Inspire Investing Co-Sponsors New Viewpoint Diversity Score Business Index to Measure Corporate Respect for Religious and Ideological Diversity

In certain corporate executive circles, it has become popular for C-suite activists to leverage their company's brand influence to push for political agendas that threaten free speech and religious freedom. To address this growing problem, Inspire Investing has partnered with Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to bring transparency to the American corporations that are fueling the undermining of these sacred rights.  

This joint venture between Inspire Investing and ADF has resulted in the Viewpoint Diversity Score website (www.ViewpointDiversityScore.org) and Business Index. Business Index is designed to help companies create cultures that respect customers' and other stakeholders' freedom of expression and belief, foster viewpoint diversity in the workplace, and reflect a commitment to the underlying principles of American democracy. Along with scoring companies, it will also provide companies with workable solutions through model policies, research, toolkits, polling, and constructive dialogue. Index

"This is exactly why we built the Inspire Insight technology that contributes to the Viewpoint Diversity Score," said Robert Netzly, the CEO of Inspire Investing and one of 10 members of the Viewpoint Diversity Score Advisory Council. " To provide Christian investors with insight into the biblical values alignment of the companies in their portfolio and inspire transformation for God’s glory throughout the world. Partnering with ADF to create the Business Index provides critical information about which companies are aligned with or opposed to religious freedoms."  

Examining 50 companies on the Fortune 1000 list that pose the most prominent risk to free speech and religious freedom for everyday Americans, the Business Index is the first comprehensive benchmark designed to measure corporate respect for religious and ideological diversity in the market, workplace, and public square. The companies scored by the index only hit an overall average of 12% (out of 100%) for respecting religious and ideological diversity. While no industry performed well, some of the worst respecters for religious and ideological diversity were computer software at 6% and the financial and data services industry at 8%.  

"CEOs and business leaders have positions of considerable power. They shouldn't weaponize their influence or the companies they run to divide Americans or engage in speech censorship or anti-religious bigotry," said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel, Senior Vice President for Corporate Engagement Jeremy Tedesco. "Instead of using the cultural power of their brands to drive polarization, business leaders should commit to respecting everyone, regardless of their religion or ideology. Businesses should respect viewpoint diversity at every level of their organizations, from the shop floor to the board room, and externally as well."

About Inspire Investing  

Inspire Investing is a leading provider of biblically responsible, faith-based ESG (environmental, social, and governance)¹ investments and is the creator of the globally recognized Inspire Impact Score™, which investors around the world use to measure the biblical alignment of their investments according to Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI) principles.  

Inspire ranked #3 in the "Top 50 fastest growing RIA firms" by FA Magazine two years in a row (2020 & 2021 report) and recognized in The Financial Times "Americas' Fastest Growing Companies" 2021 & 2022 report. Inspire's Discretionary Assets Under Management (AUM) is $1.98 billion as of March 31, 2021.  

Visit www.inspireinvesting.com to learn more about Inspire's biblically responsible investment products.

About ADF

Alliance Defending Freedom is one of the nation’s most respected and successful Supreme Court advocates working to preserve the fundamental freedoms of speech and religion, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life. ADF defends cherished liberties in Congress, state legislatures, and courtrooms across the country—all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. ADF has won 13 victories at the Supreme Court since 2011 and has an 80% win rate of all cases.

¹Environmental criteria considers how a company performs as a steward of nature. Social criteria examine how it manages relationships with employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities where it operates. Governance deals with a company's leadership, executive pay, audits, internal controls, and shareholder rights.  

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