Joining Pledge1 has helped us to engage our employees and be more transparent in the way we give to charity – Co-founder Jimmy Lundström

We want to create a workplace people are proud to work at – CEO and Co-founder Emil Sjödin

At RefinedWiki we aim to instill ‘effective altruism’ into our company culture, and joining Pledge 1% has given us the means to do so. You may or may not have heard of the term ‘effective altruism’. The premise of the movement is that we use evidence and reason to help others with our time and money. Highly regarded philosophers William MacAskill and Peter Singer have both written books, given many talks, founded organizations and spearheaded the effective altruism movement. In line with this, RefinedWiki want our work and charitable giving to have a well reasoned and targeted positive impact on society. Pledge 1% has helped us to bring effective altruism into focus.

In order to bring our pledge into action and engage employees in the process, we decided this November to arrange a forum from which each staff member had the opportunity to pitch a charity they would like to support most, and why.  

Following the pitches we voted on the top charities we want to support. This was a great way of:

• Working as a team to decide which charity we want to support;


• Targeting our efforts towards worthwhile (and effective) causes;


• Increasing the awareness of the charities we support, and;


• Feeling a part of the giving culture in the company.

We are proud to be Pledging1% and supporting four wonderful charities; Doctors without Borders, Charity Water, The Hunger Project and UNHCR.

Where we are today

Now, just 10 months later, we have over 100 Atlassian volunteers in the Sydney office that have reached over 1,400 students with computer science education. Teaming up for education together has not only benefited our local communities, and ourselves, but made us a stronger and more committed team in the office, too. The camaraderie among us volunteers is palpable, and we have a lot of fun comparing notes and stories from within the classroom. For many volunteers who deal with technology all day long, it’s great for them to be able to share their skills with the next generation, and hopefully, future computer science professionals who will create great things.

Pledge 1% is proud to partner with SRS Acquiom, an M&A service provider, to launch EscrowUP, a new program that creates an effortless way for the broader M&A community to give back.  It’s mission: to provide a pathway for those involved in M&A to come together and significantly boost a diverse and talented pool of next generation entrepreneurs.

EscrowUP is the first program of its kind and uses an innovative method tailored for companies in the midst of a merger. If a deal party chooses EscrowUP, SRS Acquiom will donate up to 24 basis points of return on escrow deposits to nonprofit organizations that give next generation entrepreneurs a leg up.  The nonprofits that benefit- Springboard Enterprises, Endeavor, Girls Who Code, Patriot Boot Camp, and Pledge 1% – all empower entrepreneurs that stand to provide diverse perspectives and strong leadership.   

Huge Potential for Impact

Approximately $250 billion is invested in M&A escrows each year. If even a fraction of deal parties choose EscrowUP, we can spark lasting change in the lives of countless emerging entrepreneurs.  The program provides the M&A community with the opportunity to create meaningful impact by unlocking  millions of new philanthropic dollars, without taking away from the bottom line.  

It’s Easy

With EscrowUP, there’s no financial consequence on the deal and no additional effort required for merger parties, so it’s not only good—it’s easy.

Additionally, parties involved in deals that select EscrowUP receive a toolkit that helps them share their positive impact, providing an opportunity for your company to talk about their giving program and the communities they support. SRS Acquiom will also promote the program and highlight participants.

Get Involved

EscrowUP is a great opportunity for the M&A community to come together and significantly boost a diverse and talented pool of next generation entrepreneurs.  

Please join us and help spread the word.  Leverage this trailblazing program for your own deals.  Share this opportunity with those who influence and/or make decisions regarding the placement of M&A escrows including  large corporations that make acquisitions, private equity and venture capital funds, founders of companies that are being acquired, and M&A lawyers that support the previously mentioned groups.

The EscrowUP program is an excellent example of a Pledge 1% member company creatively leveraging its own resources to make a difference and furthermore inviting others to join in the impact.  

Pledge 1% is delighted to announce this new partnership and to work with SRS Acquiom on providing a new and easy solution for companies to give.  To learn more, visit the EscrowUP website.

Last Thursday, the newly launched Salesforce Incubator invited member companies to come together in person to talk about how they are building Pledge 1% into the DNA of their business.

During the event, 3 new companies and 3 Ambassadors joined Pledge 1%.  But what was even more exciting was to hear leaders like Chuck Liddell of Kapuhonu speak about how giving has transformed his company’s culture.  Kapuhonu has focused their giving program on enhancing the local tech environment in Honolulu.  Their team mentors local tech entrepreneurs and volunteers directly with the homeless.  Chuck even brought a bag of subway gift cards and granola bars to the event and asked attendees to join him and his team in reaching out to the local homeless population on their commute home.

Chuck was joined on stage by Propel‘s Miguel Tam, who talked about how his team volunteers at food kitchens in San Jose and how by pledging 1% of time, they are building a stronger company culture and character.

The enthusiasm for giving was contagious.  Not only were these startups helping others, but they were realizing the immediate internal impact of pledging 1% within their companies.

The event would have not been successful without the amazing help and leadership of Ludo Ulrich, Melanie Picard, Michael Kreadan, and Julia Barrett. Their team is taking Pledge 1% to a new level by building it into the application for startups to join the incubator. This is a great example for how companies can #PledgeItForward and inspire younger companies to make giving a core part of their business.  And, as we learned last Thursday, the impact both on the communities served and the teams involved, can be tremendous.

Global music artist and entrepreneur will.i.am and his company i.am+  have joined the Pledge 1% movement and are #PledgingItForward in a big way with the launch of their newest product BUTTONS, premium BluetoothTM earphones.

As a new Pledge 1% member, i.am+ is donating 1% of net proceeds, 1% of staff time, and 1% of product to the i.am.angel Foundation, which operates after school tutoring programs like i.am College Track, as well as supports FIRST robotics clubs and civic ‘appathons’ that help underprivileged high school students gain hands-on access to STEM and tech curriculum.

will.i.am says,

“Education is a solution to a lot of the world’s problems. When you buy i.am+ products, like BUTTONS, just know you’re helping build centers that teach kids important skill sets, keeping young people off the streets and getting them into building consumer electronics, and computer systems.”

BUTTONS are now available from iamplus.com, Apple Stores, apple.com, and high-end retailers worldwide.  Check out their press release to learn more.  And remember, 1% of every purchase will help advance a student’s future!

To read the original press release, visit https://iamplus.com/company/buttons-press-release.pdf

This week, PandaPay, an API for charitable giving and a Pledge 1% member, is announcing the launch of Mindful Commerce, a new movement that helps companies get involved in Pledge 1% and start giving back.

PandaPay takes care of the tax, legal, and engineering implications for companies who want to launch and grow cause marketing campaigns.  The result is an easy and useful solution for e-commerce and SaaS companies to pledge 1% or more of profits to charity.

Pledge 1% is excited to work with the PandaPay team on Mindful Commerce, which invites companies to donate a percentage of sales on #GivingTuesday and sign up to give 1% going forward as a Pledge 1% member.  

With Dreamforce just around around the corner, we are proud to see Pledge 1% member Simplus leading by example and making giving back a core part of their booth activation.

This will be Simplus’ first year having a booth at Dreamforce, and they are making a big splash with their #SimplusGives campaign.  Rather than giving out the traditional event swag, they are inviting visitors to do something that matters and to join them in giving back.  Attendees can choose to give to one of three worthy causes:

• One Day of School


• One Meal


• One Gallon of Clean Water

The concept is simple: instead of getting, join Simplus in giving.

In addition to these causes, Simplus is going green and all of their collateral will be 100% paperless.

Ryan Westwood, CEO of Simplus, explains, “One of our core values is accountability, and we feel we need to be accountable to our community as well as to Simplus. We are dedicated to supporting corporate philanthropy and are excited to utilize Dreamforce as a vehicle to promote some great causes through #SimplusGives.  We want to be not only recognized as the leader in Salesforce Quote to Cash implementations, but also as one of the most generous Salesforce partners.”

We are thrilled to see Simplus’ commitment to Pledge 1% and to giving back.  Make sure to stop by booth #1745 next week – we promise you will not leave feeling empty-handed!

If you would like to learn more about Simplus and their Dreamforce 2016 activities please visit: www.simplus.com/dreamforce

Last night, September 28, Pledge 1% partnered with The Boston Foundation to launch Pledge 1% Boston, a pilot regional model for the movement. The event started with resounding enthusiasm as Accomplice founder Jeff Fagnan took the stage and announced that Accomplice will pledge 1% of their carry in perpetuity to two local nonprofits InnerCity Weightlifting and Resilient Coders. 

Jeff spoke about the tech sector’s potential to give back, and the power that companies can have when we give back together.  “Change will only happen with ‘we’,” he explained, “and by people joining micro-movements like Pledge 1% Boston.  The message is – don’t join me, join we!”

Jeff was joined on stage by other prominent Boston investors, entrepreneurs, and leaders, who are now serving on The Boston Foundation/Pledge 1% Boston Innovation Economy Leadership Council, including  John Simon, Managing Director of Sigma Prime Ventures, and C.A. Webb, Co-Founder and Partner of _Underscore, all who shared their vision for Pledge 1% Boston and offered to coach, mentor, and collaborate with new members.  Each leader spoke about their role in the movement and took personal ownership for driving greater giving to the Boston community.

The Innovation Economy Council and Pledge 1% Boston is headed up by Tim Smith at The Boston Foundation in partnership with Pledge 1%.  We are also fortunate to have the support of TUGG, the GreenLight Fund, and other Boston organizations.  By uniting seasoned VCs, Pledge 1% members, and other members of the Boston tech community, Pledge 1% Boston is creating a new model to engage and empower entrepreneurs as a force for good in the greater Boston area.  

And, to Jeff’s point, Boston companies are building this movement together.

Already 12 companies have taken the pledge, including Accomplice, Gravyty, Ovuline, and others.

Some key takeaways from the speakers:

• John Simon, Managing Director of Sigma Prime Ventures – Sign up and get started early.  Build Pledge 1% into company.  As CEOs, you take care of many constituencies, such as your staff, your Board, and your customers.  Your community should be one of those constituencies, and it is our job as leaders to give back.


• Paris Wallace, CEO of Ovuline and TechStars mentor – Think about all of the generosity that has impacted your life and consider giving 1%.  Think about your employees, who give 100% every day, your mentors, your Board, your partners–all of the people whose generosity has helped your company grow.  In the big picture, 1% is a small and great opportunity for you to pay it forward and give back to your community.


• Rich and Adam Martel of Gravyty – It’s on us to build the movement.  Ask one new person to take the pledge.  As we grow, so does our impact, and together we can encourage others to join us in giving back.

Pledge 1%’s CEO Amy Lesnick welcomed new members and kicked-off the night with hosts Kate Guedj, Vice President & Chief Philanthropy Officer of The Boston Foundation and Geeta Pradhan, President of the Cambridge Community Foundation.  

Last night proved that the Pledge 1% movement is alive and strong in Boston.  We are proud to partner with The Boston Foundation on uniting local leaders around Pledge 1%, and are delighted to welcome them to the larger Pledge 1% community!

If you are based in Boston or would like to #PledgeItForward by asking a Boston-based founder or company to join this local network, please contact us and we would be happy to connect you!