Featured this week: 24 Hour Fitness, AAON, Akamai Technologies Inc., American Tower, AmeriHealth Caritas, Amica Insurance, Analog Devices, Ancestry, BMO Financial, CIGNA, Crowe LLP, Deloitte, FedEx, Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, Insulet, JM Family Enterprises Inc., KPMG Canada, Labcorp, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Merck & Co., Inc., Mohawk Fine Papers Inc., Northern Trust Corporation, State Street, T. Rowe Price, TELUS, The TJX Companies Inc., Wells Fargo

The member community convened by Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship is one of a kind. The 500+ companies we serve each year are leaders in environmental, social, and governance action, and the thousands of individuals who make up this network are some of the best in the field! Pictured right: Kids enjoying one of the many pop-up libraries constructed and filled by JM Family Enterprises teams.

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Spotlight on You

In 2022, Jade Psutka, Senior Manager of Indigenous Enablement & Recruitment, KPMG in Canada, helped establish and launch "Indigenizing the Recruitment Process," a six-week course for the company's Talent Attraction members.  “I hope that my role becomes redundant and that Indigenous inclusion in recruitment becomes common practice,” she says. “Inclusion is not just the right thing to do, it is good for business too. It strengthens the services provided by KPMG in Canada and the ability to innovate.” A member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames from the Turtle Clan, Jade proudly works alongside First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities to bring their strength and unique perspectives to KPMG in Canada.

Mneesha Nahata, Chief Sustainability Officer at American Tower, joined Lila Karbassi, Board Chair of the Science Based Targets Initiative, on the podium to ring the NYSE Opening Bell in recognition of companies that are committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through science-based targets. NYSE held its inaugural Sustainability Leaders Summit, an opportunity for businesses to share best practices related to ESG issues.

TELUS welcomed Madhuri Andrews as an independent director to its board of directors and Navin Arora as a director nominee from TELUS. “We are pleased to welcome Madhuri and Navin to the TELUS International board of directors, as they both bring a wealth of skill and public company experience related to governance, risk management and technology, further strengthening the overall effectiveness of our board,” said Darren Entwistle, Chair of the board of TELUS International. “The addition of Madhuri and Navin has further diversified our board and, with Madhuri joining, increased our number of independent directors to five, 80% of which are female, and also enabled us to exceed our goal of having 30% overall female representation on our board prior to the 2023 annual general meeting."

LOOK! 30+ NEW Jobs in Corporate Social Responsibility

Companies and Their Communities

Deloitte is collaborating with United Way to empower trans persons in its communities. Recently, the company was part of the inaugural ceremony of the Chennai Trans Kitchen. The Chennai Trans Kitchen aims to provide trans persons in the city with sustainable income and a gateway for them to enter the mainstream marketplace. By the end of the project, Deloitte hopes that the 15 trans persons who are involved in the project, will be able to run the kitchen independently with minimum involvement from the support organizations. 

Children's Services of Roxbury (CSR), Massachusetts’ largest Black-run non-profit, announced a $1.5 million gift from Liberty Mutual Foundation to support a project that will transform CSR’s headquarters into a welcoming space for the community to readily access CSR’s wraparound services. CSR has been on the front lines, breaking generational trauma through culturally congruent services for the past 50 years. The renovation enables CSR to scale its services to provide housing for homeless families, affordable childcare, children’s mental health services, intensive foster care, and youth development programs. 

San Diego Wave Fútbol Club and 24 Hour Fitness recently announced a new multi-year partnership aimed at promoting healthy living in underserved high schools in Southern California. “At 24 Hour Fitness, we know firsthand the transformative power of holistic fitness. San Diego Wave FC shows that dedication, perseverance, and excellence aren’t just game time qualities and we want to support them as they inspire and empower the next generation of athletes,” said Karl Sanft, President & CEO at 24 Hour Fitness. 

The Wells Fargo Foundation and the Citi Foundation recently teamed up with Living Cities to announce a $3.2 million grant investment to help close racial gaps in income and wealth in six cities--Albuquerque, NM, Austin, TX, Memphis, TN, Minneapolis, MN, Saint Paul, MN, and Rochester, NY. These grants will support the building of an anti-racist society to advance equitable and inclusive economic opportunity. "Homeownership and small business ownership are two of the proven ways to help any group of individuals build wealth to support themselves and their families," said Joe Scantlebury, President and CEO of Living Cities. "Gaps in wealth between people of color and white people persist and it will take coordinated, direct action by leaders in cities to turn back the on-going legacy of systemic racism. We believe that removing barriers to Black, Indigenous, and other people of color owning homes and small businesses is key for our nation's future."

Healthy Hoops travels across the nation, spreading the message to kids, using basketball as a platform to provide a fun, active learning environment to help kids take charge of their health. "It's really about creating healthy behaviors," says Charlene Vickers, AmeriHealth Caritas' Director of Community Investment. "Twenty-two years ago, we started the program and it was really to encourage children with asthma to get out and play sports and be more active." Vickers says that, now, Healthy Hoops has grown beyond that original mission, working toward encouraging children to live healthier lives, from teaching kids about asthma prevention, the dangers of vaping, fighting childhood obesity, maintaining mental health, and more.

JM Family Enterprises Inc. partnered with Little Free Library in Mobile, Alabama and rallied a team of volunteers to construct, fill, and donate 13 pop-up libraries in four states. (Project pictured above.) 

The Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship announced an official launch, earlier this month, as the culmination of Howard’s inaugural HU Entrepreneurship Week. Established in 2021 with a five-year $16.8 million grant from the PNC Foundation, the Center for Entrepreneurship will help build resources and support for Black business owners nationwide. “The Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship is focused on serving as a catalyst for economic opportunity for HBCU students, alums, and Black entrepreneurs broadly,” said Erin Horne McKinney, national executive director for the Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. 

Labcorp is partnering with the Conference of National Black Churches (CNBC) to address healthy equity gaps in colorectal cancer screening. To raise awareness and provide expanded access to colorectal cancer screening tests, the Conference of National Black Churches will distribute over 3,000 colorectal screening test kits across several urban and rural locations including Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis, Washington D.C., New Haven, Los Angeles, and Richmond. "We are proud to partner with Labcorp to increase access to testing options in urban and rural communities," said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of CNBC. "Labcorp's commitment to health equity aligns with our mission of helping the communities we serve to thrive. Access to regular screening for chronic diseases like colorectal cancer is essential for improving quality of life."

Companies Releasing Annual Impact, Philanthropy, and Volunteerism Reports

Ancestry published its second annual Impact Report, detailing the company’s corporate responsibility approach and announcing progress against goals in three core areas: ethical business practices; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); and community impact. Demonstrating a commitment to a better future, the 2022 report also introduces Ancestry’s implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
 
“In 2022 we made great strides across our impact areas including the launch of Ancestry’s first-ever HistoryMakers National College Tour and scholarship, the addition of more than 440 new DNA communities to support more diverse customers globally, and a more than 32% reduction in carbon emissions across Ancestry’s footprint,” said Deborah Liu, Ancestry President and CEO.  “We are proud of our progress, and we recognize there is still more to do. Ancestry remains committed to using our resources to build a more connected, resilient and sustainable future for generations to come." 

Northern Trust Corporation recently released its 2022 Philanthropic Report. The report details philanthropy and volunteerism in four key areas: food security, affordable housing, quality education, and accessible healthcare - in order to focus on helping create long-term financial success for those who have been marginalized. "From our company’s earliest days, we’ve worked in service of a better future for our communities," shared Shana Hayes, Director of Corporate Philanthropy. "Whether through philanthropy or volunteerism, supporting basic needs... is proven by research to make the greatest long-term impact. So that’s what we continue to do: Provide opportunities for those who often don’t receive them due to race, ethnicity, gender, geography or socio-economic conditions. In that way we not only assist communities in their moment of need, but also help provide the tools necessary for them to build a better tomorrow."

T. Rowe Price recently released its 2022 Community Snapshot, which reflects the company’s past year of commitments to community and philanthropy. “We uplift our communities by supporting the causes our associates are passionate about and provide opportunities for them to make a community impact, as well as through the firm’s philanthropic giving in areas of financial well-being, youth empowerment, and creativity and innovation,” said John Brothers, president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation. The report highlights associates’ giving and service, including $24.4 million total in direct grants, matching gifts, associate donations, sponsorships, and memberships; 28,700 hours volunteered by associates across the globe; and 240 hours and more than $46,000 donated in pro-bono consulting services for area nonprofits.

Akamai Technologies Inc. released its ESG Impact Report for 2022. The report shares details of the company’s performance and progress on its five ESG focus areas: sustainability, people, responsible business practices, data privacy and security, and the Akamai Foundation.

Members on the Move

Congratulations to Analog Devices, Inc. for 3 years of BCCCC membership. Happy Anniversary to AAON and Amica Insurance, both celebrating 5 years with BCCCC this April. We'd also like to recognize FedEx and State Street for 25 years of involvement in our corporate citizenship community. Thank you!

Members from BMO Financial, CIGNA, Crowe LLP, Deloitte, Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America, Insulet, Merck & Co., Inc., Mohawk Fine Papers Inc., and the TJX Companies Inc., have recently registered for the 2023 International Corporate Citizenship Conference, happening this spring in Minneapolis, hometown of our convening sponsor, Target. Reserve your spot today!