All Briefs

A presidential commission looking at the state of American schools concluded that funding for arts education is “on a downward trend” thanks to widespread budget constraints and an increasing emphasis on high-stakes testing. The result, the report said, is that “just when they need it most, the classroom tasks and tools that could best reach and inspire students—art, music, movement and performing—are less available to them.”

The Conference Board provides a state level view of 2017 consumption patterns, using their nowcasts of nominal PCE growth by state.

Over the first two months of 2018, The Governance Center has released three pieces of research that cover the corporate secretaries’ perspective on the corporate director job, the “New Paradigm” corporate governance framework for directors and investors, and the impact of excessive director compensation.

The economy is likely to keep growing above its long-term 2 percent trend in the next 1-2 years, but a very tight labor market and higher interest rate are likely to pressure stock prices.

What’s driving board members to conclude that these are their top improvement areas for 2018? If directors have concluded they must improve on these dimensions, it follows that their boards haven’t been doing a good enough job to meet today’s expectations.

Positive social impact, the result of a company’s efforts to do good directed towards solutions to important problems, is more impactful when a company integrates those efforts with their core competencies and through their products and services. Many corporations’ efforts have been adjacent to the company’s business, or “bolted on.” A “built-in” ethos, where the company works to create value for both the bottom line and the outside world has strong long-term success implications for both.

There’s an astounding number of nonprofits in the world today. We’re talking millions. In many ways, that’s a good thing: It signals not only that there is an ever-increasing number of ways to get involved in social good, but also that people are standing up and trying to make a difference. And it’s no secret that the world needs this kind of social action now more than ever.

If the idea of technology invading the practice of PR freaks you out a little, perhaps all you need is a different perspective. Yes, technology can be daunting, but it can also make your life a lot easier, help you achieve better results and demonstrate the value of your work.