If the past two years have shown us anything, it’s that, in spite of a lot of progress over time, the world still needs a lot of fixing. 

There are many opportunities to make a difference for the greater good, even if it’s small, it has an impact. For example, what if your hour of picking up trash, of mentoring an at-risk child, of serving food at a homeless shelter does matter? What if that tiny ripple is a part of a larger wave? 

At Ad Victoriam Solutions, we believe that it is. It’s one of the reasons we give every employee 40 hours of paid time-off to volunteer every year. It’s also why we have our own adopted highway and encourage our employees to get involved in their communities, to give back, regardless of cause or organization, to make their own ripple. 

We talked to some of our most dedicated volunteers to get their perspective and came up with four simple ways anybody can get involved and give back. We hope they will help you find some inspiration and your own calling to give back. 

1. Sign Up For Something

The simplest step is to sign up for something. From sites like VolunteerMatch and GivePulse, to company organized events through tools like Selflessly, signing up for a volunteer day has never been easier. If you’ve been on the bench for a while and are afraid to get back in the give-back game, sign up for something you know you can do. 

AdVic Tatiana Romanko, an alumnus from our Elevate program epitomized that sentiment when she told us that, “I noticed pretty quickly that AdVic had a culture of service and giving back. Soon after I started, I saw a call for volunteers at the Gasparilla Music Festival and signed up. And I had a blast!”    

And like Newton’s First Law of Motion taught us, an object in motion stays in motion. A simple Saturday volunteer shift led Romanko to continue that volunteerism throughout the year, adding, “That day reminded me how much I enjoy serving–I found myself signing up for volunteer events and raising my hand for company community initiatives like never before. This year, I set a goal to finish in the top three at the company for overall volunteer hours.” 

2. Volunteer Your Skills

For those that don’t know, AdVic specializes in Salesforce implementations, which include custom build-outs, integrations that often require custom code, and an incredibly meticulous loading of existing data. In layman’s terms, we have some really smart people with an incredibly rare skill set. 

As we move to the new normal of remote work, opportunities abound to give back virtually, especially for those with technical skills. 

AdVic’s own Grant Keller spearheaded our first career development program with Goodwill of North Georgia, which brought in AdVic employees as mentors and culminated with a one-day event where the students put their new knowledge into use, building out real Salesforce orgs for four deserving nonprofits. “This was an incredibly fulfilling way to give back”, Keller says, adding that “a virtual opportunity offered me and several other employees the chance to give back in a city I didn’t live in, but in a cause I truly believed in.” 

There are now a ton of virtual volunteer opportunities for those with technology (and beyond) skills. If commuting, work-life balance, or other time-related commitments are getting in the way of you giving back, think about volunteering virtually. (Pictured, below: Recent volunteer events for the AdVic Team.)

3. Join a Nonprofit Board

There are more than 1.5 million nonprofits in the United States, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics. And almost every single one of them has a board of directors, usually consisting of 8-10 volunteers. Using some simple math (and a calculator), that’s 12,000,000-15,000,000 nonprofit board seats that need to be filled. 

While they require more commitment than a Saturday sign-up, few volunteer experiences offer the opportunity to give back, while also directing and driving the impact an organization makes. At AdVic, no one embodies this spirit like our Director of Corporate Culture & Strategic Impact, Nathan Stuck.

Stuck serves on four different nonprofit boards and chairs both Keep Athens Beautiful and B Local Georgia. He told us, “Serving on a board is incredibly rewarding. Not only do I get involved in community outreach events, but I also get to play a part in the overall strategy.” Through his work, Stuck has adopted clean-up highways, created awareness and fundraising programs, and helped nonprofits drive donations and scale their impact. 

His advice is simple: “Follow some of your favorite nonprofits. They all have boards and some of those seats turn over every year. When you see the announcement calling for board nominations, submit one. You’ll be blown away by the incredible change you can bring to your community by serving on a board.” 

4. Pursue Your Passion

At AdVic, we want our team to choose a way to give back based on their passion.. From mentoring students to picking up trash, we encourage everyone to find their civic passion and pursue it. So, find your own passion and find a way to give back. 

Our best example comes from Marshall Hunt, our 2021 Volunteer of the Year. Marshall volunteered over 260 hours to his church and a youth camp at which he spent his 40 hours of VTO (volunteer time-off) chaperoning. “My church, and my faith, have given me more than I could have ever imagined. I live my life to pay back that debt and provide others with the same guidance and direction that I received,” Hunt remarked. 

Marshall’s advice is rather simple: “Whatever cause you’re passionate about, get involved and jump in feet first. It’s been the most rewarding experience of my life.”  

Take Action, Make Progress

No matter your passion, your skill set, or your available free time, find a way to get involved. Every hour of service adds up to the bigger change we need in this world. And it is our duty as citizens to give back, as Muhammad Ali famously remarked, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” 

You alone cannot fix it, but we all need to take action so we can make progress as a society. So open that browser, and search “Google opportunities near me,” and sign up. Heck, maybe we’ll see you there!

Volunteerism is just a small part of how AdVic – a Certified B Corporation – gives back to our communities and the world at-large. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

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For those that live in Raleigh, NC, or have ever visited, there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed a meal at A Place at the Table.  From their delicious biscuits and gravy to their beloved chicken noodle soup, this cafe serves delicious food and does things a little differently. Unlike most restaurants, A Place at the Table is a nonprofit organization, serving community and good food for all, regardless of means. 

With a unique pricing structure that asks customers to pay what they can, they allow those in need to pay as little as $3 for their meal or work it off by volunteering. And because of this approach, they also rely on the generosity of their other customers, as well as donors, to bridge the gap. When the pandemic placed an even heavier reliance on this need, they realized they needed help filling this gap.

That’s when A Place at the Table turned to Salesforce’s nonprofit success pack, a free version of the popular Salesforce® customer relationship management software. This solution would allow them to more effectively, and efficiently, recruit new donors, set up recurring donations, and thank those that donate. It would also serve as a hub for the different technologies they use to collect donations, including Paypal, Give Lively, and Square. 

AdVic Lends a Helping Hand

After completing the application for their free Salesforce licenses, A Place at the Table also realized they needed help implementing the software and integrating all of their legacy systems. That’s when they reached out to Ad Victoriam Solutions (AdVic) for help. With our extensive experience implementing the nonprofit success pack, we were able to offer the right kind of helping hand. 

Best yet, as a Certified B Corp, AdVic was able to offer 25% of the project as pro bono work through our commitment to Pledge 1%, a pledge to donate at least 1% of annual revenue in the form of nonprofit work. A Place at the Table’s executive director, Maggie Kane, knew about AdVic through a mutual connection and made the call. “AdVic has been active in the B Corp community for a while now and I have a lot of friends in the Raleigh B Corp community, so I knew I could trust them to be transparent and honest with us,” Kane states. “They went above and beyond my expectations, making sure to stay within our approved budget and even accomplishing what I thought would need to be done in a Phase 2.”

AdVic was just as thrilled to work with an organization like A Place at the Table. These types of projects give AdVic’s team a sense of purpose in what they do every day, a sense of knowing that they’re making an impact for a wonderful organization that is serving a major need in the community.

An all-around win-win, this project was a fulfilling success for everyone involved. If you’re in the Raleigh area, stop in to A Place at the Table, enjoy a wonderful meal and add a little extra on the donation line when you complete your purchase. 

Watch the Angel Oak Creative Interview with A Place at the Table and AdVic

In need of a technology solution for your nonprofit? Check out Salesforce’s nonprofit success pack here and fill out The Power of Us application to get your nonprofit licenses. And if you’re in need of help implementing the software, or just want to see if it’s right for you, feel free to reach out to AdVic here. 

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If you work at or serve a charitable organization, chances are that you’ve thought of ways in which your organization could run more efficiently. 

Maybe your board is searching for new technologies, new processes, and anything and everything in between that might help the organization do more with less? 

If this sounds like your situation, Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud could be an answer. 

Here are six keys to making the case for Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud, plus tips to ensure it’s impactful: 

1. It’s free! Through The Power of Us program, Salesforce® offers each nonprofit up to 10 free licenses (and this includes fiscally sponsored projects). Sign up for the trial, register your nonprofit with the Power of Us application, and you’ll have your free licenses within 30 days. 
2. It’s more than a virtual rolodex. Yes, you will keep all of your contacts in Salesforce. But you’ll also do so much more. Want to see who’s donating frequently for a new campaign? You got it. Want to see who hasn’t volunteered in more than six months? You’ve got that, too. With actions like donations and volunteer activity living in Salesforce, it becomes easier to track and measure existing (and new) KPIs. 
3. No, it doesn’t mean trashing your legacy systems. Salesforce is the leader in CRM software, so let’s just say, “there’s an API for that.” Quickbooks, Xero, Freshbooks, and just about every other SaaS product will integrate with Salesforce fairly easily. And the more data coming in, the more analysis you can do. 
4. Salesforce is what you do with it. There is an age-old adage in the IT world regarding data, GIGO: Garbage in, garbage out. And it’s the same with Salesforce. If you don’t have the processes (and discipline) in place to use your new system, it won’t be very valuable. On the other hand, if you and the rest of the team are willing to learn, adopt, and use Salesforce, you’ll be able to unleash its full potential. Secure executive buy-in and commit to getting the whole team on board and explain how it will help you better serve your mission. 
5. Figure out your budget. Ask a Salesforce implementation partner to put together a quote for you. Be honest with your needs and your expectations and walk away with a budget, at the very least. This can be an important part of the decision making process. Also keep in mind that some partners offer pro bono options. As a certified B Corporation, AdVic is committed to donating 1% of our consulting time on an annual basis, roughly 1,200 hours, to help nonprofits implement Salesforce. So, if you don’t really need a mobile app and 1,000 integrations, there are ways to do this without dusting off your checkbook. 
6. Make an implementation plan. Unless you have extensive experience configuring Salesforce, or the time to learn along the way, you’ll need to figure out how to get from vision to reality. The two main options, hiring an experienced Salesforce administrator or looking for outside help, both have their pros and cons. Once again, the recommendation would be to ask a Salesforce partner to help you make the right decision for your organization (figure out who oversees their pro bono budget and start with them). 

Salesforce’s free Nonprofit Cloud is a powerful tool for any charitable organization. Data all living in one place, no more Google Sheets and Docs and Excels, and the end of manual data entry for the sake of data entry. Whether you have a staff of twenty or two, Salesforce can free your team up to grow your impact. 

If your nonprofit organization is considering a Salesforce solution, drop AdVic a note, as we’re always eager to connect with missions we can get behind. 

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2. Sustainable Boutique Hotel Stay Booked in Advance: 2020 is ending and a vaccine is on the way and we’ll all soon be looking for an excuse to take a trip. With properties in Florida, Colorado, and New Jersey, we recommend fellow B Corp Legacy Vacation Resorts as a great option for that first trip. 

3. Locally Made Goods from Locally Owned Stores: It is always a good idea to support local businesses, but more than ever in a time when big-box retailers will dominate with high cost advertising. Focus locally: local bookstores, local makers, local everything! It means that much more when you take your business to “the small guy,” and more often than not the extra care and attention will improve your buying experience.

4. Support Black Owned Businesses: The 2018 Annual Business Survey (ABS) found that black-owned businesses accounted for only 2.2 percent of all U.S. employer businesses. One great option to explore is Origyn, a community of BIPOC, woman-owned and LGBTQIAA+-owned brands who believe that anything their communities need, their communities can provide. If you need further inspiration, Forbes also has a wonderful list of 100 black-owned businesses to support. 

5. Find Something Uncommon: Another B Corp we love to support is Uncommon Goods. Their team scour the world for creative crafts and unique products from environmentally friendly sources. The online marketplace also partners with non-profit organizations, donating $1 of every consumer purchase to a partner of your choice. Provide gifts to your loved ones and support to those who need it with an uncommon good! 

6. Give the Gift of B Corp Drinks & Sweets
2020 has seen a surge in demand for companies seeking to certify as B Corps. One great option is Tony’s Chocolonely, who can satisfy your sweet tooth and allow you to proudly bite into an ethically sourced chocolate knowing you have helped them further their vision of making 100% slave-free chocolate a reality.

For fans of Yerba Mate, the caffeine-rich infused drink of South American origin, Guayakí, is another wonderful B Corp to look to for gift-giving inspiration. Introduce someone to one of the fastest growing beverages in the world while helping Guayaki to continue their regenerative agriculture push to protect the Atlantic Rainforest. 

7. The Toms: Those who know a Tom that they consider to be a special someone, and equally for those that don’t, may find the perfect gift with a B Corp namesake. The Toms (Tom’s Shoes, Tom’s of Maine and Tom Bihn) are three wonderful, conscientious organizations with sustainability in mind.

Probably the most well-known of the group, Toms, the footwear company, provides a great range of not only footwear, but also sunglasses and various accessories. What’s more, for every $3 they earn, they donate $1, on top of their reputation as the original one for one company, providing a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased by a customer. 

For the anti-consumer on your list, everyone needs toothpaste, mouthwash, and deodorant. Tom’s of Maine provides personal care products from naturally sourced and naturally derived ingredients, striving to implement and follow sustainable business practices. They donate 10 percent of product sales to nonprofits who work to support health, education, and nature. 

The final Tom, Tom Bihn, is a baggage manufacturer, selling a range of products from backpacks and laptop bags to travel accessories. They’ll also help you feel better about shipping that present, as they have offset over 560 metric tons of CO2e emissions through their participation in the UPS Eco Responsible Packaging Program. .

8. Support that Destination You Love: What makes travel so special? Oftentimes it’s shopping at those places you love in the destinations that you always end up in that allow you to discover the perfect gift when you’re not even looking for it. Be that Wander North Georgia, the locally owned outfitter store in Clayton, GA, who have already donated almost $30,000 to nonprofits in 2020, French Broad Chocolates, the lounge and factory in Asheville, NC, who utilize a number of energy efficient architectural components, or AdVic favorite, Creature Comforts in Athens, GA, who donated over $400,000 to their Get Comfortable community fund in 2019.

9. Plant A Tree or Three: Sustainability and environmental impact does not need to be left to the organizations you shop with. The average carbon footprint in the U.S. is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world (global average is approximately four tons). You can calculate your carbon footprint with this tool and then work to offset it by planting trees. Carbonfund provides a wealth of information about the benefits of planting trees as well as actionable links to purchase your own or for others.

10. Support a Great Cause: For many of us, 2020 was a year of reflection on how we can be better allies for our BIPOC brethren. At AdVic, we’ve pursued new partnerships and found organizations doing JEDI work worth supporting. So consider making a donation to one of our favorites, which include HYPE (Hope for Youth through Providing Education), who provide 21st century skills and technical training to girls of color, HBCUforce, an organization that partners with HCBUs to implement programs that provide early access to cloud computing careers, and HCBUvc, working to diversify a venture capital ecosystem that sees one percent of funds go to minority business owners. 

11. Gift Those Credit Card Rewards: For those who have banked frequent flier miles and credit card rewards over the course of the past year and have so far not had need for them, the holiday season is the perfect time to use them for good! A growing practice of donating frequent flier miles and unused credit card rewards – supported by many credit card issuers, major airlines and hotel loyalty programs – allows customers to support multiple charities that use them to fly and house patients and their families to medical facilities, make wishes come true, and much more! 

As a B Corp, Ad Victoriam makes sustainability and community involvement a priority, and we aspire to extend those values to those around us. Our hope is that we’ve made the case for you to take this opportunity to also showcase those values with your friends and family. And, hey, we hope that we’ve successfully sparked some gift-giving ideas for you as we move closer to the holiday season.

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Gwinnett County, Georgia-based nonprofit HoPe (Hispanic Organization Promoting Education) was the recent recipient of an in-kind technology contribution that will help them grow their mission and better serve their student members and alumni of the program. The organization, which mentors and empowers Hispanic high school students in the Atlanta, Georgia, area to graduate high school and attend college, currently has chapters in 66 high schools in 21 school districts, serving over 3,500 students and graduating over 1,100 students annually. With this contribution, HoPe thinks they can serve even more and expand their geographic footprint.

The AdVic / VMware Solution

This pro bono project was a collaboration between our greater Atlanta, Georgia-based Ad Victoriam Solutions team and the Atlanta VMware team. We worked in tandem to analyze the current business processes used by HoPe, and then leveraged technology solutions to streamline and automate a lot of their day-to-day operations.

Utilizing VMware’s expertise in cloud infrastructure and technology, along with AdVic’s expert knowledge of the Salesforce® platform, our teams were able to give HoPe a 360-degree view into their nonprofit.

As a result of this in-kind contribution, HoPe is now transitioning out of Google Sheets to track their activities, campaigns, and members (potential, current, and alumni) through Salesforce, allowing them to automate items like marketing campaigns, volunteer drives, student sign-ups, and student engagement.

For the Greater Good

Ad Victoriam team members were participating in this project on behalf of The Victory Project, which connects nonprofits that are new to the Salesforce nonprofit ecosystem with members of their consulting team to streamline operations and help nonprofits do more with less. As a certified B Corp, AdVic also offers every employee forty-hours of annual paid volunteer time and is a leader in the communities they serve.

Similarly, VMware team members participated in this project as part of the company’s Good Gigs project, which invests in employees’ leadership development through pro bono service learning. Good Gigs is a part of the VMware Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the company that offers every employee 40 hours of paid volunteer time off, match employee charitable contributions, and believes in the mantra of “we are all citizen philanthropists.”

If you would like to learn more about how your company can become a Certified B Corp, AdVic’s recent three-part blog series has all the information you need to succeed: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3. You may also find this recent AdVic B Corp/Corporate Social Responsibility webinar helpful, too. Still have questions? Reach us here.

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A big part of our vision centered around certifying as a B Corp (a for-profit business certified by a third-party nonprofit organization) and joining the elite ranks of Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and Warby Parker as companies using business as a force for good.

Our hard work paid off in 2018 when we earned our B Corp certification. And now, almost three years later, we’re recertifying as a B Corp, which allows us to evaluate our commitment and reflect on the big picture impact this journey has had on our business.

Becoming a B Corp Helped Us Scale

In four short years, we went from eight employees to ninety. Going through the initial process of certification did two things for us. First, it exposed gaps and the next steps. These were steps included in the handbook, which would include travel policies, a code of conduct, and other HR-related items. But it also exposed opportunities and offered us insights into what type of policies were included by the best companies. So we added benefits such as 40 annual hours of paid volunteer time off, a matched 401k, and a travel policy that prioritized virtual meetings, or when necessary, renting the most fuel-efficient vehicle rather than the cheapest.

Becoming a B Corp Gave Us Mission Lock

If you’ve done as much as work for a company that experienced rapid growth as we have, you’re familiar with the wild swings of scaling a business. Every milestone you pass brings incredible trials and tribulations amongst the lingering questions. Should we hire more employees? Do we have the business to justify the payroll expenses? What does our pipeline look like? Succinctly put, it’s easy to take the first step in forming a socially responsible company. It’s another thing to remain true to that mission when you’re in the middle of it. But through everything, we remembered our commitments. We remembered our annual goals for volunteer and pro bono hours. We remembered our promise to strive towards a more diverse and inclusive workforce. And every day we remember that the B on our door means that we stand for something that we wanted, and continue to want to be.

Being a B Corp Made us Better

Our founder and fearless leader is a great guy, with a great family, that truly wanted to build a better version of the companies he had worked for. But there is no denying that being a B Corp made us better. We became more transparent, we added benefits, we welcomed feedback and made improvements based on it. And we quickly became a place where employees enjoyed working, and candidates wanted to work with.

Why We’re Recertifying

We became a better version of ourselves these past three years. Well, five if you include the original certification process. We’ve gone from 73 percent white male to 48 percent. We’ve expanded our community outreach efforts, and promoted an employee to serve as Director of Culture. The process and this certification have encouraged us to be more intentional in everything we do, and it has indeed made us better.

Our annual evaluation to develop our impact report has been instrumental in keeping us honest. We’ve developed tracking methods and built reports using Salesforce® of course, which gives us insights to set annual goals and track outcomes. Our first run at the assessment took two years. Our second run-through took us 13 hours. And the best part, our score has improved, which proves B Corp has made us better.

The bottom line on this recertification journey is, we’re stoked! We believe strongly that business should serve as a force for good in the world. We also believe that capitalism, if it’s to be sustainable, must work to serve all of its stakeholders and not just shareholders. And we are grateful to be at the front of this wave, building an amazing (and profitable) business, and encouraging others to dip their toes in the water to develop a better version of themselves.

B Corps are the bridge connecting 20th-century capitalism to 21st-century values, an opportunity to lift all stakeholders and prove that profit can be made in a manner beneficial to all. If your company is contemplating a path toward B Corp certification, Ad Victoriam is happy to answer any of your questions – we’ve been there! Reach out to us here.

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If you would like to learn more about how your company can become a Certified B Corp, AdVic’s three-part blog series has all the information you need to succeed: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3. You may also find this recent AdVic B Corp/Corporate Social Responsibility webinar helpful, too.

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And amidst all the trials and tribulations of the past many weeks, some positive stories have also emerged. Everyday folks are helping to feed their community. Frontline hospital teams are working tirelessly to save lives. And there’s a new appreciation for folks that were under-appreciated before. People like servers and cooks and sanitation workers and delivery men and women… And let’s not forget John Krasinski’s Some Good News!

But one other positive has emerged as everyone stays home, pollution levels have dropped significantly. Major European cities have seen a reduction of as much as 50 percent, and the northeast U.S. over 30 percent. In India, they are enjoying crisp blue skies and their lowest pollution levels in years. Their capital city, New Delhi, had previously registered pollution levels 8-20 times higher than what is deemed dangerous.

Our little blue planet is taking a deep breath this Earth Day. We hope this will remind governments, businesses, and everyday citizens to think about and implement, solutions to take care of our environment. With that in mind, we compiled a list of actionable things you can do to build your own ripple and limit your carbon footprint. We’ve also included the estimated amount of CO2 reduction, as estimated by scientists at Project Drawdown (and you can see the full list on their website).

Composting

According to Project Drawdown, in a landfill, biodegradable waste (fruits, veggies, leaves, grass, etc.), lacking the presence of oxygen, produces methane gas as it decomposes. Methane is 34 times more powerful (and bad for the climate) than carbon dioxide. Better yet, organic material is converted into stable soil carbon, which sequesters carbon and makes an excellent fertilizer. It is estimated that composting all of our biodegradable waste would eliminate two-three gigatons of CO2.  Why not start composting with these tips from Good Housekeeping?

Eating Habits: Add More Plants to Your Diet/Reduce Food Waste

Another easy to implement, at-home solution (and one of the biggest personal impacts we can make) is to simply eat more plants. In fact, if the entire world adopted a vegetarian diet, we could reduce “business as usual” carbon emissions by 63 percent, reducing and sequestering between 65-91 gigatons of CO2 over the next 30 years.

Additionally, buy what you need and eat what you buy. As a planet, we waste one-third of the food we raise and prepare. And this food ends up in the landfill and will generate roughly 90 gigatons of CO2 over the next thirty years. And according to Project Drawdown, “the food we waste is responsible for eight percent of global emissions.”

Recycling Paper

Did you know that paper can be recycled and reused five to seven times? Instead of using paper once and sending it to the landfill, and thus increasing the immediate need for more timber to make new paper, recycle it. If the world recycled just 75 percent of paper, estimates are that 1.1-1.95 gigatons of CO2 would be eliminated or sequestered over the next 30 years.

Around the House and Office

For those of you inspired to take it even a step further, there are a multitude of opportunities for home improvement projects that enable you to do your part to make the Earth happy!

For starters, you can follow our lead and install low-flow faucets, toilets, and showers in your home. Water has to be cleaned and heated, and then treated when it comes back as wastewater. This consumes energy and that contributes to climate change. Low-flow technologies can decrease water consumption by 45 percent. That alone could collectively eliminate an entire gigaton of CO2 over the next 30 years. At the very least, you get to do your part and save some money on your water bill!

Another easy way to help save both money and the planet is through the installation of a smart thermostat. It uses algorithms and sensors to “memorize your routines” and nudge users toward more efficient behavior.”

And if you’re feeling really ambitious and planning a remodel or a new home or office build, consider making it net-zero. Using a combination of daylighting, maximum insulation, electrochromic glass, solar panels, and advanced heating and cooling systems, it is indeed possible to have a building that is self-supporting. In Ad Victoriam’s home state of Georgia, we are happy to recommend Imery Construction Group, a fellow certified B Corp and expert at net-zero building and remodels.

Your Next Car: Points to Ponder

• Here’s your fun fact of the day. There are now over one million electric vehicles on the road today.
• A move to all-electric cars would save us 12-15 gigatons of CO2 over the next 30 years, whereas a move to hybrid vehicles would save us 4.5-7.5 gigatons.
• So either way, consider a switch the next time you shop for a new car.

We hope you found this article useful and informative. And most of all, we hope it challenged you to rethink old habits. There is no problem too large to solve. Don’t sit on the sideline with your head in your hands. Don’t lament about the size and scope of the climate change challenge. Instead, understand you can help by playing your part. Start building your ripple of change now. And what else do you have to do this weekend that’s better than starting a compost pile and watching it rot, sustainably?

If you would like to learn more about how your company can become a Certified B Corp like Ad Victoriam, we invite you to contact us here.

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By now, we’ve all set up our virtual offices, stocked our fridge and pantry. We’re all also doing our small part to social distance and limit the spread of the coronavirus. With over a week of isolation in the books for most of us, we’re adjusting to our new normal. And if you’re like us, this has meant a little less 24/7 news watching and a little more searching for the good in the world. That is something that has inspired and reassured us that positivity abounds around us.

So, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, why not be a part of the positivity? Making a difference might not be as easy as it was two or three weeks ago, but it is still possible. Here are three creative ways to get involved and support your community in times of need.

1. Volunteer In Person, at a Distance

Yes, you can still volunteer in person. Healthy, symptom-free volunteers are still needed across the country. Food banks, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters still have needy citizens to feed. And with schools closed and students who relied on free school lunches needing our help, along with a growing number of our most vulnerable members of society now needing assistance, this demand will continue to grow. Many non-profits still need volunteers to sort and distribute donations. With heightened sanitation measures and social distancing in place, you can show up and make sure everyone has food on their plate.

And if your health or living arrangements prevent you from wanting to go into public at all, consider some financial support for these organizations. While delayed, Amazon is still delivering. And if you’re homeschooling right now, what a great lesson to add to the curriculum. Sit down with your kids and fill up your Amazon cart together. Then have it delivered to your local shelter or food bank.

Lastly, if you’re in the Atlanta area, we recommend sending your man and woman power (or financial contributions) to Action Ministries and Hands On Atlanta.

2. Virtual Volunteering

For some industries, work has stopped completely. But much like the food banks and shelters that we discussed above, other nonprofits still have pressing needs. And when we come out of this, they will still be the folks on the front line addressing some of our world’s most pressing needs. And you can help many of them without leaving your shiny, new remote office.

Take a look at fellow B Corp CATCHAFIRE, who offers non-profit organizations the opportunity to list their project needs and then matches them with volunteers that have the skills to tackle those needs. On the first page of opportunities alone, we saw projects that ranged from providing Excel training to helping a non-profit develop their elevator pitch. Find a project that matches your skillset and sign up. You can also check out some creative ideas from Tom Moran, CEO of Teadora, for ways to volunteer from a distance.

3. When the Dust Settles, Support the Companies & Non-Profits that Stepped Up

In addition to the need to step up now to support local businesses by ordering takeout, buying gift cards, or even ordering locally made holiday presents a bit earlier than expected, we should use this crisis to show love and appreciation to the companies and employers that are stepping up for their communities and their team. In the B Corp world, we have a slogan: Vote Every Day. So, when the dust settles, we recommend that you vote for the companies that are making a difference in your community, like some of the examples listed below.

Locally, in the Atlanta, GA, area, we have seen the amazing folks at GoodrCo partner up with State Farm and the Atlanta Hawks. They have each sponsored pop-up grocery stores to ensure everyone has food on their plate. And recently, Atlanta-based Spanx went even further, providing funding for Goodr to be able to offer grocery delivery to families in need.

And throughout the country, companies are stepping up. Baltimore-based Under Armour donated over $1m to Feeding America. In Sioux Falls, SD, local restaurateur Mark Fonder has been using his facilities and supplies to feed hungry school children. Republic Restoratives Distillery and Compass Coffee, both out of Washington, D.C., have begun using their facilities to ramp up production of hand sanitizer. A CEO in Virginia is even foregoing his salary and providing each of his employees an extra $500 per paycheck to support his employees.

In these challenging times, there are always incredible beams of light to guide our path. All of us at Ad Victoriam hope this has given you some inspiration to be your own guiding light. Volunteer in person if you can. Volunteer remotely if you can. Celebrate and support those who are leading your community efforts. And most importantly, spread positivity! If you would like to reach out to us to discuss our B Corporation commitment and initiatives, click here.

Related B Corporation Articles from Ad Victoriam Solutions:

B Corp Reflections Two Years In
We’re a B Corp! Now What?
The Gold Standard of CSR

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The post Opportunity Knocks: Making a Difference is Still Possible appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

As we celebrate B Corp Month during this entire month, we’re compelled to echo their call to action: “Vote Every Day.” The collective action of everyone buying from, working for, and working with B Corps, our votes will be heard. And as a B Corp, we have a moral obligation to be the best company we can be: for our workers, our customers, our communities, the environment, and the movement as a whole. Here are some examples of how Ad Victoriam Voted Every Day:

We Listened to our Employees

Just about every company issues an employee survey nowadays. But how many companies truly act on the feedback they receive? Not only do we embrace a culture of open doors and proactive feedback loops, but we also take our survey very seriously. Every January at AdVic, our Director of Corporate Culture presents survey results to the executive team, with an action plan to tackle recurring concerns. We then share the survey results and strategies with the entire company.

In the 2018 survey, we received similar comments around onboarding, PTO, and communication. So, in 2019, we took action. We formalized our onboarding process and developed a curriculum to help new employees get acclimated. AdVic’s principles also reduced billability targets for new hires, giving them three weeks to get onboarded to the company and the projects they are assigned to. We also launched a new paid-time-off (PTO) policy to allow employees to redeem hours when they went above and beyond the standard 40 hour work week, giving them additional time off. And lastly, we introduced “The Weekly AdVic,” a company-wide video call that shares the previous week’s financial performance, new projects, introduces team members, and shoutouts to those deserving of one. Three simple steps to turn negative feedback into positive action, which will, in turn, further empower our employees to speak up.

“It’s not only the survey every year, but the overall open door policy around feedback that I enjoy. Everyone at AdVic knows we’re young and we’re growing…fast. And our management team listens to everyone. Every year, I see real improvements in the company based on the feedback we give them. If it wasn’t on their radar, it is now. And they take it to heart. That’s, unfortunately, incredibly rare and the main reason I love working here.” – Ricardo Diaz, Team Lead, Community Practice

And we’re still a work in progress. Our 2019 survey highlighted areas for us to focus on here in 2020, many of which are already being acted on. Standardization of processes and remote employee engagement were two common themes we’ll be focused on this year.

We Signed the Pledge

At the 2019 Champions Retreat in Los Angeles, we signed the Pledge to Build the B Economy from Within. The B Corp Pledge focuses on seven key areas we will continue to focus on in 2020:

1. Support the B Corp Community

• From our original B Corp project with the Full-Time MBA program at the University of Georgia, we’ve continued to stay involved with their student-led B Corp projects. In the past 18 months, we’ve assisted on seven B Corp projects and played an integral role in the launch of the MBA program’s new Social Innovation emphasis, which requires working on a B Corp certification project.
• As a result of our initial brainstorming session in the summer of 2018, B Local Georgia has grown to host quarterly networking events and provide an ecosystem of support for B Corps throughout Georgia. AdVic has sponsored several events and our own Nathan Stuck serves as Chair of the organization.

2. Speed Up the Building of An Inclusive and Sustainable Economy

• In addition to our work with UGA and B Local Georgia, AdVic has also hosted a B Corp 101 Webinar and, in 2019, published a three-part webinar series on the why’s and how’s of B Corp certification.

3. Truly Use Business as a Force for Good

• Each year, our consultants utilize their knowledge and expertise to make an impact on the nonprofit community. They assist deserving organizations with Salesforce implementations and support. In 2019, we put our skills to work with the Interfaith Hospitality Network of Athens, an organization that helps families facing homelessness, and Camp Dream, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that runs camps for children with disabilities. In total, our in-kind consulting donations totaled $189,760 in 2019, up from $85,290 in 2018. And we’ve already kicked off a project with VMWare to work on Project Hope, which will focus on mentoring and guiding first-generation Hispanic students from middle school all the way through college graduation.
• Another area of focus in 2020 will be increased employee participation in our Volunteer Time Off program. In 2019, 21 employees took advantage of this benefit, doing everything from road cleanups to field-trip chaperoning. Our goal for 2020 is to have every employee use at least some portion of their VTO.

4. Share Knowledge with Our Fellow B Corps

• Through our continued involvement with B Local Georgia and B Lab, we’ll continue to assist existing B Corps and anyone else with interest in the B Corp movement.

5. Align Our Purchases with Our Values

• 2019 also marked the finish of our office remodel. Every dollar we spent was analyzed and on top of installing motion-activated lights, sinks, and paper towel dispensers, everything from the glass whiteboards to the carpets to the soundproofing was some version of renewable, recycled, and certified.

6. Consider B Corps First When Making Decisions

• Since our certification as B Corp, we’ve worked with fellow B Corps Givily, the Lancaster Stroopie Company, Patagonia, Acorn Graphics, and Blue Avocado. And we continue to find ways to connect more, whether it’s Divine Chocolates at B Local events or Good Pencil Company inserts in our holiday swag bags.

7. Promoting B Corps to Our Employees and Networks

• Here at AdVic, we think it’s important for us to share our B Corp journey. Our desire to be a little bit better every single day. And we hope it inspires others to take the Business Impact Assessment. But most importantly, we appreciate the sacrifices and effort by our fellow B Corps, and the inspiration they give us to be better corporate citizens. Last year, we published our Sustainable Gift Giving Guide, promoting other B Corp businesses during the holiday season. We also featured several B Corps in our blog, 13 Free Ways to Give Back.

We’re Committed to Being Better

Here are the areas AdVic has concentrated on to meet our goal of being better:

Comparison of Demographics Change Over the Past Two Years

• AdVic understands that a diverse workforce creates better output and solutions for our clients. So, at the end of 2017, we were taken aback that, on the eve of our B Corp certification, our company was 73.5 percent caucasian males and only 28 percent female. Talk about fitting an IT stereotype, right? So we looked at ourselves in the mirror and put talk into actions. Since this time, we’ve not only changed how we recruit, but we’ve rewritten our job descriptions to encourage more women and underrepresented minorities to apply.
• And as a result, we’ve completely transformed our company. By the end of 2019, we were 32 percent female and only 48 percent white male. Our employees were also now 27 percent underrepresented minorities, compared with 12.9 percent in 2017.

Re-Wording a Job Description

• In the fall of 2018, we attended our first career fair at The University of Georgia. In total, we received 55 resumes, eight of them were from women. While our first Elevate class was still very diverse, we are appalled at the lack of female diversity. So, we did what we should have done in the first place: We asked our female employees to read our job description. To say we received a unanimous thumbs down would be an understatement. So, we rewrote it. And by our next class, we had hired our first female member of Elevate. After adding another female in our Winter Class of 2020, we are now preparing for our biggest Elevate class yet, with 10 incoming recruits. Seven of those ten? You guessed it, they’re women.

We Are Baking Into Our DNA

• Alerted by 2018 survey feedback, there was a glaring lack of awareness and passion around B Corps and our “why.” To raise awareness, we’ve taken several steps (borrowed from other B Corps). For starters, we launched an internal B Corp steering committee in 2018, a diverse group of employees empowered to represent all stakeholders in the decisions we make. We also introduced an onboarding session around our B Corp status. Meant to inform our new hires about our mission, we include it with the overall benefits section to share our “why” with everyone that joins our team.

In 2020, the Ad Victoriam team will continue to build on what is now almost four years of momentum. We’ll spend a good bit of the year working on our recertification, ensuring we remain a part of this amazing community. We’ll also be on campus at UGA, working with student teams helping business owners achieve certification. And we’ll be at B Local events, connecting like-minded business leaders and explaining how impactful it has been. Most importantly, we’ll continue to be out in our community, being the change we want to see in the world. We invite you to follow us on our journey, or better yet, lead the way at your own company and commit to becoming a certified B Corporation in 2020.

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With holiday spending increasing every year, we are also seeing an increase in conscious consumerism where people are choosing products that are also good for the environment and communities. In an article featured in VOX, the authors referenced a Nielsen study that projects the sustainable product industry being worth over $150 billion by 2021. In fact, sales have risen by 20 percent in just four years.

And when markets grow and consumers follow, companies aren’t far behind. That can lead to some major confusion for shoppers, as everyone seems to be marketing their items with generic, benevolent-sounding claims like “sustainable” or “green” or “earth-friendly.” What do any of these terms mean and how does the average shopper know what’s what?

Help is on the Way

In an attempt to break through the greenwashing, Ad Victoriam is excited to release our 2019 Shopper’s Guide of products and services sold by certified B Corps. B Corps are for-profit businesses that undergo a rigorous assessment. They are graded on their environmental impact, community involvement, supply-chain, worker relations, and governance. Audited and certified by the non-profit B Lab, these companies meet the highest standards of corporate social responsibility.

Ad Victoriam is proud to be a B Corp. We make it a priority to buy products for our business and our personal lives that come from other B Corps. Here are a few of our favorite brands and some of their products on our list this holiday season:

Yummy Sweets

Divine Chocolates: Divine started back in the 90s as one of the first cocoa-producing co-ops in Ghana. Certified as a B Corp since 2016, this female-owned chocolate company contains deliciously rich Fairtrade cocoa, no palm oil, and no GMOs. Our holiday tip is Divine’s Advent Calendar Variety Pack that includes (3) Milk Chocolate and (3) Dark Chocolate Calendars.

French Broad Chocolates: Started by Dan and Jael Rattigan in the mid-2000s, French Broad, based in Asheville, NC, offers everything from bonbons to brownies, with ingredients sourced locally around the fertile Appalachian valley. Take our word and order The Pick Me Up Bundle, featuring six brownies, two dark chocolate bars, and two packages of their delicious chocolate-covered coffee beans.

Lancaster Stroopie Company: One of AdVic’s favorite source for employee treats, this amazing business makes and sells traditional Dutch Stroopwaffeln. And who doesn’t want a caramel-filled cinnamon waffle cookie dipped in chocolate? The best part of this business is that they are female-owned and hire female refugees new to the United States. Trust us and order someone on your list the 12 count Stroopie Gift Tin.

Delicious Coffee

Cafe Campesino: A trailblazer and founding member of Cooperative Coffees, an organization committed to fair trading relationships between farmers and roasters, Cafe Campesino offers wonderful coffee from all over the world, lifting up their trading partners and their local communities. We recommend ordering the Single Origin Sampler, which includes (4) 4 oz. bags of coffees from Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, & Honduras.

Thrive Organic Farmers: Thrive, whose slogan is You Drink, Farmers Thrive, buys their coffee direct from farmers. Through their nonprofit foundation, ThriveWorx, they also give back to these local communities, empowering their farmers to tackle the tough economic, social, and environmental challenges facing them and their communities. Trust us and order Thrive’s delicious Horizon Organic blend. Organically grown in Guatemala, this medium blend is fruity with hints of toasted cereal and chocolate.

Your Amazon Alternatives

DoneGood: All brands on this shopping website pay fair wages and use eco-friendly practices. They also allow you to search for brands that “do good” on other issues you may believe in, like upcycled goods or products from female or minority-owned businesses. Check out this gift-set of three locally produced, all-natural, and non-toxic soap bars made by fellow B Corp, Meliora.

Uncommon Goods: After visiting a craft show in 1999, founder Dave Bolotsky was inspired to connect makers and their unique creations with customers looking for unique products. One item on our shopping list is the Gather and Grow gift set that includes pine-scented soy candle, a wooden pinecone ornament, and everything you need to grow next year’s Christmas tree!

Clothing & Apparel

Patagonia: Known throughout the world for their jackets and outdoor gear, this leading B Corp made its first Black Friday splash in 2011 when they ran their infamous Don’t Buy this Jacket ad in the New York Times, encouraging consumers to buy only what they need. We’ll stick with this theme and recommend the Patagonia Business Library, a set of books that includes Let my People go Surfing, The Responsible Company, and Tools for Grassroots Activists.

Cotopaxi: With a motto as simple as “Do Good,” Cotopaxi leads by example in everything they do, producing their products in Fair Trade certified facilities and donating one percent of all profits to their charitable foundation that aims to eradicate poverty. For the active traveler on your list, we suggest their ALLPA Travel Pack from their Del Dia collection, made completely from scrap fabric left over from previous production runs!

Bombas Socks: What’s not to love about Bombas, who donates a pair of socks for every pair sold. Like their slogan says, these are the most comfortable socks you’ll ever own. But don’t take it from us, buy some for yourself. Help unleash someone’s inner child this holiday season and send them a pair from their Sesame Street collection.

Athleta: One of Gap’s successful B Corp brands (along with Bath and Body Works), Athleta believes in selling sustainable products that allow women to pursue an active lifestyle and unleash the #powerofshe. Check out their Top 10 gift ideas online or at one of their brick and mortar locations across the country.

Toms Shoes: While we’re wearing and giving away comfortable socks, let’s cover them up with some amazing B Corp shoes. In fact, Toms has already donated 60 million shoes to children around the world. And for the Star Wars enthusiast in your life, look no further than Toms Star Wars collection because let’s be honest, who doesn’t need leather Darth Vader loafers in their life?
Bedding

Leesa: 2019 Best for the World: Community honoree, Leesa donates a mattress to a shelter for every mattress sold, focusing on shelters that serve children and teenagers. If you’re shopping for a new mattress this year, take a look at their Legend series, a hypoallergenic mattress made with organic cotton and merino wool and recycled materials.

Green Avocado: Currently a member of one-percent for the Planet and going through B Corp certification process, Green Avocado started five years ago out of a need to break through the greenwashing to find a mattress that was truly non-toxic, and green, and all-natural. They can sell you everything from comfortable mattresses to the bed frame it sits on and the sheets that go on top of it.

Travel

Taos Ski Valley: Looking to surprise the family with the gift of a ski trip this winter? Look no further than Ski Taos. The first certified B Corp ski resort, they can handle everything from your accommodations to your lift passes. So grab your board and hit the slopes, sustainably.

Legacy Vacation Resorts: Further up the Rocky Mountains, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, lies another B Corp resort to base your ski trip from. And if the snow isn’t your thing (or you’re trying to escape it for a few days), head to beautiful Florida, where Legacy has four different properties to choose from. Check out their specials here.

Beauty Products

Badger Balm: A family-owned business in its second generation, Badger carefully sources every aspect of their product line, which offers everything from organic lip palms to all-natural bug repellents. Our pick is Badger’s Sore Muscle Soothing Gift Set, a combination of Ginger Deep Tissue Massage Oil, Sore Muscle Rub, and Sore Joint Rub.

BeautyCounter: A company that has a “Never List” of over 1,500 ingredients they will never use in their makeups, BeautyCounter believes that “beauty should be good for you.” Find holiday gifts for her and him on their website.

Ethique: With a goal of reducing the more than 80 million shampoo and conditioner bottles disposed of every year, Ethique makes soap-like bars of shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, and you guessed it, soap. New Zealand’s highest-scoring B Corp bars are plastic-free, plant-based, cruelty-free and sustainable. They offer six different holiday gift bundles for under $29.

Potent Potables

New Belgium Brewing: What’s not to love about a company that is 100 percent employee-owned, awards an anniversary bike to every employee after one year, and has been a sustainability leader in the brewing industry for over two decades? Oh, and they brew great beer! With locations in Fort Collins, CO and Asheville, NC, New Belgium are definitely worth supporting. Pick up a winter variety “Folly Pack” on the way to your next soiree and be the hit of the party!

Fetzer Vineyards: Celebrating 50 years of making great wines in Mendocino County, Fetzer has publicly reported their greenhouse gas emissions since 2005, treats their own process water, and is proud to be the first TRUE Zero Waste winery in the country. While you pick up that 12 pack of New Belgium, grab a bottle of their Valley Oaks Sweet Rosé for the non-beer drinkers on your list.

A to Z Wineworks: If Oregon wines are more your thing, A to Z offers an incredible selection of wines and was founded on the principle of “business should be conducted as if people and places matter.” From this five-time Best for the World honoree, let us recommend a bottle of 2016 The Essence of Oregon Pinot Noir, a blend selected to offer a darker profile perfect for those cold winter months.

If you would like to learn more about how your company can become a Certified B Corp, AdVic’s recent three-part blog series has all the information you need to succeed: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3. You may also find this recent AdVic B Corp/Corporate Social Responsibility webinar helpful, too.

If you have any questions, we invite you to contact us here.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Ad Victoriam Solutions!

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