Volunteering & Community

Over the last 6 weeks, we’ve watched as teachers and students from across the country – 46 states to be exact – submitted their projects to the AT&T Digital Storytelling Challenge Presented by DonorsChoose.org.

College of Staten Island, which is a four-year, senior college of The City University of New York, and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) have been named the winners of the two primary categories of the 2018 RecycleMania competition, sponsored by Rubbermaid Commercial Products®.

I am a fan of highlighting advances made by women, just as I am a fan of highlighting advances made by a host of other pockets of the population. I am also a fan of women in management, having founded more than one entity myself. Domini Impact Investments boast females in the positions of Chair, CEO, CFO, and General Counsel. Nonetheless, it is clear that managing a portfolio with even the simplest gender standards is an uncomfortable position to find myself in. I hope that by my rising to the challenge, future generations will discover my path is easy to find and follow, but it will be, in my opinion, those future generations that make real progress towards bringing true diversity of any and all sorts into the higher levels of corporate management and oversight. We are not there yet...

I had the exciting opportunity to interview Nancy Merritt and Tim Lavallee of WakeEd Partnership (WakeEd), a nonprofit organization in Raleigh, North Carolina that engages, informs, and mobilizes the business community and community-at-large in collaboration with the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) to provide every student with excellent educational opportunities, highly effective teachers, and strong leaders.

Today we’re highlighting a project with a talented team of volunteers from JPMorgan Chase and its nonprofit partner, New Hope Housing, Inc., whose mission is to provide low-income vulnerable families and individuals high-quality affordable housing and the tools to build a better life. In 2016, Common Impact paired New Hope Housing with a team of HR professionals from JPMorgan Chase in Houston, TX to review and enhance their current employee performance review process to improve greater consistency in deployment.

Newark, New Jersey, is experiencing a revival. Graduation rates are climbing, economic growth has risen, and the city has become increasingly prosperous and vibrant. Since its founding in 1875, Prudential Financial, Inc. has contributed immensely to this progress through significant investments in local infrastructure, organizations, and people. As one of Newark’s anchor institutions, Prudential’s commitment to the city has included a focus on pro bono service: a powerful tool for strengthening local nonprofits that, in turn, greatly benefits society.

The social sector is rapidly evolving to meet the needs of its communities. How can corporations and their human capital step up, make an impact and address the infrastructure challenges of nonprofits? On April 18 and 19, the Taproot Foundation will convene 80+ leaders from corporations, nonprofits, philanthropies and government to explore emerging trends in pro bono at the 7th annual U.S. Pro Bono Summit in San Francisco.

April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week, a time to recommit ourselves to community service and celebrate the change-makers who positively impact the world around them through volunteerism. Here in our headquarters city of Charlotte, Duke Energy is celebrating the week by teaming up with Share Charlotte to support Do Good Week. Through Do Good Week, we hope to educate and engage our neighbors in the many ways we can do good through volunteerism.

In honor of Earth Day, Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company, recognizes college campuses demonstrating innovative, sustainable dining practices. From hydroponic greenhouses to reusable container systems, here’s three Sodexo-operated campus dining programs reducing their carbon footprints through sustainable kitchens.

Over the past eight years, The Scotts Miracle-Gro Foundation has helped create 1,000 community gardens across America. We’ve seen firsthand how gardens transform communities, but even more so, people’s lives. Here’s the story of one of those gardens, the Growing Colorado Kids Farm in Denver, Colorado.