Last Updated:
10/24/20 2:22 PM
overall rating:
keep going
Lowe's
Internal Representation & Support
58%
Public Commitment
48%
External Communication
49%
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
Lowe's CEO Marvin Ellison is one of only 3 Fortune 500 Black CEOs. In addition, the company's partnership with Daymond John from Shark Tank provides an opportunity for small minority-owned businesses to sell at Lowe's.
Lowlights
There are no records of company donations to organizations that specifically uplift Black communities (aside from a grant program specifically geared toward "minority-owned" businesses). They are also not particularly vocal about Black Lives Matter on social media.
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:
> 15% Black, 26% - 30% BIPOC, 36% - 40% Women
Executive Leadership:
> 15% Black, > 40% BIPOC, 31% - 35% Women
Information not publicly available
Workforce:
A Black employee resource group
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Lowe's has pledged a donation of 0.01% - 0.09% of annual revenue towards BIPOC communities as a whole (has not specified donations towards Black lives). Additionally, Lowe's has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, and co-branded partnerships with other companies. Lowe's is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with disabilities.
III. External Communications
Lowe's has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice ; however, it did not acknowledge that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company, include specific calls to action, or explicitly state "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 10% - 20% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice with posts seeming performative in nature. While the brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, there is little to no evidence on social media of inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community, people living with disabilities, or a wide range of models with varying body types.
