Benefit Corporations (a legal designation) and Certified B Corporations (a third-party certification) are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• Forbes turned the spotlight to the rise of the charitable for-profit entity, examining “two new types of corporations [that] have been created to address the goals of making money, attracting private investors and addressing societal concerns: the benefit corporation and L3C.”
• The Wall Street Journal noted “That anything other than maximizing shareholder value should be considered in a company’s decision-making normally can open the door to investor suits”… Benefit Corporations, however, are now changing that.
• Why do companies choose to become Certified B Corps? Context Travel explains their reasons and the benefits of becoming a B Corp. Renewable Choice Energy also recently became a certified B Corp. On their blog, they share their experience getting certified as a B Corp.
• “B Corps are about changing (or rather growing) corporate laws, standards, systems, and cultures” – and in doing so, they’re driving a new ecology of commerce.
• B Corp Open Neighborhood is bringing idea of local communication to the digital age, with a unique social media platform, a free-wifi initiative, and a group purchasing program for solar energy. Learn more about Open Neighborhood on Care2.
• Though the B Corp certification is not intended for non-profits, have you ever been curious about what B Lab’s own B report would look like? Wait no longer. In the spirit of transparency, B Lab has released its own B report, impact assessment, and supplier list.

Finally, the CBS Evening News ran this piece about Benefit Corporations that focus on giving back:

What are your thoughts on the latest B Corp news?

B Corporations and Benefit Corporations are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• California’s new Benefit Corporation legislation went into effect on Jan. 3, paving the way for more companies to maximize social good while turning a profit. In all, 12 companies registered as Benefit Corporations on the first day, with Patagonia leading the charge as California’s first Benefit Corporation. KQED reported on Benefit Corporations, and even mainstream business publications took notice of the new law; Bloomberg examined the possible future of sustainable business law and the Economist noted that firms with benefits are part of a larger trend, with Britain and European countries already having or also developing new legal frameworks.
• B Lab has set up a comprehensive Benefit Corporation Information Center that is a great resource for information about Benefit Corporations. It’s well worth checking out for businesses, attorneys, and directors interested in learning more about benefit corporations.
• A great article on the Stanford Social Innovation Review explains why corporate structure matters and notes that Benefit Corporations represent “an opportunity to make a paradigm shift that harnesses the incredible power of companies to benefit society and the economy.”
• The emergence of Benefit Corporations that incorporate a social or environmental mission into for-profit companies of course also blurs the traditional lines between for-profit and non-profit organizations. A short post on The Non-profit Quarterly asks, “But what does it [the Benefit Corporation structure] say about non-profits?” The American Bar Association noted that it could help non-profits deliver benefits by offering a new solution to the dilemma about whether to incorporate as a non-profit or for-profit. Nixon Peabody Law Firm provides a lengthy and detailed examination of Benefit Corporations, L3Cs, and the need to clearly understand the new legal alternatives for structuring business entities.
• B Corp Warby Parker continues to make the news, this time with a write-up in Entrepreneur magazine about how this innovative eyeglass company secured venture capital (if you missed their Fast Company video, you can view it here.)
• B Corps continue to grow in Canada. IMG  just became certified in December 2011, joining Dirtt and Bullfrog Power as Founding Canadian B Corporations.

Finally, our local NBC Bay Area spotlighted Give Something Back in its segment about Benefit Corporations:

B Corporations and Benefit Corporations are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• The biggest story recently has been the news that NY became the 7th state to pass Benefit Corporation legislation! Even Forbes noted that NY is now a better state for business. Or, as one writer noted, Benefit Corporations are set to Occupy Wall Street.
• A good post on Greenbiz.com explains the legal requirements for Benefit Corporations in California, including the reporting requirements and shareholder votes needed to convert to a Benefit Corporation.
• Mike Hannigan of B Corp Give Something Back notes the macro-trends that are changing the face of corporate philanthropy, especially in the support systems that now exist for responsible businesses: business associations, investment capital, business professionals who support values-based businesses, and of course new legal structures such as Benefit Corporations. Taken together, it’s quite a potent force!
• As Benefit Corporation legislation continues to spread across the country, at least one state is wondering if it will miss this opportunity: Will Nevada be left behind?
• This Wall Street Journal post describes the differences among the three emerging legal structures for social entrepreneurs: L3Cs, Benefit Corporations, and Flexible-Purpose Corporations, with suggestions about which structure would be ideal for different types of companies.
• Mashable has jumped into the fray as well, asking “Do they really indicate good companies?” This is an important question, especially since the article notes that “72% of Americans believe it is important to ‘buy from green companies.’”
• B Corp Warby Parker was featured in a Fast Company video that is well worth watching. They have built giving back right into their business model: for every pair of glasses they sell, they gift a pair to someone who needs them but can’t afford them. The result in one year? 85,000 pairs of glasses to people around the world!

Finally, I’m happy to share the news that Cultivating Capital is now a certified B Corp as well! As a staunch supporter of B Corps, I am proud to be a part of a community committed to harnessing the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

B Corporations and Benefit Corporations are changing the landscape of sustainable business. Here’s the latest from around the web about this important movement:

• Everyone’s talking about the passing of Benefit Corporation legislation in California. The Capitol Weekly, the newspaper of California government and politics, recently announced that a “new breed of company” is coming to California.
• The SF Gate also noted that “California can become a magnet for companies pursuing a triple bottom line,” especially since the Bay Area already has many socially-conscious companies.
• Sustainable Industries features a good overview about the Benefit of Benefit Corporations, explaining what they are and noting that “triple bottom line businesses are getting legit.”
• The emergence of Benefit Corporations of course has significant legal implications. This legal perspective explains the difference between Benefit Corporations and Flexible Purpose Corporations. Also, one of the attorneys who worked on Benefit Corporation legislation was recently interviewed by the Green Chamber of Commerce, and it’s well worth reading, which you can do here.
• Two movements as powerful as B Corps and Occupy Wall Street can’t help but call for comparison, such as in this post by B Lab co-founder Andrew Kassoy, an analysis on the shared goals and different tactics of the two movements, and how B Corps are an alternative to big corporations (a post that previously appeared on this blog).
• Did you know that there are B Corps in Canada? MaRS, which is “building Canada’s next generation of growth companies,” explains the B Corp Certification and a newspaper notes that a local company is one of only 20 B Corps in Canada.
• The story of B Corp iContact, an email marketing and social media marketing company, was profiled in Time magazine – and it’s an inspiring account of the humble origins of a $50 million company.

Finally, for the first time in its 94-year history, Forbes magazine identified the top 30 social entrepreneurs. Guess who made the list? B Lab founders Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan and Andrew Kassoy, plus B Corps New Leaf Paper, Gray Ghost Ventures, Freelancers Union, and Ignia. Congrats to all!