The level of system change required to tackle many of the world’s most pressing challenges can seem overwhelming. Sometimes, a simple and unlikely symbol changes our perspectives.
When employee benefits and perks are discussed today, much of the conversation is focused on ones that are unique. It might be catered lunch, an on-site gym, student loan repayment, a game room, or a dog-friendly office. Whatever it is, unusual perks and benefits are getting their fair share of attention with companies like Glassdoor covering the Top 20 Employee Benefits and Perks. And given that 57 percent of job seekers consider perks and benefits to be a top factor when deciding to accept a new job, it isn’t too surprising that companies are focusing more and more on them.
Selected from 100 finalists to become one of 10 winners, Habitat for Humanity recently received a Classy Award, which recognizes the most innovative solutions to the world’s toughest social issues. The winning program, Habitat’s MicroBuild Fund, was recognized for creating social, scalable and sustainable impact by partnering with microfinance institutions across the globe on housing finance solutions.
Wroclaw, Poland’s urban greening campaign is aimed at the greening and oxygenation of the city of Wroclaw by planting new vegetation. Volunteers who participated in this event were supporting Xylem’s clean water mission by planting more trees, contributing to a healthier and cleaner environment.
The old adage that it takes a long time to build a great brand and only seconds to damage it has been recently evidenced by one of the world’s most powerful brands, this time Uber. As one of the most highly valued tech startups in the U.S., Uber has been dominating business news over the last few months for what has been described as their “aggressive, unrestrained workplace culture.”
At least once a month, Ellie von Wellsheim presides over sewing bees where she guides the hands of volunteers as they sew pieces of brightly colored fabric into reusable menstrual pads. The pads are destined for girls in Uganda, Malawi, and a host of other developing countries that lack the money and access to purchase feminine hygiene products.
An increasing number of businesses are discovering that volunteerism is an important part of their corporate social responsibility program. It’s not only good for the local community and improves the corporate brand, but it’s a powerful tool for increasing engagement in the workplace.
On June 16, 8:30am, over 200 Amway and community volunteers descended upon the Steepletown neighborhood on Grand Rapids’ northwest side. Their goal? To bring something that had been missing from the area for quite some time – a playground.
Seven years ago, Elena Davis was sitting at an intersection when a homeless woman approached her car. She immediately began to rummage around for spare change. But, when she rolled down the window to hand over the coins, Elena was surprised to be met with a different request.
The Points of Light Civic Accelerator announced today that it will invest $50,000 each in SpringFour (Chicago) and The Virtual Scholarship Center (Atlanta) – one for-profit and one nonprofit startup. Both ventures are focused on financial well-being and economic mobility to help more individuals and families succeed.
Andrea Rizzo's dream was to become a dance therapist and work with kids with special needs and cancer. On May 19, 2002, she was on her way home from a dance performance and was killed by a drunk driver. Her mother Susan Rizzo was devastated but credits a group of compassionate friends and colleagues for helping her through it. “One of Andrea’s colleagues approached me and said let’s start a foundation in Andrea’s name. She wanted to be a dance therapist, somehow maybe we can provide dance therapy to children,” said Susan.
The business landscape is reorienting itself and you can almost hear priorities shifting toward change-readiness and the bigger picture. And in this...
AEG embraces its responsibility to enrich the lives of people in the communities around the world where we do business, and to use business to create...
