The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) today recognized 20 leading socially responsible companies as finalists in the 13th annual Corporate Citizenship Awards. The “Citizens Awards” honor businesses for their societal innovations and for creating a sustained positive impact on people, communities, and the environment.

“Every year, the competition to be the best in corporate social responsibility keeps getting better and better,” said U.S. Chamber BCLC Founder and Executive Director Stephen Jordan.  “The finalists for the 2012 Citizens Awards have created exceptional programs, and deserve this recognition for their achievements.”

The Citizens Awards have been presented every year since 2000 and are one of the nation’s premier programs to identify and recognize positive business involvement in society.

Awards are given in four categories:

• The Best Corporate Steward category, this year marking its 10^th anniversary in the awards program, honors companies whose overall values, operational practices, and stakeholder strategies exemplify “shared value.” This year’s finalists are: Capital One Financial Corporation; DSM; UnitedHealth Group; and IBM.
• The Best Business Neighbor category recognizes excellence and leadership in a social, community or environmental initiative taking place within the United States. This year’s finalists are: Dow Chemical Company; General Motors; Google Inc.; The National Football League (NFL); and UPS Foundation.
• The Best International Ambassador category honors companies that effectively lead or engage in social, community, or environmental initiatives in developing nations around the globe. This year’s finalists are: Alcoa; FedEx; GlaxoSmithKline; Qualcomm; and Xylem Inc.
• The Best Partnership category, created in 2006 as the first “people’s choice” award in corporate citizenship, is dedicated to business-nonprofit collaborations that achieve high impact and sustainable results on social, community, or environmental issues. This year’s finalists are: Caterpillar with the First Response Team of America; Hilton Worldwide with Global Soap Project; Intel with World Vision; Merck & Co. Inc. and General Mills with CARE; and WellPoint Foundation with Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

The winners in each category will be announced on December 6, 2012, at an event in Washington, D.C. Judging for the Business Neighbor and International Ambassador categories involves a peer committee with past award winners. The winner of the Corporate Steward category is selected by a panel of preeminent experts in corporate citizenship and business performance. The Partnership Award winner is selected through a public voting campaign on BCLC’s website. Voting opened on Tuesday, September 18 and will run through Friday, November 2.  Individuals can cast their vote for their favorite example of business-nonprofit collaboration at bclc.uschamber.com/vote.

For more information about the awards and the finalists, visit BCLC’s website.

BCLC is the U.S. Chamber’s resource and voice for businesses’ social and philanthropic interests.  Its mission is to advance the positive role of business in society.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center

U.S. community development. Emerging-market development. Disaster response. Social and environmental innovation – businesses play an important role in all of these issue areas.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center is recognized in the corporate citizenship field as a source for fresh thinking, exceptional networking and practical lessons learned.

The Foundation works to strengthen collaboration and understanding among companies, corporate foundations, chambers of commerce, NGOs, and governmental offices. As a partnership facilitator, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center helps businesses find highly effective ways to invest in local communities, be responsive in times of disasters, and improve lives and livelihoods across the globe.

The Foundations mission is to work with businesses to make the world a better place. Email ccc@uschamber.com to learn more.

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