Nationwide invests $1 million to fight racism, inequality

Nationwide has announced that it is making a $1 million, multi-year commitment to support programs that foster social justice.

The commitment is in addition to Nationwide’s existing commitments to support diversity initiatives that address economic empowerment, education and housing, the company said.

“At Nationwide, we believe that racism in any shape or form is unacceptable and runs counter to our core values,” said Kirt Walker, Nationwide CEO. “Today, we are making it clear that we are committed to taking action to promote social equity and justice.”

The additional $1 million will be directed to:

• The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a non-for-profit organization that fights for racial justice through litigation, advocacy and public education.
• Local NAACP organizations to foster social justice and economic empowerment.
• The Bail Project, which combats mass incarceration by focusing on the restoration of the presumption of innocence.
• The Equal Justice Initiative, which aims to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment by challenging economic injustice and protecting human rights.

“While I am very proud of Nationwide and its diversity efforts through the years, it’s critical that in the midst of recent events and this ongoing national conversation, we listen to our associates,” Walker said. “Only when we take the time to understand and appreciate the unique points of view of others can we make meaningful change.”

In the weeks since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Nationwide has held forums to allow associates to share their thoughts. The company has also established a social-justice task force made up of diverse thought leaders to identify new ways Nationwide can increase its impact on racism and other societal issues. It has also committed to preparing additional resources for its employees, including implicit bias training, the creation of racial discussion forums, and social-justice volunteerism opportunities.