How Is DEI Evaluated for Benefit Corporation Certification?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is one of the 8 standards BCFG certification evaluates and it starts by asking businesses to actually understand the difference between the three.
What this standard evaluates
BCFG asks applicants to understand the differences between Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and show that understanding in action, including:
Actively recruiting a diverse staff
Selecting inclusive vendors and partners
Ongoing learning about privilege and BIPOC communities
Supporting gender inclusivity across the business
Why it matters
Diversity, equity, and inclusion aren’t interchangeable, and treating them that way usually means a business is only addressing one of the three. BCFG’s standard is built to catch that gap. It’s less about a stated commitment and more about whether hiring, vendor relationships, and ongoing education actually reflect it.
Where does BCFG fit?
This standard is a direct expression of the “people” side of BCFG’s Triple Bottom Line the same framework of people, planet, and profit that runs through every standard.
Small businesses outside Oregon certify against this same standard. DEI practices aren’t scoped to one state’s workforce, and neither is this evaluation.
Ready to learn more?
Compare this standard with the rest on the certification standards overview, or get certified when you’re ready. Members of the BCFG community regularly share how they’ve approached vendor diversity and ongoing DEI learning that worth tapping into if you’re just getting started.
Ready to learn more?
See the why and the how for becoming an Oregon Benefit Company, or learn what criteria BCFG certification is based upon.