The Economy for the Common Good is founded on the principles of democratic participation and we welcome the ideas, talents, energy and experience of everyone. If you would like to get involved there are many ways to do so including:

1. Setting up an ECG local chapter in your area
2. Recruiting businesses and other organisations that want to complete their own Common Good Balance Sheets
3. Undertaking training as an ECG consultant or auditor
4. Speaking about ECG at public meetings and events
5. Volunteering to help with tasks such as our social media and website communications, graphic design, fund raising and more

We welcome support from those who share our values and wish to spread the word that there is an alternative to the current unfair economic system and to improve corporate responsibility in the workplace.

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If you are a business, local authority, NGO, public sector body, charity, educational establishment or other organisation and wish to know how well you are currently contributing to the Common Good, ECG can help you.

We can also help you to identify sensible changes you can make to your operations to improve your performance.

There are three ways for an organisation to apply the ECG principles and engage with the movement, according to the level of commitment you feel able to give.

• “One seed” membership – the organisation becomes a paid-up member of the ECG and subscribes to its principles and values. It may also complete the Common Good Balance Sheet (CGBS) for its own use but can not externally publish the results. However it may use the ECG single seed designation to communicate its membership of and commitment to the movement.
• “Two seeds” membership – the organisation does what is needed to become a one-seed member and in addition completes its CGBS in conjunction with a peer group of other businesses or organisations, which are also producing their balance sheets. This enables each to learn from the other, to receive constructive feedback on their analysis and the scores they arrive at for each   theme, and to review each other’s balance sheets. It agrees to publish its CGBS with the designation “peer-reviewed”. it can of course also use the two-seed designation in its internal and external communication.
• “Three seeds” membership – as for “two seeds” but the organisation agrees to have its CGBS audited by an accredited ECG auditor. It can then publish its CGBS with the designation “audited”. The latter option provides the greatest degree of rigorous quality assurance, in much the same way that financial auditors provide an assurance of accuracy and rigour for financial statements. Three-seed organisations may publish their audited balance sheet and accompanying report as well as use the ECG logo on their literature and external communications.

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The holistic approach to ethical management and corporate responsibility

Over 2,700 businesses worldwide have already joined the ECG movement. Around 400 of these have completed Common Good Balance Sheets.

For a very good example of how ECG can work for your company, see the Common Good Balance Sheet and report by VAUDE, a German outdoor fashion manufacturer.

The ECG Matrix, Balance Sheet and Report

The Common Good Balance Sheet will provide an holistic view of how your organisation is contributing to a fairer, more environmentally sustainable and more open, democratic society.

At the heart of the Common Good Balance Sheet is a matrix which maps the four ECG value groups (human dignity, cooperation and social justice, environmental sustainability and transparency/democratic co-determination) onto five stakeholder groups (suppliers, owners/investors, employees, customers and society at large).

For each of these combinations, there is a set of indicators that enable you to measure how well your organisation matches up to best practice. The scores are added up to give a total score, with the theoretical maximum score being 1000 points.

More than just creating a numeric score, the process of completing the Common Good Balance Sheet, together with its accompanying report, provides an enormous amount of valuable information for your organisation about the areas in which you are already doing well and areas in which you can improve. Its purpose is to initiate a continuous process of further discussion, planning and action to increase your organisation’s performance and contribution to the wider society.

Getting started

We have ECG trained and accredited consultants who will be happy to support you. Please contact us and we will introduce you to an appropriate one.

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Providing for the Common Good in your region 

Local authorities, cities and regions around Europe have become Common Good Municipalities. Among them are the cities of Salzburg, Stuttgart and Seville.

What these organisations have in common is a vision for their area which puts people and the environment first. There are five ways in which local authorities can engage with the Economy for the Common Good:

1. Common Good Balance Sheet

Create a Common Good Balance Sheet for the whole administration or for certain departments and publish it.

2. Promote Common Good Companies

Invite all companies that are based and operating in the borough, city or region to create their own Common Good Balance Sheets. This will highlight the pioneers whose achievements could be promoted through annual awards for ECG companies.

3. Introduce a Local Common Good Index

Promote the creation of a local Common Good Index, a quality of life index, which looks at both the Common Good Product (national economy) and the Common Good Balance Sheet (companies). The index is made up of the 20 most important quality of life indicators, which would be identified by local people. The aim is to improve the quality of life for residents. The performance of policy measures would then be assessed according to this quality of life.

4. Establish a Local Economic Convention

A local economic convention is where local residents come together to determine the 20 most important factors to be applied to the economic process at local and national level. They could meet every two months in order to:

• get to know and present the framework
• identify the ten to twenty issues to focus on
• carry out research
• fine tune the results
• vote (using the systemic consensus method)
• follow-up and advise on the next steps (e.g. invitation to other local authorities, calling for a nationwide convention).

5. Create a Common Good Region

Join together with neighbouring authorities to form a Common Good Region.

Getting started

We are here to help. And we can share information on what others have already done.

We also have ECG trained and accredited consultants who will be happy to support you. Please contact us and we will introduce you.

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Educators, NGOs, public sector, health, arts, charities, not-for-profit

All organisations benefit from assessing their corporate responsibility and, where necessary, making strategic decisions and operational changes to benefit the Common Good.

Within Education, for example, there are already ECG pioneers who have created Common Good Balance Sheets and a report, which they have had independently audited.

Within other sectors, too, there is a growing interest in ensuring best practice and running the organisation in ways that benefit the community and society at large as well as those directly involved.

Getting started

We are here to help. We have ECG trained and accredited consultants who will be happy to support you. Please contact us and we will introduce you.

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