The Points of Light Civic Accelerator – the first national accelerator dedicated to investing in civic ventures – announced today the 14 ventures selected to participate in its Spring 2016 program. This will be the seventh cohort of the Civic Accelerator since its founding in 2012. The ventures come from across the U.S. and include for-profits and nonprofits that focus on digital and financial inclusion to help more people succeed in the digital economy.

When Lee Davis became the fourth-generation owner of Davis Chevrolet in Lexington, North Carolina, he used his expertise as an environmental scientist to upgrade the dealership. From heating the service department and body shop with used vehicle oil to buying lunch for employees with money from recycling soft drink cans, he is integrating sustainable practices into daily operations.

Corporate green bonds are a debt taken on by a company to finance environment-friendly projects.

For many companies, large and small, community service is ingrained in the culture. AT&T is no different. For more than 100 years, we have been donating our time and talents to support underserved populations and strengthen our communities. Thanks to platforms like VolunteerMatch, we have been able to strengthen our community engagement programs to help achieve even greater results.

The Bard MBA in Sustainability  hosts a live dial-in podcast discussion with Michelle Wiseman, Public Sector Representative at Pratt Recycling. With a primary focus on recycling and sustainability, Pratt partners with municipalities, haulers and recyclers to respond to inquiries, service issues and events. Michelle is tasked with providing education regarding the reduction of waste and easing contamination. Pratt Recycling is one of the largest producers of 100% recycled cardboard in North America and operates one of the leading Material Recovery Facilities (MRF’s) in the Southeast. Listeners can dial in to the podcast at NOON EST on Friday, April 1st.

In January, Oral Roberts University announced an experiment. The Tulsa, Okla., university asked all 900 of its incoming freshmen to wear Fitbit fitness trackers.

New green technology could boost asset values of US office buildings by as much as $35 billion.

How good are you? Most companies tell their employees they are (of course) the best. But the truth is little time or money is spent confirming or dispelling the notion. Why take the risk of diminishing your company’s perceived achievements, because after all that’s how performance reviews and subsequent bonuses and promotions are determined, right?

As pro bono continues to gain traction, companies are no longer asking themselves if they will create a pro bono program, but instead increasingly exploring how they can create one that is uniquely well aligned with their own core competencies and goals.

This question of how is where the real opportunity lies. A tried-and-true, off-the-shelf program design is sometimes exactly what a company needs. However, like any good investment, taking the time to build something intimately relevant to your company’s unique context can really pay off. If you’re investing the time and effort to build something new, don’t miss the opportunity to get creative and reach for maximum impact on your business and social goals.