B Corp 2011 Annual Report

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    A Supplement to

    If Not Now,When?The Case for B Corp2011B Corporation Annual Report

    2 Down, 48 To GoBenet Corp Legislation Moves Across the Country

    How Do You Get a Tax Break?First, Show Youre Worth It

    Race to the TopHow Benchmarking Performance Leadsto Continuous Improvement

    Its OK to Love a BankSunrise Community Banks and New Resource BaBig and Thinking BiggerMichigans Cascade Engineering

    Recognize the Power of CollaborationGuayaki, Numi and Traditional Medicinals

    2011

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    Sustainable Industries isSustainableIndustries.com, a smart, interactivedestination for Articles, Blogs, Jobs Postings, Podcasts, Videos, Book Reviewsand White PapersInspirational Sustainable Industries Economic Forums thatbring together high-profile speakers and business leaders in numerous cities fothe purpose of geing business doneHigh-impact Webinars offering interactpresentations on a variety of timely sustainable business topicsCustom Medsolutions for the best and brightest sustainable enterprisesDownloadableBusiness Guides including the Sustainable Energy Handbook, Green OfficeGuide and Top 10 Green Building ProductsFree Industry E-Newsleersfocused on Sustainable Energy, Building, Marketing, Technology and more

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    Dont miss out. As a B Corporation youll gain access for more than half oEnter promo code BCORP at: sustainableindustries.com/subscribe

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    wendel.com

    For the past century, Wendel Rosen has been a pioneer

    in hiring practices, sustainability and social responsibility.

    In 2003, we became the first law firm in the country to be

    certified as a green business.

    In 2010, we became a certified B Corp to promote a

    whole new way of doing business, one that seeks to

    enrich the world around us, rather than merely enriching

    the bottom line.

    We dont shy away from being leaders; its just in our

    nature. From being founding members of green industry

    trade organizations, to educating companies on climatechange regulations, to helping clients find opportunities

    in emerging sustainable marketplaces, Wendel Rosen is

    setting the pace for leadership in the legal industry.

    CORPORATE DNA

    The Nature of our

    Leadership has always been in our DNA.

    Proud to be a Certified B Corporation.

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    Letter from B Lab Leadership Team

    B Lab Progress Summary

    If Not Now, When?The Case for B Corp

    2 Down, 48 To GoBenet Corp Legislation Moves Across the Country

    The Road to a New Economy

    A Little LovePhiladelphia Creates First B Corp Tax Break

    Race to the TopHow Benchmarking Performance Leads toContinuous Improvement

    Old School Leader of the New EconomyCascade Engineering is Big and Thinks Bigger

    Building Healthy EcosystemsNSU and Equilibrium Bring New Meaning toEcosystem Finance

    Its OK to Love a Bank

    Gaining Cooperative AdvantageGuayaki, Numi and Traditional Medicinals Recognizethe Power of Collaboration

    Better Companies make Better ProductsB Corp Ad Campaign Resonates with 17 Million

    B Corp Index

    Proles of Impact38 Environmental Impact | Re:Vision Architecture39 Employee Impact | The Redwoods Group40 Environmental Impact | Sungevity

    42 Community Impact | hessnatur43 Community Impact | TS Designs44 Consumer Impact | Emerge45 Consumer Impact | Freelancers Insurance Company

    Declaration of Interdependence

    Table of Contents2011 B Corporation Annual Report

    5

    27

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    32-34

    36-37

    38

    46

    6-7

    10-13

    14-17

    16-19

    22-24

    20

    26

    Building aNew Sectorof the Economy

    Table of Contents:

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    For the rst time, things are ring on all cylinders.

    B Labs vision is to build a new sector of the economy that uses the power of business to solve social andenvironmental problems. We do that through three interrelated efforts, and right now all three havesignicant momentum.

    The foundation of our work is growing the community of Certied B Corporations. B Lab certied 75percent more B Corps in 2010 than in 2009, and the average size of company is increasing. Leadersin large-scale sustainable manufacturing (Cascade Engineering p 26), regional sustainable ag (FarmersDiner), and social enterprise (Freelancers Insurance Company p 45) have joined our movement to createa better way to do business.

    And, with the help of B Corp media partnersOgden Publications, Care2.com, and Sustainable Industrieswere now in the middle of a national ad campaign that reaches 17 million values-driven consumers andbusiness leaders (check it out on p 32). And thanks to B Corp BBMG, we know the campaign resonates

    with consumers; more than 90 percent say theyll look out for the featured B Corps the next time they goshoppingor at least that they want to learn more about them.

    There were no balloons falling from the ceiling, but in 2010 we saved B Corps more than $1,000,000 throughthe heavy discounts they received as a result of their certication from folks like Salesforce, NetSuite and Intuit.

    That is all exciting, but heres whats inspiring.

    The community of B Corps has become a potent constituency for game-changing legislation that createsnew rules for a new economy.

    After the latest round of economic and environmental crises, its clear we need systemic solutions to the systemicproblem that places the interests of shareholders over the interests of workers, community and the environment.

    In 2010, Benet Corp legislation passed in Maryland and Vermont creating a new corporate form whichredenes duciary duty, and holds companies accountable to create a material positive impact on societyand the environment as measured by an independent, transparent third party standard.

    11 companies registered as Maryland Benet Corps on the legislations rst effective date! And now ninestates are moving forward with legislation for 2011 (nd out which on p 14). As youll read on p 16-17,economists, attorneys, policy makers, and business leaders agree that Benet Corp legislation is a neededand powerful tool for entrepreneurs and investors to build the businesses of a new, more sustainable andinclusive economy.

    Of course, this new economy needs capital to grow. Flip over this B Corp Annual Report and learn about BLabs efforts to help scale what JP Morgan calls the emerging asset class of impact investing. We cant buildan asset class called impact investing without credible, comparable metrics on impact.

    Thanks to everyone whose hard work and leadership has generated all this momentum. We are lookingforward to the many breathless and exciting days ahead.

    Be the change,

    Jay, Bart, Andrew and the team at B Lab

    LeFrom B Lab Leader

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    B Lab Progress SummaryMoving Forward

    ProgressSummary

    +75%Certications are up more than 75percent in 2010 vs. 2009, bringingus to 370 B Corps from more than 60industries. Meet some on p 38-45.

    More than 90 percent of consumers tested say theyll considerpurchasing from B Corps featured in the B Corp ad campaign,or at least want to learn more about them. The campaign runsthrough 2011 and reaches 17 million values-driven consumers. Theheadline: Better Companies Make Better Products. B Corps areBetter Companies. Read more on p 32.

    B Corps have been featured in more than 70 articles and countlessblogs by diverse media outlets.

    B Corps are saving more than$1 million dollars per yearthrough heavy discounts onservices such as Salesforce.comCRM platforms, NetSuite ERPsoftware and Intuit Quickbooklicenses. Read more on p 11.

    Gaining Momentum

    Resonating with Consumers

    Making CFOs Happy

    Generating Press

    BCorpAdCampaignResonateswith

    17Million

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    Maryland and Vermont passed Benet Corporation legislationwith broad bipartisan support in spring 2010. Nine other states

    are moving forward in 2011. The City of Philadelphia passedlegislation creating the countrys rst B Corp tax break. Readmore on pg 16-20.

    The GIIRS Pioneers25 leading funds with assets of $1.2billionagreed to have their 200 portfolio companies across30 countries in North America and emerging markets getGIIRS-rated with B Labs new GIIRS impact rating system.

    USAID, Prudential Investments, Deloitte, and Rockefellerfund B Lab to accelerate development and adoption of GIIRS.Flip this report over to get full coverage.

    B Lab Progress SummMoving Forw

    year 2008 2009 2010 year 2008 2009 2

    300

    250

    200

    150

    100

    3000

    2500

    2000

    1500

    1000

    Passing Legislation

    Number of CertiedB Corporations

    Driving Capital to Impact

    Number of Businesses Usingthe B Impact Rating System

    Benefiting the worldsmost pioneering socialentrepreneurs

    +75%increase from

    09-10

    +63%increase from

    09-10

    1,913

    3,114

    125

    212

    370

    994

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    On the Editorial Side:

    Todd Woody, Editor

    [email protected]

    Celeste LeCompte, Managing Editor

    Katie Kerr, Contributing Editor

    Lindsay Clinton, Contributing Editor

    Jerrod Modica, Design Editor

    On the Business Side:

    Amy Hillman

    Business Team Director, Portland

    [email protected]

    Christina WeberSenior Account Executive, Bay Area

    [email protected]

    Brandon Madsen

    Account Executive, Puget Sound

    [email protected]

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    Sustainable Industries (ISSN 1549-8670) is published bimonthly by Sustainable Media Inc. P.O. Box 460324, San Francisco, CA 94146. Standard subscription price is $39 per year.Periodicals Postage Paid at San Francisco, CA and at additional mailing ofces.

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    Sustainable Media Inc. is a certied B Corporation, meeting socialand environmental performance standards. www.bcorporation.net.

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    Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled content paper, processed chlorine-free and with de-inkedpulp; 100% of production residuals are reused in building materials, fertilizer and energy production.

    Contributors:

    Lindsay Clinton, Jay Coen Gilbert, Eileen Garvin, Jodie van Horn, Katie Kerr,Celeste LeCompte, Beth Richardson, Craig Rubens

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    A Supplement to

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    If Not Now,When?The Case for B Corp

    2011B Corporation Annual Report

    [B Corps] might turn out to be like civil rights for blacks orvoting rights for women eccentric, unpopular ideas thattook hold and changed the world.Esquire Magazine

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    Increase ProtsBetterWorld Books, Rally Software, and iContact each save more than

    $100,000 dollars annually as a direct result of their certication

    Attract InvestorsThree investors from Keiretsu Forum (the worlds largest angel

    network) asked the Farmers Diner for its B Score before investing

    in a $1.5 million round to fund growth.

    Generate PressBikeStation, DripTech, Eleek, Fair Trade Sports, the Redwoods

    Group, Source44 and Sustainable Harvest were all recognized as

    Americas Most Promising Social Entrepreneurs by BusinessWeek.

    Preserve MissionRubicon Programs required B Corp certication for the spin-off ofits iconic for-prot social enterprise, Rubicon Bakery.

    Build a MovementThe B Corp community has been an effective political constituency

    for Benet Corp Legislation in eleven states, and a driving force

    behind the emergence of impact investing as an asset class.

    If Not Now, WhThe Case for B C

    Making CFOs happy

    For many of the more than 370 certied companies, the decisionis about more than improving their imageits about improvingtheir bottom line. In 2010, the community of B Corporationscollectively saved over $1 million by tapping more than 40 B Corpservice partnerships. The best part is that these savings recur annually.Participating partners include Salesforce.com, Intuit, NetSuite,CSRWire, law rms, web design consultancies, and more. The benetscan really add up. Rally Software, Betterworld Books, iContact eachsave over $100,000 per year.

    Investors are interested

    We raised capital and our lead investor was also a Certied B Corporation,David Murphy, CEO of Better World Books, says. The B Corp connectionmeant access to capital from mission-aligned investors.

    Even for investors outside the B Corp community, companies that earn ahigh score on the B Impact Rating System have proven attractive.

    The B Score crystallizes the conversation and gives investors a sense of what weare up to, explains Tod Murphy, founder of sustainable ag icon the FarmersDiner in Vermont. In the companys latest fundraising round to nancegrowth to new markets, several investors specically asked for the resultsof the Diners B Corp Impact Assessment as part of their due diligence.Farmers Diner is now in the process of closing $1.5 million in funding, with the

    participation from investors who reviewed his B Corp certication.

    This is not an isolated example. Email marketing rm iContact was amonth away from closing a $40 million Series B venture capital round

    when it received its B certication in June 2010.

    JMI, our investor, saw iContacts focus on social and environmentalresponsibility as a point of differentiation with our competitors and adriver of long-term growth, says iContact Founder and CEO Ryan Allis.B Corp certication provides an impartial, third-party verication thatinvestors seek when assessing a company.

    2011 B Corporation Annual R

    top 5reasons to become a Certied B Corp

    1

    2

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    4

    5

    There are many reasons businesses pursue B Corp certication,including some you may not expect.

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    If Not Now, When?The Case for B Corp

    Attracting talent, customers and partnersOne thing that investors and CFOs both appreciate about the B Corp approachto doing business is its impact on employee satisfaction and retention.

    Our B Corp status has paid dividends for us, specically in the areasof maintaining mission, generating leads and attracting talent, says Rob

    Altieri, founding partner at One Village Coffee in Pennsylvania.

    We found our customer service manager through the B Corp JobsBoard, and because of her unique combination of talentsher interest insustainable business and her background in international food systems

    we have seen our customer retention and satisfaction markedly improve,Altieri says. Happy employees beget happy customers.

    B2B B Corps have had similar experiences. Two of the drivers of ourbusiness are partners and resellers who help market and sell the iContactproduct through their networks, says Allis. Since we got certied, wehave received numerous calls from partners who want to work with usbecause we are a more responsible company. Over time, we believe BCorp certication has the potential to serve as a real differentiator withour competitors.

    The power of collective actionFor many, though, being a B Corp is about more than simply improvingthe individual companys bottom line. Were making a big difference

    with our business, and were out to change the worldbut no onecompany is going to do that alone, Better World Books Murphy says.Rather, its the whole movement of social enterprise taking root andsweeping the globe that will create broad and meaningful change.

    Collectively, B Corps represent a potent political constituency. In 2010, BLab and the community of Certied B Corporations joined forces to passlegislation in Maryland and Vermont to create a new class of businessesknown as Benet Corporations, which have a legal responsibility to

    work for the good of stakeholders, as well as for the prot of shareholders.

    Nine other states are drafting legislation in 2011, thanks to the combinedpower of B Corps across the country (see article see p 14).

    Becoming recognizable as a community of businesses adhering to rigorous,transparent, independent standards allows policy makers and consumers tosupport B Corps more easily. They can separate the authentic businesses fromthe me-too claims of every company that says theyre green, responsible, orsustainable. This is why the Philadelphia City Council approved the rsttax break in the country for certied sustainable businesses (see articlesee p 20) and why consumers resonate so strongly with the new B Corpnational ad campaign (see p 32).

    2011B Corporation Annual Report

    Benet Corp Legislation Has GainedSignicant Momentum

    MD and VT passed Benet Corp legislation this Spring.

    Nine other states are moving forward.

    The First B Corp Brand CampaignHas Launched

    17 million passionate, conscious consumers will be reachedthrough partnerships with Ogden Publications, Care2.com andSustainable Industries.

    Media Attention Is Accelerating

    Media interest is increasing, with coverage by outlets includingForbes, BusinessWeek and CNN.

    New Tools Are Driving Investment

    GIIRS, the rst ratings agency of the social and environmentalperformance of enterprises seeking investment capital, will drivemission-aligned investment into the community.

    Its Always the Time to Save

    40+ service partnerships create $1,000,000 in annual hard costsavings for B Corps.

    the time is now

    For the rst time, the business and leadership case for B Corp certicationare coming together at the same time. As a result, B Lab certied 75percent more B Corps in 2010 than in 2009.

    And theres plenty of room to grow. Nearly 6,000 companies areusing the B Impact Assessment for benchmarking their social andenvironmental progress (see p 36), even before becoming CertiedB Corporations. As they see improvement in their B Scoreand

    their bottom linemore and more businesses are poised to becomefull members of the B Corp community and lend their voice to itsleadership.

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    If Not Now, WhThe Case for B C

    2011 B Corporation Annual R

    We are living in a world where authenticity andtransparency will become a necessity for business.B Corp certication ensure that.

    Kyle Berner, FeelGoodz

    We got one of our best clients because we are a B Corp.Mission Markets was about to sign a check to another webdevelopment company, but when they heard we were a BCorp, they decided that they had to hire us instead.

    Elissa Miller, Singlebrook Technology

    In this competitive market, being a B Corphelps to distinguish us from the rest of the pack.

    Andy Shallal, Busboys and Poets

    Were making a big difference with our company,but no one company is going to change the world alone.

    David Murphy, Better World Books

    Help us recruit B Corporations

    in these states!Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Mississippi,Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire,North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah,West Virginia, Wyoming

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    The Road to aNew Economy

    B Lab is a nonprot dedicated to harnessingthe power of business to solve social and

    environmental problems.

    B Labs Global Impact Investing Ratings System aims to drive investment

    capital toward impactful businesses.

    GIIRS ratings provide investors with standardized impact metrics for an

    emerging asset class, helping fund the worlds leading social entrepreneurs.

    GIIRS ratings are like S&P ratings but for impact instead of risk.

    200 companies and 25 funds across 30 countries will complete the GIIRS

    World Beta in spring 2011.

    Benet CorporationsB Lab is working to pass Benet Corporation legislation in all 50 states.

    Benet Corporations are a new class of corporation that meets higher

    standards of performance, accountability and transparency.

    Benet Corporation status gives businesses legal protection to consider allstakeholders and requires them to create a material positive impact on society

    and the environment, as measured by an independent third party standard.

    Two states passed legislation in 2010; nine more are moving forward in 2011.

    Standards

    B Corps are certied by B Lab to meet rigorous

    independent, and transparent social and environmental

    performance standards.

    B Corp certication is to sustainable business what LEED

    certication is to green buildings or Fair Trade certication

    is to coffee.

    There are 370 Certied B Corps from 60 industries.

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    The Road to a New EconoThe B Corporation Growing Commu

    Fueled byImpact Investment

    StrongCommunities

    PovertyAlleviation

    HealthyEnvironment

    LegalInfrastructure

    Standards

    Standards Legal Infrastructure

    Legal Infrastructure

    Legal Infrastructure Standards Legal Infrastructure

    egalInfrastructure

    Standards

    Standards

    LegalInfrastructure

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    Legal Infrastructure StandardsLegal Infrastructure Standards

    Quality Jobs

    Legal Infrastructure Standards

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    The small state of Delaware has long been the place for big businesses toincorporate, but, as mission-minded companies have found out the hard

    way, Delaware is no place to put social good before shareholder value.

    In 2004, Craigslist sold 28.4 percent of the company to eBay. Three yearslater, eBay led a lawsuit to stop Craigslist from implementing a policy toprevent the online shopping site from acquiring founder Craig Newmarksremaining shares when he dies and potentially overriding Craigslistscommunity-minded mission.

    Last year, on Sept. 9, a Delaware judge ruled in eBays favor, stating thatstockholder wealth maximization is the only end game for Delawarecorporations. In the decision, he wrote: Directors of a for-prot Delawarecorporation cannot deploy a [policy] to defend a business strategy thatopenly eschews stockholder wealth maximizationat least not consistent withthe directors duciary duties under Delaware law.

    If it wasnt clear before, it is crystal clear now. If you want to maintain thesocial mission of your company, dont incorporate in Delaware, B Lab co-founder Jay Coen Gilbert wrote in a September Forbes article.

    But thanks to the work of B Lab and its partners, corporations can now bprotected from shareholder litigation in the name of prot maximization. BeneCorporation legislation, which creates a legal framework that allows companito keep their founding values, not just shareholder value, at the forefront, wpassed in Maryland and Vermont with strong bipartisan support last spring. Thlegislation safeguards a corporate purpose that seeks to create public benet, no

    just private wealth. Corporations operating in any state can re-incorporate Maryland or Vermont and avail themselves of this protection.

    The legislation requires ofcers and directors to consider all stakeholdein major business decisions, and it provides increased accountability, ashareholders are able to enforce that higher standard of considerationIn addition to this change in duciary duties, Benet Corps are requireto create a material positive impact on society and the environment measured byand publicly reported usinga recognized, independent antransparent third-party standard.

    The law, initially drafted by attorney Bill Clark from Drinkle Bidder and ReathLLP, in coordination with B Lab, is moving forward with broad bipartisasupport in nine states in 2011, including passing unanimously in bot

    2Down,48To GoBenet Corp Legislation Moves Across the Country

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    2 Down, 48 toBenet Corp Legislation Moves Across the Cou

    9 On The Way

    A new class of corporation that:1. creates a material positive impact on society and the environment

    2. redenes duciary duty to include non-nancial interests in decision-making

    3. reports on its overall social and environmental performance usingrecognized, third party standards

    Provides clarity that duciary duty includes creating a material positiveimpact on society and the environment

    Offers legal protection to directors and ofcers to considerthe non-nancial interests of the workforce, community, and environment

    Helps maintain mission over time

    Creates a marketing opportunity to differentiate the business

    Makes it easier to become a Certied B Corporation and thus benet from40+ Service Partnerships, saving companies $1MM/year.

    Remove legal impediments to the use of sustainability and social innovation asa competitive advantage

    Legitimize and accelerate development of a New Economy by providing legalrecognition for businesses that adopt higher standards of corporate purpose,accountability, and transparency be held accountable to create value for bothshareholders and society

    Create a platform for policymakers to provide a variety of tailored tax,procurement, and investment incentives for private sector businessesaddressing public benet objectives

    Becoming a Certied B Corporation is one way to meetthe Benet Corporation statutory requirements to:

    1. create a material positive impact on society and the environment

    2. report on overall corporate social and environmental performanceusing an independent and transparent third party standard

    What is a Benet Corporation?

    How does becoming a Benet Corporationbenet my business?

    Why are Benet Corporations importantto the sustainable business movement?

    Whats the difference between a BenetCorporation and a Certied B Corporation?

    legislative houses in New Jersey and in the House of Delegates in Virginia.

    Today marks an inection point in the evolution of capitalism, said JayCoen Gilbert on the day Benet Corporation legislation rst passed. Withpublic trust in business at an all-time low, this represents the rst systemicresponse to the underlying problems that created the nancial crisis.

    Today marks an inection point inthe evolution of capitalism.

    Eleven companies registered as Benet Corporations on Oct. 1, the day thatlegislation went into effect in Maryland. Among them were Emory KnollFarms, a green wholesale nursery that propagates plants for the green roofindustry, and The Big Bad Woof, a sustainable pet supply chain.

    Tebabu Assefa, founder of coffee-roasting startup Blessed Coffee, wasalso inspired by the ability to turn public benet practices into ofcialobligations. Assefas for-benet operating plan has two aspects: rst, hehas committed to handing 50 percent of prots from wholesale coffeeroasting back to the Ethiopian coffee cooperative from which he sourceshis beans to help fund social programs for 140,000 small growers.Second, 50 percent of the prots from Blessed Coffees retail shop willgo to the Takoma Park neighborhood in which Assefa lives, in order tofund schools and cultural engagement, and to feed people in need.

    Policy gives credibility and boosts peoples condence in the possibility

    of business making a difference, says Assefa. Now my foundingprincipalsocial benetwill be legally protected.

    Assefa thinks that becoming a Benet Corporation will give BlessedCoffee marketing visibility, and he believes that awareness about this newkind of business is growing rapidly.

    There was no publicity before, but now we who are walking the walk arebringing this to the forefront, he said. For the very rst time, businessis a vehicle to empower people to bring out their passion. The BenetCorporation is giving heart to business.

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    Policymaker:

    Jamie RaskinMaryland State Senator

    Why did you decide to sponsorBenet Corp legislation?

    We need a new business model, dont we? The corporations weve gotare told by law that they have to pursue one exclusive objective, which isto maximize prot. And that singular command is not only inconsistent

    with the broader yearnings of so many people in business, but it alsohas proven to be a deeply troubling public policy that creates terribleincentives and results. Think about the BP Oil spill, the collapsingmines of the Massey company in West Virginia and the multi-trilliondollar nightmare on Wall Street.

    We need a business model for companies that want to change the waythat business thinks and acts in the world. They should have the rightto choose to act with a muscular social conscience as well as a prot-making intention. That means we have to structure the opportunity forthem to build a public interest commitment right into the DNA of thecorporation. I meet small businesspeople, progressive entrepreneursand green innovators all the time who want to commit their resourcesand enterprises, not only to their own bottom lines but also to theircommunities. Im delighted that weve opened up the corporate law inMaryland to make it possible. The law is the great teacher, as Brandeisonce said, and theres a deep lesson in the benet corporation law.

    What do you hope happens as a result of passingBenet Corp legislation?

    Well, a year ago, my hope was that, in the rst year, a dozen businesseswould incorporate this way. This happened on the rst day! That stunnedme. Im convinced that, within a year or two, we will have a nationalbusiness reform movement that everybodys talking about. Itll be on thefront page of the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek. And investors, workersand consumers will ask, Are you a Benet Corporation or not? Andif youre not, How come? And, What are you doing to reinvest inthe community that gives you life? At that point, we might even dreamthat the Benet Corporation movement will overtake the prot-onlycompanies and become the dominantstream within American business.

    2 Down, 48 to GoBenet Corp Legislation Moves Across the Country

    Attorney:

    William ClarkPartner, Drinker Biddle& Reath LLP

    Why are Benet Corporations necessary?

    In a regular corporation, the directors are required to maximize the

    value of the enterprise for the benet of its shareholders. In a BenetCorporation that rule is changed and the directors have an obligation toconsider the interests of other constituencies beyond just the shareholde

    Whats been the reaction of other attorneys?

    Ive met with colleagues in bar associations in a half dozen states, andI think a lot of people, when they stop to think about empoweringbusinesses to promote a broader purpose, actually believe its the rightthing to do. In a way, its a very conservative notion. Were not pushingthe government to get involved. We want the business community to woout the answersfrom how to consider these diverse interests to what isa credible third party standard for measuring and reporting corporatesocial and environmental performance.

    What is the implication for the role of governmen

    Personally, Im pretty conservative. I like this approach because itsvoluntary, not imposed. I think government cant solve all our problemand the private sector is a much bigger player in the economy anyway. I

    we can help businesses behave in a different way, we can actually harnesthe power of the free market to make social changes.

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    2 Down, 48 toBenet Corp Legislation Moves Across the Cou

    Economist:

    Michael ShumanResearch Director,Cutting Edge Capital

    How will Benet Corporations affect the market?

    It increases market efciency. It is an axiom of a market economy thatit functions more efciently when consumers have the best informationpossible. Benet Corp designation helps match consumers and investors

    with companies that share the values of creating quality jobs that improvethe quality of life in our communities.

    How will Benet Corporation legislation impactthe economy?

    The legislation boosts state economies. It will drive more residents to buygoods and services and more investors to place money in local companies.Local purchasing and local investing boost local jobs. There is a growingbody of evidence that locally owned companies, compared to absenteeowned businesses, generate more income, wealth, jobs, tax receipts,charitable contributions and lower carbon footprints.

    What will Benet Corporation Legislation cost?

    There is virtually no cost. It would be difcult to identify another proposedmeasure that would deliver as much economic stimulus at as small a cost.

    Businessman:

    Jeffrey HollenderFounder, Seventh GenerationWhy did Seventh Generation support BenetCorporation legislation?

    Society is in the midst of a responsibility revolution. Benet Corlegislation provides much-needed legal infrastructure to acceleratthis revolutiona revolution which requires a responsibility to astakeholders, and a responsibility to radical transparency.

    Why is this important now?

    In an age when everyone claims to be green or responsible, highestandards of accountability and transparency are the best way to separatthe authentic companies from those that just pretend to be.

    Why would you recommend this to anotherfounder or CEO?

    This is a big deal. First, you need to protect your mission as you groyour business. Second, you have a chance to be a part of history.

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    As 2009 came to a close, Philadelphia became the rst city in the Uto pass a law awarding a tax break to certied sustainable businesses. T

    $500,000 pilot program goes into effect in 2012, and during a ve-yepilot phase, 25 sustainable businesses per year can apply for a $4,000 cred

    While the Mayors Ofce of Sustainability has the authority to recognother certications, B Corp certication is the only certication recognizdirectly in the city ordinance as meeting the Citys denition of a certisustainable business.

    Philadelphia is focusing on attracting sustainable businesses, sCouncilman James Kenney, who sponsored the Sustainable Business TCredit. One way is by providing this tax exemption to companies tmeet social and environmental performance standards. This incentmakes Philadelphia even more competitive and appealing to these typ

    of businesses, and in turn, these companies will bolster our economprovide more jobs, and prove benecial to our neighborhoods.

    Conversations regarding similiar tax incentives have also begun in PortlanOre., and Washington, D.C. Philadelphias leadership will hopefuinspire other cities to recognize sustainable businesses and implemetheir own tax, procurement, investment or other incentives, similar to hpassage of Benet Corporation legislation in Maryland and Vermont led to the introduction of that law in other states (see p 14-17).

    The Sustainable Business Tax Credit dovetails nicely with Benet Corporatilegislation, which enables corporations to amend their charters to include aprotect public benet within their governing principles. Growing interestthe adoption of both measures across the country demonstrates a move governments to legitimize and strengthen the sustainable business movemthrough policy.

    Municipalities with goals to stimulate quality job growth and sustainabinclusive economic development can hasten progress toward their targby fostering a thriving community of B Corporations. The tax break hesmall companies deliver social benet as well as prot, a win-win for alocal community. As the numbers show, those gains will repay a ciinvestment many times over. And, as they say, youve got to give a litlove to get a little love.

    1. Preserve the Environment33% of B Corps make products that preserve the environment

    72% of B Corps use renewable energy

    B Corps are 30 times more likely to work in a green building

    2. Strengthen the Community74% of B Corps have a charitable partner

    B Corps are 30 times more likely to donate 10% of prots or more to charity

    9 out of 10 are owned by local residents

    3. Serve the Underserved

    47% of B Corps employ more than 50% womenB Corps are 3 times more likely to be women or minority-owned

    69% of B Corps have suppliers in low-income areas

    4. Create Quality Jobs95% pay a living wage to ALL employees (part time or full time)

    B Corps are twice as likely to offer health insurance to all employeesand have a retirement plan

    9 out of 10 have satised or engaged employees

    A Little LovePhiladelphia creates rst B Corp tax break

    Philadelphia CreatesFirst B Corp Tax Break

    How do you get a tax break?First, show them youre worth it.

    B Labs Testimony to the City Council of Philadelphia

    B Corps Help the City...

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    Proudto be aB Corp

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    Raceto the Top

    Leadership Requires Continuous ImprovementB Corps span a variety of industries, and each one is ata different stage on the path to sustainability. However,they are all using the B Impact Assessment to improveand communicate performance.

    How Benchmarking PerformanceLeads to Continuous Improvement

    2010B Corporation Annual Report

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    Norwood Marble and Granite provides residential and commercialstone and tile fabrication and installation in the Mid-Atlantic region.

    When Norwood rst applied to become a B Corp, its B Score of 72.9fell short of the minimum (80) required for certication. However,the company was committed to becoming certied. Using the B Impact

    Assessment as a guide, it implemented several key changes over thecourse of a year, increasing its score by 13 percent. Today, Norwood andits 35 employees are proud members of the B Corporation community

    with a score of 82.4.

    Improving water efciency in its manufacturing process was a triple winnerfor Norwood. The company uses thousands of gallons of water per hour inits manufacturing process, but only a fraction was being recycled because

    of an inadequately sized system. Norwood invested in a second-handsystem with three times the capacity and resold the previous system, whichoffset the cost. Today, Norwood recovers 98 percent of the water usedin its manufacturing process. The more efcient system saves $500 permonth in electric bills and $10,000 per month in water bills. The changeboosted Norwoods B Score, getting it halfway to certication, and moreimportantly, now prevents 1 million gallons of surface run-off monthly,creating savings for the municipality and the company.

    We found the assessment tool even more valuablethan a measure. It reads like a manual; in every sectionthere are lessons that a company can learn.

    To earn the remaining points needed for certication, Norwood worked with B Labs Standards Team to implement several otherpolicies and programs to improve its overall social and environmentalperformance. These included creating a community service programthat gives employees time off to volunteer, extending maternity leave,and creating an employee working group to identify further areas forimprovement. These changes, which earned the company a 3.6-pointB Score increase, will preserve Norwoods values as it grows and itsmanagement changes over time.

    According to Executive VP John King, the increased focus onsustainability has improved employee morale. Sharing goals and

    becoming involved in the greater Washington, D.C., area has broughtnew energy to the work environment. Immediately there was a teamemphasis on, What can we do as a company to conserve and furtherprotect the environment? says King.

    Norwood is still in the early stage of improvement, and it has big plans forthe future. Were looking at every single aspect of the company, King says.Next up is minimizing machinerys energy consumption. The goal is tosimultaneously lower costs and Norwoods carbon footprint. These savings

    will be reected both by a 2-point increase in their B Impact Score anda marked improvement in the nancial and environmental bottom line.

    Race to the THow Benchmarking Performance Leads to Continuous Improvem

    Reaching toAchieve Certication

    Redesign corporate mission to include commitmentsto social and environmental impact; create specicinstructions on it during employee training andestablishing an employee working group to overseesocial and environmental performance

    Write and implement policies to give employees timeoff for community service, paid time off to vote, and aminimum bar for corporate charitable giving

    Support local economies by implementing a LocalPurchasing Policy and engaging current suppliers ontheir purchasing practices

    Start offering 3-5 weeks maternity leave and up to2 weeks paternity leave

    Write and implement ofcial Employee Handbook,including a Discrmination & Harassment policy

    Create an ofcial corporate environmental policy, andimplement plastic, glass and metal recycling and energyconservation techniques throughout the facilities

    72.9

    82.4

    +2.1

    +1.8

    +3.0

    +0.9

    +0.6

    +1.1

    75

    76.8

    79.8

    80.7

    81.3

    82.4

    Starting Score

    Total Score After Changes

    +9.5

    Point Increase Total Score

    2010 B Corporation Annual R

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    Race to the TopHow Benchmarking Performance Leads to Continuous Improvement

    GoLite is a Boulder, Colo.-based producer of lightweight clothing andequipment for active, outdoor sports and has been a recognized leader insustainability since it was founded 12 years ago by husband and wife teamKim and Demetri Coupounas. While all of GoLites products are by naturegreener (lighter products = less materials = less carbon, less toxics, less waste)the company is working hard to reduce the environmental impact of theproducts it makes.

    Part of this work has included a major shift towards the use of what they callEnvironmentally Preferred Materials (EPMs) in their products. In the 2010product line, more than 67 percent of the materials in GoLite products (bymass) are made of EPMs. The goal is to use 100 percent EPMs by 2015.

    With revenue doubling in the past two years, the Coupounases needed management tool to help ensure that GoLites positive impact grows along withits revenues. And, after achieving B Corp certification two years ago, GoLiteidentified the B Impact Assessment as the best way to help it maintain itssustainability leadership in its industry. Already meeting the A+ reportingstandards set by the Global Reporting Initiative, GoLite began using the BImpact Assessment as the framework for its annual CSR reports.

    It takes a standard as deep and high-quality as B Corps to help a companysmanagement see gaps in their approach so that they can make corrections asthey continue on their path to sustainability, Kim Coupounas, co-founderand chief sustainability officer of GoLite, says.

    While many programs targeting social and environmental issues existed, fewwere formalized in the companys operating procedures and managementstructures. This prompted GoLite to institutionalize domestic partnershipbenets, extend maternity leave and make its ownership structuretransparent, using several of the best practice resources embedded withinthe B Impact Assessment.

    The process raised GoLites B Score from an already high 120 to 125placing it in the top quartile of all Certied B Corps. But Coupounas saysshe believes the real payoff will come in helping the company stay on course

    This was really about the maturation and professionalization of ourcompany during a major growth phase.

    Despite their differences, these three B Corporations are united by their effortsto use the B Impact Assessment to continue to improve their environmentalsocial and financial performance. This means success for everyone: thecompanies, the community and the environment.

    iContact, a North Carolina-based email marketing rm deliveringon-demand software to help companies and nonprots communicatemore effectively, has invested considerably in sustainability. Fallingabout 10 percent short of a qualifying score on its rst attempt, thecompany reassessed its entire social and environmental policy. Afterimplementing several changes over the course of a year, iContactearned a score of 85 and was certied as a B Corporation in June 2010.

    In our pursuit to be as socially and environmentally positive as possible, we decided B Corp certication was something to aspire to, MattKopac, iContacts corporate responsibility manager, says. We foundthe assessment tool even more valuable than a measure. It reads like amanual; in every section there are lessons that a company can learn.

    Using the assessment as a guide, iContact found key knowledge gaps inits organization. A comprehensive and transparent environmental audit,itself worth 2.4 points, identied energy usage and travel as the two areas

    with the greatest inefciencies. Kopac worked closely with the facilitiesmanager to identify key areas for improvement. He then went to the CEOand directors to ensure buy-in and approve up-front expenditures.

    iContact focused rst on reducing unnecessary travel and increasing thesustainability of its suppliers to gain more than 3 points. Despite rapidgrowth, in the rst quarter of 2010, iContact employees traveled 83,404fewer miles than in 2009, saving about $11,000 and cutting carbonemissions by 48 percent. The company has also invested in more sustainableproducts, upgrading janitorial supplies to environmentally preferablecleaning products and using compact uorescent bulbs. iContact now relieson local, environmentally-responsible suppliers. In total, the company wasable to reduce per-employee energy use more than 15 percent.

    iContact has seen additional internal and external benets from thesechanges. Employees have become more engaged, forming monthly

    work groups to identify further areas for improvement. Better yet,organizations and customers are mentioning iContact being a B Corpor having a robust CSR program as a reason why they chose us over ourcompetitors, Kopac says.

    In the next year, iContact aims to raise its B Impact Rating by 5 additionalpoints to move closer to the B Corp community average of 107.8.

    If we really are a triple bottom line business, then having specicobjectives for our social and environmental responsibility needs to beright up there with the rest of the goals we set, Kopac states. OurB Impact Score is a way of being able to quantify our improvements.

    Setting Goals InstitutionalizingLeadership

    2010B Corporation Annual Report

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    A western Michigan plastics rm with deep roots in the automotive industrymight not sound like an obvious candidate for B Corporation certication.However, Cascade Engineering, a 37-year-old family of nearly a dozenmanufacturing and marketing companies that employs over 1,000 people, isa leading example of old industry taking its place in the new green economy.

    Fred Keller is the Ray Anderson youve never heard of, says Jay CoenGilbert, cofounder of B Lab, referring to Interfaces widely known leader.

    For Cascade, B Corporation principles were not a radical shift from itscore principlesthe three Ps: people, planet and prot, says Chief

    Administrative Ofcer Kenyatta Brame. So when Cascade Engineering

    received its B Corporation certication this October, it didnt so muchmark a change as the next step.

    As an engineer working for a big rm in Grand Rapids, Mich., Keller sawhis colleagues trying to get aheadat any cost to the environment and theircoworkersand he didnt like it. From the beginning, Fred wanted to starta company that treated people with dignity, says Brame. Over the yearsCascade has translated respect for workers into things like the Welfare-to-Career Program, which brings people off welfare and into its workforce,and the Health Horizons wellness program, which offers its employeesreductions in health care costs in return for documented healthy activity.

    Founded in 1973, Cascade Engineering soon started manufacturinginjection-molded products for automotive and commercial furnituremarkets with a strong focus on lean manufacturing and innovation. Today,that lean, innovative ethic translates into resource efciency that supportsthe companys ongoing sustainability initiatives. Since 2005, the companyhas reduced greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and landll waste andincreased its use of recycled materials. In 2007, the companys corporateheadquarters were certied as LEED Platinum by the U.S. Green BuildingCouncil, and Cascade has been recognized by the State of Michigan as aClean Corporate Citizen.

    Cascade grew signicantly during the mid-1980s, when business wasbooming for the Big Three automakers and for its manufacturing partner

    Herman Miller, another large western Michigan company with industryleading sustainability practices. The company has now diversied into

    wide range of industries, from transportation to renewable energy, higtech and waste management.

    Fred Keller is the Ray Andersonyouve never heard of.

    Several new efforts extend the companys commitment to sustainability

    The Swift Wind Turbine, a 1.5-kilowatt rooftop turbine, is the rst quiestructure- or pole-mounted turbine to enter the marketplace. It can bused in residential, commercial or industrial settings and is notable foits quietness, aesthetic, minimal vibration and simple installation; thHydrAid BioSand Water Filter, which was developed in partnership witInternational Aid to bring affordable clean water to emerging marketand Quest Sustainable Solutions, a consulting rm that trains othecompanies in corporate culture, workforce diversity, environmentmanagement, leadership development, safety and sustainability.

    As one of the rst large B Corporation manufacturers, the companknows it has a unique opportunity to educate its suppliers and contractoabout what it means to be a B Corp. Cascade plans to use the B Corplatform to lead beyond its supply chain and industry. In fact, Keller hbeen helpful in getting Benet Corp legislation introduced in Michiga(see p 15-18). Kellers ability to convene inuential business leaders anget the ear of political leaders on both sides of the aisle has been cruciato building the coalition needed to pass legislation to make good olMichigan a leader of the new economy.

    According to Keller, B Corp is an important part of our plan fsustainable economic development in western Michigan and, for thmatter, the whole state of Michigan. This is an opportunity for Michigato lead the rest of the country.

    Old School Leaderof the New Economy

    Old School Leader of the New EconomyCascade Engineering is Big and Thinks Bigger

    Cascade Engineering is Big and Thinks Bigger

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    NSU and EquilibriumBring New Meaning to Ecosystem Finance

    Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) builds watermanagement systems that depend on naturalecosystems for inspiration and support. So itseems tting that NSU has found support withinits own natural environmentthe B Corporationcommunity.

    In May 2010, NSU, received a $2 millioncommitment from Oregon-based holding

    company Equilibrium Capital Group, a BCorporation since 2009 (and a GIIRS PioneerFund, see p 23 in the GIIRS Progress Report).The partnership between NSU and theimpact investment rm demonstrates how BCorporations can drive change and innovationat an exponential level through strategiccollaboration with each other.

    Launched in 2008, NSU plans, designs, buildsand operates on-site water supply, wastewatertreatment and reuse systems for residential,commercial and industrial development. Butrather than applying traditional reduce, treatand remove methods for water management,NSU reuses wastewater within its projects byredistributing it to natural functions withineach local system. We manage the local waterecology in a manner that mimics how it hasevolved for millions of years in nature, saidFounder and CEO Dominic Kulik.

    For example, at the Jackson Meadows residentialcommunity in Marine on St. Croix, Minn.,NSUs system uses wastewater to irrigate 250

    Building Healthy EcosystNSU and Equilibrium Bring New Meaning to Ecosystem Fin

    2010 B Corporation Annual R

    Building HealthyEcosystems

    acres of vibrant green space adjacent to a clusterof 63 homes. The development also includes oneof NSUs signature treatment wetlands, whichcreate habitat for native plants and wildlife tothrive while redistributing wastewater. JacksonMeadows has become a national model forconservation and community. The project notonly saves water and energy, it also avoids theecological imbalance that follows the shifting of

    high levels of wastewater from communities tolarge treatment centers.

    NSU has developed and continues to managenearly 90 water, wastewater and re-usesystems that serve nearly 5,000 homes andmany institutional customers in urban,suburban and rural settings.

    Dave Chen, founder of EquilibriumCapital Group and a B Lab board member,discovered NSU through one of his portfoliocompanies. Equilibrium Capital Groupinvests in asset management rms that deal

    with things like green building, resourceefciency, energy and agriculture. NSUsfocus on water piqued Chens interest, asthe rm was developing an investment thesisin distributed water. He also saw the threeingredients that he seeks in any possibleaddition to Equilibrium: authenticity,passion and a potential for scale.

    Equilibrium Capital committed $2 millionin investment in NSU to help the company

    develop a water asset portfolio, which be available for its investors in 2011. Ttranslated our water resource managemexperience and track record into a nanproduct, Kulik says.

    The partnership betweenNSU and EquilibriumCapital Group demonstrateshow B Corporations can drivchange and innovation atan exponential level throughstrategic collaboration witheach other.

    NSU will be the rst water asset offerinthe Equilibrium portfolio, but it ts ne

    with Equilibriums investment appr

    which looks to create nancial instrumtied to sustainably managed resourInstitutional investors will increasingly lfor hard asset products for their portfothat map to sustainability, says Chen. Nnot only implements a sustainable wayapproaching water assets, but they have ma commitment to build their company althis ability to balance both nancial retuas well as a responsibility to the environmand community.

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    Sunrise and New Resource BanksPut Money to Good Use

    Following the nancialmeltdown and bank bailouts,two B Corps are showing thatits OK to love a bank.

    Sunrise Community Banks, which operatesthree banks in St. Paul, Minn., is one of only62 certied Community Development FinancialInstitution banks in the nation. The family-owned company, which is devoted to servingeconomically distressed neighborhoods, has 150employees. It serves about 20,000 customers with

    total assets of $609 million.

    In addition to traditional banking servicesfor individuals and small businesses, Sunriseoffers a socially responsible deposit fund.We tell people, If you check this box, yourdollars are going to be used for affordablehousing development, nonprot lending, smallbusiness and community facilities like churchesand daycare centers, says Chief CorporateResponsibility Ofcer Nikki Foster. About 90percent of deposit dollars are in that fund.

    A recent initiative demonstrates the banksdedication to serving the special needs of the Twin

    Cities most vulnerable communities.

    During the last two decades, many Somalis eeingcivil war settled in the Twin Cities. The only wayfor the large refugee community to send moneyhome was through money service businesses, whichoperate through cooperation with a bank. Afterthe attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the banks saw a hostof increased regulations when sending funds tocountries deemed hot spots for possible terrorism.Traditional banks ed, and the money servicebusinesses all but disappeared.

    Knowing that the service meant survival for Somali

    families, Sunrise stepped in, setting up a much-needed money service business that complies withstringent homeland security regulations. Thepartnership has been so successful that the bankrecently opened a micro-branch in the heart ofthe Somali community.

    In California, New Resource Bank fulllsits mission of community service with equalpassion. We are a bank with a mission topromote sustainable living, said President andCEO Vincent Siciliano.

    Though smallone branch, 32 employees andtotal assets of $158 millionNew Resource goes

    after its mission in big ways. Any bank can getits ofces LEED certied (NRBs has a Goldrating), but NRB goes further.

    The bank was the rst to offer home loansfor solar energy retrots, which are distinctfrom traditional home improvement loanssince the money is earmarked for thesole purpose of a residential solar energyupgrade. NRB also offers a Solar CD, aninvestment product that allows people to puttheir money into the solar power industry.

    New Resource has provided loans to a range

    of exemplary sustainable businesses, suchas packaging company Ecological Brandsorganic dairy Straus Family Creamery andstreetlight retrotting company TankoStreetlighting Services. New Resource Bankonly makes loans to sustainable businesses,Siciliano says. They can be anywhere on thesustainability spectrum, they can be learnersor leaders, but what is important is that theyare on that playing eld.

    Both banks say being a Certied B Corporationis important for them and their customers

    According to Siciliano, As a B CorporationNew Resource Bank is able to separate itself as

    a sustainable leader in our industry and to setan example in our community.

    Foster says the B Lab evaluation process has helpedSunrise push itself to better serve its communityFor example, being asked to quantify purchasingdollars that go to local businesses allowed the bankto go a step further and write policies to cementsuch habits. As she says, It is a constant reminderof practices we can do to show our dedication tothe community.

    Its OK toLove a Bank

    We are a bank with a mission topromote sustainable living.

    Its OK to Love a BankSunrise and New Resource Banks Put Money to Good Use

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    Guayak, Numi and Traditional MedicinalsRecognize the Power of Collaboration

    Guayak, Numi Organic Tea and TraditionalMedicinals have a lot in common: all three focus

    on natural foods, health and wellness; theyreall based in California; and they all adhere toadmirable standards of organic production, fairtrade, local sourcing and sustainable businesspractices. Theyre also all B Corps.

    Many B Corps seek good company and to sharebest practices. Guayaki, Numi Organic Tea andTraditional Medicinals have all recognized ineach other business leaders that share a head forbusiness and heart for to mission.

    The three companies attribute much of their successto the camaraderie and good spirit among them. Weare a perfect example of what B Lab wants for their

    companies, says David Karr, cofounder of Guayak.

    We are all about the mission, we are not about thecompetition, agrees Numi CEO and Cofounder AhmedRahim. It is what we are in business forcollaboration.

    Their collaboration takes many forms: sharingbuyer contacts, best practices and emerging marketopportunities. They have held events together, andTraditional Medicinals has co-packed product forthe other two. Working together, they extend theirreach and achieve far more than they could alone.I think what is most benecial about these kinds

    of relationships has to do with a willingness to beopen and transparent with each other and share

    best practices, says Traditional Medicinals co-founder Drake Sadler.

    Established in 1974, Traditional Medicinalsoffers natural health products, and like Numiand Guayak, uses organic, fair trade and locallysourced ingredients. Some of their productshave gained mainstream popularity, helpingit recently earn shelf space in 25,000 newpharmacy accounts with companies like WalgreensPharmacy and Rite Aid. Traditional Medicinalsis also employee-owned (an ESOP), and Sadlercounts that achievement as a main strength for thestability of the company.

    While Traditional Medicinals is the oldestcompany in the group, Numi was the rst totap into the power of the B Corp community.Founded in 1999 by Rahim and his sister Reem,Numi produces organic tea in bags, loose leaf andbottles and is best known for introducing unique

    varieties like Rooibos, Puerh and owering teas tothe North American market. Rapidly expanding,it experienced double digit growth in 2010.

    For Numi, being one of the B Corporationpioneers has allowed us to lead the way, saidRahim. Bringing other companies into the

    B Corp family is an important part of tleadership. It was Numi who introduced Guay

    to the B Corp concept.

    Established in 1996, Guayak employs about people and produces yerba mate (a popular So

    American alternative to coffee) products ucertied organic, fair trade and shade gromate. It employs a model it calls market-barestorationpurchasing directly from growersParaguay, Argentina, and Brazil who are dedicato reforestation of the rainforests in which thgrow. The model has helped restore about 17,0acres of rainforest, earning Guayak recognitat the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative conferen

    With sales for 2010 at $12.5 million, up 20 percover last year, the company is thriving.

    Individually, these companies are creating posichange, and working together amplies that impa

    Apart from contributing to the success of ecompany, these three rmly believe collaborat

    will help change the business landscape as a whol

    Karr states, Our grand hope is that the movemgains a lot of traction so everyone wonders wevery business cant be a B Corp.

    GainingCooperative

    Advantage

    Gaining Cooperative AdvantageGuayak, Numi and Traditional Medicinals Recognize the Power of Collaboration

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    Throughout 2011, B Lab is running its rst national adcampaign on behalf of the community of Certied BCorporations. With the help of marketing, brandingand media companies within the B Corp community,

    the campaign will reach 17 million conscious consumers and invitethem to support a better way of doing business. The campaign wasdeveloped by B Lab and its long-time partner T2AP Creative Team.

    Research conducted by award-winning branding rm BBMG showsthat less than 1 percent of consumers trust company advertisements or

    statements made on product packaging when deciding if a company isor does what it claims. Instead, they trust their own research and relyheavily on information provided by third-party organizations. B Corpcertication provides a transparent means for consumers to assessproducts and companies, and the new campaign will tap into this demand.

    The B Corp campaign resonates because consumers increasinglycare about the companies that stand behind the products, saysRaphael Bemporad, co-founder at BBMG. Beyond the value of atrusted third-party seal, the transparency requirements for B Corpcertication make it easier for consumers to do their own research todistinguish good companies from just good marketing.

    Careabouttheproductandthecompany

    73%consider bothproductandcompanyclaimswhen

    makingapurchase

    Trust thirdpartiesorthemselves

    Consumers aremuchmorelikely(57%-100%) totrust third

    partiesor themselvesthancompany ads

    Donttrustcompanies

    Almostno one (

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    Better Companies Make Better ProdB Corp Ad Campaign Resonates with 17 Mil

    The campaign will be launched across the platforms of nearly a half-dozenB Corp media companies including Care2.com; Sustainable Media Inc.,publisher of Sustainable Industries; Celilo Group; and Ogden Publications,publisher ofMother Earth News,Natural Home and Utne Reader.

    Its a process of exploration to see what the audience nds compelling,explains Bryan Welch, publisher and editorial manger of OgdenPublications, which has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars of ad spacefor the campaign. What BBMGs research shows is that this audience nds

    B Corps compelling. BBMGs research shows that 90 percent of consumerswho saw the B Corp ads said they would look out for the advertised B Corpsthe next time they go shopping or at least wanted to learn more about them.

    Beyond consumer impact, the campaign will inuence business-to-business interactions as well. Media outlets like Sustainable Industries are read

    widely by industry leaders who make decisions for their companies. Thecampaign will appeal to the whole person, inviting them to support a better

    way to do business at home and at work. In the arena of sustainabilityand social justice, theres no distinction between those who are interestedpersonally and those interested professionally, which is part of the beautyof what were doing, Welch adds.

    The branding campaign will also include an online component with indiviads for each of the more than 70 participating B Corps (see following paConsumers can enter different virtual rooms of a home or ofce (kitchefamily room or conference room), click on a companys product or logo compare a set of third-party validated facts about each B Corps social environmental performance with questions about the employee, commuor environmental practices of generic competitors.

    We want to help consumers toseparate good companies fromgood marketing.The campaign will also extend to video, thanks to Free Range Studiosfolks behind the successful The Story of Stuff series. For a long timestory that has been told in our culture is that businesses have one bottomand the choices businesses make, sometimes harmful, are in service ofsingle bottom line, says McArthur, partner at Free Range. Free Ranpleased to be a part of the process of reframing business and what it can

    TheMakingofaCampaign

    Createsthe ViralVideo

    SpreadstheWordB2B

    BuildstheAudienceOnline

    TeststheCampaign

    InformsTheirReaders

    Developsand

    Designs

    CREATIVETEAM

    FundsandSupports

    -

    ic :

    i :

    i : c i

    c i

    ii

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    Better Companies Make Better ProductsB Corp Ad Campaign Resonates with 17 Million

    The brands featured in the ads themselves are also working to help push thecampaign forward. Because we are already a print advertiser, we are ableto get better advertising rates and extend the B Lab campaign, says SarahMcGinley-Smith, director of corporate communications at King ArthurFlour. Its our responsibility to do what we can to increase awareness of theB Corporation status. It makes our own involvement more valuable andhelps further the cause.

    There is a strong resonance between what conscious consumers want andwhat B Corps and B Lab are doingthey want to be inspired that there isa new way of doing business and also empowered with the tools to assess

    just how sustainable and accountable companies are. We want to helpconsumers separate good companies from good marketing, says Jay CoenGilbert, co-founder of B Lab. B Labs hope is that the campaign will helpconsumers determine which companies are truly better and theyll see thatB Corporations are the better companies.

    AlimaCosmetics,Inc.Atayne,LLCBarberGaleBarkwheatsDogProductsBBMG

    BenchmarkAssetManagementBetterworldTelecomBetterWorldBooksBayPointBenetsBikestationCare2

    CSRwireCulinaryCollectiveDancingDeerDansko,LLCDharmaMerchantServicesDzambulingImportse3Bank

    ECOBAGSElementalHerbsEssentialLivingFoodsEthical BeanCoffeeFairTradeSports,Inc.FreeRangeStudiosGiveSomethingBackGoLite

    goodfocus,llcGreystonBakery,Inc.GreenAwakeningGreenBuildingServicesGreenRetirementPlans,Inc.GreenerprinterGuayaki

    HansonBridgettLLPHerbalist&AlchemistHumanInvestingiContactCorpImpactMakers,Inc.IndigenousDesignsCorporationInspireCommerceKINeSYSInc.

    KingArthurFlourMethodProducts,Inc.MorningIndigo/SkinCareforAthletes

    NestCollectiveNewLeafPaperNewResourceBanknrg::seattleNumiOrganicTeaOgdenPublications

    OneVillageCoffeeSocial(k)

    RevolutionFoodsPhilantechPICnet

    RimonLawGroupPlumOrganicsPREMGroupRe:VisionArchitectureRSFSocial FinanceSambazonSaltSpringCoffeeSaulGoodGiftCoSeventhGenerationSinglebrookTechnology

    SiwThaiSilk,Inc.SouthernEnergyManagementSpeakShopSunlightandPowerSustainableHarvestSustainableIndustriesSustainableSolutionsTraditionalMedicinalsTSDesigns,Inc.TurtleLoveUnCommonGoodsUntours

    Vedante

    WendelRosenWorkingExcellence

    Yikes

    70+BCorpsParticipatingintheCampaign

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    B Corpindex1

    108

    86

    Total Score:

    Total Score:

    B Corporations

    B Corps

    % points available inB Impact Rating Syste

    OSBs

    Employees 56% 49%

    Compensation and Benets

    Employee Ownership

    Work Environment

    56% 49%

    36% 18%

    71% 65%

    60% 41%

    70% 55%73% 75%

    62% 51%

    54% 53%

    28% 29%

    44% 28%

    62% 49%

    36% 17%

    44% 19%

    50% 33%

    Suppliers

    Local

    Diversity

    Charity / Service

    Governance / AccountabilityTransparency / Reporting

    Facilities

    Energy Use

    Supply Chain

    Manufacturing

    Benecial Products or Services

    Consumers 61% 42%

    Community 51% 45%

    Environment 53% 48%

    Accountability 71% 61%

    Data Set: 370 companies

    Company Size:Varied;typically between 0-200full-time employees.

    Data Verication Level:B Labstaff reviewed; documentationrequired for heavily weightedanswers; 1 in 5 reviewed on-site.

    Data Set:1,017 companies

    Company Size:Varied

    Data Verication Level: 978not veried (thus actual resultsmay be lower); B Lab staffreviewed 93 companies.

    Data Set: ?

    Company Size: Most studiesreferenced have data sets ofsmall private business with0-200 full-time employees.

    Data Verication Level: ?

    Other Sustainable BusinessesThat have voluntarily completed the B Impact Rating System.

    (200 pts avail)

    (200 pts avail)

    +25%

    Certifed

    B Corporations

    Certied B Corporations haveearned at least an 80 on theB Impact Ratings System andhave modied their articles ofincorporation to consider their

    stakeholders, as well as theirshareholders, in their decisionmaking process.

    These companies have self-selectedto complete the B Impact RatingsSystem, indicating interest insustainable business.

    Other Businesses are intendedto represent the majority of thebusiness sector.

    Other Sustainable Businesses

    (OSBs)

    Other Businesses

    (OBs)

    B Corporations score 25% higher than othersustainable businesses on the B Impact RatingSystem, which assesses corporate impacton employees, consumers, communityand the environment.

    Impact Area

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    41% 29% ?

    28% 25% ?

    31% 34% ?

    46% 48% ?

    35% 46%28.2%12

    47% 37% ?

    29% 17% ?

    22% 15% ?

    Have >25% of signicant suppliers that are certied to meet specic social/environmental criteria 7,8

    Patronize >10% of signicant suppliers from low-income communities 9

    Have >50% of products or input materials that are certified to meet fair trade sourcing practices

    Have >40% of signicant suppliers that are local independent businesses

    Are majority owned by women or ethnic minorities

    Have >30% of management from previously excluded populations10

    Donate >10% of prots or 1% of sales to charitable organizations11

    Allow >20 hrs/year of paid time off for community service

    Grew jobs by more than 5%

    Pay bonuses to non-executive employees over the prior year

    Cover at least some of health insurance premiums for individuals

    Extend health benets to part-time and ex-time employees 3

    Fund a 401(k) plan for employees

    Have >5% of company owned by non-executive employees

    Measure employee satisfaction/engagement at least every two years

    >50% of employees provided paid professional development opportunities6

    Actively recycle at least one output material

    Work in at least one facility that meets green building standards14

    Specify that >75% printed materials have recycled paper content, FSC-certiedpaper, or soy-based inks

    Reduced energy usage compared to revenues

    Generate renewable energy on site

    Have >25% of their revenue from products that have gone through a lifecycle assessment in the last 3 years

    Have >25% of their transport vehicles or outsourced eet that are cleanor low-emissions vehicles

    B Corps

    % companies for whom this is true

    OSBs2 OBs

    42% ? ?

    5% ? ?

    28% ? ?

    12% ? ?

    Have >50% products/services that solve a direct social or environmental issue(eg. micronance, energy-efciency technology)

    Have >50% of revenues from providing benecial products/services to the poor

    Derive >50% of revenues from products made from sustainable input materials(eg. PCW recycled paper, reclaimed metal housewares)

    Target >10% of products and services to the nonprot sector to further its mission

    Have a board or advisory body that includes at least one independent member15

    Appoint an employee or working group to be responsible for achieving mission

    Regularly share companys nancial info with all full-time employees16

    Evaluate their managers in writing on social and environmental goals

    Help their industry create social and environmental standards

    1. The B Corp Index represents 31 of 213 metrics used in the B Impact Rating System.

    2. OSBs are Other Sustainable Businesses that have voluntarily completed the B Impact Rating System.

    3. A part-time employee is dened as working 25 hours per week.

    4. The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010.

    5. National Federation of Independent Businesses, 2006.

    6. Includes continuing education classes, training by external consultants, and educational conferences.

    7. Signicant suppliers are the companys largest suppliers that collectively represent approximately 80% of purchasesin dollar volume.

    8. Includes Signicant Suppliers where a majority of products are certied to meet specic social/environmentalcritieria (e.g. FSC Certied paper).

    9. Low income communities is dened as communities where the median family income (MFI) for such tractdoes not exceed 80 percent of statewide MFI.

    10. Includes women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and people living in low income communities.

    11. OSB % likely includes in-kind donations and pro-bono services, in addition to charitable donations.

    12. Small Business Administration Ofce of Advocacy, 2006.

    13. National Federation of Independent Businesses, 2007.

    14. Green building standards typically include USGBCs LEED Rating System, Living Building Challenge, or EnergyStar

    15. Independents are dened as non-management and non-material investors/owners (owning less than 5%).

    16. Excludes salary info; must be shared at least once a quarter.

    53% 48% ?

    62% 46% ?

    88% 54% ?

    43% 43% 26%4

    56% 64% ?

    24% 26% ?

    69% 32% ?

    20% 4% ?

    95% 88%45%13

    35% 44% ?

    68% 46% ?

    28% 25%?

    23% 17% ?

    29% 25% ?

    38% 15% ?

    41% 32% ?

    71% 67% ?

    69% 71% ?73% 35% ?

    83% 58% ?

    ?We Dont Know

    68%of small businesses offer health insurance.But how many actually cover premiums? 4

    27%of small,businesses offer an employeeretirement plan. But what % fund ormatch it? 5

    43%of small businesses say they have takensteps to reduce energy use 5.But how manyhave reduced usage compared to revenues?

    B Corp INDEX

    Few ordinary businesses measureimpact, let alone use a common

    yardstick, making it difcult to answethe fundamental question: How doordinary businesses benet society,not just shareholders?

    B Corp INDEX1 Comparable Metricson Corporate Impact

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    Environmental Impact: GREEN BUILDING

    When you think of green building, chancesare utilities arent the rst client that comes tomind. However, with the help of Philadelphia-based Re:Vision Architecture, Pennsylvanias

    largest electric and natural gas utility, PECO,installed a 45,000-square-foot vegetated greenroof on its headquarters in central Philadelphia.

    The largest in urban Pennsylvania, the roof soaksup more than 1.5 million gallons of rainwaterrunoff annually, reduces air temperatures inthe summer and provides a habitat for wildlife.Through this partnership, RVA brings greenbuilding to a truly mainstream client.

    For us, its about removing barriers to greenbuilding, says Principal Scott Kelly.

    At RVA, the architects job description goesbeyond traditional responsibilities to includesustainability consulting, education andeven project fundraising. RVAs immersionapproach, often including a community-basedGreen Design Charrette to kick off a project,means that every employee is a director ofsustainability, every project an opportunity toinspire and educate other businesses to adopt itstriple bottom line approach. The entire project

    is a collaborative process, exposing everyone,from the client to the contractor, to a new

    way to work. All of the team members learnso much and are so much more knowledgeable

    about how to make more sustainable decisionson behalf of the project and beyond, PrincipalJenn Rezeli explains.

    Its about removing barriersto green buildingRVA distinguishes itself even among otherrms with green buildings in their portfolio.For example: more than 50 percent of RVAprojects meet the Architecture 2030 Challenge;more than fty percent of its projects are builton brownelds or inll sites; more than 25

    percent of its projects exceed local storm watermanagement codes by at least 40 percent; andmore than sixty percent of its suppliers are local;and, not surprisingly, more than 75 percent ofits staff are LEED Accredited Professionals.

    RVA has gone well beyond Green Building 101,and by acting as teachers, as well as architects, therm helps ensure that its sustainable buildingsbecome occupied by sustainable businesses, too.

    B Impact Report

    Consumers:>50% of projects meet Architecture 2030Challenge; >75% projects incorporate water reuse systems

    renewable energy systems; 50-75% of projects built on

    brownelds/inll sites

    Environment:Works in a green building;

    Comprehensive systems conserve energy & water use;Active program to minimize travel; Incentives for low-impac

    employee commutes

    Community:>60% of expenditures directed towardlocal suppliers; >40% minority/women management; >75%

    of employees take time off for community service; 100%

    local ownership; Offers more than 20 hours paid time off fo

    employees to volunteer annually;

    Employees: Living wage paid to all employees; 100%of individual and family health insurance premiums covered

    Grew employee base >15% last year

    Find out more about our certication at:www.bcorporation.net/revisionarch

    Similar B Corps: Opticos Design, Inc | PREM Group | South Mountain Company | Green Building Services, Inc | REThink Development

    Prole:

    Re:Vision ArchitectureHighlight

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    B Impact Report

    Consumers:100% focused on insuring YMCAs, JewishCommunity Centers and nonprots residential camps

    Employees: All employees paid a living wage, >80%individual/family health insurance premiums covered, Fully

    funded retirement plan for all employees; Offers 6+ weeks

    maternity leave; Offers health & wellness program and

    counseling services

    Community:Written commitment to donate atleast 10% of prots to charitable organizations; Matchesemployees charitable contributions; Organizes company

    service days throughout the year; Requires and pays for 40

    hours a year of volunteering by all employees over 4000

    hours donated last year!

    Environment:Provides incentives for low-impactcommutes; >50% materials printed on recycled/FSC certied

    paper; Uses sustainable kitchen products

    Find out more about our certication at:www.bcorporation.net/redwoodsgroup

    Employee Impact: GREAT PLACE TO WORK

    Serve Others. Thats the stated goal of theRedwoods Group, a property and casualty insuranceprovider that serves exclusively YMCAs, JewishCommunity Centers (JCCs) and nonprotresidential camps. The Redwoods Group seeksto improve the quality of life in the communities

    where it works by helping make these communityorganizations stronger and safer.

    Year after year, people come backto their jobs and they do them betterand better and better.

    One specific example is the companys work toeliminate drownings. The Redwoods Group staffdeveloped a program of improved lifeguard trainingand effective performance management techniques.Sharing these practices with customers has eliminateddrownings at the Redwoods Groupinsured

    YMCAs, JCCs and camps for the last two years.

    This is down from a national average of 13 per yearat YMCA pools, and 3,500 nationally in the early2000s. Additionally, those YMCAs that have worked

    with the company for four or more years have aninjury rate 30 percent lower than new clients.

    How has the company accomplished suchimprovements? On the job, employees areempowered to nd new opportunities to reduceincidents at clients facilities. That goes far beyondthe charge of most insurers, and the approach has

    produced some amazing results, not only for community, but for the Redwoods Group, as we

    Year after year, our people come back to their jand they do them better and better and better, sRedwoods President and CEO Kevin Trapani. TRedwoods Groups 10-year turnover rate is und5 percent, and employee satisfaction is consisten

    high. The key to having happy employees is, rsthave a mission they care deeply about and, secondrespect them by ensuring they have a great workplthat meets their needs, Trapani explains.

    Starting with an outstanding benet plan tincludes 100 percent reimbursement for continueducation, the Redwoods Group supports employpersonally as well as professionally. Employare required to volunteer 40 hours each ye

    All employees did so last year, collectively servmore than 4,00