Aside from producing and selling new ranges, most big global companies pay a lot attention to charity and social projects, proving that today business means not only making money but sharing it as well. Sometimes, to pursue these goals, companies create unpredicted alliances—one of them—Ford Motor Company plus General Mills—has been formed recently to support the school funding the Box Tops for Education (BTFE) initiative in the USA, running for the 15th straight year. Starting today, October 3, the automobile giant joins the food manufacturer in rolling out a two-month program to generate $1 million in support for schools across the country.

The Cheerios® New Author Contest, which kicked off its search on March 22 for the next great new children’s book author, provides aspiring writers the perfect opportunity to make this dream a reality. One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize and a possible publishing deal with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, in addition to having his or her book featured inside Cheerios cereal boxes nationwide.

Today General Mills, one of the world’s biggest food brands, announced the huge success of its G-WIN Innovation Portal. This web destination was launched back in 2009 with the aim to help the food producer establish close collaboration with inventors to find fresh and sustainable ideas. General Mills were looking for the solutions on the issues such as «product, package and processing technologies that are applicable to the company’s categories or brands, uniquely meet an unmet consumer need, have been proven technically feasible and can be applied quickly, or are potentially game-changing for the food industry».

Join My Village,’ a click-to-commit social change initiative of General Mills and international humanitarian organization CARE, is launching the second year of its online community with a new partner: American country music singer and songwriter Lee Ann Womack. Individuals will have the power to release up to $500,000 of General Mills’ charitable dollars for economic and educational opportunities for women and girls in Malawi.

General Mills detailed its progress in four environmental sustainability areas and announced new environmental sustainability goals for 2015. The company’s new, expanded environmental sustainability targets include: reducing water usage by 20%, reducing solid waste generation by 50%, reducing energy usage by 20%, and reducing greenhouse gas emission by 20%.

Cheerios®, through its Spoonfuls of Stories® program, is inviting families to start their day with a nutritious breakfast and a brand new book. As part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing the whole child and connecting families by fostering a shared love of reading, Cheerios will once again provide more than six million children’s books, written in both English and Spanish, free inside Cheerios boxes beginning November 3.

The General Mills Foundation launched the One Million PALA Challenge in partnership with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition (PCFSN) President’s Challenge program, Box Tops for Education® and the Amateur Athletic Union. Through the initiative, the General Mills Foundation will fund up to one million PALA for students across the United States. The program encourages children to lead healthy, active lifestyles.