How Adobe’s purpose-led strategy turned engagement into a global movement
Adobe's Create Change program gave employees a clear reason and a simple way to act, and turned its biggest giving season into a movement.
Company overview
Adobe, a global leader in creative and digital experiences, has long woven purpose into the fabric of its culture. Through its Create Change initiative, Adobe empowers employees around the world to give, volunteer, and advocate for the causes that matter most — blending personal passion with strategic impact.
Purpose has been central to Adobe’s DNA from the start, and their purpose program, Create Change, inspires employees to be changemakers in both their personal and professional lives. They achieve this through open-choice giving, robust volunteering programs, matching grants for employees and retirees and employee-driven grantmaking.
The challenge
Adobe’s CSR team took a hard look at their program and asked a bold question: Are we as aligned to our purpose as we could be? That reflection sparked a strategic reset — not to shrink choice, but to sharpen clarity, strengthen connection to Adobe’s core pillars and deepen participation across the full employee population.
At the same time, they faced a real-world pressure test: could they evolve the program fast enough to deliver results during Adobe’s "Season of Change" campaign?
Moving beyond awareness required a shift from episodic initiatives to embedded strategy. Adobe needed to solve three critical problems:
- Moving "passive" employees from awareness to action
- Making volunteering as strategic and engaging as giving — year-round
- Scaling globally without burning out champions or nonprofit partners
Despite strong participation from highly engaged employees, the team identified a messaging and access gap. Employees didn’t always know where to start, how programs connected or how to navigate available tools. The opportunity wasn’t to add more programs — it was to create clarity, structure and a stronger narrative.
The solution
The team at Adobe engineered momentum by tightening alignment, simplifying participation and building a system employees could actually follow.
- A clear North Star anchored strategy: Adobe grounded employee programs in "Create Change," aligned to their "Creativity for All" mission. They evaluated every opportunity based on its alignment to core pillars, geography, and engagement potential.
- Meeting employees where they are: Impact should feel accessible at every level so Adobe designed pathways for different levels of commitment — from intro sessions for new hires to pro bono residencies — making purpose a part of the everyday employee experience.
- Strengthen culture through leadership and toolkits: Transformation requires a system, not just a channel. Adobe built local ambassador networks and empowered senior leaders to share personal stories, making purpose contagious across the organization.
- Center the nonprofit experience: Impact-first design means reducing the burden on nonprofit partners. By matching employees to real needs and designing intentional timelines, Adobe moved from "check-the-box" volunteering to true transformation.
- Treat change as a strategy, not a moment: Real change is built to endure. Adobe’s approach was phased and intentional — socializing shifts early with champions and leaving room to pivot when reality changed.
The results
Adobe’s realignment didn’t just improve the program — it ignited a movement. During their most successful "Season of Change" ever, the results proved that purpose drives performance:
- US$115.2M donated to nearly 7,000 nonprofits globally (more than doubling the original goal)
- US$7M+ donated on GivingTuesday alone, hitting the target in just two days
- Top 10 recognition on GivingTuesday among Benevity companies
- 120+ nonprofit partners engaged through over 40 Create Change ambassador-led events across 26 global sites
Participation grew not just among long-time champions, but among employees who had never previously taken action. By simplifying messaging, creating clear calls to action and integrating programs intentionally, Adobe turned awareness into sustained engagement
This wasn’t a one-time spike. It was generosity as culture made visible, measurable and repeatable.
Partnership highlights
Building on the success of traditional giving and the refinement of its volunteer strategy, Adobe continues to expand opportunities that:
- Support employees at different stages of their philanthropic journey, from onboarding orientation sessions to board service and pro bono residencies.
- Leverage storytelling and communication to inspire deeper participation and broaden awareness.
- Explore new ways to integrate technology, talent, and community partnerships for sustained social impact well beyond the giving season.
Adobe proved that when purpose is clear, participation becomes simple — and when participation becomes simple, impact scales fast.
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