CORPORATE PURPOSE

THE NEW FRONTIER FOR SUSTAINABILITY

LEADING THE WAY SINCE 2014

‘‘A global shift is redefining the contract between businesses and their communities from simply ‘being responsible’ to creating real social value. Consumers, investors and employees increasingly expect firms to leverage corporate DNA - and address complex societal issues trhough the adoption of Environmental-Social-Governance (ESG) & Corporate Purpose frameworks. Governments and society are urging firms to consider a wider lens - believing that firms can and must create both shareholder & societal value.’’

- Faith Goodman, CEO, Goodman Sustainability Group

OUR

CORPORATE

PURPOSE

MODEL

We are Canadian based with a globally focused mandate, underpinned by an ethos of inclusive growth, a transformative leadership mindset and undaunted resolve to encourage corporate action on societal issues. We consult with firms of all sizes – demystifying and enabling their corporate sustainability strategies.

Not-For-Profit Corporate Collaboration

SMEs & Supply Chains

Governments, Academia & Think Tanks

Shareholder & Societal Value

Citizen Awareness & Accountability

Sustainability Innovation

The Issue

SOCIETAL ISSUES have now become Boardroom issues! Society and government moving in unison urging corporations to remedy matters of inequity and inequality - while concurrently delivering shareholder value and social value. TRUST is becoming the new currency however this is easier said than done.

The Opportunity

"ESG & Corporate Purpose" – now the strategic duo as a BUSINESS ESSENTIAL, the new Frontier for Sustainability

Our Thinking

Goodman Sustainability Group has pioneered a proven framework that empowers organizations to consider a Social Purpose agenda – one that is fit for purpose, transparent and quantifiable.

Our Ethos

We help organizations understand Social Purpose as a necessary underpinning – ensuring their long-term business viability.

Being Clear About Corporate Social Purpose:

Old model “Corporate Social Responsibility” and the new world of Social Purpose is like buying a ticket to a play versus acting in it.

Social purpose companies take actionable overt steps to be part of the long-term solution/fix – by partnering and applying business insights to complex societal issues. As corporations consider Social Purpose, tackling the root cause of a problem rather than simply funding its symptoms – brings optimal societal benefit (and shareholder value creation).

Our Mission

To help organizations consider ‘acting’ in a Social Purpose role – with a view to making meaningful and transparent progress on a societal ill. Goodman Sustainability will be the global thought leader for Social Purpose: what is it and how to measure it.

Our Vision

By 2025, all major global brands declare their Social Purpose commitments – cohesive with shareholder value creation.

Our Thinking

To inspire and URGE organizations to adopt a “Corporate Purpose” that enables long-term competitiveness and tangibly contributes to at least one of the 17 UN SDGs.

Guiding Principles

Guiding Principles

What we do

Core Competencies:

Board and C-Suite Services

Advisory Services

Reporting, Disclosure and Compliance Services

Leadership Development and Coaching

Corporate sustainability

We enable organizational and board governance discussions regarding the management of societal risk.

Merging investor and societal lenses

Practical templates for understanding how your organization can think about risk and the imperative for this dual agenda consideration.

Considering a foundational guiding principle

Court a willingness to collaborate with authenticity without undermining an organizational value creation agenda — setting the tone from the top down.

Embedding the model

Encouraging organizations to embed societal purpose into their entire corporate structure and board governance model.

Embedding the model

Stakeholder Clarity

Understanding Stakeholder complexities early on – allows for more optimal outcomes.

Single stakeholder category challenge

One issue, one line of site to advocate with government (relatively easy to resolve).

Multiple stakeholder challenge

Multiple stakeholders who don’t agree.  High need to manage a consensus approach along with cohesive new metrics (complex to resolve but possible).

Extreme stakeholder challenge

One complex issue with a non-consensus future state, non-consensus solution, metric, or agreement about who the legitimate stakeholders are (no clear resolution example, although meaningful progress is possible).

Underpinning transparency

We help organizations ensure their mission, vision, and governance model all have a clear line of site to both the shareholder and societal pre-eminence lens.  

Expertise

Our expertise in developing and leading diverse, multi-faceted alliances that enable consensus on key policy matters has shown success. Our governance and government policy work experience extends to advocacy and negotiations in multiple jurisdictions and with Indigenous communities. More specifically, Faith Goodman’s past work experience includes discussions in the EU, the U.S., the Canadian federal government and most Canadian provinces. In addition, Faith has travelled to over 75 countries and understands the cultural diversity elements of Social Purpose.

GOVERNMENT Relations and STAKEHOLDER Alliances

We facilitate government relations and stakeholder alliances.

Indigenous affairs

Faith Goodman has a history of building authentic and collaborative formal alliances with First Nations and Metis communities in Manitoba, Canada. As Founder of Until The Last Child, her innovation work is profiled at untilthelastchild.com

Climate policy

Canada is a world-leading climate policy jurisdiction. Each Canadian province has taken a “boutique policy approach” for energy and climate policy matters – in addition to that of the federal government. This jurisdictional complexity remains a challenge for organizations. Our well positioned expertise to navigate discussions on low carbon fuels and LFE emissions remains current.

Social impact bonds

Social Impact Bonds – an emerging field globally. This innovation allows for public/private partnerships to tackle costly and complex social policy issues by leveraging new sources of funding. Faith Goodman has been a pioneer in partnering with stakeholders on Canada’s first Social Impact Bond for child welfare.

Industry bench-marking

We have over a decade of experience with Solomon and Associates’ Complexity-Weighted Barrel benchmark model, currently used throughout Europe, California, Alberta, Ontario and the Canadian Federal Government. This model allows energy-intensive trade-exposed entities to credibly understand and measure progress against a global facility population of similar type. 

Thought Leadership Engagements

We speak to groups and present at conferences.

 

  • Daring To Leap, Energy Transition & Corporate Purpose Symposium, Feb 23, 2023
  • Daring To Leap, Global Annual Forum, Dec 1, 2022
  • Daring To Leap, Metals & Mining, Sep 29, 2022
  • The Walrus & VeriStell Institute Present: Daring to Leap, Global Conversations on ESG & Corporate Purpose, Dec 2, 2021
  • Daring To Leap: C-Suite Disruption, Jun 29, 2021
  • Canadian Chamber of Commerce ESG &
    Corporate Purpose Series, Nov 18, 2021 Jan 27 & Feb 24, 2022
  • Canadian Green Building Council Innovation Series, Nov 17, Nov 24, Dec 1, 2021

 

  • Toronto Region Board of Trade Social Purpose Workshop, Mar 31, 2021
  • The Walrus & VeriStell Institute Present: Daring to Leap, Global Conversation on ESG & Corporate Purpose, Dec 3, 2020
  • Canadian Chamber of Commerce AGM & Convention Expo, Oct 26-27, 2020
  • CAGBC Building Lasting Change 2020,
    Sept 22, 2020
  • Toronto Board of Trade Social Purpose Workshop, Mar 5, 2020
  • Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Canada 360 Economic Summit, Jan 30, 2020
  • ICD Social Purpose Forum Jan 29, 2020 “Event Planning”

 

  • Institute of Corporate Directors Peer-to-Peer NFP Governance Forum, Oct 31, 2019
  • Toronto Board of Trade Social Purpose Event Booth, Mar 5, 2019
  • Institute for Corporate Directors – Social Purpose, Nov 6, 2018
  • EcoFiscal Commission, 2016
  • Ontario Chamber of Commerce, 2016
  • Canada Economic Business Council, 2016
  • Hart Energy Washington DC, Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, San Diego, 2008, 2010, 2012
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Daring to Leap Events: Global Conversations on ESG & Corporate Purpose

We are delighted to launch our online global series called DARING TO LEAP. It is a set of conversations regarding the strategic duo of “ESG and Corporate Purpose” – as the new business essentials. We are speaking to thought leaders and corporations around the world about the emerging corporate imperative to consider both the interests of shareholders and society. Societal issues are now Boardroom issues and failure to act is a brand risk. Defining and owning your Corporate Purpose is the most critical competitive advantage of our time.

Visit veristellinstitute.com

ESG & Corporate Purpose curated library coming in 2022

Dedicated to mainstreaming Corporate Social Purpose in the developed and developing world.

VeriStell Institute is dedicated to promoting the rapid global adoption of ESG and CORPORATE PURPOSE as the new frontier for corporate Sustainability. The organization is a global Think Tank (Not-For-Profit) – helping organizations positively impact society and remain highly competitive. The VeriStell Institute is an affiliated entity of the Goodman Sustainability Group.

Learn more at VeriStellInstitute.com

Accreditation

Memberships and Affiliations

Canada Green Building Council

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Public Policy Forum

Toronto Region Board of Trade

Institute of Corporate Directors

Who We Are

Faith Goodman BSc, BEd, MBA, ICD.D is CEO of Goodman Sustainability Group, Senior Editor of The Social Purpose Exchange, Founder & Board Director of the VeriStell Institute and Founder of award-winning Canadian national charity Until The Last Child (UTLC).

Team of Experts & External Consultants

Goodman Sustainability Group has proven expertise in tailoring the client organizational need with specific and relevant consulting support.

  • Derek Purchase, Chief Development Officer – Former EY Partner (Risk Management & Sustainability Audit)
    View Derek Purchase’s Biography
  • Glen Hodgson, Economist and Financial Consultant, Low Carbon Economy – Former Chief Economist, Conference Board of Canada)
    View Glen Hodgson’s Biography
  • Renée Friedman, London, UK Consultant – Formerly Head of Events at Responsible Investor, Managing Editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit and Economist at the UK House of Commons
    View Renée Friedman’s Biography
  • Tamara Close, Founder & Managing Partner, Close Group Consulting
    View Tamara Close’s Biography
  • Sean Mallen, Strategic Communications, Host of ‘The Social Purpose Exchange” – Former Global News Anchor London (UK) News Bureau Chief (Crisis Communication Expert)
    View Sean Mallen’s Biography
  • Dave Trafford, Executive Producer of ‘The Social Purpose Exchange’ podcast – Newstalk 1010 Radio Host & Executive Producer iContact Production
    View Dave Trafford’s Biography
  • Geoffrey Rowan, Former Managing Director of Ketchum Public Relations (Crisis Communication Expert) View Geoffrey Rowan’s Biography
  • Rachel Dobbs, Manager – Marketing & Operations
  • KPW Communicatinos, Social Media & Communications Partner (Website)
  • Leonard Wyma, Graphic Designer and Consulting Artistic Collaborator
  • Michael R. Davidson, Videographer, The Social Purpose Exchange
  • Redstone Agency, Event Management & Media Relations

Contact us

Goodman Sustainability Group

2 St. Clair Avenue West, 18th Floor
Toronto, ON, Canada
M4V 1L5

647-255-8108

To our Stakeholders from the United States:

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