What Is a Certified B Corporation and Why Do Nonprofits Sometimes Hire Them?
The B Corp logo appears on an increasing number of business websites, proposals, and email signatures. For nonprofit and government procurement staff evaluating vendors, understanding what it means — and what it does not mean — is worth a few minutes.
What B Corp Certification Is
A Certified B Corporation is a for-profit business that has been independently certified by B Lab, a nonprofit organization, for meeting verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
To become certified, a company must complete the B Impact Assessment, a rigorous evaluation of its practices across five domains: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. Companies must score a minimum of 80 out of 200 points. They must also amend their governing documents to legally require consideration of the interests of all stakeholders — not just shareholders — in company decision-making. Certification is renewed every three years.
As of 2025, there are over 9,500 Certified B Corporations across 160 industries in more than 100 countries. ArcStone is among them.
What B Corp Certification Is Not
B Corp is not a nonprofit designation. Certified B Corporations are for-profit businesses. The certification is not about tax status but about how the company is run and what it is accountable for.
B Corp is also not self-reported or unverified. The B Impact Assessment is administered by B Lab and requires documentation of the company’s actual practices, not just its stated values. Random site visits and documentation requirements are part of the certification process.
It is also distinct from “benefit corporation” status, a legal structure available in many states. A company can be a certified B Corp without being a benefit corporation and vice versa, though B Lab encourages certified companies to adopt the benefit corporation structure where it is available.
Why Nonprofits and Government Agencies Sometimes Prefer B Corp Vendors
Several factors make B Corp certification specifically relevant in vendor selection for mission-driven organizations.
Values alignment. A nonprofit’s board and donors have legitimate interest in whether the vendors their organization pays share the organization’s values. A B Corp certification provides third-party verification that the vendor has accountability structures for social and environmental impact — not just marketing language.
Accountability structure. B Corps are legally required to consider the interests of workers, community, and environment alongside financial return. For nonprofits that care about how their vendor treats its own employees, this matters.
Procurement criteria. Some funders and government agencies explicitly encourage or require consideration of certified diverse and values-aligned vendors in procurement decisions. B Corp status can be a relevant factor alongside woman-owned, minority-owned, or other certified designations.
Alignment with grant requirements. Some grant-funded projects include provisions about vendor selection that favor organizations demonstrating social accountability. B Corp certification provides documented evidence of that accountability.
ArcStone as a Certified B Corporation
ArcStone is a Certified B Corporation and a majority woman-owned business. Both certifications are independently verified. Our B Corp certification reflects how ArcStone operates: how we treat our employees, how we engage with our community in Minneapolis, what our environmental practices are, and how our governance is structured.
For nonprofits that factor vendor values into their selection process — either because their board expects it, their funders require it, or because it genuinely matters to them — our B Corp status is a meaningful data point, not a marketing slogan. It means an external organization has reviewed our practices and found them to meet a defined standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
ArcStone is a Certified B Corporation and majority woman-owned web development agency based in Minneapolis. If vendor values alignment matters to your organization’s procurement process, we are glad to share our B Corp documentation.
