Making An Impact newsletter
September Making An Impact
As ASBN works to create a just and inclusive economy, we’re excited to announce that we’ve been awarded $216,000 from the Kauffman Foundation through their Knowledge Challenge program. The multi-year grant will advance key research to identify opportunities, resources, and support for underserved communities. Read our announcement that highlights the important work that we will be focusing on and what we aim to achieve with this grant.
August Making an Impact
In honor of Labor Day and the importance of taking care of mind, body, and spirit, ASBN will be closed for an extended Labor Day vacation from August 31 – September 5. Thank you for understanding and enjoy your Labor Day.
July Making an Impact
Do you know a Black or Brown-owned business that could grow their work with Philadelphia regional institutions if it weren’t for a specific hurdle?
The Hurdle Fund is a $125,000 philanthropic grant pool, funded by local Investors Circle members that understand a comprehensive approach and full spectrum of capital is needed to increase racial equity in our local business landscape.
June Making an Impact
Addressing the plastic pollution crisis and circular solutions:
the ASBN’s Director of Circular Economy Policy, Stephanie Erwin, has been invited to DC to testify at a hearing on recycling and innovative circular business solutions for the House Energy & Climate Change subcommittee this Thursday, where our collective voice will be heard by policymakers. The hearing will be reviewing the following recycling legislation:
May Making an Impact
ASBN is still holding our SEC sign-on letter
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Director Renee Jones was a guest speaker at an ASBN webinar to discuss their proposed SEC Climate Disclosure rules. ASBN urges all stakeholders to sign on to support these rules by using our sign on link here before June 17th (read our recent release on climate-related disclosures here). Read more and watch a recording here.
April Making an Impact
ASBN voiced our support for the Bush-Crow-Sanders Energy Security and Independence Act
On April 27,
2022, ASBN’s Co-Founder and President, David Levine, had the
opportunity to speak at The Hill’s CEO roundtable to discuss the
importance of regenerative agriculture for our goal to reach net
zero. Levine was on the panel with many other great business CEOs
in this discussion of how to implement regenerative agriculture
into businesses.
March Making an Impact
Annual Report
ASBN had a busy and dynamic 2021, including campaign organizing in support of the largest infrastructure legislation in recent history, engaging policymakers at ASBN events, and recommencing our in-person annual conferences. We are excited to share our accomplishments and shed some light on the work of the ASBN team and supporters that might have gone unnoticed. Our annual report documents the year in detail and gives a better understanding of everything we were working on throughout the year.
February Making an Impact
ASBN and OSC2 Move to Pass Break Free from Plastic Act
January Making an Impact
We will not give up on the Freedom to Vote
ASBN has been very outspoken about the need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act in order to protect our democracy.Protecting our democracy is the foundation for economic prosperity. In January we took our support efforts to the next level. We implemented a publicity campaign and ads, focused heavily in Arizona and in West Virginia, urging business owners to speak to their law makers to make the business case for protecting voting rights.
December Making an Impact
ASBN’s First In-person Conference
This month ASBN held its first conference since the merger of ASBC and SVC. What made this conference particularly special is the renewed sense of community achieved by more than 250 attendees and that it was in-person. With many precautions in place to protect our participants from Covid, we were able to safely create the best experience for all of our community-minded participants and speakers as well as our staff.
November Policy Update
We applaud the passage of IIJA and were ecstatic
to see our CEO at the signing
Since the announcement of the Build Back Better agenda, ASBN has been at the forefront of fighting to get the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) passed. After multiple sign-ons, webinars, and anything we could do to advocate for this act, we are excited to finally see it signed into law.
October Policy Update
The disappointing outcome – for now – of the Freedom to Vote Act
On October 20, the Freedom to Vote Act was put to a vote by the Senate. Disappointingly not a single Republican voted for the act. Due to this, the Senate could not even begin to debate it. The Freedom to Vote Act will help defend our democracy, and help improve the economy and American businesses. We, along with many businesses and organizations, support the Freedom to Vote Act and find it hard to believe that the vote came out in this manner.
September Policy Update
Build Back Better campaign, voting rights, and more
ASBC has stood tall in our support of the Build Back Better Act since the very beginning. To demonstrate why it is so significant to our members and to a just, sustainable, and healthy economy, we developed a sign on letter for businesses to show their support and more than 370 businesses signed on within the first few days. And more companies continue to sign on.
August Policy Update
BIF, Mandatory COVID vaccination, and more.
Following early and consistent advocacy by ASBC, the House last week confirmed a major step toward significant investments in American physical and human infrastructure by agreeing to the $3.5 trillion budget resolution passed earlier in the month by the Senate and setting a firm date to consider another Senate passed bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (HR 3684) based on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF).
July Policy Update
Fair Elections vs. Filibuster
July 20-22, ASBC staff and business members again came together for virtual fly-in meetings with federal lawmakers in D.C. As with our earlier fly-ins and other outreach, we made the business case for policies that would facilitate a just, sustainable, stakeholder economy. With our fly-ins, we create unique opportunities for open communication between policymakers and responsible business leaders who offer a smart, sustainable view of “what business wants.”
June Policy Update
Push for Voting, Opportunity
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H-1, For the People, in March, but as of late June, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and all the other Republican Senators have refused to even allow the bill to be discussed on the Senate floor. ASBC joins all Americans concerned about this escalating threat to our democratic republic in decrying this blatantly evasive maneuver.
May 2021 Policy Update
More Clean Energy, Fewer Tax Havens
Giving voice to the responsible business community, ASBC has recently endorsed several game-changing bills on climate and energy, including the bi-partisan; Partnerships for Energy Security and Innovation Act, led by Sen. Coons, Graham and Lujan, to establish a Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation.
April 2021 Policy Update
ASBC’s Justice & Climate Actions Take the Spotlight
On April 15, ASBC-SVC announced they were terminating Barclays membership and refunding its dues, based on the bank’s involvement in an Alabama prison financing deal. Business leaders and investors rallied in our support, urging Barclays, which led the financing, to drop the deal.
March 2021 Policy Update
Pandemic Relief, Clean Water, Less Plastic
American Sustainable Business Council applauds passage of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic relief package on March 11, strongly addressing Covid-19’s devastating harm to Americans’ health and economic survival.
February 2021 Policy Update
Black History Month Means Business—and Democracy for All
MaryAnne Howland, ASBC board member, chair of its Race & Equity Working Group, and founder/CEO of Ibis Communications, considers the work in progress that is black history in American society and the business world.