How to Use Business As a Force for Good
Giving Back to Community Can Foster a Stronger Work Culture and Bottom Line
Giving back can be incredibly rewarding for employees and can help foster a work culture that helps everyone feel proud of the good they do.
How does this come into play at Canadian company Earth Rated? To start, their focus on being a better community member, a better workplace, and a better environmental steward helped them earn their B Corp Certification.
So, what does being better look like in action?
When it comes to being a better community member, each company can do its part. Since 2016, Earth Rated has donated over 14,000 fleece blankets to shelters and rescues across North America. They partnered with (RED) to help fight global health emergencies, like AIDS and COVID-19, and strengthen health care systems in communities that need it most. They’ve also made donations to organizations that align with their values like Friends of Ruby — a Toronto-based charity that has created Canada’s first pet-friendly transitional housing facility dedicated to serving LGBTQIA2S+ youth. Earth Rated has supported them through a donation of $5,000 and an ongoing supply of dog products for their companion dogs.
Team-building through charitable giving is another great way to bring people together around important causes and can contribute to creating a better workplace. In the thick of another pandemic winter, some of Earth Rated’s most creative team members decided to create greeting cards for Sending Sunshine — helping to bring smiles to senior citizens experiencing isolation.
They also set up a donation box in their office for boots, coats, snow pants, and all the necessary items for cold Montreal winters that were given to local shelter Chez Doris. And they rolled up their sleeves to put together lunch bags with homemade sandwiches, a few snacks, and a lot of love, and delivered them to Open Door for people experiencing homelessness.
For Earth Rated, it’s important for their team to keep the giving going — even when they’re attending trade shows! That’s why they built a custom Giving Back Wall as part of their booth design, where they feature local charities that represent their commitment to people, pups, and planet. Attendees are invited to drop a poop bag roll core — representing $5 each — into the charity bin of their choice — for a total of $5,000.
When it comes to being a better environmental steward, Earth Rated products emphasize the importance of picking up pet waste. Why? Because if not picked up, dog poop can contribute to pollution in our waterways. Beyond products like these , Earth Rated has partnered with organizations like SNAP Quebec, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection of nature. They committed to donating $50,000 to help conserve Canada’s natural spaces through their Pakatakan Project.
As part of the 2022 Global Pet Expo, Earth Rated selected Save the Manatee to feature as part of the trade show booth’s Giving Back Wall. Their mission is to increase public awareness and education and advocate for strong manatee protection measures. And at the 2022 SuperZoo Trade Show, they showcased Friends of Nevada Wilderness, who help to advocate for wilderness protection.
Making a difference starts with caring about everyday things. At Earth Rated, their giving-back initiatives contribute to a stronger work culture and bottom line. And at the end of the day, each and every company can use their business as a force for good.
B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
