Last Updated:
4/11/21 2:43 PM
overall rating:
keep going
Etsy
Internal Representation & Support
59%
Public Commitment
44%
External Communication
75%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
Etsy created a permanent marketplace on their website dedicated to promoting Black-owned small businesses/artists. Etsy also continues to promote Black makers, artists, influencers, and Etsy sellers on their Instagram. In their 4th quarter of 2020, their marketing shifted to represent more people with Black or brown skin tones (59% of content) as part of their efforts to diversify their platform. Even before Summer 2020 BLM protests, Etsy has made efforts in the years prior to make their hiring practices more inclusive, focusing especially on Black and Latinx communities.
Lowlights
Despite their donations towards non-profits/orgs centered on racial justice, Etsy's total donation amount remains very low (<0.001%). There is minimal racial diversity among leadership positions despite their focus on racial justice in their hiring practices. Etsy has not released any specific workforce statistics around their Black employees, as they have grouped Black, Latinx, and Indigenous employees into one category (12.5% of their workforce).
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
12% - 13% Black, 11% - 15% BIPOC, 46% - 50% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 11% - 15% BIPOC, > 50% Women
11% - 15% BIPOC, 46% - 50% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization, A Black employee resource group
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Etsy has pledged a donation of < 0.001% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, Etsy has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as sponsorship of individuals who use their platform to speak out on racial injustice.
III. External Communications
Etsy has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice The public statement acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company, included specific calls to action, and explicitly stated "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 31% - 40% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeking to continue the momentum of BLM. While the brand does not regularly feature models in their social media posts, there is little to no evidence of additional actions the brand takes to show support of the LGBTQ+ community (beyond posting for Pride) or other marginalized communities.
