The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged every aspect of our daily lives and countless individuals and families around the world have—and continue to—suffer because of it. On January 18, we will honor the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, remembering those who fight for equality and dedicate themselves to making the world a better place. Given the events of 2020 through today, the National Day of Service reminds us that it’s more important than ever to give back and lift up our communities.

Translating the circular economy vision, in which everything is reused and nothing is wasted, into tangible business best practices is critical to addressing the needs of a sustainable future, yet it could be a challenging task for businesses that are just getting started.

There’s a fundamental change happening right now. Corporate social responsibility is no longer in the footnotes of a company’s goals—it’s moving to the forefront. Giving back and integrating purpose into business is increasingly important to consumers, employees, and business leaders.

The Best Community Improvement Program Citizens Award recognizes strategic work to improve local communities.