2016 Annual Impact Report

Central to the B Corp movement are transparency and accountability regarding social and environmental impacts. Equally important are continuous improvements in improving those impacts. As a Certified B Corp, Heather Paulsen Consulting is committed to these principles and practices, and is happy to share its 2016 Annual Impact Report.

2016 Annual Impact Report

Highlight of the Year

In October 2016 at the annual B Corp Champions Retreat in Philadelphia, I was honored (and a bit stunned) to receive the Building the Movement 2016 award from B Lab. Such a joyful moment for me, and wonderful validation that the work I am doing is making a real difference in the world.

As a sole proprietor in my second full year of business, the environmental and social impacts I can directly make are limited, but through the work of my clients, real change on a larger scale is possible. In this Annual Impact Report, I hope to highlight not only the direct impact my small company had, but also demonstrate some real-world changes brought about through my client work.

HPC defined several Key Performance Indicators for 2016. Achievements follow.

Grow the B Corp Movement

• Three new clients—Clover Sonoma, FloBeds, and The Color Mill—each earned B Corp Certification in 2016 with my support.
• Two continuing clients—North Coast Brewing Co. and Harvest Market—engaged me to conduct their Employee B Corp Rollouts, reaching a total of approximately 300 employees with detailed, company-specific B Corp education.
• Reached 518 people through 13 speaking engagements covering B Corp messaging
• Reached an audience of 57 B Corps and their suppliers with a B Corp Challenge webinar on 11/30/16, conducted in partnership with B Corp Wonderworks Consulting.

Strengthen the local economy

• Built a cohort of Mendocino County B Corps (MCBC) to add value to certification locally
• Initiated a partnership with Savings Bank of Mendocino County to create an Income Advance Program for all employees of all B Corps in our region
• Facilitated a series of five MCBC joint workshops open to all local B Corps and their employees:

1. Developing an Employee Volunteer Program (3 workshops), hosted by North Coast Brewing Co. January-March
2. Zero Waste Certification, hosted by Fetzer Vineyard on 3/30/16
3. Moving Toward a Self-Managed Organization (with partner B Corp Wonderworks as our educator), hosted by North Coast Brewing Co. on 6/27/16.

Environmental Impact

• Continued 1% for the Planet membership
• Converted to 100% post-consumer recycled office paper, or tree-free paper
• Host HPC’s website with a B Corp certified, wind-powered web host (Canvas Host)
• Joined a shared co-work space to avoid the need for separate office rental and the associated environmental impact. All office paper, toner cartridges, and batteries are appropriately recycled, and office furniture and equipment is used, upcycled or refurbished.
• Initiated Zero Waste Certification projects with two clients, North Coast Brewing Co. and Harvest Market
• Initiated Non-GMO Project Verified project with one client, North Coast Brewing Co.

Governance

• Supported two clients through conversion to legal benefit corporation status, North Coast Brewing Co. and Harvest Market
• Conducted Employee Satisfaction Survey with one client, Harvest Market, and identified strategies to improve performance
• Conducted organizational development diagnostics and workshop with non-profit client, Albion Little River Fire Protection District

Social Impact

• Implemented Employee Volunteer Programs with two clients, North Coast Brewing Co. and Harvest Market, involving approximately 300 employees
• Wrote successful grant application for Mendocino Coast Healthcare District, bringing in up to $750,000/year for 5 years ($3.75million) for health improvement initiatives
• Researched and wrote Community Health Needs Assessment report for Mendocino Coast Healthcare District
• Pro bono/volunteer work—total 195 hours (121 of those to nonprofits):
  • Designed and implemented new website for the Rotary Club of Mendocino
  • Served as Board Secretary for Mendocino Rotary and the Mendocino Rotary Foundation
  • Donated 29 hours of professional services to the nonprofit Albion Little River Fire Protection District
  • Formed volunteer group to create a community-wide co-work space
• Donations to nonprofits totaled $1,810.00. Recipients included Mendocino Rotary, Rotary International Foundation, local public media KZYX&Z, Good Farm Fund, 1% for the Planet, B Lab and Phi Beta Kappa.

As a Certified B Corp, Heather Paulsen Consulting meets rigorous third-party standards for accountability, transparency and performance as measured and verified by B Lab. Our score from our December 2015 certification: