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Corporate philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams face increasing pressure to maximize the effectiveness of their limited funds while addressing complex social and environmental challenges. To meet these demands, innovative strategies that combine campaigns, education, and deep stakeholder engagement are proving vital. By leveraging these approaches, organizations are shifting from traditional grantmaking to more dynamic, impact-driven models that can deliver tangible and sustainable outcomes on a global scale. How catalytic impact transforms funding models In contrast to traditional isolated efforts, a catalytic impact model brings together diverse organizations around a shared mission to drive coordinated and measurable outcomes. This approach exemplifies the idea that We can do more together than alone. This past year, Kiva brought several partners together behind a single mission: support women. An initiative for International Womens Day 2024 demonstrated this concept in action by mobilizing multiple corporate partners to exceed their shared goal of financially supporting over 4,000 women around the world. Six partners came together to raise awareness and engage their stakeholders: UGG, U.S. Womens National Team Players Association (USWNTPA), Bank of America, Hitachi, The Coca-Cola Foundation, and Visa Foundation. They leveraged their platforms and networks to raise awareness and engage their audiences. UGG, for instance, created an impact-focused landing page, while others utilized social media collaborations to rally their audiences. The result: Not only did these companies surpass the goal by supporting 4,279 women with over $2.3 million in loans, but 12,901 additional women received a surge in loan funding. This achievement underscores the potential of catalytic impact: When aligned organizations unite with purpose, their collective efforts dont just accomplish immediate goalsthey lay the groundwork for ongoing impact. Thanks to innovative models like revolving funds, the resources raised continue to circulate, benefiting thousands more women with the capital they need to thrive. Partnerships for greater good During the 2023 FIFA Womens World Cup in Sydney, The Coca-Cola Foundation took the stage to announce a five-year, $1.1 million grant to enhance financial access for underrepresented women entrepreneurs worldwide. The true value of this initiative lies in its potential for exponential impact. By the end of the first year, it had already reached more than 17,000 women entrepreneurs and today, a little more than a year later, that number has more than doubled with over $2 million in capital in the hands of women around the world. With a revolving fund model in play, the same funding will continue to cycle back, enabling more women to access the capital they need to start and grow their businesses. Over the next four years, the impact is projected to triple, directly benefiting more than 45,000 women. Kivas transparent and impactful model has enabled The Coca-Cola Foundation to invest in communities globally while being able to track the impact at an individual level, said Carlos Pagoaga, president of The Coca-Cola Foundation. Central to this impact tracking is a real-time impact dashboard that offers stakeholders a clear view of the partnerships reach, enabling an element of transparency between companies and stakeholders. Its a transformative approach to corporate partnerships for any organization committed to genuine change, added Pagoaga. Build engagement through powerful narratives Effective partnerships rely not only on funding but also on rallying stakeholders and audiences to join a shared mission and vision for change. USWNTPAs Leveling the Playing Field initiative is a prime example. Soon after the USWNTPA made history in 2022 by securing commensurate pay with the mens team, its members sought a way to compound that influence. Kivas commitment to gender equality attracted their attention, offering a dynamic vehicle to advance economic justice and expand financial access for women. The team eagerly committed to lending $2.5 million in capital for zero-interest, zero-fee Kiva loans in the U.S. by 2025.As borrowers repay their loans, the funds are returned to USWNTPAs account, enabling a continuous cycle of impact. This means that one loan by an individual, combined with a matching contribution, can multiply into two to three times the impact, creating opportunities for thousands of U.S. small businesses and fostering economic empowerment. To further engage their audience, USWNTPA recently launched the 99 Women campaign to celebrate the historic win of the 1999 Womens World Cup. The campaign encouraged fans to change the game for women entrepreneurs by supporting 99 women. It invited followers to vote on the categories of women entrepreneurs they wanted to champion, reinforcing the idea that with the right team, any goal is possible. This approach effectively leveraged USWNTPAs legacy and its connection with fans to drive tangible impact. Corporates unite for global impact As global issues continue to grow in complexity and traditional resources face increasing constraints, its clear that dynamic partnerships and innovative funding models hold the key to achieving greater impact. Social impact leaders are changing the world by leveraging their funds for catalytic impact. While each partnership is unique, all are focused on achieving lasting change in communities most affected by global challenges. Corporate leaders, the time is now. To truly drive change with your CSR initiatives, think beyond traditional grants and explore strategies that blend innovative campaigns, education, and stakeholder engagement. By incorporating models like revolving funds and catalytic partnerships, your organization can multiply its impact, build a more engaged audience, and contribute to long-term, transformative change. Let your next CSR investment do more than goodlet it set new standards for sustainable, impactful giving. Vishal Ghotge is CEO at Kiva. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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E-Commerce
A nonprofit that was awarded nearly $7 billion by the Biden administration to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects has sued President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency, accusing it of improperly freezing a legally awarded grant. Climate United Fund, a coalition of three nonprofit groups, demanded access to a Citibank account it received through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, a program created in 2022 by the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act and more commonly known as the green bank. The freeze threatens its ability to issue loans and even pay employees, he group said. The combined actions of Citibank and EPA effectively nullify a congressionally mandated and funded program,” Climate United wrote in a Monday court filing. Last April, then-Vice President Kamala Harris announced that EPA had selected eight groups, including Maryland-based Climate United, to receive $20 billion to finance tens of thousands of projects to fight climate change and promote environmental justice. The money was formally awarded in August. While favored by congressional Democrats, the green bank drew immediate criticism from Republicans, who routinely denounced it as an unaccountable “slush fund.” Former EPA Administrator Michael Regan sharply disputed that claim. The bank was quickly targeted by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, who was confirmed to the role in late January. In a video posted on X, Zeldin said the EPA would revoke contracts for the still-emerging program. Zeldin cited a conservative journalists undercover video made late last year that showed a former EPA employee saying the agency was throwing gold bars off the Titanic presumably a reference to spending before the start of Trumps second term. Zeldin has repeatedly used the term gold bars to accuse the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund’s recipients of misconduct, waste and possible fraud. According to the lawsuit filed in federal court, Citibank cut off access to Climate Uniteds bank account on February 18 an action the bank did not explain for weeks. The cutoff took place as Zeldin made multiple public appearances accusing Climate United and other groups of misconduct, eventually announcing that the funds were frozen, according to the lawsuit. Climate United said the EPA has refused to meet with the group. Several Democratic lawmakers slammed Zeldin’s attacks on the green bank. The Trump administrations malicious and unfounded attacks on the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund have resulted in a sham investigation and unsubstantiated funding freeze, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey and Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell said in a statement. The three Democrats pushed for creation of the green bank. Citibank said it was reviewing the lawsuit. As weve said previously, Citi has been working with the federal government in its efforts to address government officials concerns regarding this federal grant program,” the bank said in a statement Monday. “Our role as financial agent does not involve any discretion over which organizations receive grant funds. Citi will of course comply with any judicial decision. The EPA declined to comment, citing pending litigation. In its court filing, Climate United pointed to the resignation of a former prosecutor in the U.S. Attorneys Washington office after refusing demands from top Trump administration officials to freeze the group’s assets. Zeldin raised questions in a letter to the agency’s watchdog about the EPAs use of Citibank to hold the money, a structure that allowed the eight entities to be used as pass throughs for eventual grant recipients. The process undermined transparency, Zeldin alleged. He also questioned the qualifications of some of the entities overseeing the grants and said some were affiliated with the Biden administration or Democratic politics, including Stacey Abrams, a former Democratic nominee for Georgia governor. Trump singled out Abrams over her ties to the green bank in his address to Congress last week. In a letter to EPA officials on March 4, Climate United disputed Zeldin’s allegations. The groups lengthy application material is publicly available and the EPA used a rigorous selection process, Climate United said, adding that its spending is transparent. In addition to Climate United, the new fund has awarded money to other nonprofits, including the Coalition for Green Capital, Power Forward Communities, Opportunity Finance Network, Inclusiv and the Justice Climate Fund. Those organizations have partnered with a range of groups, including Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity and the Community Preservation Corporation. The EPA’s former inspector general had urged more oversight of the green-bank program. The rapid implementation of the program, combined with the relatively narrow window of availability for such a significant amount of funding, may lead the EPA to expend the funds without fully establishing the internal controls that mitigate the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse, then-inspector general Sean O’Donnell told Congress in 2023. Trump fired ODonnell in January, along with more than a dozen other inspectors general. Acting Inspector General Nicole Murley has said she is looking into the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment Michael Phillis and Matthew Daly, Associated Press
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E-Commerce
The country’s preeminent federal fire training academy canceled classes, effective immediately, on Saturday amid the ongoing flurry of funding freezes and staffing cuts by President Donald Trump’s administration. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced that National Fire Academy courses were canceled amid a process of evaluating agency programs and spending to ensure alignment with Administration priorities, according to a notice sent to instructors, students and fire departments. Instructors were told to cancel all future travel until further notice. Firefighters, EMS providers and other first responders from across the country travel to the NFA’s Maryland campus for the federally funded institution’s free training programs. The NFA is a powerhouse for the fire service,” said Marc Bashoor, a former Maryland fire chief and West Virginia emergency services director with 44 years of fire safety experience. Its not a nice to have. It is the one avenue we have to bring people from all over the country to learn from and with each other. If we want to continue to have one of the premier fire services in the world, we need to have the National Fire Academy. The academy, which also houses the National Fallen Firefighter’s Memorial, opened in 1973 to combat a growing number of fatal fires nationwide. At the time, the National Commission on Fire Prevention and Control envisioned it to be the West Point of the Fire Service, according to a report form the organization. Bashoor said the NFA was set to welcome a new set of fire safety officers for training next week. People had made their plane and travel reservations. And all of a sudden, they get an email that Sorry, its been canceled,'” he said. “Its really upsetting. For firefighters, including those on the frontlines of deadly fires that ravaged California this year, having an essential training institution shut down under the presumption that theres waste, fraud and abuse has been demoralizing, Bashoor said. He said losing NFA training could make the coordinated response that prevented additional deaths and destruction in California more difficult. FEMA and the National Fire Academy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. While surveying disaster zones in California in January, Trump said he was considering getting rid of FEMA altogether, previewing sweeping changes to the nation’s central organization of responding to disasters. Firings at the U.S. Forest Service on the heels of the deadly California blazes also sparked outcry among discharged workers and officials who said it would mean fewer people and less resources will be available to help prevent and fight wildfires. Christine Fernando, Associated Press
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