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UNFI – Driven by Nature
We were fortunate yesterday to visit with UNFI (formerly United Natural Foods, Inc.) in beautiful Northeast Connecticut. UNFI is the leading independent national distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods and related products including nutritional supplements, personal care items and organic produce, in the United States. As the leading natural and organic foods distributor in the U.... -
Live Green – Green Living Made Easy
BetterWorld was out in force a few days ago at the Live Green Green Confessions party at The Warehouse in D.C. Live Green makes eco-friendly living and business practices easier and more affordable in DC and beyond. They are a membership organization providing support to green businesses and discounts on everyday green products and services for consumers.... -
BetterWorld Helps Launch Second BALLE Chapter
While BetterWorld focuses on creating change at a national and global level, BetterWorld employees also give 1-2 or more days of volunteer time to support their local community. I’ve been putting my local time and energy into the formation of Think Local First—a soon to be non-profit and BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) network—serving on the board as the Community Development Coordinator.... -
Back to Work with Habitat
The smiles could not have been any bigger! Diane, center of picture, just witnessed the raising of the exterior walls of the first home that she and her two daughters (Amber and Daria) can truly call their own. Diane was recently disabled in an automobile accident. Her new Habitat for Humanity home is in Manning, SC and it is scheduled for completion sometime in March.... -
Harvard Social Enterprise Conference 2009
The BetterWorld train today finds itself at the Harvard Business School, at the annual Social Enterprise Conference. We were invited to participate in the conference career fair but have been able to sit in on a number of amazing sessions this morning and afternoon. Currently, we’re in a packed house at the Burden Auditorium at the keynote panel with David Gergen(HBS, CNN), Bill Drayton(Ashoka), Jonathan Greenblatt (Ethos), and Clara Miller (Nonprofit Finance Fund), the house is packed, well over a 1,000 here while the snow is piling up outside.... -
PowerShift ‘09 Rocking the House
The D.C. Convention Center is buzzing for sure – – Van Jones blew the roof off last night and thousands of students, government and business leaders have descended on D.C. to learn, share ideas and march on the Capitol this Monday. We’re on a panel with Greenpeace, Green America, Climate Solutions and Rainforest Action Network: Challenging Corporations: How to Hold Corporate America Accountable, should be a lively discussion!... -
Our Visit with ShoreBank Pacific
We had the great fortune this week to meet with Gloria Freshley, Casey Repp and Erin Fitzgerald from ShoreBank Pacific. ShoreBank Pacific is an amazing voice and catalyst in the fight for corporate social and environmental responsibility and a true pioneer in the banking industry. They are the first commercial bank in the United States with a commitment to environmentally sustainable community development and believe that long-term community prosperity goes hand-in-hand with a healthy environment.... -
Our Visit with Patagonia
One of our favorite recurring trips is up to Ventura, CA north of LA to visit one of the true beacons of walking the triple bottom line, activism and cool. One of the folks key in keeping the Patagonia machine ticking, Alex Yanez (pictured with Ali), was our guide as we saw everything around the Patagonia campus, from the the latest Patagonia gear to the new ground they are forging in their environmental initiatives and programs.... -
What’s Going on at TechSoup Global?
With a mission to tech up non-profits around the world, TechSoup is clearly delivering: From June 2007 to June 2008 the retail value of their technology product donations distributed came to a whopping $312M, while saving social benefit organizations $296M through the distribution of 901,000 products. That my friends’s IMPACT.... -
Out to the Fields and Woods: Recent BetterWorld Service Projects
Over the past week and a half, we had a couple great work projects that saw some of the BetterWorld team getting their hands in the dirt. As part of our sponsorship and participation in the BALLE chapter, Lowcountry Local First, we were out shucking corn with Fields to Families in the Lowcountry, South Carolina.... -
Our Visit to REI
Late last week, I had the great fortune to return back to REI’s corporate HQ (just south of Seattle in Kent, WA), again I walked away in awe at how such a large and successful organization has been able to keep sustainability at the forefront of all decision making, seemingly across the board.... -
Helping out At Food and Friends
It was so hot yesterday in DC that you could fry eggs on the hood, but our team braved the heat to deliver meals to those in need along with the amazing Food & Friends organization. This was our first volunteer day with Food & Friends and I must say of all the many volunteer activities that we have done, I have not been more impacted and touched…seeing the faces, smiles, frowns of those stricken with debilitating disease makes you really count your blessings.... -
BetterWorld Partners With Clean Currents
Today we announced our partnership with Bethesda, MD-based Clean Currents (www.cleancurrents.com) – this creates a very powerful value proposition as we can now bring organizations in the DC metro area and other parts of the country both green telecom AND electric power – look for us to expand this to other parts of the country!... -
The Power of We
I was fortunate to attend the National Conference on Volunteering and Service this past week in Philadelphia. The theme this year was “The Power of We” and was convened by the Corporation for National & Community Service and the Points of Light Foundation, the conference highlighted many corporate leaders large and small, making giving back and community service a top priority in their organizations....
