BCFG Website - Certification & Firm Details
OBJECTIVE
Benefit Corporations for Good awards certification utilizing a Third-Party Standard that recognizes businesses which meet through their attitudes, behaviors, and actions the intent of Benefit Corporations. Our 60-question tool based on 8 standards, assesses an organization’s social, environmental and business performance based on the 3 P’s of People, Planet, Profit.
EXPERTISE
Questions were developed and are scored and graded based on criteria established by senior level business professionals and acknowledged experts in the Benefit Corporation model. Benefit Corporations for Good leaders Mary Anne Harmer and Tom Hering have written Putting Soul Into Business, a defining book on the benefit corporation movement and under consideration for use in continuing education classrooms with specific curriculum for entrepreneurs and small business owners.
CRITERIA
Criteria for certification, as reflected in the questions, are evaluated by a team of legal, environmental, and business professionals to ensure meeting best practices for social, environmental and business performance. Questions are evaluated by a Board of Advisors on an on-going basis. It is the intent of the certification process from Benefit Corporations for Good to be both helpful and meaningful to the customer and organization. As part of the certification process, businesses are encouraged to provide feedback about the criteria and questions on the certification page of the site.
The criteria for certification from Benefit Corporations for Good are based on the following 8 standards:
Conscientious Leadership
Practice Transparency with customers, vendors, partners and employees
Manage with Servant leadership and humility
Demonstrate Honesty and Authenticity
Strive for an accessible organization centered on equity and inclusion
Encourage learning through mistakes
Follow through on commitments
Support employee growth through empowerment, training, leadership opportunities, benefits (as appropriate)
Lead from an ethical framework
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Understand differences between Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Proactively seek to hire diverse staff
Choose vendors and partners that represent diversity
Strive to continue learning about privilege, BIPOC communities, gender definitions
Green/Environmental Practices
Strive to reduce carbon footprint at work and at home
Offer staff training around green practices
Encourage and incentivize staff adoption of green practices
Participate in environmental efforts , locally, regionally, nationally
Create a company sustainability/environmental policy
Values of Benefit Corporations
Be aware of UN Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs)
Understand the requirements of Benefit Corporation legislation
Produce annual “Benefit Report”
Strategic Business Practices
Create an informal Advisory Council
Develop a strategic plan with stakeholders input, establish priorities and set goals
Strive for clean, easy-to-navigate website that is easy to read and creates emotional connection with stakeholders
Create a brand manifesto detailing the “why” for your business
Establish thought leadership role through social media channels
Foster staff ownership of business values
Community Engagement
Volunteer/ donate to community organizations
Serve on Community Boards
Create a line item in budget to track hours and/or $$$ contributed to community and planet initiatives
Offer staff paid time off to volunteer within limits
Customer-Driven
Prompt follow up to emails, calls
Strive for literacy levels in content (usually 9th grade level)
Survey customers quantitatively on a regular basis via SurveyMonkey or other similar research tool
Include select customers in strategic planning
Create relationships with customers; tell your own story
Personalize approach to each customer
Work-Life Balance & Sustainability
Monitor costs/revenues and establish foundation for growth, profit
Allow time for self-care to foster creativity and subsequent productivity
Create sustainable business model
In alignment with our values, Benefit Corporations for Good does not certify businesses selling or practicing:
—Environmental degradation
—Fossil fuel products or services
—Gambling
—Guns or ammunition products
—Hate speech
—Human Rights violations
—Racist policies
—Sexual exploitation
—Sexual orientation discrimination
SCORING
Benefit Corporations for Good believes that all eight of these standards need to be demonstrated to show adherence to the core values and behaviors of Benefit Corporations. We believe it is the integration of all criteria, reflected in the 60 questions, which provides the total measure of the company’s intent. Subsequently, each question is weighted equally, and points are allocated along a spectrum of 5 possible points for each question. In addition, below each question, applicants are asked to submit an explanation for their score and provide documentation as appropriate.
Smaller entrepreneurs and businesses who reflect performance along the 8 standards, but are not able to answer a question based on their size and phase of development, are able to select N/A and the total score is based on the number of questions answered. Only those businesses achieving a minimum of 70% will be awarded certification from Benefit Corporations for Good.
In sum, the certification questionnaire, will evaluate the responses of 60 questions along a 5-point scale with a perfect score of 300 points.
The explanation for score and documentation provided by candidate will also be reviewed.
It will reveal those businesses that show alignment with the values and activities of Benefit Corporations based on the four criteria.
Once scoring is complete, a follow-up phone interview with candidates will be scheduled. At that time, the final score will be provided and the strengths and deviancies in meeting standards for social and environmental performance will be shared (specifically, those questions where scoring was below average).
Recommendations and ideas for further activity to meet criteria will be also shared.
Benefit Corporations for Good believes businesses need to show a commitment for the long-term. It is a process whereby companies continue to evolve and develop towards greater fulfillment of the criteria – emerging as leaders of the Benefit Corporation model.
CERTIFIED BUSINESSES:
Receive a “Benefit Corporations for Good” certified digital badge for use on website, online communications and branded materials.
Receive hard copy certificate ascertaining “Benefit Corporations for Good Certified.”
Gain access to ongoing educational forums, meet-ups and materials regarding Oregon Benefit Companies and the Benefit Corporation movement.
Receive reminders about recertification and mandatory submission of an annual benefit report and access to services to help them comply.
RESOURCES
Benefit Corporations for Good is committed to be an ongoing educational resource for businesses interested in the Benefit Corporation movement. The company’s website will provide timely and current information including blogs, articles, podcasts, trainings and other materials to support businesses. This also includes a “community forum” where Benefit Companies can share and exchange their ideas and experiences.
FIRM OWNERSHIP & FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Benefit Corporations for Good is an LLC registered in the state of Oregon. There are no other business affiliations with companies in Oregon or the United States. Tom Hering is the sole owner and governing body of Benefit Corporations for Good. The sources of financial support for Benefit Corporations for Good come from certification fees, consulting, training, education workshops, marketing services, and self-funding.