News from Leading Brands

Keep up with the latest impact news from companies embracing the triple bottom line, shared via 3BL's publishing platform.

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Sustainable Finance & Socially Responsible Investment

KeyBank Provides $39.4 Million in Financing for the Redevelopment and Preservation of a Historic Cleveland Affordable Housing Property

KeyBank Real Estate Capital and KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) have provided a total of $39.4 million in financing for the redevelopment and preservation of Commodore Apartments in Cleveland, OH. Specifically, KeyBank provided a $16.6 million LIHTC equity investment, an $11.6 million construction loan and an $11.1 million non-recourse, FHA 221(d)(4) first mortgage loan.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Join Feed the Children's Fight to Defeat Hunger and Help Kids Be Kids

Hunger. It has crept into our cities. It has found a way into our neighborhoods. It’s affecting the lives of millions of men, women and children domestically and internationally, cementing itself as a real threat to our well-being.

See, hunger isn’t prejudiced. It doesn’t care about gender, age or ethnicity. Hunger doesn’t know if you are homeless or a part of the working class. It only has one job, and it performs it very well.

Research, Reports & Publications

Caterpillar Thiruvallur Energy Efficiency & Renewables

The long-term strategy at Caterpillar India Private Limited in Thiruvallur, India, includes embedding sustainability in manufacturing through renewable energy and energy conservation.

Environment

Organics

Environmentally conscientious communities across the country are seeking our help with sustainable solutions for their organics, which includes food and yard waste. The good news is that organics are highly biodegradable and can be recycled at our compost facilities — benefiting our planet and business.

Diversity & Inclusion

Nestlé Purina is Working to Build a More Disability-Friendly Workplace and Community

The two years Sarah Schwegel, a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities, spent at Nestlé Purina were hugely beneficial for both Sarah and the company. Sarah, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II and uses a power wheelchair, worked in Purina’s human resources department, helping us to bring the best people to our company. She put forward suggestions detailing how Purina could better support employees with disabilities, and we acted on her ideas and saw what a difference they could make.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

Duke Energy Foundation Awards Indiana Nonprofits $315,000 in Community Impact Grants

Twenty-one Indiana nonprofit organizations are receiving $315,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants to make a difference in their communities. Their projects range from a holiday food drive for the needy in Howard County to Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts for elementary students from around the state.

Social Impact & Volunteering

The Knitting Factor: Tying It All Together in Celebration of Pro Bono Week

Last year we debuted a concept called The Knitting Factor, which helps explain how skills-based volunteering knits together the expertise from the corporate and nonprofit sectors to create sustainable solutions that don’t come undone when partners part ways. We also introduced three key ingredients to the success of The Knitting Factor: Panoramic Perspectives, Skill Sharing and Sticky Relationships. In celebration of Pro Bono Week, we wanted to share a quick review of how the Knitting Factor has worked in practice over the past year.

Environment

Boeing Celebrates Energy Awareness Month by Sharing Conservation Tools

Aerospace manufacturers can save energy using these tools.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

National Ski Patrol and Subaru Renew Partnership

The National Ski Patrol (NSP) and Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) have renewed their partnership for another two years.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

2018 Youth Homelessness Summit | Faces of Collaboration: Tai

The Las Vegas community joins together on November 2 at the 2nd Annual Youth Homelessness Summit in Las Vegas, a collaboration between Las Vegas Sands and the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.

Energy

Video | UPS Rolling Lab – Sustainability on the Road

UPS has been leading sustainable fleet innovations for decades. Learn about our latest investments in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles, and how this rolling laboratory is helping advance our environmental goals.

Environment

HP Inc. and IKEA Join Initiative to Develop First Global Network of Ocean-Bound Plastics Supply Chains

NextWave Plastics announces two new member companies – HP Inc. and IKEA – are joining its consortium of worldwide businesses committed to scaling the use of ocean-bound plastics by developing the first global network of ocean-bound plastics supply chains. The addition of HP and IKEA marks 10 companies collaborating to “turn off the tap” of plastic entering the ocean.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

Scotiabank Asks a Small Business

Amanda Hamilton runs Amanda Hamilton Interior Design, a Calgary-based interior design business, which works within the residential and commercial market throughout Western Canada. She has also recently launched an e-commerce based business called Palette Archives that provides people with designer-curated materials palettes to help with any home renovation or build.

Amanda says one of the best pieces of advice she has received was from her first client, who encouraged her to face obstacles head on.

Environment

Nature-Inspired Reforestation Innovation Wins Ray of Hope Prize®

The top prize for a biomimetic climate change solution was awarded to a Brazilian team for a system that helps foresters plant more trees in less time.

Philanthropy & Cause Initiatives

LG Celebrates ‘ENERGY STAR Day’ with Laundry Upgrades for Local Non-Profits

Commemorating “ENERGY STAR® Day” 2018, LG Electronics USA partnered with the United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region to help local organizations save today, save tomorrow, and save for good with LG’s ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers and dryers.

LG’s support of ENERGY STAR Day, in cooperation with the local United Way and non-profits, “is consistent with our commitment to environmental sustainability and to the community,” said John I. Taylor, LG Electronics USA’s senior vice president, public affairs and corporate social responsibility. “This ENERGY STAR Day and every day, LG and ENERGY STAR help you save for good – for all the good things you want in your life and for a healthier planet for you and your family.”

Environment

Sheryl Telford, VP of EHS & Corporate Responsibility at the Chemours Company, Joins WEC Board

The World Environment Center (WEC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sheryl Telford to its board of directors.
Telford leads corporate responsibility and environmental health and safety at Chemours. Most recently she guided development of Chemours’ recently launched Corporate Responsibility Commitment and its associated goals. The Chemours Corporate Responsibility Commitment is an enabler of the company’s growth strategy with emphasis on an evolved portfolio of products, inspired people, and caring for a shared planet.

Responsible Business & Employee Engagement

VIDEO | Consider a Career With a Little "Energy"

Last week, Consumers Energy and DTE Energy collaborated together to expose students in West Michigan to careers in the energy industry.

Green Infrastructure

The Zero-Waste Factory

Inside a huge Indiana warehouse, three people clad in white Tyvek jumpsuits, tall fireman boots, rubber gloves and safety glasses sifted through trash strewn across the floor. It was about 10,000 pounds of refuse, the contents of a compactor from Subaru of Indiana Automotive, the automaker’s U.S. assembly plant in Lafayette.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

VMware Named One of the 2018 World's Best Employers by Forbes

We are proud to announce that VMware has placed #75 on Forbes' list of the world's best employers of 2018!

Social Impact & Volunteering

Learning From Real-life Examples: Collaborating to Design a Boys & Girls Club Playbook

Last week, we partnered with Stanford Social Innovation Review, Charles Schwab and Boys & Girls Club of America to host a webinar around creating long-term sustainable partnerships, or what we refer to as sticky relationships. As a follow up to our webinar, our Senior Consultant, Season Eckardt sat down to reflect on the role she played to deepen the impact of this partnership and help Boys & Girls Club chapters across the US operationalize a common strategic vision.

Awards, Ratings & Rankings

MetLife Foundation and Verb Announce Winner of Financial Innovation Competition

MetLife Foundation and Verb announced Onward Financial as the first place winner of the Inclusion Plus competition in the United States. The competition was open to entrepreneurs, non-profits and other social impact organizations focused on addressing the financial health needs of low- to moderate-income Americans. Standing out among more than 150 entries, Onward Financial received a $100,000 grant from MetLife Foundation.

Energy

Nestlé Waters North America Signs Renewable Energy Agreement with ENGIE Resources

Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA), together with ENGIE Resources, today announced that they have signed a renewable energy agreement through which ENGIE will supply over 50 percent of the energy needed for NWNA’s manufacturing and distribution facilities in Texas. With this agreement, NWNA operations in Travis, McLennan, Dallas, and Harris counties will be supplied by renewable wind energy from the Midway Wind Farm in San Patricio County, Texas, supporting Nestlé’s global goal to transition to 100 percent renewable energy use in its operations.

Sustainable Development Goals

Kids Innovate, Explore and Create in Free STEM Workshops in Verizon Stores

Verizon offers free Innovative Learning labs in 36 stores across the United States. It is part of the company’s commitment to invest $400 million from 2012 to 2023 to bring tech education programs to millions of students. The Verizon Innovative Learning labs offer technology-focused lessons created by Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a leading educational nonprofit that empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Health & Healthcare

Aflac Donates $1.5 Million for Childhood Cancer Research and Meets Their 2018 Giving Goal

As part of Aflac’s annual giving for childhood cancer, Aflac donates $2 to The Aflac Foundation, Inc. – up to $1.5 million – whenever someone posts or shares on social media using the hashtag. Well, this year we have officially reached our 2018 giving goal! Because of YOU, our dream of living in a world without childhood cancer is that much closer.

Events, Media & Communications

Pro Bono Week 2018: Leaders for the Future

When Taproot was founded in 2001, we knew our mission to drive social change through pro bono service didn’t have to start from scratch. The legal profession in particular served as an example of the potential that can be realized when you engrain an ethic of service into an industry and build programs and resources so nonprofits can leverage it. But outside of the legal profession, that type of access to pro bono services for the nonprofit sector was still rare.

Latest Campaigns

  1. Coach Foundation | Dream It Real
    To help break cycles of inequality, we empower the next generation to reach their full potential through higher education.
  2. Responsible Business
    We integrate responsible and sustainable practices in every aspect of our organization. Our products are created in ways that do not harm individuals...
  3. Subaru Love Promise: Health
    Subaru believes we all should have a chance to lead a healthy life. Through our partnership with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS), Subaru and...
  4. KeyBank: Responsible Banking
    Everyone’s financial journey is different. We make intentional efforts to meet the individual needs of clients and communities through a diverse range...
  5. KeyBank Foundation: Helping Communities Thrive through Education, Workforce Development, and Service
    KeyBank Foundation helps build thriving communities by supporting organizations and programs that foster thriving students and a thriving workforce...
  6. License to Operate
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  7. License to Operate
    Corporate governance, risk management, operational integrity, and regulatory compliance are demanding challenges that companies face in today’s ever...
  8. Sustainable Products and Innovation
    Ongoing research into innovative solutions enables CNH’s brands to manufacture products that respect the environment while satisfying customers’...
  9. Corporate Social Responsibility
    Gilead Sciences Corporate Social Responsibility
  10. Corporate Social Responsibility
    Whirlpool Corporation has several CSR partners including United Way, Habitat for Humanity International, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Consulada...
  11. People: Belonging
    We have committed to making the next ten years the best yet for Bacardi, and part of that journey includes creating a unified global community of...
  12. Diversity & Inclusion
    Kimberly-Clark: Diversity & Inclusion
  13. Enriching Women's Lives
    60 years ago, Mary Kay Ash created an unparalleled opportunity for women to define their own successes and control their own futures. Her vision of...
  14. SCS Consulting
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  15. Drive for MPC
    At Marathon Petroleum, our professional truck drivers share one common vision: no accidents, no injuries, and no harm to the environment. We’re proud...