All banks today claim to have inclusion, diversity, accessibility and sustainability programmes, but some stand out for the breadth of their initiatives. Under chief executive Bharat Masrani, Canada’s TD Bank Group is one that has made corporate responsibility a priority for years in its approach to customers, clients and employees.
In 2022, the bank reframed its economic inclusion efforts in its TD Pathways to Economic Inclusion initiative, which groups its activity into three areas: access to employment, finance and housing.
In the employment access area, the bank has worked to promote social mobility through a certification programme for refugee-owned businesses, which the bank launched alongside the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council.
In financial access, the bank has been supporting the Black Opportunity Fund’s support for entrepreneurs through microloans to those unable to get bank finance. And in housing, the bank launched its Home Access Mortgage product, which aims to boost home ownership among Black and Hispanic communities.