3.10.2008 - 02:05pm ET

(CSRwire) BERWYN, PA - March 10, 2008 - B Lab announced today that BetterWorld Telecom, the only nationwide, full-service voice and data telecommunications carrier solely focused on serving businesses and organizations that support social justice and sustainability, was certified as a Founding B Corporation, joining more than 80 other leading companies who are setting a new corporate standard for social and environmental performance. B Corporations are a new type of corporation that are purpose-driven and create benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. To become certified, B Corporations must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards, and amend their corporate governing documents to incorporate the interests of employees, community and the environment.

"BetterWorld has been an advocate of the B Corporation concept since its beginning stages," explains Matt Bauer, president and co-founder of BetterWorld Telecom. "B Corporations are not just good environmental citizens but also take a holistic view of the environment and social justice. It has been our belief since forming BetterWorld that corporations hold the most opportunity today as levers of change in our society, where markets and the money flow, so too does swift and sure change."

"At BetterWorld, we have a comprehensive corporate citizenship process involving donations, volunteering, suppliers, products and other areas as detailed in our forthcoming 2007 Corporate Citizenship Report. The B Corporation process provides a lens that allows us to see where we are strong as well as areas for improvement, while learning and growing from the other B Corp. members."

In the $900 billion US telecommunications industry, BetterWorld Telecom is the only carrier solely focused on serving organizations with social and sustainable missions. Founded in 2003, BetterWorld Telecom's customers save an average of 28% off the major providers, and the triple-bottom-line company donates 3% of top-line revenues to causes that benefit children, education, the environment and fair trade. BetterWorld Telecom focuses on serving small businesses, enterprises and organizations that have social and sustainable missions such as Patagonia, Greenpeace, Mercy Corps and Seventh Generation. BetterWorld is the only telecom carrier in the United certified as a B Corporation(TM), as donating at least 1% of revenues to environmental causes by One Percent For The Planet and as the only telecommunications carrier within North America to be carbon-neutral by Zerofootprint.

"BetterWorld Telecom is an ideal B Corporation, with its focus on people, planet and profits," said B Lab co-founder Jay Coen Gilbert. "As a for-profit social enterprise working exclusively with mission-driven customers, BetterWorld is changing the world, as they say, one call at a time."

As a Founding B Corporation, BetterWorld Telecom joins over 80 companies with a collective market presence of $650million from 17 states and operating across 20 industries, all leaders within the green, local living economies, employee-ownership, fair trade, organic, and sustainable business movements and from the food, apparel, home, financial services, building, action sports, technology, business services, telecom, restaurant, marketing, and retail industries. Founding B Corporations are those that become certified before December 31, 2007. Founding B Corporations receive preferential marketing support and a significant discount on the licensing fee for their first two year certification term.

B Lab, a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, supports B Corporations by:

1) certifying B Corporations who achieve a minimum score on the B Ratings System;
2) disseminating a legal framework to institutionalize stakeholder interests within existing corporate law;
3) promoting B Corporations through a unifying brand; and
4) helping B Corporations access mission-aligned capital markets.

Founding B Corporations to date, with a collective market presence of $650 million include: A-1 Builders, Abacus Wealth Partners, Agora Management Corporation, Andy Smith Photography, Anthurium Solutions, BBMG, Benchmark Asset Management, BeOn Holdings, Better World Books, BetterWorld Telecom, Blueprint Research & Design, Cathedral Financial, Comet Skateboards, Culinary Collective, Dansko, eConscious Market, Edgewood Partners, Egg, EOS Energy Solutions, Evergreen Lodge, EVO Media, Fair Trade Sports, Give Something Back, Good Capital, Green and Save, Green Harvest Technologies, Greg Christian Catering, Guayaki, HotFrog, Icestone, Impact Makers, Indigenous Designs, InJoy Media, Kimberton Whole Foods, King Arthur Flour, La Rutan, Lateral Line, Learning & Vision Partners, Liebowitz Photography, Mair Affair, Mal Warwick & Associates, Management Resources, Mantria, Method Home Products, Moka Joe Coffee, Monitor Institute, Mugshots Coffeehouse, National Foundry, Natural Investments, Nau, New Leaf Paper, Nolan Painting, Numi Organic Tea, On Belay Business Advisors, One Village Coffee, Opticos Design, Philantech, Practical Energy Solutions, Praxis Consulting, Pura Vida, Re:Vision Architecture, Sage Financial Group, Seventh Generation, Siw Thai Silk, Social(k), Strategy Arts, Studio EEC, Sungevity, TBL Capital, The Caprock Group, The Green Office, The Hub, Uncommon Goods, Untours, Village Books, Watershed Capital, White Dog Café, Workplace Dynamics, Worksavvy, World Leadership School and Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus, Vlahos & Rudy LLP.

To contact B Lab founders Jay Coen Gilbert, Bart Houlahan and Andrew Kassoy, please call or email Errin Cecil-Smith at 215.439.7776 or errin@bcorporation.net. B Lab and B Corporation imagery and more information are available at www.bcorporation.net.

For more information on BetterWorld Telecom, please visit the company's website at www.betterworldtelecom.com. For media requests and to set up an interview with Matt Bauer, please contact Karen Seidman, of Seidman Says Communications, at 202-364-8134 or at karen@seidmansays.biz.

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Commitment to Transparency: This organization is committed to transparency and stakeholder dialogue and encourages your comments and feedback.

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