About Better World Books
Better World Books is a unique Social Enterprise - a triple bottom line business where creating a nursing library in Somaliland, supporting employees with profit sharing and equity ownership opportunities, and shipping book orders climate neutral are not just a by-product of doing business – they are the business. We’re not a company with an add-on “cause” component. Social and environmental responsibility is at our core. You could say it's in our DNA.
We became a Founding B Corporation because, simply put, we believe that we are a different type of business. Our triple bottom line business model separates us from our competitors. While they are set up to provide wealth for their shareholders, we are set up to benefit our literacy partners, our employees and our environment.
We understand the importance of running a profitable enterprise. While most businesses answer only to their shareholders, we answer equally to all of our key stakeholders. By accounting for and supporting their long-term viability, profit takes on a much broader and richer meaning.
The Change We Seek™
Better World Books is a global bookstore that harnesses the power of capitalism to bring literacy and opportunity to people around the world.
• Better World Books capitalizes on the value of the book to fund and support literacy initiatives locally, nationally, and globally. We recognize the importance of literacy in alleviating poverty and empowering individuals to improve their everyday lives. A bookstore ought to generate funding for these programs and we do it with every book we sell. We currently support 85 partners who devote themselves to promoting literacy.
• If you’re concerned about your eco-footprint, know that Better World Books is determined to minimize its environmental impact. On the advice of a Carnegie Mellon engineer, we implemented an e-commerce first: the Carbon Neutral Shopping Cart. We collect a few cents from every customer at checkout, which goes directly to Carbonfund.org, the leading non-profit provider of carbon offsets. This small change is enough to offset both our shipping and the shipping of our literacy partners.
Founding B Corporation
Better World Books
- Industry: Other
- Product/Services: Online Used & New Bookstore
- Location: Alpharetta, GA
- http://www.betterworldbooks.com
Summary:
Certified: July 2007| Points Earned | % Points Available | |
|---|---|---|
| Accountability » | 10.3 | 69% |
| Employees » | 30.5 | 51% |
| Consumers » | 24.2 | 69% |
| Community » | 41 | 59% |
| Environment » | 8.7 | 43% |
| Composite B Score | 114.7 | 58% |
- >80 out of 200 is eligible for certification
- >60% points available = Area of excellence
Highlights:
2008 B Impact ReportConsumers: Sells textbooks and other educational materials, 92% of which come from college book drives, keeping them out of landfills.
Employees: Job growth rate >15%, 50% of health insurance covered for employees and their families, 50-75% of employees have ownership, 25-49% of new positions were filled in with internal candidates, 6 weeks paid time off for tenured employees, 1 month severance
Community: >5% of revenues to charitable partners, >25% employees work in low-income communities, >10% suppliers are located in low-income communities, 1-24% of employees took time off for community service
