New Balance
Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
New Balance vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies but has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. The company discriminates against religious organizations in its charitable giving and frequently uses its reputation and corporate dollars to promote LGBT issues and organizations. However, it does protect its employees against viewpoint discrimination. For these reasons, New Balance receives a Medium Risk rating.
Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.
New Balance has a supplier diversity pledge that requires vendors not to discriminate based on sexual orientation (1). However, New Balance has not publicly fired customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs. The company integrates ESG into all of its business practices (2)(3).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
New Balance’s charitable giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy including on the basis of sexual orientation, thereby excluding some religious charities (1).
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
New Balance protects employees against viewpoint discrimination (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
New Balance supports GLSEN’s Changing the Game Initiative, which “advanc[e] the acceptance of LGBTQIA+ youth in athletics” (1). In 2021, New Balance released a Pride Collection and a short film telling the story of the Front Runners New York Pride Run (2). New Balance is a member of the UN’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, committed to net zero by 2050 (3)(4).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
From 2022 to 2025, New Balance will donate $600,000 to support GLSEN’s Changing the Game initiative. The company was also a sponsor of the Front Runners New York LGBT Pride Run in 2022 (1).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
New Balance does not operate a PAC at this time (1).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
September 1, 2023
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