Target Foundation is the grantmaking foundation associated with the American big-box retail company Target Corporation. The Target Foundation disburses millions of dollars in grants annually to left-of-center ideologically aligned groups.

In 2020, the Target Corporation and Target Foundation announced a major left-of-center racial-equity initiative shortly after the police-involved death of George Floyd, and in 2021 the organizations pledged to spend $100 million on the initiative over the next five years.

History

In 1902, George Draper Dayton founded what would later be called the Dayton Corporation. In 1918, Dayton launched the Dayton Foundation with a $1 million endowment. In 1946, the Dayton Corporation formalized the practice of contributing 5 percent of its profits to the Dayton Foundation. In 1962, the Dayton Corporation opened its first big-box retail store. By 1999, the Dayton Corporation was receiving an average of $1 million per week from what was then called the Dayton-Hudson Corporation. In 2000, the Dayton-Hudson Corporation was renamed the Target Corporation, and the Dayton Foundation was renamed to the Target Foundation. ¹

As of 2012, the Target Corporation was giving an average of $4 million per week to the Target Foundation. ²

Programs

Grantmaking

In 2022, the Target Foundation donated $22.6 million in grants, most of which were for tens of thousands of dollars. The largest grant was for $1.5 million to the Center for Economic Inclusion, which also received a separate grant for $250,000. The Target Foundation gave 72 grants for “racial equity” in 2022. ³

Racial Equity Action and Change

In 2020, the Target Foundation and Target Corporation launched Racial Equity Action and Change (REACH), an initiative to accelerate progress toward left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) milestones within Target and the United States. In June, the Foundation and Corporation donated $10 million to “address inequality in Minneapolis” after the police-involved death of George Floyd, and to “affect long-term change through national social justice initiatives.” ⁴

In October 2021, the Target Foundation and Target Corporation announced they would spend $100 million over the next five years on racial equity grants and programs designed to enhance black prosperity in the United States, including scholarships, poverty relief charities, and educational programs. ^{5 6}

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

The Target Foundation supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) milestone goals set every three years by the Target Corporation. The current goals, set in 2022, include increasing racial-minority officers by 33 percent, increasing promotions of racial minorities by 62 percent, increasing promotions of women to senior leadership positions by 16 percent, reducing turnover of racial-minority employees by 33 percent, and spending $1.7 billion more on “diverse suppliers.” ^{7 8}

Leadership

Amanda Nusz is the president of the Target Foundation and the senior vice president of corporate responsibility at the Target Corporation. She has worked in a variety of roles at Target since 1996. Nusz was formerly on the steering committee of the Global Fashion Agenda and was on the board of the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety. ^{9 10}

At Target, Nusz has spearheaded numerous left-of-center diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including Target Forward, a program to source environmentally friendly material from racial minority-owned suppliers. Nusz also helped create the Target Scholars program that supports thousands of racial minority students at historically black colleges through a partnership with the United Negro College Fund. ¹¹

Nusz has cited Anti-Racist Leadership by James White and Krista White as an influence on her management career. ¹²

Controversies

The Target Foundation has been criticized for funding far-left nonprofits including the NDN Collective, an advocate of the Lakota Native American people that has called for the closing of Mount Rushmore, the return of Mount Rushmore’s land to an independent Lakota nation, and for the United States to be “demilitarized.” Another grantee, YWCA Minneapolis, has given anti-racist advice to communities and asserted that capitalism is rooted in “racism, genocide and systemic inequities.” ^{13 14}

The Target Foundation has been criticized by left-wing sources for donating to police departments across the United States, primarily to develop programs, training, and technology related to preventing shoplifting. According to Concerned Shipt Shoppers, “By providing funding and legitimacy to punitive policing strategies in Minneapolis and across the country, Target bears a unique responsibility for the circumstances that led to the death of George Floyd and countless other victims of police brutality.” ¹⁵

1. ^[1] “$4 million every week: a brief history of Target’s community giving.” Target. October 30, 2012. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://corporate.target.com/article/2012/10/4-million-every-week-a-brief-history-of-Target-s-c.
2. “$4 million every week: a brief history of Target’s community giving.” Target. October 30, 2012. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://corporate.target.com/article/2012/10/4-million-every-week-a-brief-history-of-Target-s-c.
3. “Target Foundation.” ProPublica. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/416017088/202203349349100100/full.
4. “Racial Equity Action and Change.” Target. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-ESG/diversity-equity-inclusion/racial-equity-action-and-change.
5. “Racial Equity Action and Change.” Target. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-ESG/diversity-equity-inclusion/racial-equity-action-and-change.
6. “Target commits $100 million through 2025 for Black communities.” Philanthropy News Digest. October 13, 2021. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/news/target-commits-100-million-through-2025-for-black-communities.
7. “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.” Target. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://corporate.target.com/sustainability-ESG/diversity-equity-inclusion.
8. “We Are Never Done: Inside Target’s 2019-2021 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Journey — and Where We’re Going Next.” Target. March 7, 2022. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://corporate.target.com/article/2022/03/diversity-and-inclusion-goals.
9. “Amanda Nusz.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanusz/.
10. “ESG Next: An Interview With Target’s Amanda Nusz.” Nation Swell. February 10, 2023. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://nationswell.com/esg-next-an-interview-with-targets-amanda-nusz/.
11. “ESG Next: An Interview With Target’s Amanda Nusz.” Nation Swell. February 10, 2023. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://nationswell.com/esg-next-an-interview-with-targets-amanda-nusz/.
12. “ESG Next: An Interview With Target’s Amanda Nusz.” Nation Swell. February 10, 2023. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://nationswell.com/esg-next-an-interview-with-targets-amanda-nusz/.
13. Cavallier, Andrea. “REVEALED: Target has been funding woke group that wants to close ‘symbol of white supremacy’ Mount Rushmore, demilitarize the US military and impose sanctions on Israel.” The Daily Mail. June 5, 2023. Updated June 6, 2023. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12160711/Target-funding-woke-group-wants-close-symbol-white-supremacy-Mount-Rushmore.html.
14. Grossman, Hannah. “Target backs org pushing US demilitarization, Mt. Rushmore shutdown for being a ‘symbol of White supremacy’.” Fox News. June 5, 2023. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://www.foxnews.com/media/target-backs-org-pushing-us-demilitarization-mt-rushmore-shutdown-being-symbol-white-supremacy.
15. Sirdar, Marjaan. “21st Century Jim Crow in the North Star City – A Series.” Unicorn Riot. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://unicornriot.ninja/21st-century-jim-crow-a-series/.