Featured this week: Aramark, Deloitte, Flex, Fortive, GoTo, Heaven Hill Brands, Kiddie Academy, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Lincoln Financial Group, MAPFRE Insurance, MidAmerican Energy Company, Modivcare, onsemi, Samsung Electronics North America, Ochsner Health, Palo Alto Networks, PRA Group, SMUD, Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU), TIAA, USAA, Webster Financial Corporation

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! 

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Melissa MacDonnell, President, Liberty Mutual Foundation and Vice President, Community Investments, Liberty Mutual Insurance, shared a piece titled Why I'm optimistic about the future of climate resiliency.

"We’re exploring ways to leverage our corporate resources and expertise to further our impact on climate resiliency. And later this fall we’ll release our second climate resiliency RFP, building off the inspiring work of our inaugural 17 partners. We will continue to lean on the passion, expertise, and resources we are fortunate to have here at Liberty Mutual to help people most impacted by climate change."

Kelly Giordano joined Webster Bank as Managing Director of Philanthropy. She is a member of the Office of Corporate Responsibility team which oversees the Bank’s $6.5 billion, multi-year Community Investment Strategy.

“Kelly brings tremendous experience to Webster having served in corporate philanthropy senior positions at Newman’s Own and Lehman Brothers,” said Marissa Weidner, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer. “We look forward to leveraging Kelly’s expertise for Webster’s philanthropic and community engagement efforts across our footprint.”

Barjouth Aguilar, Head of Global Sustainability and Foundation Officer at Flex, joined IPC's Sustainability for Electronics Leadership Council as a member to share best practices and collaborate alongside other industry leaders to promote sustainability.  

Eric Shepard joined MidAmerican Energy Company as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Talent Director.

LOOK! 30+ NEW Jobs in Corporate Social Responsibility, DE&I, Community Relations, ESG...

Companies Supporting Students and Engaging Summer Interns

TIAA interns participated in a Field Day event at Freedom School Partners, an organization dedicated to assisting low-income students in Charlotte bridge the education gap. The TIAA team was joined by the Charlotte Hornets' Hugo and the Honeybees. "Recognizing that education is a major determinant in social mobility, we continue to celebrate FSP's mission to combat summer learning loss," shared Jillian Peat Hamilton, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, TIAA, in a post on LinkedIn.

As part of Samsung Electronics North America's 2023 summer internship program, interns from offices in New Jersey, Texas, and California came together for the company's annual Intern Day of Service. The Intern Day of Service focuses on fostering community engagement by actively encouraging teams to participate in projects that uplift communities and create positive social impact.

Samsung collaborated with nonprofit organizations nationwide focused on environmental sustainability for this year’s event. Interns participated in a variety of activities, including planting, harvesting, invasive species removal, and farming chores. Interns then shared their stories about contributing their time and effort towards creating a healthier, greener, and more equitable future.

Ochsner Health CEO, Pete November, shared about his recent interaction with the company's STAR Program participants for this summer. The Ochsner STAR Program provides qualified high school students, particularly those with limited means and access, a cost-free opportunity to explore the world of healthcare. Through a rigorous, hands-on summer course focusing on science, technology, academics and research, STAR aims to engage and inspire students to pursue further education and careers in science and medicine.

"It was a joy to spend an afternoon with Ochsner’s STAR students, who took a trip to our simulation center to learn different medical skills. Their mentors from UQ-Ochsner MD Program taught them how to take blood pressure, suture and start an IV injection, and they even practiced some of their newly learned skills on me!"

Deloitte's MADE program (Making Accounting Diverse and Equitable) celebrated its two-year anniversary with the release of a new video that outlines program impact in numbers and shares the stories behind them. According to the company, "MADE combines both financial support and the depth of resources an organization of Deloitte‘s size can bring to attract diverse individuals into the accounting field and support them as they chart their path: from high school to business professional to industry leadership. Our MADE commitment, which includes accounting scholarships, is a comprehensive strategy to work to address the major barriers faced by racially and ethnically diverse students and to grow the population of diverse talent—thus helping transform the future of the accounting profession."

Fundación MAPFRE (MAPRE Insurance) and MassDOT wanted to reach teens about safe driving. So they launched a contest for high school students to come up with a road safety PSA. Northbridge High School in Northbridge, MA was chosen to have its script produced. The PSA is now airing online and on television across Massachusetts. See the winning script, written by high school students, from this safe driving initiative here.

Palo Alto Networks employees from the Bangalore, India office hosted nearly 70 teachers from National Public School, Koramangala branch for an event titled “Empowering Educators – Unlocking the Importance of Cyber Safety.” This half-day session introduced participants to cybersecurity by exploring various risks and challenges that arise in the digital realm, but also equipped educators with the knowledge and tools to help students navigate online environments proactively and safely.

Kiddie Academy® Educational Child Care, a nationally recognized system of comprehensive educational child care franchises, filled 300 backpacks with school supplies to donate to Family Promise of Greater Orlando during its annual conference held in Orlando July 15-17. Franchisees in attendance were invited to make donations to directly support the local charity that has served hundreds of families experiencing homelessness in central Florida. Attendees also helped fill 300 backpacks with school supplies and giveaways like a Kiddie Academy activity book. These donations will serve Family Promise of Greater Orlando’s entire student audience.

“Our partnership with Family Promise makes it possible for us to connect with local affiliates in the communities we visit for our annual conference but also where we have local franchisees,” said Maria Dontas, director of corporate social responsibility for the Kiddie Academy brand.

SMUD volunteers worked to support Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento this summer through a variety of projects. Student volunteers lent a hand at Habitat's ReStore, organizing merchandise, helping with pricing, and delivering items to the sales floor. On the construction site, SMUD team members placed fencing to ensure that Habitat homeowners will have a safe, decent place to live. 

More News in Corporate Citizenship

USAA and the USAA Foundation, along with the Humana Foundation and Reach Resilience, an Endeavors Foundation, launched the coalition, Face The Fight™ to raise awareness and support for veteran suicide prevention. Their mission is to break the stigma of seeking help, increase the conversation about the problem, and complement the efforts of the VA, DoD, and many others to stop veteran suicide. Since 2001, more than 120,000 veterans have died by suicide, driven by a veteran suicide rate that is currently 1.5 times the rate of the general population. The coalition's aspiration is to cut the veteran suicide rate in half by 2030.

"USAA's more than 100-year legacy is built on supporting and advocating for the military community," said Wayne Peacock, USAA president and CEO. "Our service members stand tall in the noble calling to serve others, and we need to stand with them for challenges they may face, including mental health and suicide. Through focused funding and work with experts, we believe Face the Fight will make a difference in raising awareness for veteran suicide prevention. And we invite others to join us in this fight."

Last year Aramark committed to providing a three-year grant  to The FruitGuys Community Fund (TFGCF) in support of nonprofit farms led by women and/or Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).  For the 2022 and 2023 grant cycles, the Aramark partnership has enabled TFGCF to award grants to 20 BIPOC farmers across 13 states.

“Our commitment to supporting BIPOC farmers is an essential part of our supplier diversity, local procurement, and responsible sourcing efforts,” said Katelyn Repash, Responsible Sourcing Procurement Director at Aramark. “By partnering with community-driven partners like TFGCF, we are able to support sustainable growth for the farms, resulting in a positive impact for local communities and the environment.” 

PRA Group, Inc. was honored last month with two Silver Stevie® Awards during the 21st Annual American Business Awards. The company earned recognition in two categories: “Achievement in Diversity & Inclusion” and “Achievement in Management for Financial Services.” PRA Group’s annual Global Inclusion Week programming and management performance through difficult economic conditions were considered alongside more than 3,700 nominations. Organizations of nearly all sizes and industries submitted entries across a wide range of categories for initiatives in 2021 and 2022.

Global Inclusion Week celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) through virtual educational and professional development programming designed to connect colleagues around the world. The initiative expanded to the PRA Group’s U.S. operations in 2021. The company then leveraged insights from 2021 and data from its annual Engagement and Inclusion and VOICE surveys to strategically build 2022 programming. The result was a 235% increase in employee participation over the previous year.

Sustainability & ESG Reports Released

Lincoln Financial Group recently released its 2022 CSR Report, In This Together. Of the report, Allison Green Johnson, Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer, President, Lincoln Financial Foundation shared, "it’s an honor to champion Lincoln’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts and celebrate our collective progress, measurable successes, and new initiatives from 2022... We are giving back and delivering lasting impact through our business strategy, community involvement, corporate giving, DEI efforts, and sustainable business practices."

Report highlights include:

• The Lincoln Financial Foundation contributed to more than 285 nonprofit partners, totaling more than $9.2 million in 2022, helping provide services for 1.5 million people in need.
• Employees’ personal donations to local nonprofits were matched dollar-for-dollar by the Foundation.
• More than 3,000 of our employees volunteered with grantees across geographic locations, logging over 10,000 volunteer hours.
• Received notable recognition – named Forbes’ Best Employers for Women, Newsweek’s America’s Most Responsible Companies and Most Trustworthy Companies, Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies, and received perfect scores for the seventh consecutive year on both the Corporate Equality Index and the Disability Equality Index.
• Offered employees new ways to engage and advance Lincoln’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with formal DEI training, external partnerships, attending Lincoln’s first-ever all-employee Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference, and ensuring leadership accountability via metrics tied to compensation.
• Amplified commitment to the environment by continuing to focus on and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Advanced Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) vision through responsible investments – investing $3.6 billion of general account in green bonds, renewable energy, affordable housing initiatives and other strategies aligned with Lincoln’s long-term investment objectives and sustainability goals.

GoTo recently released its 2022 ESG Report. Of the report, Paddy Srinivasan, President and CEO said, “As a portfolio company of Francisco Partners and Evergreen Coast Capital, GoTo is committed to modeling exceptional corporate responsibility. Staying focused on our ESG areas enables us to address significant risks and opportunities while creating long-term value for our stakeholders.”

Report highlights include:

• Increased customer support OSAT (Overall Satisfaction) from 82 to 87+ to provide an industry-leading customer support experience
• Procured 100% renewable energy and reported to CDP, the leading climate disclosure platform, for the first time
• Through GoTo Gives and our WeSpire matching gift program, GoGetters donated over $100,000 in support of refugees across Ukraine
• Placed in the top 25% of the Peakon benchmark of Tech Software & Services companies for overall employee engagement
• Certified Great Places to Work in India, Guatemala, and Finland
• Engaged 100+ sales leaders globally in virtual inclusive leadership learning
• Received a Bronze rating from EcoVadis, trusted provider of business sustainability ratings
• Launched the new GoTo Individual Rights Management (IRM) portal

onsemi recently released its 2022 Sustainability Report: Onward: For People and Planet. Report highlights include a 20% reduction in energy intensity, $1.66 million donated to the global community through the Giving Now program, and six consecutive years on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list.

"The changes we make both in and outside of the workplace today will propel us toward a better tomorrow, as we continue to prioritize sustainability at every opportunity and drive practices that promote it externally through our partners, customers and employees," shared onsemi CEO, Hassane El-Khoury.

Members on the Move

Congratulations to the BCCCC Advisory Boards!

Each of which published an annual bulletin earlier this month. If you haven't already read the reports or met the BCCCC members who coauthored them, use the links below to learn more.

• Read All Six Advisory Board Bulletins
• Meet the Members of the ESG Reporting Advisory Board
• Meet the Members of the Community Involvement Advisory Board
• Meet the Members of the DEI Advisory Board
• Meet the Members of the Professional Services Sustainability Board
• Meet the Members of the Health Equity Advisory Board
• Meet the Members of the Supporting Military Families and Veterans Advisory Board

A warm welcome to BCCCC's newest members, Texas Dow Employees Credit Union (TDECU) and Fortive!

We look forward to having these teams join our corporate citizenship community.