PURPOSE TRUST
Purpose Led, Trust Owned
Doing Right is Our Bottom Line
What sets OGC apart is not just our mission but our remarkable journey through different ownership structures, constantly seeking innovative ways to preserve our purpose-driven nature and independence.
Founded as a nonprofit organization in 1978, OGC evolved into a cooperative, an S-Corporation, and an ESOP. Each phase of our growth brought unique challenges and opportunities. However, the company faced a defining moment when we aimed to provide liquidity to our founders and continue to grow without compromising our core values.
Independence & Purpose over Profit in Perpetuity
OGC turned to the Trust Ownership structure as a solution —a bold and visionary move that’s now being adopted by other mission-driven businesses throughout the U.S. We established the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Perpetual Purpose Trust (SFAPPT) and transferred majority ownership to the Trust, solidifying our commitment to quadruple-bottom line leadership, remaining purpose-driven and independent. This ensures that our company delivers positive economic, social and environmental impacts and maintains our independence into perpetuity, never to be sold.
Today and forever, OGC proudly stands as a Purpose-led and Trust-owned organization, deeply dedicated to supporting organic agriculture and benefiting its partner stakeholders. By prioritizing our purpose over short-term gains, we serve as an example of how a business can thrive while making a meaningful impact on stakeholders and the planet.
Our Benefit Is Part of Our Bylaws
When OGC transitioned to Trust Ownership, we also became a Benefit Company. An Oregon Benefit Company is a distinct type of incorporation structure that places a higher priority on its societal and environmental impacts rather than solely focusing on profits during its decision-making process. Benefit Companies differ from traditional corporations and LLCs in terms of their purpose, accountability, and transparency.
How is this different from B Corp certification?
A benefit corporation is a legal structure that embeds stakeholder-focused governance into a business’ DNA, ensuring the company considers its impact on all its partners.
In contrast, a Certified B Corp or "B Corp" is a third-party certification, like an organic or LEED certification, that the nonprofit B Lab awards to any eligible company that meets their standards and pays the applicable membership fee.
We love the B Corp movement and businesses certified by B Lab. But as a purpose trust-owned benefit company, OGC's dedication to our purpose and making a positive impact goes a step deeper. We’ve engrained our quadruple bottom line approach (people, planet, purpose, profits) into our articles of incorporation as a Benefit Company. We assess our actions using the third-party scoring standard established by the nonprofit B Lab and provide an annual public report on our progress in our Benefit Report.
Interested in learning more?
You can find information about becoming a benefit company by following this link.