If you haven’t heard the news already, Canva has just become the most valuable private software company of all time, and the Canva Foundation is set to become a groundbreaking charity.
Recently valued at a mind-blowing $54.7 billion, what was once a little startup co-founded by Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht is now climbing to the top of the business food chain. What’s more, Canva (and the Canva Foundation) is proudly Australian-born, and one of our greatest tech exports.
At Web Marketing Angels we have loved Canva for some time. It is a fun and simple, yet powerful tool that provides people of all skill levels with a platform for digital creation.
Even more, however, we love that Perkins and Obrecht are tech gurus with a real social conscience.
They’re not just donating surplus funds to charities but are actually planning to give away most of their money via the Canva Foundation. They still own a 30 per cent equity share in the company and have decided to share most of that with those who need it more.
We think this is an amazing – and very progressive – move and it certainly tugs on our heartstrings. Perkins and Obrecht, who recently married, are topping the wealthy Australians list ahead of the likes of James Packer and Clive Palmer, but really don’t feel the need to hold onto such a huge amount of money.
Melanie Perkins has described herself and her partner as “custodians” of their billions, preferring to use it to do the most good possible rather than hoard or spend it. They have intended for a very long time to give most of their wealth away and are now on the path to realising their dream.
With a belief that many of the world’s struggles can be resolved with “enough money, goodwill and good intentions”, this dynamic team has hit the green light on the Canva Foundation and is looking forward to a lifetime of authentic and inspired philanthropy.
Some funds have already been donated to bushfire and COVID emergency relief, and Canva’s paid products are now also free for thousands of not-for-profit organisations. Next on their list is the GiveDirectly program, which will see a projected $10 million distributed to those who need it most across Africa’s impoverished southern regions. This pilot campaign is just the beginning, and hopefully we’ll see GiveDirectly helping create massive and positive change in many areas of the world.
As a company, Canva also has made an impressive commitment to sustainability. We think that most businesses could benefit from taking a leaf out of their carbon neutral book! Click HERE to find out more.
The Web Marketing Angels team is all about supporting companies with a conscience, and in our opinion Canva is pretty much gets all the ticks for heart-centred altruism right now.
Choosing products and services that align with your values is a great way to feel better day-to-day in these crazy times. What other wonderful companies do you support? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
If you’re keen to find out more, click HERE to read Melanie Perkins’ “A Note to the Canva Community” on medium.com.
