Adobe Forms Global Philanthropic Foundation

Adobe Systems Incorporated announced the Adobe Foundation, a global philanthropic organization focused on driving positive social change and community improvement.

Formation of the foundation builds on Adobe’s long history of philanthropy - including grantmaking, software donations and training, employee volunteer programs and education initiatives - focused on making the communities where Adobe operates strong and more vibrant places to live, work and do business.

Adobe has historically allocated one percent of its annual net income to philanthropic giving, managed through a donor-advised fund at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF). Going forward, these funds will be managed by the Adobe Foundation, creating a closer connection between Adobe and its philanthropic interests. The Adobe Foundation will initially manage Adobe’s flagship community program, Adobe Youth Voices, and administer new programs in the future.

The Foundation’s Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) program aims to empower pre-teen and teenage youths in underserved communities with hands-on experiences and digital tools, enabling them to communicate their ideas and share their stories in a range of mediums.

Intended to deepen student passion for learning and activism by engaging youth on matters of personal interest, AYV programs are offered through 75 schools and non-profit organizations worldwide.

AYV participants walk in the footsteps of some of the world’s best-known creative minds, using the same video, multimedia, digital art, Web, animation and audio tools. The tools and instruction offered through AYV have enabled students to make expressive projects tackling diverse social issues ranging from bullying and gang violence to teen pregnancy and climate change.

Student projects have been showcased at prestigious venues such as the Human Rights Watch Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival.