Positive Change

It would be difficult to think of a field that is more old-power than the arts.

Closely connected with this old-power/new-power dynamic is the way that technology has been embraced in these organizations (or not). Traditional performing arts institutions are lagging behind other kinds of groups when it comes to embracing interactive technology in their performances, particularly methods that empower their audiences.

We tried a new-power approach to philanthropy at American Express with our Partners in Preservation program, which we sponsor with the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

After 11 years, this partnership has awarded nearly $20 million in preservation funding to 250 diverse historic sites in 20 National Parks, fourteen different cities, and 12 Main Street communities.

With employees looking for more than just perks and a paycheck, there’s a massive opportunity to harness their desire to do more good while embedding more purpose into your culture. Download this guide to learn how your CSR and employee engagement programs can support your people's passion for a healthier planet!

Together with the UPS African American Business Resource Group and The UPS Foundation, new UPS CMO Kevin Warren led volunteers to create hygiene kits for Atlanta homeless teens.

This July, a group of summer interns at Arrow Electronics participated in a day of volunteer work at Gray’s and Torrey’s peaks in Colorado, taking service initiatives to an elevation of 12,000 feet. Throughout the day, they performed trail maintenance, guided by leaders from the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative (CFI).

Holland America Line President Orlando Ashford participated in the first-ever ESPN | Special Olympics Unified Sports Challenge, held Sunday, July 1, 2018, at the University of Washington’s Husky Ballpark. Ashford was among an exclusive group of executives who competed with employees, celebrities and Special Olympics athletes in multiple Unified Sports challenges – all to raise money for Special Olympics and the Seattle community. Holland America Line was a presenting sponsor for the Seattle Art Mural project of the Special Olympics USA Games.

Last month, a group of six Xylem Watermark volunteers from the Xylem Madrid site participated in a unique activity for the Watermark program, scuba diving into the marine depths and cleaning the seabed of la Ria de Pontevedra-Arosa along the coast of northern Spain.

Thanks to Xylem Watermark, five rural schools in Siem Reap Province of Cambodia now have clean water access for the first time. Over the course of five days in June, AquaTowers and hygiene education were provided to primary and secondary schools that, before now, only had access to untreated, contaminated well water, causing many to suffer from waterborne illnesses. After school hours, the doors will open for the community members to access the clean water, which means that over 5,000 people will benefit from the AquaTowers.

For millions of people in east central Africa, the risk of malaria infection is an everyday concern. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 90 percent of Rwandans are at risk for malaria. To help address this risk and other public health issues, SC Johnson today announced a partnership with the Rwanda Ministry of Health and the Society for Family Health to co-develop a national strategy to increase access to health care through the construction of 10 new health posts across the country.

The team from Xylem Watermark in Morton Grove, IL has been hard at work in their local community. Twenty-five Watermark volunteers recently helped clean up a section of Lincoln Creek, which carries water away from Downtown Milwaukee. While doing so, they helped monitor water quality and shared their data as part of the EarthEcho Water challenge. In addition to 30 garbage bags of trash, the team also removed an automobile bumper and two shopping carts, highlighting the importance of keeping our waterways clean.

This week, outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland shared its newest approach to employee volunteerism – which can be completed in just around a half hour.