Corporate Relations & Engagement

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.

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:

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.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – May 10, 2010 –

Members and supporters of parent-teacher associations, community athletic organizations like Little Leagues, and churches and other registered nonprofits have found an easy way to raise thousands of dollars for their organizations with the help of Verizon.

Verizon offers nonprofits in the state an opportunity to participate in the Verizon Velocity Program, which provides eligible groups with contributions when their members or supporters purchase certain Verizon services: Verizon FiOS TV, Verizon FiOS Internet, Verizon High Speed Internet, Verizon Freedom Calling and Verizon Long Distancehome phone services, or DIRECTV Service through Verizon.

The Verizon Velocity program is providing support to dozens of grassroots groups such as PTAs at Frank C. Leal Elementary School in Cerritos, Vejar Elementary in Pomona, St. Linus School in Norwalk, Mark Twain Elementary in Long Beach and Kimberly Elementary in Redlands, and the Greater Works Church in Temecula. Last year, through the program, Verizon provided nearly $15,000 in funding to Southern California nonprofits.

You don't need to sign up for a U.N. mission, deliver medical aid to a developing country or renounce your possessions to improve the planet. By enjoying a vacation with a charity-minded tour operator, you're already helping humanity. Many such companies give back to the far-flung destinations their leisure clients visit.

Take Boston-based Grand Circle Corp., which typically sends more than 100,000 travelers, mostly 50 and older, on trips each year. Since 1992, its nonprofit arm, Grand Circle Foundation, has donated or pledged $47 million to educational and humanitarian efforts around the world, a significant part financed by tour proceeds, said spokeswoman Priscilla O'Reilly.