Tuesday, July 28, 2020

A Message from Vanguard

When clients come to our website, they are generally looking for perspectives on markets, insights into investment strategies, or details about a specific fund. Today we would like to share something about the people you invest with. As a company, we are appalled by the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, and we are troubled by the systemic issues that led to their unjust deaths.
Our team of 18,000 people from all walks of life comes together to serve you, our clients, and to support the communities in which we work. Our employees—our crew—live by a mission that includes taking a stand for investors and treating them fairly. The recent tragedies remind us that this commitment must extend beyond the realm of investing to shape how we support our colleagues and clients.
We condemn racism, xenophobia, and prejudice of any kind, all of which run counter to Vanguard's values. We stand united with the black community and lend our voice to the call for meaningful and systemic change.
We're on our own journey. As an employer, we strive every day to make Vanguard a more diverse and inclusive company—a place where each individual can reach their full potential. While we are not yet where we want to be, our crew are leading the way with open conversations about race, religion, gender, and sexuality. We are particularly grateful to our Crew Resource Groups, such as the Vanguard Black Professional Network, which have challenged us to do better and strengthened our sense of corporate community.
Our crew are passionate about improving the social disparities in our communities and give more than $10 million of their own money each year to drive change. Unfortunately, the recent social injustices underscore that there is so much more to be done. Vanguard will pledge an additional $5 million in immediate giving to support organizations committed to addressing injustice and racial disparities.
These actions are steps toward a future where our communities are safe and our crew have equal opportunities to excel and to do their best work on your behalf. We won't settle for less and are ready to work hard to make that future a reality. On June 9, Vanguard's U.S. offices will open for business 8 minutes and 46 seconds later than normal, as we observe a period of silence for George Floyd and reflect on what more we can do.