Sustainable Investment

Maria Lucia is a single mother who works full time as a janitor in a hospital to support her 7-year-old daughter Bia. They live in a one-bedroom house in Bomba do Hemeterio, a low-income neighborhood in Recife, the sixth-largest metropolitan area in Brazil.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Wells Fargo today announced a call for nominations for the 2017 CommunityWINS℠ grant program, aimed at accelerating neighborhood revitalization, economic development, and job creation in municipalities across the country.

Launched in 2015, the CommunityWINS grant program includes a $3 million investment by the Wells Fargo Foundation over three years. CommunityWINS grant program is administered by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation.

Mission Waco will soon be known as one of Texas’ sustainability leaders thanks to a new partnership. Green Mountain Energy Sun Club has selected the Waco-based nonprofit to receive a $234,000 donation to support a unique sustainability project dubbed Urban REAP for “Urban Renewable Energy and Agriculture Project.”

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.

Holland America Line launched three new commuter “ships” Monday, Jan. 9, that will run on the Sound Transit Light Rail System in Seattle. The trains, which are wrapped to resemble Holland America Line’s newest ship, ms Koningsdam, will cruise the tracks through April 2017, when the summer cruise season to Alaska begins from the Port of Seattle.

Commercial and industrial organizations can benefit from adding energy storage to their sustainability plans, from increasing the use of renewables and adding resilience to cutting demand charges and supporting the grid.

Cargill demonstrated an intensified commitment to innovation in food, nutrition and food safety during the final two months of 2016. The company opened two major R&D facilities in November and December—one in North America and one in China—focused on continuous improvement and investing in the future of food to meet shifting consumer expectations.

We spoke to Michael Judin about the nature of fiduciary duties in the 21st century. What became clear is that ESG issues and fiduciary duties are not mutually exclusive.