06.06.08
Posted in Campaigns, Education, Events, Wired News & Press Releases at 8:42 am by Oliver
Boston based City Year unveiled an expansion of its long-time partnership with Comcast, announcing that Comcast has pledged cross-channel advertising and financial support for City Year totaling $27 million over the next three years. Comcast has had two previous agreements with City Year over the past five years with a total value of $30 million. This expanded agreement will encourage young people to commit to volunteer service by increasing awareness of City Year’s mission and investing in leadership training for City Year corps members and staff.
“Comcast is a tremendous corporate citizen. Its investment in City Year is making it possible for young people to provide vitally needed services to children in schools and communities nationwide. Further, Comcast’s multi-million dollar national public service campaign will call on America’s young people to ‘give a year’ and ‘change the world’ as City Year corps members,”
said Michael Brown, City Year CEO and Co-Founder. Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation David L. Cohen, who also serves as a member of City Year’s National Board comments:
“By enabling our youth to be more responsible citizens today, and more effective leaders for the future, City Year is making a positive difference in communities across the country – and we are proud to partner with them to promote volunteerism, diversity and youth leadership development.”
Besides the direct financial commitment of $3M, the partnership includes leadership development. media sponsorship, and other joint activities, such as City Year corps members serving alongside Comcast employees and their family members at Comcast Cares Day, the company’s national day of service.
About City Year
City Year is a nonprofit organization that unites young people of all backgrounds for a demanding year of full-time service, giving them the skills and opportunities to change the world. As tutors, mentors, and role models, these dedicated idealists make a difference in the lives of children, and transform schools and neighborhoods in 17 U.S. locations and Johannesburg, South Africa. Founded in 1988, City Year is dedicated to helping children succeed, building stronger communities, breaking down social barriers and developing young leaders. City Year is a proud member of AmeriCorps.
About Comcast
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 24.7 million cable customers, 14.1 million high-speed Internet customers and 5.2 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.
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06.05.08
Posted in Events, Reports at 10:29 am by Oliver
At next week’s 2008 CRO conference, San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom will speak about “Lessons from America’s Greenest City” whereas Peter A. Darbee, Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) will present “America’s Greenest Utility”.
PG&E was ranked #10 on the 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008 list, closely followed by Richmond, VA based utility company, Dominion Resources, Inc. Overall winner and awarded as #1 Best Corporate Citizen 2008 was Intel Corporation.
Dave Stangis, who worked to create the CSR function at Intel in the late 90’s and is currently Intel’s Director of Corporate Responsibility, will also participate on a panel at the event.
I am planning to attend the confernce and hope to see you there.
To download the full 100 Best Corporate Citizen list, click here.
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Posted in Events, Social Responsible Investing, Wired News & Press Releases at 9:25 am by Oliver
E+Co, the Bloomfield, NJ based non-profit investment company has been officially awarded as the Financial Times’ prestigious Sustainable Investor of the Year.
As one of five categories at the 2008 FT Sustainable Banking Awards, the Sustainable Investor of the Year award highlights groundbreaking achievement in the area of sustainable investment, recognizing programs with outstanding triple bottom-line impact.
“You hear talk about boutique investing, about SME investing, about technology investing; E+Co brings all three together. An inspiration,”
states the 2008 Judging Panel of the Financial Times’ Sustainable Banking Awards.
E+Co creates its direct impact by investing in individual energy enterprises and building a portfolio of companies that provide clean energy products and services. These impacts are then measured across a triple bottom line of financial, social and environmental impacts. To date, E+Co has brought energy to more than 4 million people, offsetting 3.3 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions and mobilizing $172 million of co-financing. With more than 100 active energy investments, E+Co’s portfolio encompasses solar, wind, hydro, biogas, LPG and energy efficient businesses.
It is the combination of services and capital that distinguishes E+Co’s work from others in the clean energy field. E+Co’s approach is to empower local small and medium enterprises that supply clean and affordable energy to households, businesses and communities in developing countries.
SAM Sustainable Asset Management of Switzerland was awarded as runner-up. More information about the FT Sustainable Banking Awards, including judging criteria and award categories, can be found here.
About E+Co
E+Co is a non-profit investment company that provides business support services and capital to energy businesses in Africa, Asia and Latin America. With almost 15 years of experience and offices in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, the Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand and the United States, E+Co’s innovative business model provides lasting solutions to climate change and poverty.
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06.03.08
Posted in Education, Events, Wired News & Press Releases at 11:35 am by Oliver
Harry R. Halloran Jr., a Philadelphia energy industry entrepreneur has given $10 million to the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas to support its programs in corporate ethics and responsibility.
Besides his roles at American Refining Group Inc. and Energy Unlimited Inc., Halloran also is the founder of Halloran Philanthropies, an organization that supports efforts to enhance global business ethics, microfinance and community service.
“Over the past decade I have come to know and admire St. Thomas’ scholars and programs devoted to corporate ethics,” Halloran said. “The university and its Opus College of Business are leaders in this critically important field, and I am grateful to be able to support their efforts.”
Halloran’s donation to St. Thomas’ Opening Doors capital campaign will support work in corporate ethics and responsibility undertaken by two organizations in the Opus College of Business: the SAIP (Self-Assessment and Improvement Process) Institute and the Center for Ethical Business Cultures.
In April 2008, Halloran Philanthropies and Kiva.org co-hosted the Microfinance Recepetion in conjunction with the 2008 Penn Microfinance Conference.
About Halloran Philanthropies
The purpose of the Halloran Philanthropies is to create a healthy world community that promotes economic development and human dignity guided by ethical principles. GLOBAL ETHICS Supporting programs that impact the ethical behavior of business and promote corporate social responsibility and interreligious programs MICROFINANCE Ensuring the empowerment of the poor to achieve sustainable and dignified livelihoods COMMUNITY SERVICE Promoting neighborhood revitalization and youth education through entrepreneurial development.
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Posted in Education, Events at 10:51 am by Oliver
Today, I stumbled upon the letter, John Chambers, Chairman and CEO of San Jose, CA based networking infrastructure giant Cisco Systems was writing about Cisco’s CSR and Corporate Citizenship report (download report).
Since Gordon and I enjoyed a very interesting meeting with Cisco just a few days back, I want to share some of our learnings.
First of all, we were impressed with the size and scale one of Cisco’s initiatives – in particular the Cisco Networking Academy.
The Cisco Networking Academy is in its tenth year now and what started in one class room of one local school in one country abroad, today involves about 350 Cisco staff, operates in more than 160 countries and has touched more than 2 million students, with an ever-growing percentage of them women in many regions. The academy’s goal is to educate students and have them acquire technical skills that enable them to participate in an economy increasingly driven by technological initiatives, which in turn helps energize local economies and bring underserved communities across the digital divide.
Secondly, in our conversation it became very clear that companies – even with Cisco’s global reach and resources – wouldn’t be as successful without the right partners. As far as I know, one of the valuable cooperation in the case of Cisco’s Networking Academy was the one with USAID.
This reminded me strongly of one of our own goals at Worldsight, which is to become a catalyst and connect all stakeholders of mission driven businesses and initiatives. We may host an event in the future which educates all stakeholders about the “how to…” of mission driven programs and partnerships. If you have input for us we’d appreciate to hear from you.
About Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) enables people to make powerful connections-whether in business, education, philanthropy, or creativity. Cisco hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create the Internet solutions that make networks possible-providing easy access to information anywhere, at any time.
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