Lincoln, NE – Firespring, a company that provides technology services to nonprofit organizations, has become the first Certified B Corporation (B Corp) in the state of Nebraska. By voluntarily meeting B Lab’s rigorous standards of transparency, accountability and performance, B Corps distinguish themselves by offering a positive vision of a better way to do business.
B Lab is a nonprofit that serves a global movement to redefine success in business. Companies must meet set criteria, including the B Impact Assessment and commit to setting a high standard of social and environmental performance.
Firespring meets these requirements by contributing time, money and technology to advance important causes. Employees of the company are paid to take one day off every month to volunteer in the community. Firespring donated over $500,000 to nonprofits in 2013 and invested more than 500 hours to produce and conduct educational sessions for the nonprofit sector.
Firespring received an initial score of 98 on the B Impact Assessment—23% above the threshold required for certification. The assessment measures and compares businesses to help improve their social and environmental performance. Other B Corp companies include Ben and Jerry’s, Warby Parker, Method and Patagonia.
“We first learned about the B Corp movement when Nebraska State Senator Danielle Conrad sponsored legislation in Nebraska to create a Benefit Corporation designation. It’s a bit serendipitous that we achieved B Corp certification on July 18—the same date that Benefit Corporation legislation became effective in Nebraska,” said Jay Wilkinson, Founder and CEO of Firespring. “We’re elated to be an early adopter in the B Corp program and will do our best to influence more businesses to join the movement.”
Senator Danielle Conrad has worked to pass legislation (LB751) in Nebraska to help create a new class of business focused on making social and environmental impact instead of solely focusing on their bottom line.
“I commend Firespring for their B Corporation certification. The legislation I passed establishes B corporation status on the state level, offering Nebraska businesses a unique way to demonstrate their corporate commitment to advancing social benefits,” said Senator Conrad. “Being certified or legally designated as a B Corporation sends a clear signal to socially conscious consumers and investors about how these companies do business.”
Nebraska joins 22 other states that have already taken the initiative to help tackle social and environmental problems. About Firespring Calling Lincoln, Nebraska home for more than 20 years, Firespring provides comprehensive technology solutions, marketing services and dedicated support to more than 3,000 nonprofits and small to mid-sized businesses.
About Firespring
Calling Lincoln, Nebraska home for more than 20 years, Firespring provides comprehensive technology solutions, marketing services and dedicated support to more than 3,000 nonprofits and small to mid-sized businesses.
About B Corp
Certified B Corporations meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, legally expand their corporate responsibilities to include consideration of stakeholder interests, and build collective voice through the power of the unifying B Corporation brand. As of May 2014, there are more than 1,000 Certified B Corporations from over 60 industries and 34 countries, representing a diverse multi-billion dollar marketplace.
About B Lab
B Lab is a nonprofit organization that serves a global movement to redefine success in business so that all companies compete not only to be the best in the world, but the best for the world.
B Lab drives this systemic change through a number of interrelated initiatives: 1) building a community of Certified B Corporations to make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and good marketing; 2) passing legislation to accelerate growth of social entrepreneurship and impact investing (24 states have already passed benefit corporation legislation); 3) developing B Analytics, a customizable platform for investors to benchmark and report on the impact of their global equity portfolios; and 4) providing free, powerful tools for businesses to measure, compare and improve their social and environmental performance (more than 16,000 businesses use B Lab’s free B Impact Assessment). For more information, visit www.bcorporation.net.
Check out our nonprofit website services!