The 4th Annual Ray of Hope Prize will be awarded Tuesday, June 18th at Circularity 19 in Minneapolis, MN

People with disabilities constitute the largest minority group, at an estimated one in six people globally, but their needs often are overlooked. Businesses and other organizations that aim to be more inclusive might opt to create an environment where these people’s needs are understood. However, it is often difficult to recognize the best way to make changes. To effectively engage people with disabilities, managers need to understand disability and how their products touch disability, and how businesses can use their position to further promote education and advocacy while also building customer and employee relationships.

With aspirations to be a national leader in energy efficiency and sustainability, City leaders in Holland, Michigan adopted a progressive Community Energy Plan with goals to ensure economic competitiveness, provide reliable and affordable energy and protect the environment. Watch the video to learn more from Schneider Electric Project Manager Ty Miller about how the city will meet its goals.

Walmart today announced the hiring of nearly 6,000 military spouses since launching the Military Spouse Career Connection (MSCC) on Veterans Day 2018. In its sixth month, the MSCC gives hiring preference to military spouses who seek employment with Walmart or Sam’s Club.

This announcement comes at a time when more than 75 percent of our nation’s 500,000 military spouses want or need work, according to the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership. The MSCC serves as a natural step for Walmart, as the company’s Military Family Promise, now in its ninth year, also guarantees a job at a nearby store or club for all military personnel and military spouses employed by the company who move to a different part of the country as part of their military service.

Allie Kelly, executive director of The Ray shares information about how the The Ray is tangibly working toward reducing waste, increasing productivity, and transforming the everyday transportation experience for Americans.

The United Nations Global Compact today launched a global search for the 2019 class of SDG Pioneers — business leaders who are doing an exceptional job to advance the Sustainable Development Goals.

To help end local homelessness, Grace Centers of Hope in Pontiac, Michigan, has weaved together supportive services, safe and affordable housing, and neighborhood revitalization efforts to create “Little Grace Village.” Once a blighted neighborhood, this area is now a “community of hope” thanks in part to the hundreds of FCA volunteers who have donated thousands of hours over the course of five years to transform homes for people who are trying to transform their lives.

General Mills began milling grain with water power from the Mississippi River 150 years ago. Now, the Fortune 500 company is using wind to power operations and cut its carbon footprint.

Additional Chinese translations of the GRI Standards, the world's most widely adopted sustainability reporting framework, are now available.

The VF Foundation (the charitable arm of VF Corporation) and the Timberland® and Wrangler® brands today announced $150,000 in grants to researchers at seven US universities — including Arizona State University and Michigan State University — that are conducting the first comprehensive research into regenerative ranching practices.