How Organically Grown Company Grows Its Benefit Report

We couldn’t wait to peel back the skin on Organically Grown Company’s (OGC) delicious benefit report, which we wrote about recently (Radical Reporting).  So, we had a fun back and forth with OGC’s Claire Champion, brand marketing and communications specialist, and Krista Kinder, VP of marketing and communications, to get the inside scoop on what it’s like to produce the OGC benefit report.

Godspeed, friends.

Russ

When do you begin planning for your annual benefit report?

Claire:  Creating the Benefit Report is a year-round endeavor, with the bulk of the work happening between December – May. A few months after it’s published, we chat about new ideas and opportunities and things that could be improved and begin thinking about how we’d like to approach next year’s content. The real planning kicks off around mid-November/early December – that’s when we work on the project management plan, set up data sheets, and start ideating around a theme based on our big wins and stories for the year.

Who are primary contributors to the annual benefit report team?

Claire:  There are quite a few team members who have roles in producing our report:

• Project Manager
• Creative Director
• Designer
• Programmer
• Sustainability Director
• Data and story collectors (since the report uses over 300 data points, it’s really a company-wide effort across functions to gather the information we need)
• Writers and editors
• Publishers 
• Review and approval from Mission Team leadership across all functions

How do you collect and manage impact data throughout the year?

Claire:  Each data point is assigned to one person in the appropriate function. They are responsible for collecting their data – in some cases that’s throughout the year and in others the information isn’t available until after the year ends.

You really bring the OGC brand personality to life in your benefit report, from color to illustration to graphics.  It’s fun and a delicious read!  Can you tell us how this serves your brand purpose?

Krista:  We’re on a mission to grow the organic movement. We’re hippies, farmers, activists, food-lovers, and smart, hardworking produce experts working for a better world. Our bold, purpose-first approach is part of who we are, and how we get things done. The annual Benefit Report is more than just required reporting as an Oregon Benefit Company; it’s a great way to celebrate our accomplishments and the good we’ve done for our community and the planet over the past year. Forging our own path with personality and persistence helps capture hearts and minds, gathering momentum for the movement.

What tips do you have for others who are producing annual benefit reports?

Claire:  Here are a few that should be helpful to any type of company producing a benefit report.

• Figure out a theme for your year and use it as your inspiration for storytelling and visuals – it helps make the report cohesive. 
• Make it fun and engaging! No one is going to read a boring report.
• Make sure you meet the legal requirements for a benefit report in your state. Also, check in ahead of time with your stakeholders and make sure you’re meeting their needs for an annual report – in our case, the board has specific data points they want us to be reporting on year over year. (You can see those captured in our scorecard.)
• Throughout the year, keep a running list of things you think would be good to cover in the annual report. Otherwise, you may forget them. It doesn’t have to be fancy; in our case, we have a shared Word document where we jot things down.
• If there’s something you think could be improved, note that in a lessons’ learned document. 
• Decide which third-party standard you’ll use to assess the impact you’re creating. Ideally, just one.
• Engage leadership early – have a kickoff meeting with them and ask them to think of stories and big impact changes to report on. They’re the experts in their areas and will have ideas and stories that your project team may not know. It’s also helpful to share the project plan with them early – to get buy-in and sign off.

Do you have benefit reports from other companies that have inspired you?

Claire:  Yes! Many companies are putting out wonderful annual reports, and we draw a lot of inspiration from those. Some companies who’ve inspired us over the years are Organic Valley, Ecotrust, and Dr. Bronner’s, among others.

How do you share/distribute your benefit report to your stakeholders to ensure it receives the recognition it deserves?

Claire:  We share it with all our stakeholders through emails, newsletters, blog posts and social media, include it in internal communications, and continue to weave stories from it into communications throughout the year. We encourage coworkers and governance members to share it with their networks as well.

What’s your favorite fruit?

Claire and Krista (both):  Mangos!

Rock, paper, or scissors?

Claire:  Rock because it makes me think of the mountains – strong, steady, beautiful.

Krista: Scissors – they're not only a tool for creativity and creation that represent transformation and skill, but also the duality and balance of two blades working together – complimentary and collaborative.

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