SOURCE:School of Visual Arts - Design for Social Innovation

DESCRIPTION:

Welcome to our international information session, wherever you are in the world. We have a tradition to post, after our New York reception, an online welcome of sorts to all our international applicants. In this film, you’ll find an overview of the program, and answers to the questions we are most often asked, from our first and second year students. We’ve tried to cover the main languages spoken by our cohorts. If you don’t find the answer among these that you were looking for, please make sure to email and ask us. DSI students have come from twenty-four countries, and we look forward to welcoming students from those and more. The diversity of cultures represented here, and the learning that comes from having cultures from around the world come to New York to solve the world’s big challenges together is unlike any other educational experience. So take a look at the film, and then APPLY. Our first review of applications is January 15th.

In the film, you’ll hear from program Chair Cheryl Heller, followed by DSI students Hind Alessa (Saudi Arabia), Nada Azem (Syria), Nazlı Cangönül (Turkey), Barbara Fang (China), Rodrigo Muñoz (Ecuador), David Rojas (Colombia), and Wen Tang (China).

KEYWORDS: Education, Diversity and Human Resources, Design for Social Innovation, international students, School of Visual Arts

At the recent University of Tennessee football game against University of South Carolina, 11 schools from across the state of Tennessee were recognized as having the top school environmental programs through the Good Sports Always Recycle™ program.

SOURCE:Eastman Chemical Company

DESCRIPTION:

November 12, 2015 /3BL Media/ - The Good Sports Always Recycle(GSAR)  program, sponsored by Eastman, Food City and Waste Connections, in conjunction with the University of Tennessee, was designed to educate Tennessee students on the value of environmental stewardship, while also providing monetary support for these programs.  An annual challenge determines the top ten programs in the state based on what a school is doing to bring environmental lessons and practices into the classroom.  Additionally, one school receives the Sustainability Steward award for advancements in reducing its overall waste footprint through energy and water conservation, recycling programs and the use of green space.

Andrew Jackson Elementary in Kingsport, Bradford High School in Bradford, Crosswind Elementary School in Collierville, EW Grove School in Paris, Freedom Intermediate School and Poplar Grove School in Franklin, Lipscomb Academy Elementary School in Nashville, Michie Elementary School in Michie, Sacred Heart School in Loretto and Sequoyah Elementary in Knoxville were recognized as winners of the 2015 school challenge. Each school took home $1,000 to support their environmental programs.  St. George’s Independent School in Collierville was awarded the Sustainability Steward award and received $1,500 for its program. 

“We want to congratulate these schools for their hard work throughout the year to educate students about the importance of being environmentally responsible and for their efforts to find innovative solutions to reduce, reuse and recycle in their school and community,” said Hanneke Counts, director of Environmental Affairs at Eastman. “Creating a generation of Tennesseans that is focused on sustainability and understands the importance of environmental stewardship is vital for all of our success, and we hope that this program inspires Tennessee students, their families and communities to play their part in that effort.”

The Good Sports Always Recycle program also includes the University of Tennessee athletic facility recycling and composting program, which has grown from a recycling program for only Neyland stadium to a campus-wide athletic facility initiative.  During the 2014 football season, GSAR recycled, reused or composted nearly 284 tons of waste.  This year, UT has set a goal to get to “zero waste” at games by the end of the 2015-2016 football season.

Along with its partners, Eastman provided the winning schools with a tour of the Vol Network studios at Neyland Stadium, a special tailgate celebration prior to the game on November 7, and an on-field celebration during the game. 

The Good Sports Always Recycle program has been recognizing schools in Tennessee for their efforts since 1993, and to-date, schools have received more than $130,000 through the GSAR program. For more information, visit www.Eastman.com/GSAR.

Tweet me:.@EastmanChemCo educates students on value of environmental stewardship as sponsor of Good Sports Always Recycle http://3bl.me/vecadd

KEYWORDS: Finance & Socially Responsible Investment, Education, Eastman, university of tennessee, University of South Carolina, Good Sports Always Recycle, sustainability, environment, tennessee, Neyland Stadium, recycle

By Tony Speller, Regional Vice President of Technical Operations and Engineering, Comcast

SOURCE:Comcast Corporation

DESCRIPTION:

More than 20 years ago, I joined Comcast as a technician and cable installer. My career has taken me from coast to coast, with roles in Chicago, Seattle, Houston, New Hampshire, and now Philadelphia. But no matter what my title was or where I was working, one thing that remained constant was the passion of the colleagues I worked with when it came to supporting our communities. This commitment to giving back stands out each fall during our company’s annual United Way Campaign as our employees rally together to pledge support to United Way and the thousands of nonprofit organizations it funds across the country.

Today, I am extraordinarily proud to announce that this year we have topped our company record, with $10 million in support for United Way. Employees pledged nearly $8 million, with many diverting a portion of every paycheck next year to help people in need. Combined with more than $2 million in grants from the Comcast Foundation to support local United Way affiliates nationwide, Comcast NBCUniversal will surpass $75 million in total support to United Way since 2001.

The simple fact is that one pledge makes a deep impact one life at a time. I know this firsthand because I was a recipient of someone else who gave, and I had the chance to tell my story during our employee campaign through a companywide video.

I grew up without a lot of money. My mother, a housekeeper, and my father, a dock worker, committed incredibly long hours to make ends meet, and that meant my siblings and I needed somewhere to go after school. Our recreation center in Norfolk, Va. provided not only a safe place, but a place for us to focus on our education. Thanks to United Way, my siblings and I were able to find a successful path forward.

While at first I was reluctant to share this personal part of my life and relive the past, I am glad I did. So many employees that I hadn’t met before reached out to me during our campaign, expressing how my story touched a chord with them because they could see how their donations make an impact. We all have a story – and I feel humbled to have had the opportunity to share mine. Somewhere out there today there is someone else who is living in the exact situation as I was, and it is my hope that United Way pledges by our Comcast NBCUniversal employees will help them pave their own path forward in life. 

This article first appeared on Comcast Voices, a place for conversations with Comcast. Read more blogs about our impact in the community here.

Tweet me:.@ComcastImpact boosts @UnitedWay + local communities with $10M record-setting employee giving campaign http://3bl.me/hf2brb

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, United Way, Engagement, employee giving, comcast

Southern Nevada Recycling Center Expected to Double Capacity throughout Clark County

SOURCE:Republic Services

DESCRIPTION:

LAS VEGAS, November 12, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) opened a new residential recycling center today that will enable customers throughout Southern Nevada to achieve their sustainability goals for years to come. The Southern Nevada Recycling Center is capable of processing two million pounds of recyclable material per day, or 70 tons per hour, and is expected to double recycling capacity in the area.

"This is a special day for people throughout Southern Nevada, especially our customers," said Tim Oudman, area president of Republic Services. "A recycling center of this magnitude is a bold undertaking, and reflects our community's commitment to environmental responsibility. Southern Nevada is home to considerable natural beauty and we are truly proud to invest in its preservation."

The Southern Nevada Recycling Center features several advanced recycling technologies, including five optical sorters which use 2D and 3D technologies to make material separation decisions in milliseconds. The Center's recycling systems also provide operators with a highly automated, touch screen control system, as well as tablet-based capabilities that allow for real time systems management and monitoring, data acquisition and remote access.

"The City of North Las Vegas is proud to be the home of the nation's largest residential recycling complex," said John J. Lee, mayor ofNorth Las Vegas. "We take tremendous pride in the facility and in the contributions it will make to both the economy and the environment. And we commend Republic Services for creating a Learning Center that will inspire many new recyclers, both young and old."

Republic installed a Learning Center in the Southern Nevada Recycling Center which features sustainability oriented educational displays and community videos, as well as a live video stream of recycling operations. The Learning Center also offers visitors a rare, 360 degree view of the recycling process in an observation deck that sits above live operations. The Learning Center is intended to be a special resource for the community and customers, as well as an educational destination for sustainability minded Las Vegas tourists.

Sustainability was a priority throughout the design and construction of the Southern Nevada Recycling Center. More than 75 percent of the 110,000 square foot building was made from recycled or remanufactured steel. There are 1,776 solar energy panels on the roof that are expected to generate enough renewable energy to fulfill 15 percent of the building's power requirements. Inside the building, automatic low-flow water fixtures will reduce consumption by more than 20 percent. Within the Learning Center, sustainability was incorporated into every facet of the displays and design. Outside the building, the natural landscape was preserved and repurposed for flood channel mitigation.

The Southern Nevada Recycling Center is located next to an existing 88,000 square-foot recycling facility. Together, they comprise the largest known residential recycling operation in North America, and use the most advanced recycling technologies available.

Republic Services operates 66 recycling centers nationwide, and processes roughly five million tons of recyclable material annually.

Republic Services of Southern Nevada employs more than 1,300 people, and operates a fleet of more than 400 collection trucks, including 100 trucks powered by Compressed Natural Gas. In addition to the Southern Nevada Recycling Center, Republic operates two transfer stations, one landfill and one natural gas fueling station locally.

About Republic Services
Republic Services, Inc. (NYSE: RSG) is an industry leader in U.S. recycling and non-hazardous solid waste.  Through its subsidiaries, Republic's collection companies, recycling centers, transfer stations and landfills focus on providing effective solutions to make proper waste disposal effortless for their commercial, industrial, municipal, residential and oilfield customers. We'll handle it from here.^TM, the brand's tagline, lets customers know they can count on Republic to provide a superior experience while fostering a sustainable Blue Planet^TM for future generations to enjoy a cleaner, safer and healthier world.

For more information, visit the Republic Services website at RepublicServices.com. "Like" Republic on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RepublicServices and follow on Twitter @RepublicService.

Tweet me:Southern Nevada Recycling Center Expected to Double Capacity throughout Clark County. Read: http://3bl.me/5shsee via @RepublicService

KEYWORDS: Environment and Climate Change, Business & Trade, Republic Services, las vegas, Residential Recycling Center

SOURCE:Amway

DESCRIPTION:

At this year’s European Diamond Conference and European Leadership Training Seminar, Amway Business Owners made donations that will improve the facilities at two schools in Greece and Bali –and enhance the experiences of the children attending them.

This year, contributions were made to the Tunjuk Primary School in western Bali and a kindergarten in Soulinari Messinia, Greece.

The Tunjik Primary School was built in 1968 and has had little to no improvement to the building since it was opened. Among its most urgent needs was a basic but important one: proper sanitary facilities. Its 112 students are at risk for illness due to poor sanitation at the school, which jeopardizes their education and the difference it makes in their lives. Amway ABOs attending the Diamond Conference in Bali were happy to support the school with a check for 10,000 Euros.

The 3,500 ABOs in attendance at the Leadership Training Seminar in Costa Navarino, Greece, came together in July for two weeks of training, idea sharing, and philanthropy.  ABOs donated playground equipment to a kindergarten in Soulinari Messinias, a village in the Peloponnese region of Greece. The school, which opened in 1983, has used the same recreational equipment for 32 years. Thanks to the ABO’s generosity, the children will soon have a new playground.

Each year, Amway Europe Special Events partners with Amway Corporate Social Responsibility to contribute to organizations or efforts that advance sustainability and social responsibility. The two organizations receiving these 2015 contributions (the Tunjuk Primary School and kindergarten in Greece) were announced during the European Diamond Conference and European Leadership Training Seminar, Amway Europe’s two largest events.

Tweet me:European Amway Business Owners help upgrade two schools in Bali and Greece http://3bl.me/eyexyc #amwayonebyone

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Business & Trade, Amway, amwayeurope

By Melinda Sheckells

SOURCE:Republic Services

DESCRIPTION:

North Las Vegas receives the crown jewel of the recycling world on November 12 when Republic Services opens the country’s largest and most advanced residential center dedicated to the reuse of paper, plastic, glass and metal. The Southern Nevada Recycling Center, West Cheyenne Road, offers the public a chance to understand what happens to these products once they leave the bin via an interactive learning center and tours of the plant. Len Christopher, general manager of Republic Services, shares a first look at the privately funded $35 million facility.

Getting smarter

At 110,000 square feet, this center can process 70 tons of garbage in an hour using the most advanced equipment available, including optical sorters that scan by category, type, color and density, creating a clean end product without any fine organic matter. The building itself also has solar panels so it will be able to generate a portion of its own power.

“Where’s my blue bin?”

“Everyone asks me when they find out I work for a recycling company, ‘When am I getting automated?’—meaning, ‘When will I have one bin for all my recyclables? When do we get rid of the old three-bin system?’ The answer is: We had to build this [facility] to be able to handle the volume. The City of North Las Vegas and the City of Henderson are on the automated system, about 165,000 homes. In Clark County, we have some pilot programs,” Christopher says.

Click here to continue reading on Vegas Seven

Tweet me:A First Look Inside the Southern Nevada Recycling Center http://bit.ly/1HEfUcf via @7Vegas @RepublicService

KEYWORDS: Environment and Climate Change, Republic Services, Vegas Seven, Southern Nevada Recycling Center

SOURCE:21st Century Fox

DESCRIPTION:

In November 2010, 20th Century Fox was selected for an innovative multi-year project with the U.S. Department of Energy's Commercial Buildings Partnership to address the environmental impacts generated by its film and television productions. As part of the program, the nation's top researchers developed a new sustainability strategy for the soundstages at the Fox Studios Lot in Los Angeles, many of which date back as far as the 1920s and have unusual use and load characteristics that make it difficult to accurately measure and manage their energy consumption. This in-depth analysis from the experts at the DOE allowed Fox to take a considerable step forward in mitigating its unique sustainability challenges. The studio is now saving 2.6 million kilowatt hours per year as a direct result of this program and expects the savings to increase in coming years as it continues to rollout the new strategy. In addition, Fox's willingness to share its findings publicly has given the industry at large the critical resources for building a more efficient, responsible business.

The DOE launched the Commercial Buildings Partnership in 2010 as a way to encourage market leaders to adopt energy-saving technologies and practices, offering participants access to state-of-the-art technical guidance rather than direct funding. For the project with Fox, leading scientists and engineers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), as well as their consultants from Arup, Glumac, and the Constructive Technologies Group (CTG), provided detailed energy tracking of the stages at Fox Studios and designed a plan to increase their efficiency, primarily through major retrofits to the stages' cooling system.

The team discovered early on that production lighting drew most of the power at the soundstages. Filming requires the sustained use of powerful, high-quality lighting equipment, and the lights generate a considerable amount of heat, meaning that they not only draw power themselves but also force the stages' cooling system to work that much harder. Since a viable energy-efficient alternative to production lights has yet to be identified, the team determined that the lot's cooling system showed the most potential for energy saving.

However, as the team studied the system and the stages it serves, challenges began to mount. The stages, many of which were built during the 1920s, consist of large, single-zone spaces without windows and with limited insulation, and despite their 40-50 foot ceilings, cooling needs to occur at floor level. In addition, the sets constructed within the stage space often obstruct the flow of air, and the cooling system is frequently turned off during filming due to the high level of noise it creates. As a result, the stages are regularly over-cooled to accommodate for the disruptions in cooling.

The team spent the following year developing and implementing an innovative set of sustainability measures to increase the efficiency of the cooling system, including upgrading house lighting to LED lighting where possible, adding new chiller units to the cooling system, and gradually taking buildings off the open-loop cooling system and adding them to the closed loop.

In total, the three-year project, which included a multi-million dollar investment from Fox, has yielded energy savings of more than 2.6 million kilowatt hours per year, cost savings of approximately $1,000 per day, and CO2 emissions reductions of 1,081 tonnes per year. As Fox continues to replicate the EEMs at more and more buildings across the studio lot, the company also released its findings publicly to allow the rest of the film industry to undergo similar retrofits. The DOE has said that the EEMs are applicable to any large campus, office, or higher education facility, meaning that the work done at Fox will continue to resonate across multiple industries for years to come.

Read the full case study at impact.21CF.com. 

Tweet me:See how @20thCenturyFox redesigned its film studio with the help of the Department of @ENERGY: http://bit.ly/1Lcunai @21CF_Impact

KEYWORDS: Energy, Business & Trade, 21st century fox, 20th century fox, Department of Energy, led, retrofit, film, hollywood, commercial buildings partnership, heating, Cooling, lawrence berkeley national laboratory

SOURCE:Alliance Data

DESCRIPTION:

By Kevan Fenderson, Sr. Manager, Public Affairs at Alliance Data

With the U.S. general election 356 days away, there are 16 major Republican and 5 major Democratic candidates running to become the 45th President of the United States. This important political process officially started when the first major candidate announced his campaign on March 23rd. By late June, 15 others had jumped into the fray.

U.S. elections, especially for President are a long multi-year process, and if you have glimpsed even a few seconds of any of the nationally televised debates to date, there are a lot of voices, some completely unfamiliar, clamoring for your attention. This can give most Americans plenty of reason to NOT care.

As a consequence of our slow boil approach, endless polls and awkward debates, most Americans today are not tuned-in to presidential politics and likely will not until after Labor Day 2016.

But, why should you care…and by care I mean beyond which candidate is hosting SNL?

The President is still a big deal…it matters. And it should matter to you. It potentially affects your education’s cost and when you will retire. It impacts your pocketbook and our economy. The President also sets an important tone on issues from national security to data security, and so many more issues that impact your health security and even finally securing full equality. It matters.

But I suspect that you know that…you’re smart…you read Alliance Data’s blog after all.

Chances are, however, that you didn’t vote in the last election – statistically Americans are not disciplined voters. In the 2012 general election, there were 218,959,000 million people of legal voting age; only 146,311,000 million were registered to vote; and of that number – only 126,144,000 million, or 53% of eligible Americans cast a ballot for President. The reasons for voter apathy are vast – but that’s for another discussion.

Here are two very easy things that you can do, even starting today.

1. Listen and Get Informed on the Issues.

This is the fun part! Stump speeches, awkward interviews, debate drama all give us early insight into the fabric of these candidates. If you can’t stomach the debates (and frankly even the candidates are struggling with the debates), visit their websites or read their books. What are they talking about away from the camera? Two of my Alliance Data colleagues, Holly and Stephanie, are doing exactly that, and so can you. Stephanie recently attended a book signing with one candidate. I asked her if she was all in for this particular candidate, and Stephanie told me “maybe. I’m reading both of his books…then I’ll let you know.”  Holly, on the other hand, is leaning strongly for another candidate. As part of her decision-making process, she is evaluating all of the candidates on their stand on three issues that, to Holly, are critically important, and she intends to continue educating herself about the candidates as their platforms evolve.

2. Register to Vote.

No excuses. It’s easy and it is your ticket to the dance! You can visit the www.eac.gov website to get voter information for where you live. The General Election may be almost a year away, but State primaries and caucuses start early next year, so you have an opportunity to make your voice heard even before the Presidential elections next November. There are lots of other great resources, including the US Electoral College site, Rock the Vote and the League of Women Voters.

Listen in, register, and vote — super easy and super important. A college professor of mine kept a tattered bumper sticker in his office. It read “Su Vota Es Su Vida,” which means “your vote is your life,” and in many ways how you choose to vote shapes your life and mine. And for my two cents, it is the best way to keep our young democracy fit and healthy.

————————————————–

Kevan Fenderson is Senior Manager, Public Affairs at Alliance Data, where he supports the company’s political action committee, government relations, and public affairs efforts, including support for Alliance’s U.S.-based businesses. Kevan has over 20 years of public affairs experience working for national environmental, grocery, pharmacy and casual dining companies. Away from work he enjoys time with his family and two dachshunds, Rudy and Elly.

Tweet me:Your Voice Matters: 2 Simple Ways to Become Involved in the Election Now #knowbeforeyouvote https://t.co/wUD7FIgeaw

Contact Info:

Danielle Ricketts
Alliance Data
+1 (214) 494-3782
danielle.ricketts@alliancedata.com

KEYWORDS: Education, Volunteerism & Community Engagement, vote, presidential election, Alliance Data, Government, Public Affairs, Register To Vote

SOURCE:International Living Future Institute

DESCRIPTION:

MEDIA ADVISORY

Greenbuild & International Living Future Institute

AT-A-GLANCE

• Closing the Loop: Net Positive Water Workshop | November 17, 2015

Kathleen Smith, Technical Director for the Living Building Challenge and Stacia Miller, Global Policy and Advocacy Manager will lead a workshop focused on the Living Building Challenge Water Petal and resilient integrated water solutions. This will includ a discussion of issues and solutions related to water policy and what is needed to make it easier for Living Building Challenge project teams and policy-makers alike to support integrated water management.

• LP50 Greenbuild Summit | November 17, 2015

James Connelly and Greg Norris will lead the first adopters of the Living Product Challenge (LPC) in a discussion to provide input on the further development of the LPC Standard. They will also define priorities for this group of early adopters, who are a powerful voice for change in the materials industry.

ILFI EDUCATION SESSIONS:

• Living and Learning: Lessons from the Greenest K-12 Schools | Thursday November 19, 2015 (x and x to present)
• The Living Community Challenge in Net Positive Communities | Friday November 20, 2015 (x and x to present)

LIVING BUILDING CHALLENGE AT GREENBUILD:

• LD01 - The Integrated Design Process as Key to LEED V4 and Living Building Challenge Certification | Tuesday, November 17 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM | ROOM 143B
• B04 - Creating Living, Regenerative Environments | Wednesday, November 18 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM | ROOM 207A
• C11 - The Maker Economy and the Rise of Distributed Manufacturing | Thursday, November 19 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM | ROOM 204ABC
• F06 - Results From a Living Building: The Bullitt Center Turns Two | Thursday, November 19 from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM | ROOM 202A
• H12 - GREEN LIGHT: DC's Research to Action Program | Friday, November 20 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM | ROOM 202B
• TF05 - Living Building: Alice Ferguson Foundation/Potomac Watershed Study Center | Friday, November 20 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM | MEET AT L Street North Lobby

SPOKESPEOPLE ON SITE:
Amanda Sturgeon, Executive Director and Incoming CEO of the Institute
Eric Corey Freed, Vice President of Global Outreach
Kathleen Smith, Technical Director, Living Building Challenge
Brad Liljequist, Technical Director, Net Zero Energy Buildings and Living Community Challenge
James Connelly, Living Product Challenge Director

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL LIVING FUTURE INSTITUTE:
The International Living Future Institute is an environmental NGO committed to catalyzing the transformation toward communities that are socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Composed of leading green building experts and thought-leaders, the Institute is premised on the belief that providing a compelling vision for the future is a fundamental requirement for reconciling humanity’s relationship with the natural world. The Institute runs the Living Building Challenge, Living Community Challenge, Living Product Challenge, Net Zero Energy Certification, the Cascadia Green Building Council, Ecotone Publishing, Declare, JUST and other leading-edge programs. A global network of more than 350 volunteers across nearly 30 countries drive the local adoption of restorative principles in their communities.

Tweet me:Join @Living_Future @Greenbuild 2015 #Greenbuild15 http://3bl.me/8y3hgf

KEYWORDS: Events, Conferences & Webinars, Environment and Climate Change, International Living Future Institute, Greenbuild, ILFI, Water Petal, Living Building Challenge, living product challenge

SOURCE:Keep America Beautiful

DESCRIPTION:

Keep America Beautiful's America Recycles Day– on Nov. 15 – is a great time to celebrate recycling and learn new ways to recycle in your home.

With the national recycling rate at 34.3 percent, there is still plenty we can do to recycle more, to recycle right, and to convert friends and family into recyclers.

So, how can we work together to increase that recycling rate? Let’s start by recycling in the bathroom.

We have found that only 41 percent of Americans say they always recycle products from the bathroom. As a result, common bathroom products like shampoo bottles, toothpaste boxes and shaving cream cans are more likely to end up in landfills than their kitchen counterparts.

Why is this happening? According to our 2015 consumer insights study with the Ad Council, more than one in five people say they would recycle more products if they understood that they could be turned into new products. And nearly half of the people say they don’t recycle in the bathroom simply because they don’t have a recycling bin there to do so!

That’s why it’s more important than ever to spread the word about personal care product recycling. Check out the top five items that many people forget to recycle in the bathroom. Recycle them this America Recycles Day– and every day!

Quick Tip: Placing a small bin in your bathroom can help you to remember these items. You can solidify your commitment to recycle by taking the America Recycles Day pledge here: http://americarecyclesday.org/pledge/.

Tweet me:.@kabtweet says, "Personal care products from the bathroom can be #recycled on #AmericaRecyclesDay and every day!" http://3bl.me/3q3k4s

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

Brenda Pulley
Keep America Beautiful
+1 (202) 688-0603
bpulley@kab.org
http://twitter.com/recyclesday

KEYWORDS: Environment and Climate Change, Education, Keep America Beautiful, America Recycles Day, recycling in the bathroom, ad council, Recycling, I want to be recycled

By Corin Cook

SOURCE:Republic Services

DESCRIPTION:

The Park’s Department will soon be installing an automated external defibrillator (AED) at the Mendon Town Beach, following a donation by Republic Services.

Republic Services, which is the town’s trash and recycling service, presented the Mendon Parks Department a $1,000 check on Oct. 21, to purchase an AED for the beach, a unit that Daniel Byer of the Parks Department said they have a need for.

“We’ve been looking at options for several years,” said Byer, “and we applied for a grant a year ago through the state, but they ran out of money.”

The department plans to purchase and install the unit in the spring, after seeking advice from the Mendon Fire Department regarding which type of unit to purchase. The units, according to Byer, cost about $1,800 to $2,000, so the department will have to cover the remaining balance.

Click here to continue reading on Milford Daily News

Tweet me:Mendon: Parks Dept. Receives Donation for Defibrillator from @RepublicService http://bit.ly/1MNQ1mc via @corincook_MDN @milforddaily

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Republic Services, Milford Daily News, Mendon Town Beach

SOURCE:FrontStream

DESCRIPTION:

We’re excited to announce that FrontStream Fundraising Pro’s online fundraising platform has integrated with the HEPData corporate gift matching database.

HEPData is the largest, most trusted, and most widely used database of over 20,000 corporate matching gift programs, employer-specific forms, and policies.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a growing topic of interest for companies. Many employers will match charitable donations made by their employees. In fact, 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs! Corporate gift matching is especially important as we near the end of the year. Many charities and nonprofit organizations receive 30-50% of their online donations in the last quarter of the year. Matching gift data allows donors to truly maximize the impact of their donation.

Click here to continue reading on the FrontStream Blog

Tweet me:.@FrontStream offers new #data tool to help #charities and #nonprofits raise donation amounts! http://bit.ly/1MsssjH

KEYWORDS: Philanthropy, Business & Trade, frontstream, HEPData, corporate matching, workplace giving

SOURCE:NetSuite Inc.

DESCRIPTION:

Last month, more than 50 leaders from charities and social enterprises in the Philippines attended “Social Impact Accelerated” NetSuite.org’s nonprofit technology conference at ImpactHUB Manila.

During this first-ever event, which was designed to provide attendees with tools to maximize their use of NetSuite software to more efficiently run their organization, attendees heard from leading charities like Coca Cola Foundation Philippines, a nonprofit helping to improve access to education, clean water and economic opportunity to hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, and Virlanie Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 1992 to care for children in need of special protection, including the poor, the abandoned, abused, exploited, neglected and orphaned, about their experience implementing NetSuite.

For the second half of the event, attendees were able to sit in on breakout sessions covering topics from how to improve their organization’s online fundraising to how to set up dashboards in the NetSuite system that enable organizations to easily access their financial data.

It was great to see so many nonprofits leverage the opportunity to join us for Social Impact Accelerated. Jen Horn, Founder and CEO of social enterprise Muni, said "there is really so much potential growth for cause-driven organizations if we just learn to harness the power of technology, and I look forward to finding out how NetSuite might be able to help us grow through that."

NetSuite.org thanks ImpactHUB Manila for partnering and providing the space for the event, and for their work to support charities and social enterprises in the Philippines, and everyone who attended.

For more information on NetSuite.org’s software donation program, visit: http://www.netsuite.org/apply-for-donation.

Tweet me:Charity Leaders Gather for NetSuite.org’s “Social Impact, Accelerated” Conference in Manila. http://bit.ly/1Snc8nZ

KEYWORDS: Events, Conferences & Webinars, Education, Nonprofit Technology, software donation, capacity building, netsuite inc., Social Impact Accelerated

Wildlife habitats flourish at half of the company’s manufacturing sites

SOURCE:General Motors

DESCRIPTION:

DETROIT, November 13, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Over the sounds of the assembly plant building the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, employees at General Motors’ Gunsan plant in South Korea can hear cicadae singing from rescued trees that first sprouted more than a century ago.

The Gunsan plant is GM’s first manufacturing site in Asia to earn certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council for establishing a wildlife habitat on corporate lands, but it’s just one of 46 GM sites around the world that have been recognized by the nonprofit for biodiversity programs.

Seven-thousand miles east, GM’s Orion Assembly plant is gearing up to start production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, while also establishing an onsite pollinator garden to protect declining populations of honeybees and monarch butterflies.

In Kansas City, Kan., GM’s Fairfax Assembly plant is not only the home to the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu and all-new Malibu Hybrid, but to the mourning doves and scissortail flycatchers that take refuge on the site’s 2½ acres of habitat.

GM is now halfway toward its goal of securing wildlife habitat certifications or equivalent at each of its manufacturing sites by 2020. The company leads all automakers in Wildlife Habitat Council certifications.

“General Motors’ continued conservation leadership and commitment to habitat enhancement sets an example for other companies to follow,” said Margaret O’Gorman, president, Wildlife Habitat Council. “The global aspect of GM’s participation in conservation programs raises awareness of corporate conservation’s impact in enhancing ecosystems of value around the world.”

GM’s Gunsan site is the first program the Wildlife Habitat Council has certified in Korea. Last year, GM became the first company to establish a certified wildlife habitat in China. The company now manages nearly 4,700 acres of wildlife habitat in seven countries.

GM received seven new certifications this year through the Wildlife Habitat Council’s Wildlife at Work and Corporate Lands for Learning programs, which recognize outstanding wildlife habitat management and environmental education efforts at corporate sites. Twelve GM facilities also earned recertification this year, having shown continuous growth of their habitats and environmental education programs.

“Our global scale gives us an opportunity to enhance diverse ecosystems in the communities where we live and work, from wetlands and deserts to woodlands and prairies,” said Greg Martin, GM executive director for Sustainability. “We work with schools, nonprofits and conservation groups in our communities to increase awareness about wildlife and habitat preservation at the local level.”

For more information on GM’s environmental commitment, visit its sustainability report and environmental blog.

About General Motors Co.
General Motors Co. (NYSE:GM, TSX: GMM) and its partners produce vehicles in 30 countries, and the company has leadership positions in the world's largest and fastest-growing automotive markets. GM, its subsidiaries and joint venture entities sell vehicles under the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Baojun, Buick, GMC, Holden, Jiefang, Opel, Vauxhall and Wuling brands. More information on the company and its subsidiaries, including OnStar, a global leader in vehicle safety, security and information services, can be found at http://www.gm.com.

About the Wildlife Habitat Council
The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) promotes and certifies habitat conservation and management on corporate lands through partnerships and education. Since 1988, WHC programs translate corporate sustainability goals and objectives into tangible and measurable on-the-ground actions. Through a focus on building collaboration for conservation with corporate employees, other conservation organizations, government agencies and community members, WHC programs focus on healthy ecosystems and connected communities. WHC wildlife habitat and conservation education programs are found in 44 states, the District of Columbia and 13 countries.

Tweet me:.@GM is halfway toward its goal of securing wildlife habitat certifications at its manufacturing sites http://bit.ly/1O7s5O8 #WHCCon15

KEYWORDS: Environment and Climate Change, Conservation, GM, General Motors, Wildlife Habitat Council, Wildlife at Work, Corporate Lands for Learning, 2016 Chevrolet Cruze, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Chevrolet Malibu, Gunsan

SOURCE:Cone Communications

DESCRIPTION:

This year’s BSR conference, held last week in San Francisco, brought together global business, sustainability and civil society leaders to engage in building a resilient future. With sessions such as “How to Set—and Implement—Science-Based Climate Targets” and speakers including Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation and Hannah Jones, Chief Sustainability Officer at Nike, Inc., the event combined actionable insights for practitioners with inspirational conversations from the foremost minds in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) space. Themed Resilient Business, Resilient World, this year’s conference left me with three major takeaways:

Resilient Business

Aron Cramer, President and CEO of BSR, used a data point that was new to me – 75 percent of today’s S&P 500 won’t exist in 2032. If Cramer’s statistic holds true, change is coming for big businesses.

We’ve heard a lot of concerns about banks being too big to fail; I believe big and failure will become more commonplace in the years to come. Why? Organizations are too slow to change, too timid to embrace trends and reshape business models for growth in ways that may be quite different than how they look today. With the power of technology, change can come fast. Just look at Uber and its impact on what seemed to be a stable, stalwart of mobility, the taxi; or Airbnb and its disruption of the hospitality industry. When it comes right down to it, many legacy brands will either change willingly or be forced to change in the decades ahead of us. An undercurrent of conversation throughout the conference was centered on the powerful disruptors that are changing entrenched business interests.

Beyond what gets sold by businesses and how those transactions take place, another trend for business will be a deeper focus on CSR. Tomorrow’s leaders will be those companies that embed CSR deeply within their businesses and brands. As Robert Reich said, successful businesses of the future will be those that are constantly looking for opportunities to do well by doing good in the world.

Resilient Leadership

The days of the business dictator (even the benevolent one) appear to be numbered. Tomorrow’s leader is not going to lead through command and control, but rather through listening, connecting and collaborating. Leaders will need to engage employees from all sides of an organization in order to make true progress.

These skills are inherently more female-leaning than male-leaning, so perhaps there is room for optimism that we may finally see real cracks in the glass ceiling that has kept women underpaid and underrepresented for far too long.

As Melanne Verveer said, it’s time to close the gender gap to unlock the potential of half the world’s population -- women and girls.

Here BSR led by example by being the first CSR conference I’ve ever attended where over 50 percent of the speakers were women. 

Resilient Climate

There was a healthy dose of optimism at BSR about what many saw as a vastly changed climate landscape.

While some remain skeptical, there still is great optimism that momentum is shifting and meaningful actions are beginning to take shape. China and the U.S. have set relatively ambitious targets. Dialogue between most and least developed nations is becoming more focused and action oriented. And the private sector is stepping up with collaborations, commitments and, to a certain degree, policy advocacy. 

To read more on Cone's Prove Your Purpose blog, click here.

Tweet me:Observations from BSR 2015 from @Cone's own Lisa Manley http://bit.ly/1PGhmMm via @Cone

KEYWORDS: Events, Conferences & Webinars, Business & Trade, Cone Communications, BSR 2015

by Sheila Shayon, Sustainable Brands

SOURCE:Caterpillar

DESCRIPTION:

Construction machinery and equipment giant Caterpillar Inc. recently hosted the first major national summit on infrastructure restoration, with the clarion call that investing in nature is smart business. As a major player in the manufacturing industry, Caterpillar reached the conclusion that moving beyond technical principles and establishing a broad coalition of stakeholders is required to bring the restoration conversation mainstream.

Continue reading on Sustainable Brands.

Tweet me:.@CaterpillarInc @nature & @jpmorgan Convene to Discuss Natural Infrastructure Restoration via @SustainBrands http://sbshare.co/1HNjvQ8

KEYWORDS: Environment and Climate Change

SOURCE:Booz Allen Hamilton

DESCRIPTION:

A team of Booz Allen Hamilton Senior Associates was honored last week for pro bono services they provided to the non-profit Give an Hour, an organization providing free mental health services to members of the military, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, their loved and their communities.

As part of Booz Allen Hamilton’s Leadership Excellence for Senior Associates Program, a team of top-performing firm employees was paired with the nonprofit and tasked with developing a framework to measure the effectiveness of community collaboration. During its four-month engagement with Give an Hour, the Booz Allen team developed a process to demonstrate its effectiveness to partners and donors.

Earlier this year, Booz Allen became a founding member of The Campaign to Change Direction (www.changedirection.org ), a national initiative led by Give an Hour to create a new story in America about mental health, mental illness and wellness. As part of a collective effort led by Give an Hour, Booz Allen has committed to do its part to change the conversation about mental health. Over the next five years, the firm has pledged to educate 11,000 of its employees on the signs and symptoms of emotional suffering.  It has further committed to promote positive emotional well-being in the workplace, and foster a holistic approach to wellness.

Booz Allen Senior Vice President Andrea Inserra, a member of the Campaign’s Steering Committee, said, “From our development of strategic tools for Give an Hour’s support of the DC military community to our steadfast support for the Campaign to Change Direction, Booz Allen has proudly devoted five years to this important organization, and will continue to do so. As we honor our veterans this month, it is essential that nonprofits, commercial organizations, and the civilian community band together to help military families maintain a strong foundation in the face of adversity and complex challenges.”

Give an Hour President and Founder Barbara Van Dahlen, Ph.D. said, “We are proud of our longstanding relationship with Booz Allen Hamilton – our partnership is an excellent example of the good work that comes from cross sector collaboration. We were thrilled to recognize the important work of the very talented and generous Booz Allen Hamilton team of Margaret Arney, Jack Greenspan, Deborah Kelly, Michael Hustead, Linda Chappell, and Jerry Clark. The tool they created is not only helping Give an Hour in communities across the country, it is also a valuable contribution to the entire field of collective impact.”

Tweet me:Team of @BoozAllen Senior Associates honored for pro bono services provided to @GiveAnHour | Read: http://3bl.me/x5357r

KEYWORDS: Awards and Recognition, Business & Trade, Booz Allen Hamilton, Give an Hour

SOURCE:Tetra Pak

DESCRIPTION:

As we sharpen our lens on climate in advance of the COP21 Summit in Paris, we all await whether or not agreements reached will result in transformative changes and ultimately in how businesses operate. But some changes in business operations are already under way as companies are recognizing how responsible sourcing and renewable materials use can impact their carbon footprints.

Click here to continue reading on Environmental Leader.

Tweet me:Elisabeth Comere of @TetraPak_USCan examines link between renewable materials & climate change mitigation? http://3bl.me/sffkmx

KEYWORDS: Environment and Climate Change, Business & Trade, Renewable, climate change, COP21, Conservation International, co2, Elisabeth Comere, Tetra Pak

SOURCE:BNY Mellon

DESCRIPTION:

"Generation Lost: Engaging Millennials with Retirement Saving" is a new study by BNY Mellon and Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge that surveyed 1,253 millennials between July and September this year. In this extract from the study, BNY Mellon’s John Buckley, Global Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, talks about bringing social finance to scale.

Large global environmental and social shifts are presenting significant risks and opportunities that have led to an increased interest in the field of Social Finance. An estimated $30 trillion will transfer from the hands of baby boomers to those of Millennials over the next few decades. The long-term savings industry will need to adjust to the growing decision-making power of Millennials and the impending transfer of wealth to a population with a large number of socially and environmentally-conscious members.

There is great potential to engage the millennial generation in Social Finance investments, but it will require a collective effort by the savings and investment community investment community to overcome key challenges and facilitate increased participation. Engaging this group will be key to bringing Social Finance to scale. While trying to achieve scale Social Finance has to stay faithful to the two key tenets of the sector – offering investors an opportunity to properly protect and grow their financial interests while also pursuing substantive social and environmental objectives.

This report shows Millennials around the world indicate they would allocate a significant portion of their portfolio to Social Finance investments. We found through our own research that one of the key challenges to Social Finance reaching its full potential is an insufficient supply of scalable products that offer attractive risk-adjusted returns. The findings from this survey show that Millennials also think their Social Finance investment options are lacking. To successfully engage, the market needs to develop attractive Social Finance products.

Products need to both reflect Millennials’ risk, return, and liquidity expectations, as well as have clear environmental, social, and governance impact objectives and results. Products must also be designed to engage with Millennials on platforms that fit their engagement style and are intuitive to them.

One of the other requisite conditions to bring Social Finance to scale is transparency. This condition is particularly true with younger savers who are accustomed to having access to a plethora of data points on the world around them – including the impacts of their investments. Avenues to impact investing, financing for the developing world, and environmental finance, already exist for skilled and motivated investors. For financial services providers partnering with Social Finance projects, making these avenues more readily accessible and promoting them more vigorously offers a way to connect with Generation Lost.

For more on Social Finance, visit www.bnymellon.com/socialfinance. 

Tweet me:Read @BNYMellon's John Buckley's latest on #socialfinance and the need for fin serv to engage millennials http://3bl.me/3pt6y3

KEYWORDS: Finance & Socially Responsible Investment, millennials, Retirement, Social Finance, Pension Funds, Insurance, BNY Mellon, john buckley

SOURCE:America's Charities

DESCRIPTION:

With #GivingTuesday and the holidays quickly approaching, you are probably trying to figure out a fun, easy way your company and its employees can give back to the community this holiday season.  Have you considered crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a form of peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising.  If you have ever participated in a an event like Relay for Life, a 5k fun run, or similar event where individual fundraising is combined with team fundraising, you have participated in a crowdfunding event.  What if your company could apply the concept of crowdfunding to its employee giving program? You can!

Download #GivingTuesday Corporate Giving Guide: Employee Fundraising and Crowdfunding​

This guide will:

• Educate you about crowdfunding, a form of peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising;
• Offer crowdfunding best practices and advice;
• Provide a roadmap to help you effortlessly create and implement a crowdfunding campaign for your company’s employees to participate in for #GivingTuesday or your other holiday giving campaigns; and
•  Empower you to measure and report your company’s 2015 #GivingTuesday/Holiday giving campaign results with ease.

Tweet me:#GivingTuesday Corporate Giving Guide: Employee Fundraising & #Crowdfunding http://bit.ly/1ONlNGT @AmerCharities @Causecast @GivingTues

KEYWORDS: Volunteerism & Community Engagement, Business & Trade, Crowdfunding, employee giving programs, #givingtuesday, America's Charities, Employee Engagement, Fundraising, cause marketing, workplace giving, csr