First Interstate Bank - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

First Interstate Bank is Medium Risk.

First Interstate BancSystem is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. First Interstate Bank implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Medium Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled 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:

Lower

Rationale:

First Interstate Bank has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

First Interstate Bank’s charitable giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (1).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

First Interstate Bank requires its employees to take unconscious bias and DEI training (1). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

First Interstate Bank’s CEO, Kevin P. Riley, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (1)(2). The company supports DEI within its business practices, employing a DEI Council (3). First Interstate Bank supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2026 Corporate Reponsibility Report: “At First Interstate Bank, we recognize that fostering and inclusive workplace contributes to innovation, enhances decision making, and improves client experiences. We take pride in creating a workplace that values diverse perspectives while ensuring fair and equitable opportunities for all employees” (4). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2024 Corporate Repsonsibility Report: “we strive to
center and strengthen those important relationships, and we dedicate ourselves and hold
ourselves accountable to sound environmental, social, and governance practices” (5).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

In 2021, First Interstate Bank donated to the Black Hills Center for Equality, which advocates for pro-abortion legislation and gender-related operations and medical treatment for youth (1)(2). In 2021, the company funded LGBTQ groups including Pride Foundation and Wyoming Equality (3). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of First Interstate Bank using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (4).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

First Interstate Bank’s PAC has been defunct since 2014 (1)(2). The company does not engage in lobbying at this time (3).