On July 22, 86 companies worldwide were recognized for creating the most positive impact for their community by the nonprofit B Lab with the release of the third annual 'B Corp Best for Communities' list. This analysis includes metrics regarding supplier and workforce diversity, volunteerism and charitable giving, local and fair trade supply chains, and the products/services' direct impact on social issues including health, education and economic opportunity.

Highlighted companies include Greyston Bakery, which provides job opportunities regardless of work history through their open hiring policy, and Minnesota's Sunrise Banks, which invests in projects to develop strong communities that provide homes and jobs to their residents.

The 'B Corp Best for Communities' list honors businesses that earned a community impact score in the top 10% of all Certified B Corporations on the B Impact Assessment, a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of a company's impact on its workers, community, and the environment. Honorees were recognized among micro, small, and mid-sized businesses.

The 'Best for Communities' companies come from over 35 different industries such as consulting, educational support services, retail and financial services. A quarter of honorees are based outside North America, with 25% of companies operating in emerging markets including Chile, the Republic of Korea and Kenya.

"B Corps around the world are taking the extra step to build thriving communities," said Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder B Lab. "The Best for Communities Honorees stand as the gold standard to help inspire any company to start using business as a force for good and improve the quality of life of those around them."

Each honored company is a Certified B Corporation. They use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems and have met rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. In fact, B Corporations are 30% more likely to give workers time to volunteer than other sustainable businesses (B Analytics). Today there are over 1050 certified B Corporations, across 60 industries and 34 countries, unified by one common goal: to redefine success in business.

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