SOURCE:MGM Resorts International

DESCRIPTION:

TUNICA, Miss., March 29, 2018 /3BL Media/ - MGM Resorts International, (NYSE: MGM) parent company of Gold Strike Casino Resort, donated $150,000 to the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. The funds will support the Museum’s programming surrounding the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, which took place at the Lorraine Motel, now the location of the National Civil Rights Museum, as well as enhancements of the museum’s physical plant.

The National Civil Rights Museum, in conjunction with partner organizations and civil rights leaders across the country, has structured a year-long program of events and activities to encourage others to continue the Civil Rights Movement while focusing on the theme, “MLK50 - Where Do We Go From Here.” 

Through the years, Gold Strike Casino Resort has developed a strong partnership with the Museum. In what has become a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day tradition, resort employees travel to Memphis and volunteer by providing directional assistance and venue information to guests visiting the Museum’s annual King Day celebration. Gold Strike also is a proud supporter of the Museum’s Freedom Award. 

Gold Strike and MGM Resorts are committed to continuing their support of the Museum and its mission through collaborative efforts including both financial contributions and volunteer efforts. 

“The 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. King presents an opportunity for our entire nation to reflect on his vision of the equality of all humanity – the essence of our modern-day inclusion values, and his struggle to abolish poverty, injustice and violence among all mankind.  This occasion also gives our country yet another chance to join in his quest for spiritual brotherhood and peace among all mankind,” said Phyllis A. James, Chief Diversity & Corporate Responsibility Officer of MGM Resorts. “For these reasons we are proud to support the National Civil Rights Museum’s preservation of the monumental legacy of Dr. King, whose courageous contributions made our nation and our world a more equal place, and remind us that it is our collective calling to complete his quest.”

In 2000, MGM Resorts took the leadership as the first company in the gaming and hospitality industry to voluntarily adopt a formal diversity and inclusion policy. This is a critical pillar of our company’s enterprise-wide social responsibility.  

For additional information about the company’s inclusion initiative, and to learn more about its efforts in corporate social responsibility, please visit: www.mgmresorts.com/csr. 

About the National Civil Rights Museum
The National Civil Rights Museum located at the historic Lorraine Motel where civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, gives a comprehensive overview of the American Civil Rights Movement from 1619 to the present. Since the Museum opened in 1991, millions of guests from around the world have visited, including more than 80,000 students annually. Serving as the new public square, the Museum is steadfast in its mission to chronicle the American civil rights movement, examine today’s global civil and human rights issues, provoke thoughtful debate and serve as a catalyst for positive social change. 

A Smithsonian Affiliate and an internationally acclaimed cultural institution, the Museum was recognized as TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Top 5% U.S. Museum, USA Today's Top 10 Best American Iconic Attractions; Top 10 Best Historical Spots in the U.S. by TLC's Family Travel; Must See by the Age of 15 by Budget Travel and Kids; Top 10, American Treasures by USA Today; and Best Memphis Attraction by The Commercial Appeal and the Memphis Business Journal.

About Gold Strike Casino Resort
Gold Strike Casino Resort, MGM Resorts International's 1,200-room resort located 20 minutes south of Memphis in Tunica, Miss., completed the largest renovation and remodeling project in its history. The multi-million dollar transformation included all of Gold Strike's deluxe rooms and suites, hotel lobby, 30,000-square-foot conference and convention center, casino, high-limit gaming area, Chicago Steakhouse and Buffet Americana. The resort also features a refreshing spa, the 800-seat Millennium Theatre, Atrium Café and 50,000 square feet of gaming space with 53 table games and more than 1,100 slot machines. For reservations or information, call 888-245-7529 or visit www.goldstrike.com.

About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 27 unique hotel offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. The company is expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, developing MGM Springfield in Massachusetts and MGM COTAI in Macau, and debuting the first international Bellagio branded hotel in Shanghai. The 77,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.

###

For More Information:
Sonya Padgett, MGM Resorts International, 702-692-6807; spadgett@mgmresorts.com
Keisha Oliver, Gold Strike Casino Resort, 662-357-1166; koliver@goldstrike.com

Tweet me:MGM Resorts International Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Assassination with Donation to National Civil Rights Museum http://bit.ly/2pPCN6I

KEYWORDS: National Civil Rights Museum, Martin Luther King Jr., MGM Resorts International

SOURCE:Subaru of America

DESCRIPTION:

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, and in keeping with its philosophy of supporting local communities, Subaru of America is donating 50 new 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles to Meals on Wheels America, to be distributed to select Meals on Wheels programs for the delivery of nutritious meals, friendly visits and safety checks to seniors across 39 states.

Click here to learn more.

Tweet me:In honor of its 50th anniversary, @Subaru_USA donated 50 new 2018 Subaru Outback vehicles to @_MealsOnWheels http://bit.ly/2DQ7GwF #SubaruLovestoHelp

KEYWORDS: Subaru of America, 2018 Subaru Outback, Meals on Wheels America

SOURCE:Cisco Systems Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

When a crisis occurs, the people who are affected can use Ushahidi's open-source platform to report what is happening around them via social media, email, and text. Their reports are compiled into real-time maps, which enable others to reach and help them more quickly.

Learn more about Cisco’s work with Critical Human Needs and Disaster Relief here.

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide technology leader that has been making the Internet work since 1984. Our people, products and partners help society securely connect and seize tomorrow's digital opportunity today. Discover more at newsroom.cisco.com and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.

Tweet me:VIDEO: @Ushahidi's #crowdsourcing software gives people a voice in times of crisis http://bit.ly/2GjBjZy @CiscoCSR #humanitarianaid #refugeecrisis #disasterrelief

KEYWORDS: Ushahidi, Cisco Foundation, Social Impact

SOURCE:CBRE Group, Inc.

SUMMARY:

Richard Morgan named 2018 CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year. 

Competition received record-breaking number of entries in its 11th anniversary.

DESCRIPTION:

LOS ANGELES, March 30, 2018 /3BL Media/ - With more than 80,000 entries from 180+ countries, CBRE’s Urban Photographer of the Year competition’s 11th year was its largest and broadest reaching. Richard Morgan, from the United Kingdom, has been named the overall winner of the competition. Mr. Morgan’s image, “What are you looking at?” captures a fascinating street side scene in Poznan, Poland, of a group of onlookers, entranced by a tourist attraction, disrupted by one, direct stare.

Mel Chennell from the United Kingdom was named as the overall winner of the Mobile Category. Her winning mobile image, “Truly Connected?” captures a scene in a London train station and encourages the viewer to question the true meaning of connections in our digital and physical worlds.

Regional winners were also named. The Americas prize was awarded to Alec Herrera from the United States for his entry, “Good morning, Auckland,” depicting the New Zealand city’s skyline from a camper’s perspective. The Asia Pacific prize went to M Yousuf Tusha from Bangladesh for his entry, “Betel Nut,” a striking image of a farmer amongst a sea of betel nuts in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. The EMEA prize was awarded to Ian Harper from the United Kingdom for his entry, “Barcelona from Above,” a photograph capturing the beauty and symmetry of Barcelona from dizzying heights.

The competition, which delivers powerful views into urban life, is run annually by CBRE, the world’s leading commercial real estate services and investment firm. This year, amateur and professional photographers were challenged to capture moments of urban connectivity and interactivity through the brief, “Cities of Connections: People, Places, Perspectives.”

Martin Samworth, Group President and Chief Executive Officer of CBRE in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), said, “The competition continues to grow in terms of influence and impact, with this year delivering a record number of entries and importantly, a tremendous amount of high quality work.”

“The images we received truly embody the spirit of city life and human interaction around the world, and I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this year’s record-setting competition.”

The top prize is a special photography trip to a destination of the winner’s choice for themselves and a friend. Regional winners will receive photography drones and the mobile winner will receive a GoPro package.

Paul Suchman, CBRE’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, noted, “The competition continues to extend the CBRE brand’s reach and relevance into territories and audiences beyond our core. Its growing influence underscores CBRE’s role as a thought leader on the urban environment and within the cities we serve.”

“The quality and composition of the photos continues to get stronger every year. The body of work we reviewed was exemplary and a wonderful testament to the passion of the human spirit.”

In acknowledgement of all photographs submitted, CBRE will donate £10,000 to global children’s charity Plan International, CBRE’s EMEA charity partner. CBRE has been supporting Plan International since 2014, raising over £1 million to fund a program in Sierra Leone to help girls to complete their education. CBRE has recently embarked on a new two-year project in Nairobi, Kenya with the charity called Safer Cities. This program aims to transform urban centers from potentially dangerous spaces into places of inclusion, tolerance and opportunity for everyone, especially girls.

About CBRE Group, Inc.

CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2017 revenue). The company has more than 80,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate investors and occupiers through approximately 450 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. Please visit our website at www.cbre.com.

About Plan International

Plan International UK is an independent development and humanitarian charity that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries. www.plan-uk.org

Tweet me:.@CBRE announces winners of 2018 Global Urban Photography competition; company to donate £10,000 to global children’s charity @planuk in acknowledgement of all photographs submitted http://bit.ly/2GYnBMu #UPOTY

KEYWORDS: CBRE, Urban Photographer of the Year, Plan International, Richard Morgan, Alec Herrera, M Yousuf Tusha, Ian Harper, Mel Chennell, CBRE Urban Photographer Of The Year, Urban Life

Initiative focuses on improving patient transitions between primary and specialty care for populations affected by stroke, atrial-fibrillation and venous thromboembolism.

SOURCE:Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

DESCRIPTION:

BALTIMORE, March 30, 2018 /3BL Media/ —The American Heart Association today announced the receipt of a $1.7 million grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation that will address patient care across the care continuum. With this grant, the AHA will convene a task force representing the myriad of stakeholders in the patient care journey: cardiology specialty care providers, primary care providers, government, payer groups, and representatives of the patients we seek to serve. This work will complement the existing strategies being implemented through the Accountable Health Community work, spearheaded by the Baltimore City Healthy Department.

The AHA is launching a collective impact strategy: Community Health in Action. The Community Health in Action Taskforce (CHAT) aims to develop and implement strategies to address disparities and inequities that impact a patient’s ability to effectively access and navigate the healthcare system and that also impact the healthcare system’s ability to effectively reach out to and serve poor and medically underserved patients. This initiative will focus on improving the health outcomes of the most venerable Baltimore communities disproportionately affected by cardiovascular diseases including stroke, atrial-fibrillation (AFib) and venous thromboembolism (VTE).

“No collective impact model or action should be enacted without key stakeholders and patient voices at the helm. That is why this CHAT is so important,” said Dr. Athol Morgan, American Heart Association of Greater Maryland Board Member and CHAT Co-Lead. “We have as much to learn from our community as we have to give.”

“Heart disease and stroke are the number one and three causes of death in Baltimore and figure heavily into the city’s age-adjusted mortality rate being 40 percent higher than the rest of the state,” said John Damonti, president, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. “The AHA and its diverse set of partners in Baltimore are urgently seeking to change that picture for those at highest risk and bearing the greatest burden of disease, and we are very pleased to support this work.”

The strengthening of the provider and stakeholder network through the Community Health in Action Taskforce will help build lasting relationships and foster sustainable impact. Feedback from data captured in our quality improvement programs will help inform protocols for transitions of care and management of AFib, VTE, hypertension, and stroke, these solutions can be developed with a subset of partners and delivered to the wider taskforce group to foster longterm systems change in care delivery and coordination.

The CHAT will work to integrate primary and specialty care, increasing capacity for providers, and linking the wide array of stakeholders in Baltimore’s health community that will ultimately strengthen the continuum of care for those who are most in need. This is a three-year initiative with a vision of health equity and equal access to quality healthcare resources for all.

About the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is devoted to saving people from heart disease and stroke – the two leading causes of death in the world. We team with millions of volunteers to fund innovative research, fight for stronger public health policies and provide lifesaving tools and information to prevent and treat these diseases. The Dallas-based association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. To learn more or to get involved, call 1-800-AHA-USA1, visit heart.org or call any of our offices around the country. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation
The mission of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation is to promote health equity and improve the health outcomes of populations disproportionately affected by serious diseases and conditions, by strengthening community-based health care worker capacity, integrating medical care and community-based supportive services, and mobilizing communities in the fight against disease. For more information about the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, please visit www.bms.com/foundation or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

For Media Inquiries: (301) 399-3256 Kerry Johnston, kerry.johnston@heart.org, (301) 399-3256

Tweet me:Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports @American_Heart with multi-year grant to help Baltimore patients vulnerable to #heartdisease transition between primary and specialty care http://bit.ly/2GZnyQQ @BMSnews

KEYWORDS: Bristol-Myers Squibb, American Heart Association, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Stroke, baltimore, Patient Experience

SOURCE:Keep America Beautiful

DESCRIPTION:

To ensure local neighborhoods remain beautiful, safe and fun, Jameson® Irish Whiskey is teaming up with Keep America Beautiful for the Jameson Love Thy Neighborhood Block Party. One hundred percent of the proceeds from ticket sales will be used to improve and beautify community environments.

Like Jameson, Keep America Beautiful is passionate about the support of local communities. Launching in San Diego, California, the Jameson Love Thy Neighborhood Block Party in support of Keep America Beautiful and local affiliate I Love A Clean San Diego, is followed closely by a block party in Nashville, Tennessee, and Austin, Texas (Keep Austin Beautiful) on the following dates: San Diego, California, Sunday, April 8; Nashville, Tennessee, Sunday, April 29; and Austin, Texas, Sunday, May 20.

Tickets for the Jameson Love Thy Neighborhood Block Party in support of Keep America Beautiful in San Diego are officially on sale for $35 and available for purchase at JamesonBlockParty.com. (You must be over 21 to enter this site.) One purchased ticket covers admission into the festival, and includes food and tasting experiences.

Continue reading here.

Tweet me:#FF @kabtweet Affiliate Stories: @iloveacleansd, @KAB_Austin, #Nashville teaming up with @jameson_us for the Jameson #LoveThyNeighborhood #BlockParty Tour. http://bit.ly/2FIzsgw #DoBeautifulThings #cleanYOURblock

Contact Info:

Mike Rosen
Keep America Beautiful
+1 (203) 659-3008
mrosen@kab.org
http://www.twitter.com/kabtweet
http://www.facebook.com/keepamericabeautiful
http://www.instagram.com/keepamericabeautiful
http://www.youtube.com/kabnetwork

Larry Kaufman
Keep America Beautiful
+1 (203) 659-3014
lkaufman@kab.org

KEYWORDS: Keep America Beautiful, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Jameson Love Thy Neighborhood Block Party, I Love A Clean San Diego, Nashville, Keep Austin Beautiful

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

This World Wish Day, we are bringing star power to the table with the help of some of our celebrity wish granters, and our amazing wish children, like our very own Super Kaheem. We have created exciting assets for sponsors to utilize on your marketing channels and invite you to join us in making World Wish Day an epic event!

You are part of the muscle that makes life-changing wishes possible for children battling critical illnesses in the U.S. and around the globe.

Help us communicate to the world that a wish is more than nice... it’s necessary to transform the lives of wish kids and give them the mental muscle to keep fighting!

Need a platform to raise money? Contact America’s Charities about our suite of online giving and funds management solutions. As Make-A-Wish’s workplace giving partner, we can help you and your employees make World Wish Day an epic event!

Please let us know if you will be able to support World Wish Day and if you have any questions.

Already an America’s Charities client? Contact your account manager and we’ll help you promote World Wish Day through your employee giving site.

Click here for a PDF copy of this post and to enlarge the image above. 

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: Granting wishes takes more than magic - it takes muscle! This April, support #WorldWishDay by helping @MakeAWish grant as many wishes as possible. Here's how your company can make this an epic event: https://impact.ac/2E699Ps #WorkplaceGiving #EmployeeEngagement

KEYWORDS: America’s Charities, workplace giving, employee giving, Corporate Social Responsibility, charity vetting, Fundraising, Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, World Wish Day

GameSense sparks more than 160,000 responsible gambling conversations with guests in its first months

SOURCE:MGM Resorts International

DESCRIPTION:

LAS VEGAS, March 30, 2018/3BL Media/ - MGM Resorts International is hitting a major, unprecedented milestone during this year’s Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

Tweet me:GameSense sparks more than 160,000 responsible gambling conversations with guests in its first months http://bit.ly/2uyvF49

KEYWORDS: GameSense, MGM Resorts International, RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING, Problem Gambling Awareness Month

Wells Fargo volunteers renewed a springtime tradition: delivering thousands of Easter baskets to children in hospitals, shelters, and other locations.

SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company

DESCRIPTION:

Berenice Martinez wasn’t expecting her son Joshua to have such a joy-filled day as a patient at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami. But on March 28, he was surprised with a personal visit from the Easter Bunny, an Easter basket, and his first ride in a Wells Fargo stagecoach.

Tweet me:.@WellsFargo #HopsforHope volunteers delivered thousands of #Easter baskets to children in hospitals and other locations throughout the U.S. https://bit.ly/2E8bGZt

KEYWORDS: Wells Fargo, Easter, volunteer, Children's Hospital, Miami, Hops for Hope, WFC

SOURCE:AEG

DESCRIPTION:

Earlier today, AEG’s StubHub Center Foundation and LA Galaxy Foundation hosted the 12th Annual Easter Egg Hunt for more than 1,000 children and families from surrounding communities at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif.

The event took place at the StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium, where guests spent the afternoon hunting for Easter eggs with team mascot, Cozmo in addition to LA Galaxy Star Squad members, the StubHub Center Street Team and the Easter Bunny.

Activities included music by 102.3 KJLH, arts and crafts, face painting, a balloon artist, a visit from the LA County Fire Department ¬ Engine Co. 116 fire truck, Southbay Pavilion Mall, Wildlife Learning Center, Ramp Tennis, City of Carson Kiwanis Club and Chancho’s Tacos Food Truck.

Tweet me:The Easter Bunny makes a special visit to @StubHubCenter for the 12th Annual #EasterEggHunt hosted by @LAGalaxy Foundation and #StubHubCenter Foundation! http://bit.ly/2GlsqCB

KEYWORDS: AEG, Easter, Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Bunny, LA Galaxy, StubHub Center, LA Galaxy Foundation, StubHub Center Foundation, Good Friday

by Stuart Winchester

SOURCE:Viacom

DESCRIPTION:

As Hurricane Maria intensified to a Category 5 storm and set a bullseye on Puerto Rico last September, Victor Caro knew there was only one place he could go: directly into the eye of the storm.

Though he lived in Connecticut, both Caro and his wife had grown up in Puerto Rico. Most of his family still lived there, including his 90-year-old grandmother. The island’s storm supplies had been wiped out when Hurricane Irma had skirted the island earlier that month. So Caro would fly down with bags stuffed full of water purification supplies, batteries, emergency radios, and portable stoves. The day before the storm hit, he boarded a nearly empty San Juan-bound plane out of JFK airport.

He bunkered down in the family’s concrete house in Carolina with his grandmother, aunt and cousin. The wind and rain started that first night and continued all the next day. The windows shook, but the house held.

When the family finally emerged, it was to a wrecked world: electricity knocked out island-wide, cellphone service rare and patchy, clean water no longer running from taps. Land lines worked for three days and then stopped. The authorities, where they showed up at all, were slow to arrive and ill-equipped to deal with the scale of the catastrophe.

Caro stayed for a week, clearing debris, checking on friends and family, and distributing what supplies he could. The breeze quit and the family roasted in their uncooled home. Sleep became difficult. At night, they listened to WAPA radio as officials relayed information and, in one instance, desperate hospital staff delivered frantic pleas for help as babies wailed in the background.

When Caro finally boarded a charter plane back to the mainland, the immensity of the destruction he had witnessed – and the inadequacy of the official emergency response – overwhelmed him.

“I’d never felt survivor’s remorse,” Caro said. “But I just felt awful. I don’t think I’d cried in 10 years, and I just bawled that day. For weeks, being at home with my family, watching cable, ordering food, air conditioning, I felt guilty enjoying those things. And that’s part of what motivated me to get out and help the people who were screwed the most.”

Sending angels to the rescue

Actually doing something was more difficult. Bureaucratic and logistical obstacles make moving goods to Puerto Rico arduous under normal circumstances. Arcane shipping regulations meant that the only realistic relief option was to fly supplies in, an expensive and logistically exasperating undertaking.

Enter Warrior Angels Rescue, an extraordinary coalition of concerned citizens on the U.S. mainland and on Puerto Rico, headed by Valerie Edmondson Bolaños. The organization materialized out of Maria’s fumes to deliver supplies to the island and evacuate those whose medical issues made it imperative that they leave.

Over many weeks following the storm, Caro and his wife worked with Warrior Angels Rescue (which is part of the Puerto Rico Relief Alliance), to stitch together a massive relief effort. They gathered 30,000 pounds of medical supplies and donated cargo, along with the $70,000 required to fly them to Puerto Rico. When the plane returned to the mainland, it carried nearly 150 medically fragile passengers – expectant mothers, babies, the elderly, cancer patients.

Caro worked as a sort of fixer, a go-between who had the connections both on the mainland and the island to make the critical link between needs and resources for El Barrio Caimital Bajo y Alto in the Puerto Rican town of Guayama, a town that was in great need even before Maria struck. During the holiday season, their delivery arrived with 3,000 pounds of food, water, toys, formula, baby food, diapers, wipes, toiletries, and more to help 46 families in great need.

The sheer scale of organizing one plane trip was incredible: moving truckloads of water, food, clothing and toys from garages and schools – even, at one point, Caro’s daughter’s kung fu dojo – in the Northeast to and through Florida; raising funds for and coordinating the charter flight to Puerto Rico; moving these materials over a mountainous island with a decimated road network; identifying those most in need of both the supplies and a ride off the island; and ensuring that medical help and transportation to a safe place awaited those who evacuated to the mainland.

His colleagues noticed. When Viacommunity – the company’s social responsibility initiative – put out a companywide call for “exemplary employees who represent Viacom’s sense of social responsibility and make a powerful impact on their communities,” for its annual Viacommunity Award late last year, multiple employees nominated Caro for the honor.

“Every free second he has is spent working with anyone that will listen to help those in need in Puerto Rico,” one said in their nomination.

“It really is part of your soul”

Before the planeloads of supplies and the furious fundraising and the back-and-forth flights, Caro had never truly understood the urgency and importance of charity.

“Before, I would write a check and leave it at that,” said Caro.

But Puerto Rico was different. Caro had spent his childhood there and returned for summers on the island even after moving to Brooklyn at age 11. There, he was constantly surrounded by family and filled with Puerto Rico’s infectious spirit.

“Puerto Rico, for those who were born and raised there, it really is part of your soul and part of who you are,” Caro said. “For me, this was a very personal experience that has allowed me to see how I can really help besides just cutting a check.”

Caro also learned about the downside to such intensive cause immersion – the realization that the problem is far larger than any one person can fix. “My wife and I put in so much time on the phone coordinating with charter companies and people on the ground all over the U.S., and you get all that work done, and it felt like you threw a lawnchair off the Titanic,” he said.

Caro and his wife have each returned to Puerto Rico twice since the storm, and they continue to organize future relief flights. They see some progress – his grandmother’s home once again has electricity, and they have moved his wheelchair-bound father-in-law to Florida. Still, crime and unemployment remain untenably high. Huge chunks of the island are still without power.

“It still doesn’t feel like we did anywhere near enough,” Caro said.

The Viacom family joins the cause

When Caro moved to New York in the late 1980s, it felt as much like home to him as Puerto Rico. Two uncles lived there. He liked the snow and the diversity of Brooklyn. He did well enough in school to attend Boston University, and from there he returned to New York and eventually ended up at Viacom. His career path wound in and out of the organization, and Caro is now a vice president in Nickelodeon Partner Solutions. This company, too, felt like home.

As Maria whirled toward Puerto Rico and Caro decided to head into the storm, this sentiment never felt more genuine. His managers quickly arranged their teams to cover Caro and checked on him constantly while he was out. After Caro returned, a “nice chunk” of the $70,000 to fund that major relief flight came from Viacom employees.

“Viacom has been very generous in raising funds for Puerto Rico,” Caro said, adding that Nickelodeon had donated toys and MTV’s TRL had devoted airtime to the cause. Now, in acknowledgement of his Viacommunity Award, Viacom and Viacommunity will donate an additional $10,000 to Angel Warriors Rescue on Caro’s behalf.

“This money is going to be a huge help for this organization,” said Caro, indicating that the cash would help fund medical supplies for facilities in Cidra and Aguadilla, as well as solar lanterns and other supplies for those in the countryside who still do not have power. “It will impact lives.”

Tweet me:.@Nickelodeon's Victor Caro honored with @Viacommunity Award for his work in #PuertoRico providing relief operations alongside Warrior Angels Rescue http://bit.ly/2pr2KtH @Viacom

KEYWORDS: Viacom, Viacommunity, Nickelodeon, Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria, Victor Caro, Warrior Angels Rescue, hurricane relief

$50,000 Donor Makes a Difference through Meatless and Gluten-Free Products

SOURCE:Whole Foods Market Foundations

DESCRIPTION:

Whole Planet Foundation is proud to welcome Boulder Brands, a new $50,000 donor to our cause of global poverty alleviation.  Their generosity through brands like Gardein and Udi's Gluten Free will fund approximately 273 microloans to create 1,440 opportunities for microentrepreneurs and their family members to live a better life through microcredit. Microloans are small loans – the current average first loan size supported by Whole Planet Foundation is $182 – with no formal collateral or contract, provided to microentrepreneurs to create or grow a home-based business for the opportunity to pull themselves and their families out of poverty. 

Whole Planet Foundation’s global impact has reached the world’s poorest people – mostly women – in the United States and 70 other countries thanks to supplier donors like Boulder Brands who have collectively contributed more than $10 million for poverty alleviation.   

Boulder Brands describes itself as category leaders, product innovators, trusted brands and game changers.  Whole Planet Foundation is delighted to be Boulder Brands’ game changing partner for poverty alleviation in the United States and in 70 other countries around the world.  Watch the video featuring Luisa Robinson, Director of Marketing-Gluten Free for Boulder Brands sharing their pride in participating. 

During March, Boulder Brands’ generosity was spotlighted in Whole Planet Foundation’s Annual Prosperity Campaign, taking place in Whole Foods Market stores.  Thank you Boulder Brands for alleviating poverty and powering the potential of women entrepreneurs around the globe. 

Tweet me:Boulder Brands funds approximately 273 #microloans through @WholePlanet Foundation's Annual Prosperity Campaign, creating 1,440 opportunities for #microentrepreneurs and their families. http://bit.ly/2Gzsn5t #WPFProsperity #PowerHerPotential

SOURCE:Las Vegas Sands

DESCRIPTION:

Marina Bay Sands Team Members volunteered to join 12 beneficiaries from Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) Centre for Adults to purchase much needed groceries for 60 financially vulnerable families for the holiday season. The beneficiaries paired up with Team Members who provided guidance as they shopped for the groceries at the Giant Hypermarket at Tampines.  

Centre for Adults is a sheltered workshop for graduated APSN students which provides training and prepares beneficiaries for open employment.  This activity was an important learning experience for the beneficiaries who rarely get the opportunity to venture out of the center.  Team Members purchased groceries with cash vouchers contributed by Team Members via the Service Anniversary initiative, an initiative where MBS provides shopping vouchers to Team Members upon the completion of their one year anniversary with the company.  While some volunteers headed to personally deliver the items to the homes of 20 families, the rest of the group proceeded to APSN Centre for Adults to present the groceries to the 40 clients at the center.

Through Sands for Singapore, an initiative of Sands Cares, Las Vegas Sands’ corporate giving program, Team Members are encouraged to contribute to the regions in which the company operates, transforming their communities that help raise the standard of living.

Tweet me:VIDEO | @MarinaBaySands Team Members partner with 'Groceries with Love' to provide food for families in need http://bit.ly/2EnQKmd #SandsCares @LasVegasSands

KEYWORDS: Las Vegas Sands, Sands for Singapore, Groceries With Love, Marina Bay Sands, Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN)

Campaign runs through April, World Autism Month, to promote understanding and acceptance of people with autism

SOURCE:eBay

DESCRIPTION:

eBay is inviting its community to support Autism Speaks^® by sharing a video of a cosmic glow-in-the-dark ceiling mural painted by StarMakerFX for 7-year-old Mareto Caspar who has autism. eBay will donate $1—up to $10,000— for every share to Autism Speaks, the non-profit dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the lifespan, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

eBay chose Alber and Theresa Goldberg, owners of GloMania USA and StarMarkerFX for its Everyday Heroes video series, which recognizes people in the eBay community who are making an extraordinary difference in the lives of others.

The Goldbergs manufacture and sell glow-in-the-dark and UV black light paints and pigments through their eBay store, GloMania USA. The pair use funds from GloMania USA to help support StarMakerFX, an organization that donates hand-painted murals to children with special needs. Virtually invisible during the day, the murals come to life at night creating a soothing night sky experience. “Mareto absolutely loves his new ceiling and slept for 11 straight hours last night,” said his mom, Lauren Casper. “We are in awe!”

The Caspers say nighttime can be difficult for Mareto who they adopted at five months of age from Ethiopia. After traveling to the Caspers’ home in March to meet Mareto, the Goldbergs transformed his bedroom ceiling into a one-of-kind cosmic mural, which includes constellations from the day and place he was born.

“Theresa and Alber are two selfless people who are making a meaningful impact in the lives of others,” said Dan Tarman, senior vice president and chief communications officer at eBay. “My 10-year-old son is an inspiration to me and he happens to also be on the autism spectrum. Given my personal experience with autism, I am energized that we can harness eBay’s platform to support the work of Theresa and Alber, and every day heroes like them. Through this campaign for World Autism Month, we’re raising money for an important cause and bringing greater awareness and understanding of autism with the goal to contribute to an even more inclusive world.” 

Additionally, eBay.com/autismawareness will feature inventory from eBay sellers who will donate a portion of proceeds from their sales to Autism Speaks.

About Autism

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. We now know that there is not one autism but many subtypes, and each person with autism can have unique strengths and challenges. Most are caused by a combination of genetic and environmental influences, and many are accompanied by medical issues such as GI disorders, seizures and sleep disturbances. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 1 in 68 children is on the autism spectrum.

About Autism Speaks^®

Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. We do this through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. We empower people with autism and their families with resources, online tools and information covering the life span. Go to AutismSpeaks.org to learn more, donate or join a fundraising walk.

Tweet me:.@eBay has launched a #fundraising video campaign for @AutismSpeaks on #WorldAutismAwarenessDay http://bit.ly/2pYmLay @StarMakerFX #EverydayHeroes #WorldAutismMonth #autism

KEYWORDS: StarMakerFX, Autism Speaks, World Autism Awareness Day, eBay

SOURCE:Bloomberg

DESCRIPTION:

Originally posted on bloomberg.com.

Volunteering and giving back in our communities is a long-standing tradition of Bloomberg’s culture, one that builds on the commitment to service established by our founder Mike Bloomberg.  These philanthropic efforts advance the company’s core values of diversity and inclusion, sustainability, and wellness – and are accomplished as part of Bloomberg Philanthropies, to ensure better and longer lives for the greatest number of people.

Click here to view some highlights from our philanthropy and engagement 2017 year-end in review.

Tweet me:A look back: our global reach and local impact in 2017 @bloomberg @bloombergdotorg #philanthropyandengagement http://bit.ly/2pZ5sWV

KEYWORDS: philanthropy, Engagement, Bloomberg, Culture, impact, Bloomberg Philanthropies

by Michael Austin

SOURCE:Subaru of America

DESCRIPTION:

The passion that binds the Subaru performance community extends far beyond cars, mods and racing.

If you know the Subaru performance community, you know two things: First, Subaru enthusiasts love their cars. Second, they love to give back. Whether it’s banding together to make a wish come true or a star driver launching an event for cancer research, the passion for helping out is as white hot as the love of performance. While enthusiasts take part in many activities to lend a hand, both formal and informal, we think three recent stories help illustrate the spirit of good will that defines the community. After all, it’s the bonds between people from all walks of life that drive Subaru performance. 

Wishful Thinking 

For 15 years, Subaru enthusiasts have been touring the tristate region of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania on the 48HRS of Tristate Charity Drive. Their goals are to get behind the wheel, meet fellow enthusiasts and raise money for charity.

Bringing about 60 Subaru owners together annually, the 48HRS of Tristate Charity Drive has, to date, raised $330,000 for the NYS World Trade Center Relief Fund, various cancer research organizations and, most recently, Make-A-Wish®. Participant registration fees are donated to the year’s designated charity, and each participant raises additional donations.

Thanks to a partnership with Make-A-Wish New Jersey, a young man named Richard from Ocean County, New Jersey, realized his life’s dream and spent a week in Italy with his family. “When 48HRS of Tristate Charity Drive approached us, we were honored,” says Tom Weatherall, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish New Jersey. “Subaru of America has been a national partner of Make-A-Wish America for many years, so it’s a natural fit.” 

Make-A-Wish New Jersey is a “must visit” along the drive route, says 48HRS of Tristate’s Ted Drotleff. “When adults take the tour, they need to put themselves in a kid’s mindset.” Thinking like a kid, and acting like an adult, is good advice for anyone, at any age.

The Ultimate Mod 

About a decade ago, Isaac Katz was an enthusiastic intern at Subaru of America, and when it was time for him to move on, his co-workers kept in touch. Years passed, and Katz’s life took an unexpected turn: He was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a rare, connective-tissue disease that affects every function of his body. Currently, the syndrome has no cure.

“Just putting a shirt on in the morning risks dislocating my shoulders, ribs, collar bones, neck and throat,” says Katz, now 30. He takes medication so he can chew and swallow food. Sometimes he can’t sleep for days or, conversely, he sleeps 20 hours straight. His five senses have intermittently stopped working, and he experiences debilitating pain daily. Updates on Katz’s condition left his former co-workers devastated. 

Continue reading on Drive Performance >>>

Tweet me:Read about how @Subaru_USA employees and performance enthusiasts give back to their communities @48hrsofTristate @MakeAWish @davidhiggins75 http://bit.ly/2G6p2r6 #socialimpact #SubaruLovestoCare

KEYWORDS: Make-A-Wish, Subaru of America

SOURCE:GRI

DESCRIPTION:

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the world’s leaders set out on an ambitious path to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and protect the planet. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a coherent, holistic, integrated framework for addressing the world’s most urgent sustainability challenges and creating a better future for all. The success of the agenda will be based on collaborative efforts by all parties in society, including businesses. 

The SDGs have enormous potential to drive corporate action and reporting. With transparency becoming the new paradigm for conducting business, this is the moment to take sustainability reporting to the next level and show the impact of business on the world’s top priorities.

GRI and the UN Global Compact released in September 2017 a publication An Analysis of the Goals and Targets, which aims to aid progress towards these global top priorities by helping businesses large or small, all over the world, improve their reporting and performance on the SDGs. The publication is an inventory of possible disclosures per SDG, at the level of the 169 targets. Any business can use these disclosures to report on their efforts towards achieving the SDGs.

Greater transparency leads to better performance

To increase understanding, the disclosures in the publication are linked to an illustrative menu of potential actions businesses can take to contribute to the SDGs. In cases where there are no relevant disclosures for particular targets, the gaps are highlighed, signaling areas where new disclosures need to be developed. As such, this Analysis is the first step towards the greater ambition to develop a harmonized set of disclosures for businesses to report on the SDGs.

This publication is primarily intended to be used in combination with the document A Practical Guide to Defining Priorities and Reporting, to be released later this year. This second publication takes the SDG Compass as a starting point and offers a structured approach to help companies choose which targets to report on and how to use their reporting to drive action. These two publications are meant to be used together as part of a company’s regular reporting cycle. Companies can use them to disclose their impacts on and contributions to the SDGs, for example through reporting according to the GRI Sustainability Reporting Standards and/or the Communication on Progress (COP) on the UN Global Compact Ten Principles and the SDGs.

Interested in knowing more? Download the publication here. For more updates from GRI, you can subscribe to the monthly newsletter. 

Tweet me:#SDGs provide a coherent, holistic, integrated framework for addressing the world’s most urgent sustainability challenges. This mechanism by @GRI_Secretariat & @globalcompact helps #biz measure and improve their reporting and performance on the SDGs: http://bit.ly/2uKRTA4

KEYWORDS: GRI, global reporting initiative, GRI Standards, sustainability reporting, SDG Reporting, UN Global Compact, Communication on Progress

SOURCE:Goldcorp

DESCRIPTION:

In late 2017, Goldcorp’s Cerro Negro mine in Perito Moreno, Argentina, helped develop a “Local Entrepreneurs Contest” together with Fundación Iniciativa and the city hall.

A workshop on business ventures launched the contest and provided the participants with the opportunity to acquire tools to further develop their new ventures. They were offered training and financing.

The month-long contest received a total of twenty-three applications, from which eight winners were selected. The assessment criteria included innovation of the products or services offered, management experience, sustainability considerations in areas such as social and environmental impact, safety, and return on investment potential.

The judging panel included Luisina Gala Golosetti (Coordinator from Fundación Iniciativa), Mathieu Vallart (Goldcorp Cerro Negro Sustainability Manager) and Pablo Bustos (Perito Moreno City Hall Officer)

Here is the list of the eight winners:

First Prize– Puntadas Peritenses

Puntadas Peritenses is focused on providing professional clothing for both local mining projects and the city. Their manufacturing workshop was officially opened in August 2017, and they will use the prize money to purchase more machinery and increase their efficiency. Their goal is to reduce costs and to keep the same level of quality currently offered so that clothes are affordable for more people. The business was created by six women with sewing experience.

Second Prize - Bloquera San Jose

The growing population of Perito Moreno requires the construction of new houses every day. Bloquera San Jose is devoted to the manufacture of concrete blocks.

Third Prize - Vivero Tierra Del Sur

Vivero Tierra del Sur provides seasonal and green vegetables throughout the year to local hotels and restaurants.

Fourth Prize - Criadero De Cerdos

Criadero de Cerdos breeds pigs to supply quality meat to local butchers throughout the year.

Fifth Prize - Cerveceria Artesanal

Cerveceria Artesanal’s aim is to make Perito Moreno a tourist attraction by providing a variety of unique beer brews with a Patagonic influence.

Sixth Prize - Incubadora De Pollitos:

Incubadora de Pollitos is focused on providing a source of affordable chicken meat to the local community.

Seventh Prize - Box De Enfermeria

Box de Enfermeria’s goal is to support the local community by providing healthcare services to people who cannot travel to hospitals. They provide services such as immunizations, checkups, and blood pressure monitoring.

Eighth Prize - Gastronomia Artesanal

Gastonomia Artesanal supplies food to craftsmen and many of the residents. The prize money will go towards a new restaurant, which will offer a new gastronomic experience not currently offered in the area.

“We are very glad to see this high interest, motivation and commitment from the people of Perito Moreno and their commitment to driving local economic development," Mathieu Vallart, Goldcorp Cerro Negro Sustainability Manager. “Congratulations to all the winners.”

Tweet me:Goldcorp’s Cerro Negro mine in Perito Moreno, Argentina, recently helped develop a “Local Entrepreneurs Contest” together with local organizations. Check out the winners: http://bit.ly/2Ee0XwU

KEYWORDS: Goldcorp, Argentina, Perito Moreno, Cerro Negro mine

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

By Jim Starr, President & CEO, America's Charities

The Tallahassee Democrat recently reported that lawmakers have decided to shut down the Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign (FSECC) for good.

In its heyday, this 38-year-old state campaign generated nearly $5 million a year for nonprofits across the state. Unfortunately, for many reasons which I’ve outlined below, donations and participation have declined drastically with a historic low of $282,000 raised in 2016, with more than half of those proceeds which were set to go to Solix - the campaigns’ fiscal agent – before the campaign was shut down.

While a few lawmakers attempted to file legislation to fix the program, Chad Poppell (then Secretary of the Department of Management Services) said, “a “middleman” wasn’t needed between state workers and charity anymore.” He noted, during a meeting before lawmakers, that “employees can give directly through the internet or cell phones.” And Ted Granger, president of the United Way of Florida, suggested “I think given where the campaign is now and has been for the last couple of years, probably the best thing to do is just to kill it.”

The truth is the FSECC didn’t have to die.

With just a few best practices, the charitable campaign could have easily thrived and continued to pour millions of much-needed dollars into charities supporting the local community.

How to Prevent Your Charity Campaign From Crashing & Why Workplace Giving Campaigns Remain Vital:

(1) Who You Select as Your Campaign’s Fiscal Agent and Manager Matters:

More than half – some 63% – of the funds raised through the FSECC in 2016 were set to go to Solix, the fiscal agent contracted with the FSECC. That is an astronomically high percentage for any fiscal agent. Certainly, it takes money to raise money, and that’s true of every fundraising campaign in the workplace or out. However, this high percentage is outrageous and frankly irresponsible. There should have been a sincere effort to increase contributions while reducing administrative costs well in advance of, as well as during, the campaign.   

When done correctly with the right partner, workplace giving is one the most efficient ways for nonprofits to raise money. From helping nonprofits gain access to public and private sector workplace giving campaigns, to managing both private and public sector state to county-level campaigns for employers across the country, we at America’s Charities know this from almost forty years of first-hand experience. We know that fiscal agent fees for public sector campaigns like the FSECC should be a fraction of the funds raised. While these dollars cover vital services that every campaign needs – charity vetting, pledge processing, paper pledge procedure and tracking, donor support, and more – those fees also eat into the total dollars nonprofits bring home. For most nonprofits, a small fixed percentage is a no-brainer. These campaigns pay for themselves because the nonprofit itself doesn’t have to foot the bill for hundreds of fundraising initiatives but instead benefit from one, coordinated campaign across thousands of donors. In this situation, however, the fee was exorbitant, and local charities were robbed of crucial donations. There is also no doubt this campaign could have been more efficient, as well as effective.

With Florida’s decision to put an end to the FSECC, Solix won’t be getting paid for their 2016 work. Unfortunately, that also means that none of the charities participating in the FSECC will see any money from the campaign either. Pledges from workplace giving campaigns are a significant source of money for charities, providing sustainable, unrestricted funds that charities rely on to operate. Shutting down the FSECC will no doubt hurt the charities providing critical services in Florida and throughout the country, who State employees have supported since 1980 when the campaign first started.

(2) Employee Engagement & Charity Choice are Very Important:

Choice and engagement are critical to employees participating in workplace giving programs. One of the most resonant messages from America’s Charities’ Snapshot 2017 report is that employees highly value programs that offer them choices, with more than three quarters of survey respondents saying that having the ability to choose causes they care about is imperative or very important to a positive donation experience. By contrast, employees are turned off when employers dictate employees’ charity choices, with nearly three in 10 employees saying they don’t give through their workplace giving programs because the causes they care about are not offered as choices. Additionally, some employees are leery of workplace giving programs because they feel pressured to give.

Unfortunately, as well-intentioned as the FSECC was, employee engagement was not its strong suit and accusations of over-aggressive fundraising ultimately contributed to the FSECC’s decline. Employees should not be ‘strong-armed’ into participating. Partnering with an organization like America’s Charities which understands the charitable sector AND workplace giving is vital for an effective charitable giving program that inspires employee giving.

(3) Workplace Giving Campaigns Should Evolve with Technology; Not be Replaced by it:

Chad Poppell’s statement about no longer needing a workplace giving campaign due to newer technology sadly demonstrates a lack of knowledge about why workplace giving campaigns matter, how workplace giving benefits charities and employee donors, and why it’s important that workplace giving campaigns evolve with new technology rather than be replaced by it.

It’s imperative or very important to employees’ donation experience to be able to give easily and make informed choices about their giving – both of which are aided by platforms that are easy-to-understand and navigate like those America’s Charities offers in our range of solutions.

Mobile giving and social media are fantastic examples of how technology has helped advance fundraising and elevated the donor’s connection to charities in the community. Many donors don’t just want to give money to a charity – they want to engage more fully, whether that’s learning more about a charity’s programs, or directly volunteering, or social sharing, or any other number of other ways. The fact is technology is paramount to this engagement. That’s exactly why campaigns should embrace technology and enhance their workplace giving platforms with features like mobile giving and social media that improve the employee donor’s overall giving experience.

Even more important are the donation methods made available to donors through workplace giving and the efficiency with which those funds are distributed to charities. Whereas donors can easily donate directly to a charity through its website via credit card and in some cases PayPal (both which, it should be noted, costs the nonprofit money to facilitate), workplace giving platforms like America’s Charities solutions offers those AND additional payment method options. Giving employees the opportunity to donate through payroll deduction eliminates additional credit card fees plus enables them to make a larger impact overall without hurting their bottom-line. With payroll giving, employees’ donations are automatically deducted from their paychecks in small increments throughout the year. As a result, donors give on average five times more through workplace giving than the one-time donations donors make directly to charities through the internet. And charities, many of them helping our most vulnerable populations, end up receiving that much more funding and support.

Unfortunately, employees who participated in the FSECC will no longer have the option to donate via payroll deduction. Florida’s bill to end the FSECC will do more than end the state charitable giving campaign; it will effectively prohibit state employees and charities from interacting and fundraising in the workplace. While employees can still go to their favorite charities’ websites, they are likely to give significantly less (if they even give at all) since payroll deduction is no longer an option.

Kelly Otte, executive director of the PACE Center for Girls, shared with the Tallahassee Democratthat she’s happy to see Solix bow out. But she wants to see the FSECC go on. “Here in Leon County, human service nonprofits have all suffered because of the loss of FSECC dollars over the years,” Kelly Otte said. “What needs to happen is that we need to recognize the value of providing that [workplace] giving tool to our state employee neighbors.”

We couldn’t agree more with Kelly.

Workplace giving campaigns are an efficient way for nonprofits to raise money and are also a fun, meaningful way for employees to engage with charities and their peers through the giving process. Deciding to end a workplace giving campaign as established as the FSECC will negatively impact Florida’s community and the charities that support that community. Rather than end their once-successful campaign, they should look to qualified partners like America’s Charities for help. Other campaigns (whether private sector, Federal, or State-run) can learn from the FSECC’s experience and thrive if they take into consideration the best practices outlined above.

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: How to Kill a #WorkplaceGiving Campaign - Lessons from the Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign https://impact.ac/2GUAxDa #EmployeeEngagement

KEYWORDS: America’s Charities, workplace giving, Corporate Social Responsibility, charity vetting, Fundraising, Employee Engagement, Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign (FSECC), Fiscal agent, Donation Funds Management

Walmart, Feeding America and Nextdoor are working to inspire discussions on hunger

SOURCE:Walmart

DESCRIPTION:

BENTONVILLE, ARK., April 3, 2018 /3BL Media/ – Walmart kicked off its fifth annual nationwide “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign today online and in stores by asking its 150 million weekly shoppers to raise the bar to support the Feeding America network of 200 local food banks and the one in eight people who battle hunger in America at some point during the year.

Walmart and Feeding America are doubling their meal goal to 200 million meals, increasing supplier participation to 14, and introducing the Walmart Credit Card as a new way for customers to get involved in the campaign. In another first, Walmart is uniting with social networking site, Nextdoor, to bring community leaders and neighbors together around a donated communal table to discuss the local impact of hunger in select cities.

“In communities big and small across the country, there are families struggling with hunger,” said Kathleen McLaughlin, president of the Walmart Foundation and chief sustainability officer for Walmart. “By working together during this campaign with our suppliers, customers and friends at Feeding America, we can help secure 200 million meals that will help those who need it most.”

The ‘’Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’’ campaign launches at a critical time. One in eight Americans (41 million), including one in six children (nearly 13 million), struggle with hunger at some point during the year, according to the USDA. Hunger also affects certain populations more profoundly including children, seniors, and Latino communities, where one in four children are in food insecure households.

Walmart will start the campaign with a $1.5 million donation and aims to donate a total of $3 million to Feeding America based on the public’s social media engagement in the “Fight Hunger. Spark Change.” campaign. 

Beginning today through April 30, Walmart is offering four easy ways that customers can get involved and fight hunger online, in-store and through social sharing to help secure meals for local food banks. Visit Walmart.com/fighthunger for further details. Here are the ways customers can participate in the fight against hunger.

1. Purchase Product: For every participating product purchased at U.S. and Puerto Rico Walmart stores or on Walmart.com from April 2 – April 30, 2018, the supplier will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal ($0.10) on behalf of a Feeding America member food bank, up to applicable limits. Participating suppliers represent some of the nation’s leading food companies: General Mills, The Coca-Cola Company, Kellogg, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo/Frito-Lay/Quaker, Bush Brothers, Clorox Sales Company, Conagra, Motts, Unilever, Maruchan, Pinnacle Foods, Post, and JM Smucker.
2. Donate money to your local Feeding America food bank at participating Walmart stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Donations can be made at the register to local Feeding America food banks in increments of $1, $2, $5 or an amount chosen by the customer. Donating is also an option at the self-checkout (Scan and Go) register. When customers click “Finish & Pay” on totals over $10, it will trigger the prompt with details on donating.
3. Make an online act of support: For every traceable post of campaign content with #FightHunger on Instagram and for every traceable share or retweet on Facebook and Twitter of campaign content, Walmart will donate $10.00 to Feeding America and for every click on the support button on the program website, Walmart will donate $1.00 to Feeding America, up to $1.5 million.
4. Use the Walmart Credit Card: Synchrony Bank will donate the monetary equivalent of one meal ($0.10) for each Walmart Credit Card transaction made at Walmart stores and on Walmart.com during the campaign, up to $750,000.

“Hunger impacts every single county in the United States. Every day, the Feeding America network of 200 member food banks are on the ground helping children and families who need it most, but we know that we can’t end hunger alone. Feeding America is grateful to Walmart for its long-standing commitment to fighting hunger in communities across the country.  Through the ‘Fight Hunger. Spark Change.’ campaign, Walmart has created an opportunity for suppliers and customers to join the fight to end hunger. We hope everyone is inspired to take action and support their neighbors in need,” said Matt Knott, President of Feeding America.

During this year’s campaign, Walmart and Feeding America are collaborating with Nextdoor, a private social media network active in 170,000 neighborhoods nationwide. Nextdoor is inviting community leaders, city officials, local chefs, the local food bank, journalists and area neighbors to come together around handcrafted tables made by Neighbor’s Table, which will remain as a gift in the community from Neighbor’s Table, to discuss how to best combat hunger locally. Following the community gatherings, members of each community are invited to learn more about ways they can take action to help their local food bank and will be encouraged to meet and connect.

To download and use in its entirety with permission: A short film by Walmart and Nextdoor of the first event in Charlotte, North Carolina: https://walmartfilms.wistia.com/medias/2immiw8b7s?media_finished

To embed the short film: https://youtu.be/TRCoNMywKS0

“It’s a tremendous honor to partner with local food banks and community leaders across the country to support those facing hunger in our neighborhoods,” said Nextdoor Co-founder and CEO Nirav Tolia. “Walmart continues to step up to take action against hunger and help local Feeding America food banks, and this undertaking aligns perfectly with our commitment to help neighbors come together to build stronger communities in America. The food crisis that is impacting millions of Americans every day is a huge challenge, but neighbors coming together in local communities can make a true difference."

As the nation’s largest grocer, Walmart is in a unique leadership position to positively impact the issue of hunger in the United States. In October 2014, Walmart announced a commitment to create a more sustainable food system, with a focus on improving the affordability of food by lowering the “true cost” of food for both customers and the environment, increasing access to food, making healthier eating easier, and improving the safety and transparency of the food chain. This commitment includes a goal of providing 4 billion meals to those struggling with hunger in the U.S. by 2020.

To learn more about the campaign and to track donations, visit www.walmart.com/fighthunger.

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About Walmart
Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) helps people around the world save money and live better - anytime and anywhere - in retail stores, online, and through their mobile devices. Each week, nearly 270 million customers and members visit our more than 11,700 stores under 59 banners in 28 countries and eCommerce websites. With fiscal year 2018 revenue of $500.3 billion, Walmart employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart.

Tweet me:.@Walmart "Fight Hunger. Spark Change." campaign gives communities a seat at the table for #HungerRelief http://bit.ly/2GJlvTj @Nextdoor @FeedingAmerica #FightHunger

KEYWORDS: Walmart, The Walmart Foundation, Feeding America, Nextdoor