How Companies Perform on Free Speech and Religious Freedom Protections
An assessment of major companies' policies, practices, and disclosures against benchmarks for fundamental freedoms.
Corporate Wins
Confirmed corporate policy changes advancing free speech, religious freedom, and fair treatment — driven by research and shareholder engagement.
Microsoft Broadens Gift-Match Eligibility
Microsoft removed the SPLC list as a screening tool and now allows employee gift matching to all lawful 501(c)(3) organizations, including religious charities. The updated policy was fully implemented in July 2026 and is now reflected in Microsoft’s public materials.
Gift matching opened to all confirmed 501(c)(3) organizations
Company policy updated to confirm religious status is no longer a barrier to employee charitable-giving matches.
Off-duty religious and political expression expressly protected
Updated policy recognizes employees’ right to engage in religious and political dialogue outside of work.
SPLC “Hate Map” filter to be removed from gift-match screening
DoorDash committed to taking the steps necessary to remove the SPLC “Hate Map” filter as a mandatory and default screening mechanism in its employee gift-match program.
Employee gift-matching opened to religious institutions
Wells Fargo’s employee matching program is now open to religious institutions.
SPLC “Hate Group” list ruled out of charitable giving
AmEx clarified they do not and will not use the SPLC “Hate Group” list in their charitable giving. Employees are, and will continue to be, permitted to donate to religious orgs through AmEx’s employee giving programs.
SPLC filter disabled in employee gift matching
AT&T asked Benevity to disable their filter that excludes certain conservative and religious nonprofits using the SPLC’s “hate group” list, ensuring that legitimate faith-based charities are no longer excluded from its gift matching program.
Gift-match restrictions removed for religious organizations
Following our engagement last year, BlackRock had taken a close look at its gift-match program and made several changes. BlackRock removed the Benevity filter to screen out religious organizations that discriminate on religious grounds. BlackRock removed the requirement that donations be used by religious organizations for non-sectarian purposes.
Why Company Scores Matter
Protects Ideological & Religious Freedom
- Company policies and donations affect free speech as well as faith-based causes and workers.
Respects Customers, Employees & Shareholders
- Scores highlight companies that serve everyone — not just a vocal minority — including on matters of conscience and belief.
Avoids Divisive Ideology in Policies & Giving
- Some companies push DEI and CRT ideas that conflict with religious freedom.
- Scores show which companies are fair to all views.
How Companies Improve Their Scores
- Clarify terms of service.
- Protect religious expression in the workplace.
- Open charitable giving to faith-based nonprofits.
- Remove viewpoint-based restrictions.
- Promote merit over quotas.
Learn About the Issues
- How Corporate DEI Policies Impact You
- The Truth About Hate Speech Rules
- How Critical Theory Concepts Appear in Corporate Policy
Watchlist Signals: Indicators We Track
Certain partnerships, ratings, or third-party platforms may warrant closer review because they can be associated with policies relevant to free speech, religious freedom, or charitable eligibility.
- Partners with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).
- Received a 100% score on HRC's Corporate Equality Index (CEI).
- Uses an SPLC-aligned giving platform (Benevity, Deed, Groundswell).
Top Scoring Companies
The highest-scoring companies in this year's Business Index.
See the Full Company List