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Phase: Inspiration Missions: Surprise Us

B Corp

B Corporations are a new type of corporation that use the power of business to create public benefit. By signing up as a B Corp, companies are writing social impact into the DNA of their company. A B Corp certification validates their good work.

Photo of sally madsen
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http://www.bcorporation.net http://www.bcorporation.net
Legally, a US company must define what kind of business it is: an LLC, a corporation, a 501c3 nonprofit, etc. This is a new classification, created specifically for companies with a social mission.

From the B Corp website ( http://bcorporation.net/)--

B Corps, unlike traditional businesses:

  • Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards;
  • Meet higher legal accountability standards;
  • Build business constituency for public policies that support sustainable business.

There are over 500 Certified B Corporations across 60 different industries. From food and apparel for you and your family to attorneys and office supplies for your business, B Corporations are a diverse community with one unifying goal: to redefine success in business.

Through a company’s public B Impact Report, anyone can access performance data about the social and environmental practices that stand behind their products.
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Inspired by (5)

Reporting standards: GRI
Reporting standards: GRI
Dow Jones sustainability index
Dow Jones sustainability index
TOP 100 Ranking of sustainable business every year.
TOP 100 Ranking of sustainable business every year.
The pirate version of TOP 100 Ranking
The pirate version of TOP 100 Ranking
You can change what you measure
You can change what you measure
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This inspired (5)

B Lab and B Corp Certification: Using Business as an Agent for Responsible Change
B Lab and B Corp Certification: Using Business as an Agent for Responsible Change
Measuring Impact
Measuring Impact
Motivate the Company by Rewarding the Investors
Motivate the Company by Rewarding the Investors
CCO: Chief Caring Officer
CCO: Chief Caring Officer
Wiki for Business World Benefit (UPDATED: 11/16/2012)
Wiki for Business World Benefit (UPDATED: 11/16/2012)

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Photo of DeletedUser

DeletedUser

I was just about to write a post about B-Corps when I stumbled upon this one... Rockstar CPA has been a B-Corporation for a couple years now and in that time we have been 1) challenged by the rigorous goals set forth by BCorporation.net, 2) inspired by the stories of other B-Corps nationwide, and 3) welcomed to a community of businesses that not only see the benefit in adopting a broader perspective and responsibility but also pledge to support each other along the way. This is a true model for the future. It will take a lot for sustainable business to "elbow out" the bad corporate models, but leveraging a collective power is an excellent first step.

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Photo of sally madsen

Awesome! There's power in numbers, isn't there.
Here's the directory of B-Corps in case folks are interested: http://www.bcorporation.net/community/search

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Photo of Jess Jaime

B Corps strikes me as an interesting way to leverage social change.

At a time when charity leaders are under scrutiny and non-profits can’t risk spending money on fundraising, for fear of appearing to misuse donations, turning to businesses seems a more solid way forward. (note: if you were interested to read more about the pitfalls facing a donation-based, non-profit system, Dan Pallotta’s essay in the Wall Street Journal is particularly well-written: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444017504577647502309260064.html )

Yet since most people are accustomed to a system that depends upon non-profits receiving donations, could B Corp companies be granted license to accept donations? Just as the businesses could be held accountable to their agreement to belong to the B Corp, they could be held accountable to their donors, igniting the possibility of annual reports measured, not only in dollars, but in quantifiable amounts of social change.

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Photo of Jess Jaime

Shoot! Posted that as a reply, not a fresh comment! Sorry for the confusion!

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