A New Way of Doing Business

For businesses to thrive for generations to come, advancing equity, inclusion, and socially responsible business practices is an imperative to meet the expectations of stakeholders, stay competitive, and protect sustainable value creation.

Read our latest report showcasing a new tool to support businesses in doing just that — the Business Standards for 21st Century Leadership — informed by extensive research, testing within companies, and the voices of people from all walks of life. 

Available now! Review the first eight draft standards.

Preview a supporting tool: Standard 4 Data Supplement. Additional data supplement previews will be released this summer and more will come with the launch of the final standards.

Take Part in Our Public Comment Period

Help shape the draft standards and reimagine what business is capable of. We hope to hear from anyone who has a stake in how business operates today and in the future, including workers, investors, business leaders, business advisors, young people, civil society, community leaders, consumers, under- and unemployed people, standards setters, academics, public leaders, and you! To access this page in Spanish, please click here.

Share your feedback on the draft standards by October 31, 2024 via the multiple channels detailed below. Equitable compensation is available (see eligibility details further below).

Your voice matters — here’s how to get involved:

1. Read our Public Consultation Report and review the standards linked above that are of interest to you. Short on time? Flip through the Standards Release Deck instead.
    
2. Then provide your feedback either by joining a virtual roundtable discussion or completing our online survey before October 31, 2024.

Complete the Survey

Access the survey here. It should take about an hour to complete including material review. You can preview the survey questions here. Letter submissions will also be accepted and can be sent to CREAlliance@policylink.org.

Join a Roundtable Discussion

You can also provide input by joining a virtual roundtable discussion. Indicate your interest here for the roundtable that aligns with your interest and availability. Here are the roundtables for the first eight standards:

Stay tuned for more roundtables!

Standards 9 through 14 will be available for review and public comment September 2024. Additional roundtables will take place then and through October. Sign up for our newsletter to receive updates on the next release.

A Note On Inclusion and Accessibility

We are committed to honoring the needs, aspirations, and insights of people with marginalized identities in the development of our standards through robust equity, inclusion, and accessibility practices. These include:

• Making language supports available, such as Spanish-language, American Sign Language, and closed captioning services
• Scheduling virtual roundtables to accommodate a variety of schedules
• Providing multiple channels for feedback
• Offering equitable compensation for participation

Equitable Compensation Policy

In order to recognize participants’ time and expertise in an equitable way, we are pleased to offer compensation to eligible participants who provide feedback on the draft standards as follows:

Standards 1-8: one-time payment of $150 for completing the survey in full and/or participating in a virtual roundtable discussion between May 20 and September 13, 2024.

Standards 9-14: a one-time payment of $75 for completing the survey in full and/or participating in a virtual roundtable discussion between the release date for these standards (anticipated in September 2024) and the close of the public comment period on October 31, 2024.

Eligibility: You must live in the United States and confirm that at least one of the following applies to you:

• You are currently living on a low income or experiencing economic insecurity, meaning living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, which is equivalent to $30,120 annually for a single individual household or $62,400 annually for a family of four.
   
• You have lived experience of bias, discrimination, or marginalization in any facet of your life in the US, whether currently or in the past.
   
• You work for a nonprofit organization, labor rights organization, or public institution and have participated in our public comment period outside of paid working hours. 

While it is possible to attend more than one roundtable, there is only one payment per participant per set of standards. At this time, we are not able to provide compensation to individuals outside the US. 

All requests must be submitted by November 1, 2024 at 11:59pm ET. Upon confirmation of eligibility and roundtable or survey participation, payment will be made within approximately 30 days. Please be patient with us as we verify eligibility across participants.

Send us an email at CREAlliance@policylink.org if there are additional ways that we can ensure your full participation in the public comment period.

Learn More About Our Standards Effort

• Watch this introduction to the standards
• Watch the 2024 Standards Release Webinar
• Catch up on our first standards report: 2022 standards exposure draft
• Read our Frequently Asked Questions
• Stay up to date by signing up for our newsletter
• Questions? Email us at CREAlliance@policylink.org