Something’s got to change. Our world is out of balance. Climate, politics, inequalities… We have heard it over and over again - but where do we start making all this change?
For me, it was about figuring out that I was different, but not alone.
About 4 years ago I found myself going through the process of certifying to become a B Corporation. Being a female entrepreneur did not make me different, it was my business philosophy that made me an outlier. It has always been front and center in every important decision that I have made - creating a common good for society and for the people that I work with, while earning money. It turns out that adding altruistic elements to the classic business model makes you special.
There are currently over 260 companies in Canada representing a diverse range of industry sectors that choose to be different. I am not alone - I am part of a group of changemakers called B Corps.
B Corps can be defined as “organizations that blur the boundaries between the for-profit and nonprofit sector by adopting social and environmentally driven missions while generating profit to sustainably accomplish these missions”
It is a reality that private businesses control the majority of the world’s resources and we know how that has worked out over the last 300 years. I am encouraged, however, by the social movement underway to tackle the environmental crisis that affects every person, plant, and animal on earth. The private sector has been slow to join the movement, prefering to enact corporate social responsibility as a silo within its individual structure. It doesn’t have to be that way.
It is clear to me that the social landscape is not well served by the current concentration of power which stifles any discourse of reconciliation and gender equality, among other inequities. Talk to anyone in the non-profit sector and they will tell you how urgent the situation is for marginalized people around the world. B Corps recognize social need as omnipresent and choose to be for-profit businesses that want to generate positive social value and reduce their environmental impact at the same time. The process of certifying is rigorous and forces companies to think and act on social issues like diversity, accessibility, and community. It makes sense that private business should also have a grassroots community of like-minded owners choosing to change the paradigm.
My company’s sole purpose is to build capacity and amplify the mission of not-for-profit organizations and socially-minded businesses. Having a unique perspective on the inner workings of many of Canada’s charities, foundations, and institutions has allowed me to conclude that the nonprofit sector is also ready for change.
As the climate crisis is forcing us to take collective responsibility for the planet’s gifts, the increasing need for transparency in the nonprofit sector is going to force organizations to do the same for the finite resources within its structures. This reality will shine the light on how the sector makes choices about its service providers, suppliers, and internal processes.
As an award-winning social entrepreneur, international speaker and author of multiple articles on leadership in the social sector, Kim Fuller is delivering innovative strategies that effectively and efficiently meet the needs of today's evolving not-for-profit landscape. Kim is the founder and CEO of Phil, where she strives to find holistic solutions for the social sector's organizational needs.
