CECP Announces Winners of the 2012 Excellence Awards in Corporate Philanthropy

(3BL Media) New York, NY - June 5, 2012 – The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP), the only international forum of business leaders exclusively focused on raising the level and quality of corporate societal engagement, announces the recipients of the 12^th annual Excellence Awards --Kraft Foods, Xylem Inc. and Good360 in partnership with The Home Depot.  CECP recognizes these organizations’ commitments to the communities around them and for exemplifying the Award’s four rigorous Standards of Excellence: CEO leadership, partnership, a commitment to measurement, and innovation.   

CECP also announces the opening of the 2013 Excellence Awards nomination season, which has been shifted to an announcement at CECP’s Board of Boards CEO Conference on February 25, 2013, International Corporate Philanthropy Day. 

The Chairman’s Award, for companies with revenues of $20B and more goes to Kraft Foods for its Fighting Hunger in the US initiative, which is part of a global, three-year, $180M initiative launched in 2009 to meet the needs of underserved communities through direct feeding programs, expanding access to food, increasing the supply of fresh food, and building the capacity of the food distribution network.  More than 24 million pounds of product were donated in 2010 alone by Kraft Foods and delivered to communities through their non-profit partners.   

The President’s Award, recognizing companies with revenues of less than $20B, goes to Xylem Inc. (spun off in October 2011 from ITT Corporation).  The company’s Watermark program, launched in 2008, brings clean water, sanitation and hygiene education to schools in emerging markets and support in the aftermath of emergency situations. Xylem seeks to bring local solutions to the world’s most challenging water scarcity, purity and access problems.  Since its inception, Xylem Watermark has touched the lives of almost 1 million people. Their $10.5M planned investment from 2011-2013, added to their $4M investment for the first three years of the program, supports the company’s approach to achieving social impact through business strategy by leveraging its core competencies, business assets, and employee expertise.

The Directors’ Award, recognizing a partnership between a corporation and a nonprofit, goes to product donation non-profit Good360 for their partnership with The Home Depot Foundation and their work on the Framing Hope program. Created in 2008 out of The Home Depot associates’ desire to donate overstock and unsold products rather than shipping these items back to crowded distribution centers or landfills, The Home Depot invested in technology that allows easier, more direct distribution of stock into communities served by Good360. The partnership to date has donated more than $100M in products to more than 1,000 nonprofits.  The Directors’ Award comes with a $25,000 grant for Good360 from CECP’s Board of Directors.

“We were struck by the thematic connection across the three winning programs: food, water, and shelter,” stated Charles Moore, Executive Director, CECP.  “We applaud the winners of the 2012 Excellence Award for collaborating, innovating, and making an impact on these fundamental issues through their corporate societal engagement.”

The award ceremony will be held this afternoon in conjunction with the 2012 CECP Corporate Philanthropy Summit at the Time Warner Center in New York City. This year’s awards will be presented by Douglas Conant, former President and CEO of The Campbell Soup Company and Chairman of CECP. Accepting on behalf of their organizations are Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO, Kraft Foods; Gretchen McClain, President and CEO, Xylem Inc.; Carly Fiorina, Chair, Good360; and Fred Wacker, COO, The Home Depot Foundation.  Following the ceremony, the winners will participate in a discussion panel moderated by Charles Best, founder and CEO of DonorsChoose.org, and winner of the 2011 Directors’ Award for his organization’s pioneering partnership with Crate & Barrel.

“We’re proud to be recognized by CECP for the important efforts of our employees to combat hunger,” stated Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO, Kraft Foods.  “We applied our knowledge of food and its distribution to help community partners find better ways to feed our neighbors.  The Excellence Awards’ four pillars mirror our commitment to putting the best of Kraft Foods to work to feed the hungry.”

“Xylem firmly believes that great businesses find a way to create both economic and social value, and that is our continuing focus,” stated Gretchen McClain, President and CEO, Xylem Inc.  This recognition reflects the priority we have placed on Xylem Watermark within our company and the results that our employees have achieved.  We are so proud to be acknowledged with this prestigious award.” 

“Good360’s partnership with The Home Depot pinpoints exactly what effective collaborations are all about,” stated Cindy Hallberlin, CEO, Good360. “The Excellence Award confirms that together we’re able to reach communities around the country in a powerful way. Our Framing Hope program is a prime example of how Good360 can create 360 degrees of good – good for companies, good for charities, good for people, and good for the environment.”

“The Home Depot prides itself on its deep connections with communities throughout the country,” stated Kelly Cafarelli, President, The Home Depot Foundation. “This is not only where we do business, but it’s also where we live.  We’re helping our neighbors through our day-to-day work.”

Additional information on this year’s winners can you found on the Excellence Awards section of the CECP website. Applications for the 2013 award can be found online at www.corporatephilanthropy.org/EAApplication.

About the Excellence Awards in Corporate Philanthropy

CECP has presented Excellence Awards annually to more than 25 companies and non-profit partners since 2000. The awards jury comprises representatives from corporate, nonprofit, government, investment, consulting, media, and academic communities.  The 2013 jury will be announced later this year.

About the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP)

CECP is the only international forum of business leaders exclusively focused on raising the level and quality of corporate societal engagement. Membership includes more than 180 global CEOs and chairpersons of companies that collectively account for more than 40 percent of reported corporate giving in the United States.