Making the world a better place goes way beyond “feel good.” New research definitively shows a direct correlation between your social activities and how your brand is perceived by your employees and your consumers. And significantly, how those activities directly influence buying decisions.

Through an ongoing collaboration with Mohawk Group, Groundswell recently worked with Chicago-based nonprofit Elevate Energy – a fellow Citi Foundation Progress Maker -- to install a SmartFlower solar system in a community garden in South Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood.

Clyde, Ohio has been home to a Whirlpool Corporation plant for more than 65 years. Multiple generations of employees have lived and worked there in that time. Learn about them in "Places that Matter," a photojournalism project chronicling the lives of Whirlpool employees.

As we continue to experience record-setting fires each year, the Arbor Day Foundation knows that it will take a multi-faceted approach to restore the natural landscape that has been destroyed in communities and to build resiliency in forests near and far.

KeyBank Real Estate Capital and KeyBank Community Development Lending and Investment (CDLI) have provided a total of $39.4 million in financing for the redevelopment and preservation of Commodore Apartments in Cleveland, OH. Specifically, KeyBank provided a $16.6 million LIHTC equity investment, an $11.6 million construction loan and an $11.1 million non-recourse, FHA 221(d)(4) first mortgage loan.

The long-term strategy at Caterpillar India Private Limited in Thiruvallur, India, includes embedding sustainability in manufacturing through renewable energy and energy conservation.

Hunger. It has crept into our cities. It has found a way into our neighborhoods. It’s affecting the lives of millions of men, women and children domestically and internationally, cementing itself as a real threat to our well-being.

See, hunger isn’t prejudiced. It doesn’t care about gender, age or ethnicity. Hunger doesn’t know if you are homeless or a part of the working class. It only has one job, and it performs it very well.

Environmentally conscientious communities across the country are seeking our help with sustainable solutions for their organics, which includes food and yard waste. The good news is that organics are highly biodegradable and can be recycled at our compost facilities — benefiting our planet and business.

The two years Sarah Schwegel, a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities, spent at Nestlé Purina were hugely beneficial for both Sarah and the company. Sarah, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type II and uses a power wheelchair, worked in Purina’s human resources department, helping us to bring the best people to our company. She put forward suggestions detailing how Purina could better support employees with disabilities, and we acted on her ideas and saw what a difference they could make.

Twenty-one Indiana nonprofit organizations are receiving $315,000 in Duke Energy Foundation grants to make a difference in their communities. Their projects range from a holiday food drive for the needy in Howard County to Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra concerts for elementary students from around the state.