Step 1: Complete a GIIRS Assessment
Step 2: Complete an Assessment Review
Next, schedule a Review with a GIIRS staff member. On this call, GIIRS staff will make sure all questions are answered accurately. The review also helps us understand more about the company and the unique circumstances and best practices related to your company. On average, it takes about 60 minutes to complete a review. To schedule a review, hit 'Submit for Rating' on the assessment check or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and let us know a few times that would work for you.
Step 3: Make it Official
Submit payment for your GIIRS rating and sign a term sheet.
Step 4: Submit Documents for a Document Review
Upload documents related to the answers for questions deemed material by GIIRS within the ratings system. A desk review of the selected documents, which includes an assessment of whether the supporting documentation meets the criteria established by GIIRS, will be executed with the assistance of a third-party. It take 2 weeks from the time that you submit all of your documents for the third-party service provider to complete the documentation review.
Note: Deloitte & Touche has been retained as the preferred provider of document review services to assist GIIRS in its verification and rating process. In certain instances, GIIRS or another third-party will conduct documentation and on-site reviews
Step 5: Get your GIIRS Ratings Report!
Once the third-party service provider has completed the documentation review a GIIRS staff member will contact you and send you your GIIRS rating report.
After you get your rating:
Step 6: On-Site Reviews
10% of all GIIRS rated companies are selected by GIIRS for a GIIRS on-site review every year. This component of a GIIRS Rating is critical in maintaining the credibility of GIIRS ratings. The GIIRS on-site review is intended to verify each positive response on your GIIRS Assessment. There is no additional cost to your company for the on-site review. An on-site review includes a facilities tour, employee interviews and assessment of additional supporting documentation. An on-site review will be executed with the assistance of a third-party.
Note: Deloitte & Touche has been retained as the preferred provider of document review services to assist GIIRS in its verification and rating process. In certain instances, GIIRS or another third-party will conduct documentation and on-site reviews.
Details on the Verification Process
The GIIRS assessment is designed to be entrepreneur-friendly and easy-to complete while upholding a rigorous verification process, including document reviews and randomly selected on-site reviews conducted by our document review services provider, to ensure credibility of ratings and validity of data.
The purpose of the GIIRS verification process is to verify assessment responses, ensure correct calculation inputs, clarify question intent, reduce errors, and ensure consistent interpretation of assessment questions and responses.
There are four types of reviews in the verification process:
Review Type | Review Description | Intent | Conducted by |
Assessment Review |
60-120 minute call with GIIRS staff member, which all companies must complete in order to receive any form of GIIRS rating. |
Ensure that the company understood the intent of the questions and answered accordingly |
GIIRS Staff |
Documentation Review |
Review of 8 to 15 material documents randomly selected based on affirmative company responses in the GIIRS assessment. In most cases, a third-party reviews the documents, ensuring that the documents demonstrate claimed policies, practices or achievements and meet GIIRS standard. Note: Deloitte & Touche has been retained as the preferred provider of document and onsite review services to assist GIIRS in its validation and rating process. |
Ensure that the company has documentation to support the questions it has claimed credit for |
Third-party service provider |
Background Check |
GIIRS conducts a background check on each GIIRS-rated company and material company owner-operators. GIIRS utilizes two subscription database search engines (World-Check and Factiva) to search publicly available information to screen for entities with heightened risk for fraud, corruption, criminal activity and/or international sanctions and to screen for adverse media coverage that may trigger the need for further investor due diligence. If any potentially adverse result is found in either database search, GIIRS will highlight the need for additional due diligence on the ratings report |
Flag for investors any publically available information that may affect the credibility of the management or company |
GIIRS Staff |
Onsite Review |
10% of GIIRS-rated companies each year will be selected for on-site review by a third party. A third party travels to company headquarters, thoroughly verifies company practices, reviews all related documents, tours facilities and conducts worker interviews to validate each response company made in the GIIRS assessment. Note: Deloitte & Touche has been retained as the preferred provider of document and onsite review services to assist GIIRS in its validation and rating process. |
Provide additional verification for company's responses. Provide additional incentive for companies to answer assessment honestly. |
Third-party service provider |
Document Upload Functionality within GIIRS online portal
Rating Type | Issued When |
Preliminary Rating |
• a company has completed only the assessment review process; and
• a senior company manager has signed a statement verifying all assessment responses to be true
|
Reviewed Rating |
• a company has completed the assessment review process:
• a company has completed the document review process;
• a senior company manager has signed a statement verifying all responses to be true; and
• GIIRS has conducted a background check on the company, its CEO and material owner-operators (owner-operators who hold >20% of company)
|
On-site Reviewed Rating |
• a company has completed assessment review;
• a company has completed the document review process;
• a senior company manager has signed a statement verifying all responses to be true;
• GIIRS has conducted a background check on the company, its CEO and material owner-operators (owner-operators who hold >20% of company.);
• a company has completed an on-site verification review
• companies are randomly selected for on-site review or may voluntarily request and pay to be verified on-site
|
The type of rating (Preliminary, Reviewed or On-site Reviewed) a company receives is clearly demarked on the company's GIIRS Impact Rating Report.
-
Non-profits
- Investments in real estate or commodity based products
- Companies with a less than a year of operations