Exciting news from Artfinder HQ today! Earlier this year we shared the news that we had started on our B Corp journey. We didn't know how long that journey would take (it takes many businesses years to reach the high level of environmental and social responsibility needed to be certified), but we are delighted to announce that after just six months, Artfinder is now officially a Certified B Corporation!
What does it mean?
B Corps are a new kind of company that use the power of business to address society’s greatest challenges. Artfinder is the world’s first art business to successfully achieve this prestigious certification (as far as we know!), which measures a commitment to meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.
Artfinder joins a rapidly growing global movement of more than 2,900 Certified B Corporations in 150 industries across 64 countries, including companies like Patagonia, Innocent Drinks and Ben & Jerry’s.
We started Artfinder to create a world where art benefits everyone, not just a few. It is an honour to be independently certified as a business that is a force for good in the art world. Our mission is to make art accessible, affordable and a viable career for artists, and we’re committed to operating in the right way in order to achieve that. Our community of artists and customers can now be independently reassured that we’re here for the right reasons, and will do whatever it takes to push the art world into a more sustainable future. One, where benefits are distributed fairly and our community’s work leaves a positive impact on the environment.
The impact assessment required to become a B Corporation is a rigorous test of all areas of the business, its purpose and impact on society and environment. We started the process back at the beginning of this year and submitted our assessment earlier this month. A very high score of 80 points is required to pass and I’m delighted to say that we have joined the B Corp community with a very respectable score of 81.4. This is only the beginning though, as every company is assessed every three years, with the expectation that the score will increase - so the hard work really starts here!
You can see our public B Corp profile here with our scores in various assessment areas transparently displayed.
How will we make a difference?
Well, firstly, the certification means that we have legally changed the purpose of the business. Artfinder no longer exists simply to create profit for our shareholders, but also to make art more affordable, accessible and a viable career for artists. So that's quite a big deal, hey?
Over the coming months we will be putting into action a whole host of new initiatives which will look to improve our offering to our community of artists. We will also be publishing an Artfinder Impact Report each year in which we will openly share with you our progress towards creating a world where art benefits everyone.
It’s not just our commitment to artists that we have set in stone, but also our commitment to the environment and to positive social impact. Climate change, arguably the biggest issue of our lifetime, is something that we all have a responsibility to address and we will be looking at ways to reduce our platform’s environmental impact over the coming months as well as working on initiatives that raise awareness and money around this issue.
And finally, we are fully intending to be active members of the B Corp community - which might involve speaking at events or working or partnering with other B Corp businesses. We are so excited for the opportunities ahead and for building a world in which art benefits everyone!
❤️
Michal & The Team
