Presentation on the Path to B Corp Certification geared towards Canadian companies.

1. B Corp Certification
Ben Anderson Joyce SouJessica Friesen
The Path to B Corp Certification
Webinar Series

2. 1. Overview of B Lab & Vision
2. Why certify as a B Corporation
3. How to Get Started
Agenda

3. B Lab is serving a global movement of
People Using Business as a Force for Good
So that one day all companies compete to be
Best for the World
And society enjoys a
shared and durable prosperity.

4. The Global Movement
Canada

5. Evolution of Business

6. People are Demanding Better

7. Two starting points, same goal:
Help all achieve higher standards of performance, accountability, and transparency.
Earn
‘Best for the World’
Achieve
B Corp Certification
Complete BIA,
Publish benefit report, etc.
Mission Alignment
Legal AmendmentMeasure What Matters
Use the B Impact Assessment

8. Poll:
How interested are you in B Corp Certification?
• I’m doing it
• Interested, but something is standing in the way
• I’m curious, but need to be convinced
• I’m a skeptic
• N/A

9. B
Corpora0ons
The B Corporation certification
is to business what
Fair Trade is to coffee and LEED is to
green buildings.

10. Certified B Corporations are using business as a force
for good.
• B Corps are certified by the independent nonprofit B Lab
• B Corps meet higher standards of social and environmental
performance, transparency, and accountability
• Over 1300 companies in 41 countries
• Makes a legal commitment to consider all stakeholders
What is a Certified B Corp?

11. Environment
100% green energy
Workers
50% full time employee participate in
external professional development
Community
1% of sales donated to environmental
NGOs

12. Governance
• Transparency
• Ownership
Workers
• Job Growth
• Compensation & Benefits
• Employment Practices
• Work Environment
• Employee Ownership
Community
• Suppliers
• Local
• Diversity
• Charity / Volunteerism
Environment
• Energy Use
• Facilities
• Supply Chain
• Manufacturing
+ Impact Business
Models
• Direct Impact Products /
Services
• Targeting Underserved
Communities
• High Impact Supply Chain
Areas
of
Assessment

13. B
Corp
Community
=
Good
Company
to
Keep

14. “There’s a lot more authenticity in the process today and there’s a
lot more strategy around long-term shareholder value.
- Dave Stangis, VP Corporate Affairs and Social Responsibility,
Campbell Soup Co.
B
Corps
in
the
Public
Market

15. +
130
CAD
B
Corps
50%
26%
6%
1%
5%
2%
4%
6%

16. Benchmark performance
Attract and Engage Talent
Save Money and Access Services
Partner with Peers
B Corp Certification helps companies:
Show Leadership
Differentiate from Pretenders
Generate Press
Attract Investors

17. Why are you interested in becoming a B Corp?
• Maintain Mission
• Differentiate from Pretenders
• Benchmark and Improve Performance
• Attract and Engage Talent
• Other
Poll:

18. Maintain Mission
Adopting the B Corp legal standards:
• Bakes the values of the company into its
legal DNA
• Gives protection and permission to
consider non-financial stakeholders
(community, employees, suppliers,
environment)
• Ensures that mission can survive over
time

19. Differen0ate
from
Pretenders

20. Jennifer McKaig
“The biggest surprise to me was realizing that our employees
deeply cared about the things the B Impact Assessment measured.”
Benchmark
&
Improve
Performance

21. “B Corps are 46% more likely to have satisfied and
engaged employees than ordinary businesses.” – B
Analytics
“Employees who are satisfied in their jobs because
they believe in what they are doing have 16% better
overall performance and 125% less burnout than their
peers.” Harvard Business Review
“Almost two-thirds of millennials said they would rather
make $40,000 a year at a job they love than $100,000
a year at a job they think is boring.” Forbes
• B Corp certification provides a platform to engage current staff and
give employees more meaning in their work
AEract
&
Engage
Talent

22. Partner
with
Peers:
The
B
Hive

23. Collabora0on

24. Champions Retreat 2015
Oct.13-15 in Portland, OR & Skamania Lodge

25. • For-Profit Companies of Any Size
• Any Industry / Geography
• Customized assessment based on industry, size,
geography
• Any Legal Structure (sole proprietors, LLP’s,
Corporations, etc.)*
• Companies over 1 year old – special Pending
B Corp program for start-ups**
Who Can Become a B Corp?
** For more on Pending B Corp, visit:
http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp

26. Meet Performance Requirement
Complete the B Impact Assessment and earn a
reviewed minimum score of 80 out
of 200 points
Meet Legal Requirement
Determine the path for your corporate structure
Make it Official
Sign the Declaration of Interdependence, pay
certification fees and and put a profile up on
bcorporation.net
To learn more, visit:
www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-
to-become-a-b-corp
How
Does
a
Company
Cer0fy?

27. Step 1: Do the Assessment
Timeline: 1.5 – 3 hours
❑ Create a B Impact Assessment Login
❑ Take a first pass of assessment
❑ Review initial score
❑ See how you stack up compared to
20,000 + that have taken the assessment

28. Step 1: Do the Assessment
• Visit www.bimpactassessment.net to get started

29. Step 1: Do the Assessment

30. Step 1: Do the Assessment
• Take a first pass – estimates are great at this stage

31. • Take a first pass – estimates are great at this stage
Step 1: Do the Assessment

32. Step 1: Do the Assessment

33. • Use ‘Revisit This’ and make sure to save your work
Step 1: Do the Assessment

34. Step 1: Do the Assessment

35. Step 2: Documentation & Review call
❑ Submit Assessment for Review (90% complete)
❑ Submit Documentation (as required)
❑ B Lab Staff will Schedule 90 minute call
❑ Review Assessment, refine score

36. Step 3: Follow up
❑ Update assessment (if necessary)
❑ Upload outstanding documentation
❑ Finalize score with B Lab staff

37. Step 3a: Fine Tune & Continuous Improvement
❑ If your score is below 80, use this opportunity to fine tune your plan to
improve your score and deepen impacts
❑ Celebrate success! Each action you take is moving you down the path
toward becoming a better company!
❑ Develop a timeline for certification & share with your team

38. Best Practice
Guides
Step 3a: Fine Tune & Continuous Improvement

39. Step 3a: Fine Tune & Continuous Improvement

40. Adopting the B Corp legal
standards:
• Bakes the values of the company
into its legal DNA
• Gives protection and permission to
consider non-financial stakeholders
(community, employees, suppliers,
environment)
• Ensures that mission can survive
over time
Meet
Legal
Requirement

41. • A legal entity that has protection and permission to consider its impact on all
stakeholders, not just shareholders.
• Most benefit corporations are required to create annual reports on their
positive impact.
• B Lab is an advocate behind the legislation
Benefit Corporation

42. Legal RequirementsTerm Sheet & Certification Fees
❑ Sign B Lab Term Sheet
▪ Certification term is 2-years
▪ Participate in on-site review if randomly selected (10% of Certified B Corps
randomly selected each year)
▪ Annual certification fees based on the tiered structure
Company Revenue Fee
$0 - $499,999 $500
$500,000 - $1,999,999 $1,000
$2,000,000 - $4,999,999 $1,500
$5,000,000 - $9,999,999 $2,500
$10,000,000 - $19,999,999 $5,000
$20,000,000 - $49,999,999 $10,000
$50,000,000 - $99,999,999 $15,000
$100,000,000 - $999,999,999 $25,000
$1B+ $50,000+
Make it Official

43. Poll:
What is your next step?
• start of complete the B Impact Assessment
• Meet the legal requirement
• Improve my score to be over 80
• Complete documentation
• Engage my team internally

44. Join us.
Redefine success in business.
Help create the new economy.
Build a better business.
Compete to be not only
the best in the world,
but the best for the world.

45. Resources
▪ B Corp Press: http://www.bcorporation.net/news-media
▪ How to become a B Corp:
http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp
▪ Legal Requirements:
http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/why-become-a-b-corp/protect-your-
mission
▪ FAQ for Investors & Directors:
http://www.bcorporation.net/sites/all/themes/adaptivetheme/bcorp/pdfs/
faqs_investors_and_directors4.pdf
▪ Pending B Corp Certification for Start Ups:
http://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp/steps-start-
ups
▪ B Impact Assessment: http://bimpactassessment.net/
▪ Case Studies: http://bimpactassessment.net/case-studies
▪ Certification Fees
https://www.bcorporation.net/become-a-b-corp/how-to-become-a-b-corp/make-it-
official