CSR and sustainability issues have travelled from the margins of society and business in the early 1990s to the mainstream today. So have my own interests in those issues.

Carnival Cruise Line capped off a Holiday Food & Fund drive in New Orleans benefiting the Second Harvest Food Bank by constructing the world’s largest cruise ship made of canned food which was displayed on Monday night at the New Orleans Saints game.

The Winter 2015 issue of Best Practice includes CSR and sustainability case studies from thought leaders across several industries

Avista Corp. and the Avista Foundation announced 2015 seasonal giving totaling $505,000 to non-profit organizations in the company’s service territories in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Alaska. The funds will help support programs, including food banks, energy assistance, shelter and clothing, and holiday meals. The total value of Avista’s grants and donations for 2015 is more than $2.7 million from both corporate and foundation sources.

Innovation teams (i-teams) are in-house innovation consultants who use the tested Innovation Delivery approach to help mayors and other partners solve cities’ biggest challenges. We have invested in more than a dozen i-teams around the world, and recently caught up with the Los Angeles i-team to share their story. They are rethinking neighborhood revitalization and testing ways to make neighborhoods inclusive even as they change.

They may be the "selfie generation," but millennials are also focused on creating social change. Their eagerness to make an impact on the world is a hallmark of youth, but millennials are expressing their values in a new way -- by choosing to support brands with strong corporate social responsibility initiatives.

At least 17 women were elected to public office in Saudi Arabia on 12 December 2015, making these elections truly historic, because it marked the first time women in the country were allowed to vote and to run for office.

There is a lot of wall painting and tree planting going on in employer supported volunteering. This is good for team building, for immediate (and visual!) impact. It is not so good if a lasting effect, or dare we say sustainability, is the aim. Plus, there are only so many walls to paint and so many trees to plant.

On December 9th, the Novo Nordisk team and bloggers, Kelly Close and Phyllisa Deroze, joined us to discuss how we talk about diabetes. As the chat kicked off, our panelists and audience dove right into the conversation – sharing their own stories and experiences and pointing out commonalities.

Periodically, Timberland sells sample products to employees to help clear inventory from the past season. While any leftover product is always donated to a good cause, the sales provide double the benefit: product used, and a way to raise funds for non-profit organizations.