The Investor Case for Fair Chance Employment (White Paper), authored by Mari Schwartzer with support from Tenzing Tashishar and Whitney Nguyen, builds upon NorthStar’s 2018 paper on prison labor. The report details research on fair chance employment and outlines engagement strategies, urging investors to support this critical equity-focused work.

Prison Labor in the United States: An Investor Perspective outlines how prison labor is linked to economic inequality, racial injustice, and human rights abuses. NorthStar’s report educates investors about reputational risks, offers tools for identifying prison labor in supply chains, and urges companies to adopt policies preventing abusive practices.

FedEx extended health benefits to domestic partners of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer employees nationwide. Previously limited to California, benefits expanded across USA. The decision followed a shareholder resolution highlighting inconsistencies between FedEx’s non-discrimination policy and unequal treatment of LGBTQ employees in compensation.

NorthStar’s Fiduciary Responsibility in Corporate Political Spending examines the risks of corporate political contributions that contradict stated policies and values. The paper highlights how disclosure and accountability can strengthen public trust and investor confidence, while misaligned contributions expose companies to reputational damage, backlash, and litigation.

Following Citizens United, the SEC affirmed NorthStar’s right to file a resolution at Home Depot seeking shareholder votes on corporate political contributions — because donations misaligned with stated policies expose companies to reputational risk and shareholder harm. The decision established political spending as a significant social policy issue warranting shareholder input.

After engagement with NorthStar, Costco became the first U.S. corporation to commit to continued public reporting on prison labor in its supply chain. The company adopted a global policy requiring minimum wages and voluntary participation, and pledged ongoing disclosure, helping investors assess long-term risks and ensure fair treatment of incarcerated workers.