By Melissa J. Anderson

Citi recently announced changes to its Financial Education program, a 10 year, $200 million commitment to fund and organize programs around financial literacy.

Stacey Sechrest Carder, Director, Office of Financial Capability at Citi explained that the changes are designed to focus on long-term consumer outcomes. The change in focus represents increased interest in how organizations and individuals manage their finances, and recognition that responsible financial practices are the the key to long-term sustainability especially in light of the global economic crisis.

Carder explained, “Financial education, as an issue, has gained more exposure over the last ten to eleven years, becoming the focus of many community-based nonprofits and financial institutions. In the past 6 or 7 years, it’s become an issue for NGOs abroad as well, as the as the economy becomes more globally integrated.”

She continued, “As a global financial services provider, Citi understands that the complexities of today’s marketplace can make it difficult for individuals and families to effectively manage their finances, and we are deeply committed to helping individuals gain the financial capability they need to acquire and preserve assets over the course of their lives.”

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson

What’s new in CSR? Here’s what we’ve been reading this weekend.

• CSR May Help Build a Good Reputation, But Can’t Salvage a Brutal One
  TriplePundit examines a University of Florida study that revealed that “corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs can only serve as part of a company’s effort to build a good reputation—and in turn only reap cynicism when a firm already has a poor reputation among the public.”
• Is it cheating to call energy efficiency savings CSR?
  JustMeans asks “is there really any problem with a company bragging about its energy savings? This is where the perennial greenwash debate comes into play.”
• Catalyzing Change At Time, Inc.: “CSR Isn’t Just Moral, It’s About Survival”
  Aman Singh writes “a company’s human capital is an equally important component of CR, although it often doesn’t get recognized as such by many companies.”
• Corporate sustainability: Are we really cruising in fifth gear?
  The Guardian discusses a new study from Accenture and the UN Global Compact that says, “93% of CEOs see sustainability issues as important to their companies’ future success.”
• The Economy: Can Sustainability Survive the Recession?
  Newsweek looks at the same survey and surmises, “Rather, at its root, sustainability is about the ultimate corporate goal: efficiency.”

By Melissa J. Anderson

Readers of Evolved Employer know the importance of nurturing an inclusive culture at your company. Tomorrow’s employees want more than a paycheck – they want to work for a company which embraces the same values they do.

A February Pew report on the Millennials (individuals 18-29) and shows that they are the most tolerant generation.

According to the report:

“They are also the only generation to favor the legalization of gay marriage —they do so by a 50% to 36% margin, with the remainder undecided. When it comes to the other generations, support for gay marriage declines in a fairly straight progression from young to old: 43% of Gen Xers, 32% of Baby Boomers and 24% of Silents favor legalizing gay marriage.”

As more Millennial enter the professional workforce, they will begin to expect a company reflecting their values toward GLBT individuals – such as same-sex benefits, recognition and acceptance of GLBT workers, and a tolerant workplace. What is your company doing to respond to this business imperative?

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson

Last month Google hosted an event launching the Green Products Innovation Institute, an organization that “promote[s] an innovation-oriented model for eliminating toxic chemicals and other negative environmental impacts. The GPII prescribes a set of design principles, based on the laws of nature, to help businesses create products that are safe for people and the environment.”

The GPII will provide certifications for sustainable product design based on the Cradle-to-Cradle design philosophy and framework. According to an article written by by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, founders of the design philosophy, Cradle-to-Cradle:

“rejects the assumption that the natural world is inevitably destroyed by human industry, or that excessive demand for goods and services is the inevitable cause of environmental problems. Conventional industrial design is flawed because it developed in a time when few understood the dynamic relationship between economy and ecology, or the principles of the earth’s natural systems.”

They continue,”Cradle to Cradle Design, on the other hand, is modeled on the perpetual flows of energy and nutrients that support biodiversity. The intention: to apply the intelligence and effectiveness of natural systems to product, process and facility design.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

One of today’s most widely used buzz words is “innovation.” Everyone’s innovating – or they want to! As Intel CEO Paul Otellini said at the recent World Congress for Information Technology, “Returning to sustained economic growth means taking a long-term view with a mindset of investment.”

He continued, “Innovation results from combining people who have good ideas with investment. These are the guiding forces that lead to ideas which spawn new businesses that create new jobs, and ultimately lead to wealth creation and higher standards of living.”

Several companies in the US and around the world are taking it upon themselves to encourage innovation. In the long run, they hope, encouraging innovation can help themselves grow and improve standards of living, as well as improve economies globally.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson

It’s no secret that women control a large share of purchasing power. For example, as noted at the 2009 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, women control over 80% of consumer spending. And, as HDTV magazine recently reported, women’s spending on consumer electronics is increasing. This year, the article reveals, “Women spent, on average, $631 on consumer electronics, up $73 from 2009.”

Yet, the consumer electronic retail market has always been a bit male-centric (think man-cave versus family room). In 2005, Julie Gilbert, then a Best Buy vice president, set out to improve the company’s revenue by bringing in more female staff. The success of her WOLF program shows the valuable link between the retention of women employees and the spending power of women consumers.

Best Buy: The Situation

In 2005, an analysis of Best Buy’s customer data revealed that the company was missing out female technology spending – and analysis of store staffing showed a connection. A case study on the program explains:

“Women spent $90 billion on technology in 2005 (approximately 45% of consumer electronics purchases) – but only comprised 36% of Best Buy revenue. In addition, there was data showing that comparative store profits were higher in stores that employed more women: Where the staff was comprised of 5 men for every woman, the comparative store profits were on average 5% higher; when the ratio was 4 to 1, profits were up 7%, and when the ratio was 3 to 1, store profits increased by 10%.”

Read the rest of this entry »

Newseum

By Elisabeth Grant (Washington, D.C.)

On November 8, 2001, Amy Homan McGee, Verizon Wireless employee and mother of two, was shot and killed by her husband Vincent McGee in their home in Pennsylvania. Vincent McGee was convicted of the murder and is now serving a life sentence in prison. This was not an isolated moment of violence, but rather the last event after years of abuse. While McGee’s story is shocking and sad, what is more disturbing is that her life, and death, are like so many other victims of domestic abuse.

Domestic violence lives in darkness. In shame, in isolation, and in silence. To shine a light on what happened to McGee, and to illuminate the issues of domestic violence across the country, Penn State Public Broadcasting, with funding from the Verizon Foundation, put together Telling Amy’s Story. The film celebrates the times family, friends, and law enforcement stepped up and reached out to McGee. But it also highlights the many missed opportunities to stop the domestic violence in her life.

Telling Amy’s Story reached an audience of public officials, advocates in the fight against domestic violence, and the media on Tuesday, May 18, 2010 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Before the screening of the movie numerous speakers took part to educate and open the dialogue on domestic violence.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Green roofs have been growing in popularity for a few years now – with companies like Wal-Mart, Ford Motor Company, and GAP sporting vegetation-covered roofs on corporate headquarters, manufacturing plants, and retail outlets.

According to this New York Times article, there are many benefits to green roofs, although few of the benefits directly impact employees in the short term, in the workplace itself. Kate Galbreth writes:

“As well as giving workers from surrounding skyscrapers something pleasant to gaze at, green roofs help keep the city cool, and also filter stormwater so that it does not overwhelm drains.”

These are great benefits, of course, and today’s employees are calling for more environmentally responsible policies and actions at their companies. But your roof can do more.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Following last month’s oil leak in the Gulf, there has been an intense focus on BP, owner of the exploded rig, as well as on the environmental ramifications of deep sea drilling. Should the company be unable to stop the leak, says Secretary of the Interior Mark Salazar, “There are scenarios that it could be worse than the Exxon Valdez.”

In 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker spilled 10.8 million gallons of oil near the Alaska coastline, destroying the wetland habitat. In many ways, this spill was a wake-up call for corporations, that their behavior could have a major effect on the planet. Six months after the accident, a small group of individuals formed Ceres, a non-profit aimed at bringing “investors, environmental groups and other stakeholders together to encourage companies and capital markets to incorporate environmental and social challenges into their day-to-day decision-making.”

Membership in the group comes with a strict set of requirements including executive level commitment toward improving environmental and social performance, public disclosure of performance “in a sustainability report, Global Reporting Initiative report, annual report, environment and/or community report,” continuous improvement, and an “annual fee scaled to reflect corporate revenues, ranging from $2,000 to $40,000.” Companies must also be responsive to Ceres stakeholders’ questions and concerns regarding environmental and social performance.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Last Monday, the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future held a discussion panel entitled Human Capital for a Sustainable Economy. WNSF Executive Director Anne Goodman said that a focus on sustainable careers can improve the economy and create jobs. She said, “WNSF envisions a future for sustainable jobs.” She explained that these kinds of careers can create financial, environmental, and social progress.

Moderated by Michelle Kahane, Professor of Professional Practice at Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy, the panel featured Melinda Wolfe, Head of Human Resources at Bloomberg, Susan Heaney, Global Director of Corporate Responsibility, Avon, Natalie Thompson, Vice President, Global Leadership and Diversity, Goldman Sachs.

“Bloomberg has some very dramatic goals to reduce our carbon footprint by 50% in a couple of years,” said Wolf. She continued, “Our commitment is a defining hallmark for the company.”

Thompson said, “At Goldman Sachs, we’ve had an environmental policy in place since 2005. It is fully integrated at every aspect of the business.” Thompson also cited Goldman’s new LEED certified facilities.

Heaney explained that at Avon, CSR “functions very much like HR. It intersects with every single department in the company, and sets policy and procedural standards” across the organization. “When Goldman Sachs started tracking social investing, [we realized] this must really count!” she joked. “It was really a turning point.”

Read the rest of this entry »