by Kate Vandeveld
It’s official: this month, WhyWhisper became a Certified B Corporation!
From day one, our focus has always been on being a better business – but we weren’t always as clear on how to communicate, maintain, or measure it. Over the years, we’ve applied our learnings from our own experiences and research, and invited open dialogue with everyone we could. We listened, observed, evaluated, and reevaluated accordingly.
As a result, we’ve created a different kind of company – one that provides value-driven services through a flexible, person-focused work structure. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished, but we’re excited to continue to evolve. That’s where the B Corps community comes in. Read on to learn what B Corps are, why they matter, why we decided to become one, and more!
What Are B Corps?
Certified B Corps are for-profit companies that have completed a rigorous assessment to meet verified standards of social and environmental performance, legal accountability, and public transparency. These standards were developed by B Lab, a nonprofit that serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
We’ve written in the past about some of the more well-known B Corps, like Ben & Jerry’s, Patagonia and Warby Parker, but there are over 1,700 Certified B Corps. Every single one of them is working to redefine the concept of success, and use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. You can find the full list of Certified B Corps here.
Why Are B Corps Important?
Certified B Corps are leading a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Rather than just focusing on the bottom line, these companies understand that their responsibility goes beyond their shareholders to also include their stakeholders – their workers, suppliers, customers, communities and the planet. Unlike traditional companies, B Corps are actually required by law to consider their impact on all of these groups. And by bringing these companies together, the B Corp community is able to harness the power of their collective voice to do more good for the world.
Because the assessment is so rigorous, only those businesses that are truly making a difference can make the cut. In other words, this list won't include any companies that are just looking for good PR. The B Corp assessment isn’t a one-time deal either. Each company must go through the process every two years. Simultaneously, the assessment is regularly updated according to new learnings and understanding. As such, B Corp certification helps consumers identify the real change-makers, so they can support and invest in them accordingly.
Why did WhyWhisper become a B Corp?
At WhyWhisper, everything we do is centered on our company values – accountability, purpose, positivity, learning, and empowerment. For us, becoming a B Corp was 100% value-aligned:
- The assessment and transparency that are both required in the B Corp certification process are designed to hold companies accountable to the highest standards of social and environmental performance.
- The B Corps community is made up of positive and purpose-driven individuals using business as a force for good.
- Being a B Corp is not about being perfect or right. It’s about working to be better, trying new things, and always learning.
- B Corps certification centers on the premise that all stakeholders are of value, thereby empowering workers, suppliers, customers, communities and the planet. Simultaneously, Certified B Corps support one another in their endeavors, events, and evolution, and they come together to take action against injustice. For example, in response to a recent decision by North Carolina to approve new legislation that stops cities from passing anti-discrimination laws at the local level, the entire community of Certified B Corps decided that until the law was repealed, they would be relocating a series of large-scale events scheduled to take place in the state.
This is a community of which we’re proud to be a part.
How Do I Become a B Corp?
We’ve mentioned that certification is a rigorous and comprehensive process, and for good reason: that level of rigor is what makes it possible for consumers to trust that Certified B Corps are actually working toward substantive impact. But don’t let that scare you off! Going through the assessment is an incredible learning experience, no matter how you score.
Here’s what it entails:
1. Meet Performance Requirements: These assess the overall impact of your company on all of its stakeholders, in terms of its business model, culture, and operations
a. B Impact Assessment & Interview
b. Supporting Documentation Review
c. Background Check
2. Meet Legal Requirements: You may need to amend your governing documents or adopt benefit corporation status to meet the legal requirement for certification for your state of incorporation and corporate structure. This step integrates your impact into your company’s DNA, ensuring that your mission will carry on in spite of managerial or operational changes.
3. Make it Official: Once you’ve passed the assessment and met legal requirements, its time to sign the B Corp Declaration of Interdependence and Term Sheet to make it official! You’ll also pay a bi-annual fee, which is based on your company’s revenue.
Throughout the certification process, the B Lab team is readily available to assist you, even offering webinars that help you decide whether it makes sense for your company to be certified, and how to raise your assessment score, if need be.
We found the process to be incredibly educational. In becoming a Certified B Corp, we were able to take stock of the areas where we wanted to be better, both immediately and down the line. For example, during our own assessment, we realized we had never created a formalized list of preferred ethical suppliers. Though we were all making efforts to buy sustainable and ethical products, we were not openly sharing our resources or capturing this valuable information so it could be scaled. So we made one. We also made improvements to our internal review processes, which resulted in a better feedback mechanism with both our team and our clients.
What Can I Do to Prepare for Assessment?
Our best advice is to begin examining your business decisions through the lenses of ethics, values, and care. Becoming a Certified B Corp isn't about one particular positive outcome; it’s about who your company is and what they value. It’s about focusing on learning and striving to be better in everything that you do.
For example:
- When hiring, focus on diversity, fair payment, benefits, trainings, and employee care programs.
- When buying supplies, look for environmentally friendly suppliers with ethical labor practices. If it’s possible, stay local.
- When assessing your workspace or looking at a new one, focus on efficiencies in energy consumption, resources and waste.
- When considering your products or services, think about ways you can address social and environmental problems or support people and organizations who need it.
- When possible, give back. Implement an employee volunteer program. Donate to a local nonprofit organization. Share your space with the community.
- For more information, check out The B Corp Handbook by Ryan Honeyman – we found it to be a fantastic resource!
Is your company working to use business as a force for good? As more of us come together, the greater the impact will be.
If you’re interested in applying for B Corp Certification, we’re happy to help! Get in touch with our team by:
In February, Charlotte’s city council voted to expand its LGBT anti-discrimination laws so that transgender people could use the bathroom designated for the gender with which they identified.
Many conservatives had a strong reaction to this, saying that doing so gives sexual predators license to enter women’s restrooms – an inaccurate claim that has been repeatedly debunked.
As a result, the state of North Carolina approved new legislation that would stop cities from passing anti-discrimination laws at the local level. This new bill, House Bill 2 (HB2), effectively legalizes discrimination against lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people.
The Impact
- Going forward, transgender men will be forced to use women’s bathrooms, and transgender women will be forced to use men’s.
- Private businesses will be legally allowed to discriminate against LGBT people in terms of the services they provide and their hiring practices.
- Local governments can’t do anything to prevent that discrimination at the local level, and all nondiscrimination ordinances local governments had previously passed are now null.
The Response
In the weeks since HB2 passed, there’s been an incredible nationwide outcry against the bill, and not just from individuals and politicians – corporations, national sports entities, musicians, and more are speaking out and taking action too.
In early April, over 80 executives from major U.S. corporations, including Apple, Goldman Sachs, GE, Coca-Cola, Uber, American Express, IBM, and Google (just to name a few) wrote a letter to Governor Pat McCrory opposing the bill. Part of it stated:
Put simply, HB2 is not a bill that reflects the values of our companies, of our country, or even the overwhelming majority of North Carolinians.
We are disappointed in your decision to sign this discriminatory legislation into law. The business community, by and large, has consistently communicated to lawmakers at every level that such laws are bad for our employees and bad for business. This is not a direction in which states move when they are seeking to provide successful, thriving hubs for business and economic development.
Through this letter and continued public condemnation, these companies are making it clear that they do not intend to continue to grow their businesses in a state that practices discrimination.
Some companies have taken it a step further, actually taking concrete steps to distance themselves and their businesses from the state. Here are a few:
B Corps:
In response to HB2, the entire community of Certified B Corporations, comprised of almost 1,700 businesses and corporations worldwide (including WhyWhisper), decided to relocate a series of large-scale events that were to take place in North Carolina. These events included the annual global gathering of B Corp CEOs and executives; a series of public talks and a street festival called B Inspired; a conference for the economic development arms of city governments, corporate supply chain managers, and impact investors called Measure What Matters; and a conference for university educators teaching business as a force for good.
Their main reason for doing so?
- HB2 is contrary to B Corp values.
- They won’t ask members of their community to travel to a place where they might feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
- They believe that relocating and engaging on the issue can have a direct impact on the change they seek.
It’s important to note that to make this decision, they designed and implemented a process that gave all B Corp stakeholders a voice, so as to “reach a decision that was in the best interest of the global B Corp community.” To further incentivize positive change, they concluded by sharing that they will reconsider their decision if the bill is repealed by June 30th.
Google Ventures (GV):
GV, the early and middle stage investment arm of Google’s Alphabet, took a major stand against HB2 when it pledged not to invest in any companies from North Carolina until the bill is repealed. After GV CEO Bill Maris signed the letter to McCrory, he asked GV’s partners to “please flag any investments in NC that come through as I am not comfortable deploying dollars into startups there until the voters there fix this.” Maris, who is from North Carolina, hopes that this decision will further encourage North Carolina lawmakers to repeal the discriminatory bill.
It’s important to mention that GV, with $2.4 billion under management, had recently started focusing on investing in life sciences companies, a sector that is huge in North Carolina. As such, GV’s decision could have huge economic ramifications for the state.
PayPal
In March, PayPal announced that it would be developing a new operations center in Charlotte, which would employ more than 400 people. Less than a month later, after publicly condemning HB2 and calling for its repeal, the company’s chief, Dan Schulman, announced that the discriminatory bill violated PayPal’s core values and principles, and that they would not be moving forward with the new operations center.
This is a huge loss for Charlotte, as the new center had big goals for job creation that were tied to incentives around funding for community college training. PayPal intended to invest $3.6 million in its new center, and average annual salary for the 400 new employees would have been $56,000.
Lionsgate
Lionsgate Entertainment opted to pull production of a new series that was meant to be filmed in Charlotte. Instead, the show will now be filmed in Vancouver. Production was scheduled to begin this month, a change that will undoubtedly lead to rather abrupt local job loss.
Lionsgate issued a letter in response to the passing of HB2, stating “We will be hard pressed to continue our relationship with North Carolina if this regressive law remains on the books.” In addition, Rob Reiner, who directed well-known films like When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride, won’t be filming in North Carolina until the bill is repealed, and he’s encouraging his entertainment industry colleagues to follow suit.
These are just a few of the many corporations that are taking a stand against HB2. And these companies are not alone. Musicians and bands like Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam have opted to cancel their tour stops in North Carolina, while Cyndi Lauper has pledged to donate all proceeds from her Raleigh show to initiatives that are working to overturn HB2. The NCAA has also made it clear that it is considering relocating events that had previously been held in the state.
Now What?
North Carolina has already started to see economic consequences as a result of the actions being taken – consequences that will only worsen as time goes on.
And while it hasn’t yet been overtly stated, it’s highly likely that the strong reaction from corporations and influencers is already affecting change: Lawmakers recently announced that they are willing to discuss changing portions of the bill. McCrory has even gone so far as to issue an executive order that proposes small changes to the law. These changes include altering the equal employment policy to cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and allowing people to bring discrimination cases to court. That said, the law will otherwise remain largely the same, and McCrory and his team are holding strong on the discriminatory bathroom provision.
When it comes to that particular provision, however, there is some hope. This week, a federal appeals court allowed a transgender high school student in Richmond to proceed with his lawsuit against his school board, which argues that their decision to ban him from using the men’s restroom is discriminatory. This decision marks the first time a federal appeals court has ruled for such protections for transgender students. Because the case has been appealed to the 4th Circuit, which includes North Carolina, this decision could affect HB2 as well.
We all know corporations wield great power and influence in every sector, which is why it’s so important that they pay attention to these kinds of issues. When companies stand up against injustice, it results in positive change, and we applaud these businesses, in particular, for taking a stand on HB2.
Do you know of a corporation that effectively took a stand against injustice? Share with us! We want to know about them. Here’s how:
As tax season comes to a close (thank goodness!), a few of us are starting to think about how to make better financial decisions in the coming year.
After all, if you aren’t an accountant or money manager, making financial decisions on your own can be overwhelming. That being said, putting your finances into a stranger’s hands can be stressful (and costly). Thankfully, there are a number of companies working hard to simplify the complicated, build trust, and provide free or affordable education to those who are interested in becoming more financially literate.
By offering innovative and accessible resources, these companies are disrupting the traditional finance sector and making a crucial impact on the lives and futures of the individuals with whom they work. Here are some of our favorites:
To Access Low Cost Financial Education: LearnVest
Financial illiteracy is a major issue in the United States. According to the 2015 S&P Global FinLit Survey, a detailed and comprehensive analysis of worldwide financial literacy by the World Bank, Gallup, and George Washington University, just 57% of Americans were deemed financially literate. Also, student loan debt is over $1.1 trillion, 56% of people in the US don’t have “rainy day funds,” and only 14% of baby boomers have a written retirement strategy – all troubling numbers. Even when you feel like you understand certain elements of your finances, the market changes so frequently that “you must be a lifelong learner” to stay on top of your game.
That said, there are resources out there for those who want to become more financially literate – you just have to know where to find them. One of our favorites is LearnVest, an online platform providing affordable access to financial planning services, tools, and classes. Their incredibly informative blog provides a plethora of free resources about topics like understanding credit, getting out of debt, and budgeting based on your salary. LearnVest also offers hands-on personal financial planning for a fraction of the traditional rates, making it much more accessible.
To Invest in Social & Economic Progress: Global Impact Investing Network
In traditional investing, investors and their financial managers choose investments based solely on projected financial return, with little concern for what the company they’re investing in actually does. In recent years, a new kind of investing has been on the rise: impact investing. What is impact investing? When people make investments in entities and funds that are focused on positive social and environmental impact alongside financial return. Impact investing goes beyond a “do no harm” approach of screening out potential negative industries or products and instead, seeks to create positive impact in a measurable and transparent way.
If you’re interested in impact investing, start by informing yourself of how it works and who you should work with. The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) provides myriad resources to that end, including a knowledge center, tools and training materials, and a network for impact investors to connect with one another.
To Work with the Right Investment Experts: Aspiration
Once you’ve made the decision to invest, you’ll likely want guidance. But, again, finding the right people to work with at a price you can afford can be a daunting task. That’s why we were thrilled to learn about Aspiration, an investment firm that is “built on trust, focused on the middle class instead of millionaires, and founded on the idea that we can do well and do good at the same time.”
While this mission alone is enough to seriously interest us, there are two other differentiating factors that definitely warrant attention: When you invest with Aspiration, you decide what to pay them for their services. They believe that since you’re trusting them to make you money, they need to trust you right back. They also donate ten cents of every dollar of their revenue to “charitable activities expanding economic opportunity” through their Dimes Worth of Difference initiative.
To Access Better Loans & Services: SoFi
Our banks and financial institutions play a critical role in our finances. Traditional banks operate without a holistic view of an individual and his or her needs. This can lead to financial trouble down the line, which you’re then left to manage on your own.
Enter SoFi, a modern finance company that is putting people at the center of finance. SoFi offers an array of financial services, from personal loans to wealth management. Unlike traditional finance companies, they “evaluate applicants based on a holistic view of their financial well-being rather than a three digit score.” The company is revolutionizing the banking industry, going beyond traditional banking to offer such services as affordable and easy-to-understand student loan refinancing, career support, and an Unemployment Protection Program.
SoFi also offer a wealth of valuable financial literacy resources, including a blog, student loan repayment calculator, and clear information about complex topics like when you should consolidate versus refinance, and how variable rate loans work.
These are just a few of the increasing number of financially-focused companies that are choosing to turn the market on its head, helping us plan for a better future, both for ourselves and our world. Do you know of others? Share them with us, and we’ll spread the word to our community. Here’s how:
As we know, social responsibility isn’t just for big corporations – companies of any size can have an incredibly positive impact on our world even without an abundance of resources.
We’ve talked about how small businesses can make an impact, from developing workplace giving programs to practicing environmental responsibility in the office and beyond. To further demonstrate what it looks like in practice, we wanted to share our own commitment to social responsibility at WhyWhisper.
Here’s what our team is doing to make an impact, and why:
Supporting Causes We Care About
Each year, we make a financial contribution – 5% of our profits – to causes we care about. Since WhyWhisper is all about empowering communities with bold approaches to better our world, we’ve chosen to donate to causes that roar against injustice when others have whispered. We pay less attention to criteria like the organization’s size or operating budget, and more attention to their ability to identify a root cause to an issue, their focus on an innovative or bold solution, their positive attitude, and the ways in which our donation can help them create change.
Here’s how we decide on the recipient(s): Throughout the year, our team members compile a list of organizations that we think would be a good fit, based on their values and mission. In the third quarter, we conduct in-depth research on each organization – their mission, programs, impact metrics, staffing structures, and more. We review and discuss together, and collectively, we select an organization (or several) to which we’ll donate 5% of the year’s profits. We also support those organizations by promoting their work on our digital channels and spreading the word about them to our networks. For us, this isn’t just about making a ‘one and done’ financial contribution – it’s about building and maintaining a relationship for sustainable impact.
Donating Our Time & Skills
We often hear of organizations and businesses that could benefit from external support in developing a values-based social responsibility program or marketing their community commitment, but lack the resources to do so. As such, WhyWhisper takes on one pro bono project each year. To ensure that our work is as effective as possible, we’ve developed an application process for organizations and businesses that have big visions for bettering the world, but could use help in conducting research, building a plan, or telling their story.
If you know of an organization that you think would benefit from working with our team, free of charge, please feel free to pass the application along!
As individuals, we also volunteer our time – each team member commits to completing at least one volunteer activity per quarter. This allows our team members to support the cause areas that they’re most passionate about, in addition to the pro bono project that we complete collectively. Since we work remotely, it also ensures that each team member can give back to their local community. Last quarter, these activities included orchestrating a community blood drive, mentoring a teen nonprofit leader, serving at a food bank, and more.
Committing to Hiring Diversity
We deeply believe in the importance of actively building and supporting a diverse and inclusive workforce. We advise companies on how to protect applicants from unconscious biases, and we review and evaluate our own hiring processes on an annual basis to ensure that we are continually updating based on new learnings.
Promoting Kindness
At WhyWhisper, we believe that building a better world starts with kindness. Too often, the importance of being kind to one another in our day-to-day lives is cast aside for the sake of ‘progress.’ Before you scoff, hear us out: If we’re being honest with ourselves, hasn’t each of us opted not to help someone or been brusque with a colleague because we were busy, stressed, or overwhelmed? When these kinds of behaviors go unchecked, a company’s culture becomes unproductive and difficult to navigate. On the flipside, when we take the time to be consciously kind, it often has a ripple effect, leading to a positive and productive workplace.
That’s why we decided to actively promote kindness on our own team by challenging ourselves to commit to performing at least one kind act per week, and reporting on it weekly. At the end of the year, we plan to put together a kindness report – a reflection of how being consciously kind positively affected our company culture and communities.
Being Environmentally-Friendly
One of the best (and easiest!) ways small businesses can have a positive impact on the world is by taking steps to reduce their environmental footprint. As a remote team, our environmental footprint is a lot lower than those who commute daily to work. That said, we recognize we still have the capacity to generate a great deal of office-related waste.
To reduce our collective environmental footprint, we avoid printing, but if necessary, we print double-sided documents on recycled paper. When we do conduct in person meetings, we use reusable materials, and support local and small businesses, whenever possible. When buying products and choosing suppliers, we select them based on their commitment to diversity and sustainability, striving to stay local and support underrepresented populations, whenever possible. Lastly, each of us is committed to the responsible recycling of paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, metal, and electronics. Need help with any of the above? We have a list of recommendations and are happy to share.
We’re always looking for new ways to increase our commitment to social responsibility, both as individuals and as a team. What are some of the unique ways you’ve seen small businesses make a difference? Share with us – we might just integrate them ourselves! Here’s how:
Did you know that there are fewer female CEOs than there are CEOs named David? That’s right, CEOs with one male name outnumber the total number of female CEOs. And there have only been 15 black CEOs in the history of the Fortune 500. In fact, only 3% of senior leadership teams in the entire United States reflect the country’s demographic make-up.
As we know, corporations have an incredible amount of power and influence, so you’d think we’d all be on board with working to ensure diverse representation in America’s c-suites. We also know that in most cases, workforce diversity leads to economic growth, so it’s good for the corporations themselves as well. But that’s not the case – while efforts to diversify the workforce are on the rise, still one-fifth of Fortune 1000 companies “have very informal diversity efforts with nothing structured at all.”
There are many reasons why we’re falling behind when it comes to diversity in the workplace, but one of the most important is the misconception that workplace diversity will evolve naturally. As we can see, that’s just not happening. Improving hiring diversity needs to be deliberate – a concerted effort based on a strategy developed specifically for your workplace.
If that sounds like something your workplace needs, here are some basic steps for how to get started:
Assess Your Current Workforce & Hiring Processes
Before you do anything else, you’ll probably want to take stock of your workplace’s current demographics. Develop an internal survey that looks at diversity from all angles – including race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion,– and honestly explains why you’re looking for this information. The survey should be anonymous, and responses should be optional, as you don’t want to assume anything about your company’s demographic make-up or that everyone will be comfortable sharing. Once you have this survey data, analyze it closely – this will be the basis for your strategy.
Then, take a look at your current hiring processes. What is your criteria around hiring, if any? Who manages the process? What, exactly, does it entail? Are there ways for you to remove certain identifying information, so as to protect candidates from unconscious biases? Take some time to assess, so you’re aware of where you currently stand and where you see immediate room for change and improvement.
Educate Your Employees
This element is crucial. While most of us intuitively understand that diversity is important, we might not really understand exactly why that is, or how to make it happen. The positive impact of workplace diversity extends beyond the bottom line – it has to do with the importance of having diverse perspectives and experiences that allow for more thoughtful decision-making. As Aubrey Blanche, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Atlassian said, the biggest issue she’s facing as a professional in the space is “a lack of education.” In order to address it, she’s working to provide her company’s employees, especially leaders, with information about why diversity is crucial, and the tools they need to establish and maintain inclusive workplaces. You can do this in your workplace by hosting workshops on creating inclusive cultures, providing resources and materials about why its important, and providing one-on-one education to leaders who have a direct impact on team dynamics.
Determine Internal Capacity & Roles
Once you have some sense as to what will need to go into your company’s strategy, think about execution. Do you have the internal capacity to devote to developing a hiring diversification strategy, implement it, and evolve it based on recurring analysis? Again, just being aware of your internal structure isn’t enough – making a substantive change in your company’s demographic makeup will require a concerted, ongoing effort. If you don’t have the internal capacity, feel free to reach out to our team – we’re here to help.
Do you know of a company that has been particularly successful in implementing a workplace diversity program? Tell us about them – here’s how:
- Social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram
- Comment below
- Send us an email
Did you know that 1.8 billion people do not have access to clean water worldwide?
It’s a major issue, and one that’s close to home – today, over 1.6 million Americans don’t have indoor plumbing at all. And in some places, like Flint, Michigan, water sources are so contaminated that even with indoor plumbing, consuming it poses a serious health risk.
There are a number of incredible nonprofit organizations that are working to address these issues, but they often lack the necessary funding to implement effective, sustainable change. One solution to this problem is corporate partnership, and in recent years, a number of large-scale corporations have opted to partner with nonprofits focused on solving water issues. Here are a few:
H&M Foundation & WaterAid
WaterAid is an international nonprofit organization focused on improving access to safe water, hygiene and toilets in impoverished communities, with a goal of getting safe water and sanitation to everyone by 2030. They work with these communities to find sustainable solutions to their water issues, financing the work of local partners on the ground. They also advocate for policies that will end the water and sanitation crisis.
The H&M Foundation is an independent foundation that supports initiatives focused on women, children and water. In 2014, the H&M Foundation and WaterAid launched a three-year global program meant to bring safe water, hygiene and toilets to 250,000 of the world's poorest students. Together, they’re also working to drive change at the policy level, aiming to integrate these necessities into education policies. WaterAid reported that after the first year, they were able to reach 75,000 students through the program.
Bank of America & Water.org
Water.org, a nonprofit founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, focuses on expanding access to clean water around the world by working within communities to find sustainable solutions. Rather than attempting to implement a one-size-fits all solution to places that are so different from one another, Water.org works to understand each community’s specific barriers and develop innovative solutions that address them, and empower those communities to maintain them.
In 2015, Bank of America provided Water.org with a $1 million to go toward their microfinance program Water Credit, which provides affordable loans to those who need to purchase water connections and toilets. The goal of the grant was to help 100,000 people in South India get access to safe water and sanitation solutions. While we look forward to the reports that show the impact of Bank of America’s grant specifically, we’re happy to see that Water.org has reported that grants like Bank of America’s have helped them to empower more than 2.5 million people in 9 countries to obtain access to clean water.
Nestle, Walmart, Pepsi & Coca-Cola & the Flint Crisis
In 2015, drinking water in Flint, MI, was exposed as containing over two times the EPA’s limits for the amount of lead in safe drinking water. This dangerously high lead count has resulted in a variety of health issues for those who’ve consumed it, including skin lesions, hair loss, hypertension, vision loss and depression. All children under the age of 6 were “exposed to toxic, lead-tainted water that may cause life-long damage.” In light of this, the city’s water was declared unsafe to drink, and many were left with few hydration options.
In January of 2016, four large-scale corporations, Nestle, Walmart, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola, provided 6.5 million bottles of water to the city’s students. These corporations, which are generally in competition with one another and often under scrutiny for various reasons, came together in a time of crisis to make a life-saving contribution. As the city seeks long-term solutions, this donation will allow students and their parents to focus on education and meeting other basic needs.
World Water Day: Keep the Conversation Going
This past Tuesday was World Water Day, a day developed by UN Water to raise awareness about today’s most pressing global issues around water access. We encourage you to use the tools and resources they provided to educate yourself about these issues and keep the conversation going.
Do you know of a business or corporation that has chosen to focus on water in its CSR efforts? Comment below or share with us on social (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram) – we’ll help spread the word about their work.
Stress and anxiety in the workplace have a major impact on both performance and employee happiness, and most working Americans experience both daily. So why aren’t we doing more about it? Or, perhaps more importantly, why aren’t we even talking about it?
There is significant stigma around discussing mental health, and this increases even further in the workplace, given expectations and definitions of “professionalism”. Despite the widespread prevalence of workplace anxiety, employees still don’t discuss it for fear of being perceived as lazy, incapable, or undependable by their peers and superiors.
In reality, it’s actually when we don’t address mental health in the workplace that work really suffers. In fact, fifty-six percent of employees say that stress and anxiety sometimes impacts their workplace performance, and fifty percent say it impacts the quality of their work. Those numbers are significant, and it’s time we address them.
In light of this, as companies are considering implementing employee wellness programs in increasing numbers, we encourage them to consider programs that address mental health, specifically. Here are a few options to get started:
Provide Free Mental Health Assessments
For those who are struggling with stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues, it can be difficult to even take the first step of acknowledging it, much less actively addressing it. Whether you provide employees with access to a confidential online assessment tool, or bring professionals into the workplace to offer anonymous screenings, encourage your employees to take stock of their mental health so they can address their needs accordingly.
Offer Employee Forums & Workshops
Perhaps the most important way we can break down the stigma around mental health is simply by talking about it as openly and frequently as possible. You can do this in your workplace by hosting employee forums and workshops in which respected guest speakers come in to talk about how they’ve managed their own mental health. Recognizing that even the most successful professionals struggle with mental health can have a huge impact on the willingness of others to open up.
Build Internal Infrastructure That Supports Employees
When feeling stressed and anxious, employees often avoid speaking to their direct supervisors or teammates about it. Instead, they may opt to forge ahead with their work, so as to avoid being perceived as a burden or a weak link. Create other options by developing new internal check-in systems that allow employees to voice concerns about their roles, certain projects, and work-life balance, and adjust when necessary. You can do this by connecting your employees with HR representatives or building in regular reviews with other employees that they don’t work with directly. On the flipside, you can also provide trainings to leaders in your business or organization to ensure that they enforce work-life balance and have reasonable expectations of the employees on their teams.
Offer Access to Yoga & Meditation
Practicing yoga and meditation can have a significant and positive effect on relieving stress and anxiety. Both practices decrease symptoms of physiological arousal, like increased heart rate and blood pressure, and encourage feelings of mindfulness and calm. In your workplace, you can provide a workshop on meditation for stress relief, and encourage employees to practice these techniques on their own. If you’re able, you can offer employees time off during the day to take an off-site yoga class, a meditation break, or even provide in-office yoga classes several times per month.
Before you determine which program is best for your team, its crucial to first do an internal assessment. Ask your employees to weigh in anonymously on what causes them stress and anxiety, and encourage them to be open about how they manage those feelings. Taking this time will teach you a lot about how you can best address mental health in your specific workplace.
Do you know of a particularly innovative or unique employee wellness program centered around mental health? Tell us about it – here’s how:
- Connect on social: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn
- Send us an email
- Comment below
by Kate Vandeveld
As a woman-owned company, WhyWhisper places a lot of value on working with and supporting talented, driven women.
We were excited to celebrate International Women’s Day this past Tuesday, and Women’s History Month through the end of March. This year’s theme for International Women’s Day was ‘Pledge for Parity,’ calling women and men to pledge to take action for gender parity in various ways.
Why do we need gender parity? Because the ripple effect of gender inequality is monumental. Globally, women are less educated than men, making up an astonishing two-thirds of the world’s illiterate people and with just 39% of rural girls attending secondary school.
This lack of education means that women are paid less, and increases their vulnerability to child marriage and domestic violence. Gender inequality is also one of the primary causes and effects of hunger, with an estimated 60% of the world’s chronically hungry being women and girls. The education deficit among rural women is a major contributing factor to this issue.
Even women who are able to pursue education earn significantly less than men in the workplace. According to a study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, if the pay gap continues to decrease at its current rate, we won’t see parity until 2059.
The bottom line is, gender inequality is a major issue, and it’s going to take a great deal of effort to overcome it. We want to acknowledge some of the organizations that are leading these efforts, and encourage you to follow along with their work, supporting them however you can. Here are a few of our favorites:
Global Fund for Women
Global Fund for Women is an organization that works to shed light on critical issues around the rights of women and girls, and then “find, fund, and amplify” the women who are addressing them. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay on top of their powerful and impactful campaigns, like their “Fierce 8 for March 8” International Women’s Day campaign.
MomsRising
MomsRising is an organization that harnesses the collective power of women, specifically mothers, to impact policies that affect them every day. Mothers are a critical and often underrepresented subset of women. In recognizing that, MomsRising has been able to mobilize women for change in unprecedented ways. Stay on top of their incredible successes by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Take the Lead
Take the Lead is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help women get into leadership positions, reaching parity across all sectors by 2025. They offer a variety of courses and programs for propelling women into leadership positions, and a blog that highlights female leaders and provides advice to women who want to advance their careers. Our favorite offering? Their newsletter, which shares updates on what’s happening in the world of women’s leadership.
It’s Time Network
It’s Time Network is a building a community of individuals and organizations that are working together to accelerate the full empowerment of women and girls worldwide. In a space where so many who are working toward the same goal are looking for resources, It’s Time Network wants to make it easier for them to work collaboratively, focusing less on funding and more on collaborative action. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the latest updates in the space.
Women’s Empowerment Principles
Developed by UN Women and UN Global Compact, the Women's Empowerment Principles are seven steps that are meant to guide business on how to empower women in the workplace, marketplace and community. If you’re interested in employing the principles in your own workplace, you can find out how to do so here. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter for updates, including information about their events and chats.
Do you support a women’s empowerment organization that we should follow? Let us know about them, and we’ll spread the word. Here’s how you can get in touch:
- Connect on social: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
- Send us an email
- Comment below
by Kate Vandeveld
Today, employees are intent on finding meaning at work. In fact, a recent study showed 55% of millennials (currently the largest generation in the workforce) were influenced to accept a job based on that company’s involvement with causes.
As a result, an increasing number of businesses are contemplating corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs at their workplaces. If you’re currently evaluating options, volunteer programs are an impactful and relatively straightforward way for your team to make a big difference. Whether you work at a large corporation, a small business, or a collective of freelance consultants, you can develop a volunteer program that is both impactful and works for your team.
Ready to get started? Here’s how:
Define Your Goals
As with any new initiative, you want to begin by clearly defining what it is you’re working to achieve and how you’re going to measure it. Do you want to address an issue in your local community? Improve employee morale? Attract new hires? Build a stronger relationship with your customer? Don’t shy away from applying business goals to your philanthropic endeavors. By simultaneously creating wins for the community AND your business, you’re much more likely to build a sustainable and scalable program.
Consider Your Industry & Values
When you’re starting a volunteer program, you want to first consider how you can connect it to your industry and values. Without that connection, the relationship will likely feel less authentic to everyone you touch – partners, employees, and consumers.
As an example, if you’re a sporting goods company, it may make more sense for your team to volunteer time at an inner city summer camp than it would to volunteer at a food pantry. The stronger the tie between your industry, values, and volunteer efforts, the more your program will thrive.
Ask Your Team
When you’re looking to make a real impact on your community, the best thing to do is to tap into your team’s interests and passions. If you choose a cause relevant to your industry, but your team doesn't find it engaging, your commitment will likely be perfunctory and short-lived. Schedule a team meeting or send out a survey to find out:
- Their level of interest in giving back
- The specific social, economic, or environmental issues they care about
- The type of volunteer activities they’re interested in (e.g. physical, skills-based, mentoring)
- Their preference for team-based or individual activities
Choose the Right Model & Partner
Once you know the type of work you and your team want to do, you will next need to figure out the who and how.
In terms of structure, there are a number of options, but here are a few to get you started:
- Company-wide paid volunteer days: Choose a certain number of days each year during which your team will come together to volunteer with a specified nonprofit partner.
- Company-wide drives or fundraisers: Commit to supporting a nonprofit’s annual needs through collective employee fundraising and community advocacy.
- Skills-based projects: Explore structures where individual company departments use their particular skills to solve a specific problem (i.e. The marketing team can help boost a nonprofit’s fundraising revenues, while accounting can search for ways to make the nonprofit’s budget more efficient).
- Individual volunteer hours: Encourage your team to commit to a certain number of personal volunteer hours each quarter, to be carried out with the nonprofit partner of their choice. You can incentivize these by allowing employees to do their hours during regular work hours, or by offering paid volunteer hours outside of work.
If you’re choosing to align your volunteer activities with one nonprofit organization (as opposed to letting employees choose their own), you also want to be sure you’re starting off with the right partner. Here are some preliminary questions to ask as you’re researching potential nonprofit partners:
- What do the organization’s programs and services look like, and where do they need the most help? It can be helpful to list out each of the nonprofit’s needs and see how they match up to your employees’ skillsets.
- How long has the organization been around, and what is their experience with corporate partnerships? If the organization has been around for a long time or seems to be substantial in size, they may have good ideas and case studies for effectively engaging your team. On the other hand, a newer organization might have a greater need for corporate partners or volunteer support. Chat openly with prospective partners to figure out which of the two situations feels like a better fit for your team.
- How do they measure the impact of their efforts? Find out if the organization publishes reports on their website, or if they have data available upon request. This will give you a better idea of what your impact will be, and also help to further engage your employees.
- What is their staffing structure? Find out whether their staff is made up of volunteers or full-time employees, as well as their general workload and time commitments. Though it’s common to find nonprofits are understaffed, you still want to be sure you’re investing your team’s time in an organization that has the infrastructure in place to be responsive and properly leverage your contributions. A word of advice: At the beginning of the relationship, you’ll also want to ensure you have a key contact with whom you can coordinate your team’s volunteer efforts – it’ll be a game changer.
Formalize the Commitment
Draw up a company statement that spells out the goals and specifics of the partnership. This should be available on your website, so all involved and any external parties who are interested in learning about your work can access it. This will ensure that your team honors the commitment you’ve made to your community and that nonprofit partners stay within the boundaries of your agreement. Making the commitment public may also help you recruit new millennial talent who are searching for employers that are making an impact.
Engage Your Team
Whichever model you settle on, recruit ambassadors from each of your company’s departments. This will help with participation and enthusiasm, as well as reduce the overall work involved with organizing and coordinating the activities. If your company is large, you can also use this as an opportunity for testing your volunteer program: Start with one of your departments, and closely track the program’s success.
Once your program is developed and formalized, choose the communication channel you’ll use to keep your employees informed. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Bulletin boards in common areas
- Email newsletters
- Internal company messenger systems or groups (e.g. Slack, Facebook Groups),
- SMS alerts
Know of a company that has implemented a particularly interesting or impactful volunteer program? We want to know all about them – here’s how you can tell us:
If your company is ready to launch a volunteer program, but needs some help getting it off the ground, get in touch with us – we will help you make it happen.
One of the most important things for us all to understand is that social impact is not relegated to one particular sector or job. If you’re interested in bettering the world, you can absolutely find a way to do it.
Seattle-based musician Shyan Selah is an inspiring example. Rather than use his passion for music to pursue fame, he chose a different path: Through his Café Noir project, he is leveraging music to bring communities together and offer hope and healing to those who are struggling.
Café Noir is a series of live performances held at different Starbucks locations, in which members of the local community come together to enjoy Shyan’s music, and talk about the issues they’re facing, and how they can work together to solve them.
We recently had a chance to connect with Shyan to learn more about him, his music, and his community empowerment work – here’s what he had to say:
You started Cafe Noir as a live street performance in Seattle, with the intention of connecting with people by reaching them right where they stand. Where did the idea come from?
It’s actually rather complex. My musical journey put me in a lot of different places. I’ve worked in every genre – from hip hop to soul to rock and roll to blues. All of them have their own identity as far as where people gather and how they connect.
Because I’m into outreach and activism, there’s nothing more impactful than real interaction with people. I wanted to do a music project that highlighted the importance of the human interaction, that stepped away from being overproduced or really sensational, and was all about humanity and connecting. It was born from a simple notion of connecting with people.
It’s called Café Noir, meaning “black coffee”, because I grew up around my Grandmother and other adults in my life having important conversations while drinking black coffee. It was born from that spirit.
The purpose of the Cafe Noir tour is to shed light on issues that affect our world and the communities we live in, offering hope and healing through music. Can you tell us how this is making an impact in the communities you connect with?
I had been doing outreach, and using music as a platform within schools and community centers, and Starbucks was kind of a next step because of their presence in so many neighborhoods – it offered us an opportunity to extend the message beyond kids.
While it’s so crucial to work with kids, the biggest problem is they still have to go home with the information we’ve shared, and we have to hope they reinforce it at the home level, which doesn’t always happen. We wanted a place where we could reach adults at the same time.
We’ve been able to impact the entire community through Starbucks, and it’s really all about empowerment. It’s about inspiration, education and igniting purpose in the people we’re connecting with. How often do we really run across people that ignite that flame, and help you find what you really care about?
Have you been able to measure or quantify this impact in any way?
From the baristas to the attendees, we’ve seen such a positive response to the message we’re putting out there. We also us a simple sign-up sheet to ask people to leave their emails, their comments about what we’re doing, and a note about what they’d like to see change in their communities. There are different things going on in every city, every community.
One of the things that’s really cool about Starbucks is they have a community affinity – there’s a community bulletin board at each location. In partnering with them, we’ve been able to really get into that and give everyone involved a shared voice. And we’ve seen the dialogue change in front of us, from people just talking about everyday life, to asking questions and talking about their futures. It’s really cool to see.
Tell us more about the youth education outreach component of your work. What does that look like, and why are you passionate about it?
This is really the core of everything I do in outreach. We’re trying to be the antithesis of standard education right now. To do that, we partner with different schools, usually starting with some type of a lecture and performance. From there, we work with the school to determine their specific needs. We’re working to customize the relationship, because we want it to be long-term. The need never stops – there are new eighth graders who need support every year.
The goal of these partnerships is to find a way to merge curriculum with passion and purpose. What’s been effective for me is going into a school, looking at the full spectrum of students, and helping them find out what they’re passionate about. Everyone has a purpose or a passion, something they’re excited about – whether it’s sports, Oreo cookies, or the next Eminem record. So what we try to do is put them in the driver’s seat of their passion.
For the kid who’s excited about Eminem, for example, we try to take them away from the celebrity concept and take a look behind the scenes. Who helped make the album, and why does it matter? There are so many people involved, and we want that kid to know about those jobs, of all of the opportunities available.
There’s a machine behind occupation that kids celebrate, and we really encourage the youth to look behind the curtain and recognize that we wouldn’t have these things without a small or large army of people making it happen. We really highlight that teamwork aspect.
This success model isn’t anything new, but we’re in a world where we only see the stars, even though there are a lot of little dust particles that make that happen. And you see the lights come on in these kids when they realize that they don’t have to be the star, but their role will still be so important.
Why did you decide to connect with Starbucks for your Cafe Noir Tour? What about their company made you want to work with them in particular?
I always thought there was something unique about Starbucks, well before I ever had any opportunity to work with them. I had taken countless meetings there, and always noticed the diversity, the music, the relaxed yet focused vibe. And it was on every corner – available to so many people. I really believe that you can have a big impact by focusing locally, and I thought that partnering with Starbucks would be a great way to do that.
For those who are interested in connecting with a company like Starbucks to support a social impact project, we would love to learn more about how you made that happen. How did you connect with Starbucks, and what did the process for developing this partnership look like?
First, we presented our idea to a local Starbucks, told them what we wanted to do, and sat down and met with the management. They decided to let me come in and start performing. So before anything else, we developed a local relationship and established trust there. They loved the community empowerment aspect of what we were doing, because Starbucks is really focused on that, which not everyone knows about. And after the first 10 or 12 shows, we knew we really had something.
I also have to say that in this case, in particular, I was lucky to have been connected with someone who really made a big difference in getting this idea off the ground – Paula Boggs, the Executive Vice President and Lead Council at Starbucks. I mention her by name because she is just a phenomenal, game-changing, progressive African American woman who’s off the hook – a sister of mine at this point. I just so happened to meet her about this project a couple of weeks before she was going to retire.
The night I met with one of the heads of marketing, I was told to go meet with Paula, who was actually performing down the street. I introduced myself to her, and we connected immediately. We ended up talking for a few hours, and she wanted to come see it. So she came down to see a show in the central district of Seattle, and she fell in love with it. She sat through the whole show, and basically endorsed it that following day to the corporate body.
I have to say that they let us know pretty quickly that they have no interest in becoming a record label or a touring company, but that they believed in the spirit of what we’re doing and wanted to support it. That was almost four years ago.
During the course of the Cafe Noir tour, was there a moment that was particularly meaningful or moving?
There have been so many! But one that really sticks out was a conversation with this young man who was at one of the Café Noir shows. He was a teenager, and was living in a nearby shelter that was just a few buildings down from this particular Starbucks.
He was feeling frustrated because he was interested in performing, but couldn’t figure out how to get started. I chatted with him, and he ended up showing me the alley where he and his friends sleep when the shelters are too full. He told me that he and his friends contemplate crime, they contemplate suicide, because life is so hard. I gave him some resources and phone numbers of people to call about his music. I heard him out, provided some support. Though I don’t know exactly what happened, it’s crazy to think that I may have stopped him from doing something bad to himself or to someone around him, at least in that moment.
We love what Shyan is all about, and look forward to continuing to see his work grow and evolve. If you want to stay updated, which we highly suggest you do, check out his website. His Cafe Noir album is out and available on iTunes here. He also loves to connect on social media – you can find him on Twitter, Facebook, or most recently on Instagram.
Do you know someone who is working on impact in a unique way? We’d love to share their story – tell us about them! Here’s how:
- Send us an email
- Connect on social: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram
- Comment below
The term corporation calls to mind big businesses – large entities with expansive teams and a good amount of capital to back them up. So when we talk about corporate social responsibility (CSR), we often think about programs from companies like Starbucks, IBM, and Microsoft. Big names, big money, big potential for impact.
But really, a company doesn’t need to be large or have access to a lot of resources to make a commitment to social responsibility. In fact, there are plenty of options for small businesses that want to make an impact on the world. Here’s how:
Encourage Volunteering
Whether you have a large team or a small one, one thing that each of you has to offer is your time. If most of your team is interested in giving back, a great way to mobilize them is by organizing a company-wide volunteer day. Choose a local organization whose impact relates to your work in some capacity, or is meaningful to your team. To be as effective as possible, connect with the organization of your choice, and find out how your team can use their time to best support the organization’s work.
If your employees work remotely, or you want to empower them choose the causes that are important to them, offer a certain number of hours per month of paid time for volunteering, or encourage them to commit to volunteering a certain number of times each year. Need to make a business case for the implementation of a volunteer program? Check this out: They can be great for employee engagement and retention.
Implement a Workplace Giving Program
Another way to offer your employees an opportunity to make a difference is through a workplace-giving program. There are many ways that your company can go about this, from incentivizing employees through gift matching programs to offering time off for donations. Spend a little time thinking through the type of program that is best for your business as well as your employees.
Take on a Pro Bono Project
If you’re looking for a way to utilize your team’s skills collectively, try taking on a pro bono project for a cause you care about. Start by making a list of the services you and your team are willing to provide free of charge, or even areas that you could use more experience in. Then, either develop a selection process for determining which organization you’ll work with, or just choose an organization that you know needs the specific type of help you can offer. If you go about it thoughtfully, you can make a huge impact by offering your services for free, without asking too much of your team.
Practice Environmental Responsibility
Offices generate a substantial amount of waste on a daily basis – from paper products to energy to water usage. If you’re looking for ways you can make a huge impact (with relatively minimal effort!), check out these opportunities for reducing your company’s environmental impact. From being more conscientious about office supplies, to minimizing employee transportation, to keeping energy usage low, you can make a difference, even if you aren’t in a space where you can invest in a large-scale sustainability program.
To practice what we preach, our team renewed and made official our own commitment to social responsibility this year – check it out here.
Do you know of a small business that is implementing socially responsible practices in a substantial or unique way? Tell us about them – we want to spread the word! Here’s how:
This past Sunday, 111.9 Million viewers tuned in to watch Super Bowl 50. With large-scale events like the Super Bowl, there are huge opportunities for brands to raise awareness around – and promote action to address – social issues. These aren’t easy topics to talk about, so we’re always impressed by those who do so.
Let’s take a look at a few of the brands that did, and why it matters:
Colgate's #EveryDropCounts
Colgate’s Super Bowl ad focuses on water scarcity and the importance of conservation. The commercial states that when we leave the water running while we brush, we waste up to 4 gallons of water each time – more water than many people use in a week. By turning of the faucet while brushing our teeth, we can each save 3,000 gallons of water each year.
Intuit's Small Business Big Game: Death Wish Coffee
This year, Intuit held a contest called Small Business Big Game that allowed small businesses to compete for a Super Bowl commercial ad spot, free of charge. Small businesses that usually wouldn’t be able to afford such a highly valued spot were given the opportunity to get major exposure, all on Intuit’s dime. This year’s winner was Death Wish Coffee, a small business that sells fair trade, organic, highly caffeinated, dark roast coffee.
Mini’s #DefyLabels
Mini’s #DefyLabels campaign was created to break down the stereotypes surrounding the car. In this commercial, celebrities like Serena Williams and Abby Wambach, who have both faced negative stereotypes in a very public way, stand up against their labels. The campaign encourages people to forget about stereotypes, saying “Those who defy labels, define themselves.”
While we don’t want to take away from the awareness raised by these ads and the fact that these brands opted for impactful campaigns at all, we have to call out a few issues we have with them too:
They are expensive
Our feelings of excitement about these ads were followed almost immediately by the question “Why don’t these campaigns put the huge sums of money spent on these spots directly toward fixing the problem?” This is particularly true for campaigns like Colgate’s. As the internet was quick to point out, Colgate spent a reported $5 million on that ad spot, money that could have gone toward 4.2 million gallons of clean water for the nearly 800 million people without access to it worldwide, including those in crisis in Flint, MI.
They aren’t enough
Though there were a handful of socially conscious ads this year, the number was still relatively small, and not all were action-oriented. For real impact to happen, these campaigns need to include action steps, for viewers and the brands producing them. Raising awareness is important, but with nation as a captive audience, we need to leverage the opportunity in a real way.
They aren't always totally legitimate
Unfortunately, no matter how well intentioned a campaign may appear to be, a little research can pull apart its legitimacy pretty quickly. This year, NO MORE, a national public awareness campaign focused on ending domestic violence, produced a Super Bowl ad about a young woman who didn’t watch the game because of an abusive boyfriend. The ad itself was incredibly impactful, but the problem is what follows. At the end of the ad and in their social media campaign, NO MORE encouraged individuals to pledge their support to end domestic violence by texting a code to a certain number. Critics who have been following the campaign for a long time have argued that NO MORE’s end goal in collecting numbers is simply to push their heavily-sponsored agenda. The bottom line is, with ads like these, it can be difficult to discern which campaigns are going to be truly impactful, as opposed to which are purely for PR.
All in all, we’re glad to see that social impact was represented during this year’s Super Bowl. In this case, as in many, something is always better than nothing, but it’s important to recognize that this “something” is not enough on its own. We hope that next year, we’ll see some real impact and opportunities for action around issues like human trafficking and domestic violence.
Have you seen an ad campaign lately that you think is particularly impactful? Share it with us! Here’s how:
“Being kind to our fellow human beings is a precondition to becoming truly successful. Goodness and kindness are the single most important factors when it comes to how successful we will be in our lives.”
- Stefan Einhorn, The Art of Being Kind
Too often, we hear that to be successful, we have to push ourselves (and others) to the edge. We need to work harder, study longer, sleep less, and sacrifice more.
Unfortunately, this mindset can lead to a disconnect with our loved ones, miscommunications with colleagues, impatient behavior, poor self-care, and a multitude of other issues.
At WhyWhisper, we see success as a better world – one that is filled with opportunity, justice, and support. And we believe that making this happen doesn’t start with working harder or making more sacrifices – it starts with kindness. There’s a chain effect that occurs when we put kindness out into the world: it travels. And if we all commit to being kinder in our day-to-day lives, then as a society, we collaboratively achieve success.
This year, our team is consciously working to develop a culture of kindness. We’re challenging ourselves to commit to, and reflect on, at least one kind act per week, with each of us defining for ourselves what kindness really means.
Here are some of our examples:
- Take time to stop and help someone who needs it. When someone asks for directions, or needs support crossing the street, stop and help them, kindly and patiently. Odds are, it’ll change their day.
- Cook or buy a meal for someone who’s hungry. Instead of just brushing by the next person who asks for your support, take a minute to stop somewhere and buy them a hearty meal.
- Write a Letter to someone who might need a little cheering up. Too often, we forget how much it means to receive a letter of encouragement. Think of someone who’s going through a hard time (whether you know them or not), and write a note to let them know you’re in their corner.
- Take care of yourself. When we’re busy or overwhelmed, self-care is often the first thing to go. It shouldn’t be, but it is. And the fact is, when we don’t care for ourselves, we also can’t take care of others. Think about how you can be kind to yourself, then set aside the time to do so.
- Pick up some trash. How often do you walk by a piece of garbage on the street, slightly annoyed that people still litter? Next time that happens, instead of getting annoyed, pick it up (safely, of course).
- Focus on your community. When we’re thinking about large-scale social impact, we can sometimes forget to consider our own communities. Who do you interact with everyday, and how can you show them kindness? Tip your local barista more than you usually would. Have a conversation with your neighborhood crossing guard. These seemingly small acts will likely have a chain reaction.
To be clear, we’re not suggesting that these small acts should take the place of working toward substantive, sustainable change. After all, providing a meal to someone who’s hungry does not solve a large-scale problem. But in that moment, it does make all the difference to that person, and that’s undoubtedly impactful.
If you’re inspired to be more conscious about kindness, we’d love for you to join us in our challenge. Follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram), and post your kind acts with #WhyWhisper #workonpurpose. You can also get in touch with us via email, or in the comments below. We look forward to seeing the good that we can accomplish together this year!
When considering corporate social responsibility, most people think of corporate philanthropic initiatives designed to have an impact on an external community. Similarly, we often applaud nonprofit organizations for their external social impact. But what happens when companies and organizations take a look internally?
Although fostering a culture of balance, support, and well-being is crucial to employee health and happiness, it isn’t always prioritized.
This can be especially true in nonprofit culture, which is often perceived as being somewhat chaotic and unbalanced, due, in part, to lack of human and financial resources, and also, the nature of the work. When working to address a social injustice or issue, every task feels incredibly urgent and the sheer amount of work to be done can be overwhelming. As a result, the individuals, organizations, and businesses behind the work can lose sight of how important it is to treat themselves and each other well.
Fostering a culture of happiness is good for everyone – employees and employers. In fact, studies have shown that positive employees outperform negative employees in productivity, sales, energy levels, turnover rates and healthcare costs.
If you’re able to influence your company or organization’s workplace culture, here are some things to consider:
Allow flexible work schedule
Whenever possible, empower and support your employees’ most productive and effective work schedules and habits. When you hire people you trust to do good work, you also need to trust them to determine when and how they are most productive and efficient. The number of hours your employees spend at the office is not always directly proportionate to their output, so rather than implementing a strict schedule, let your employees make those decisions themselves. Studies have shown that flexible work schedules lead to improved mental health, reduced stress, and increased output.
Promote health & wellness
Encouraging your employees to take care of themselves mentally and physically will make a huge difference in their positivity. This support can come in many forms – here are just a few:
- Subsidize your employees’ fitness costs
- Provide free yoga classes
- Encourage daily meditation breaks
- Allow employees to take breaks to exercise elsewhere during the day
- Offer paid parental leave to your employees
No matter which route you take, caring about your employees’ health is so important. Healthier employees are not only generally happier, they’re also more productive, and cost companies less in terms of healthcare
Implement a kindness challenge
Encourage your employees to be mindful about how they treat one another by implementing a kindness challenge. This can take whatever shape you think will be most effective in your own workplace. You could, for example, make a list of kind acts that your employees can take part in weekly. Or you could encourage your employees to send one quick email per day to a team member who helped them with something or did something particularly well. Whatever it looks like, these reminders to be kind to one another will go a long way in fostering workplace positivity.
So whether you’re a business that’s considering corporate social responsibility initiatives or a nonprofit organization focused on 360’ impact, be sure to look internally.
If you’re not sure where to start in your own workplace, here are seven meaningful questions that will help you gauge where there’s room for improvement.
Do you know of a nonprofit or a business that’s particularly great at fostering a culture of positivity and balance? What are they doing? Share with us! Here’s how:
We’re a few weeks into the New Year! If you’re like us, you may have started the year with big ideas about how you’ll grow and change this year. These ideas are exciting, but they can also be a little bit daunting.
It can be easy to move forward without taking stock of where you are now, how far you’ve come, and where you’d like to be. Launching into the year with the same habits and game plan is easy, but to start off the New Year on the right foot, you need to take a step back for a minute.
Successful businesses (and personal brands, too) take time to look back, evaluate, assess, and plan. If you’re ready to get moving, start here:
Find a Support System
Before you do anything else, do this: find a person or group of people who understand where you’re coming from and are working toward similar goals as you. You can find these people in so many ways: through your co-working space, in an online group for entrepreneurs, or at an in-person meet-up for entrepreneurs, just to name a few.
Whether you’re able to help each other grow your businesses, or even just bounce ideas off of one another, these supportive connections will make all the difference when you’re feeling stuck or uncertain.
Get Your Finances Straight
We often connect with entrepreneurs and consultants who are incredibly organized and on top of it when it comes to their work, but are totally lost when it comes to finances. We’re no strangers to this feeling ourselves!
This is definitely an area where you should evaluate your level of understanding, and find someone else to help you if you need it. There’s no shame in admitting your shortcomings and seeking support. Especially if the alternative is avoiding it all together!
If hiring an accountant seems like too much, you can turn to free services like Next Door, a Chicago-based service that provides free financial counseling services, or intuit’s mint app, which allows you to look at how you’re spending and create a budget for yourself. Getting your finances straight isn’t fun for everyone, but it doesn’t have to be so bad either!
Do a Personal Digital Audit
When you’re first setting off in a new career direction, your digital presence is top of mind. You want to make sure there’s nothing weird that comes up when someone looks you up online, and that your own digital assets represent the work you do and the person you are.
After awhile, though, you might lose track of your online presence. Now is a good time to do a quick audit of your own online presence. Is your website up to date? Do your social platforms still accurately represent you? Take a few minutes to review each platform, and make any edits you see fit.
Evaluate Your Own Interests & Needs
When business is steady, or you’ve been doing the same kind of work for an extended time period, it’s easy to fall into a steady state. But taking the time to evaluate your work and adjust accordingly is incredible important. What have you enjoyed doing, and what have you dreaded? Which services have been successful for your business, and which are more time and / or trouble than they’re worth?
Pivoting your business model or the services you offer can be scary, especially if you’re feeling secure. But it can allow you to better position yourself and your business for success in the long term. So think it through, bounce ideas off of your team, and make the moves you need to help your business thrive and ensure it aligns with your interests, as much as possible.
Set Goals & Make a Plan
Once you’ve taken these steps to review and analyze your work, it’s time to set yourself up to grow and change. This process looks different for everyone, but whether you develop a strategic plan, think through a logic model, or write it down on paper, planning is crucial to your success.
And set some goals, too. How many new clients would you like to acquire this quarter? Do you want to figure out the best way to build impact into your business model? Think through how you can be more sustainable in your operations? Move toward better work/life balance? Are you looking for more credibility or visibility? What does that look like? Whatever your goals are, take the time to think them through and develop your plan around how you’ll make them happen.
Before you get overwhelmed, which is so easy to do (we know), recognize that you don’t have to accomplish these steps in a week. Instead, set aside a certain amount of time each day or week to tackle something different.
What are some of the tools you use to evaluate your work and strategize for the future? Share with us! We’re all in this together. Here’s how:
“Giving back to society brings benefits that far exceed any costs – whether it’s in terms of employee morale, or strengthening the brand name.” – Cisco CEO John Chambers
These days, it’s not just non-profits and social enterprises that are focusing on making a positive impact on our world. Right now, businesses and corporations are stepping up to the plate in unprecedented ways to rethink the way they operate internally, and how they’re affecting the communities they interact with.
On the rise for the past several years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is much more than a passing trend. In fact, it’s increasingly clear that social and environmental responsibility in business should not and, in many ways, cannot be ignored. Once a brand differentiator, CSR is now a necessity.
Companies who consider and implement programs around social impact are seeing huge benefits, and so are their employees. If you’re on the fence about CSR, here are just a few of the many ways that implementing these programs is good for everyone:
It benefits businesses:
- 96% of consumers have a more positive image of companies when they support social or environmental issues.
- 90% will switch to a cause-branded product when choosing between two brands of equal quality and price.
- 51% will pay extra for products and services committed to positive social & environmental impact.
It benefits employees:
- 67% of professionals prefer to work for socially responsible companies.
- 53% of workers said that “a job where I can make an impact” was important to their happiness.
- Companies with wellness programs saw a 25% reduction in sick leave, 25% decrease in health costs and 32% reduction in workers compensation and disability costs.
And, of course, these programs are good for our world. Here are some amazing examples of these ‘unusual suspects,’ and the positive impact their CSR programs are having on their businesses and the world:
All of these companies are focused on different aspects of social responsibility. Some are focusing their efforts internally, some on environmental impact, others on sourcing their products ethically, and the list goes on. It’s amazing to see how different companies are developing and implementing innovative CSR programs that are also beneficial for them as businesses.
That’s why we’re excited to officially announce that WhyWhisper is now taking clients in the for-profit sector that are looking to identify opportunities for impact, build strategies to make it possible, and communicate that impact to the world. With so many opportunities, it’s crucial that businesses and corporations identify and implement their optimal models – and that’s where we come in. Check out a full list of our corporate services here, and get in touch with us any time here.
To learn more about CSR going forward, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn).
If you know of a company that is looking to take better care of their employees, consumers, or community, please get in touch with us -- we're excited to connect!
If you work in an office, you may have noticed that you and your colleagues use a lot of paper, leave the lights on a lot, or throw away a lot of things that could be recycled. If so, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that offices generate a huge amount of waste on a daily basis. Even if you work from home or a co-working space, it can be difficult to keep track of your environmental footprint. Unfortunately, we’re all constantly generating waste, overusing resources, and unconsciously hurting the earth through the things that we purchase. But the good news is that we can, somewhat easily, change the way we consume and utilize resources in our offices and workspaces to reduce that footprint.
While we’d love to encourage you to get your company on board with a large-scale sustainability program, in the meantime, there are simple changes you can make right now to kick off 2016 on an environmentally-friendly foot:
Be conscientious about office supplies
Paper products
Did you know the average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of paper each year? Paper and cardboard account for almost 40 percent of our overall waste. The best solution to this problem is to reduce (or even eliminate!) office paper use, though this may not be possible for every office. If it’s an option for yours, here are some tips on how you can reduce paper waste. It it’s not, be conscious about purchasing recyclable paper for your offices.
Bathroom & kitchen supplies
For dish or bathroom soap, try products from method. For toilet paper, paper towels, or disposable tableware, opt for Seventh Generation. Both offer eco-friendly and affordable alternatives to the products that you use on a daily basis.
Light bulbs
Choose compact fluorescent bulbs for office lighting, as these use about 25%-80% less energy than traditional incandescents, and last anywhere from 3-25 times longer.
Coffee & tea
If your office serves coffee and/or tea, go for local roasters rather than the big names. Shopping small business is good for the local economy and your community in general – learn more about the benefits here.
If you already purchase eco-friendly office products, what is your go-to source? Share with us in the comments, and we’ll pass along the word to our community!
Minimize employee transportation
Transportation has a significant impact on the environment. Each day, Americans use over 2.9 billion gallons of gas, due in large part to the fact that 77% insist on driving alone to work. Luckily, there are ways you can reduce that – here are a few options:
Share a ride to work
Whether you opt for public transportation or carpooling, sharing rides makes a huge difference. It reduces traffic congestion, uses less gas, and decreases fuel emissions. If you’re an employer who is looking to incentivize ride sharing, try subsidizing public transportation costs for your employees.
Bike to work
If you live in a place where it’s an option, biking is the most environmentally friendly, financially smart, and health-conscious option. Here are some of the environmental benefits of biking rather than driving a car to work. If you’re an employer, consider offering bike parking to make it easier on your employees who are interested in biking.
Work from home
If your company offers an option to work remotely, try it out! If you can’t bike, this is clearly the best way to reduce the environmental effects of car transportation.
Keep energy usage low
Use your thermostat
Rather than keeping your office the same temperature at all times, utilize the feature that turns on heat or air conditioning at specific times and turns off automatically at the end of the day. Tip: Set it to start a bit before anyone gets into the office, and no one will even feel the difference.
Turn off your electronics
In many offices, computers are left on all the time – even after hours. Encourage your employees or co-workers to shut down at night before they leave. Also, unplug lamps, chargers, and other electronics whenever you’re able as well – they use “stand-by power” when plugged in, even if not in use. If everyone in the office makes these small changes, it’ll make a big difference over time.
Reduce, reuse & recycle
Start a recycling program at the office
According to the EPA, about 80 to 90 percent of solid waste is recyclable in the average workplace. Whether you start with setting out recycling bins in highly trafficked areas (such as near the printer and in the kitchen), or launch a full-fledged office recycling program, taking this initiative will greatly reduce your office’s environmental footprint.
Compost
If there’s a kitchen in your office, it’s very possible you’re throwing away a lot of things that could be composted and used differently. You can keep compost in-office for fertilizing your plants, or take it home with you to use in your own garden. If this is an option for you, here’s a great guide to office composting.
Do you have innovative ideas for how companies can reduce their environmental footprint right now? Share with us! We want to know every tip in the book.
If your company is looking to invest in a larger-scale sustainability program, or even if you’d like some support in implementing these ideas, we can help. Get in touch with us here.