We are committed to fostering a supportive environment for our workforce and communities. Our focus on equity and professional growth is reflected in key initiatives across hiring, development, workplace culture, and policies. We've refined job descriptions to be more accessible, ensuring opportunities for individuals of all backgrounds. Our professional development efforts provide free educational resources, expanding our ability to serve diverse communities, including Spanish speakers. A staff-led committee promotes a culture of respect and belonging, while our policies uphold a zero-tolerance stance on discrimination, harassment, and racism, ensuring a safe and equitable workplace.
We pride ourselves on being an organization that proactively supports ethical business through a variety of educational and tangible resources. Our BBB Breakthrough Accelerator is dedicated to helping businesses develop ethically to build stronger, and more trustworthy relationships with customers. Through our annual BBB Industrious Women’s Summit, we support women in the trades with education in a space to share expertise and connect with like-minded professionals. To support entrepreneurs, start ups and businesses needing varied resources, our Innovation and Events Hub at ignite sparked by BBB offers event space, meeting rooms, and a podcast studio.
We will continue to evolve to support small businesses that remain vital to economic resilience. In April 2020, we launched Main St. Matters, an emergency grant program awarding over $215,000 to struggling small businesses across the Southwest. Today, as businesses continue to adapt, the spirit of this initiative serves as a reminder of the power of community-driven support in fostering long-term recovery and growth.
We have been recognizing businesses that demonstrate integrity and ethics for over 100 years, and now our BBB4Good Trustmark additionally supports and elevates purpose-driven businesses. By connecting purpose to their bottom lines, businesses are reshaping economies and reinvigorating communities. But we don’t just encourage businesses to use their platform for good, we lead by example. Although we are a nonprofit organization, we operate with a strong business mindset and have immense attention to detail when it comes to creating and implementing corporate social sustainability initiatives both internally and externally with our partners.
We encourage staff involvement to support the greater good of the community. Our company benefits offer four paid days per year to volunteer with a charitable nonprofit organization. In 2024:
In order to help local organizations like these further their missions, in March 2022, BBB awarded $62,500 in grants to nonprofit organizations dedicated to their respective ecosystems in Arizona and California.
Trust is cultivated at many levels and we are committed to recognizing future leaders with merit-writing scholarships awarded for ethical actions in the community. As high school students experience new challenges, some are able to demonstrate resilience and by navigating ethical dilemmas. Oftentimes these acts go unnoticed, but they should be recognized to inspire others to do the right thing. Our scholarship programs encourage ethical behaviors in the community and honors those who act with integrity. By promoting trust and ethical conduct with students, they can model that behavior when they enter the workforce. In 2024, $41,000 in scholarships were awarded to local Arizona students, athletes and JROTC cadets.
By honoring businesses leading the way with our prestigious Torch Award for Ethics, we set the bar for how ethical operations can positively affect the community at large. Earning BBB accreditation signifies doing things the right way and together, we’re in the business of good business. And we’re doing the work alongside these businesses too. BBB’s award achievements include being honored for our community contributions, inclusive leadership and excellent company culture that goes well beyond just a place to work.
