Decade: 2021 Impact Report

Decade was founded January 2nd, 2020. We took this plunge just in time to be blinded-sided, along with you Dear Reader, by the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic. 2020 was a year spent pivoting Decade from a 100% in-person delivery model to one that was nimble, low-carbon, and remote-first. We could never have imagined what lay ahead for our tiny team with a gargantuan dream.  

We were in it, all of it, just like the rest of you. Our future was uncertain; we embraced it, we pivoted, we won, we lost, we said good-bye to loved ones, we greeted new friends. By the end of 2020 we were through the hand-wringing and felt sure Decade would make it. Ultimately, we found ourselves as a company and our place in the great transition to a better world. 

2021 saw renewed calls for businesses to take action beyond profit. The B Corp movement experienced explosive growth, familiarity with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals continued to increase, consumers demanded more from brands and they grabbed their wallets, and companies responded. They are moving beyond philanthropy to develop regenerative, impact-centred, circular businesses that create benefits for all.

2021 was a year of uncertainty that can not be underestimated. It was also a year of tremendous progress. Our hypothesis continues to be proven correct; this is the most important decade in human history.

We’re in business because we believe every company can leave the world better than they found it, every person deserves to feel the delight of changemaking, and absolutely anything is possible.

Decade is a Benefit Company

A Benefit Company is a for-profit company, provincially incorporated in British Columbia (Canada), that commits to conducting its business in a responsible and sustainable way. It must also promote one or more public benefits of the company’s choosing. Public benefits must have a positive effect for a group of people (other than shareholders), communities, organizations, or the environment.

Decade’s public benefit statement is:

“The Company will promote the development of social and environmental impact strategies for for-profit companies who wish to use their business to create positive change to the benefit of the public. In pursuing this benefit, Decade will conduct our business in a responsible and sustainable manner.”

Our Impact to date

Our Impact 2021

62

Impact Design Workshops

289

Workshop Participants

688

Workshop Hours

Customer Impact

Decade serves changemaking companies throughout North America. We align our revenue with impact through the use of the B Impact Assessment and conduct yearly measurement activities to support our impact thesis. Our impact is defined through two business models; serving purpose driven organizations and designed to give.

Our clients are impact heroes. They are doing the heavy lifting, bringing courage and creativity to their teams and defining the future of their impact. Our clients have made huge commitments and progress towards a more just and inclusive economy. 

IBM: Impact improvement

The Impact Improvement Impact Business Model recognizes services that drive positive change in organizations to improve social or environmental impact. Our approach to impact improvement combines long-game impact business strategy with granular implementation - all wrapped in a team-based approach that increases company-wide impact literacy.

We support clients in defining their impact business model(s) and transforming/optimizing their culture; and stick around to ensure these are changes/optimizations are operationalized. We commit.

Getting to 80 Program

Since 2018 the Decade team have been delivering a workshop series called Getting to 80. This program was designed to democratize our service, offering access to our expertise for small to medium sized enterprises that would otherwise be priced out. (We all need to make change if we’re going to stay below 1.5 degrees of temperature rise AND build an economy where everyone thrives. We simply couldn’t sleep at night if we didn’t offer a lower-barrier option!)

This fast-paced, six-day program takes companies through the B Corp assessment to measure what is today, and into the future to design what will be in the years to come. The program is equal parts impact literacy training, business systems design, and future scenario planning. 

We intend to continue to deliver the program and have been hatching plans to grow our impact. We are offering 3 cohorts in 2023 and are set to increase that number in 2024. 

Overall MEtrics

Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation

The future we envision is one that leaves no one behind, that amplifies and celebrates the voices of black and brown people, that affords women the right to choose, that creates space for all, that brings us into right relationships with mother nature. This is only possible through the complete dismantling of white supremacy. This system has served the few at the expense of the many. It is time to turn the page. 

Truth, reconciliation, and racial justice are the bedrock required to build a just and inclusive economy and the stakes couldn’t be higher. This is not just a fight for the rights and dignified existence of all people, this is a fight for the future of humanity and the health of our home planet. We know racial justice is climate justice. We know it is time to right historical wrongs. We know this is going to be a multigenerational challenge. And, we know we are ready. We have to be ready because this is the last decade we have to course correct. 

We are learning.

In 2021 our team completed the University of Alberta’s Indigenous Canada Course. This was just the beginning for us. In 2022 we are working with Rise Consulting to further our Indigenous education. We will also be engaging in the Allied Futures learning programs.

We are convening.

Since 2020 our team has been supporting the creation of the BLD (B Corp Leadership Day). These conferences bring together the Canadian B Corp community to explore learning and collective action in the following areas: Reconciliation and Racial Justice, Environmental Action, Place-based business, Storytelling for Action, and more.

We are Leveling.

In 2021 the Decade team was one of two consulting firms in North America selected to support the delivery of B Lab’s LEVEL program. The LEVEL program is designed to do two things; support BIPOC led companies in navigating and achieving the B Corp certification and gaining awareness of systemic barriers in the assessment itself.

Corporate Citizenship

We’re in the game to prove that businesses can leave the world better through their revenue generating activities. Philanthropy is beautiful - we also believe we should live in a world where it isn’t a necessity. That day has not yet dawned so our team are committed to raising the bar.

We’re doing that through our aggressive community strategy. Decade donates 1% of gross revenue to environmental causes through 1% for the Planet. We also donate 5% of our time to causes that align with our values and drive systems change. As a result of our community impact strategy Decade also meets the requirements of the Designed to Give Impact business model.

The Designed to Give impact business model recognized companies with a standing commitment to provide a significant portion of company profits, revenue, equity or time to charitable causes. In order for Decade to qualify for this impact business model we have made a long-term commitment to offering the equivalent of 5% of total revenue to organizations in need and those that are values aligned.  

Time

Time is precious and that is exactly why we are generous. Our team volunteer commitments focus on three core challenges; supporting the growth of the B Corp movement, bringing businesses together to drive collective action, and supporting a secure and equitable food system in British Columbia.

B Local Vancouver

Brands for Better

Farm Folk / City Folk

Money

1% for the Planet:

Our monetary donations are intended to support those on the front lines of the climate crisis. We support bold organizations in advancing environmental policy and protecting courageous citizens in the fight for the climate.

Raven Trust

Extinction Rebellion

Stand.Earth

Knowledge Sharing

Our small team has developed a wealth of knowledge in the world of impact business and we generously share what we have learned at every opportunity. To that end, our founders are both delivering education and learning to students and young entrepreneurs in British Columbia and beyond.

BCIT

Brianna works as a part-time instructor in BCIT's "Sustainable Business Leadership" program, an advanced diploma for early career professionals to advance their skillsets in impact business practices. She leads a course in Impact Measurement & Reporting, supporting the next generation of sustainability professionals to measure and manage material issues.

Foresight

Kristy holds a position as Executive in Residence at Foresight CAC supporting Clean Tech startups to build their impact strategies, gain further clarity on their social and environmental impact, frame and craft their investment narratives, and determine how best to measure their short and long term impact.

Local Economic Impact

As a small business ourselves, we understand that the way that we choose to purchase has significant impact on our economies and we wish to increase the positive impact we are creating. We don’t have as complex supply chains as some of our clients, but we believe that every business can build better relationships through our purchasing decisions!

Where available, we give preference to suppliers who are values-aligned, innovative, and actively engaged in the impact economy; locally owned and operated; and/or majority owned by women and/or people from underrepresented groups. We believe that we should not only take these factors into consideration, but should make specific commitments for the percentage of expenses sourced from each of these categories.

Interdependence is at the core of social change and building a just and inclusive economy. We are hyper aware of our local economic impact and make it a priority to support local business and community building at every opportunity. We aspire to use our business to build a thriving local economy where folks from all walks of life feel they belong and all have the chance to live a dignified existence.

We understand that even as a small (but mighty) company we can use our business to help others thrive. That’s why we have developed a series of community focused commitments to hold ourselves accountable to. 

While our primary impact comes from how we work with our clients, we are also committed to supporting a more inclusive, resilient, and regenerative economy through our community commitments. These are focused in two areas; using our supply chain to support local, values aligned, and BIPOC companies, and lifting up the work of changemakers and activists through donations, volunteer, and pro bono time.

Decade Impact has a commitment to purchase:

1. At least 50% of expenses from values-aligned vendors, including B Corps and other businesses with environmentally and socially friendly practices.

2. At least 50% of expenses from local vendors, specifically from businesses within the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley of British Columbia.

3. At least 30% of expenses from suppliers with diverse ownership, including women-owned and BIPOC-owned firms.

2021 by the numbers

10%

Of our expenses were procured from businesses from B Corp certified firms.

60%

Of our expenses were procured from local & independent businesses in the Vancouver-area.

40%

Of our expenses were procured from women-owned or BIPOC-owned businesses.

The Decade Team

As a boutique consulting firm, we are small. At the end of 2021 we were a three strong, all female team. Always mindful, we are taking our time, growing steadily rather than quickly, and creating a culture that will keep our team together through the long game. 

Our function as a company offers us the opportunity to walk the walk by providing an exceptional space for our team members. We aren’t just advising our clients to be better employers, we’re taking our own advice! 

To that end, we are committed to creating a work environment that supports our personal, professional, physical, and spiritual growth. Our team is well rested and enjoys above market holiday and downtime. We offer health spending accounts that allow for flexibility in how benefits are used. We pay competitive salaries and offer plentiful opportunities for team members to push themselves professionally and push the boundaries of how impact can be creating in our client companies.

On pushing the boundaries, a lot of what we do isn’t taught in school. We are responding by developing a learning culture that would impress even the most seasoned consulting firms. Working at Decade is a little like going to the best world-changing, impact business bootcamp around. 

Finally, creativity is at the core of everything we do. “Yes, and” is both a mantra and a mission. Above all else, we offer our team the psychological safety and creative space to dream a better world into being alongside our clients.

2021 by the numbers

Environment

Environmental action is foundational to our reason for being. Decade came into being in 2019; the year of fire. Our team continues to be rocked by the growing climate emergency. Every IPCC report is an emotional experience. 

2021 was a biblical year in British Columbia; floods, wildfires, the heat dome, cooking coastlines, the incineration of the town of Lytton. Thousands upon thousands of people displaced by unnatural disasters. We had a front row seat to the human-caused, climate emergency in action. 

Being a small, remote-first team, Decade’s climate impact is relatively small. The covid 19 pandemic allowed us to move our operations and client delivery to a fully virtual model. Reducing our client-related travel minimized our own footprint. 

Our commitment to the environment is demonstrated through our philanthropic activities and, to a certain degree, the environmental actions taken by our clients. (See our community section for more details on our environmental philanthropic and volunteer actions.)

B Corp

We believe in B Corp; as an assessment, as a certification, and as a social movement. It is not the only impact measurement framework, but it is the most accessible. The density of the assessment is where its power emanates from. It is a catalog of the most progressive business practices in the world and it is free to all.

Used intentionally, the B Corp framework provides a map from conventional business to world-saving company.

We’re in the business of corporate rebellion, leading companies into the fray, and the B Corp assessment is our most valued tool.