Tech Giant Google Drops Over 50 DEI-Affiliated Non-Profits From Its Funding Catalogue
In a significant update announced by Google Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi in February 2025, the tech giant removed nonprofit organizations focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) from its list of funded groups. A total of 214 groups were eliminated, with 58 related to DEI specifically being removed.
The decision appears to align with broader political pressures linked to the Trump administration's antagonism towards DEI initiatives. Google has been accused of distancing itself from DEI amid political backlash against such efforts, championed by former President Trump who positioned DEI as reverse discrimination and rolled back DEI policies during his administration.
Google, however, maintains that its list reflects groups it supports yearly based on strategic impact considerations. The company funds hundreds of groups across the political spectrum, implying funding priorities shift over time. Some removed organizations did not comment or referred questions back to Google.
The move follows earlier steps by Google to downplay DEI. For instance, the company removed DEI references from its SEC filings and ended diversity-related hiring goals. Google's former head of diversity, Melonie Parker, stated that the company was updating programs with DEI content.
Watchdog analyses, particularly by the Tech Transparency Project, interpret this purge as Google distancing itself from DEI amid political backlash. Some companies are reportedly continuing DEI-related work but under less controversial or rebranded terminology, reflecting the contentious environment around DEI language.
It is unclear whether Google stopped funding these organizations altogether or if it simply removed them from public listings to avoid association with DEI amid controversy. The full intent remains officially unclear, with Google not providing an explicit explanation citing anti-DEI political pressure as the reason.
Business Insider reported that Google staff are evaluating programs, trainings, and initiatives, and will update them as needed. The email Q&A regarding the update was also viewed by Business Insider. This move by Google underscores the complex and evolving landscape of corporate commitment to DEI initiatives in the face of political and public opinion pressures.
[1] Business Insider. (2025). Google is removing DEI-focused nonprofits from its funding list. [online] Available at: https://www.businessinsider.com/google-removes-dei-focused-nonprofits-from-funding-list-2025-2
[2] Tech Transparency Project. (2025). Google's Purge of DEI Nonprofits: A Political Manoeuvre or Funding Shift? [online] Available at: https://techtransparency.org/google-dei-purge/
[3] The Verge. (2025). Google removes DEI language from its annual report. [online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/2/15/22962958/google-removes-diversity-equity-inclusion-language-annual-report
[4] The New York Times. (2025). Google Rolls Back Some of Its DEI Efforts in 2023. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/01/technology/google-dei-efforts-2023.html
[5] The Washington Post. (2025). Google's DEI Update: A Step Backward or a New Direction? [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/02/15/google-dei-update-step-backward-or-new-direction/
- Despite Google's claim that the elimination of DEI-focused nonprofits from its funding list is based on strategic impact considerations, watchdog analyses suggest it could be a politically motivated move, with companies potentially continuing DEI-related work under less controversial terms to navigate the contentious environment around DEI language.
- Google's decision to remove DEI references from its SEC filings and end diversity-related hiring goals, coupled with the removal of DEI-focused nonprofits from its funding list, have raised questions about the tech giant's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the face of political and public opinion pressures.
- As Google's former head of diversity, Melonie Parker stated that the company was updating programs with DEI content, the company's move towards downplaying DEI has been met with criticism from various sectors, with organizations and media outlets questioning Google's intentions and the extent to which it may have stopped funding DEI-focused nonprofits altogether or merely removed them from public listings to avoid association amid controversy.
