Set measurable expectations
The initiative focused on actions such as restricting firearms in stores, supporting community violence-intervention work, and ending political giving to lawmakers backed by the gun lobby.
Corporate Mark Project
A visible signal that businesses can choose public safety over silence.
The Corporate Mark Project helped turn gun safety into a standard businesses could publicly stand behind. The mark was created as part of the broader Business Must Act effort to recognize companies taking meaningful steps to reduce gun violence and pressure others to do more.
LAUNCHED / ACTIVE
2019
B+
threshold for Gun Safety Certified status
3
core corporate actions emphasized
29
major retailers studied at launch
WHAT IT IS
When government action stalls, large companies still shape the spaces where people work, shop, gather, and spend money. The Corporate Mark Project asked businesses to use that influence responsibly and made gun-safety leadership visible to the public.
The Gun Safety Certified mark was developed by Manuel Oliver of Change The Ref with Stop Handgun Violence as part of the Business Must Act coalition. Companies were evaluated on concrete policies rather than statements alone.
HOW THE IDEA WORKED
Attention is only useful
if it moves somewhere.
CTR initiatives are designed to do more than communicate. Each one creates a path from attention to participation, accountability, remembrance, or action.
Score corporate behavior
Retailers were evaluated through a public report-card approach so customers could see which companies were leading, lagging, or staying silent.
Make responsibility visible
Businesses earning a qualifying grade could use the Gun Safety Certified mark as a public symbol of their commitment.
IMPACT
From corporate statements to a standard people could recognize.
At launch, the Business Must Act scorecard examined 29 major retailers. The project framed gun violence as a responsibility businesses could address through store policy, community investment, and political spending.
WHY IT STILL MATTERS
The project expanded Change The Ref's accountability model beyond elected officials by asking major brands to decide what they would tolerate, fund, and publicly stand for.
CREATED WITH
- Change The Ref
- Guns Down America
- Stop Handgun Violence
- Business Must Act coalition partners
PERMANENT HOME
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This initiative lives here now.
Original campaign sites may change or go offline over time. ChangeTheRef.org keeps the full story, purpose, and legacy of this initiative accessible in one permanent place.