Last Updated:
3/21/21 8:55 PM
overall rating:
keep going
Visa
Internal Representation & Support
61%
Public Commitment
71%
External Communication
73%
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.
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Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
Since its initial public statement in June 2020 in support of racial justice, Visa has been clear about its need for internal improvement as well as its specific action steps for addressing its shortcomings. In addition to internal improvements, Visa created a $10 million fund to both provide scholarship assistance to college-bound Black students as well as guarantee them full-time employment with the company.
Lowlights
Visa has zero Black representation on its executive leadership team.
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:
8% - 9% Black, 16% - 20% BIPOC, 31% - 35% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 21% - 25% BIPOC, 31% - 35% Women
6% - 7% Black, > 40% BIPOC, 41% - 45% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization, A Black employee resource group
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
Visa has pledged a donation of 0.1% - 0.9% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, Visa has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations, sponsorship of individuals who use their platform to speak out on racial injustice, co-branded partnerships with other companies, and matching donations to a broad range of qualifying organizations. Visa is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with disabilities.
III. External Communications
Visa 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, 21% - 30% 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.
