Ecolab Helped Businesses Conserve 161 Billion Gallons of Water in 2016

Wed, 06/21/2017 - 12:30

In 2016, Ecolab Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services, helped customers save 161 billion gallons of water at more than one million locations around the world. These savings, equivalent to the annual drinking water needs of more than 558 million people, are highlighted in the company’s 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report, available at www.ecolab.com.

Metlife Releases Annual Corporate Responsibility Report

Wed, 06/21/2017 - 12:40

MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET) today announced the release of the company’s annual corporate responsibility report, which highlights how it manages Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues and makes a positive impact on society and the economy.

Local Investments by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Companies and Foundations Advance Community Health

Wed, 06/21/2017 - 08:00

Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) companies and their foundations around the country increased their support for community programs that promote healthier behaviors and address social determinants of health – the social factors that can negatively impact health – such as homelessness and food insecurity, according to the ninth annual “The Health of America Community Investment Report.”

Whole Planet Foundation Supports Refugees with Microcredit

Tue, 06/20/2017 - 16:10

Wells Fargo donates $500,000 for El Paso-area revitalization efforts

Wed, 06/21/2017 - 13:00

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) today announced a total of $500,000 in donations to four local nonprofits to help revitalize El Paso neighborhoods through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT® program.

Support to Human Rights and Refugee Causes via Corporations Increases Almost 40 Fold Following Travel Ban

Mon, 06/19/2017 - 20:00

This World Refugee Day, Benevity, the market leader in workplace giving, volunteering and community investment software, announces that donations made through its award-winning cloud solution to human rights and refugee causes have increased 6 times year-over-year since the Executive Order banning travel by nationals of 6 Muslim-majority countries in January 2017.

Duke Energy Selects North Carolina Locations for Economic Development Program

Tue, 06/20/2017 - 11:00

Duke Energy has selected six North Carolina properties for participation in the first half of its 2017 Site Readiness Program to prepare them for business and industrial development.

KeyBank Arranges $8.4 Million in Total Financing to Address Affordable Housing Gap in Roxboro, NC

Mon, 06/19/2017 - 15:00

KeyBank Community Development Lending & Investment (CDLI) provided $8.4 million in total financing for the quick acquisition of Brookwood Apartments, a 90-unit low-income apartment community in Roxboro, NC, located approximately 50 miles north of Raleigh/Durham. Specifically, KeyBank provided the sponsor with a $4 million short term bridge loan and an immediate 10-year permanent financing loan worth $4.4 million though Freddie Mac.

A Guide to Sustainable Farmland Investing

Tue, 06/27/2017 - 10:05

Farm land is still a new asset class for most investment portfolios. It is important therefore to get started on the right foot. We realized early on that we needed to educate our investors and advisors on the basic economics of our business. As such in 2011 when we started to scale the company, we created a “Guide to Sustainable Farmland Investing”. This guide still has broad relevance even in today’s impact investing markets. Here’s an updated version of that guide...

SOIL – Slow Opportunities for Investing Locally

Wed, 06/21/2017 - 10:15

There are many social and environmental reasons why we are doing this. Climate Change. Nutrition. Community. There are also financial reasons. If we are going to do what needs to be done in the soil, then we are going to need to put aside some of our money in new ways.