Nike

Converse
Oregon
Consumer Durables and Apparel

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Nike vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. Nike is a Gold Corporate Partner of the HRC and a corporate partner of the NGLCC. Nike and Converse have donated to Planned Parenthood and Nike covers employees abortion-related travel costs. Nike covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care" for its employees and their children and pledged over $40 million to BLM and related causes. Nike regularly uses its reputation to promote gender ideology and funds and supports LGBTQ causes and organizations. Nike discriminates against religious organizations in its charitable giving and is committed achieving to carbon neutrality by 2040. Nike also donates to the Equality PAC and lobbies in an ideological manner. For these reasons, Nike receives a High Risk rating.

Criteria
Risk Level
Rationale
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria

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.

Risk Level
Rationale

Nike received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (1). Among other requirements, this means Nike has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies. Nike fired an employee due to his COVID-19 vaccination status, even though the employee requested an exemption from this vaccination requirement because of his religious beliefs (2)(3). Nike laid off other employees due to their noncompliance with Nike’s vaccination policy as well (4).

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level
Rationale

Nike will not match employee donations to churches or religious organizations, “Key criteria include the specification that qualified organizations must not discriminate against a person or a group on the basis of age, political affiliation, race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or religious belief. Faith-based organizations or programs qualify only if they are open to all individuals in the community regardless of religious belief and serve a secular purpose, such as a food pantry or a homeless shelter.” (1).

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level
Rationale

Nike does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Nike and its subsidiary, Converse, are members of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act and signed a statement in opposition to “anti-LGBTQ” legislation (1)(2)(3). Nike sponsors Pride Month advertisements and campaigns for the LGBTQIA community, including its “BETRUE” campaign (4)(5). Nike opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (6). Nike CEO John Donahoe is a member of the Business Roundtable and is a Ceres Network Member, committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2040 (7)(8). Converse supports BLM and publicly opposes alleged police brutality (9). Converse has released PRIDE collections and a shoe with advertisements that appear demonic (10)(11). Nike is a member of GARM, which aims to demonetize advertisements and suppress content that “vilifies” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity, discusses “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context” or spreads “hate speech” (12)(13)(14).

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Nike and Converse have donated to Planned Parenthood and Nike reimburses employees for abortion-related travel (1)(2)(3). Nike is a Gold Corporate Partner of the HRC and a corporate partner of the NGLCC (4)(5). Nike has donated to the SPLC and pledged over $40 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes (6)(7)(8). Nike sponsored a transgender biological male for its female clothing line and its subsidiary Converse has donated nearly $2.5 million to LGBTQ organizations (9)(10)(11). Converse combats racial injustice by partnering with ACLU of MA and The Theater Offensive (12). Nike has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (13)(14).

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level
Rationale

Nike donated to the Equality PAC and lobbies in an ideological manner (1)(2)(3).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
October 30, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
9/9/22SocialDomini Impact InvestmentsAdopt Policy on China SourcingAgainst6.35%
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