Introducing the Adobe Equity and Advancement Initiative
Image source: Adobe Stock.
Since our founding nearly 40 years ago, Adobe has been committed to building a diverse and inclusive environment for our employees, customers, partners, and the tech industry as a whole. We believe that when people feel respected and included, they can be more creative, innovative, and successful. We call this vision Adobe For All, and we work towards this core belief each day in partnership with our community who help us learn and identify opportunities to accelerate our work towards it. While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we are investing to move our company and industry forward
We know we cannot do this alone. As a company we believe in driving meaningful change with and within our communities, and critical to that progress is the deep expertise and partnership that non-profit organizations bring in advancing equity and inclusion.
Introducing the Equity & Advancement Initiative
Today we are announcing the Adobe Equity and Advancement Initiative, a multi-faceted grantmaking program in support of 11 leading international and domestic non-profit organizations. With the support of the Adobe Foundation, Adobe is making an initial $20 million investment in these organizations, along with product, public policy and volunteering support.
We plan to partner with each of these organizations closely to help us understand the unique challenges of their communities, provide expertise, and identify opportunities to make an impact and support each other. The Initiative is an evolution of how we fund and work with non-profit organizations to create greater, more lasting impact and to meaningfully support the development of non-profit leaders and our own business.
“The cohort is an investment in our organization and community to come together to share our ideas, approaches, and commitment to social justice. We applaud Adobe’s leadership in understanding that it will take a collective effort to address the issues we face. The grant from the Adobe Foundation will provide us with stronger infrastructure as an organization and allow us to further build our programming in education, workforce and community development.”
Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Each organization is aligned to the identities of Adobe’s eight Employee Network Group, communities that connect employees with similar backgrounds and identities to help support underrepresented communities. We are excited to harness the power and skills of our employees to drive partnerships with each organization — which are aligned to the identities of Adobe’s employee network groups. Being involved in our community is deeply engrained in the #AdobeLife, and we will be working with each organization to provide support and expertise through pro bono, board, and community service opportunities.
Adobe will closely partner with these organizations to help create equal access to education and economic opportunity, provide career development opportunities to empower and equip the next generation of leaders, and fight for the protection and advancement of human rights.
“Adobe’s extraordinary support has come at a critical time in the fight for human rights. The pandemic has spotlighted racial and economic inequalities and reinforced the importance of addressing them. Partnering with Adobe and the broader cohort will help us seize the moment to confront these injustices and the range of other abuses that we address so we can build a fairer and more equitable world.”
Kenneth Roth, executive director of the Human Rights Watch.
Through this intentional approach and ongoing investment, we are confident that Adobe will be exposed to new ways of partnering with non-profit organizations that will in turn elevate diverse voices and enable us to sustain the infrastructure that supports diversity and inclusion.
Asian Americans Advancing Justice — Asian Law Caucus
Using legal advocacy to advance key civil rights issues that have an impact on AAPI and other immigrant communities to promote a more fair and equitable society.
Disability Rights Fund
Provides financial and technical resources to organizations of persons with disabilities to advocate for equal rights and full participation in society.
Equal Justice Initiative
Committed to ending excessive punishment and mass incarceration, to challenging racial & economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights.
Equality Now
Striving for a world in which women and men have equal and full enjoyment of their human rights through legal and systemic change — addresses violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world.
First Nations Development Institute
Assists Native American tribes, their communities, and Native nonprofits in economic development by providing technical assistance, training, policy, and the awarding of grants.
Hispanic Heritage Foundation
Leading US organization that identifies, inspires, prepares and connects Latino leaders in the community, classroom, and workforce.
Human Rights Watch
International organization that researches and advocates for fundamental human rights.
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Protecting and defending the rights of all Latinos living in the United States and the constitutional rights of all Americans.
OutRight Action International
Fighting for the human rights for LGBTQ people by working at the international, regional and national levels to research, document defend, and advance human rights for LGBTQ people around the world.
United Service Organizations
Strengthening America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home, and country, throughout their service to the nation.
VetsinTech
Supporting veterans with re-integration services and by bringing together a tech-specific network, resources, and programs for our veterans interested in education, entrepreneurship, and employment.
We look forward to partnering with these organizations and using Adobe resources and platforms to extend the critical work they are doing.
#AdobeForAll