2021 Impact Report

As Measure Meant embarks on our fifth year, we are reflecting on how we can effect change by working with businesses to do more for people and our planet. To start, we are taking action and dedicating more resources to solving the climate crisis and to supporting those who are most impacted by climate change.

Why

Measure Meant exists to address the climate crisis and its impact on people and the planet.

How

We do that by seeking to define new measures of success, by demonstrating that organizations have a responsibility and are able to support systemic change while remaining profitable.

What

We provide superior consulting services to help leaders develop sustainability strategies and programs, and operate their organizations with purpose.

We are proud to be a woman-owned business, committed to the highest standards of social and environmental impact, as a Certified B Corporation and 1% for the Planet member.

Expanding Business

A New Space

We moved to the Community Building Campus. We’ve loved being around people and organizations dedicated to social and environmental justice.

A New Face

We hired one new employee in 2021 — Summer Hess! She brings a background in higher education, philanthropy, and small business management to her new role. Summer loves helping values-driven organizations solve problems, strengthen teams, and create vibrant organizational cultures. She is also passionate about measuring what matters and telling great stories.

B Corp Blog - Growing Network, News, & Inspiring Content

A Growing Network

The number of clients we had in 2021 doubled — we take that as a sign more businesses are committing to sustainability.

Six of our clients officially became Certified B Corps (ACP, TCHO Chocolate, The Wander Project, Bliss, K9 Ballistics, and Treatment)
Two companies successfully re-certified (Givily and Vital Farms).
Five clients were waiting in the queue at year-end

Hand holding a card that says, "What can you do today that you couldn't do a year ago?"

Beyond Profit

We worked with two nonprofit organizations to align their boards and strategies, rapidly scale programs to support increased grant funding, write grant proposals, and provide important capacity and leadership coaching that improved their operational execution.

Expanding Impact

B Corp Recertification

We recertified and increased our score by over 30 points to 112.6! Each pass through the B Impact Assessment teaches us more about who we are and where we can still improve:

We met our goals for vendor selection before our target year of 2025 with just over 75% of our purchases made from local, independently owned suppliers
Hiring a new employee provided us with new impact to measure. We scored well for professional development opportunities, extensive paid time off, worker flexibility, and living wages
We have worked with more purpose-driven companies as we have grown, resulting in a higher score for the Impact Improvement Impact Business Model - 100% of our revenue comes from working with clients to improve their impact on the world

Social Purpose Corporation

Measure Meant became a Social Purpose Corporation (SPC) this year when we converted from a Sole Proprietorship.

SPCs (called Benefit Corporations in some states) are a corporate form that allows companies to consider other stakeholders, like communities and ecosystems, when making decisions. We believe this legal structure is an important part of building a stakeholder economy.

UN SDGs, Sustainable Development, Impact Reporting

Sustainable Development Goals Alignment

We continue to align our company practices with the UN SDGs, and by doing so we can do our part to make measurable progress toward reducing emissions and protecting the environment. Working with our clients, we encourage them to think about how they can align their work with the SDGs.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all". The SDGs were created in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030.

Giving Back

In 2021 we gave 7% of our annual revenue.

The Environment — 17%

Spokane Riverkeeper, The Lands Council, 1% for the Planet, 350 Spokane

Racial Equity — 83%

We developed a partnership with The Carl Maxey Center in 2020 to support the mission of cultivating racial equity in our community. We asked Sandy Williams, the Executive Director, what she needed most. When she said capacity is the biggest challenge, we offered to hire, manage, and pay for a part-time employee. Anesu Mujenge supported the Carl Maxey Center throughout the year, and in late 2021 Sandy Williams lent his support to The Way To Justice so that he could follow his passion. In 2021, our support equated to over $16,000 in payroll related expenses.

We also gave 88 hours of volunteer time.

Adopting the Sustainability Action Plan (SAP) was a tremendous success for Spokane. An 85 page document detailing strategic actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change and other environmental issues, the SAP is an integral plan for change. Measure Meant’s team members were contributors to the report, spending 60+ hours over the last few years in service of creating a pathway to a sustainable Spokane.

We also spent time volunteering in the community with the following organizations:

Spokane Zero Waste
Whitworth and Gonzaga classes
Indigenous Roots and Reparations Foundation
South Perry Farmers Market
South Perry Business and Neighborhood Association
Main Market Co-op Board of Directors

Sign that says, "Earth is more valuable than money."

SME Climate Hub, Net Zero, B Corp Climate Collective

Goals for 2022 and Beyond

Due to the pressing nature of the climate crisis, our goal is to focus on environmental impact over the coming years.

Net zero by 2022
Reach 10 Certified B Corps in Central and Eastern Washington by 2023
Increase our ratio of local/PNW clients to 50% by 2025

Continue supporting a part time employee for The Carl Maxey Center
Increase percentage of company giving to environmental nonprofits
Spread climate awareness