Capital is no longer neutral.
Across the financial system, investors are advancing campaigns that center justice as a core investment principle. From wage equity to climate resilience, a wave of coordinated efforts is reframing what it means to generate returns with impact.
These initiatives go beyond traditional ESG metrics. Developed in collaboration with grassroots leaders and informed by those most directly impacted by injustice, they signal a deeper transformation, leveraging public markets as a tool for systemic change.
Here are four campaigns helping to define that future.
Raising the Floor for Workers
Adasina’s Ending the Subminimum Wage Campaign is working to change corporate practices that allow employers to pay tipped workers as little as $2.13 per hour. Backed by a growing investor coalition, the campaign is gaining traction at both the policy and shareholder levels.
In early 2025, new investor letters were prepared targeting five major companies that still rely on subminimum pay. Partners like One Fair Wage are coordinating legal and public strategies, while more than $1.25 trillion in investor assets have aligned with the initiative, making it one of the most significant wage justice campaigns in capital markets today.
Ending Extractive Agriculture
Adasina’s Extractive Agriculture Campaign challenges harmful practices in the global food system — including land degradation, labor exploitation, and environmental destruction — all of which are deeply intertwined with public company supply chains.
This year, a growing coalition of investors, guided by Friends of the Earth, began working together to educate the market, share tools, and mobilize capital toward regenerative agricultural practices.
In just the first few months, the campaign secured over $3 billion in signatory assets and is continuing to expand through coalition-building and awareness efforts.
Supporting Black-Led Climate Solutions
The Bank Black & Green Campaign, launched by Hip Hop Caucus, is focused on redirecting deposits into Black-owned banks that explicitly reject fossil fuel and prison financing.
In February 2025, the campaign was amplified through an investor letter developed with support from Adasina, highlighting the need for equitable capital flows into institutions serving frontline communities.
In just 30 days, over $37 million in new deposits were made, with a long-term goal of reaching $180 million in mission-aligned capital. The initiative exemplifies how climate and racial justice can intersect through intentional financial redirection.
Defending DEI and Long-Term Value
As political backlash against DEI and ESG continues, some investors are taking a more principled stand.
In Q1 2025, coordinated investor letters were sent to seven companies targeted by anti-DEI proxy resolutions, urging them to maintain their commitments to inclusive governance.
In parallel, Adasina Social Capital is preparing to launch a new Gender Justice Campaign, which aims to encourage all U.S.-based public companies to adopt comprehensive non‑discrimination policies — including protections for sexual orientation and gender identity. These efforts reflect the growing view that diversity, equity, and sustainability are not ideological preferences but business imperatives.
These four campaigns offer a glimpse into the broader transformation reshaping public markets. Investors are no longer passive observers — they are emerging as organized, proactive agents of systemic change. By collaborating with social movements and communities most impacted by injustice, Adasina investor coalitions are reframing capital as a tool for shared prosperity.
What sets this approach apart isn’t just the issues being tackled — it’s the scale and coordination. From deposit redirection to shareholder voting, from collective investor engagement to investor coalition-building, these efforts are being carried out with clarity of purpose and an eye toward long-term value.
For a closer look at how these investor coalitions are driving impact, including campaign updates, investment strategy, and tools for engagement, explore Adasina’s latest Q1 2025 Impact Report.
If you’re an investor ready to move capital with purpose, toward justice, sustainability, and long-term value, this is a thoughtful place to begin.
