$1.175 Billion: Corporate America Floods Social Justice Causes with Cash Amid Floyd Protests John Carney 11 Jun 2020
Corporations are opening up their treasuries to give money to social justice causes, including Black Lives Matter, in the wake of nationwide protests and riots over the death of George Floyd.
Many of the big companies are pushing their employees to do the same.
Some businesses are donating to controversial bail funds like the Minnesota Freedom Fund that seek to bail out protesters and rioters. Others have promised to set aside money to make purchases to black-owned businesses or create scholarships aimed at black Americans.
Here is a list thus far.
Pepsi—to lift up Black communities and increase Black representation at PepsiCo—$400 million
Sony Music—a fund “to support social justice and anti-racist initiatives around the world”—$100 million
Walmart—a new racial equity center—$100 million
Warner Music—campaigns against violence and racism and social justice causes related to music industry—$100 million.
Apple—a “racial justice initiative,” details to come—$100 million.
Nike—“Organizations that put social justice, education and addressing racial inequality in America at the center of their work”—$40 million
Alphabet/Google—various organizations, starting with $1 million each to Center for Policing Equity and Equal Justice Initiative—$12 million
Amazon—American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Foundation, Brennan Center for Justice, Equal Justice Initiative, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Bar Association, National Museum of African American History and Culture, National Urban League, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Year Up—$10 million
Facebook—$10 million in grants to “groups working on racial justice” and a $200 million commitment to Black-owned businesses and organizations—$210 million
General Electric—“organizations that promote inclusion and racial justice; An initial $1 million will go to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund—$10 million
Target—long-standing partners such as the National Urban League and the African American Leadership Forum in addition to adding new partners in Minneapolis-St. Paul and across the country—$10 million
Verizon—National Urban League, NAACP, National Action Network, Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights, Rainbow Push Coalition, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund—$10 million
United Health—YMCA Equity Innovation Center of Excellence and Minneapolis-St Paul businesses—$10 million
Goldman Sachs—donor-advised fund to support “leading organizations addressing racial injustice, structural inequity and economic disparity”—$10 million
Spotify—matching employee donations—$10 million
Disney—organizations that advance social justice—$5 million
Procter & Gamble—NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, YWCA Stand Against Racism, and UNCF; also smaller organizations that mobilize and advocate, such as Courageous Conversation—$5 million
Cisco—Equal Justice Initiative, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Color of Change, Black Lives Matter, and a Cisco fund for fighting racism and discrimination—$5 million
Quaker Oats—funds to “create meaningful, ongoing support and engagement in the Black community” —$5 million
Chik-fil-A—non-profits that are black-led or serve black communities—$5 million
Lego—organizations supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality—$4 million
Microsoft—Black Lives Matter, Equal Justice Initiative, Innocence Project, Leadership Conference on Civil & Human Rights, Minnesota Freedom Fund, and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund—$1.25 million
Starbucks—“Organizations promoting racial equity and more inclusive and just communities” nominated by employees—$1.25 million
Bed, Bath & Beyond—NAACP‘s Empowerment Programs—$1 million
Intel—support of efforts to address social injustice and anti-racism across various nonprofits and community organizations, and encouraging employees to consider donating to organizations focused on equity and social justice, including the Black Lives Matter Foundation, the Center for Policing Equity, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, all of which are eligible for Intel’s Donation Matching Program—$1 million
McDonald’s—unspecified—$1 million
Uber—Equal Justice Initiative and Center for Policing Equity—$1 million
Duke Energy—nonprofit organizations committed to social justice and racial equity–$1 million
The Travelers Companies—organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the National Urban League, YWCA Minneapolis, and the We Love Midway fund established by the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with the City of St. Paul–$1 million.
Warby Parker—organizations “combating systemic racism”–$1 million
PwC Charitable Foundation—NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Dream Corps, ACLU, and the Center for Policing Equity—$1 million
Glosser—$500,000 to various organization that are focused on combating racial injustice, including Black Lives Matter, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and We The Protesters; also an additional $500,000 in grants to black-owned beauty businesses—$1 million.
Etsy—$500,000 to the Equal Justice Initiative, $500,000 to Borealis Philanthropy’s Black-Led Movement Fund, and match any employee donations—$1 million.
Yelp Foundation—Equal Justice Initiative and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund—$500,000
H&M—NAACP, ACLU, and Color of Change—$500,000
Levi’s—$100,000 to the ACLU and $100,000 in grants to Live Free USA—$200,000