May 18, 2013

Corporate Responsibility

Responding to the Bangladeshi Factory Collapse: Fix Government or Fix Corporations?

bangladeshHoward Husock says that preventing future calamities like the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh should be addressed by improving government, rather than corporate manufacturers. We say he’s half-right.

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Oxfam Report Ranks Companies on Corporate Social Responsibility

CSRAn Oxfam International report, “Behind the Brands,” takes a look at corporate social responsibility. Does the rhetoric match up with the reality?

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“Shocking” Testimony: Attorney General on “Too Big to Jail” Banks

HolderIn testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder acknowledges that the Justice Department views some banks and bankers as too big to jail.

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The Ruggie Principles: Corporate Social Responsibility for Lawyers

GasIs there a regime of corporate social responsibility for law firms?

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The In-N-Out Burger Philanthropist (“Those are Good Burgers, Walter”)

In N OutAs sole owner of the privately held In-N-Out Burger chain, Lynsi Torres is the youngest female billionaire in the U.S. Will she be donating to the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers?

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Sustainable Org. or Sustainable Seafood: A Business Plan Question?

sustainablefishingThe Marine Stewardship Council sought to create demand for sustainable fishing certifications. Now it can’t keep up with demand. Has it lowered its standards as a result?

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The Striking Nonprofit PSA Super Bowl Ad You Didn’t See

SBThose watching Super Bowl XLVII on television last night didn’t see it, but just before kickoff, the jumbotron at the Superdome was alit with a gripping nonprofit PSA.

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In the Super Bowl of Lobbying, the NFL Plays to Win

Super BowlWhile the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers prepare for Super Bowl XLVII, the tax-exempt National Football League (NFL) is playing a game of its own: lobbying Congress.

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Nestlé Must Pay Compensation for Spying on NGO

NestleFood and beverage company Nestlé and a Swiss security company must pay up after infiltrating a non-governmental organization that is critical of many multinational corporations.

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Franchising Social Enterprise: 5th Panera “Pay What You Can” Café

PaneraA new Panera Cares Café, the fifth in the nation, has opened in Boston. The Panera Foundation’s “pay what you can” restaurant had a strong opening day.

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The 10 Most Toxic Power Plants

ToxicThe Environmental Integrity Project has released its annual list of the “toxic ten” power plants—and a Georgia plant that has dramatically reduced its emissions shows that progress is possible.

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Reputation Institute Ranks Corporations on Social Responsibility

MicrosoftMicrosoft, Google and the Walt Disney Company topped the Reputation Institute’s list of corporations with the best reputations for corporate social responsibility.

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Bangladesh Factory Fire Points to Need for Independent Monitors

FactoryAfter a fire killed 112 workers in a Bangladesh factory, Walmart and Sears say they didn’t even know the factory was producing clothing for them. Where are the independent monitors?

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Who Did Google Fund for Innovative Uses of Technology?

GoogleGoogle’s new Global Impact Awards honor and provide sizable grants to nonprofits that are making innovative use of technology in tackling difficult problems.

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Turning down a Donation from Walmart: Ethical or Foolish?

WalmartA pro-union charity in Tucson declines a donation from Walmart, calling it “Blood Money” because of Wal-Mart’s treatment of its workers. But how far would they go?

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Greenpeace Calls BP Gulf Coast Settlement Insufficient

BPIn the largest criminal fine in U.S. history, BP will pay $4.5 billion over the course of five years due its 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, but Greenpeace says that’s a pittance to BP.

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UPS Cuts Boy Scouts Funding, Citing Discriminatory Practices

UPSUPS has reportedly ended its support and grant funding for the Boy Scouts of America, citing the group’s exclusion of gays. Last year, UPS gave more than $85,000 to the Boy Scouts.

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Online Bank Makes Donations to Charity of New Members’ Choosing

NewsForget the toaster, frequent flyer miles and gift cards. ableBanking will make a donation to a customer-designated charity on new accounts. Is this more than just a marketing gimmick?

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Critic: Hypocritical Companies Using Ribbons for “Pink-Washing”

RibbonSan Francisco-based writer Brittany Shoot suggests that some corporations are using this month’s ubiquitous ribbon campaign in an attempt to “pink-wash” their public image.

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A Scoop of Social Responsibility: Ben and Jerry’s the B Corp

B&JIce cream company Ben and Jerry’s is the first subsidiary of a publicly traded company to become a certified B corporation.

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In Lockout, NHL Hockey Players Turn from “Checks” to Checks

PuckIf you’re a professional hockey player, what do you do when your fellow players and the owners can’t come to an agreement in the current National Hockey League lockout?

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Should Wariness of Corporate Social Responsibility Extend to B-Corps?

BIn Pennsylvania, legislation is awaiting Gov. Tom Corbett’s signature that would officially allow corporations in the commonwealth to charter themselves as “benefit corporations” or “B-corps.”

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In NYC, Social Impact Bonds with a Side of Politics

StringerA likely New York City mayoral candidate is aligning himself with the social impact bond, or “pay for success,” concept. Is this approach the wave of the future or an unrealistic pipedream?

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Sen. Coburn’s “Wastebook” Eyes NFL’s Nonprofit Status

CoburnAmong the list of examples of government spending that Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) considers suspect is the tax exemption given to the National Football League and other sports associations.

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Ford Grants for For-Profit Journalism: What Does It Mean?

FordWhile nonprofit journalism has traditionally looked to foundation support, the Ford Foundation has directed grants to the for-profit Los Angeles Times and Washington Post.

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Lessons from Chase Community Giving and the “Catfish” Dilemma

ChaseThe Chase Community Giving Program was an experiment in using Facebook to engage charities and their supporters in a competition for grants, but it seems this might be a better focal point for voter fraud inquiries than electoral politics.

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A Signal to Revisit Nonprofit Whistleblower Protections

WhistleThe Dodd-Frank financial reform law has added whistleblower protections that should remind the nonprofit sector to rethink and strengthen its whistleblower stance.

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Study: More Corporations Disclose Political Donations

TargetA study of Fortune 500 companies finds that increasing numbers (in 2012, compared to 2011) of corporations are either disclosing political donations or refraining from making the donations.

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Secret Political Spenders Hijacking Small Business Identity?

NewsDavid Borris, a leader of the Main Street Alliance, says that special interests are misappropriating the identity of small businesses to support secret political campaign spending.

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Another George Lucas Production? Branding San Anselmo

LucasCorporate investment in public spaces is hardly a new phenomenon, but how far will it go?

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