The JUST Program is a social equity transparency platform from the International Living Future Institute. Organizations can use the voluntary disclosure tool to disclose their operations, including how they treat their employees and where they make financial and community investments.
The JUST scorecard has six categories: Diversity, Equity, Safety, Worker Benefits, Local Benefit and Stewardship. Organizations report on each of the indicators and receive recognition with one, two or three stars, based on their performance in each category metric. Southface is committed to public transparency within these JUST categories. In 2015 Southface was the first nonprofit in Georgia to receive JUST Certification Label. Organizations are required to renew certification every two years. So what’s changed since 2015?
The JUST label asks organizations to demonstrate their support and concern for worker happiness by creating an appropriate work-life balance. Southface believes that the happiness of employees affects their personal well-being and strives to create a healthy work-life balance for those involved with the organization. In the 2017 survey, Southface staff rated their happiness level at 8 (out of 10), compared to the 2015 rating of 7.4.
The JUST label also calls for organizations to demonstrate that their pay scale program ensures there is no gender-based wage discrimination. Southface had to opt out of this indicator in 2015 due to lack of access to an internal metric to measure the effort. This issue is typical of many other small organizations participating in the JUST Program, however, Southface decided to work with Georgia Center for Nonprofits to establish a pay scale in order to include this indicator when renewing the JUST application.
At Southface’s annual Greenprints Conference this year, Beth Exline, Director of Human Resources and Operations, asked an audience, “Why should an organization participate in the JUST Program?” Her answer, “Why not?” She went on to say “my inspiration comes directly from the JUST literature, ‘Imagine how your organization can contribute in a powerful way to the creation of a better, more socially just and equitable world.’ That’s reason enough for me.”
To see how Southface ranked in remaining categories or to learn more about the JUST Program, please visit www.living-future.org/just
