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A New Form of Business for a New, Socially Conscious World
7/23/2008
As a recently retired CIO I have had the luxury to reflect on my career, how I could have done some things differently and what things I should not have done at all! A CIO colleague (also retired) refers to this reflection activity as "Observations from above the Trenches" (Educause Review July/August, 2008). I had been in my new retirement location for just a few months when I read an article in the Business Section of the local newspaper about an IT professional services company with a new "socially conscious" form of business. I was intrigued enough with the concept (and, I will admit, I had time on my hands since I was no longer absorbed by 60+ hour work weeks) that I contacted the principals to find out more. After several conversations over coffee and lunch I found myself volunteering my services and eventually becoming a member of their Board of Directors.The Balancing Act: Achieving personal comfort and wealth while also making a difference in the world
During my 40+ years in IT, I had to balance my professional activities with my desire to serve the local community in which I lived through community service activities. As I rose through the ranks to the C-level, I encouraged my staff to do the same, often giving them the necessary time off from work. By day we designed and executed IT strategies and plans for our employer. During lunch hours, evenings, and weekends we would lend our IT expertise to local not-for-profit organizations as volunteers or as members of their boards. Those who could not afford the time for personal involvement in community-oriented activities satisfied their desire to have an impact on the welfare of society through the impersonal act of writing checks in response to fund-raisers or by agreeing to payroll deductions for their favorite cause. As a board member for several non-profits, I was always aware of the amount of time that was consumed with fund-raising rather than focusing on service delivery and technologies that might improve and expand services.
Impact Makers (www.impactmakers.org), a new company that I have become acquainted with in retirement, has created a unique way for organizations and individuals to fulfill corporate and personal social responsibility as part of their normal business and professional activities.
The B Corporation: Making a difference while you make a buck
Impact Makers is one of the founding B Corporations with B Lab. B Lab has received much attention in the national press, including a recent article in Entrepreneur Magazine (www.entrepreneur.com) in July 2008. B Lab was created in 2006 to identify and certify companies that are socially responsible in terms of environmental and social impact. To earn a B Corporation certification, a company must meet at least 80 of B Lab's 200 standards and amend its charter to include the interests of its employees, its community, and the environment. The certification is renewable every two years, and the certified B Corporations are subject to random third-party audits.
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