B Lab is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a new sector of the economy that harnesses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. This sector will be comprised of a new type of corporation - the B Corporation - which will be legally recognized by the states, tax preferred by the IRS, and valued by employees, investors, and consumers. As a result, individuals and communities will have greater economic opportunity, society will have moved closer to achieving a positive environmental footprint, more people will be employed in great places to work, and we will have built a global network of local living economies. To learn more about B Corporations, please visit www.bcorporation.net

What is the difference between a Certified B Corporation and a GIIRS Rated Company?

B Corporations are a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. B Corporations are unlike traditional responsible businesses because they:

• Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards. All B Corporations must earn at least an 80 on the B Impact Ratings System in order to qualify as a B Corporation.
• Institutionalize stakeholder interests in their governing documents.
• Build collective voice through the power of a unifying brand. B Corporations may promote themselves a "B" to all of their stakeholders (consumers, investors, policymakers, suppliers, etc.)

GIIRS offers a company seeking investment capital a rating of its social and environmental impact. GIIRS Ratings are designed to be used with investors only and not with a company's other stakeholders (consumers, policymakers, suppliers, etc.) In order to receive a GIIRS rating, companies neither needs to earn a minimum score on the B Impact Ratings System nor are they required to institutionalize stakeholder interests in their governing documents.

B Corporations automatically receive a GIIRS rating for free as a part of their certification as a B Corporation.