Corporate Relations & Engagement

Kristin Mugford Elected to Gift Fund Board of Trustees BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund ('Gift Fund'), the nation’s largest donor-advised fund program and third largest public charity1, today reported that its donors made more than 152,000 grants totaling $531 million to nonprofits nationwide during the first six months of 2010, up 27 percent and 16 percent, respectively, from the same period last year. Both of these totals represent the strongest first half for outgoing grants in the Gift Fund’s 19-year history2. 'Our donors continue to give at record levels, reflecting their ongoing commitment to supporting the causes

Even though the recession hurt corporate charitable giving last year, some areas of giving increased, including health and education, said the presidents of the Walmart Foundation and the GE Foundation. Margaret McKenna, president of the Walmart Foundation, and Bob Corcoran, president of the GE Foundation, answered readers' questions in an online chat Tuesday sponsored by USA TODAY and The Chronicle of Philanthropy. "In the current economic downturn, we have focused on basic needs. For instance, hunger relief has become our main priority," said McKenna. In May, Wal-Mart announced a $2 billion initiative aimed at hunger relief. "This includes $250

Corporate profits are on the rebound, but most big businesses say it will be some time before they can give as much cash as they did before the recession, according to a Chronicle survey of 162 of the country’s largest corporations.

"Would your family be interested in taking a break from cancer?" Aileen Schissel couldn't believe what her oncologist just asked. After years of battling breast cancer, a break from cancer seemed like an impossible dream. "I was so sick of being sick. The whole family desperately needed a vacation," says Schissel, of Glendora, Calif. "But with no money to go far, we never would have dreamed of taking this kind of trip." The Schissels left Friday on a Continental Airlines jet for Hawaii, where they will be staying at the five-star Four Seasons Resort Maui for four nights and

PLANO, TEXAS, Aug. 09 /CSRwire/ - Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) today announced the launch of a new corporate philanthropy program, ACTION Nation. The program will focus giving and volunteer efforts in support of DPS's mission to foster physically active, engaged and sustainable communities. "At DPS, ACTION is at the heart of everything we do. Every DPS employee contributes to our success by taking action to meet the needs of our customers and consumers," said Tina Barry, senior vice president – corporate affairs. "ACTION is also about giving back to our communities. All across North America, DPS

Corporate profits are on the rebound, but most big businesses say it will be some time before they can give as much cash to charities as they did before the recession, according to a survey of the nation's largest companies by the Chronicle of Philanthropy and USA TODAY. More than 100 answered the survey, and the Chronicle analyzed tax data for a total of 162 companies. A majority of companies said they expect their charitable donations in 2010 to be about the same as in 2009 � a year in which cash giving fell by 7.5%. Of the 102

Pepsi is donating $1.3 million through its Pepsi Refresh Project, which uses a Web site, refresheverything.com, to determine grant winners by popular vote. That sum is in addition to $20 million that Pepsi has vowed to give away in 2010 in the cause marketing effort, the term for collaborating with nonprofit organizations to bolster both charities and the reputations of companies.

Is Microsoft an incubator for social entrepreneurship?

Over the years, plenty of people have retired from the company to start a second career in philanthropy or to create new enterprises that address social issues.

Microsoft alumni have founded and supported more than 150 non-profit organizations and social ventures working around the world, according to its alumni foundation.

CLAYTON, Mo. — Panera Bread Co. is asking customers at a new restaurant to pay what they want.

The national bakery and restaurant chain launched a new nonprofit store here this week that has the same menu as its other 1,400 locations. But the prices are a little different — there aren't any. Customers are told to donate what they want for a meal, whether it's the full suggested price, a penny or $100.

The new store in the upscale St. Louis suburb of Clayton is the first of what will Panera hopes will be many around the country. Ronald Shaich, Panera's CEO until last week, was on hand at the new bakery Monday to explain the system to customers.

MINNEAPOLIS - (Business Wire) Best Buy Co., Inc. today announced that teens participating in its @15 Exchange directed $250,000 to four nonprofits through the company’s teen-focused @15 program. The Best Buy initiative empowers teens to be the drivers of change by giving them the opportunity to direct the company’s charitable donations to organizations who support issues teens feel are most important. Kicking off the second year of the @15 Exchange, Best Buy featured the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Scholarship America and the Starkey Hearing Foundation as recipients of teen-directed funding through www.at15.com. Teens registered on the website earned points by participating in online activities and then allocating their points to the nonprofits. This round, teens donated more than 1.2 million points, and the percentage of points earned by each nonprofit translated into their percentage of the $250,000 available: