Co-Profit Model: Non-Profit Benefits

Beyond working on eliminating contributions to un-sustainability, a co-profit business must address its social context. In this sense, co-profits make contributions in time, money, and expertise to heal social and ecological systems as follows:

  1. Sustainability-Oriented Business: a co-profit business must first, do no harm. By sustainability-oriented, we mean it strives to “meet the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In other words, it explicitly and continually works at reducing and eventually eliminating its contributions to systematically undermining the social fabric and global ecosystem, both direct and indirect, now and in the future;
  2. Time & Skills Transfer: from each employee to apply skills to the non-profit organization to help in day-to-day operations thereby providing an opportunity to do ‘good’ each day through the context of their employment - which allows employees to continue to do ‘well’ financially. For instance, business development personnel work on fundraising, financial personnel work on financial matters, operations personnel work on day to day operations, technical personnel keep everyone connected, etc. (Clearly, those who are skilled in delivering the specific services to those in need are not replaceable, but we maintain efficiencies can be leveraged.)
  3. Investment:  a co-profit business can and should invest in a social enterprise serving under developed communities both in the US and abroad.  Such investments may include placing capital sustainable agriculture (Bamboo farming) and renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass).  The investment should yield market rate returns AND provide much by way of social dividends to poor communities.
  4. Innovation: if a co-profit business makes flashlights, why not invest in exploring new ways to build super affordable, sustainably built flashlights for the 3 billion people in the world that do not have light?  We maintain that such a pursuit would not only open potential new markets, it would help inform design for the market rate flashlights and likely improve employee morale (maybe even productivity) and certainly be viewed beneficially by the greater community.
  5. Financial & Infrastructure Contributions: from business activities that support the core operations (i.e. overhead expenses) of the non-profit, shared infrastructure in the form of office space, equipment, staff, outside professionals, etc. to help make the non-profit more efficient. This ensures that 100% of donations to the non-profit go directly to benefit the cause;

By genuinely contributing to the creation of a sustainable society – by systematically eliminating direct and indirect negative impact, and proactively working to have a restorative effect – co-profits and their stakeholders should do well while doing good.