The B Lab & B Corporations

Since we've dedicated this week to articles about for-profit companies that are giving back in a big way, I thought it would be helpful to provide some information on B Corporations, and introduce the intersection of the non-profit and for-profit world. As you may have noticed  many of the companies featured this week are certified B corporations.


B Lab is a non-profit organization entrepreneurs committed to using business to solve social and environmental problems through three initiatives:

• Certified B Corporations -  use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. To become a certified B corporation, companies must take the free, confidential B Impact Assessment, which measures a company's impact on communities, employees, and the environment.  Today the number of certified corporations is 681, in 24 countries and 60 industries.
• Passing Legislation - through the leadership of the community of certified B corporations, laws have been passed in 11 states, (and moving forward in 16 more), to create a new type of corporation- the benefit corporation- that best meets the needs of socially conscious entrepreneurs and investors. Benefit corporations have the same business model as traditional corporations; however they have higher standards of corporate purpose, accountability and transparency.
• GIIRS Ratings and Analytics - is a rating agency and analytics platform for impact investors. It gives investors the tools they need to analyze the impact of their investments with the same rigor as they analyze their financial risk and return.

Now, I must admit, I was feeling a little uncertain about B corporation certification and B Lab when I  first read about them. But, in true non-profit... and B corporation fashion, the organization is extremely transparent, with some big players in the for-profit and non-profit world involved in this movement.

First,  B Lab has published an annual report that is easily accessible on their website. Their pioneer investors for GIIRS Ratings and Analytics include the Rockfeller Foundation, J.P. Morgan, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and 20 other big wigs. Finally, you can learn more about B Lab, but checking out their GuideStar profile.

Wondering if you'd recognize a certified B corporation? Well why not read about, Ben &Jerry's, here.

If you're interested in becoming a Certified B Corporation, you can take the B Impact Assessment, here.

For the socially conscious consumer, Certified B Corporation has a directory of companies that meet their criteria, from financial services to energy provides. The company profiles include their B Impact Assessment rating.

Smile Squared

'Rethink what and why you buy.'

In summer 2010, Eric Cope and his wife went to Central America on humanitarian mission. There they discovered how the lack of sufficient dental hygiene impacts a child's life. From this experience, Smile Squared was born.

The mission of Smile Squared is to give every child the health and confidence that comes with clean teeth. For every toothbrush purchased, another toothbrush in donated to a child in need. They believe even small everyday products, like toothbrushes, can have a big impact on the world. The company's goal is to offer practical, sustainable solutions to help improve the overall health and educational needs of children around the world.

Smile Squared encourages everyone to "think about the products we buy: Where will this product end up when I'm done with it? Is it a fair trade product? BPA free? Can my purchase have a direct impact on someone else who needs it?"

The website and concept are pretty simple. You can buy an child or adult size toothbrush ($5.95 each), and for every toothbrush purchased, another is donated. The toothbrushes feature 100% biodegradable bamboo handles and come in a 100% recyclable box.

What I particularly like is their option to purchase toothbrushes and have your purchase(s) donated as well. May of the companies I've researched have some very compelling causes they are supporting, and I'm often disappointment that I can't just donate 100%. Smile Squared allows you to do just that. Imagine how great a change $5.95 can make.


Here's what Eric Cope had to say:

"I never set out to have a toothbrush business, but felt compelled to start Smile Squared after volunteering at a dental clinic in Guatemala in 2010. Needless to say, teaching children how to brush their teeth, seeing painful and preventable issues in their mouths, and realizing this lack of oral hygiene contributed to bigger issues (overall health and even self-esteem; kids were too ashamed to smile). Many of these kids didn't have access to a toothbrush, and there were some that shared theirs with family members.   It struck me that a basic necessity like a toothbrush, is truly a luxury item to many in this world.  I just wanted to do something about it, and thought that creating a sustainable for-profit business was more of a long term solution than simply donating toothbrushes.   We feel blessed to work with GREAT non-profits like International Justice Mission, Buckner International, Save Their Smiles, Give Kids A Smile, Feed The Children and Save The Children (Hurricane Sandy relief) to name a few.  Since 2010, our donated toothbrushes have been (or will soon be) distributed in the US, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Uganda, Kenya, Cambodia, Philippines, Columbia, Peru, and Dominican Republic. This is certainly something to smile about."

For more information, please visit Smile Squared.

Whole Foods Market

Today marks the end of our week long focus on for-profit businesses who support the nonprofit sector. We've seen businesses who have implemented practices that are environmentally and socially responsible, businesses who have been inspired to help champion nonprofit causes, and businesses who work for nonprofit organizations. 

Today's feature, Whole Foods Market, is a chain of markets  specializing in natural and organic products and geared towards socially and environmentally conscious consumers. The company is being featured not only for its business practices, but also for the foundation it established to help the global community.

Whole Foods Market's commitment to community is evident. One of their core values is: 'Caring about our communities and our environment.' This means:

• Sustainable agriculture- by supporting organic farmers, growers, and the environment through their commitment to sustainable agriculture and by expanding the market for organic products
• Wise environmental practices- by respecting their environment- recycling, reusing, and reducing waste whenever possible.
• Community Citizenship- by recognizing their responsibility to be active participants in their local community. They give a minimum of 5% of their profits every year to a wide variety of community and nonprofit organizations.
• Integrity in all business dealings- by viewing their trade partners as allies in serving their stakeholders, treating them with respect, fairness, and integrity at all times.

Sustainability is a key focus of Whole Foods Market. Their vision of a sustainable future "means our children and grandchildren will be living in a world that values human creativity, diversity, and individual choice. Businesses will harness human and material resources without devaluing the integrity of the individual or the planet's ecosystems. Companies, governments, and institutions will be held accountable for their actions. People will better understand that all actions have repercussions and that planning and foresight coupled with hard work and flexibility can overcome almost any problem encountered. It will be a world that values education and a free exchange of ideas by an informed citizenry; where people are encouraged to discover, nurture, and share their life's passions."

The company has begun implementing this vision "by changing the way we think about the relationships between our food, supply, the environment, and our bodies." The realization of their vision can be divided into following:

• Holistic thinking in a conventional world
• Holistic actions for a sustainable world
• Healthy foods and healthy products begin at the source
• Sustainability beyond organic food
• Respect for all forms of life
• Education and Public Participation
• Regulation, enforcement, and accountability.

Beyond all this, Whole Foods Markets make a point of giving back to the communities they serve and the global community. At the local level, each store donates to area food banks and shelters. There are also several times a year when the stores host 5% Days,  5% of the day's net sales are donated to a local nonprofit or educational organization.

On the global level, the company has established the Whole Planet Foundation. The mission of the foundation is "to create economic partnerships with the poor in those developing-world communities that supply our stores with product. Through innovative assistance for entrepreneurship - including direct micro-credit loans and tangible support for other community partnership projects - [they] seek to unleash the energy and creativity of every human being [they] work with in order to create wealth and prosperity in emerging economies."

Whole Foods Market provides a large portion of the funding for the loans and underwrites the administrative costs so every dollar donated goes directly to those in need. The company also supports projects that directly relate to organics and environmentally-friendly production methods, animal welfare, sustainable seafood, and healthy families and nutrition.

Finally, should the need arise, Whole Foods Markets accepts donations at store cash registers for regional and national disasters.

Both the Whole Foods Market website and the Whole Planet Foundation website provide a wealth of information. For more information on Whole Foods Market's initiatives and how you can get involved please visit both sites.

Maggie's Organics

Today's feature is yet another example of a socially conscious business.

Maggie's Organics mission is "to produce and provide comfortable, durable, affordable and beautiful articles of apparel and accessories made from materials that restore, sustain and enhance the resources, including human, from which they are made."

The company was founded in 1992 on the premise that all workers could be treated ethically and that clothing could be functional, beautiful and affordable, and constructed of environmentally sustainable materials.  The company was inspired by the statistics about conventional cotton, which is considered the world's dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of insecticides. Believing that there is no environmental sustainability without social responsibility, Maggie's is founded on these principles:

• All products constructed using Certified Organic cotton or Certified Organic wool.
• Conscious of energy consumed by transporting products across the globe, develop supply chains as close to home as possible, and use minimal packaging materials.
• Work exclusively with business partners who guarantee livable working conditions and independence for their workers.

Maggie's organic and fair trade line of products includes: socks, scarves, tights, loungewear, legwarmers, tees, baby clothes, new stuff animals, and tops.

Maggie's is a supporter of fair trade, responsible business ethics, and environmental stewardship. In order to ensure social responsibility the company:

• Promotes and monitors practices of working conditions and production standards
• requires full disclosure of working conditions and production standards
• makes on-site visits
• establishes ongoing relationships with partners to develop environmentally sustainable practices
• supports worker-owned cooperatives vs. sweatshops

To learn more about Maggie's Organics, including its work with partner organizations, why organic over conventional cotton, and much more, please visit Maggie's Organics website. The site provides a wealth of knowledge, and you can read about all the philanthropic initiatives Maggie's has established.

New Belgium Brewing Company

The New Belgium Brewing Company is a fine example of how social awareness can impact so many areas of your business. They also show that being a nonprofit isn't necessary to doing good.

Founded in 1991, the company boasts 18 beers, but it's how they operate that's the focus on today's feature. 

New Belgium's corporate culture is all about providing employees with a safe, happy, fun, and collectively beneficial working environment. This starts with the employee owner clause, which awards employees with ownership on their one year anniversary with the company. In addition, the company's core values include:

• Kindling social, environmental and cultural change as a business role model
• Environmental stewardship: Honoring nature at every turn of the business
• Cultivating potential through learning, high involvement culture, and the pursuit of opportunities

In 1998, New Belgium became the first wind powered brewery in the United States, as part of the company's commitment to being less wasteful, more efficient, recycling, and reusing. The company has strived to be green by:

1.  Increased efficiencies in the brewery process
2. Utilized green design throughout their building
3. Implemented a process for treating their wastewater 
4. On site energy production
5. Wind powered electricity
6. Employ a high involvement culture
7. Sustainable Eventing
8. Actionable Advocacy
9. Constant benchmarking
10. Partnering to support innovative technology

For more information of the future steps New Belgium is taking visit their website.

New Belgium, in an initiative similar to nonprofit practices, has open-book management, "a policy of fiscal transparency throughout the company that encourages a community of trust and mutual responsibility." The website provides a lot more information, including New Belgium's responsibilities as financial stewards, their sustainability report, and their philanthropic works. You can  join Team Wonderbike, a group- 15,000 strong- committed to carbon-free transportation by riding a bike instead of driving.

A brief note about the Philanthropy, or Brew-lanthropy... to date New Belgium has donated $2.9 million through its philanthropy program. For every barrel of beer sold the previous year, the company donates $1 to philanthropic causes within their distribution territory. In 2009, they will donate $490,000.

In 2007, New Belgium joined 1% For The Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. 

Visit New Belgium's site to view the company's list of causes, and to learn more about the sponsorships, product donations, and small grants to donated to benefit nonprofits.

Cauzal Coffee

Today continues our look at for-profit businesses that are doing good.  Cauzal Coffee not only employs socially responsible business practices, but also uses their proceeds and resources to help improve the world we live in.

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world. It's an $18 billion industry in the United States alone, with 3 out of 4 American adults purchasing coffee. With that in mind, Cauzal Coffee has committed themselves to using those facts to make a difference. Twenty-five percent of every sale goes to a humanitarian cauze. When you purchase from the company you not only choose from six blends, but also choose the cause you want to support: huger, poverty, human trafficking, HIV/AIDS, Disaster: Congo Crisis, or Unclean Water. Cauzal Effect helps people suffering from these tragedies.

The Cauzal Effect is a global movement that encourages generous and responsible living to benefit people in need. Nonprofit organizations are carefully selected; organizations that practice financial integrity and effective aid distribution in the six areas of global need previously mentioned.

The premium micro-roasted coffee starts with responsible sourcing, making organic and shade grown coffee available and using 100% post-consumer recycling materials for shipping boxes. By sourcing coffee through their roaster's Farm Friendly Direct program, Cauzal is able to support poverty stricken communities as they work to build a stronger future. This means paying farmers above market prices for their coffee, in addition to a premium that finances farm and community assistance projects such as tree planting, water treatment facilities, community centers, school buildings, and funding teachers' salaries. Each project is tailored to the needs of the local community.  Many of the programs Cauzal Coffee supports aid coffee growing regions.  

Cauzal Coffee also offers opportunities for individuals and nonprofit organizations to benefit from their philanthropic initiatives. Through MyCauze (for Individuals) and Our Cauze (for nonprofits), individuals and nonprofit organizations can have Cazual Coffee support their causes. MyCauze and OurCauze help generate financial support for your humanitarian cause. Purchases by your constituents gains your cause 25%- 33% of the sale proceeds. For more information on the programs and organization criteria please visit Cauzal Coffee.

Please visit Cauzal Coffee's site. It's a wonderful company, and it goes to show how making a simple change in brand can make such a huge difference. They provide great information about the causes they support, including stories about why their work is so important. There is plenty of information on how you can get involved, whether it's by purchasing coffee or fundraising for your own cauze.