Business Ethics

Consumers Energy and five nonprofit organizations are again helping Michigan families stay warm, announcing $5 million in new contributions that will help households manage their energy bills. In all, the energy provider and nonprofit agencies are teaming up to help over 50,000 households across Michigan this winter.

The Qualcomm Thinkabit Lab is the combination of a lab, makerspace, and classroom for students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. By combining mini-lectures with team interactions, students are encouraged to innovate, partner, and achieve beyond what exists.

When it comes to communicating impact, there are a number of ways to do it. Creating an impact calculator, sharing data in real time or using social math are just a few tactics. Yet, when it comes to helping donors understand impact, a personal story can go a long way – and the more authentic the better. Now, one nonprofit organization is showing impact on the ground with real, unedited beneficiary stories.

The eye-catching event saw muralists, graffiti artists and painters take to the streets of La Teja to create murals on more than 40 walls to help brighten up the lives of local people and make their surroundings more liveable and inspiring. The walls were chosen jointly by neighbors and the artists.

Technology and Operations Management is a required class taken by all first year MBA students at Harvard Business School. In 2016, for the first time and as part of their program, all 950 students were assigned a task that focused on climate change. Specifically, the students were given a challenge to write a blog posting of about 800 words, describing how a single organization of their choosing is being affected by climate change, either through the company’s operations, innovation system, or supply chain.

Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, has awarded $1.1 million in grants to K-12 educators throughout the U.S. through the Ecolab Foundation’s 2016 Visions for Learning Educator Grants program.

I remember from my earliest days camping with my father, he taught me and my brother to always leave a campsite better than we found it. That has become a metaphor for my life and our company.

When it comes to the social sector, we are seeing clear, positive trends. Last year, charitable donations hit a record for a second year in a row at an estimated $373.25 billion, corporate giving reached $18.45 billion, and employee participation in their companies’ community efforts continues to rise. How will this story continue to unfold? Read the MicroEdge + Blackbaud 2017 CSR predictions!