“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”  
-Margaret J. Wheatley

Never is the quote "the sum of  the parts is greater than the whole" more underscored than when a community comes together. When it dares to ask questions about what it cares most about. Why it matters. And how it can help move forward together for the greater good. 

The photo above is of leaders from the Benefit Corporations for Good community gathering this month for its first Happy Hour for Good in 2023.

Besides getting to know each other a little bit better and enjoying some wonderful wines and appetizers courtesy of certified BCFG Pacific West Bank, we talked about the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals. And asked of each other, which one(s) should our community focus on to move the dial forward.

Plenty of good answers emerged. And while no consensus was reached that evening, a follow-up facilitation coming next month will help us identify the 1 or 2 goals our purpose-driven community can work on.

Or as Margaret J. Wheatley says about, "discovering what we really care about."

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Why does a business choose to become a Benefit Corporation for Good?
5 leaders weigh in on why their business is part of our purpose-driven community.

Are you ready to become a benefit corporation and a triple bottom line business? Here are 12 simple questions to help you answer that: https://bit.ly/3H5ArYn

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Now about this issue of The Greater Good. 

First of all, you can see our fifth video of a BCFG campaign putting the spotlight on purpose-driven leaders and why they chose to become a certified Benefit Corporation for Good.

Secondly, you can discover proven advice from 13 thought leaders on how to be an authentic servant leader.

And finally, you can learn how to tackle 1 of the most meaningful climate change actions at work and a brand new sustainability course geared to educate and empower leaders to be agents of change. Plus, how to receive a 50% discount for a limited time.

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Why Did Your Language Solutions Company Become a Certified BCFG? Many people have asked us what is a certified Benefit Corporation for Good? To help answer that, we created a video series with responses from the leaders of our growing purpose-driven community. Here's the fifth in our series featuring William Tongsiri, founder of Pasa Language Solutions.  Watch Now

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Proven Advice on How to be a Servant Leader  From growing awareness to setting ambitious goals, here are 13 answers to the question, "What are the best strategies you use to demonstrate servant leadership?" (1) Gather and spread awareness, (2) Put your team first, (3) Lead by example, (4) Offer opportunities to grow, (5) Practice active listening, (6) Priortize mental health. For the other 7 ideas about being a servant leaders, click on the button below. Read Now

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How to Tackle 1 of the Most Meaningful Climate Actions Food Waste is a major contributor to carbon emissions globally. In fact, it is ranked the fourth highest priority solution by Project Drawdown for tackling the climate crisis.  Shockingly, nearly 40% of all food produced each year is lost or spoiled before it is able to be consumed. Solving the 1.3 billion tons of food wasted globally could end world hunger and feed up to 3 billion people each year.  Read Now

HIGHLIGHTS

CONGRATS to Portland SEO Growth, our most recently certified Benefit Corporation for Good. Here's Joey Randazzo, founder and CEO of a triple bottom line business. Well done Joey!

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50% DISCOUNT FOR NEW SUSTAINABILITY COURSE from an internationally renowned sustainability thought leader! TripleWin Advisory’s founder, Kate Gaertner, has created the Cultivate Sustainability Course geared to educate and empower individuals to be agents of change and to take sustainable action. The course discusses the contributions to climate change and building systematic sustainability across eight (8) impact categories as well as taking a deep-dive into changing behaviors (successfully) and bridging our awareness of how sustainability and climate change are interconnected with public health, environmental and social justice. Use the promo code CultivateFF50 
https://bit.ly/3SwvdLc

OUR FIRST HAPPY HOUR FOR GOOD of 2023 was an energizing evening of connecting, learning and laughing for our purpose-driven community. Sign up on our website for details on our next meet-up.

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LEARN MORE about our 8 standards for becoming a certified Benefit Corporation for Good.

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EVENTS

March 9: Global PDX Development Drinks
Info here.

March 10: Laced with Game: A 5-Part Creative Entrepreneurship Series
Info here.

March 22: Women in Business: Having the Right Team in Place
Info here.

March 25: What Government Contracting can Do for You
Info here.

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INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THE SMALL BIZ COMMUNITY THROUGH ADVOCACY?

The Small Business Utility Advocates is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that represents, protects, and promotes the interests of small business utility customers. Energy, water, and other utilities have a direct impact upon the success of small businesses.

As strong supporters of the work of SBUA, Benefit Corporations for Good has seen the organization in action before the Oregon Public Utility Commission and in B2B meetings using expertise and experience to push for equitable treatment for small businesses.

 If you're a business leader in the Portland, OR area and want to support SBUA through work advocating for small business, you might be eligible for some compensation for your time and efforts. For details contact diane@utilityadvocates.org.   

For more information about what SBUA has been doing generally and in Oregon see www.utilityadvocates.org/news-and-resources.

KNOW OTHERS WHO BELIEVE IN A BETTER BUSINESS MODEL?

Do you know other people who are interested in the Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet and Profit? Conscientious eaders and businesses who believe in doing business for the greater good? Then send them this link so they can receive our eletter free every other week devoted, of course, to the greater good!
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If you're interested in seeing the companies we've certified to date, go here.

If you're interested in learning more about our certification process, go here.
If you're interested in becoming an Oregon Benefit Company, go here.

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