Events

The BSR Conference 2016 kicks in New York tomorrow evening, November 1. Whether you’re joining us in person or online, here are the best ways to follow along with #BSR16.

Did you know that pro bono service is the fastest growing domestic volunteer program among leading global companies in the last three years? According to CECP’s report on trends in corporate societal engagement, Giving in Numbers: 2016 Edition, the percentage of companies offering pro bono services in the US increased from 43% in 2013 to 54% in 2015. What’s more, CECP’s report on international corporate giving – Giving Around the Globe – also found an uptick in this skills-based volunteering practice with global companies reporting a rise in pro bono opportunities from 17% to 24%.

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, partnered with the United States Marine Corps last weekend for its annual Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) Kids Run, an annual lead-up activity to the largest marathon in the world that doesn't offer prize money. Sodexo, which has a track record in improving the health and wellbeing of customers all ages, has sponsored the event since 2003.

Black Friday: a day marked with early store openings, long lines and hefty discounts. It has long been known as the biggest shopping day of the year and according to ShopperTrak’s annual list, 2016 will be no different. Yet in recent years there have been rumblings of change in the retail world. Even USA Today pondered the trajectory of the shopping holiday in an article released this week, asking “Is Black Friday Dead?”

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life Services, today announces a partnership with Connected Living, the nation’s leading connector of seniors with family, friends and communities. This alliance, formally launched at the national annual conference of LeadingAge in Indianapolis, IN, creates a better way for all generations including America’s aging population to connect with each other and access goods and services.

Law and Public Policy includes the Legal Services Division and the Global Government & Corporate Affairs Division. Responsibilities include legal and compliance services; media relations; internal communications; government affairs advocacy; sustainability consulting; and global environmental, health and safety services. Support for the Caterpillar Foundation is also provided by our group, making sustainable progress possible around the world.

National Geographic will kick off its first ever Earth Week on Sunday, October 30, launching six straight days of primetime programming focused on climate change. The broadcasting event, timed to lead up to the U.S. presidential election, will feature the global premieres of Before the Flood, Leonardo DiCaprio's documentary about climate change, and the second season of the Emmy-winning Years of Living Dangerously, in which Hollywood correspondents such as David Letterman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Cecily Strong, and more travel around the world to witness its effects on communities and ecosystems. Earth Week begins at 7/6c on National Geographic on Oct. 30, and will continue nightly until Friday, Nov. 4.

While most fans are watching player performance or yucking it up over the lack of respect suffered by the Cubs and Indians for generations, I’m keeping an eye on the fall classic for social and environmental sidebars.

The fact is the business of corporate responsibility is complex. Not only is there the issue of the mechanics of how you get it done, there is also the issue of how you relate it back to your organization. Both sides of the equation are equally important. And from what you told us when we asked, both can be vexing.

Last week, 21st Century Fox launched 21CF Impact Week, giving more than 1,000 of its colleagues opportunities to make a positive impact in the local communities where they live and work.