CECP Presents 2015 Excellence Award to PYXERA Global for Partnership with the John Deere Foundation

NEW YORK, May 19, 2015 /3BL Media/ –  CECP, a coalition of 150 CEOs united in the belief that societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance, presented its 2015 Directors’ Award to PYXERA Global, for its partnership with the John Deere Foundation in developing the Joint Initiative for Village Advancement (JIVA), a tri-sector partnership that is bringing about systemic change to three rural Indian villages. The partnership focuses on strengthening these villages through integrated interventions in agriculture, income security, education, and infrastructure. In just two and a half years, JIVA has achieved: 50% village-wide adoption of one or more new agriculture practices, 50% of farmers have increased profits by an average $48 per hectare, and 100% of drop-out students are enrolled in the JIVA after-school program, 84% of whom are now reintegrated into formal schooling.

“After working alongside smallholding farmers in these villages, Sam Allen, Chairman and CEO, Deere & Company was inspired to do something more,” stated Deirdre White, CEO, PYXERA Global. “The John Deere Foundation and PYXERA Global are leveraging experience and resources to effect systemic change in a region where individuals live on less than $2 per day and depend on agriculture to support their families.”

Honoring her commitment to advancing societal needs, Vivian R. Pickard, President, General Motors Foundation; Director, Corporate Relations, General Motors Company, was awarded The Charles H. Moore Award for Leadership in Corporate Community Engagement, a CECP Force for Good honor. Under her guidance, the GM Foundation focuses on the areas of education, health and human services, community development, and environmental initiatives for a greater impact across the U.S. Through her leadership, the GM Foundation has made high school graduation a reality for countless students through grant-funded programing to partners like United Way; increased access to college education through the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program; engaged employees to help build homes for families across the country through Habitat for Humanity; fueled research initiatives with Safe Kids Worldwide to help keep families safe in and around vehicles; and so much more.

“I am privileged to receive this honor, which shines a spotlight on the real change companies can make when they commit to a cause,” said Pickard. “At General Motors, we are committed to strengthening our communities and I am proud of all that we continue to accomplish through the General Motors Foundation.”

“CECP honors excellence in corporate societal engagement that demonstrates strategies that are tied to a higher purpose,” stated Daryl Brewster, CEO, CECP. “The 2015 winners used innovative approaches, strategic partnerships, and perseverance to address societal challenges and exhibit the importance of business investing in society.”

The Directors’ Award, one of three Excellence Awards, honors exemplary collaborations between a company and a nonprofit in combating a critical societal issue. The Directors’ Award is open to 501(c)3 organizations with an annual operating budget equal to or exceeding $500,000. This award includes a $25,000 cash donation made by CECP’s Board of Directors to the winning nonprofit.

The winners of the two other Excellence Awards, PepsiCo and PwC US, were honored at CECP’s Board of Boards on February 23, 2015 in front of an audience of 50 of the world’s leading CEOs. The Chairman’s Award was accepted by Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo, for its Safe Water Access program, which prioritizes clean water as a key building block for ending world poverty. The President’s Award was accepted by Robert E. Moritz, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner, PwC US, for its Earn Your Future program, a multi-year commitment striving to impact the lives of 2.5 million students and educators in the United States. This year’s Excellence Award winners join a distinguished roster of past recipients and take part in a year-long awareness-building effort by CECP.

Past Excellence Awards winners include Direct Relief in partnership with FedEx, Cargill, PG&E, CVS Health, IBM, The Mosaic Company, Kraft Foods, Xylem Inc., Good360 in partnership with The Home Depot, DonorsChoose.org in partnership with Crate and Barrel, and more.

The Charles H. Moore Award is given to a leading corporate giving professional with a distinguished record of service in corporate societal engagement at a for-profit company with annual revenues in excess of $2 billion and is named in honor of CECP’s founding Executive Director who led the organization with distinction for 13 years. Applications for 2016 “Charlie Awards” can be found online and are due June 30, 2015. 

Last year’s Charles H. Moore Award was presented to Eileen Howard Boone, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility & Philanthropy, CVS Caremark and President, CVS Caremark Charitable Trust.

These awards were presented at the 2015 CECP Summit in New York City.

Additional information on this year’s winners can be found on the Excellence Awards section of the CECP website.

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About CECP

CECP is a coalition of CEOs united in the belief that societal improvement is an essential measure of business performance. Founded in 1999 by Paul Newman and other business leaders, CECP has grown to a movement of 150 CEOs of the world’s largest companies across all industries. Revenues of engaged companies sum to $7 trillion annually. A nonprofit organization, CECP offers participating companies one-on-one consultation, networking events, exclusive data, media support and case studies on corporate engagement. For more information, visit http://cecp.co. 

About the Excellence Awards

Excellence Awards winners, in three categories—Chairman’s, President’s, and Directors’--are added to a distinguished roster of companies that take part in an ongoing awareness building effort on their behalf by CECP. The storytelling that emerges from the awards brings corporate societal engagement to life, and the awards process allows companies to strengthen that story and share it among a wider audience. Presented annually since 2000, these awards are juried by an external Selection Committee that is comprised of representatives from the corporate, nonprofit, consulting, media, and academic communities. For more information, visit http://cecp.co/events/excellence-awards.html.

About Force for Good Awards

Presented for the first time in 2014, the CECP Force for Good Awards are given to current and former CEOs and senior giving professionals who lead on making corporate societal engagement a priority in their companies and communities. CEO honorees are selected by the CECP Board of Directors and are presented at the Board of Boards event in front of the honorees' peers. Giving professional honorees are recognized at the CECP Summit.