The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center last night recognized eight companies for their accomplishments in corporate citizenship during the 16th annual Corporate Citizenship Awards. The awards program honors businesses for their significant positive impacts in communities around the world.

“Every day, businesses serve as a powerful force for good, working to solve challenges facing people everywhere,” said Suzanne Clark, executive vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “It’s an honor to showcase the significant contribution of these eight companies who have gone above and beyond to create real, lasting change around the world.”

The Chamber Foundation presented awards in eight categories:

• Best Corporate Steward – Large Business: IBM Corporation — IBM aligns their corporate citizenship with their global business strategy – contributing their most innovative technology and talent to help transform governments, communities, and quality of life for people around the world. IBM’s P-TECH is reinventing high school and the company’s Corporate Service Corps, Smarter Cities Challenge, and Impact Grants apply IBM expertise to solve critical problems.

• Best Corporate Steward – Small and Mid-Market Business: Discovery Education — Discovery Education is the global leader in digital content and professional development for K–12 classrooms. The company helps 3 million educators and more than 30 million students.|

• Best Commitment to Education Program: GE Foundation — GE Foundation’s Developing Futures in Education Program supports quality K–12 public education in the United States. Since its launch in 2005, Developing Futures™ has invested more than $225 million and thousands of hours to support student achievement and professional development for teachers across the country.

• Best Community Improvement Program: Citi Foundation — Co-created by the Citi Foundation and the Low Income Investment Fund, the Partner in Progress program enables stakeholders to transform their communities by working smarter and more collaboratively toward shared goals. Since 2013, the Citi Foundation has invested more than $7.4 million through the program to 14 organizations to confront social challenges in 10 U.S. cities.

• Best Disaster Response and Community Resilience Program: UPS — UPS’ humanitarian relief and resilience program uses the company’s global transportation network and technical expertise to deliver critical, lifesaving aid to communities in need around the world. During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, UPS airlifted 48 metric tons of disinfectant to West Africa and 5.4 million masks, gowns, gloves, and medical supplies to the region.

• Best Economic Empowerment Program: Kate Spade & Company— Kate Spade & Company’s on purpose program takes a direct approach when it comes to investing in women’s economic empowerment. The program leverages the Company’s supply chain to build, train and source products for the label from a new manufacturing partner in Masoro, Rwanda.

• Best Environmental Stewardship Program: Shell Oil Company – Shell Oil Company and the Coastal Conservation Association used an innovative “floating islands” technology to help restore the coastal wetlands on Isle de Jean Charles. The project was managed by Shell employees and brought together local businesses, other oil and gas companies, local government, and community schools.

• Best Health and Wellness Program: Xylem, Inc – Through Xylem Watermark, the company provides sustainable access to water, sanitation and hygiene solutions to many of the world’s most vulnerable communities. More than 990,000 people now access to sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene solutions because of Xylem Watermark. 

“This year’s winners illustrate the many ways that businesses make a difference in communities,” said Marc DeCourcey, vice president of the U.S. Chamber Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center. “Through their expertise and resources they are impacting lives and creating a better world.”

Additionally, the Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America & the Caribbean (AACCLA) presented the Western Hemisphere Corporate Citizenship Award, which recognizes companies, trade associations, and American Chambers of Commerce with exemplary models of social and civic leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year, AACCLA honored Diageo for its Learning for Life program designed to provide vocational and life skills for disadvantaged young people. The program also has a number of specialized programs that address local-specific needs, all aimed at benefiting Diageo’s employees, local students, and the communities and region in which the company operates.

The 2015 Citizens Awards ceremony took place in Washington, D.C. More information on this year’s winners is available on the Chamber Foundation’s website.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness and educating the public on how the free enterprise system improves society and the economy.