SOURCE:Xylem Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

From ending hunger to slowing climate change, water will play a vital role in meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Find out how Xylem Watermark and its partners are working to help communities solve water-related problems around the world. 

Xylem Watermark was founded in 2008 as Xylem’s corporate citizenship and social investment program. So far, Xylem Watermark and its six nonprofit partners have provided clean water and sanitation solutions to nearly three million people in 25 countries.

For a few projects Xylem Watermark and its partners have been working on recently. 

1. Disaster relief

In the aftermath of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, Xylem Watermark partnered with humanitarian aid organization Mercy Corps to provide food, clean water, shelter supplies and funds to over 135,000 people in the area. This year, Watermark and Mercy Corps have helped provide 2 million liters of drinking water to drought sufferers in the Horn of Africa, and are now helping to increase water supply to Syrian refugees and their hosts in Jordan.

2. Combatting water-borne illness

In partnership with Planet Water Foundation, Xylem Watermark volunteers helped fund and build numerous AquaTowers at schools and communities in India, Cambodia, Columbia and the Philippines. The AquaTowers are clean water filtration systems supporting the daily drinking requirements for 1,000 people. During construction, volunteers use a fun and interactive curriculum to teach school children about germs and hygiene. This enormously successful program has decreased diarrheal episodes in participants by 80 percent – compared to a 27 percent increase in non-participants.

3. Sanitation and mentoring

Xylem Watermark volunteers and donors also teamed up recently with partner Water for People, in a project to bring drinking water and toilet blocks to community schools in West Bengal, India. Part of the project included an educational program using a “train-the-trainer” method to engage local leaders to serve as role models and mentors in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues. With EarthEcho International, Watermark volunteers carry out water monitoring projects in local communities to teach children about the importance of protecting local water sources.

4. WASH around the world

In China, Xylem Watermark worked together with the China Women’s Development Foundation to provide clean water filtration systems and WASH education to three schools in Baoshan City, and similar projects were implemented in cooperation with Watermark partner Fundación Avina in Brazil.

5. Xylem employee engagement

Xylem Watermark also engages Xylem employees in water-related volunteer projects and fundraising across the globe. One example is Walks for Water, where Xylem employees walk three to five kilometers to raise money for water projects. The Walks also raise awareness of the long journey women make every day carrying water in dry, remote areas.

Through the new interactive employee engagement website, MyWatermark, Xylem colleagues can join up to donate money or volunteer for WASH projects around the world. To date, $2.5 million has been raised in employee contributions, including Xylem matched donations. Over 2,000 employees have volunteered in water-related projects, and employee volunteer hours increased by 330 percent over the past year. The company’s goal is to log 100,000 hours of employee volunteer time over the next three years.

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Experience the complete 2015 XYLEM SUSTAINABILITY REPORT 

Tweet me:From ending #hunger to slowing climate change, @XylemInc shares how water will play a vital role http://bit.ly/2cHodFM #solvewater

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Xylem Watermark, water-related problems, Corporate Citizenship, clean water

Former Major Leaguers and Indiana Natives LaTroy Hawkins & Kenny Lofton to Host Free Vision Screenings in Gary, IN on World Sight Day

SOURCE:Major League Baseball Players Trust

DESCRIPTION:

NEW YORK, October 4, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Baseball and kids are a classic combination, but what happens when those kids struggle to see? When they can’t see clearly enough to catch a fly ball, connect with a pitch, or read the scoreboard? But it isn’t just about their performance on the field, children with uncorrected vision are hindered in the classroom and in every aspect of their lives.

The Major League Baseball Players Trust and Our Children’s Vision are joining forces on World Sight Day to combat the unnecessary effects of childhood vision impairment by providing hundreds of children with free eye care and glasses.

“The consequences of a child not being able to see clearly cannot be underestimated,” explained Professor Kovin Naidoo, Campaign Director for Our Children’s Vision. “These children are often misunderstood as being unintelligent, un-athletic, and introverted. When in reality they are simply unable to see well enough to get involved and enjoy the things kids love to do.”

On World Sight Day – Thursday, October 13, 2016 – the Players Trust and Our Children’s Vision will partner with Illinois Eye Institute Princeton Vision Clinic, The Optical Foundation, Indiana University College of Optometry, Illinois College of Optometry, Moses Eyecare and Benavente Eyecare, to provide free vision tests to hundreds of elementary school students and youth baseball players from Gary, Indiana.  Those youngsters requiring glasses will receive them free of charge. Former Major Leaguers LaTroy Hawkins, from Gary, IN, and Kenny Lofton, from East Chicago, IN, will be on hand to assist with the testing and to participate in question and answer sessions with the youth. 

“When we give these kids a pair of glasses it will be such a transforming experience for them – on the field, and in the classroom,” said Lofton. “It is important that kids here in the US, and around the world, are able to participate in sports and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. One of the key elements to that is having clear, healthy vision.”

“It’s an honor for me to return home and represent all Major Leaguers and the Players Trust in joining Our Children’s Vision to provide free screenings for local youth,” stated Hawkins.  “Many of us take for granted simple procedures such as an eye exam, but for these children this effort can be life altering.  I thank everyone involved in this project for selecting Gary as the location for this great event.  We encourage all community leaders to step to the plate to ensure that our children have access to similar vision tests.”

An estimated 1 in 4 children in the US have a vison problem that is significant enough to affect their learning. An eye exam and a pair of glasses can set off a chain reaction that dramatically improves their lives.  And yet millions of children in America do not have access to this simple solution. The public is encouraged to find an optometrist by consulting with their state optometric association.

Editor’s Note

The event will take place at Williams Elementary School, 1320 E. 19^th Avenue, Gary, Indiana 46407. Retired Major League Baseball Players, LaTroy Hawkins and Kenny Lofton will be in attendance and available for comment, as well as Campaign Director, Professor Kovin Naidoo. Media are invited to attend from 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM.

Our Children’s Vision is an initiative of the Brien Holden Vision Institute and Vision For Life - Essilor – aiming for every child, everywhere to have access to eye care. www.ourchildrensvision.org

Major League Baseball Players Trust Through the Players Trust, Major Leaguers contribute their time, money and celebrity to call attention to important causes affecting the needy and to help encourage others to get involved in their own communities.  Each year the Players Trust distributes more than $1.5 million in annual grants and programs, and inspires hundreds of thousands of high school students to volunteer in their communities through the Action Team national youth volunteer program.  For additional information, please visit www.PlayersTrust.org and follow the Trust on Twitter and Instagram: @MLBPlayersTrust.

Tweet me:.@MLBPlayersTrust to co-host #WorldSightDay16 event w/ @OurChildrensVsn & IN natives @LaTroyHawkins32 @Kenny_Lofton7 http://bit.ly/2d9yPyj

KEYWORDS: Health, Philanthropy, Our Children’s Vision, World Sight Day, Major League Baseball Players Trust, latroy hawkins, Kenny Lofton, Free Vision Screenings, Vision, sight, eye sight, childhood vision impairment, eye care

Written by United Way of New York City

SOURCE:FedEx Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

Imagine starting your first day of second grade surrounded by Star Wars Storm Troopers, Disney princesses, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Hello Kitty—familiar, favorite playmates. You smile. You feel reassured. You get excited to meet your classmates, to open your books, to read new stories.    

On September 8, FedEx volunteers teamed up with United Way of New York City (UWNYC) to make this first day of school possible. Together, they distributed more than 100 backpacks covered in beloved heroes and brimming with school supplies to students at P.S. 156 in Brownsville, Brooklyn.  

UWNYC supports P.S. 156 through ReadNYC—its signature campaign for grade-level reading. In 2015, UWNYC launched ReadNYC in Brownsville in response to the fact that 87% of third graders in this community are not reading at grade-level. And studies show that children who do not read at grade-level by third grade are 70% less likely to graduate from high school.  

ReadNYC aims to turn grave stats like these around by boosting literacy and improving education outcomes in New York City’s lowest-income communities. To do so, the initiative is bringing together children, families, schools, and community and corporate organizations, like FedEx, to target grade-level reading and help students thrive.

As part of ReadNYC’s programming and FedEx, this distribution event concluded UWNYC’s annual Back to School Drive. In total, more than 1,800 backpacks were collected and delivered by FedEx to UWNYC-supported schools across the City.

"While the new school year can be an exciting time for many young students, it is often a challenging time for children and families in our city’s low-income communities, who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Sheena Wright, President & CEO of United Way of New York City. “We are delighted to work with FedEx to bring critical resources to students in need so they can succeed in the school year to come and beyond.”

At the event, FedEx volunteers carefully unloaded backpacks from a FedEx Cares truck and put them on display for students’ eager eyes in the school auditorium. Then, one by one volunteers teamed with a student to help them choose their perfect pack.  

By using their shipping services expertise, FedEx volunteers equipped these kids with the tools they need to charge into their first day of school ready to learn, while also lifting a monetary burden off their parents’ and caregivers’ shoulders.

“We are proud to make this FedEx Cares shipment that will provide students with the supplies they need to succeed,” said Nanette Malebranche, Managing Director of Long Island District, FedEx Express. “It’s an example of how we are using our network to deliver for good in communities like New York and around the world.”

Suited up in their favorite back-to-school packs, the backpack bonanza ended with volunteers watching the heroically clad students march confidently toward their first class.  

“A warm thanks for the work that FedEx and United Way of New York City did to bring 100 backpacks to our school,” said Naiyma Moore-Allen, Principal I.A., P.S. 156. “We are grateful for the contribution and look forward to an amazing school year!”    

See photos from the Back-to-School Backpack Bonanza 

This event was part of FedEx Cares United Way campaign, including the FedEx Cares initiative through which the company is investing $200 million in more than 200 global communities by 2020 to create opportunities and deliver solutions for people around the world.

Tweet me:.@FedEx teams up with @unitedwaynyc to deliever over 100 backpacks and supplies to students in Brooklyn http://bit.ly/2cNJmy0 #FedExCares

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Education, FedEx Cares, United Way of NYC, Social Impact

By Nicole Anderson, AVP, Social Innovation and President of the AT&T Foundation

SOURCE:AT&T

DESCRIPTION:

We’re always looking for ways to link our philanthropy strategy with our technology, so enhancing our robust student mentoring initiative with an online mentoring program is an ideal fit. Working with leading non-profits and secure internet platforms, we’re able to connect our talented employees to students across the country virtually. 

When first hearing about online mentoring, you might think that building relationships across an internet platform would be awkward and impersonal. But we’ve found it to be quite the opposite. Using technology like this reaches young people in a way that is already very comfortable and natural for them. So then students feel more at ease communicating with their adult mentors than they might have in person. And, we’re able to reach even more teens who need mentors since these relationships can be developed no matter where the two parties are located.

This is true for students like Fidel, a high school senior from Westminster, California, who moved to the United States 5 years ago. Before connecting with his mentor, Fidel struggled in school and had a hard time managing his time between sports and work. He participated in the iCouldBe program at his school last year and was connected virtually with mentor Angela Hawks-Johnson, an AT&T senior network support specialist in Houston, Texas. iCouldBe brings mentors and mentees together to collaborate on online, interactive activities focused on academic success, career exploration and post-secondary planning.  

Despite being over 1,500 miles apart, the two formed a strong bond. Angela helped him manage his time, prioritize his school work, and develop a more positive attitude. “She was like a member of my family,” Fidel commented. He often didn’t have someone to talk to during the week so Angela became that person. He looked forward to sharing what was going on in his life with her. Now in his senior year, Fidel is making great strides in school, running for student office, and making plans to achieve his dream of becoming a neurologist or audiologist.

Angela is just one of our many employees who have mentored students either online and offline through AT&T Aspire, impacting more than 170,000 students across the country. To increase our impact, we collaborate with leading education non-profits to reach students who need help the most.

This school year, we are contributing more than $1.3 million to innovative organizations such as iCouldBe, iMentor, and We Teach Science to help even more students like Fidel explore their potential through online mentoring.  

We are also providing funding to Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Communities In Schools, DECA, and Jobs for America’s Graduates to bring careers to classrooms through an innovative program called Nepris. Nepris matches professionals with classrooms and individual students virtually to help connect what students are learning at school to their future careers.

These programs focus on academics as well as interpersonal skills, preparing students for college or career after high school. They expose students to real professionals and occupations, bridging the gap between dreams and reality.

All young people deserve to have a mentor in their lives to help them achieve success. Through the power of technology, we can bring this opportunity to more young people this school year. We look forward to sharing more stories with you along the way!

Tweet me:.@ConnectToGood "Connecting Students to Their Dreams" http://soc.att.com/2dG793G #ATTimpact

KEYWORDS: Education, Philanthropy, AT&T, Mentoring, iCouldBe, iMentor, We Teach Science, online mentoring, Nicole Anderson, employees

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

Join America's Charities, now through December, as we highlight different nonprofits and share how individuals and companies can Shape the Future of various causes through workplace giving programs.

Every day, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer. Every one out of eight children that are diagnosed with cancer will not survive. Sixty percent of those who do survive will suffer late term effects such as infertility, heart failure and secondary cancers.

“Childhood cancer is the number one killer of children by disease. And while statistics now show that 83% of the almost 16, 000 children diagnosed in the US each year 'survive', this does NOT necessarily mean that they are cured and go on to lead healthy lives,” says Laura Thrall, CEO of CureSearch for Children’s Cancer. “We need to find better treatments and cures so that children not only survive their cancers, but go on to live healthy, productive lives.”

At CureSearch for Children’s Cancer, we are fighting for the future of every child diagnosed with cancer. That’s why we drive children’s cancer research that seeks to solve the most challenging pediatric cancer problems, and why we fund scientific research questions that push the field closer to a cure. Our hope is that one day, every child is guaranteed a cure.

Making a Cure Possible

CureSearch for Children’s Cancer fights every day to make treatments and cures possible for the 40,000 children undergoing cancer treatment each year. We do this in three ways:

• We accelerate the search for cures by posing essential challenges to scientists and inviting teams to overcome them with innovative research approaches.
• We transcend the barriers of a broken research system by establishing new pathways to end children’s cancer.
• We provide resources and education, so no child faces a cancer diagnosis without a fully equipped support team.

Your philanthropic support goes beyond funding the research, grants and programs that are needed to find a cure. It goes toward directly healing a child diagnosed with cancer, and helping families and caregivers get the mental, emotional and psychosocial support they need.

What Your Support Can Do

Your support makes a difference. Here's how:

• Your gift of $10 can fund five minutes of lifesaving research by a CureSearch Young Investigator, like Dr. Andrew Lee Hong, who is researching Wilms tumor at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
• Your gift of $25 can support one day of treatment on a clinical trial for a child with cancer.
• Your gift of $50 can fund ten minutes of Acceleration Initiative research, like the research being conducted on Ewing sarcoma by Dr. Mary Beckerle at Huntsman Cancer Institute. 
• Your gift of $100 can provide families with educational resources they need to support a child in treatment, like the CureSearch CancerCare App.

CureSearch can’t fight children’s cancer alone. Your donation will help accelerate cancer research initiatives, and it will raise awareness about how devastating cancer can be for a child. Please give at work today so every child diagnosed with cancer can see tomorrow.

Our thanks to CureSearch for Children's Cancer for sharing their mission and impact with us.  You can learn more about their work at curesearch.org. To support their efforts, please donate to CureSearch through your company's workplace giving program (CFC#10701 if you're a military or federal employee participating in the Combined Federal Campaign). 

If your company would like to start a workplace giving program to support nonprofits like CureSearch, click here. We have a portfolio of solutions designed to help large and small organizations give back to the causes they care about.

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: How @CureSearch is Accelerating Research to Help End Children's #Cancer http://bit.ly/2cMr8BK #EmployeeGiving

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Health, employee giving program, CureSearch for Children's Cancer, America's Charities, Employee Engagement, Fundraising, cause marketing, corporate philanthropy, workplace giving, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

SOURCE:Bloomberg

DESCRIPTION:

Originally posted on Huffington Post.

Michael R Bloomberg
Fmr. three-term mayor of New York City; Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg LP

Sec. Penny Pritzker
U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Tweet me:Bloomberg & Pritzker: Africa Could Be the Great Economic Success of This Century http://bit.ly/2cEZzFR

KEYWORDS: Business & Trade, Ethical Production & Consumption, africa, Obama, Finance, Commerce, Government, Industry, Mobile, Technology, population, cities, sahara, Partnership, Trade, Forum, event, New York, UN, united nations

SOURCE:Arby's

DESCRIPTION:

October 5, 2016 /3BL Media/ - The Arby’s Foundation will partner with TEGNA Inc and Points of Light for Make A Difference Day on Saturday, October 22. Make A Difference Day is one of the largest annual single-days of service nationwide.  In their inaugural year of the partnership, the Arby’s Foundation will provide support for Make A Difference Day projects across the country.

“We are thrilled to be a partner for Make a Difference Day for the first time this year,” said Paul Brown, CEO, Arby’s Restaurant Group. “At Arby’s, we have six core values that have guided how we do business for decades. One of these values is Make a Difference. Our commitment to this value makes joining this volunteer program a natural fit. The entire Arby’s system is excited to see our Make a Difference value come to life at a national level next month as we come together to give back to the communities we serve.”

This October 22, thousands of volunteers and communities across the country will come together with a common mission: to improve the lives of others through community-driven service projects.

Volunteers are encouraged to register their project at makeadifferenceday.com. By registering, project organizers are eligible to win a $10,000 grant to donate to a charity of their choice.

Make A Difference Day began in 1992 and takes place annually on the fourth Saturday in October. Make A Difference Day is made possible by the employees of TEGNA with support from the Arby’s Foundation and longtime partner Points of Light.

To register a community service project, search for an existing project or find more information, go to makeadifferenceday.com.

Tweet me:.@ArbysFoundation partners with @TEGNA & @pointsoflight for nationwide day of service: Make A Difference Day. #MDDAY http://bit.ly/2dHtrY4

Contact Info:

Matt Frate
Arby's Foundation
+1 (678) 514-4268
mfrate@arbysfoundation.org

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Arby's Foundation, TEGNA Inc, Points of Light, Make A Difference Day

Ed Anderson biked 4,000 miles across the U.S. for children waiting to be adopted from foster care

SOURCE:Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

DESCRIPTION:

Ed Anderson started out with a mission to honor his late friend Dave Thomas. The Wendy’s Founder made it his mission to always give back and did so in a big way when he created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The Foundation focuses on dramatically increasing adoptions from foster care. Anderson thought, what better way to honor his friend than to ride coast to coast to raise awareness and $1 million to help find forever families for children in foster care.

Anderson started on July 27 in Virginia Beach and ended on October 4 in San Diego where he dipped his tire in the Pacific Ocean. He rode a total of 4,000 miles, made 22 stops along the way to meet adoptive families and recruiters who work to find families for children waiting in foster care.

Right now, there are 107,000 children waiting to be adopted from foster care in the United States. The Foundation furnishes grants to adoption agencies across the country to employ adoption recruiters who find homes for children who have been in foster care the longest.

While Ed’s ride is over, it’s not too late to help support children in foster care and Ed’s ride by making a donation. No amount is too small for children who are waiting for their forever homes.

To support Ed, click here.

Tweet me:Congrats to @Wendys Ed Anderson for completing 4k mile #bikeride for #adoption http://bit.ly/2cR6rA0 #edsadoptiontour @DTFA

KEYWORDS: Awards & Recognition, Philanthropy, Dave Thomas, adoption, foster care, Recruiter, Wendy's, Ed Anderson, bike, Journey

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

Join America's Charities, now through December, as we highlight different nonprofits and share how individuals and companies can Shape the Future of various causes through workplace giving programs.

No child should grow up hungry in America, but one in five children struggles with hunger. Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign is ending childhood hunger in this nation by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need, every day.  

The No Kid Hungry campaign connects kids in need with nutritious food and teaches their families how to cook healthy, affordable meals. By doing this, we surround children in this nation with healthy food where they live, learn and play.   

We're ending childhood hunger by connecting kids to effective nutrition programs like school breakfast and summer meals.

Eliminating Barriers Through Public-Private Partnerships:

This work is accomplished through the No Kid Hungry network, made up of private citizens, public officials, nonprofits, business leaders and others providing innovative hunger solutions in their communities. These public-private partnerships work together to identify and eliminate the barriers that may prevent children from accessing existing food and nutrition resources.  Through its Cooking Matters program, the No Kid Hungry campaign educates and empowers low-income families to stretch their food budgets so their kids get healthy meals at home. Cooking Matters participants learn to shop smarter, use nutrition information to make healthier food choices, and cook delicious, affordable meals.

The No Kid Hungry campaign also engages the public to make ending childhood hunger a national priority, working to shine the spotlight on the crisis and mobilize a powerful movement of individuals committed to bold action. We build partnerships that enlist influential individuals in the cause and advocate policy changes needed to achieve our goals. The No Kid Hungry campaign is supported by unique programs that raise critical funds and allow our champions to share their strengths in the battle to end childhood hunger. Working closely with the culinary community and relying on the strength of its volunteers, No Kid Hungry hosts innovative culinary fundraising events and develops pioneering cause marketing campaigns that support ending childhood hunger. This work also allows us to invest in community organizations effectively fighting hunger on the local level. 

Together, we are making No Kid Hungry a reality in America. To join us, visit NoKidHungry.org. 

You can learn more about Share Our Strength’s work at NoKidHungry.org.  To support their efforts, please donate to Share Our Strength through your company's workplace giving program (CFC#11158 if you're a military or federal employee participating in the Combined Federal Campaign). 

If your company would like to start a workplace giving program to support nonprofits like Share Our Strength, click here. We have a portfolio of solutions designed to help large and small organizations give back to the causes they care about.

​

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: Ending Childhood Hunger by Connecting Kids to Effective Nutrition Programs @nokidhungry http://bit.ly/2dJTjyg

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Business & Trade, employee giving program, Share Our Strength No Kid Hungry, end childhood hunger, America's Charities, Employee Engagement, Fundraising, cause marketing, corporate philanthropy, workplace giving, social responsibility, csr

A Conversation with Mark Monchek of Opportunity Lab

SOURCE:MicroEdge + Blackbaud

DESCRIPTION:

In this episode of the Champions for Social Good Podcast, Jamie Serino speaks with Mark Monchek, Chief Opportunity Officer at Opportunity Lab, about Opportunity Lab’s approach to empowering conscious leaders to make a difference in the world. Mark talks about how companies are increasingly acknowledging the role they have to play as global citizens, why measuring their impact is important, and what immigration and a house fire taught him about how purpose-driven organizations can network to achieve more. Mark also discusses his work helping a financial firm holistically recover after 9-11 and how that transformed his understanding of the “success DNA” of organizations – an experience that continues to guide his work with organizations today.

For more information, please visit the MicroEdge + Blackbaud Resource Hub and www.microedge.com. 

Tweet me:New! Champions for #SocialGood Podcast w @MarkMonchek @OppLab on empowering conscious #leadership frm @MicroEdgeLLC http://ow.ly/Fimx304SSsj

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Business & Trade, Leadership, MicroEdge, Blackbaud, Champions for Social Good, Podcast

By: Becky Woodworth, Social Media Senior Strategy Manager

SOURCE:AT&T

DESCRIPTION:

Tweet me:.@ConnectToGood "Investing in Community – Virtual, and Home" http://soc.att.com/2d3qOwY #ATTimpact

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, AT&T, AT&T Community Forums, Mesquite Animal Pawtners, Kentucky School for the Blind, Partnership Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Animal Defense League, Pets for Vets., Award for Community Excellence, ACE, customers, questions

Cleveland-based REIT partners with local nonprofit Esperanza, Inc.

SOURCE:Forest City

DESCRIPTION:

CLEVELAND, October, 5, 2016 /3BL Media/ - Forest City Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FCEA and FCEB) continued the company's partnership with Esperanza, Inc., Ohio’s only nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of Hispanic educational achievement, with the recent sponsorship of three $1,000 college scholarships awarded to Greater Cleveland residents.

Forest City has supported Esperanza through the company’s corporate philanthropy initiative since 2011.

“Esperanza’s outreach stretches beyond Cleveland’s Hispanic community,” said Sara Gonzalez, Forest City’s communications executive administrative assistant and co-chair of Unidos, the company’s Hispanic associate resource group. “Forest City’s core values of community involvement and diversity and inclusion align with the organization’s efforts to lift communities to their highest potential by investing in the future.”

This year’s Forest City scholarship recipients – Isaac Anaya, an Ohio State University sophomore studying anthropological science; Celina Flores, an Ohio University senior majoring in communications and public advocacy; and Ariana Latimer, a Cuyahoga Community College sophomore studying business administration – were recognized at Esperanza’s Fiesta of Hope luncheon in June.

Esperanza scholarship recipients are selected based on academic achievement, demonstrated financial need, volunteer and extracurricular involvement and an in-person interview.

Forest City’s corporate philanthropy program focuses on organizations and initiatives that generate significant, enduring and positive impacts in the company’s headquarters city of Cleveland and core markets of New York, Boston, Washington, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas. Areas of emphasis include economic development, workforce preparedness, educational attainment and diversity and inclusion.

Forest City’s cumulative support of Esperanza has resulted in the awarding of 10 scholarships and has benefitted the Cleveland-based nonprofit’s academic, mentoring, youth leadership and family engagement programs.

“Our organization relies on the support of dedicated corporate and community members,” said Victor Ruiz, Esperanza’s executive director. “Forest City's engagement with Esperanza is a great model of responsible corporate citizenship.”  

Forest City supports Esperanza in its vision of serving as a model of academic and community excellence in more ways than through charitable giving. Unidos organized a school supply drive in support of the organization’s back-to-school supplies giveaway, which resulted in the donation of more than 1,350 items. Company associates have also participated in Esperanza’s mentorship program and served on the organization’s scholarship committee.

“Forest City's support is greatly valued,” said Ruiz. “Countless volunteer and mentoring hours have been donated by company associates.”

Tweet me:Forest City partners with @esperanzainc to sponsor three Hispanic heritage scholarships http://bit.ly/2cTZYEg

Contact Info:

Jeff Linton
+1 (216) 416-3558
jefflinton@forestcity.net

Jill Ziegler
+1 (216) 592-1310
jillziegler@forestcity.net

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Diversity & Human Resources, forest city, Forest City Realty Trust, REIT, Esperanza, Hispanic, scholarship, Hispanic Heritage Month

Opening video of the Bloomberg Hopkins 100 Awards event

SOURCE:Bloomberg

DESCRIPTION:

Originally posted on Funny Or Die

In the opening video of the Bloomberg Hopkins 100 Awards event, Katie Couric risks her life to show that public health is saving lives every day – including hers. This year, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health celebrates its 100th anniversary and honors global leaders in public health.

Tweet me:#FunnyorDie: @KatieCouric risks her life to show that public health is saving lives every day @bloombergdotorg http://bit.ly/2cF3a6I

KEYWORDS: Media & Communications, Health, public health, video, katie couric, NBC, Good Morning America, TV, johns hopkins, Biden, healthy, healthy living, Bloomberg, fundraiser, Awareness

Symantec Releases its FY16 Corporate Responsibility Report Demonstrating Its Commitment to Making the World a Better and Safer Place.

SOURCE:ReportAlert

DESCRIPTION:

The company invites its stakeholders to review the report and complete a brief stakeholder feedback survey. As an incentive, survey respondents can vote for one of three nonprofits to receive a $100,000 grant.

Corporate responsibility and positive societal impact are core to Symantec’s business strategy. Integrity is a cornerstone of the company’s mission and values, and helps define a winning culture. Through their global efforts to build and sustain a diverse and inclusive workplace, invest in STEM and cyber security education, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Symantec remains committed to making the world a better and safer place.

The company’s corporate responsibility platform is organized into three pillars:

• Our People, which includes talent and culture, and diversity and inclusion
• Your Information, which includes securing information and customer satisfaction
• The World, which includes the environment, human rights, philanthropy, and community engagement

These issues are discussed in Symantec’s 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report which aheres to the Global Repoting Initative reporting criteria. Each topic is presented in nine standalone PDFs, to make the information easily accessible to readers interested in specific topics. The entire report is also available for download as a single PDF. 

Highlights from Symantec’s 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report include:

• An in-depth materiality analysis reflecting the company’s new sole focus on cyber security features high priority corporate responsibility issues important to employees, customers, shareholders and the broader community.
• A goal to increase the diversity of Symantec’s workforce at all levels of the company by 15 percent by 2020 by implementing efforts focused on accessing a more diverse talent pool, establishing executive level talent metrics and focusing on talent development.
• Symantec’s eighth consecutive 100 percent score on The Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), underscoring the company’s commitment to diversity and human rights. More than six million dollars has been invested by the company to excite, engage and educate 745,446 students in STEM education, including through the Symantec Cyber Career Connection (SC3) program, which provides a pathway for underrepresented young adults and veterans to enter into cyber security.
• A new goal to reduce the company’s GHG emissions by 30 percent by 2025, an important step in reducing Symantec’s energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Employees volunteered 28,782 hours in communities around the world last year.
• Symantec has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for the tenth consecutive year and to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the ninth consecutive year. The Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) series is the longest-running global sustainability benchmark and one of the most prestigious corporate sustainability indices. These independent rankings recognize Symantec’s sustainability performance including its corporate citizenship leadership and strong governance policies and practices.

Symantec became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact (UN Global Compact) in 2006 and continues to support its ten principles. In recognition of the bold and transformative steps needed to shift the world onto a sustainable path, Symantec committed to supporting progress toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

No. 4, Quality Education

No. 5, Gender Equality

No. 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth

No. 10, Reduced Inequalities

No. 13, Climate Action. 

The company highlights how its activities support these specific SDGs in the relevant sections of the 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report.

Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ: SYMC) is the global leader in cyber security. Operating one of the world’s largest cyber intelligence networks, we see more threats, and protect more customers from the next generation of attacks. We help companies, governments and individuals secure their most important data wherever it lives.

Media Contact:
Symantec Corporation
Kristen Batch
503-516-6297

Read the Report

Tweet me:.@Symantec remains committed to making the world a better and safer place. Read more in #CR report http://bit.ly/2dLXEWb via @ReportAlert

KEYWORDS: Reports, Diversity & Human Resources, Symantec, ReportAlert, Corporate Responsibility Report, cyber security, SDGs

SOURCE:Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

SUMMARY:

Premal Shah is the president and co-founder of Kiva, an international nonprofit founded in 2005 with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. To date, 1.5 million people have crowdfunded $920 million in loans to 2 million borrows on Kiva. The Hewlett Packard Enterprise Foundation funds Matter to a Million, a global partnership with Kiva through which every employee is provided with a $25 credit each year to lend to Kiva borrowers. More than $11.6 million has been loaned by employees to entrepreneurs around the world. Follow Kiva on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kiva

DESCRIPTION:

At Kiva we have a saying: Talent is universal equally distributed, but opportunity is not. We believe in a world where everyone can participate in their economy. Digital technology is enabling that reality.

In our lifetime, the entire planet will be connected through some device. We are realizing the potential for the internet, technology, and the marketplace to converge and create more distributed opportunities for the financially underserved.

Cost and access to financial services are critical issues for the working poor and digital technology is one of the greatest democratizing forces in changing this reality. When microfinance was pioneered by Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, his true innovation came from figuring out a risk management system that relied on peer group lending. That eventually scaled to solidarity groups, and people borrowed together, leading to a very high repayment rate—more than 95%. Now more than 200 million people globally have accessed microcredit. The next frontier is to reduce the cost of that access. Today the average interest rate is 35%, this is still high but also a vast improvement from village moneylenders who may charge 85% or more.

Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending to both alleviate poverty and create economic opportunity. We do that by operating a website where you can read through stories of entrepreneurs in more than 80 countries and make small loans to people. I like to think of it as match.com meets microfinance; for instance, if a woman in Afghanistan wants to buy a cow to start a dairy business, you can participate in funding her through $25 dollar loans, via PayPal. As the business is successful, she repays the loan and you get your loan money back to relend to another person on Kiva. Not only does this model help underfinanced entrepreneurs jump-start their businesses, but it also has a 97% repayment rate.

Thousands of HPE employees have discovered the joy of helping entrepreneurs around the world through Matter to a Million, a five-year, global microloan initiative that provides employees with a $25 credit to direct a microloan to an entrepreneur in one of the 80+ countries where Kiva operates. The campaign launched in February 2014 and has already resulted in more than $11.6 million in microloans made to business owners.

This is revolutionary in corporate philanthropy. Our partnership with HPE aims to demonstrate the power of collective action and innovation when it is integrated into corporate social responsibility. By directing micro-entrepreneurs to receive the $25 loan, an employee can impact an individual, a family, a community and a country—creating change on a global scale.

Just as Kiva brought the power of crowdfunding to micro-lending, we’re now looking to expand and scale this model to ensure that Small and Growing Businesses (SGBs) and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) also have access to capital. These types of businesses can create real formal sector jobs in economies that suffer from poverty. Despite their economic potential, SGBs and SMEs struggle to access loans because they are too large for microfinance and are still too small for commercial lending or investments.

Kiva’s crowdfunding platform can help to provide $50,000 and $100,000 loans to SGBs and SMEs. Small factories are fully funded in the same way that loans for microenterprises are routinely funded on the website. We now need to find more corporate and foundation partners such as HPE who are willing to match the loans that Kiva’s individual citizen lenders provide—these partnerships are extremely valuable indeed and help to grow the movement and impact more lives.

Kiva is in a unique position to help drive new innovations in economic inclusion because risk is divided into small, $25 increments. Also, Kiva’s lenders don’t think like banks. They desire to make maximum impact on the borrowers, issues and regions they care about. Given the increasing rate of change and uncertainty in our world, we need to be more comfortable making little bets, and willing to learn from our failures, in order to prioritize new experiments that help us discover breakthrough solutions. The small businesses that you see on the Kiva website often face failure but what's so amazing to me is their resiliency as they bounce back from challenging circumstances and other causes of failure.

Driving economic inclusion by closing the digital divide is helping to provide the opportunity for underfinanced entrepreneurs to empower themselves and connect with the lending world around them.

Tweet me:#InclusiveEconomy: Perspectives from Premal Shah of @Kiva http://bit.ly/2cVZLAI @premal @HPE_LivingProg #LivingProgress

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HPE, kiva, Matter to a Million, Premal Shah, inclusive economy

Atlas Copco Compressors in Rock Hill, SC, Holds Food Drive

SOURCE:Atlas Copco

DESCRIPTION:

Out of a world population of 7 billion, 2 billion people suffer from some form of micronutrient deficiency.* As a way to get involved in putting an end to hunger around the world, Atlas Copco Compressors’ Rock Hill, South Carolina office partnered with a not-for-profit organization called Stop Hunger Now. Driven by the vision of a world without hunger, Stop Hunger Now operates meal packaging programs in addition to educating volunteers about hunger. They then distribute those prepackaged high-calorie meals through feeding programs in developing countries that promote education, encourage children to attend school, improve students’ health and nutrition, address gender inequalities, stimulate economic growth and oppose child labor.

They also cash grants to organizations in developing countries. In 2013, they distributed $252,800 in grants supporting education projects, providing school supplies and assisting victims of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

During Atlas Copco’s meal packaging event, employees packaged over 10,100 meals! Stop Hunger Now brought all of the raw ingredients and supplies needed to package the meals while volunteering staff filled bins with ingredients, scooped ingredients into meal bags, weighed and sealed the bags and even loaded the pallets and equipment onto the truck. The event is an immensely fun, hands-on and rewarding experience where employees from different buildings and departments can work together with upbeat music and a chance to hit the gong bell with every 1,000 meals packaged.

If your office would like to get involved and work with Stop Hunger Now, they operate meal packaging programs in 20 cities in the U.S. and in South Africa, Malaysia, India, Italy, Peru and the Philippines.

*Source: IFPRI, Global Nutrition Report 2016

Tweet me:.@AtlasCopcoUSA + @Stop_Hunger_Now partner to package meals for those in need http://bit.ly/2cW4Pon #fighthunger

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Corporate Social Responsibility, Atlas Copco USA, Atlas Copco Compressors, Rock Hill SC, Food Drive, fight hunger

Kentucky’s First Lady shares her adoption story

SOURCE:Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

DESCRIPTION:

The first family of Kentucky is making their connection to adoption very well-known as they continue to ensure adoption benefits remain a priority for state employees. This year, the Commonwealth of Kentucky ranked second as an industry leader in the government category on the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption’s annual Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace list. Kentucky offers $5,000 in financial assistance to employees who adopt. Kentucky’s First Lady, Glenna Bevin wanted to share her story:

Matt and I are often asked why we decided to adopt. After all, when we made that decision, we were already blessed with 5 biological children. There's no simple answer to that question except to say that after working on various projects to benefit orphans, something began to stir inside us - something that said God was not quite finished growing our family.

Over time, Matt and I began to feel a calling that tugged at our heartstrings. Every time we thought about the children who didn't know what it was like to have loving parents who could patch scraped knees, tuck them in at night, or give them hugs of unconditional love, the calling grew stronger. So, after much prayer, we adopted our son, Jonah.

During that adoption process, we learned of a sibling group of orphans who were unlikely to be adopted. The 3 children were aged 3-10, and few families look to adopt older children and multiple siblings.

I'll never forget when the director of the orphanage asked us, "Could you take them?" It quickly became clear that these children had been placed in our lives so we could be the parents they needed. And then there were 9...

Being a parent is one of life's greatest gifts, and we are blessed to wake up every day to 9 smiling faces and enjoy a home full of love and laughter.
We are thrilled that Kentucky offers the Adoption Benefit Program to help state employees know the same joy. Whether you are looking to start a family or grow your family, we encourage you to consider adoption; consider opening your home and your heart to a child in need.

The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is proud to have partners like the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where the Foundation not only has a partner in adoption-friendly workplaces, but also a home for several Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiters.

To learn more about all the companies that applied for the Best Adoption Friendly Workplace and to see the Top 100 list, visit adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org.

Tweet me:KY First Lady Glenna Bevin shares her #adoption story http://bit.ly/2bfaVjn #DTFA #AFW

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Awards & Recognition, Dave Thomas, adoption, foster care, Recruiter, Matt Bevin, Glenna Bevin, Kentucky, forever family, Wendy's, Best Adoption Friendly Workplace

Leading cancer foundation hosts multi‐distance ride, walk/run to raise funds that help to improve the lives of people affected by cancer now

SOURCE:LIVESTRONG

DESCRIPTION:

WHAT: On Sunday, October 16, thousands of riders—many of them cancer survivors—and other LIVESTRONG Foundation supporters from not only Texas, but cities and towns across America will come together to honor their courageous fight against cancer during the 20^th annual LIVESTRONG Challenge.

It is the only ride that begins and ends in downtown Austin. Additionally, it is open to participants of any skill level. Riders, runners, and walkers from around the country can choose from 20, 45, 65, or 100-mile bike rides through the Texas Hill Country, or LIVESTRONG’s Honor 5k.

The entire family can register for the event online until Oct. 13. On-site registration will be available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 15 (during packet pickup hours at LIVESTRONG HQ—2201 E. 6th St., Austin) and Oct. 16 on-site at the Palmer Events Center. After the ride and run, participants and spectators are invited to a post-event celebration at the Challenge Village, where a selection of food, beer, music, and products from Austin-based vendors will be on offer.

This year’s event benefits the groundbreaking LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes of the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin. This $50 million gift to Austin’s new medical school—to be given over the next decade—was announced in 2014. The LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes seek to reinvent the way cancer patients and survivors are cared for and supported. This gift encourages the “re-thinking” of cancer care from prevention to diagnosis, treatment to survivorship. The defining characteristic of the LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes is patient-centered research and care.

Additional Information to Know: To support LIVESTRONG Challenge participants, you can visit the Team LIVESTRONG page here.

WHO: Greg Lee, LIVESTRONG Foundation President; cancer patients, survivors, caretakers, and advocates; runners and cyclists of all ages and skill levels from around the country.                         

WHEN:

Sunday, October 16

• LIVESTRONG Challenge Rides are set to kick off at 7:30 a.m.
• Hospitality tent, Kids Zone, and other entertainment activities start at 8 a.m.
• LIVESTRONG Honor 5k walk/run is set to begin at 8:15 a.m.
• The venue will close at 4 p.m.

WHERE:

Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX 78704

RSVP: Members of the media interested in a preview interview with a LIVESTRONG Foundation spokesperson or race participant, or who would like to cover the run/ride should contact Katherine McLane at 512-538-4606 or by emailing her at Katherine.McLane@livestrong.org. If interested in interviews the day of the event, please call Katherine McLane at the number listed above.

Tweet me:.@LIVESTRONG to host multi‐distance ride to raise funds that help improve the lives of people affected by cancer now http://bit.ly/2cWB5Yv

KEYWORDS: Events, Conferences & Webinars, Business & Trade, Austin, LIVESTRONG, Greg Lee, LIVESTRONG Cancer Institutes, cancer survivor, CANCER CARETAKER

SOURCE:Comcast Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

The Millennial Trains Project (MTP) is an opportunity for young entrepreneurs and changemakers to work on innovative projects over a week-long train journey across the country. Throughout these journeys, participants are advised by experts, collaborate with other millennials, and learn from a variety of influencers and leaders in communities. Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to be the lead partner of MTP for the last two years, enabling young innovators to advance their projects helping solve defining issues of our time, that will benefit communities in new and innovative ways.

Learn more about MTP here.

Tweet me:How @ComcastNBCUOP & @MillennialTrain move people & communities forward with #innovation, #ideas & #collaboration http://bit.ly/2dPf982

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Diversity & Human Resources, Millennial Changemakers, collaboration, Comcast NBCUniversal, young innovators

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

Hurricane Matthew is devastating. According to the New York Times, Florida’s “Atlantic coast is feeling the force of the Category 3 storm, and the National Weather Service warns of ‘extremely dangerous and life-threatening’ winds. ‘Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate,’ the governor urged 1.5 million residents yesterday.” More from their reporters about the destruction in Florida, South Carolina and elsewhere can be found here.

It is the decade’s most powerful Atlantic tropical storm. Its rain and winds have killed more than 280 people so far and displaced 15,000 people in Haiti. Many people are cut off from access to relief supplies, with roads and bridges washed away or impassable. Flooding from the storm is expected to exacerbate pre-existing epidemics such as cholera, dengue fever, and Zika.

Now the storm is wreaking havoc and destruction as it tears its way over the east coast of the Florida peninsula through tonight, and near or over the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina on Saturday. According to the Washington Post, Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in Florida, as have the governors in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Gov. Scott said that some mandatory and voluntary evacuations were in place in Florida on Wednesday.

We already know that federal and state government aid won’t be enough. Our charitable contributions are also necessary to reach the thousands of people now without homes.

A donation to the new America’s Charities Disaster Recovery Fund – Hurricane Matthew, developed in partnership with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), helps make a difference today, tomorrow and beyond – long after the cameras left and the nation has moved on.

Funds raised will be used for mid- to long-term recovery efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Matthew, with the goal of supporting the most vulnerable populations, and filling the gaps in government and international aid. By pooling our resources and acting collectively, we can have a far greater impact on long-term recovery.

How to support those impacted by the devastating hurricane:

1. Make this Fund available on your employer’s workplace giving platform. Donating at the workplace is convenient and has proven to facilitate greater levels of giving. If you are a client of America’s Charities, please contact us at clientsolutions@charities.org and we’ll set it up on your behalf.
2. You can also make a direct contribution to the Fund by emailing us at marcom@charities.org.
3. Go directly to https://www.charities.org/funds/hurricane-matthew to contribute to the Fund via credit card.
4. Or test-drive America's Charities powered by Causecast's crowdfunding tool while helping us raise money for this urgent need by donating now via credit card or PayPal at https://goo.gl/DktyYo.

By giving to the America’s Charities Disaster Recovery Fund – Hurricane Matthew, your donation dollars are distributed to vetted nonprofits, based on in-depth research conducted by CDP. America's Charities will disperse donations as the needs of the disaster dictates, and we'll be in touch every step of the way so you know specifically how your donation has advanced the recovery process. We'll share as many stories and pictures of those nonprofits on the ground that we can. You can read more about our partnership here.

We all instinctively give with our hearts, which means when disaster strikes, we give immediately and intuitively. Yet that doesn’t always help in the long run, and we are not always sure if our donations are really improving the lives of people in need. Our Fund leverages American generosity—your generosity—by enabling immediate donations and using CDP’s expert analysis to best determine how those funds should be allocated to vetted charities over the long-term.

Thank you for your contribution.

Register Now!

Hurricane Matthew Webinar: How Donors Can Help
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
11 a.m. ET/10 a.m. CT
Register today!

Tweet me:.@AmerCharities: 4 ways you can support #HurricaneMatthew recovery efforts over the long term http://impact.ac/2cX14UD #Disaster #Donate

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Business & Trade, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, disaster relief, disaster recovery, America's Charities, Employee Engagement, Fundraising, cause marketing, corporate philanthropy, workplace giving, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)