GOOD has always been an experiment in how to do the most good.
In the early days of 2005, Ben, Casey, and I discussed whether GOOD should be a nonprofit or a for-profit organization. Inspired by both the entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship movements, we knew we wanted to run like a business. We saw business as an incredibly powerful force in our society, a force that can create negative and positive outcomes. We wanted to use business as a force for good. We wanted to have (and create) jobs where you could make a living and make a difference. We decided to be a business, because our success would help prove our credo: you can do well by doing good.
Today, six years after founding GOOD with lots of growth and learning along the way, we’re excited to announce that we are officially a Certified B Corporation. As a Certified B Corporation, we commit to meeting rigorous standards of transparency, and social, and environmental performance. We scored just over the 80 point minimum required for certification by B Lab, so we have room for improvement, and we’re eager to score higher.
In 2008, we partnered with Jay Coen Gilbert and B Lab to create the first issue of GOOD Business. B Lab was just getting started, though it was clearly a resonant and much-needed idea. Now, in the new GOOD, our Business section will be a collaborative effort including B Lab and anyone harnessing the powers of business to create prosperity and solve social and environmental problems. If you are a part of this movement, or interested in being a part of it, please join in at good.is/business. If you’d like to share an example of business as a force for GOOD or have ideas for content or action to help accelerate the movement, please start digging in at good.is/business.
The growth of B Corporations is phenomenal. Currently, there are over 600 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries and 15 countries. It’s an honor for us to add GOOD to this exciting mix, as we explore together what business can be in the 21st century.
Whether working at a business, owning a business, thinking about starting a business, buying products from a business, we can all play an important part in this shift to better business. We can all look into how those businesses to which we are connected can better live its values and apply to be a B Corp. We can take our purchases as seriously as voting.
We will transparently provide snapshots and lessons along our journey to be a better business for the bottom line and for society. It’s hard work creating business results and positive social impact, but we couldn’t imagine a more worthwhile calling.
