Community Development

[Editor's note: This post was originally published on Realized Worth]

Companies that make an impact fitting of their capacity also dare to be bold.  They dream a dream big enough to capture the hearts of their stakeholders and they make a robust action plan to that realize that dream

Sustainability has unquestionably emerged as a mega-trend in the United States, fundamentally affecting how companies plan for the future, what products and services they provide, and how they relate to their consumers and other stakeholders. Long seen as an issue of tangential concern, sustainability – still a term with multiple definitions, but generally meaning a focus on reducing waste, increasing efficiency, and the overall strategy of marrying environmental stewardship with economic growth - has become an issue of strategic importance.

 “And what is your commitment to community?”

College students ask this question all the time of the companies for which they’re considering working. Students recognize that it’s not enough to achieve their own career successes – they’re also invested in ensuring the advancement of others.

I recently interviewed Daniel Horgan, Community Affairs at Capital One. The focus of our interview was on the company’s pro bono support of nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

BCLC: The Capital One pro bono program is four years old. What was the motivation to start the program?

By Michael Dupee, Vice President of CSR, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

In his much-lauded book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey famously encouraged us to “begin with the end in mind.”  In business, many of us try to take that encouragement to heart, engaging in visioning exercises, brainstorming adventures, long-range planning sessions, and other lesser forms of torture to help us identify the outcomes we want to see in the world as a result of our sustainability initiatives.

New Jersey is the first U.S. state to have a comprehensive municipal sustainability program that links certification with strong state and private financial incentives and a technical support and training program. The program is called Sustainable Jersey and in 2011, the City of Jersey City – New Jersey’s 2nd-largest city – focused its attention on achieving certification. The city’s green initiatives became organized under one umbrella project called, “365 Days of Green.” 

Boston is one of America's oldest cities, with a rich economic and social history. As the Northeast region's hub, Boston is home to 617,594 residents, many institutions of higher education, some of the world's finest hospitals, and many cultural and professional sports organizations. Every year, millions of people visit Boston to take in its historic neighborhoods, attend cultural or sporting events, and conduct business.