All About The B Corp

Did you know that March is “Benefit Corporation Month”?

If you’re wondering: “What is a Benefit Corporation (B Corp) and why should I care?” keep reading!  CR-BPS is honored to have achieved B Corp status, and we take advantage of every opportunity to educate our clients about the benefits of doing business with a B Corp.  At its core, the B Corp philosophy mirrors our company’s commitment to prioritizing a positive social and environmental agenda. Yes, we are happy to shout from the rooftops that CR-BPS is a profitable company, but we are also committed to having a positive impact on the world.

B Corps embrace a business model where profit and social conscience go hand-in-hand. The B Corp movement, founded in 2006 by a group of “profit with purpose” businesses, now numbers over 2,500 businesses across 50 countries—including the likes of Triodos Bank, Warby Parker, Patagonia, Natura, and Ben and Jerrys (“The Rise of B Corps,” Forbes, August 2018).

You’re not alone in expecting that your hard-earned money supports more than a company’s bottom line.  Whether you’re buying new eyeglasses or ice cream, you should feel confident that the businesses that provide you with goods and services are also pursuing better social and environmental performance along with their pursuit of a profit.

Want to learn more about what it means to attain B Corp status?

A good place to start is with a definition of what it means to be a B Corp:

• Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
• Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.
• B Corps form a community of leaders and drive a global movement of people using business as force for good. (www.bcorporaton.net)

B Corps understand that we all win when there is a melding of profit, mission, and the greater good.

Almost all businesses extol a positive mission and purpose, but most emphasize profits above all else.  Only B Corps guarantee the connection of mission with profits to ensure that the hard-earned dollars you spend are being put to work to make the world a better place.

Take a moment to watch this video:

When you think about the impact that businesses and corporations have on the planet, it’s easy to understand how B Corps are a catalyst for change. By supporting a B Corp, you show how much you care about humanity…it’s your way of contributing to the future of our planet…it’s your way of becoming a force for good.

CR-BPS as a B Corp

Now that you know what a B Corp is and why they are important to achieving a profit/mission balance, it’s time to once again turn our focus to CR-BPS. Not only are we honored to have achieved B Corp status, we are also proud to announce that we are one of the only architecture-focused B Corps in Minnesota. As a certified B Corp:

• Our values and mission are aligned–we are relentless in our pursuit of the highest standards of sustainability and inspired by the prospect of achieving balance in our ecological, economic, and social systems. Our mission reflects how we function in our day-to-day operations, working closely with our clients to achieve their goals while striving to make a difference in the world.
• We live our values—we demonstrate our values through projects that allow us to implement environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions in the built environment.
• Our clients benefit from our values—we implement an integrated approach when working with our clients, addressing multiple challenges and problems concurrently, resulting in positive results for the community.
• We are held to a higher standard—being a B Corp means that we are held to a higher standard of ethics. Our decision-making process is values-centered; as a result, we never lose sight of our core mission.

CR-BPS is honored to be a part of the B Corp community, sharing its mission, vision, and values with our clients through the projects we complete for them.

We invite you to learn more about our success as a B Corp:

• If you are interested in education, take a look at our work at Wolf Ridge ELC.
• If you are fascinated by transportation, learn more about our ongoing work with MNDOT.
• If you are intrigued by buildings as living structures, go here.