommends making an effort to learn about the communities you serve. She calls it “a process of letting go of what you think you know.”

History is a huge component of this work. You want to know what experiences and forces have shaped the community, from an inside perspective. You also want to have a sense of what their past relationships with institutions have been like. If many community members have had negative experiences with institutions like yours, you’ll likely need to address that in order to build trust.

Part of this education is recognizing the ecosystems that already exist within the community. Don’t overlook informal economies and relationships. Rather than just focusing on the problems within a community, identify the good things already happening and seek to support them.

In her role, Pourier has worked to invite people into tribal communities so they can understand those positive forces that are at play.

“We take time to bring the folks who are interested into communities to look at the good things that are happening that might not be connected to federal support systems—those pockets of good things that people would never know or hear about,” she says.

We take time to bring the folks who are interested into communities to look at the good things that are happening that might not be connected to federal support systems.

Lori Pourier, President and CEO of First Peoples Fund

Doing this work allows you to honor the full identities of the people you serve. You get a clearer understanding of how their needs intersect and you can shape your support around their lived experiences.

4. Providing rest and rejuvenation to nonprofit leaders

It’s no secret that nonprofit staff are often asked to do too much. Many are underpaid and under-resourced. Unfortunately this has become an accepted way of doing things for a lot of nonprofits, but it’s not good for the people, the organization, or the community at large.

Carrie Avery of the Durfee Foundation is working to reframe this approach.

“To work at a nonprofit doesn’t mean you have to work until you burn out—that isn’t sustainable,” she says.

Dedicating resources to give nonprofit leaders time for rest and rejuvenation is good for everyone. Not only does it help retain good leaders, but it also gives others a chance to develop new skills, and provides an opportunity to reimagine processes and responsibilities. In short, it’s a great investment.

But what does it look like in practice? For the Durfee Foundation it’s a sabbatical program for organization leaders.

“It’s building in a culture of care and a normalization that people need rest and renewal,” Avery says.

It’s building a culture of care and a normalization that people need rest and renewal.

Carrie Avery, President of the Durfee Foundation

Through its sabbatical program, the Durfee Foundation offers organizations $60,000 to support an extended break for an accomplished leader. Interim leadership for the organization must come from within, which means that other nonprofit staff members spend the sabbatical developing their leadership skills.

This model has had incredible outcomes. It allows leaders to avoid burnout—they return to their positions refreshed and with energy to innovate and think long term. Plus the break helps the whole organization acknowledge that rest has value, creating healthier work culture and making it easier to attract and retain talented people.

5. Acknowledging harm 

For funders, it can sometimes be difficult to understand that even with good intentions, funder/grantee relationships can have negative impacts on individuals and the community. There are inherent power imbalances and opposing perspectives, but leaning into those hard truths helps make the space for repair.

Marcella Tillett of the Brooklyn Community Foundation explains: “In these relationships, harm happens—we’re going to acknowledge that.”

In these relationships, harm happens—we’re going to acknowledge that.

Marcella Tillet, VP of Programs and Partnerships at Brooklyn Community Foundation

It’s important to build an honest relationship with grantees and give them the chance to share their perspectives freely. One way the team at the Brooklyn Community Foundation has done this, is they ask, “In what ways do we show up that are harmful?”

Notice that it’s not “Do we show up in ways that are harmful?” There is inherent pressure in that question for grantees to respond positively. But when a funder acknowledges that harm happens, it opens up the door for honest discussion.

“It’s a way to shift power because you’re asking the person or organization you’re in a relationship with to actively continue to create what the bounds of that relationship are,” Tillett says.

For example, open and honest conversations with the community helped Brooklyn Community Foundation formalize their participatory grantmaking. Community members are involved in setting priorities and deciding how resources are distributed.

“We really try to be a partnership of equals,” Tillett says.

6. Reducing the red tape 

If you have a complex and time-consuming grant application, you’re likely burdening your grantees and pulling them away from their community work. Finding ways to cut down the red tape can help them fulfill their missions and do more good.

What does this look like in action?

For the Headwaters Foundation team, it meant reimagining the grant approval process. Rather than a long, drawn-out application and then weeks or months for review, the team streamlined their work as much as possible

Instead of looking for reasons to not support an organization, the foundation team treats the application process as a quick way to check if missions align.

“If you’re mission-aligned, we should be supporting you,” Brenda Solorzano says.

You can also look for ways to shift some of the burden from your grantees to your own staff. At the Headwaters Foundation, rather than having grantees fill out the application, the team has the option to meet with a nonprofit and then fill out the application for them. Rather than doing the work, the grantee can just provide approval or make changes to the grant agreement the foundation team has created.

The stories we’ve collected of the work that’s being done with this grant money—it’s transformational in many of these communities.

Brenda Solorzano, CEO of Headwaters Foundation

Taking the administrative burden off of grantees not only frees them up to do more work in the community, but it ensures that as a funder, you’re supporting more equitable outcomes. If your application process is long and complex, only the nonprofits with enough resources and personnel to dedicate to those processes will be able to apply.

The Headwaters Foundation has seen this play out in their work.

“The stories we’ve collected of the work that’s being done with this grant money—it’s transformational in many of these communities,” Solorzano says. “And these are communities that don’t have big infrastructure, don’t have large nonprofits, don’t have development people. They’re the kind of people who wouldn’t be as competitive in a traditional application process.”

The right tools to support your evolution

As you look to adapt your practices to better meet community needs, you want to leverage tools that will help you advance equity, build relationships, and understand the impact of your work. Submittable is a social impact platform designed to help you launch, manage, and measure your grantmaking program. Find out more today.

I recently delivered the commencement speech for the 2023 undergraduates of the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. What an honor to speak to this incredible group of resilient students!

As a Gen Xer with years of tech and marketing experience, I aimed to impart a new spin on the real-world advice to follow your passion that most of us probably grew up hearing by suggesting that while that advice isn’t entirely bad, it’s just one part of the story. I suggested this addition: follow your competence.

Here’s what I mean. Even though something like a first job out of college (or beyond!) may not seem like it speaks exactly to your passions, you may be pleasantly surprised when you find out you’re really good at it. When we become aware of what we’re good at, we will begin to exercise our strengths, people will recognize us for them, and we will feel accomplished. This creates a cycle of satisfaction… and THIS is where we thrive. That’s the time to double down. When you find something you’re good at and follow your competence it becomes a passion!

Coincidentally, right before I gave my address, researchers at the University of Washington shared results of a study they did on this very topic that adds another interesting element into this conversation. They found that when undergrads were first selecting a major or career path and were encouraged to follow their passions, they unintentionally made choices that pigeonholed them into pre-prescribed societal norms around gender.

For example, men disproportionately choose fields like computer science and engineering. Broadly speaking, the research found that following your passions can be unintentionally limiting – exactly opposite of what follow your passions is intended to inspire! Dr. Sapna Cheryan and student Therese Anne Mortejo summed it up in a New York Times essay titled “The Most Common Graduation Advice Tends to Backfire”: “Sure, you can follow your passions. But also keep an open mind and try things you may have ruled out without even realizing why. There may be more to be passionate about than you realize.

This aligns so closely with what I spoke about when I shared a bit of my personal story. I started my career marketing toothpaste. Toothpaste was never a passion of mine. But I recognized something in those early career days in that role. I thought I might be good at marketing. I found my strengths in storytelling, shaping product strategy, and connecting to what customers want and need. And those are the strengths I doubled down on – and still lean into in my role at T-Mobile. These have become my passions as I progressed through my career and now lead the team at T-Mobile!

Of course, while following our competence may come naturally, that doesn’t mean we should shy away from things outside of our comfort zones. It’s still important to take risks and try new things. To follow our curiosity. It’s something we do again and again here at T-Mobile. It’s about asking, “What if?” and “Why not?”, all along the way, continuing to pay attention to what you’re good at. My advice is to ask these questions and double down where you thrive, not just because it might bring you success, but because it might bring you joy.

As I shared with the UW grads, trying to right-fit your passions to the perfect job in a competitive market is a long shot but starting with your strengths can create space for you to show value. So many people I know have found true career satisfaction by discovering something they’re good at and doing more of it – making that a centerpiece of their work. They found their competence, followed it, and it became a passion. This is how they have been able to thrive – an aspiration I have for this year’s new graduates today and beyond.

Winning products listed in Sustainable Innovation and Sustainable Product Award categories.

MIDLAND, Mich., June 20, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Dow (NYSE: DOW) has earned three 2023 SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement Leadership) Business Sustainability Awards (BSA). The environmental advocacy organization recognizes specific initiatives, products, services, and innovations ranging from large companies to emerging start-ups for their industry leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainable business practices.

Three Dow technologies were recognized across two SEAL categories: one Sustainable Product Award, and two Sustainable Innovation Awards. The product-focused category recognized submissions that were deemed innovative, impactful and “purpose-built” for a sustainable future, whereas the innovation-based category selected recipients for representing game-changing ideas that draw us closer to a more sustainable future.

“Each of these simultaneously high-performing and sustainable products and innovations are making significant advancements in their respective markets and helping Dow realize its ambition to be the world’s most innovative, customer-centric, inclusive, and sustainable materials science company,” said A.N. Sreeram, senior vice president, Research Development, and chief technology officer. “We will continue to innovate alongside our customers and value chain leaders to deliver a sustainable future through our materials science expertise and collaboration.”

2023 SEAL BSA winners

EVOWASH™ Antifoam Agents and Readily Biodegradable Detergents, from Dow’s Industrial Solutions business, was one of two SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award winners. EVOWASH™ seeks to accelerate the global transition to a circular economy of plastics by enabling the reduction of surface contaminants such as adhesives in up to 90%, providing higher purity in the final resins, while optimizing foam dosage and costs.LuxSense™ Silicone Leather was a recipient of a SEAL Sustainable Innovation Award. This product, driven by Dow’s Consumer Solutions business, has revolutionized the auto interiors market, being recognized as the world’s 1st silicone-based luxury synthetic leather material made to meet the needs of transport seats and interiors specifications while also, in contrast to traditional leather manufacturing, utilizing liquid silicone rubber technology and avoiding the use of harmful solvents, such as DMF and plasticizers.SYL-OFF™ EM-7920NF Emulsion Coating was named a winner of a SEAL Sustainable Product Award, as it has replaced solvent-based systems with an effective water-based delivery solution. EM-7920NF aims to improve the overall environmental, health and safety profile of release coating operations.

More about the SEAL Awards

SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement Leadership) Awards is an environmental advocacy organization that honors leadership through their business sustainability awards and environmental journalism awards while funding research and pursuing their own environmental impact campaigns.

About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance leadership to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. The Company’s ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow’s portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,800 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $57 billion in 2022. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.

For further information, please contact:

Milan Revels 
MSRevels@dow.com

Mary Fournier 
+1-989-529-6144 
MKFournier@dow.com

This year and moving forward, our annual LIFE Month safety awareness campaign starts in June to align with National Safety Month in the U.S. LIFE stands for Life-changing Injury and Fatality Elimination. LIFE is broken down into five categories where the majority of our injuries occur across the company – Machine Guarding, Slips, Trips & Falls, Motorized Equipment, Driver Safety, and Harmful Substances & Environment.

Safety remains our most important responsibility and will always be more important than production. We’ve made a lot of great progress in our safety journey, but we can’t stop learning and improving. Help us celebrate LIFE month by sharing posts tagged #IPLifeMonth

About International Paper

International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a global producer of planet-friendly packaging, pulp and other fiber-based products, and one of North America’s largest recyclers. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 39,000 colleagues globally who are committed to creating what’s next. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2022 were $21.2 billion. Additional information can be found by visiting InternationalPaper.com.