Make a difference in our non-profit newsroom... and help Marketplace meet our year-end goal! Donate Today 💙

What corporations need to do, internally and externally, to address social equity

Jul 1, 2021
Professor Ella L.J. Bell Smith of Dartmouth says companies must bring people of color into their executive pipelines and develop their abilities.
Addressing inequity takes external action, like following through on financial pledges, as well as internal action, like paying attention to wage equity, recruitment and promotions.
Getty Images

"Rainbow washing" during Pride hurts both brands and consumers

Simply attaching your brand to a rainbow flag but failing to take further action can have unintended negative results.
Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images

An argument for new metrics for success in a new and more ethical capitalism

Jun 2, 2021
SoulBranding founder Elsie Maio argues companies must measure effects on "the tangible well-being of humans ... of our planet."
"There are promises and there's a flood of purposeful branding campaigns out there. What are we measuring against? What is the impact? What's the change in focus?" Elsie Maio asks.
Prostock-Studio via Getty Images

Believe it or not, businesses are society's most trusted institutions

May 20, 2021
A new survey finds four in five people trust their employers to tackle social issues more than they do government or nonprofits.
More and more, people recognize everything as political, including our businesses.
Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

Union and advocacy groups seek corporate change through shareholders

Apr 21, 2021
They're addressing institutional investors like hedge funds and asking managers to press for social justice.
Asset managers have a lot of sway over corporate decision-making, said Chris Baumann of the Service Employees International Union.
Jemal Countess/Getty Images for National Domestic Workers Alliance and Service Employees International Union

Waves of giving follow racial equity crises

Apr 5, 2021
Billions of dollars were donated to social justice causes in 2020. Deciding where and when to allocate resources can be hard.
In the months following George Floyd's death, people donated billions of dollars to social justice and racial equity groups.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Why “equity” can mean “cash” in real estate and “fairness” in everyday language

Mar 11, 2021
“Equity” comes from a Latin root meaning “fair” or ”equal.” It’s legal history started in 15th century English equity courts.
Equity has multiple meanings when it comes to real estate that derive from the term "equity of redemption."
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Bon Appétit, with a new editor-in-chief, sets out to change how we think about food

Davis wants Bon Appétit to be the top destination for recipes, but also a place to gather and discuss the links between culture and food.
Dawn Davis began her new role as head of the 64-year-old magazine last month.
Steven Ferdman/Getty Images

Charitable giving is way up this year — the same will likely be true of Giving Tuesday

Early numbers show that people are giving more than in previous years to places like food banks, housing groups and mutual aid networks.
SDI Productions/Getty Images

For furloughed workers, the psychological toll can be as heavy as the economic one

Oct 1, 2020
Add in the pandemic, the struggle for racial justice and the uncertainty surrounding the election, and the anxiety can be overwhelming.
Being furloughed, combined with the struggle for social justice and the uncertainty around the election and the pandemic, can be overwhelming.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images