1792 Exchange says nine companies removed SPLC donation filter

The 1792 Exchange said nine companies removed a Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) screening filter from their corporate donation portals. The organization announced the removals on Oct. 22, according to the Washington Examiner, which named BlackRock, Salesforce, Mastercard, Texas Instruments, AT&T, Nvidia, Microsoft, American Express and DoorDash. The filter was designed to screen organizations registered as 501(c)(3) charities against the SPLC’s “Extremist Files,” the Washington Examiner reported. The newspaper said the companies had removed it from their donation portals, and described the tool as part of corporate giving programs. The 1792 Exchange, the Heritage Foundation and Alliance Defending Freedom were involved in urging companies to stop using the filter, according to the Washington Examiner. The outlet characterized their effort as a pressure campaign over the preceding year. It also described the 1792 Exchange as a nonprofit seeking changes to corporate governance policies. The Washington Examiner said the coalition viewed the SPLC list as a tool used in corporate giving and investment screening. Its account described companies as having relied on the SPLC as a resource for evaluating causes eligible for financial support, while saying the nine companies had reportedly removed the filter. The outlet used the phrase “so-called” when referring to the “Extremist Files.”

The 1792 Exchange’s announcement was the stated basis for identifying the nine companies and the filter’s removal. The Washington Examiner also reported that the coalition was seeking an end to corporate reliance on SPLC-based screening. Its article did not give separate statements from the companies named or detail any additional changes to their giving policies. The companies listed span finance, technology, telecommunications, payments and delivery, but the reported action is specific: removing the SPLC filter from donation portals. The account does not state whether the companies changed other screening practices or how their donation decisions were affected.