B Corp and 1% for the Planet come up in the same conversation constantly. Business owners treat them as alternatives to each other, or assume that joining one is a step toward the other. They're different things. Most owners can't tell them apart, and the confusion is costing them clarity on a real decision.
Here is what each one actually requires, and how to think about which fits your business.
What 1% for the Planet requires
1% for the Planet is a membership program. The core commitment: donate 1% of annual gross revenue to approved environmental nonprofits. Members pay an annual fee, direct their giving through a vetted network of environmental partners, and earn the right to use the 1% for the Planet logo in their marketing.
Verification is financial. 1% for the Planet reviews your donation records each year to confirm the 1% commitment is being met. There is no audit of how you treat employees, what your supply chain looks like, or how your business is governed. The pledge is about where your money goes. That's the whole scope of it.
1% for the Planet does not verify employment practices, governance structures, supplier standards, or any operational element of your business. Annual review covers donations only.
What B Corp requires
B Corp certification is a third-party audit of how your entire business operates. The B Impact Assessment scores you across five categories: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. You need 80 points out of 200 to qualify for certification.
Environmental giving contributes points in the environment section. It is a small fraction of 200 available points. A business donating 1% of revenue to conservation causes, but with no written worker policies, no supplier standards, and no governance documentation, will score nowhere close to 80. Workers, community, and environment together account for roughly 75% of available points.
After you submit your assessment, a third-party auditor reviews your supporting documentation. Payroll records. Supplier contracts. Environmental data. Board meeting minutes. This is not self-reported. The audit will tell you what holds up and what doesn't.
B Corp vs 1% for the Planet: the core distinction
One asks what you give. The other asks how you operate.
1% for the Planet is an input commitment. You pledge a portion of revenue. B Corp is an outcomes audit. You prove the systems, policies, and documented practices behind your business across governance, workers, community, and environment. You can join 1% for the Planet the week you start a business. Getting B Corp certified requires operational documentation that most early-stage businesses don't have yet, a submission fee, a third-party verification process, and renewal every three years.
"One asks what you give. The other asks how you operate. They're making different claims entirely."
Which one is right for your business
If your primary goal is directing revenue to environmental causes and signaling that commitment clearly to customers: 1% for the Planet is a straightforward fit. The bar is financial, not operational. The logo is recognized. The process is simple.
If your goal is credible third-party validation of how your whole business operates, including how you treat employees, who you buy from, and how decisions are governed: B Corp is the right standard. It covers more ground. The bar is higher. The certification carries more weight with investors, enterprise buyers, and mission-aligned partners who know the difference.
Some businesses hold both. 1% for the Planet membership can sit inside a B Corp-certified business as part of the environmental giving framework. They are not substitutes. Holding 1% for the Planet membership does not meaningfully accelerate a B Corp application, and B Corp certification does not satisfy the 1% giving commitment.
The honest question skeptics are actually asking
Fair challenge. If you're weighing B Corp and wondering whether the effort is worth it, the starting point is the B Impact Assessment. It's free, takes about two hours, and shows you exactly where your business stands today against the 80-point threshold.
Most businesses I work with are already doing 70% of what certification requires. The gap is documentation. The audit will tell you which side of that line you're on. I'll say so directly if you're not ready.
If you want to know where your business actually stands before committing to either standard, a readiness audit is the right first step. Two weeks, flat fee, you keep the report regardless of what you decide next.