2021

Year in Review

The Year JUST, and Our Mission, Went Prime Time

Greetings!

Capturing the full meaning of 2021 to JUST Capital in a few pages is no easy feat. Truth be told, it’s been a monumental year in which both our organization, thanks to our new partnership with CNBC, and our broader mission hit prime time.

The numbers in this review speak for themselves. They tell a powerful story of a nonprofit punching well above its weight to drive impact at scale, and helping to bring to life a vision of the future in which corporate America sees creating value for all stakeholders as the key to success.

It’s a vision in which people and communities – the “S" of ESG – matter more, millions of American workers move closer toward living wage levels, good jobs are created in communities that need them, companies are held to account on their promises, and much, much more.

It’s also a vision that has the power to unite the country rather than divide us. In 2022, the forces carrying us closer to this future will only intensify. For the fact is that business doesn’t just have the opportunity to create a better future; society expects it. It's the gap between expectation and results that we now have to close. With your help, we will do that.

Martin Whittaker, JUST Capital CEO

Measuring Corporate
Stakeholder Performance

Against the backdrop of the rapidly shifting labor market and pandemic impact, wages, jobs, and accountability came out on top of Americans’ priorities for companies in our annual polling of the public. Our 2022 Rankings of America’s Most JUST Companies showcase how the country’s largest corporations are measuring up. JUST 100 CEOs discussed how they’ve navigated the last year to deliver stakeholder outperformance on the key issues through our new expansive partnership with CNBC. We also highlighted lessons from JUST 100 leaders throughout 2021.

In the News: Our Partnership with

Explore CNBC’s Full JUST 100 Coverage

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These Are the Top 100 ESG Stocks in America

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The No. 1 ESG Issue for Americans Isn’t Climate Change. It’s Workers

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Just Capital’s Stakeholder Survey Highlights Top Priorities for U.S. Companies

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CNBC and JUST Capital Announce Multi-Year Media Partnership

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How These Companies Are Addressing the Gender Gap

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How Companies Are Reducing Their Environmental Impact

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Just Capital’s Alison Omens on Top Companies Supporting Families

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Adena Friedman
CEO, Nasdaq

“Nasdaq’s position at the center of capital creation, markets, and technology provides us with unique perspectives on corporate sustainability and opportunities to help companies and investors create long-term value for our society. With a deliberate focus on making opportunities available to more people within our communities, capital markets can be a powerful vehicle for building a more inclusive economy that helps people of all backgrounds reach their full potential. It is an honor to be named in this year’s JUST Capital 100 list and a great recognition of the work of the Nasdaq team in helping advance our purpose to champion inclusive growth and prosperity.”

Arvind Krishna
CEO, IBM

“Attracting workers is about jobs, it’s about wages, but it’s also about other attributes – are we serious about sustainability, are we taking action about it or not. Same as in retail, where people are willing to pay a premium for sustainable companies, we think that the workers we attract also care about it. At the end of the day, you have to be competitive on wages, you have to be competitive on benefits, you have to give people a career path they enjoy – and they have to believe in the company, that the work they’re doing is serious and benefits society. We believe we do pretty well on all of those things and that shows up in our ranking.”

Enrique Lores
CEO, HP

“Strong companies do more than generate profits, they also drive ambitious and meaningful progress. There has never been a more important time for business to take actions that address society’s greatest challenges – from climate change to inequality. It’s up to us to turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities that lay the groundwork for shared prosperity well into the future.”

Ed Bastian
CEO, Delta

“Despite the challenging circumstances of the past two years, the Delta people haven’t faltered in our mission of providing connection in a time when the world needs it most - helping to shape a better world for all. This recognition is thanks to the Delta people who go above and beyond to take care of one another, our customers and the communities we serve.”

Demonstrating the
Investor Case

Investors put a record number of dollars into ESG funds last year, and we worked to build on that momentum by developing new product partnerships, convening ESG investors for timely conversations, and continuing to build research on the connection between stakeholder performance and market performance.

We also partnered with Goldman Sachs, BlackRock, Lord Abbett, Morgan Stanley, and Vanguard to launch a Municipal Issuer Racial Equity & Inclusion Engagement Framework to help drive more equitable outcomes in the muni-bond market.

Supporting Worker Financial Wellness

After launching The Worker Financial Wellness Initiative in 2020 with PayPal, the Financial Health Network, and the Good Jobs Institute, we spent 2021 building a cohort of participating companies – among them, Chipotle, Chobani, Prudential, and Verizon – to create a community of practice and learning. We also worked to continue elevating the importance of a living wage as a pay benchmark and, going forward, are looking to ensure that the strides made to recognize workers’ financial needs during the pandemic last over the long term.
The only sustainable competitive advantage that any company has is the strength of its workforce. …This kind of investment is essential if you ever have any hope of moving from being a good company to a great company. It all rests on the back of our employees.
Dan Schulman
President and CEO, PayPal

In the News

$15 An Hour Isn’t Enough: U.S. Workers Need a Living Wage

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PayPal CEO Dan Schulman and Chipotle CEO Brian Niccol Join CNBC's Squawk Box

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Employers Join Just Capital, PayPal in Push for Worker Financial Wellness

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Why PayPal and Chobani Believe a $15 Minimum Wage Isn't Nearly Enough

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Prudential to Investigate How Employees Are Faring Financially

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Advancing Racial Equity

In 2021, we focused on tracking how companies were performing against racial equity commitments, launching our Corporate Racial Equity Tracker to monitor policies and practices and a supporting series of spotlights to help companies take action on key issues from pay equity to board diversity. We also launched the Corporate Racial Equity Alliance alongside PolicyLink and FSG, publishing the 2021 CEO Blueprint for Racial Equity. With the Alliance, we started to develop new corporate performance standards to set the bar for what good looks like, embed accountability, and establish consistency in how corporations approach equity.

How the Public’s Priorities on Racial Equity Compare to Corporate Actions

Data from our Corporate Racial Equity Tracker shows that the nation’s 100 largest employers are more likely to disclose baseline DEI commitments, but less likely to disclose actions that show accountability toward progress.
Survey Conducted March 11-15, 2021
Corporate data captured in Corporate Racial Equity Tracker

In the News

JUST Capital Explains Racial Equity Tracker

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Holding Corporate America Accountable for Racial Equity Commitments

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Corporate America is More Talk Than Action on Diversity Pledges

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Board-Diversity Disclosures Top 80% Among Biggest U.S. Employers

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JUST Capital Chief Strategy Officer on Corporate America’s Diversity Goals

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Navigating COVID-19’s
Continued Impact

As the pandemic evolved throughout 2021, we turned our focus to its long-term effects on the nation’s workforce, looking at changes to workplace health and safety measures, caregiving challenges, and what employers should do to support hiring and retention through the Great Resignation/Reassessment.

Exploring What’s Next for Stakeholder Capitalism

Our 2021 survey research helped to highlight what issues Americans agree companies should add to their ESG agendas – and what others should rise in importance. We analyzed the state of corporate disclosure on these issues and, under a new administration, weighed in on new and emerging ESG public policy measures.
Many companies outsource their supply chain and also think they can outsource their responsibilities. And that's obviously not acceptable anymore. You have to own the problems that you create as much as you embrace the opportunities that are there.
Paul Polman
Former CEO, Unilever

In the News

DealBook: Human Resources

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CEO Daily: Corporate America Needs to Step Up Its Climate Commitments

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CFO Daily: Optimism About Corporations Is Waning, Survey Finds

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Corporations Are the New Activists After Capitol Riot. Stay Tuned for Proxy Season

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Building Our Organizational Strength

As JUST Capital’s influence and engagement with corporate America has expanded since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve focused on building and bolstering our own team and community of supporters. Learn more about our impact and achievements.

Growing JUST: 2020 - 2021

497 Press Highlights

375 Editorial Bylines

3320000 Page Views

6 new Foundation Partners

8 new Board Members

46 Advisors

125 JUSTGen Members

278 FY21 donors

$300000+ raised for Deepak Chopra Scholars Fund

$400000+ in #GivingTuesday contributions

Financial Overview

Where We're Headed

2022 will be a critical time for accountability, transparency, and action across corporate America. Our polling has shown a growing frustration among Americans with the speed at which companies are acting on key priorities. Throughout the coming year, JUST’s research, polling, analysis, and programs will work to incentivize, guide, and support companies’ efforts to rebuild trust with their stakeholders. We’ll be especially focused on workers, helping ensure all jobs offer fair pay, opportunity for growth, and a focus on equity for employees.

Explore more of our plans for the upcoming year – and how you can be involved – here.