For FM Civic, 2023 is all about defining and broadening our personal #communityimpact as a business. Here’s what we hope to accomplish this year.
1. Earn B-Corp certification. B Corporations come from all lines of business. Some are small emerging businesses like ours, others are multinational corporations. Together these businesses are amplifying and raising the bar for the role companies can play in tackling complex social, environmental and political challenges. We’re seeking this certification to support the B-Corp movement, to develop accountability for ourselves and to tap into a network of other businesses focused on more than the bottom line.
2. Invest in our partners. One of our OG values at FM Civic is to support amazing independent entrepreneurs to lead their best lives through our partnerships. For every project we undertake, we build a lights-out team of professional contractors who are each devoted to their craft: strategic communications, development strategy, graphic and web design, stakeholder engagement, digital marketing, coalition-building and more. These partners deliver for our clients at a high level, and we want to deliver for them. In 2023, we will do that by providing our partners meaningful income–ideally enough to sustain their business models–professional development opportunities, and pro bono support to build their brands and networks.
3. Redirect 10 percent. From the beginning, the goal has been to drive 10 percent of gross revenues at FM Civic into community initiatives. This is a scary goal. Audacious. Possibly far too big. But in 2022, we came close with 8 percent of gross revenues being donated to #communityimpact work around the Pacific Northwest. Some in cash, some in donated guidance and collaboration. This year, as the business scales up, this goal feels even more looming, but steadily month by month, we’ll unfurl the plan to see it through.
How will we do? We promise to check back in at the end of 2023 with an update. Stay tuned!