WSFS Financial - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

WSFS Financial is Medium Risk.

WSFS Financial is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. WSFS Financial 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	Lower 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:

WSFS Financial 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:

WSFS Financial’s 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. The company’s charitable giving focus areas are community investment, affordable housing, revitalization and business economic empowerment, education and leadership development, and service for those in need (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

WSFS Financial appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its Board Principle and Guidelines: “The Board aims to establish diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, such as geographic, age, gender, race, and ethnicity” (1). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2)(3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

WSFS Financial supports DEI within its business practices, employing a DEI Committee and Officer (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices, hosting an Inclusion Week in 2024 (2). WSFS supports DEI within its business practices. From its Culture and Inclusion Page: “WSFS’ Culture & Inclusion initiatives are tied to the organization’s goals” (3). The company supports DEI within its business practices, creating an inclusion internship, and publishing multiple articles detailing its DEI actions (4)(5). WSFS Financial supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2024 ESG Report: “On behalf of WSFS,
thank you for your interest in our ESG efforts and for sharing
our vision for a sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous future” (6).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

WSFS Financial has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

WSFS Financial has not used its PAC donations for ideological purposes and does not engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).