About VBSR
Mission
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) is a non-profit, statewide business trade organization with a mission to advance business ethics that value multiple bottom lines- economic, social, and environmental. We strive to help members set a high standard for protecting the natural, human and economic environments of the state's residents, while remaining profitable. We advance VBSR's mission through:
Education. Empowering our members to solve environmental, social and economic problems. We provide concrete resources and information to help improve our members' business practices.
Public Influence. Initiating tangible change in public policy that combats exploitation and promotes sustainability. We work to capture the inherent power of business to represent socially responsible ideals to legislative bodies, news media, and the general public.
Workplace Quality. Enabling every worker to live and work with respect and dignity by creating work environments and economic climates that provide fair income in safe work settings, and allow each employee to contribute to a high quality product or service.
Who Belongs
VBSR has a diverse business membership that represents all sectors and geographic regions of Vermont. Collectively VBSR members employ more than 13% of Vermont's workforce and generate more than 4 billion dollars in revenue annually. 60% of our members have been in business more than 10 years. To see what businesses belong to VBSR, please consult our Member Directory.
History-VBSR and NEBSR, BSR, and BALLE
VBSR was founded in 1990 by a group of business people who wanted to pioneer a new focus for business: the multiple bottom line. They believed businesses have as much responsibility to workers, communities and the environment as they do to being financially successful. Initially VBSR was a 501(c)(6) non-profit, independent but affiliated with NEBSR (New England BSR). VBSR continued this relationship with NEBSR to help build strong state NEBSR chapters and regional networking. The other New England states had a different, less independent, relationship with NEBSR. In 1993, the VBSR Board decided to end the affiliation with NEBSR in order to fully focus on building VBSR's organization and programs,
The national organization, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), was founded in 1992 by some of NEBSR's original founders. In 1994, the New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island chapters of NEBSR became chapters of BSR. Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility (MEBSR) and VBSR did not merge, as each organization's members preferred to remain as independent organizations. In June 2001, BSR discontinued the chapter structure. It emphasizes larger, multi-national companies and does not engage in public policy.
In 2003 VBSR joined Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), a national organizations with chapters around the nation. BALLE places an emphasis on supporting local economies and small, locally owned businesses. In 2006 BALLE’s national conference was hosted by VBSR in Burlington.
To read more of VBSR's story, and to hear how some of our members got started with VBSR, check out Stephen Morris's in-depth article The Hard Work of Social Responsibility
