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The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund Directly Helps Thousands Of Families In Puerto Rico

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Approximately 4,000 Families Severely Impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria Receive $4 Million

Press Release – SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Jan. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — On January 13, 2019, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund (“Relief Fund”) directly handed out $1,000 Payoneer® prepaid cards to approximately 4,000 families in Puerto Rico who are still recovering after Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated the island.

Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8467851-cantor-fitzgerald-puerto-rico-relief-fund/

More than 200 volunteers from Cantor Fitzgerald and its affiliate companies BGC Partners and Newmark Knight Frank, along with New York community volunteers and clients from Banco Santander and Scotiabank, distributed $4 million at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Relief Fund worked directly with the office of Carmen Yulin Cruz, San Juan Mayor, to organize the effort and identify the families in need.

“This was a day of healing for hundreds of families. What Cantor Fitzgerald did was much more than providing much needed financial assistance, they gave these families hope and respect. Moreover, they told us with a humbling attitude that they shared in our pain and in the commitment that we will overcome this challenging period. Words cannot begin to express the gratitude we feel towards such a beautiful gesture of kindness,” said Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz.

“Puerto Rican families have endured tremendous hardship since the hurricanes, and we are honored to be able to help and be a part of the recovery process,” said Howard Lutnick, Chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P. and BGC Partners, Inc. “Providing financial support directly to families and being able to speak with the parents and children is extremely humbling and heartening.”

“It’s so important to not forget those affected when time has passed,” added Edie Lutnick, President of the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund. “The Relief Fund was formed out of the 9/11 tragedy, enabling us to continue to provide financial aid directly to the families of the Cantor Fitzgerald employees who were sadly lost that day. As we expanded the Relief Fund to directly help victims of natural disasters, we want to remind our neighbors in Puerto Rico that they are still in our hearts and minds as they continue their recovery efforts.”

Allison Lutnick, Director of Disaster Relief Operations, Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund said, “As soon as we learned about the unimaginable destruction caused by the hurricanes in Puerto Rico, we immediately started planning our family relief program. This incredible effort was a year-and-a-half in the making, and to see it come to fruition by directly providing financial assistance to approximately 4000 young families in need was such a meaningful experience for the 200 volunteers involved, and one that will remain forever in our hearts and minds.”

The Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund sincerely thanks the following individuals and companies for their generosity and support: John Paulson, David J. Barger, United Airlines, Payoneer®, Serafina Beach Hotel, MultiVu, Print Icon, Scarborough & Tweed, BLS Limousine Service, Jacks & Jokers, and KAUFMANFRANCO.

About the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund

On September 11, 2001, 658 Cantor Fitzgerald friends and colleagues and 61 Eurobrokers employees were lost in the World Trade Center terrorist attack. The families left behind struggled not only with the death of their loved ones but with insurance legalities that prevented them from receiving the financial support they desperately needed.

On September 14, 2001, the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund (“Relief Fund”), was formed with an initial donation of $1 million from Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Partners Chairman and CEO, Howard Lutnick.

Mr. Lutnick and the Firm’s partners underwrote 100 percent of the expenses of the Relief Fund so that every penny of its income was paid out to those in need. In addition to the families of Cantor Fitzgerald’s employees who were lost on 9/11, the Relief Fund also assisted family members of World Trade Center victims from 14 other companies. The Relief Fund raised and distributed over $180 million to over 800 families and 932 children of the victims of this tragedy.

Since 9/11, the Relief Fund has expanded its scope to assist families impacted by natural disasters and emergencies, including Hurricane Harvey in Houston, TX, the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, Superstorm Sandy in NY, Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, the tsunami of 2004 and the Haiti Earthquake. The Relief Fund also works to assist wounded members of the U.S. military. Since its inception, it has distributed over $336 million.

To donate, please visit: https://www.cantorrelief.org/donate-now/

View original content: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-cantor-fitzgerald-relief-fund-directly-helps-thousands-of-families-in-puerto-rico-300780305.html

SOURCE Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund


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UK Fintech MarketInvoice Secures £56m In Equity And Debt Funding

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  • Equity funding round of £26 million led by Barclays and fintech fund Santander InnoVentures
  • New invest or Viola Credit to provide the MarketInvoice platform with a debt facility of £30m to support business loan solution
  • Funding to expand UK market presence and launch fintech-bank partnerships

Press Release – 21st January 2019, London; Fintech business lender MarketInvoice today announced it has raised £26m in new equity funding. This Series-B funding round was led by Barclays and fintech fund Santander InnoVentures with significant participation from European venture fund Northzone, an existing investor in the company. Technology credit fund Viola Credit, who also participated in the equity round, will provide a debt facility of up to £30m to help scale the MarketInvoice business loans solution, that sits alongside their core invoice finance solutions.

Since 2011, MarketInvoice has funded invoices and business loans to UK companies worth more than £2 billion, making them Europe’s largest online invoice finance platform. MarketInvoice has supported thousands of companies across the UK, funding over 170,000 invoices and supporting over 15,000 UK jobs, by providing business finance to help them grow, expand operations and hire more people.

The funding will enable MarketInvoice to deepen strategic partnerships in the UK, grow the team and increase awareness of its business finance solutions. In addition, the company is planning to launch cross-border fintech-bank partnerships to support more businesses with access to their lending solutions.

Anil Stocker, Co-founder & CEO of MarketInvoice, commented: “This investment is perfectly timed for the company. The quality of investors we are bringing in through this funding round is a real testament to the whole team at MarketInvoice and the value we are building.

We’re excited to develop our finance solutions further and become the trusted funding partner for ambitious entrepreneurs. By collaborating with bank partners, we will be reaching many thousands of companies here in the UK and abroad to provide them with their business finance needs. We aim to invest in technology, data and strategic partnerships, to take MarketInvoice to the next level.”

Manuel Silva Martínez, Managing Partner and Head of Investments at Santander InnoVentures commented: “MarketInvoice is helping UK businesses access much needed funding to keep their businesses and ideas thriving in a very competitive market. We are pleased to be joining other financial institutions as shareholders to scale their solutions in the UK and abroad. We are very excited to join Anil and his exceptional team in building this vision together.”

Ian Rand, CEO of Barclays Business Bank, said: “Collaborating with fintech companies like MarketInvoice is an integral part of Barclays’ strategy for accelerating growth. This investment demonstrates our commitment to the partnership we announced last summer which offers hundreds of thousands of our SME clients access to even more innovative forms of finance, boosting cash flow and competition in the market.”

Ido Vigdor, partner at Viola Credit, commented “More than £6 billion has been funded through alternative finance lending in the UK and it has become an established mainstream component in the UK financial landscape. The awareness, adoption and impact of alternative finance options are increasing rapidly as platforms, such as MarketInvoice, are providing seamless, easy to use, financial services. We are excited to enter the UK market and partner with this exceptional company as it enters to it next phase of growth”.

Anil Stocker added: “Now more than ever, businesses need access to stable lines of funding as they navigate choppy political and economic conditions. Our invoice finance solutions are designed to bridge the gap in cash flow requirements and keep UK businesses growing and exporting.

We will use this new funding to invest in further risk automation and data models, scale-up our business loans solution, and grow our teams.”


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We Do It Together Brings Message Of Gender Parity From Hollywood To Davos

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White House Pulls Out of World Economic Forum but Hollywood Attends

WDIT Founder Named a Cultural Leader for 2019 World Economic Forum, Will Receive Special Honor from HCL Technologies

Press Release – Los Angeles, CA (January 21, 2019) – While the White House has pulled out from attending the World Economic Forum, Hollywood is committed to bringing a message of gender parity to the world’s business and economic leaders and will be in attendance in Davos, Switzerland. Nonprofit film production company with purpose to create gender parity in entertainment and media, We Do It Together (WDIT), heads to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (January 22-25, 2019) to discuss issues of gender parity. WDIT Founder and President of Board of Directors Chiara Tilesi has been invited to participate at the forum as a Cultural Leader, joining other industry leaders and cultural figures like WDIT Board Member Haifaa al Mansour, Marin Alsop, Sir David Attenborough, Bono, David Blaine, Karan Johar, Michelle Yeoh, and more in an effort to advance a dialogue discussing how inclusivity and sustainability can be the pillars of change.

On January 22, Tilesi will speak to World Economic Forum attendees at the Betazone session on The Female Icon, the disruption of the paradigm and how women’s narratives can change. Tilesi will also join her fellow Cultural Leaders to lead table discussions at the Art as Politics dinner, moderated by renowned photographer Platon, on January 24 at the HCL Pavillon in Davos.

HCL Technologies has curated a compelling line-up of panels and thought-leadership experiences during the World Economic Forum, dubbed HCL 2030, where WDIT will receive The Goodwill Champions: The Wave Makers Award, on January 24. As part of the closing night gala reception, HCL will honor heroes from around the world who have successfully demonstrated everyday philanthropy and the pursuit of noble causes. Tilesi will be in attendance to receive the honor along with fellow recipients, Katja Iversen (Women Deliver), Olajumoke Adekeye (Young Business Agency), Baillie Aaron (Spark Inside), Jane Hunt (The Front Project) and Justin Cooper (Varkey Foundation).

“Davos is an excellent platform to showcase the urgent problem of gender disparity in media and entertainment, and a great place to find and propose solutions to change the paradigm and the storytelling,” says Tilesi. “We are very honored at We Do It Together to receive this recognition and gain the opportunity to speak about our mission at these two great summits.”

At the end of 2018, WDIT launched their international campaign, “Be The Subject, Not The Object.” The project’s first subjects were 2017 Nobel Prize winner Beatrice Fihn for the ICAN campaign, along with Tilesi for her speech at TEDx Modena, dedicated to women empowerment.

About We Do It Together (WDIT):

In 2016 Chiara Tilesi founded We Do It Together (WDIT), a 501(C)3 nonprofit film production company with the purpose of creating gender parity in society through the production of films about women, by women, but for everybody. By re-investing all of their profits into the organization they intend to create the world’s first non-profit studio dedicated to female filmmakers. www.wedoittogether.org

We Do It Together has the support of prestigious and international Board of Directors, Advisory and honorary Advisory Boards, made up of all high-level professional women and men from different parts of the world who have decided to come together because they share the same mission: empowering women through film, art and media.

Board of Dirctors: Chiara Tilesi ⋅ Debora Guetta ⋅ Sandra Lucchesi ⋅ Carol Polakoff

Honoary Advisory Board: Hany Abu-Assad ⋅ Haifaa Al Mansour ⋅ Amma Asante ⋅ Leila Bekhti ⋅ H.R.H. Princess Reema Bint Bandar Al-Saud ⋅ Juliette Binoche ⋅ Laura Bispuri ⋅ Jessica Chastain ⋅ Penelope Cruz ⋅ Geena Davis ⋅ Jodie Foster ⋅ Henry Louis Gates ⋅ Valeria Golino ⋅ Monica Guerritore⋅ Catherine Hardwicke ⋅ Marielle Heller ⋅ Martha Higareda ⋅ Philip A. Lord ⋅ Katia Lund ⋅ Guillermo Mariotto ⋅ Freida Pinto ⋅ Alysia Reiner ⋅ Patricia Riggen ⋅ Kelly Rutherford ⋅ Susan Sarandon ⋅ Małgorzata Szumowska ⋅ Leonor Varela ⋅ Diane Warren ⋅ Robin Wright ⋅ Paul Zaentz ⋅ Ziyi Zhang

Advisory Board: Dana Archer ⋅ Lucas Akoskin ⋅Victoria Alonso ⋅ Len Amato ⋅ Maria Letizia Bixio ⋅ Antonia S. Coco ⋅ Amira Diab ⋅ Madeline Di ⋅ Éric Garandeu ⋅ Mike Goodridge ⋅ Jennifer Hackett ⋅ Avy Kaufman ⋅ Todd Krim ⋅ Matthew Leaf ⋅ Michelle Mulroney ⋅ Jennifer Naughton ⋅ Sunny S. Nassim ⋅ Paul Nelson ⋅ Milena Prisco ⋅ Hylda Queally ⋅ Orly Ravid ⋅ Janet C. Salazar ⋅ Michelle SatterI ⋅ Keri Selig ⋅ Nina L. Shaw ⋅ Stacey Sher ⋅ Marianne Slot ⋅ Kunal Sood ⋅ Shelby Stone ⋅ Paula Vaccaro ⋅ Alesia Weston ⋅ Paul Zaentz

About the World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum Annual Meeting brings together leaders from government, international organizations, business, civil society, culture and media, foremost experts and the young generation from all over the world, at the highest level and in representative ways. It engages some 50 heads of state and government, more than 300 ministerial-level government participants, and business representation at the chief executive officer and chair level. For further information, please click here.


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National Texas Two Step CPR: Save a Life Campaign 2019

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Medical school students and partners seek to save lives nationwide by teaching free, hands-only CPR on February 8-10

Press Release – HOUSTON, TX (January 22, 2019)—From Friday February 8 to Sunday February 10, medical students will join forces with national non-profits HealthCorps and First Impact for the 4th Annual National Texas Two Step CPR: Save a Life Campaign. Free hands-only CPR training will be offered over the three days at public sites in 16 states across the United States. Participating states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas.

During 5-minute training sessions, participants will learn how to act quickly in the event of cardiac emergencies by following two easy steps: 1) Call 911 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives. “”In an emergency situation, a family member, colleague, or neighbor may be your first responder. Our goal is to empower community members with the skills and confidence to act if they witness a sudden cardiac arrest,” said Texas-Two Step CPR board member and Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at FIU student Lena Carleton.

The event was created by a group of medical students and the Texas College of Emergency Physicians in 2016 after recognizing the need to train more Texans in lifesaving, hands-only CPR. Last year, the event trained more than 7,892 individuals at 60 sites across the country.

“Since heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, we knew it was important to help the medical students and our great partners bring this lifesaving event to our communities again this year. We are so proud of how the initiative has continued to grow from year to year,” said HealthCorps President Michelle Bouchard.

To learn more about National Texas Two Step CPR: Save a Life Campaign please visit www.tx2stepcpr.com to find a training site near you. Times and locations vary based on training sites. People are encouraged to show support for this lifesaving event by following @TX2StepCPR on Twitter.

About HealthCorps

HealthCorps is a 501 (c)(3) that works in high need high schools to give teens tools to improve physical and mental health so they can learn to live more productive and happier lives.

Founded in 2003 by Dr. Mehmet Oz, HealthCorps’ mission is to strengthen communities with the most innovative approaches to health and wellness to help the next generation be more resilient, both mentally and physically.

HealthCorps students exercise more, eat better and practice positive thought.

About First Impact

First Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to developing leadership and organizational skills for young healthcare professionals through community service.

Founded in 2018, the group provides mentorship for the creation, publicity, funding, and implementation of a community service project. By supporting motivated innovators and creative thinkers, First Impact hopes to mold the leaders of tomorrow’s world.

About National Texas Two Step CPR

National Texas Two Step CPR is an annual event aimed at engaging the public and educating them on the benefits of compressions-only/hands-only CPR. Since inception, this project has trained over 18,500 in proper compressions-only CPR technique, with the help of 700 medical students each year.

As the name implies, National Texas Two Step CPR consists of two steps:

1) Call 911

2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives

Hands-only CPR is easy to learn and can be performed by the layperson in emergency situations to buy time for a loved one until emergency medical services arrive.


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UBS Presents Investment Roadmap For Meeting UN Sustainability Goals

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  • Lack of private funding is putting the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at significant risk, UBS warns in white paper published in Davos
  • UBS calls on financial sector to create more personalized investment choices, adopt greater use of multilateral development bank (MDB) debt, and use simpler, more consistent sustainability data and terms
  • UBS reports significant progress toward its 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) commitment of raising USD 5bn in impact investments, and delivery of its 2018 WEF commitments including the launch of the industry’s first 100% sustainable cross-asset solution and MDB debt benchmarks

Press Release – Zurich, 21 January 2019 – Investors are keen to put more money to work in support of environmental, social and governance (ESG) causes but only if financial firms promote highly personalized choices that allow clients to leave their mark, UBS, the world’s largest wealth manager [1], said today. In a major step toward personalizing sustainable investing, UBS announced the launch of a pilot program that matches what clients care most about with investments that perform best against their values.

Specifically, the pilot will allow investors to rate how much they care about individual ESG factors, such as climate change or water, express their preference in a personalized sustainability score, and compare their score against more than 20,000 ESG-rated stocks and bonds to find the best match. This marks a further departure from a one-size-fits-all approach to sustainable investing by scoring each security against seven ESG criteria, which allows for a more granular view of how investment instruments are performing against the sustainability criteria their potential buyers hold dear. The pilot will be introduced in the first quarter of 2019.

The United Nations has called for an increase in private sector funding in support of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), designed to address humanity’s and the environment’s biggest problems by 2030. However, the world is likely to fall short of the estimated additional USD 2-7trn needed annually to solve these issues, UBS said in a white paper entitled “Awareness, simplification, and contribution” launched today, which simultaneously calls for more concerted efforts among financial institutions toward mobilizing private wealth for the public good.

Presenting the paper at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Axel Weber, Chairman of UBS, said: “At UBS, we believe that only by offering solutions that raise awareness and channel personal preferences for investing sustainably can the global community achieve the UN SDGs.”

Sergio P. Ermotti, Group CEO of UBS, said: “UBS is taking steps to widen our lead in sustainable investing. Clients clearly care about the social and environmental impact of their investments, and they shouldn’t have to compromise in their pursuit of financial returns to achieve their objectives. Now we’re making it easier for them to choose the investments that best support their priorities.”

The UBS paper is the third in-depth analysis unveiled at Davos offering policymakers, investors and the financial sector detailed solutions for meeting the SDGs. Those include simplifying and standardizing definitions and measurements, and customizing investments to appeal to people’s personal passions. They also include ramping up public awareness that individual investors can make a difference by putting their savings to work profitably in support of good causes.

“While there has been progress, it’s become clear that the traditional approach to environmental and social investment isn’t sufficient,” said Mark Haefele, Chief Investment Officer at UBS Global Wealth Management. “People care less about generic topics than specific causes they hold dear. They want the chance to leave their mark on issues they are passionate about, whether that’s eradicating poverty, achieving gender equality, or any of the other SDGs that are close to their hearts. This is why we’re proposing new solutions to specific problems.”

The UBS white paper has won broad support from leading figures in finance, philanthropy and business. Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group, Robert Kapito, President and Co-Founder of BlackRock, Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, and Sunny Varkey, Founder of GEMS Education and the USD 1m per annum Global Teacher Prize, echoed the call for UN SDG awareness and common standards in individual contributions included in the paper.

Robert Kapito of BlackRock stated in his contribution: “We need to provide our clients with the clearest possible picture of the impact of sustainable investing. That is why we believe we need increased disclosures to help investors make more informed decisions and why we are focused on enhancing data for investors to better understand how and why sustainability factors affect returns.”

Following its commitment made in 2017 to raise USD 5bn in impact investments over five years, UBS has pioneered examples of new sustainable and impact investment solutions, such as working with Solactive to develop fixed income benchmarks that define financial return, risk and sustainability parameters; the launch of Align17 [2], an innovative digital platform that efficiently connects private wealth investors to impact investment opportunities; multiple mainstream private-market impact fund raises that have already contributed several USD millions to good causes including academic research; and the world’s first 100% sustainable investment cross-asset solution. Launched for private clients in 2018, this solution has already attracted CHF 3.9 bn in investments, despite a difficult environment for financial assets over the past year.

“When someone tries to find an investment that helps solve some of the issues they care most about, they are often presented with a confusing and conflicting array of data, definitions, and terms,” said Simon Smiles, Chief Investment Officer UHNW at UBS Global Wealth Management, who was also recognized as a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. “We need to make it easier by simplifying and standardizing sustainability criteria on a global level.”

The key solutions outlined in the paper (available in full at ubs.com/wef2019) are:

1. To align investments with personal sustainability interests, helping investors who seek to achieve their financial goals and to tackle the particular social and environmental causes they care most about.

[1] Scorpio Partnership’s “Global Private Banking Benchmark 2018” rank of global wealth managers by AUM. Please click the following link to view: http://www.scorpiopartnership.com/press/2018-benchmark/

[2] UBS will not have any involvement in the selection of private investments made available on the Align17 platform. Nor will UBS perform due diligence or suitability reviews with regard to such investments. Align17 is not available in all jurisdictions. References to Align17 in this publication therefore should not be considered as an endorsement, solicitation or referral to any investment made available on Align17.


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Arel Moodie to Visit New Milford and St. Joseph Regional High School in January

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Press Release – ENDWELL, N.Y. – Visions Federal Credit Union has teamed up with author and motivational speaker Arel Moodie to spread the word about the importance of financial literacy to high school seniors. Arel Moodie has been featured in The New York Times, USA Today, Yahoo!, PBS, BusinessWeek, and many other national media outlets.

Moodie takes his experience over the last 12 years working with hundreds of thousands of students in over 1,000 schools in 48 states and pairs it with research-based strategies to create a highly engaging and impactful one-hour presentation for students.

With the help of Visions Federal Credit Union, Moodie will make over 15 appearances.

After the presentation, students will receive a copy of Moodie’s book “The Student Success Action Guide.” If the students complete all 180 steps in the book, they can bring it into a Visions office and apply for one of five $500 scholarships.


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One Common Unity’s Hawah Kasat Receives Georgetown’s 2019 Legacy of a Dream Award

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One Common Unity breaks cycles of violence and builds compassionate communities through music, art and peace education.

Press Release – Washington, D.C. (Jan. 21, 2019) Hawah Kasat, co-founder and executive director of Washington D.C. nonprofit One Common Unity, was chosen as Georgetown’s 2019 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award recipient. He was honored on Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, at the university’s Let Freedom Ring! celebration held at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The award, which started in 2003, was named for the legendary Georgetown head basketball coach emeritus, Washington, D.C. native, mentor, advocate and community leader – John Thompson Jr. Previous recipients were civil rights icons, children’s rights advocates and other humanitarians. In 2012, Georgetown began awarding local leaders who are working to solve key issues that are responsible for shaping Washington, D.C. and the people who live in it.

Georgetown chose Kasat as the 2019 awardee “because of his commitment to service and transformational change, which exemplifies King’s spirit and enduring legacy.” The award, part of Georgetown’s commitment to helping solve key issues in the city, provides a year of sustained partnership and broader recognition for the organization and its leader.

“Through the terrific work of the One Common Unity organization, Hawah Kasat has deepened opportunities for young people in Washington to thrive through peace education and engagement in music and the arts,” said Georgetown President John J. DeGioia in a press release the university put out before the event. “We are very grateful to have this opportunity to recognize his important work and dedicated service to our D.C. community with this award.”

Kasat co-founded One Common Unity on a shoestring budget in 2000. He decided to launch what he considered his “passion project” after a string of school shootings in D.C. In 2008, the project became a full-time job, and today, One Common Unity now employs seven full-time and 13 part-time employees and about 20 volunteers.

“I’m incredibly honored to have been selected for Georgetown’s Legacy of a Dream award,” said Kasat. “Georgetown’s longstanding commitment to the economic and social health of the people of Washington, D.C. closely aligns with the mission of One Common Unity, and we are grateful for the university’s recognition.”

One Common Unity collaborates with thousands of educators, artists, health practitioners, youth and families in Washington, D.C. to break cycles of violence and build compassionate communities through music, art and peace education. Each school year, One Common Unity engages approximately 5,000 youth, age 11 to 18, at fifteen Washington D.C. public schools with its Fly By Light program. Most Fly By Light students come from low-to-moderate-income families and more than 95 percent are African American or Hispanic. These youth face issues with chronic depression, substance abuse, previous incarceration, domestic violence and trauma, and discrimination based on race, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Many are also facing school truancy, suspension, and expulsion.

Building upon youth’s incredible resilience, One Common Unity provides safe, supportive spaces where youth discover their authentic selves, connect with nature, and are equipped with the skills, tools, and support to disrupt cycles of violence and poverty. Today, the organization has engaged more than 25,000 youth, families, teachers, and community members in One Common Unity’s high impact art and music programs.

“I believe empathy, compassion, cooperation and kindness can be taught,” added Kasat. “We start with modeling nonviolent behavior and then create safe spaces for dialogue and healing. By fostering the social-emotional literacy of youth, teachers and parents, we are creating real pathways for academic achievement and reducing violence in our communities.”

Kasat, who will start the Nonprofit Executive Management Certificate program at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy in Feb. 2019, is also the author of four books, has released two music albums, and produced three documentary films, including the award-winning documentary Fly By Light.

In addition, Kasat has traveled to more than 42 countries to facilitate interactive workshops, host dialogues, perform poetry, teach yoga and speak with those interested in creating a caring, sustainable, and equitable world. Kasat is a sought-after speaker and is accepting opportunities across the U.S. to speak with local communities about One Common Unity and the positive impact of the arts and peace education.

To learn more about Kasat and the organization, visit OneCommonUnity.org.

About One Common Unity

One Common Unity is a nonprofit organization, located in in Washington, D.C., that breaks cycles of violence and builds compassionate, healthy communities through the transformative power of music, arts, and peace education. Through its arts and music programs, One Common Unity has impacted more than 25,000 youth, families, teachers, and community members. For more information, visit OneCommonUnity.org.


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Salesforce Music Lodge Celebrates Trailblazers Making Change In Its 3 Day Event Held During The Sundance Film Festival

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Friday, January 25 – Sunday, January 27
Open Daily: 10am-6pm
710 Main Street, Park City, Utah

Press Release – Park City, Utah (January 22, 2019) — This year celebrates the 15th Anniversary of the annual Music Lodge, which is one of the longest running celebrity invitation-only venues held during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. 2019’s event will officially be known as the Salesforce Music Lodge.

By day, the Salesforce Music Lodge will serve as the Associated Press Festival Headquarters for its 12th year at the Music Lodge, with a constant flow of high-profile celebrities stopping by for TV interviews, photo shoots and film cast portraits.

“Every year, I have made a conscious effort to have a cause associated with the Music Lodge,” says Lisa Precious, Music Lodge Executive Producer. “So the theme of this year’s event to focus on social change and charities is such a fulfilling way to commemorate the Music Lodge’s 15th anniversary.”

The Make Change Studio @ Salesforce Music Lodge will host a pop-up gallery exhibition with renowned music photographer Danny Clinch opening Friday, January 25th at 4 PM. Salesforce Music Lodge will also host daily conversations with KCRW host Anne Litt, in discussion with Danny, Ben Jaffe – Preservation Hall Foundation founder, and Win Butler & Régine Chassagne from Arcade Fire – about creating positive social change through music.

On Friday, January 25th, the Fireside Stage will feature Jackie Chan as he raises awareness about protecting our environment with the premiere of his ‘Green Hero’ exhibit at The Leonardo – Museum of Creativity and Innovation. Singer-songwriter Ava Della Pietra, original cast member of Broadway’s School of Rock, will perform Sunday, January 27 for the anti-bullying organization No Bully.

Invite only guests will enjoy a hosted bar, DJ and cultural cuisine from presenting sponsor, Louisiana Office of Tourism and New Orleans. This serves as a backdrop to a new documentary, A Tuba to Cuba, about the history of New Orleans jazz. Louisiana Office of Tourism and Louisiana Seafood will feature fresh Gulf seafood, steaming gumbo, and an oyster bar topped with Cajun Caviar. Ace Hotel New Orleans and Maison de la Luz will be gifting stays for weekend getaways to the birthplace of jazz to experience an evening at the famed Preservation Hall.

After being so warmly received by Music Lodge guests last year, dōTERRA, the world leader in essential oils, will return this year to gift special wellness packages. Also gifting in the health and beauty category is QYKSonic, maker of beauty devices that simplify skincare, including the ZOE™ collection. Cameo is a digital marketplace that lets fans book personalized video shoutouts from their favorite people. And New Orleans based KREWE Sunglasses will be gifting small batch designer shades.

By night, the focus on causes continues as Salesforce Music Lodge hosts concerts on its main stage from world-renowned artists — including By night, the Music Lodge will host concerts from world-renowned artists — including Arcade Fire’s Win Butler and Régine Chassagne for the group’s charity “Kanpe” and Sunday’s finale with Preservation Hall Jazz Band.


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Are Utah Wildfires the New Normal?

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Press Release – The January 23 Forum topic of the Utah Valley Earth Forum (UVEF.org) is wildfires in Utah. It should be one “hot” event! We expect to have a lively discussion about the subject and the best ways to deal with it.

A panel discussion will address the following questions. Has there been an increase in the frequency, intensity, and the damage caused by Utah wildfires? If so, what is driving these changes? How should the state of Utah and Utah communities build resilience to wildfires?

Confirmed panelists include Marc Coles-Ritchie (Utah Forest Programs Associate, Grand Canyon Trust), Jason Curry (Public Information Officer, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands), and Stanley Kitchen (Research Botanist, U.S. Forest Service).

The panel will be moderated by Dr. Steven Emerman, a retired hydrology professor from Utah Valley University and former member of the UVEF Board of Directors.

This is a free public event. Please check our Facebook EVENT page.

What: Educational Forum
When: Wed, Jan.23, 7 pm
Where: Orem Public Library, Storytelling Wing


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Arcos Dorados Expects to Employ More Than 55,000 Individuals in Latin America and Caribbean in 2019, Helping Advance UN’s SDG Goal

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  • Jobs to increase 8% compared to 2018 level; dedication to providing job opportunities and professional development to Latin America’s youth reaffirmed
  • Approximately 150,000 job opportunities for youth between the ages of 17-25 were generated over last 3 years
  • Continued recognition as Best Place to Work
  • Commitment to advancing UN’s SDG goal of reducing inequality

Press Release – Montevideo, Uruguay, January 22, 2019 – Arcos Dorados (NYSE: ARCO) (“Arcos Dorados” or the “Company”), the world’s largest independent McDonald’s franchisee, today announced that it expects to employ more than 55,000 individuals in Latin America and the Caribbean during 2019, an increase of 8% over the number employed in 2018. The Company is positioned as a catalyst for change through its commitment to labor inclusion and reduction of inequality for young people. Arcos Dorados is one of the region’s largest formal employers of youth between the ages of 17 to 25, providing training and development opportunities.

“We are proud to be among the companies that generate the most formal job opportunities for young people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. It is young people in whom we entrust our business to bring quality food, flavor and extraordinary dining experiences to millions of customers in the region every day,” said Sergio Alonso, Chief Executive Officer of Arcos Dorados.

In 2018, Arcos Dorados provided 52,000 jobs for young people throughout the region. This represents almost 4,500 youth per month who entered the workforce, or an average of 140 jobs per day. The Company provides opportunities to learn norms and methodologies of teamwork in a highly challenging environment, valuable skills that contribute to securing future professional development opportunities.

Over the last three years, Arcos Dorados provided approximately 150,000 employment opportunities for young people. For many of them, the experience was their first in the workplace.

Arcos Dorados’ commitment to work inclusion is supported by partnerships with prestigious institutions in the region that are also dedicated to helping young people formally integrate into the working world. The Company signed agreements in recent years with the primary foundations dedicated to eradicating youth unemployment in each country of the region, including Instituto Ayrton Senna (Brazil), Cimientos (Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay), Forge (Chile, Peru), NEO (Colombia) and the International Youth Foundation (Global), among others.

“At Arcos Dorados, through public-private partnerships, we contribute to the development of our communities by attacking one of the region’s main social challenges, youth unemployment. Through our programs, we assume the responsibility of actively collaborating to reduce the barriers to access a first formal job, “ said Alonso.

Arcos Dorados has been recognized as a “Best Place to Work” by the Great Place to Work Institute in several of the markets where it operates, such as Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and Uruguay. The Company has also been recognized for its work practices by different independent auditing institutions for organizational climate.

Among the reasons cited for receiving these important recognitions, Arcos Dorados provides its employees an excellent working environment, time flexibility, continuous training and career advancement. Annually, the Company invests millions of dollars in training its employees in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Importantly, Arcos Dorados promotes the inclusion of vulnerable groups, offering them an opportunity for formal work that contributes to their development and independence and supports greater social integration. “All are welcome at Arcos Dorados. We promote a culture of work that is characterized by respect, inclusion and equal opportunities. We provide adequate training and career development to all young people in the countries where we operate and are committed to furthering the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of reducing inequality,” concluded Alonso.

About Arcos Dorados

Arcos Dorados is the world’s largest McDonald’s franchisee in terms of systemwide sales and number of restaurants, operating the largest quick service restaurant chain in Latin America and the Caribbean. It has the exclusive right to own, operate and grant franchises of McDonald’s restaurants in 20 Latin American and Caribbean countries and territories, including Argentina, Aruba, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curaçao, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, St. Croix, St. Thomas, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela. The Company operates or franchises over 2,100 McDonald’s branded restaurants with over 90,000 employees and is recognized as one of the best companies to work for in Latin America. Arcos Dorados is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ARCO). For further information about the Company, please visit the Investors section on our website: www.arcosdorados.com/ir


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EWG: ‘Unilever Has Raised the Bar for Fragrance Transparency’

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Press Release – WASHINGTON – The Environmental Working Group applauds personal care products giant Unilever for making good on its commitment to give consumers information about fragrance ingredients across its 15 brands of cosmetics and personal care products.

Image Credit: EWG

EWG released the following statement today by its co-founder and President, Ken Cook, on Unilever’s efforts to improve transparency in personal care products:

EWG applauds Unilever for making good on its commitment to improve transparency in personal care products. By breaking open the black box of fragrance chemicals, Unilever has raised the bar for transparency across the entire personal care products industry – and beyond. It may not happen overnight, but Unilever’s decision to trust consumers with basic facts about their products will place enormous pressure on the rest of the market to respond, and make it very difficult for other companies to continue to shield their fragrance ingredients from consumers.

 

According to its own press release, consumers can “now view fragrance ingredients found in more than 1,100 Unilever beauty and personal care products across 15 brands down to 0.01% of the product formula.” Unilever was the first personal care product company to announce plans to disclose fragrance ingredients down to that level.

In February 2017, the company announced a bold initiative to provide detailed information about fragrance ingredients for all products in its multibillion-dollar portfolio of personal care brands, including Dove, Noxzema, Lever 2000 and Nexxus.

EWG has spent more than a decade urging the cosmetics industry, cleaning-products manufacturers and other consumer goods companies to disclose information about fragrance ingredients.

Source: https://www.ewg.org/release/ewg-unilever-has-raised-bar-fragrance-transparency


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The Leadership Conference & The Education Fund Welcome Gaylynn Burroughs as Senior Policy Counsel

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Press Release – WASHINGTON – The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and its sister organization, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, welcome policy expert Gaylynn Burroughs as senior policy counsel. Burroughs joins the organizations from the Feminist Majority and the Feminist Majority Foundation, where she led implementation of policy priorities for reproductive health and women’s rights.

“Gaylynn’s high-level expertise and passion for civil and human rights work makes us excited to have her join the team,” said Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference and The Education Fund. “As our organizations strive for an America as good as its ideals, Gaylynn’s experience will play a significant role. She will work with our Employment Task Force and our Healthcare Task Force to advance the priorities of the broad civil rights coalition.”

Biographical Information

Gaylynn Burroughs served previously as Director of Policy & Research for the Feminist Majority and the Feminist Majority Foundation. In that role, she developed and led implementation of policy priorities focusing on reproductive health and rights, women’s economic empowerment, elimination of violence against women, and global women’s rights. During her legal career, Gaylynn has been a Clinical Visiting Assistant Professor at Fordham Law School in New York City. There she taught the Social Justice Clinic, a part of the Feerick Center for Social Justice, and was also a staff attorney at The Bronx Defenders in the family defense practice. She has also served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Deborah T. Poritz and to Justice Helen E. Hoens, both of the New Jersey Supreme Court. Gaylynn holds a B.A. in history from Yale University and a J.D. and LL.M. in international legal studies from New York University School of Law.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

The Leadership Conference Education Fund builds public will for federal policies that promote and protect the civil and human rights of all persons in the United States. For more information on The Education Fund, visit http://leadershipconferenceedfund.org/.


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New Study Predicts Charitable Giving Will Increase in Each of Next Two Years

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The Philanthropy Outlook from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Marts & Lundy Projects Giving by Individuals, Bequests, Foundations and Corporations Will Grow and Offers Potential Scenarios, Factors to Watch

Press Release – INDIANAPOLIS – Total charitable giving is predicted to increase by 3.4 percent in 2019 and by 4.1 percent in 2020, according to The Philanthropy Outlook 2019 & 2020 released today. The report is researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI and presented by Marts & Lundy, a leading strategic management consulting firm.

“A multitude of factors are influencing the prospects for charitable giving in 2019 and 2020, including the macro-economic climate, the potential for the current government shutdown to affect the economy, stock market volatility and donors’ responses to the 2017 tax policy changes,” said Una Osili, Ph.D., an economist who is associate dean for research and international programs at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “Although no one can know exactly how the interaction of these factors will impact giving in the next two years, The Philanthropy Outlook includes measures to account for their potential effects.”

“As long as the economy remains strong, Americans should expect to see overall growth in charitable giving in the next two years, driven in part by steady economic growth, particularly growth in personal income. Many other economic indicators that affect giving, including employment and Gross Domestic Product, are positive as well,” Osili added.

“It is encouraging to see that total giving is projected to grow in 2019 and 2020 even in the wake of recent changes from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” said Philippe G. Hills, President and CEO of Marts & Lundy. “However, it is still too soon to determine exactly how the recent tax changes may impact future donor decisions, and nonprofits need to be mindful of its potential impact, as well as the impact of other economic and policy factors put forth in The Philanthropy Outlook. The Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s unique ability to thoroughly examine and analyze the multifaceted, dynamic charitable giving landscape makes this report an exceptional resource for philanthropy professionals.”

The Philanthropy Outlook uses empirical data produced through rigorous analysis to develop projections for total giving, giving by source and giving to three types of recipient nonprofits (education, health and public-society benefit organizations), and describes how different economic variables and other factors will impact giving in 2019 and 2020. The report examines the complex environment for philanthropy and emerging trends related to giving by high-net-worth individuals/households.

The study’s key findings include:

  • Total charitable giving is predicted to grow (3.4 % in 2019 and 4.1% in 2020), rising above the historical 10-year, 25-year, and 40-year annualized average rates of growth.
  • Giving by individuals is predicted to grow (2.1% in 2019 and 3.4% in 2020), but will trail the rate of growth for total giving.
  • Giving by foundations (7.0% in 2019 and 6.1% in 2020) and giving by estates (5.4% in 2019 and 5.6% in 2020) are expected to experience strong growth, outpacing growth rates for total giving in 2019 and 2020.
  • Giving by corporations is also projected to grow (3.2% in 2019 and by 2.6% in 2020), but will lag behind rates of growth for total giving.
  • Strong growth rates are projected for giving to education (3.5% in 2019 and 5.7% in 2020) and giving to health (5.2% in 2019 and 4.4% in 2020). These types of nonprofits have traditionally been associated with high-net-worth giving.
  • Giving to public-society benefit nonprofits (1.3% in 2019 and 4.0% in 2020) will see slower growth than the other two recipient subsectors studied.

Three Potential Scenarios

To understand the full scope of the dynamic giving environment expected in 2019 and 2020, the macro-economic climate and ongoing donor responses to the 2017 federal tax law changes must be taken into account. While the ways in which the confluence of these factors will play out for American philanthropy cannot be fully known at this time, The Philanthropy Outlook draws on recent economic forecasts and analyses of the law’s anticipated effects to present projected growth and three potential scenarios that provide context for the baseline projections outlined in the report.

  • Under the Uneven Growth Scenario, estimates for total charitable giving would make much of the regressive effect of the 2017 tax law less apparent. Since high-net-worth individuals/households are already responsible for a large portion of individual/ household giving, enough economic growth – even if concentrated almost entirely among the wealthy – would result in growth in individual/household giving. The picture for corporate philanthropy is less clear: strong economic growth may not do enough to offset the decrease in tax incentives for corporate giving, particularly if overall consumer sentiment is weak. Foundation giving would be strong due to the performance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 and GDP.
  • Should the Flat Growth Scenario occur, total giving could stagnate or possibly decline because growth in the market and the economy would flatten by 2020. Individuals/ households – still unclear about how to maximize the benefits of giving under the 2017 tax law – may put off making charitable contributions until they are more certain, dampening growth in individual/household philanthropy. Due to S&P 500 and GDP growth realized in previous years, foundation giving would not immediately decline. Corporate giving may increase slightly, although this would largely depend on companies’ reactions to the new corporate tax rates.
  • In the Economic Downturn Scenario, while current economic expansion is expected to continue into 2019, some forecasters expect the positive effects of the 2017 individual and corporate tax cuts to decline rapidly after the first two years, leading to recessionary conditions by the end of 2020. This scenario would result in reductions in charitable giving essentially across the board.

Donors, fundraising professionals and policy makers need rigorous data and reliable information to help them plan for the future. In addition to the projections and scenarios, The Philanthropy Outlook 2019 & 2020 includes discussion of specific tax policy changes and of economic factors expected to affect giving.

About the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI is dedicated to improving philanthropy to improve the world by training and empowering students and professionals to be innovators and leaders who create positive and lasting change. The school offers a comprehensive approach to philanthropy through its academic, research and international programs and through The Fund Raising School, Lake Institute on Faith & Giving, the Mays Family Institute on Diverse Philanthropy and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute. Follow us on Twitter @IUPhilanthropy or “Like” us on Facebook.

About Marts & Lundy

Marts & Lundy is the one of the world’s most innovative and successful strategic management consulting firms. With offices in America, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, Marts & Lundy offers the world’s best-known philanthropic organizations an unparalleled depth of expertise and breadth of perspective on philanthropy. Since 1926, the firm has served thousands of mission-driven organizations with annual giving and campaign strategies that generate hundreds of thousands to several billion dollars. Founded in the belief that philanthropy has the power to transform not only institutions but, more importantly, the world, Marts & Lundy remains steadfastly committed to contributing innovative thinking and thought leadership to philanthropy. Visit our website. Follow us on Twitter @MrtsAndLndy and on LinkedIn and Facebook.


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Dr. Scott Hicks Named Liberty University Provost

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Press Release – January 22, 2019 : Liberty University News Service

Liberty University has announced that Dr. Scott Hicks, who has been serving as interim provost since July 1, 2018, has officially been named to the role of provost.

Hicks first served at Liberty as an assistant professor in 2007. He was named dean of the School of Business in 2012, where he led the creation of several new degree programs with over 65 cognates and/or concentrations, launched a Center for Entrepreneurship, developed strategic partnerships with global companies such as Adobe, Apple, Aruba, Cisco, and Oracle, and attained ACBSP accreditation for School of Business programs. He was named vice provost of graduate education in 2017.

Dr. Scott Hicks

Prior to coming to Liberty, Hicks spent several years in the oil industry and served as director of retail operations for Mansfield Oil Company, one of America’s largest Forbes 400 companies.

Hicks holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration with concentrations in Financial Management and International Business from Northcentral University and an MBA and B.S. in Business Management with specializations in Finance and Management from Liberty.

Hicks said he is honored to be able to continue to serve an institution that meant so much to his own success.

“Liberty University is truly a special place to study, to live, and to work,” Hicks said. “I know what it cultivated in my own life, and I am grateful for the opportunity to lead others in advancing the mission of Training Champions for Christ and to serve people where they are, throughout the world. Like so many of us who work and teach here, I don’t see it as a job, but as a calling. It’s an amazing honor to be a part of this world-class institution and to witness God’s blessings on this university every day.”

President Jerry Falwell Jr. said Hicks has used his background in the business world to meet the needs of college students today.

“We are proud to name Dr. Scott Hicks our provost. He has a heart for our students and cares about preparing them not only for graduation, but also for successful, long-term careers,” Falwell said. “Dr. Hicks knows how to develop academic programs that match the demands of the job market and, most importantly, he understands our mission as a leader in Christian higher education.”

As part of Liberty’s executive leadership team, the provost is the primary voice on academic matters for all residential and online programs. Hicks works with the administration to develop and implement the academic vision and values of the university, providing leadership to continuously improve undergraduate and graduate instruction and academic support services.


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American Psychological Foundation Establishes Grant Honoring Christine Blasey Ford

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Funds will support early career research on sexual trauma

Press Release – WASHINGTON – The American Psychological Foundation has launched a fund in honor of Christine Blasey Ford, PhD, to support research by graduate students and early career psychologists on understanding and treating individuals who have experienced traumatic events such as sexual assault, sexual harassment or rape.

Ford is a prominent psychologist who testified before Congress last year that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her when they were teenagers.

“We are honored to launch the Dr. Christine Blasey Ford grant at APF. As more survivors come forward and speak about their abuse, the science of psychology can help us better understand how to address their trauma,” said APF President Terence Keane, PhD, an expert in trauma psychology. “We are grateful to Professor Heidi Feldman and all the donors who made this grant possible and to Dr. Ford for her contributions to the field.”

The grant was initiated with a gift generated via a GoFundMe campaign started by Heidi Li Feldman, JD, PhD, a professor of law at the Georgetown University Law Center. The idea came to her while watching Ford’s testimony during Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination hearings, she said.

“Watching Christine Blasey Ford testify, I realized her professional skills as a collaborator and educator bolstered her ability to participate so effectively. I also feared that she would not be recognized, remembered and valued for her professional achievements as well as her keen sense of civic responsibility,” said Feldman. “As a fellow academic, an endowment of some sort seemed the natural way to commemorate and honor Dr. Ford and make sure her work was recognized, as well as her commitment to our civic good.”

One reason she chose the APF to administer the grant was that its grants often go to early career researchers, who have begun to prove themselves but need to do more work before being able to get larger grants.

“Funding researchers at this stage of their careers keeps the pipeline of top-notch work flowing,” she said.

The grant will be part of APF’s Trauma Fund, administered by experts in the field of trauma psychology. Donations are still being accepted through the APF website.


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Morris Animal Foundation Receives Donation to Support Veterinary Student Scholars Program

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Press Release – DENVER/January 23, 2019 – The American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation Inc. (AGSDCF) has made a gift of $100,000 to support Morris Animal Foundation’s Veterinary Student Scholars program. The program provides grants to current veterinary students with an interest in animal health research, and who have submitted an approved proposal for a summer research project.

Morris Animal Foundation is one of the world’s largest nonprofit organizations funding studies to advance the health of animals everywhere. With more than 2,760 studies funded since 1948, the organization plays a vital role in advancing veterinary medicine and care for dogs, cats, horses and wildlife.

“We are thrilled to be supporting the up-and-coming great minds in veterinary medicine who will be helping our dogs,” said AGSDCF President Deb Hokkanen. “It’s exciting for our organization to be working together with Morris Animal Foundation to improve the health of all breeds and every dog.”

AGSDCF was founded in 1984 and is devoted to funding research projects that improve the health of the German shepherd dog. The organization has been supporting canine health research at Morris Animal Foundation since 2007. While past funding was directed toward more specific health concerns for German shepherds, including the deadly cancer hemangiosarcoma and bloat, the organization wanted to expand their giving to support educational programs as well.

“We’re getting a little long in the tooth and need to invest in the next generation,” said Hokkanen. “For our donors, this means not only continuing to support research into health conditions that affect German shepherds, but also making sure we do our part to support the veterinary professionals who care for our dogs every day.”

Morris Animal Foundation’s Veterinary Student Scholars program provides veterinary students the opportunity to become involved in mentored research that advances the health and/or welfare of companion animals and wildlife. Students from accredited veterinary schools are eligible for the program. They submit proposals for review to their respective universities, which are then submitted to the Foundation for approval and funding.

“It’s such a privilege for us to work with the American German Shepherd Dog Charitable Foundation,” said Tiffany Grunert, President and CEO of Morris Animal Foundation. “Through their gifts over the last 12 years, and those of all our generous donors, we are able to advance the health of animals everywhere. We deeply appreciate and thank them for their continued support of this important work.”

About Morris Animal Foundation

Morris Animal Foundation’s mission is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals. Founded by a veterinarian in 1948, we fund and conduct critical health studies for the benefit of all animals. Learn more at morrisanimalfoundation.org.


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Everytable Closes Its First Program-Related Investment (PRI) Supported by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation

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This investment will be used to further missions of both Everytable and the Kellogg Foundation

Press Release – LOS ANGELES, Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/Everytable is a grab and go restaurant, whose mission is to make nutritious, fresh food affordable and accessible to all. Everytable aims to redefine the food landscape the same way McDonald’s did fifty years ago. However, this time, instead of burgers and fries, it is healthy, made-from-scratch food, at fast-food prices, that will enable all communities to have equitable access to quality food and help eliminate food deserts and food injustice.

“Everytable’s mission directly aligns with our goal to increase access to fresh, local, healthy food and improve nutrition for children and families,” said Kellogg Foundation Director of Mission Investment Cynthia Muller. “Children are at the heart of everything we do, and this investment creates healthy and affordable food options that are culturally relevant for families—something that rarely exists in food-insecure communities.”

Everytable is a social enterprise. Social enterprises are organizations that try to solve social problems through business, combining the heart of a nonprofit with the scalability and innovative potential of for-profits. Foundations, like the Kellogg Foundation, have been allowed to invest in social enterprises through PRI’s for almost 50 years, but only a tiny percentage of foundations deploy them. With PRI funding, these hybrid businesses could usher in a boom that would bridge society’s equity gaps.

Everytable is doing just that: bridging the gap in equality by addressing society’s food injustice. With this investment, Everytable will:

  • Pilot a franchise model which focuses on entrepreneurs of color from underserved communities owning stores;
  • Explore a new model designed to accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP);
  • Run educational programming for students at California State University, Los Angeles around its new store (Everytable’s first store with a university) opening in January 2019.

“The Kellogg Foundation is the gold-standard of foundations. Their innovative approach to equality and justice has improved countless lives and communities, and we at Everytable are honored by their confidence in our team, and our business model, which we believe has the potential to reshape the food system to make healthy food affordable and accessible for all,” says Sam Polk, Founder & CEO of Everytable.

Everytable currently has six stores—Baldwin Hills, Cal State LA, Compton, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and South Los Angeles—and two more opening early next year in Watts and Brentwood. The stores located in underserved areas (also referred to as food deserts) sell meals for $5 to $6, and in the more affluent areas, the same meals are priced $8 to $9.

Everytable is an evolved business model that uses great food, beautiful design, and a variable pricing model to succeed and help balance injustice. It has made the commitment to address the food injustice felt by millions throughout Los Angeles through its innovative food delivery platform and stores, with the potential to reach millions more across the country and beyond. To ensure that everyone can afford its meals, its unique pricing model enables every neighborhood to enjoy healthy, affordable meals.

SOURCE W.K. Kellogg Foundation


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Urban Land Institute’s Efforts to Promote Building for Health and Wellness are Supported by New Grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

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Press Release – WASHINGTON (January 24, 2019) – The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has awarded the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Foundation a $2 million grant to support ULI’s efforts to advance healthy real estate and community development practices. An additional grant of $50,000 was also awarded to support activities which further collaboration between ULI and its partners on health. ULI is a global real estate organization with more than 42,000 members dedicated to creating thriving, sustainable communities. The ULI Foundation provides philanthropic support for the Urban Land Institute’s mission-focused programs.

The grants will support the Institute’s work to research and promote real estate development practices that advance human health and wellness and social equity, as well as the partnership between ULI and seven other professional membership organizations to advance goals of the Joint Call to Action for Healthier Communities. The Joint Call to Action encourages members of the organizations to build relationships, establish health goals within projects, implement strategies that improve health, and share expertise across the industry.

ULI’s work on healthy communities shows that despite a growing understanding of connections between the built environment and health outcomes, many buildings and communities are still being built in ways that do not provide opportunities for all people to live a healthy life. Communities are struggling to address the legacy and impact of land use and transportation decisions that make access to affordable housing, healthy food, social services, physical activity, and other ingredients of a healthy life challenging.

“ULI members have been at the forefront of developing healthy communities where people of all income levels and backgrounds can thrive,” said ULI chief executive officer W. Edward Walter. “With this generous grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Urban Land Institute will continue to be the leader in promoting positive change throughout the real estate industry and in communities.”

With these grants, ULI will utilize the collective knowledge and commitment of its membership base to promote healthier and more equitable development and communities, and partner with other industry membership organizations to support collaboration across all land use professions to promote health through the built environment. The $2 million grant will comprise four components: an assessment of the current status of health and social equity in real estate practice; activities to build awareness of and drive more investment and funding to healthy and equitable real estate development and retrofit projects; a program to utilize ULI’s network of local chapters to shape land use and transportation policies and practices for health and social equity; and activities that will leverage ULI’s member networks to supporting a focus on health, social equity, community engagement, and diversity.

The work will be led by the ULI’s Building Healthy Places initiative, which is part of ULI’s Center for Sustainability and Economic Performance. Building Healthy Places, launched in 2013, is focused on leveraging the power of ULI’s global networks to shape projects and places in ways that improve the health of people and communities.

About the Urban Land Institute

The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has more than 42,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. We are working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter at www.rwjf.org/twitter or on Facebook at www.rwjf.org/facebook.


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Friends Of The American Latino Museum Applauds The Nomination Of Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard To The Smithsonian Board Of Regents

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Nomination presents opportunity for greater diversity, representation in the Smithsonian

Press Release – (Washington, D.C.) – The Friends of the American Latino Museum released this statement in support of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s nomination of Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard to the Smithsonian Board of Regents:

“The Friends of the American Latino Museum is proud to support the nomination of Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard to the Smithsonian Board of Regents. Having served in Congress for over twenty years, Representative Roybal-Allard has been a champion for the Latino community in the United States throughout her career. Her leadership and experience will make her an outstanding member of the Board to provide active oversight of the Smithsonian.

A history-maker herself as the first Mexican-American woman in Congress, Representative Roybal-Allard is well-equipped to further the Smithsonian Institution’s mission to educate and inspire our nation. With only three women on a board of 17, 13 of of them white men, the Smithsonian’s administrative body must reflect the diversity of our origins as well as our future. Currently, the Smithsonian Board of Regents lacks the diversity needed to best guide the telling of our nation’s history, and Representative Roybal-Allard’s legacy of service and leadership will be a tremendous asset to the Smithsonian Institution.

As per the commitments made in the 1994 Smithsonian report Willful Neglect, where the absence of Latino exhibits across the Smithsonian institution appeared almost deliberate, the nomination of a Latina to the Board of Regents will be a significant step towards rectifying the absence of Latino influence across the Smithsonian. In addition, and most importantly, this new Board member will offer a much-needed perspective as the Board of Regents seeks to confirm the next Smithsonian Secretary. It is our hope that the new leader of the Smithsonian will commit to expanding on the Institution’s commitment to an accurate portrayal and inclusion of American Latino history and culture across our iconic museums.”


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Radius Launches ‘Data for Good’ To Give Back To Customers & Community For Philanthropic Use Of Data

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B2B Enterprise Customer Data Platform Rallies Customers, Employees, And Nonprofit Organizations To Improve Society And Help Others

Press Release – SAN FRANCISCO – January 2019Radius, the first B2B enterprise customer data platform, is launching Data for Good, a program that helps both Radius employees and customers give back to their communities. When for-profit customers use Radius to support philanthropic and social causes, Radius will credit-back their account in full for any data used, in effect lowering the cost for customers to pursue important causes. In addition, Radius will donate its service to nonprofits, enabling these organizations to tap into a wealth of business data that can be used to enhance corporate outreach and pursue their charitable missions. The program also includes donation initiatives and employee volunteering to organizations with data-oriented missions.

“We know we have a greater responsibility than just building great technology, but to foster a community that benefits from what we build, our skills as a team, and the generous acts of our customers,” said Radius CEO, Joel Carusone. “We created Data for Good to support organizations that harness the power of data to create a better future and make a positive impact among their communities. We are excited to be a part of this instrumental step in using data for good, and to see all of the positive impact it has on our community.”

We typically see big headlines highlighting the misuse of data, but Radius and its customers are shedding light on how data can be used to give back and support the community, especially when tragedies strike. For example, Radius customer PATLive used the The Network of Record to identify and reach businesses affected by Hurricane Harvey in order to offer its answering services for free while the community got back on its feet.

Data for Good also extends to a donation commitment for nonprofits with data-oriented missions. When Radius customers use data to support the community, Radius will make a donation to either Girls Who Code, who work to close the gender gap in technology, or MissionBit, who strive to eliminate the tech divide for youth and adults living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“Radius’ Data for Good program supports our mission with workshop volunteering, demo day hosting, and ongoing donations. Together, we will continue to reduce the tech divide and educate students on data science and computer programming,” said Stevon Cook, CEO and Founder, MissionBit.

Learn more about Radius’ Data for Good program by visiting https://radius.com/data-for-good.

About Radius

Radius (www.radius.com) is the first enterprise customer data platform (CDP) on a mission to power data intelligence across all B2B applications, channels, and users. Built on The Network of Record™ – the most accurate and comprehensive B2B data source – and pioneering AI, Radius helps companies discover, manage and reach their audiences. With Radius, our customers have a single source of truth, a unified view of every possible customer, and the largest reach across more than 500 channels. Radius customers include MetLife, Comcast Business, and Sam’s Club. The company is backed by 8VC, BlueRun Ventures, and Founders Fund. Radius is headquartered in San Francisco.


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