4 Strategies to Use When Raising Money for Your B Corps How to fundraise without compromising the triple bottom line.

When Donnel Baird needed seed capital to continue developing his B Corporation in 2013, he figured impact investors were the ticket. One year and 250 investor meetings later, BlocPower—Baird's online marketplace that connects investors with clean-energy projects in underserved communities—hadn't raised a dime.

In 2014, Baird, who is based in New York, decided to try his luck in Silicon Valley. There, he landed a seed round from VC firms Kapor Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, plus more useful advice than he'd received in the previous 250 meetings. "In Silicon Valley, they said, "Oh, are you two guys with a laptop? Great idea. Let's invest.' I think they're just more accustomed to that," Baird says.

There are more than 1,300 Certified B Corps—as certified by nonprofit organization B Lab—from 41 countries and 121 industries. As more for-profit startups become B Corps, it's worth examining how this designation factors into fundraising. Whether you're an aspiring B Corp or are already certified, here are the strategies you should know.