Visa

California
Diversified Financials

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Visa has terminated business relationships due to political beliefs with The David Horowitz Freedom Center after the SPLC labeled it as a hate group. The company vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. Visa is a corporate partner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and has also funded the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Urban League. The company is a member of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act and funds multiple LGBTQ organizations. Visa enacted a new product code system for firearms which could allow them to be tracked and covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children. For these reasons, Visa 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

In 2018, Visa refused to allow donations to be processed if they were for the David Horowitz Freedom Center (1)(2). Visa received a score of 100 on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. Among other requirements, this means Visa has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Visa does not donate to religious organizations unless “the donation is designated for ongoing non-secular community service programs open to all persons, and which do not propagate belief in any specific faith as a requirement for receiving services” (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Visa 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

Visa is a member of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act and utilizes a new product code for legal firearms, allowing for the potential tracking of legal gun purchases (1)(2). Visa’s CEO signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (3). Visa CEO is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed the 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders and customers (4)(5).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Visa pledged over $15 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes, including the ACLU and the National Urban League (1)(2). The company is a silver partner of the HRC, a copper sponsor of Out & Equal, and a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (3)(4)(5). Visa 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 (6)(7).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Visa lobbied for the Equality Act (1)(2)(3).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
December 1, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
1/24/23GovernanceNational Legal and Policy CenterIndependent Board ChairAgainst17.40%
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