Corporate philanthropy is taking center stage as nine prominent New Jersey-based corporations have been officially recognized on Newsweek’s ranking of America’s Most Charitable Companies 2026.
The list, developed in partnership with global data research firm Statista, honors 300 U.S. companies that have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to giving back through corporate donations, employee volunteerism, and sustained local community investments.
Representing a diverse cross-section of the Garden State’s economy—spanning tech, utilities, retail and life sciences—the New Jersey companies making the elite list include:
- Cognizant (Teaneck)
- Public Service Enterprise Group – PSEG (Newark)
- American Water (Camden)
- Integra LifeSciences (Princeton)
- Kenvue (Skillman)
- AES (Woodbridge)
- Burlington Stores (Burlington)
- Merck & Co. (Rahway)
- Church & Dwight (Ewing)
The recognition comes at a time when public expectations for corporate behavior have hit historic highs. A recent survey from Bentley University and Gallup highlighted that 95% of Americans believe it is vital for corporations to support their local communities, while 90% stated that companies should actively work to better the world.
“Running a company well can be about more than just profits or growth,” Jennifer Cunningham, editor-in-chief of Newsweek said. “In an era of heightened skepticism toward businesses, charitable engagement has emerged as a key signal of corporate values and credibility.”
To compile the 2026 rankings, Statista evaluated the 2,000 largest publicly traded, U.S.-headquartered companies by revenue. Organizations were rigorously screened for recent Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and ESG disclosures.
A substantial 50% of the scoring was driven by an extensive panel survey of approximately 18,000 U.S. residents, who rated familiar brands on their ethical reputations and community support. The remaining half of the evaluation analyzed quantitative Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) adjusted for size—measuring volunteer hours relative to total employee headcount and total charitable giving relative to corporate revenue.
For New Jersey, having nine companies clear this high analytical bar underscores the region’s strong culture of corporate citizenship. From PSEG’s frontline community utility support and American Water’s environmental initiatives to the massive global health and consumer outreach led by Merck and Kenvue, these local giants are proving that backing up corporate messaging with real investments of time, money, and talent yields dividends far beyond the bottom line.
