CLIENT STORY
How Adobe’s program realignment sparked their best Giving Season
Adobe, a global leader in software and technology, has always been guided by core principles: Adobe for All, Creativity for All, Technology to Transform, and Sustainability at Scale. 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.
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Software & Technology
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Countries: 30+
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32,000
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Benevity Products used:
Donate, Volunteer, Community Investment
The challenge
In 2023, Adobe’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) team faced a critical question: was their program as aligned with their company’s purpose as it could be? This reflection sparked a renewed commitment to their Create Change initiative, leading them to reimagine the program to balance flexibility and choice while deepening engagement with Adobe's core pillars and principles. The challenge: Could they accomplish this transformation and do it in time to meet their Giving Season (known as “Season of Change”) goals?
The solution
Align programming with purpose
Adobe now evaluates opportunities for employee programs based on alignment with the company's core pillars, geography, and potential for engagement. To boost awareness, they held their first ever company-wide Purpose Session timed with the release of their annual CSR report, showcasing their impact and inviting employees to take action.
Deepen generosity
Adobe has developed programs that cater to different levels of commitment to meet employees where they are on their philanthropic journey. From a new “Introduction to Create Change” session for new hires to their Pro Bono Residency and Board Service opportunities, employees can move through a continuous impact cycle. One standout way they bring their people, products, and philanthropy together to support their communities is a mentorship program with Adobe’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) grantee partner, Thurgood Marshall.
Strengthen a culture of purpose
Adobe empowers employees to become program ambassadors in their communities, providing resources like customizable campaign kits to engage local employees. Adobe’s senior leaders also play a vital role as campaign sponsors, sharing their personal impact stories to inspire movements across the company. This approach generated significant buzz (and results!) for Season of Change.
The result
Adobe’s realigned purpose program led to their most successful month-long Season of Change campaign ever, which included a special GivingTuesday 2:1 match campaign and employee storytelling:
- $13.5 million donated to over 5,700 nonprofits globally, more than doubling their original goal
- $5 million of that donated on GivingTuesday alone, achieving their goal in just two days
- Recognition in Benevity’s Top 10 for company donations on GivingTuesday
- 63,000 interactions on social media and 33,500 views on internal Adobe channels
See how you can use Benevity to engage even more of your people, wherever they are.
