How Raisely goes beyond the mark as a B Corp

The world is in crisis. Our environment is rapidly declining, and social justice gaps are widening. By prioritising profit over the planet and people, most businesses are contributing to the problem.

But there's hope. At Raisely, we believe that business can and should be a force for good. That's why we're proud to be have been a certified B Corp since 2015, joining a growing movement of businesses committed to using their power for good.

What is a B Corp  B Corp month?

A B Corp is a type of for-profit company that has been certified by the nonprofit B Lab, as meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

Our journey towards becoming and staying a B Corp hasn’t been easy. We've had to challenge our assumptions about what business is and can be, and we've had to make some tough decisions along the way. But we know it's worth it. We’ve implemented sustainable practices and policies, are measuring our impact, and improving our business practices to better serve our employees, customers, and the planet. Our B Corp certification is a symbol of our continued commitment to creating a more just and sustainable world.

March is B Corp Month, where we celebrate everything it means to be a B Corp. This years theme is “We Go Beyond”. It’s about showing the world how B Corps go beyond expectations, and prove that there’s a better way to do business.

Read on for how we go beyond business as usual!

Why we’ve chosen to pursue a more impactful path?

We started as a full-service creative studio for social change. We recognised that charities were underserved by technology and often had to invest a lot of money just to launch fundraising websites. Without the investment, they were left with poor-quality tech that confused supporters and gave them no control over their campaigns.

So, we decided to change that. We brought together some of our team to create Raisely - a platform that helps charities build fundraising campaigns, run donation appeals, and nurture their supporters. Our team designed and built the platform to make it easy for charities to get started and scale up without needing technical help (or a hefty price tag).

In fact, Raisely's entire fundraising suite is free - that's right, completely free! Our platform is funded by optional tips at the point of donation, meaning that even if the donor opts out, the charity doesn't get charged and still receives the full donation.

So we set out on a journey to make a difference in the world of fundraising, and we're proud to have created a platform that helps charities of all sizes raise funds and make a positive impact.

Here’s what some of our team members have to say:

“Being a B Corp is a great way to show our commitment to people, community and planet. And  this resonates with our customers. They value the partnership and know that we work alongside them to change the world for the better.”

Helga, Customer Success Manager, New Zealand

“Raisely's B Corp certification perfectly aligns with our mission to better our communities and the planet - a mission that also drives many of the incredible organisations that use Raisely. With these common goals, we can build trust and stay accountable in the fight to make a positive social and environmental impact.”

Sunshine, Customer Support Specialist, Canada

How we go beyond business as usual for our customers?

Besides our platform being incredibly accessible for charities of all sizes price-wise, we like to think we support our customers beyond the norm.

In 2021, when we certified for the third time as a B Corp, we received our highest score yet, with the most growth seen in the stewardship of our customers 🎉

This meant that we were assessed to be a company with an Impact Business Model that is intentionally designed to create a specific positive outcome for its stakeholders.

The majority of fundraising on Raisely was also calculated to benefit organisations that serve low-income traditionally underserved populations.

Here’s a closer look on the areas we seek impact for our customers without the guarantee of any financial gain for us:

We have several initiatives that go beyond our product offerings. One of these is our training and upskilling resources aimed at helping individuals acquire new skills and knowledge that can enhance their fundraising knowledge. In addition to our Support Centre, and YouTube Channel, we host regular webinars where attendees can learn about the latest trends and best practices in the industry. Check out our latest Fundraising Benchmarks Summit here!

Another way we've supported important causes is by offering free development time during critical moments, such as during the floods in Australia, Ukraine crisis and BLM movements. We believe that technology can be a powerful tool for change, and we are committed to using our skills to make a positive impact in the world.

Finally, we offer expert chats to help charities develop effective campaigns. Our goal is not just to provide them with the tools they need, but to help them understand how to create successful campaigns that resonate with their target audience. We believe that by sharing our knowledge and expertise, we can help our partners achieve their goals and create a better world for all.

How #WeGoBeyond business as usual for our team?

Now what about the Raisely team, how do we go beyond for the people behind our platform? Let’s take a look and see!

4 day work week

In 2022, Raisely became an official 4 day work week company. After a successful 3 month trial we decided to make it permanent as we saw an increase in self-reported work-life balance, energy levels, and feelings of calmness. We also found we were able to offer this, without a drop in productivity or customer response times. Why not keep it, right?

The Raisely team has the option to participate in the 4 day work week and choose which day of the week will be their “gift day”. It’s 100% pay, 80% time, and 100% productivity, with the team working a 31 hour week, instead of 38 hours and receiving full pay.

Net zero

Since 2020, we’ve been achieving Net Zero in our commitment to the fight against climate change. This means reducing and offsetting our carbon footprint across every element of our operations. We partnered with the folks at Carbon Neutral to measure our carbon footprint and make decisions around reducing our output in particular areas and offsetting the balance. So far we have became carbon neutral by purchasing our credits with the Australian Gold Standard Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Project and we’re continually working to reduce our footprint.

Employee Share Option Plans

The success of Raisely is because of the effort and work of its team. We've created this scheme so that everyone who builds Raisely can also be a part-owner of Raisely. Owning shares in Raisely is how we can share the success of our product beyond just the salary we pay our team. It means our team are invested in our success, as an owner.

Anti-Oppression efforts

We’ve been on a journey to becoming an anti-racist company, undoing centuries of systemic racism. At the end of 2020 our team engaged with a Social Change Consultant who conducted an 8-hour Advanced Anti Racism Training Course, across 4 weeks and coached us in co-creating our Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-racism Statement. This training is now required for all new team members as part of their induction to Raisely and we’re looking to add further inclusion training into the fold.

We now have an anti-racism working group here at Raisely who are working to:

✊ To make transparent what anti-racism work we’re doing

✊ To make sure that anti-racism discussions are ongoing and pro-active

✊ Having a system for documenting and managing our anti-racism goals

✊ Shaping this work for People & Culture expansion

They are currently working on an initiative to give underserved customers a boost. Stay tuned!

Our P2P matching

Every day Raisely customers run peer-to-peer campaigns on our platform, to engage their supporters to raise more for their cause. It's important we walk the talk, and get involved ourselves!

The challenge? Everyone at Raisely participates in a P2P fundraiser once a year. Raisely will match all the donations received to a team members P2P page up to $500, once a financial year per person.

This is a great initiative for the Raisely team to raise some money for the incredible causes on our platform, and learn what it's like to be involved in a P2P to improve our product.

Parental leave

We have recently reviewed our parental leave policy after realising there was more we could do to ensure that what we offer our team is entirely gender and role neutral. Becoming a parent is a significant life event and all parents should be given as much time with their new children as possible. We have extended this leave to twelve weeks at full pay for all parents and hope to continue to push the boundaries on our support for new parents.

Flexible public holidays

Everyone at Raisely gets 4 weeks paid leave plus 11 days of public holidays, to be taken when you like. As our CEO, Tom, shares here, not every holiday is celebrated by all and with our team spread across 8 countries, so we decided 5 years ago that we should just make public holidays flexible.

Retreats

Every year we fly our team somewhere pretty for our annual in person team retreats. Last year we were in the beautiful Noosa Heads region of Queensland, Australia! We also have bi-annual virtual retreats which gives our team a week to connect and take a break from regular business as usual.

Remote work

We’re a remote-first company, so our team can live and work wherever they are happiest. We also work with each team member to figure out hours that work with them, and we’re flexible when life gets in the way. We cover their coworking space if they like to work there, or provide an allowance for home office setups.

So there you have it!

We are so excited to be able to share how we go beyond business as usual to make a positive impact. From our "free" fundraising suite to our anti-oppression efforts, flexible work policies, and more, we're committed to being a force for good in every aspect of our business.

So this B Corp Month, we invite you to join us in celebrating the power of business to create a better world. Whether you're a customer, a partner, or a fellow B Corp, we're excited to work together towards a future where business serves the greater good.

But let’s not stop there, the B Corp movement is about action. We are action-takers, change-makers, and system-shakers, all bringing our unique skillset to transform the global economy.

If you’d like to discuss how you could implement some of these practices into your business, we’re an open book - reach out on socials or at [email protected]. We’d also love to hear any ideas you have for us as we’re always looking to take our next step beyond business as usual.