Economic Justice

Combating inequality means both lifting up and building power at the bottom, and breaking up concentration of wealth and power at the top. That’s why we work at the intersection of economic and racial justice through projects designed to build leadership and self-empowerment of black workers, immigrant workers, and low-wage workers, youth and families affected by incarceration, along with projects aiming to reverse the rules that criminalize poor people of color, and projects fighting to ensure that the wealthy and Wall Street corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

Latest Work

Perils of Top-Heavy Philanthropy

Charities are increasingly reliant on larger donations from a smaller number of high net-worth donors.

When Billionaires Dominate Philanthropy

Unchecked, private foundations can become blocks of concentrated unaccountable power with considerable clout in shaping our laws and culture.

Why We Need to Worry about Wilbur Ross

America’s next secretary of commerce may be a private equity kingpin who owes his fortune to a career of manipulating American workers.

Building a New Populism in the Era of Trump

With a little good faith, liberals and conservatives can work together to tackle the real issues putting the American Dream out of reach.

New IPS Report Warns of Increasingly Top-Heavy Philanthropy

Concentrated Giving by Wealthy Donors along with Falling Donations by Non-Wealthy Pose Risks to Independent Sector and Civil Society

Report: Gilded Giving

Top-Heavy Philanthropy in an Age of Extreme Inequality

Human Rights Must Be Integrated Into International Investment Agreements

Human rights NGOs urge rejection of CETA, RCEP, TPP, TTIP, EU-Vietnam FTA.

In Bleak Times, This City Is an Example for the World

Portland, Oregon could teach the world a thing or two about climate laws that count.

Minimum Wage Increases Won Big in 2016

Here’s how the key inequality-related ballot initiatives we were tracking turned out.

The Two Sides of Populism

Growing inequality helps explain the rise of both Sanders and Trump. Understanding these dynamics can create the potential for serious radical change.

Black Worker Initiative

Criminalization of Race and Poverty

Drug Policy

Global Economy

Inequality.org

Program on Inequality and the Common Good

National Priorities Project

Economic Hardship Reporting Project

Reports

Pandemic Super Bowl 2021: Billionaires Win, We Lose

Frank Clemente, Chuck Collins, Arianna Fano, Omar Ocampo, William Rice | February 3, 2021

Billionaires Win, We Lose

Billionaire Wealth vs. Community Health

Bianca Agustin, Chuck Collins, Jonathan Heller, Sara Myklebust, Omar Ocampo | November 18, 2020

'Billionaire Wealth vs. Community Health' report urges Delinquent Dozen companies to protect workers from exploitative owners and executives.

How U.S. Trade Policy Failed Workers — And How to Fix It

Sarah Anderson, John Cavanagh, Kevin Gallagher, Manuel Perez-Rocha, Sandra Polaski, Rebecca Ray | September 16, 2020

Now more than ever, we need a new trade policy to support an economic recovery from the pandemic and to start building an economy that works for everyone.

Reimagining School Safety

Cecelia Scheuer, Uma Nagarajan-Swenson, Karen Dolan, Lindsay Koshgarian | September 9, 2020

A look at the dangers posed to students by law enforcement and how to invest in real school safety for our nation’s children.

Mining Injustice Through International Arbitration

Jen Moore, Ellen Moore, Luis Solano | August 24, 2020

Across the Global South, international mining companies use disturbing tactics to forcibly open mining operations against the wills of local communities.

Gilded Giving 2020 report cover 950x1237

Gilded Giving 2020: How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy

Chuck Collins, Helen Flannery | July 28, 2020

How Wealth Inequality Distorts Philanthropy and Imperils Democracy

White Supremacy is the Preexisting Condition: Eight Solutions to Ensure Economic Recovery Reduces the Racial Wealth Divide

Chuck Collins, Dedrick Asante-Muhammed, Omar Ocampo, Darrick Hamilton | June 19, 2020

Eight Solutions to Ensure Economic Recovery Reduces the Racial Wealth Divide.

Black Immigrant Domestic Workers in the Time of COVID-19

Marc Bayard, Kimberly Freeman Brown | June 16, 2020

Black immigrant domestic workers are at the epicenter of three converging storms—the pandemic, the resulting economic depression, and structural racism.

Report: Billionaire Bonanza 2020

Chuck Collins, Omar Ocampo, Sophia Paslaski | April 23, 2020

Billionaire wealth has grown astoundingly over the last few decades — and, for some “pandemic profiteers,” even more dramatically since the COVID-19 crisis.