Ford Motor Co. - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Ford Motor Co. is Medium Risk.

Ford Motor is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company elevates merit, excellence, and integrity ahead of race and identity-based policies. Ford 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	Medium Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

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:

In 2020, despite pressure from some employees, Ford did not stop the production of vehicles for police units (1). The company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Ford’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). The company’s charitable giving focus areas are “essential Services, education, entrepreneurship, and mobility” (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Ford launched unconscious bias training for the majority of its employees across Asia Pacific (1). However, in an August 2024 statement, Ford affirmed it “does not utilize hiring quotas or tie compensation to the achievement of specific diversity goals” and “will not use quotas for minority dealerships or suppliers” (2)(3). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Ford scored a 100 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index. However, in August 2024, the company pledged to shift some of its corporate policies and practices back to neutral. This included a promise to stop submitting data to the HRC and stop “publicly commenting on the many polarizing issues of the day” (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). Ford’s former CEO James P. Hackett signed the Business Roundtable’s 2019 Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders (6). Ford is a Ceres Network Member, committed to carbon neutrality by 2040 (7)(8)(9). Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, 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 (10)(11).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

Ford provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion (1). In 2016, allegations surfaced suggesting that Ford donated to the American Civil Liberties Union, Black Lives Matter, and other leftist groups. Ford Motor responded by denying the allegations, clarifying that the Ford Motor Company has no relation to the Ford Foundation, which is a private foundation founded by the Ford family but presently disconnected from the company (2)(3)(4). In an August 2024 statement, Ford reaffirmed that its philanthropic funding will focus on education, entrepreneurship, and essential services (5)(6). Ford sponsored the Motor City Pride in 2025 (7). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (8).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Ford has publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. However, in August 2024, the company pledged to shift some of its corporate policies and practices back to neutral. This included a promise to stop being involved in “the many polarizing issues of the day” (1)(2). The company has not used its PAC donations or lobbying for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).