The Best Practices Embedded in World Centric’s Global Grassroots Giving Program
Director of Impact Shares Why and How the B Corp Gives 25% of Profits to Community Projects Around the World
Since 2009, World Centric has given at least 25% of its profits to fund grassroots community projects worldwide —from supporting community development efforts in Murambi District, Rwanda, to the Kabukanga Cluster of Ndaiga in Kagadi District, Uganda, and beyond. Over the years, World Centric has donated over $6 million to fund more than 180 projects that provide basic needs and economic development opportunities for communities experiencing extreme poverty while beneficially impacting the environment. In their own words, World Centric works with organizations that “not only provide assistance but help create systems change at the root of the issues.”
As a Best For The World Honoree, World Centric’s impact does not go unnoticed, and their genuine efforts came from humble beginnings. In 2004, Aseem Das launched World Centric to raise awareness of large-scale humanitarian and environmental issues. As Das’ efforts grew, World Centric began selling compostable products at the beginning of 2005 to avoid taking donations or grants and become a self-sustaining organization. Later, in 2006, the organization registered as a taxable California Non-Profit Corporation intending to become a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. But as selling compostable products became the company’s primary focus, it made sense to convert from a taxable nonprofit to a for-profit social enterprise in 2009. To continue this evolution, World Centric became a Certified B Corporation in 2010 and ultimately converted to a California benefit corporation in May 2013.
Today, Janae Lloyd is World Centric’s Director of Impact. She develops their strategy for giving, builds partnerships with nonprofits, and ensures that the giving program aligns with the company’s values. “We didn’t set out to have this role at World Centric. But as the program grew, it was clear we needed someone dedicated to both continually improving how we evaluate impact and to build strong connections with our partners,” says Lloyd. “It’s due to feedback from our partners that we have focused our support on community-based organizations, prioritized groups with majority in-community representation, and increased our support of funding for capacity building.”
In her role at World Centric, Lloyd pursues a commitment to continually learn about the inextricable links between environmental and social justice. “Humans are increasingly influencing the planet’s ecological systems and atmospheric temperature by burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and farming livestock. Wealth inequalities among people throughout the world are more apparent than ever. People living in poverty, often those consuming the least, are the most impacted by the climate crisis,” Lloyd explains. World Centric chooses to direct its giving to those who are the most vulnerable by funding work to alleviate extreme poverty while beneficially impacting the environment.
For example, World Centric donated $53,047 from profits from the fiscal year 2019 to Raising the Village (RTV), whose focus is on moving residents of rural communities in Uganda out of ultra-poverty. Through this partnership, World Centric is helping some villages in the Kabukanga Cluster (2,701 individuals) participate in a 10-month training program with Raising the Village. This training program includes, but is not limited to, latrine construction and water pipeline installation, agriculture training, and compost and nursery setup. They expect the average household income and consumption to increase from 43 cents a day to 75 cents a day by month 12 and reach $1.25 a day by month 24. In addition, they expect 40% of women and 20% of youth to hold a total of 60% of all village-based leadership positions across all villages.
What best practices are embedded in World Centric’s giving strategy and program that help them deliver this kind of impact? In the Q&A that follows, Lloyd shares more about their giving criteria, reporting, and tips for companies that wish to adopt a similar strategy and approach.
Why and how was World Centric’s giving criteria designed? Why is it important for projects to be reviewed by your internal team to ensure that they meet your criteria for direct impact?
Janae Lloyd: Our giving has always been focused on alleviating suffering in the world. The mechanisms for creating that change have shifted over the years as we learn and grow as a funder. I rely on our nonprofits to be strategic thought partners, influencing how we evaluate what impact means.
We do have criteria guidelines for partnerships, which are largely based on an alignment of focus on alleviating poverty and our knowledge of the organization’s approach and how they work. As a former nonprofit ourselves and as a business that has been a start-up and scaled our reach, we take an efficiency-based approach to vetting partners. I view our grants as an investment in their model, which needs to deliver on impact.
Once giving projects are approved, nonprofits are required to submit reports at the project’s halfway point, the end of the project, and one year later. What are some of the mutual benefits of this practice?
Traditional grantmaking has been very transactional; cut a check and receive a report. In order to forge better partnerships, reporting should be seen as a tool for collaboration. Yes, it allows us to track the outputs and outcomes of projects and determine future funding, but it’s also a place for grantees to share their challenges, insights, and feedback.
An added benefit of reporting is it provides us with information we can share back with our team who are deeply committed to our mission of service.
Any tips for companies that want to adopt a similar strategy and approach?
Guides to philanthropy often encourage individuals to find what they are passionate about and support that cause. I agree, but I also encourage B Corp leaders to find a critical need in their community or the world. What change in the world do you want to advocate for?
Seek to understand and challenge the power dynamics between “donors” and “doers.” Donors make decisions about where and how funding is disseminated. Power imbalance happens when those decisions are made without community and/or “doer” input. You can support balanced relationships by working with community-based organizations, using participatory grantmaking, and funding BIPOC-led nonprofits, because who gets the funding matters.
Some great resources to continue this discussion are the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Decolonizing Wealth by Edgar Villanueva, Opportunity Collaboration, and, of course, conversations with your nonprofit partners.
Understand where your money is going. Review the financials of the organization and their annual reports. Are they accomplishing their mission? Once you find nonprofits that align with your values, be a curious and continual learner. They are the on-the-ground experts, doing critical and difficult work. Beyond giving funding, use your voice as a company to elevate your partners’ work and the issues they are working to solve.
Learn more about World Centric’s impact through global grassroots giving and how to donate to one of its trusted partners.
B The Change gathers and shares the voices from within the movement of people using business as a force for good and the community of Certified B Corporations. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the nonprofit B Lab.
