Issue #13: Is neutrality enough?

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When it comes to doing something about a crisis, when did we ever learn to settle for just evening the score?

Behaviors persist. No matter how many times you try to offset them. Trust me: You're not going to shed pounds by eating broccoli because you also had a bagel. I enjoy both, for the record, and can vouch for that.

So why do we think any amounts of charitable giving, or even actions like carbon offsets, are going to make enough progress towards mitigating the world's greatest crises? We're too late to prevent most crises -- we need to triage the people affected, and fix problems so future generations can thrive. Two steps backwards and two steps forward will only lead to stasis. Ask any golfer -- you don't win by playing to par.

The world needs us to make progress. And the only way we're going to move forward at the necessary speed is to stop moving backward, and start doubling down on the actions that we know will lead to more positive outcomes.

You're not going to get ahead of your competition by doing as much (or as little) as they do. Look at your competitors' stakeholder reports and tape them to your mirror. That's your motivation. Doing more is about making more, better decisions. For your employees. For your customers. For your communities.

What's Good:

How are companies faring in pursuit of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals? PwC analyzed over 1,000 company reports to find out how businesses are engaging with the SDGs, and whether or not they are on track to help the world deliver on the UN's 2030 goals. The fact is, even global governments aren't delivering fast enough. This report shines a light on what businesses can do if they act more decisively.

Snapchat's tackling mental health. I've been impressed by Snapchat's continued dedication and commitment to providing mental wellness support for its users. With a younger-skewing demographic than most other platforms (90% of all 13- to 24-year-olds in the U.S.) Snapchat is serving up content meant to help -- instead of unrelated content or meme accounts.

Kelp wanted. Can seaweed save the lobster industry? Sweetgreen's support of kelp, with the help of David Chang, may lift sweetgreen's business, while potentially giving the lobster industry a way to diversify its revenue as the climate crisis takes its toll.

Impact Report Alert: Nike. I'm going to make a habit of sharing some of the best impact/stakeholder reports out there. This week? Nike. They've been really stepping up their messaging and actions as of late.

How brands have been getting out the vote. Brands including Starbucks, Patagonia, Levi's, Vevo, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Blue Point Brewing, TOMS, Random House, Keen Footwear, and many more have been helping to register voters for years. Here are some of their tactics that will hopefully inspire new ones.

A trillion little things. How did Marc Benioff get Donald Trump -- a fervent climate crisis denier -- to buy into the Trillion Trees initiative?

D-Wade's still an all-star. NBA Hall-of-Damer-to-be Dwyane Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, have been setting a tremendous example of how to be supportive parents. They've been using their platforms (including social media) to support the younger of his two children with first wife Siohvaughn Funches -- a transgender girl whose name is Zaya and whose pronouns are she, her, and hers -- and to help other parents relate. Here at Kindred we are strong believers that people should use their influence responsibly by using accurate information to help make difficult but important conversations easier for millions of people to participate in -- while making the volume too loud to ignore.

PayPal's stepping up to fund research into illegal gun trafficking and financing. If you've been reading this newsletter for a while, you know that a big reason we're hosting Kindred 2020 is to encourage companies to find ways to grow their business by stepping up to satisfy the needs of their stakeholders. We need to fund more research into the gun violence epidemic, even if our government has been slow to do so. Paypal is stepping up to fund it directly. As a payments gateway for all kinds of transactions, I'm happy to see they are taking their role and responsibility very seriously.

Hair Love today, laws tomorrow. Popular culture as unique ability to lead to cultural pressure that can make change more likely to happen. That's clearly what's happening with the CROWN (“Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair”) Act, which has risen to prominence with the success of Oscar-winning documentary Hair Love. In just one week, three states introduced or advanced bills that would ban hair discrimination. Kudos to film creator Matthew A. Cherry, and Unilever's Dove brand, who sponsored the film.

Inside the role of "activist". Will.i.am and Katie Couric have produced a documentary called Parkland Rising that follows the story of the March for Our Lives founders, as well as other activists who have emerged from the horrific events in Parkland, FL at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School. See Parkland activist Manuel Oliver, as well as the March for Our Lives team at Kindred 2020 (May 11-14, San Diego Convention Center), and learn how youth activists (and activists for youth) are energizing a generation.

Colin Kaepernick is self-publishing a memoir. Colin Kaepernick is forgoing the traditional publishing house route and self-publishing his memoir, but also launching his own imprint. “I want to tell the story of my evolution, and the events that led me to protest systemic oppression, in hopes that it will inspire others to rise in action,” Kaepernick said in a statement. The statement described the memoir as revealing “the life experiences that led him to risk his career as a star N.F.L. Super Bowl quarterback in one silent act of protest.” In true activist fashion, he hopes to give other people a voice and platform by bringing other peoples' stories to the forefront as well. Ownership rights over intellectual property in the new company will seemingly favor writers, who will have “unprecedented ownership options,” and will emphasize minority voices, according to the statement announcing the move.

James Murdoch bets big on sustainable business. James Murdoch announced three climate-focused investments last week. Two are in start-ups developing nonplastic containers: Cove, which makes a biodegradable water bottle, and Notpla, which helped produce a ballyhooed dissolvable Scotch whisky pod. The third involves a climate-focused partnership that includes the French and German governments and is overseen by BlackRock, the $7 trillion money-management giant. Sustainability used to be about following your heart. Now it's also about following the money; a welcome development.

Facebook and the "Donate" button. As Facebook wrestles with how to manage user data and privacy protocols, nonprofits are feeling the pinch of a complicated onboarding process and a lack of actionable data. A Facebook spokeswoman said the company weighs fundraising efforts with user privacy concerns. “We are always working to find the right balance to help nonprofits continue to make an impact, while making it easy for donors to both give to causes and choose how they want to stay connected,” she said in a statement. Hopefully Facebook and the nonprofit community can find ways to give fundraisers at least as much actionable data as they give advertisers.

"Carbon neutral" is the new black. Is neutral enough? A few weeks ago I wrote about Microsoft's commitment to achieving carbon negativity. But commercial airlines, who are responsible for 2% of all carbon emissions, are settling for carbon neutrality, as indicated by Delta Airlines' announcement last week.

Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to fight climate change. In the wake of employee insurgency at Amazon around their sustainability practices, founder & CEO Jeff Bezos is committing $10 billion to give towards the fight against climate change. The Bezos Earth Fund will be used to help scientists, activists, NGOs, and “any effort that offers a real possibility” to help preserve the earth from the impact of climate change. Interestingly, a person close to the fund told The Verge that it would not engage in private sector investment, but focus entirely on charitable giving. Is this just another attempt at "carbon neutrality", or something ($10 billion) to be in awe of -- and thankful for?

Amazon employees have responded:

The 7 elements of a great purpose statement. Good is the New Cool's Afdhel Aziz wrote a fantastic post on how to develop a great purpose statement for a company. This could be the most important exercise your company does all year.

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