Hobby Lobby
Flagged · AvoidArts and crafts retail chain whose owners have used corporate profits to impose religious beliefs on employees and fund anti-LGBTQ organizations.
Last updated September 4, 2026
Reasons to avoid
Issues span:DisinformationHuman RightsLaborConsumer
- A foundation that lists Hobby Lobby founder David Green as a donor gave $7 million to groups working on so-called election integrity efforts, part of a network preparing to contest the 2024 election results if Donald Trump lost, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis reported by Fortune. The network of nearly 50 groups received more than $140 million total from a small circle of conservative donors.
- The Servant Foundation, which Hobby Lobby founder David Green has said his family helps fund, gave more than $50 million to the Alliance Defending Freedom between 2018 and 2020. The Southern Poverty Law Center designates the group as an anti-LGBTQ hate group for its work opposing LGBTQ rights and defending laws that allow businesses to discriminate against LGBTQ customers.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hobby Lobby kept stores open in Colorado, Wisconsin, and Ohio in defiance of state stay-at-home orders, with its founder telling employees God would protect them. State attorneys general issued cease-and-desist letters, and police were dispatched to enforce store closures in Wisconsin.
- The Department of Justice fined Hobby Lobby $3 million and forced it to forfeit more than 5,500 ancient Iraqi artifacts, including cuneiform tablets and cylinder seals, that were smuggled into the US in packages falsely labeled as ceramic tiles. The company's own legal expert had warned in 2010 that the items were likely looted, but Hobby Lobby proceeded with the purchase anyway.
- Hobby Lobby sued the federal government to avoid covering contraception for female employees under the Affordable Care Act. The Supreme Court ruled 5 to 4 in the company's favor, the first time a for-profit corporation won a religious exemption that reduced its own employees' health benefits, with every female justice on the court voting the other way.
Ethical alternatives
Art Supplies
Handmade & Independent
Etsy
Marketplace for independent artists, crafters, and makers. Buying here puts money directly into small creative businesses.
🎨 Independent Artists📍 Supports Locals
Visit →Local Craft Stores
Find a locally owned craft or art supply store near you.
📍 Local Business
Common Questions
- Is Hobby Lobby ethical?
- Hobby Lobby sued the federal government to avoid covering contraception for female employees, and the Supreme Court sided with the company in 2014, the first time a for-profit corporation won a religious exemption that reduced its own employees' health benefits. The Department of Justice separately fined Hobby Lobby $3 million and forced it to forfeit more than 5,500 ancient Iraqi artifacts that were smuggled into the U.S. in packages falsely labeled as ceramic tiles.
- Why are people boycotting Hobby Lobby?
- A foundation that Hobby Lobby founder David Green has said his family helps fund gave more than $50 million to the Alliance Defending Freedom between 2018 and 2020, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as anti-LGBTQ. A separate foundation linked to Green also gave $7 million to groups working to contest the 2024 election results.
- What are the best ethical alternatives to Hobby Lobby?
- Blick Art Materials is America's largest art supply retailer with a deep selection of professional-grade materials. Artist & Craftsman Supply is 100% employee-owned. Etsy puts money directly into independent artists and small creative businesses, and local craft stores keep creative dollars in your community.