It’s a nice metaphor for how we see our role in the state of Kentucky. When connected, the upper branches of the trees in our forests provide habitat and protection for a whole ecosystem of creatures and plants.

To Canopy, “Good Business” means maintaining profitability, workforce stability, and transparency while taking care of employees, promoting strong ethical leadership, implementing policies and procedures that reflect strong values; and having a positive impact on our neighborhoods, communities, and landscapes.

The “Good” a company does means positive outcomes for all stakeholders.

At this time, Canopy member companies that meet the requirements in our Kentucky Business Definition document here.

Canopy Membership is a vital asset for Kentucky, empowering businesses to thrive in our region.

Canopy works for its members by:

• Making Kentucky and your business attractive to top talent, bolstering our workforce and fostering an innovative, vibrant business community
• Growing Kentucky’s national reputation as a premier destination for business operations, attracting investment and driving economic growth
• Advocating for legislative incentives that benefit businesses
• Facilitating programming designed to connect you to potential talent, clients and consumer bases
• Promoting consumer awareness of Good Business practices

Companies that: 

• Believe Kentucky can become first in Good Business
• Believe businesses should pursue purpose in addition to profit
• Aim to positively impact the lives of their employees and their community members
• Work to avoid harming Kentucky’s beautiful landscapes

Company Promotion 

• Listing in our public Member directory
• Job postings on the Canopy Directory to be launched
  in 2024-25

Event Benefits 

• Access to free member-exclusive education and
  connection events
• 10% discount on all ticketed Canopy events
• 25% discount on sponsor tables at CGBS

Educational Resources 

• Access to tools and materials to improve companies
  impact, performance, and team culture including
  online templates, Best Practice Case studies and
  Learning Modules

Partner Benefits 

• Benefits with participating partner organizations i.e.
  discounts on products and services and access to
  programming

The B-Corp Certification is a globally recognized standard that uses a rigorous assessment process to produce a score by which your company can be compared to others. Our Certification is crafted specifically around Kentucky issues and for Kentucky businesses, using a low-burden approach to guide companies through escalating levels of operationalizing their Good with our Canopy Library of resources.

Canopy Certification is free for Canopy Member businesses.

Sign up to be a Member here! 

Your company may work at your own pace as long as all requirements are submitted. On average, companies take 24 working hours over the course of several months to complete the requirements depending on how any of the practices and policies they already have in place.

Once you become a Canopy Member, the first step to getting Certified is heading to our inline Portal and completing the Application, where you will share basic information about your company and answer self-reporting style questions. To see what is asked on the Application, check out the Application Checklist

The Canopy Certification revolves around four fundamental tracks of Good Business: External Impact, Culture, Leadership, and Governance. In the Canopy Certified Program, you’ll have to fulfill requirements in all four tracks. Check out our handy Canopy Fundamentals Requirements Checklist to see what is required in the Fundamentals Phase to get Certified.

By design, in becoming Canopy Certified, your company will be sharpening it’s focus on continuously improving culture, leadership, governance, and external impact practices for your business. This will, in turn, drive business results, amplify statewide economic development, and catalyze social and environmental solutions for the state of Kentucky. 

• Internally: The practices of the Culture, Leadership, and Governance Tracks in the Canopy Certification aim to support your company’s culture, working environment, and employee retention. By instilling these practices, your company should be best supported for improvements in each of these areas.
• Externally:  The tenets of the External Impact Track aim to operationalize the good you’re already doing for those in your community and in our environment. Being more intentional with these practices, which is what the External Impact track also encourages, will help your business by focusing its work in certain impact areas. Focused impact builds your business’s brand and helps you stand out against your competitors.
• Growth: The upcoming generation of customers and workers want to buy from and work for businesses who are doing good. Whether it be caring about their employees, for social good, or for the environment, when a company is able to authentically demonstrate this care, a lot of folks are more likely to buy from, work for, and support that company. 

Membership

• All Canopy Member Benefits
• 10% discount on monthly Canopy Member fees

Only Portal Access

• Access to resources and tools like
  templates, Learning Modules and Best
  Practice Case Studies
•  Forms tailored to provide an on-rampto the global Good Business
  Movement with requirements around
  External Impact, Culture, Leadership,
  and Governance

Support and Guidance

• Staff guidance and support in completing
  certification requirements
  • Includes one on-site session to help integrate
    your work into company culture

Company Recognition and Promotion

• Listing in our public Canopy Certified Company
  directory
• Public recognition as a Canopy Certified Company
  Website, newsletter, social media, events, and
  printed materials
• License to use the Canopy Certified Seal on products,
  sites, emails, & marketing.
• Ability to write guest blog posts and back link
  content on the Canopy website
• Ability to include job postings in the monthly
  “Canopy Classifieds” edition of the Good Business
  Newsletter
• Opportunity to set up tables/booths at Canopy
  events including priority registration for CGBS Good
  Business Marketplace
• Inclusion in a Canopy annual collage video premiered
  at the CGBS opening remarks

Our fee scale is meant to make Membership accessible to all companies while supporting Canopy’s efforts. As companies grow, they are able to take more advantage of the tools and resources we provide, and we have determined revenue is the nearest proxy for measuring a company’s overall growth.

While the Canopy Certification is currently only available to companies headquartered in the state of Kentucky, there are plenty of ways an individual can get involved, even if you’re outside of the state.

Become a Member! The Good Business Movement is a global one and requires a collective effort to grow.

Sign up for volunteer opportunities through our Volunteer Interest Form.

Join the Good Business Network by subscribing to our newsletter for free resources, events, opportunities, and Canopy updates on how to get involved.

Canopy works to facilitate successful for-profit and nonprofit partnerships. We encourage Canopy Certified Companies to partner with local nonprofits, and we often work together with other nonprofits to create Canopy’s Library of resources.

Set up a meeting with our Director of Development, Ben Smock, if you’re interested in partnering with Canopy.

Join the Good Business Network by subscribing to our newsletter for for free resources, events, opportunities, and Canopy updates.

Monthly membership fees are determined by a sliding scale based on your company’s revenue from your most recent tax return. Check out the Pricing Table to see what the cost will be to your company.