Last month United Health Foundation released the 20^th anniversary edition of its signature research “America’s Health Rankings”. The study analyzes the health status of the U.S. population by state and ranks all 50 states. It provides important benchmarking information as well as tools and tips for taking action on improving our nation’s health. Read the rest of this entry »

Politicians have long been scrutinized by the media and watchdog groups over every cent they accept from “special interests” – be they trade unions or political action committees. Now some of the Boston College Center’s key members are leading efforts to heed a call that corporations be more transparent about contributions they make to trade associations and other political lobbying groups. Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this month, I participated in a webinar hosted by the Boston College Center on the power of social media. (Center members can view the webcast here.) I was asked to share Timberland’s experience using web 2.0 tools, including our recently launched Voices of Challenge online dialogue. We’re taking a multi-platform approach to secure a strong presence on the web.

But we’re not creating this presence just for the sake of showing up; rather, we see the newest online tools as an opportunity to engage with different types of stakeholders – consumers, citizens, activists, and others – to solicit their ideas, many of whom we may not have engaged before. And with or without this stated goal, these stakeholders are showing up and lending their voices to current issues and discussions of corporate responsibility among themselves. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re deep in the planning mode for our 2010 conference, to be held in Boston April 11-13, and are excited to announce the following keynote speakers. Stay tuned for more information.
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Wanna be green? Who doesn’t? But the reality of acting green sometimes runs into a hard economic wall. Projects that on the surface make perfect sense get stalled when the accountants get involved.

Case in point: alternative fuel vehicles. UPS would love to have 100% alternative fuel vehicles in our fleet of package cars. But the reality is that the math doesn’t work. Most alt fuel choices cost 30-100% more than traditional diesel. The fuel savings usually doesn’t equal the extra costs, even over a decade. Read the rest of this entry »

Principal owner of the Red Sox John Henry recently received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship. The Red Sox and Major League Baseball are long-standing members of the Center and are real role models for how community involvement can be fostered in a highly decentralized organization. Read the rest of this entry »

Retailers have long made “the customer is always right” words to live by at the checkout counter. And now some stores are putting a price on how right they think their customers are about efforts to protect the environment. Read the rest of this entry »