Problem: Delimma with regard to including For Profit entities or not, requiring them to pay or not.  Firm Criteria are not yet established re prospective For Profits.  (Also addresses some issues with regard to NCI and Institutional Accountability, lack of funding for wiserearth.org - according to NCI...)

 

Solution:

 

STEP 1.  WiserEarth develops a WiserBusiness Certification program (a dynamic/ ever-evolving/ unique/ community-driven and community-created Global Multi-Lingual Responsible Business Certification Program) with basic specific criteria that a business must meet to be welcome on WE.  Criteria will focus on values of network.

 

STEP 2:  An open WiserBusiness Group is developed: people from prospective businesses can log on with a userprofile and start a wiki in the group and make their case for why their business should be on WE: they get a 2 week/ or one month period (suggested time interval; open to debate) under the scrutiny of the community.  They can site affiliations/ memberships with other responsible business cert programs (examples below in Addendum 4) to prove their credibility.  They must sufficiently answer/ address questions from the public within given time period.  

 

This process will be the test that proves the system's value, the collective network's value and the value of the organization that successfully passes the test : it will build community in the direction of a wiserearth.

 

STEP 3:  WiserEarth community reviews the application of a prospective business: if they get certified they have the privledge of entering the network, if not -- they don't.  (see conclusion of Step 6)

 

(Democracy decides= perhaps a send message update sent to WiserBusiness group members to inform them of listed businesses etc. 

 

We might have to limit business applications by # per day; depending on response from public.

 

Ideally could evolve into geographical regional sub-wiserbusiness groups - linked to the major wiserbusiness group - who focus on monitoring the applications for prospective businesses in their area/ and-or language-specific group etc.)

 

STEP 4:  They pay for the certification if successfully admitted, based on annual revenues of their business in plan similar to Co-Op America's Green Business network (sited below in ADDENDUM 4).  Note that they are paying for access to the certification process courtesy the network of users/ their public scrutiny, access/ use of WiserEarth is an additional optional bonus for a business upon certification.

 

STEP 5: Annually WE reviews the status of their business, and if they maintain operating practices which are consistent to the guidelines we set = they are readmitted for another year and pay for another year's worth of certification.

 

STEP 6: At any point during the year after a For-Profit has been admitted ------ if a member of WE, or group of members from WE come forward with a comprehensive case supported with evidence (and tastefully/ respectfully presented) for why an admitted business should not be on the network and succeed in winning the wisercommunities vote/ democratic opinion = the business is discreetly removed from the network and refunded their entire membership.  Individuals from the business can of course remain on the network.  The removed business is welcome to reapply after a minimum interval of 1 year.

 

Businesses which are rejected may reapply after 1 year as well: this will build integrity into the process; a rejection will be a very public event recorded on wiserearth.org and discourage organizations with misaligned values from applying.

 

ADDENDUM 1

Implementation Link: Proposal 3

http://www.wiserearth.org/article/b0929ad9d6817fde25b878f7e58e0afa

 

ADDENDUM 2

Questions Link:

http://www.wiserearth.org/article/d46a8a1aa58a144084768be093daa22a

 

ADDENDUM 3

Use of Finances from WiserBusiness Certification Program

 

I could not find a global/ multi lingual organization that offers this kind of certification online?  It seems to be an ideal niche for WE to fill, which would work to make the site more sustainable financially.  

 

In fact it would allow the collective WiserCommunity of users to democratically form an active persona which would act as a figurative "Partner" to NCI through financial contributions to WiserEarth; the $$ from the Certification program can be directed to urgent additions like developing a more sophisticated WiserEarth in different languages capability... and other prioritized Wiser Earth site enhancements ... and the rest will be put aside for creative community projects, which the wisercommunity will vote on to determine which projects get implemented. 

 

Ultimately the $$ garnered from this program will be under the control of the community, not NCI.  Perhaps in an open account monitored by Wiserearth employees and open to public scrutiny?... And democratically at the disposal of the Wiser Community of Users(including NCI members / WiserEarth staff). 

 

******I feel like my skeleton plan offers the solutions that will address the concerns of all parties and further the values of the community, honor the community guidelines, allow For-Profits to enter WiserEarth; which will subsequently expand the movement Toward a Just and Sustainable World Created by Community, both on WiserEarth.org and in the real world... and provide the collective Wiser Community with an oppurtunity to co-create ourselves into an active/ influential financial-contributor/ "Partner" of NCI with regard to the development of this online community space. *********

 

ADDENDUM 4

suggested resources to examine...

 

1.  For Profit Wiki/ Disscusion initiated by Jon Ramer (NCI Affiliate/ Partner):

http://www.wiserearth.org/article/f0f08f5e9a3e176f8ff83064d4676471/group/suggestions

 

2.  Original Disscusion on main forum:

http://www.wiserearth.org/comment/the_masterid/9775e0601b61f9ecbe146df704e77beb/master_type/forum/page/1

 

3.  B Corp;

http://www.bcorporation.net/

(note that B Corp currently does not have an established network, was formed in collaboration with NCI's WiserBusiness project.)

 

4.  Co-Op America  

 

http://www.wiserearth.org/organization/view/2870eb56c5eabfc2977d90ad495e77e9

 Their Green business Network:

 http://www.coopamerica.org/about/businessnetwork.cfm

 And payment plan:

 https://www.coopamerica.org/supportus/join/cabn-def.cfm?source=WJBCAN&step=form&trk=JoinBiz-JoinPgTextLink&id=&ref=http://www.coopamerica.org/cabn/join/

 

5.  Social Venture Network

http://www.svn.org/

 

6.  BSR Business for Social Responsibility

http://www.bsr.org/

 

7.  We Buy It Green

http://blog.webuyitgreen.com/2008/06/21/greenwashing--certification-of-green-products.aspx

 

etc