Upping the ante and going “all in” for a greater social impact

  The spring line from women’s clothing designer Eileen Fisher is 60 percent “eco,” on their path to reaching 100 percent sustainability by 2020, going “all in.” Similarly, the FB Heron Foundation has about 60 percent of its assets invested in mission, on the path to reaching 100 percent, going “all in.” These women-led enterprises […]

Revving up for 2015? Here’s a five point checklist

As we approach 2015, there are five things businesses, foundations and non profits can start now to make a greater social impact in the year ahead: Time for a tune up. Are you achieving what you set out to do? We find that at around the 3-5 year mark of a CSR or grant making […]

In a Company Crisis, the Best Defense Is a Strong Offense

When something goes wrong in business, by accident or by design, the company will have a better chance of emerging from the crisis with its reputation in tact if it has the benefit of the doubt from the beginning. If a company is already acknowledged as an upstanding corporate citizen because of how it treats […]

Emerging ways to fund social change

There has been a pop in articles and commentary since the start of September that focus on different ways to fund positive and effective social change. One New York Times piece, “Investing to Make a Difference Is Gaining Ground” affirms that we were onto something real when we started Giving Strong three years ago – […]

Millennial Fever | What do they want?

I just gave a guest lecture about triple bottom line business practices to an MBA class studying sustainability at the University of Southern Maine, those coveted Millennials whose generation is shaping business and culture. Everyone’s talking about Millennials (born roughly between 1980-2000). Any Google news search will uncover a litany of headlines about their influence: […]

Running a purpose-driven business #LikeaGirl – or a guy – would

Always, the maker of feminine hygiene products owned by P&G, has a great culture change campaign under way: #LikeaGirl. You’ve probably seen it, since it’s logged over 28 million views. But if not, you can watch the video here and cheer for the tween and teen girls who realize how insidious the phrase has become. Run […]

What else to include in your Corporate Social Responsibility practice

In my Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) career I have worked with companies that are or wish to be more responsible sourcers. They care about what is in their products, the ethics of the supply chain and manufacturing practices. That’s a side of CSR that many forget- that CSR is about more than community donations. It’s […]

Financial Advisors Bust Five Common College Planning Myths

As Maine’s professional financial advisor community informs clients about Maine’s NextGen College Investing Plan®, they often find that they are busting some common myths about the state’s 529 plan too. Here, two financial representatives set the record straight. Myth: NextGen is just for babies. “Most people with whom I speak think that NextGen® is only […]

Top college planning advice; Information on grants from experienced Maine counselor

Today we are in the midst of a full on effort for Maine’s next generation to 1) aspire to attend college and 2) have the means to make it happen. In Bath, Morse High School Counselor Leslie Trundy is on the front lines of this kind of dream building. The population of that city is […]