Giving comes naturally when it starts with your own people. That’s how this Hammerjack x Project Bente partnership began — through one of our staff who raised their hand and asked if the team could support the Bags of Joy program. The idea caught on quickly, and our Pampanga team jumped right in.

Together, we packed school kits, shared meals, and spent real, unhurried time with the students of Holy Family Village Elementary School. It was simple work, but it carried the kind of heart our hammerjack teams are known for— one bag, one meal, one kid at a time.

A lot of this momentum comes from our #MoreThanJustWork Council, the team inside hammerjack that helps employees bring their ideas to life. They back employees who want to start something meaningful, whether it is a donation drive, a school visit, or a weekend volunteer activity. Their role is to make giving feel easy, supported, and part of everyday life.

This is how our version of Pledge 1% comes to life at hammerjack. Small, steady acts of giving that reflect what matters most to our teams — kids and education, elders, nature, animals, and community. The things we care about outside our job titles.

Some days that means mentoring students. Some days it is donating essentials after heavy rains. Other times it is a group of teammates choosing to spend their day off helping out together. These aren’t top-down initiatives. They grow from our people, who notice a need and rally their peers to step in. The council simply clears the way and keeps the momentum going.

We’re still early in our journey, but the impact is already real. Small contributions, repeated often, are helping more communities than we ever expected. Being part of Pledge 1% has helped hammerjack turn that belief into something steady and lived, and we’re excited to keep growing our impact together.

At 5AM Capital we believe that strong access to financial data and guidance can open new pathways in life. Joining Pledge 1 Percent marks an important milestone in our Investing in Impact journey. We commit 1 percent of employee time, product, profit or equity to causes that advance financial literacy, social equity and future leadership.

Our conviction is simple: when individuals, families and charities are equipped with data, insight and support, they can navigate their paths with greater confidence and purpose. That belief shapes the partnerships we choose to support.

We are proud to work with the Good Data Institute. The organisation was co founded by our partner Tom Perfrement, who also sits on its board. Tom plays an active role in shaping GDI’s mission to bridge not for profits with real data capability. GDI empowers charities that often lack the tools, skills and frameworks needed to understand their data and make evidence based decisions. By connecting skilled data professionals with mission driven organisations, GDI helps them lift their impact and serve their communities more effectively.

We also support the Financial Basics Foundation, which provides free financial literacy resources for educators, young people and parents. We believe that improving the financial capability of young Australians is a meaningful investment in long term social stability.

At 5AM Capital we manage a global portfolio of high quality, durable businesses with a focus on strong cashflows, long term stewardship and healthy corporate ecosystems. We think in decades rather than quarters and we invest where incentives are aligned and everyone can win. That philosophy sits at the heart of our approach to responsible investing and it also shapes the way we show up in our community.

Through Wesley Mission we help deliver targeted programs that support individuals facing housing instability, financial abuse or addiction. These programs give people the tools to rebuild stability and take control of their path forward.

Alongside this we mentor UNSW students, support local schools such as Woollahra Public and contribute to community events that align with positive social outcomes.

For us the Pledge 1 Percent commitment is more than a contribution. It is an extension of our worldview. The world works better when people and organisations operate within healthy ecosystems where incentives align and everyone benefits. At 5AM Capital we aim to invest that way, operate that way and give back that way.

Most of us have donated at some point. Sometimes because someone stopped us in the street or knocked on the door with a story that made us feel guilty. Sometimes because something tragic happened and we reacted.

Tap4Change was born from my own experience as a donor and volunteer, and triggered by the bushfires in 2020.

Places like Mogo in NSW were abandoned to their fate. The system was overwhelmed. Support was slow, confusing and full of friction. While helping the community was inspiring, it also left me frustrated. Everything felt harder than it needed to be.

I could help because I had time, money and a car. Not everyone does. That realisation planted the seed:

Helping shouldn’t be that hard.

Revamping The Donor Experience

Today, giving doesn’t feel good. Letters in the mail. Unwanted calls. Street fundraising that feels uncomfortable. Somehow a one-time donation becomes a subscription that we have no idea how to modify.

Tap4Change changes that by making giving social, transparent, and rewarding. and easy.

We believe generosity is strongest when it’s shared. So we brought donors, charities and brands together to create a better experience:

• People can donate with friends so their impact grows.
• Charities get tools to increase transparency and improve their digital presence.
• Brands offer real rewards that encourage people to support causes they care about.

Everything else in life can be done in a few taps on a phone. Giving should be the same. Modern generations expect it.

The challenge is charities can’t adapt quick enough because donors don’t want their contribution funding infrastructure. No one wants to hear part of their donation paid for a CRM.

That’s why Tap4Change exists.

We take on that burden. Instead of acting like a payment processor with a charity sticker, we create demand and help reshape the culture of giving.

Our goal is simple: make generosity something Gen Z and millennials want to repeat, not something they feel pressured into.

And it’s working. Donors say it feels better. Charities say we solved a real problem. Brands see an ROI, a meaningful return for doing good.

Charity, donor, or brand: join the movement

Building Tap4Change has been a rollercoaster. There are highs and lows. What keeps us moving is seeing impact grow and hearing the stories from the people supported.

Hope also comes from watching collective action rise. Community-led flotillas. Movements around COP30. Groups like GetUp proving ordinary people can create pressure and change. Seeing people show up because they care is powerful.

That’s why we’re proud to align with Pledge 1%. Collective impact is our heartbeat. And it grows when we work together and involve brands that care.

We give time to community groups. We help organisations put more funding into impact instead of fundraising cost. And we make donating something people do with a smile.

If someone is thinking about getting involved, the advice is simple:

Do it.

You can’t go wrong doing good. Something always comes back. Whether it’s donating, giving time, joining Pledge 1%, or simply supporting a project — it matters.

There are 60,000 charities in Australia, yet only a few receive most donations. Many smaller organisations struggle because no one knows they exist.

So even if you can’t give, share them. Tell friends. Tell family. Spread the word.

Awareness is action.

Doing good creates more good, it inspires others to do the same.

About Tap4Change

Tap4Change makes giving social, transparent and rewarding. We help individuals, charities and brands grow collective impact together.

Join the movement at https://app.tap4change.org.

One of our company values is ‘Be the change you seek,’ and we really see that in action during our annual Atlassian Week of Good.

The campaign is now in its 7th year and momentum is building. This week, hundreds of Atlassian employees all around the globe will get together in teams to volunteer and donate, to help make the festive season brighter for people in need in their communities. 

This includes a GivingTuesday event and fundraiser to rally behind Mary’s Meals. We’re proud to back Mary’s Meals with Atlassian tools and support, and promote the amazing work they’re doing to provide life-changing meals to more than 3 million children in some of the world’s poorest communities every school day.

Atlassian supports a culture of giving back by providing employees with 40 hours of paid leave to volunteer every year. Our research shows that Atlassian employees who volunteer are less likely to want to seek jobs elsewhere and are more likely to believe Atlassian is a great place to work. We also know that volunteering is good for team health. Atlassian Week of Good is a meaningful way for our people to give back and connect with their teams to cap off 2025.

The Atlassian Foundation is offering lots of in-person and virtual volunteering activities this week, and employees were also empowered to organize their own for causes they care about. If you’re interested, we share what we’ve learned about running employee volunteering campaigns (what’s worked for us and where we’ve fallen short!) in this guide. 

Atlassian co-founded Pledge 1% to give back to the community. Since then, we’ve donated US$85M and empowered over 12,500 nonprofits worldwide with free or discounted Atlassian tools. Learn more in our new Atlassian Sustainability Report. 

Author: Randall Ward, Co-founder and CEO of Appfire

On this Giving Tuesday I want to take a moment to talk about the other side of community and philanthropy: sharing my perspective from the receiving end of charitable giving and the transformative impact even the smallest gestures can make.

I lost my dad to cancer when I was 7 and my sister and I were raised by a single mom. We lived in a rundown apartment and my mom had to make really tough tradeoffs on a monthly basis, like “Do we want hot water, or toilet paper and essentials?” We lived slightly above the poverty line of $9,862 in 1982 which meant we were labeled as “low income,” or a family whose total income was less than 200% of the poverty threshold. Because of this, we didn’t qualify for relief programs and at the time there weren’t many anyway. Today that line is $31,200 for a family of four.

The United States is considered the richest country in the world, and yet in 2024, 37.9 million (11.5%) American families live in poverty. Add another ~93 million (29%) Americans who live with incomes less than double their poverty threshold. This translates to 40% of the U.S. population who are disconnected from the social safety net and in need of assistance programs to unlock basic human needs such as food, housing, medicine, mental health care, employment, transportation, and education.

Although statistically we were poor, we were fortunate to live in a community with many selfless people who gave generously. Whether donating money, clothing, food, transportation, shelter, or time, they gave often, sometimes without knowing the magnitude of their giving. These are just some of the ways that support took shape:

• • The Bariteau family provided daycare so my mom could work two jobs. Daryl Bariteau helped raise me and to this day, I consider her my “other mom.”
  • The Hsia family donated money necessary for me to join and participate in Scouting and afterschool programs, and Dr. Hsia was the single most influential person in my life while growing up. Dr. Hsia taught me the importance of integrity and of keeping my word, pushed me to see things through, reminded me that patience through collaboration is a critical skill, showed me that small course corrections lead to big changes over time, and provided so many more lessons like these that I was able to apply while growing Appfire years later.
  • The Dyers donated money so we could join the ski program, an activity I still enjoy today.
  • The Davis family donated food that they grew, their children (older than us) gave us their hand-me-down clothing, and when I was a teenager Mr. Davis hired me to work on their farm and taught me to drive.
  • The Batsons gave my mom a loan to start her own business, a third job to help bring in supplemental income, and paid for us to go on camping trips. Bob Batson taught me engineering principles and at 15, I worked with his startup, Electric Vehicles of America, helping convert small pickup trucks from gas to electric. This was decades before Tesla and still one of my fondest childhood memories.
  • Jean Haynes paid for our instruments so my sister and I could join the band and choir. My sister spent much of her older teenage years circling the globe in a traveling choir. I still play music. Jean also helped me buy my first car and then years later loaned me money to go to college.
  • The Seeleys and Crowthers allowed me to sleep on their couches for a two-year period, from age 15 until 17 when my mom was hospitalized and I became homeless.
  • Steve Morrissey became a father figure, mentor, and coach.
  • The McMahons checked on my mom, sister, and me frequently and gave selflessly in so many ways: time, food, and, while I was homeless during high school, a place to sleep at their house 2-3 times per week. Their daughter Kerri became my best friend, and as teens, we talked on the phone every day for hours.

These are the givers I knew, but there were countless others too — some anonymous and some that I wish I could remember today to honor them in memory.

My life was positively shaped and changed by these generous givers to whom I credit many of my interests and passions, as well as my creativity, success, and my own philanthropic efforts through Pledge 1%, Appfire Town, and more — and without whom I would have walked a very different path.

On this Giving Tuesday and every day that you are able, I challenge you to give back in whatever way you can. Your giving can make a difference in the lives of millions of families, just like my own, that are in need today, tomorrow, and beyond.

About Randall

Randall Ward is the co-founder and CEO of Appfire. He is committed to helping teams everywhere tackle their biggest challenges by breaking down silos, boosting productivity, modernizing their tech stacks, and adding value to the platforms they already have. He began his career as a telecommunications signaling engineer and spent the past 25 years building and scaling software companies, from early-stage through IPO and acquisition, including Boston Communications Group (1996) and Net.Genesis (2000). He has consulted and worked for Boston Scientific, Oracle and Vodafone, and helped architect MIT’s OpenCourseWare platform. Randall also held a technology advisory role for LFM/SDM, one of MIT Sloan School of Management’s most prestigious programs, and worked as a visual learning researcher at Stanford University. He is an investor and advisor to emerging enterprise software companies in the US and Australia and is actively involved with investments in virtual workspaces, AI advancements in healthcare, and software automation. He firmly believes that making a positive impact is integral to business and proudly serves as a member of the Pledge 1% Global Visionary Council.

About Appfire

Appfire is the leading global provider of software that enhances, extends, and connects the world’s leading platforms to make work flow any way teams want to work, from planning to product ideation, product development, project delivery, and beyond. Appfire increases the value of platforms such as Atlassian, Microsoft, monday.com, and Salesforce, enabling teams to thrive and do their best work together. With more than one million users, Appfire’s popular solutions are helping teams with Enterprise Collaboration, DevOps, Workflow & Automation, Product Portfolio Management, IT Service Management (ITSM), Document Management, Business Intelligence and Reporting, Administrative Tools, Agile Tools, Developer Tools, Time Tracking, Publishing, and Integrations. Appfire has been selling its popular software products on the Atlassian Marketplace since it first launched in 2012, and today Appfire has the most widely adopted portfolio of Atlassian apps across tens of thousands of customers worldwide. Learn more at www.appfire.com.

This story was submitted by Passage Technology.

As winter approaches, positive stories about people making a difference can help brighten our days—and inspire us.

At Passage Technology, we’re proud to support Pledge 1% this Giving Tuesday, and all year long, through product donations to nonprofit organizations. Pledge 1% makes it easy for companies to donate 1% of their staff time, product, profit, and/or equity to a charity that they choose.

One of the nonprofits we’ve impacted is the Healthier Kids Foundation. Their mission is to remove barriers impacting the health, learning, and life success of Silicon Valley youth.

“We’re a nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to providing health care screenings, as well as dental, hearing and wellness screenings to children primarily ages two through 18,” explains the organization’s Chief of Staff, VP Information Systems and Quality, Bob Hansen.

They also provide education for mothers and children, and during the pandemic Healthier Kids provided emergency distribution of supplies to families. The organization has grown from 28 people when Bob first started to 50 employees, and last year they provided screenings for 83,000 children. You can read the full story here.

Since 2012, Passage Technology has offered product discounts to nearly 166 nonprofit customers. During previous holiday seasons, the staff has also volunteered in their local communities and made cards for hospitalized kids.

This story was submitted by Chime.

Chime pledges 1% of equity to fund higher education opportunities for everyday Americans.

A message from Chris Britt, Chime CEO and co-founder

We started Chime to improve financial services for everyday people. Our idea was simple. If we could reduce stress around money, our members would have a better chance to thrive and live better lives.

Today, we’re taking another step to help unlock financial progress with the launch of the Chime Scholars Foundation (CSF). CSF will fund college and other post-secondary programs for those with a passion to pursue a brighter future through higher education. Our scholarships are designed to lend a hand to ambitious, everyday people so they can pursue careers without the heavy debt burden facing so many graduates.

Accessing Education – My Story
I grew up in Mount Vernon, NY, a working-class city that bordered the Bronx. With divorced parents struggling to provide for me and my siblings, it was our neighbor in the apartment below us, a WWII veteran named Joe, who stepped in to help. While my mom worked a variety of jobs, it was often Joe who made sure I got to practice, ate dinner, and did my homework, while still finding time for us to watch the Yankees highlights at the end of the day.

As a Little League player, I remember winning my team’s “Heart and Hustle” award. While I initially saw it as a consolation prize, Joe was thrilled and insisted it was the highest honor to earn on a team. I didn’t get it at the time – but I do now. Joe was everything to me – my surrogate grandfather and my best friend.

Life was tough in my neighborhood sometimes. Our schools weren’t great and when they got worse, my mother, a former elementary school teacher, decided to apply to a private school. Even with a scholarship, my family couldn’t afford to send me. Fortunately, Joe realized this and generously offered to pay the difference. Later, when I received a partial scholarship for college, once again Joe stepped up and paid the balance of my tuition. Thanks to this incredible man, I was able to get a great college education and kick off my professional career without the stress of student debt.

To say Joe was a blessing is an understatement. He taught me the importance of loving your family unconditionally, staying positive, working hard, and giving back when you can. It was his generosity and support that helped inspire the approach to CSF.

Chime Scholars Foundation
Higher education is one of the most powerful engines for economic mobility. With CSF, we aim to expand access so that others have the same opportunity I did. After all, we live in a country with a shrinking middle class and with more than half of American households living paycheck to paycheck. We also know that people with higher education or training earn nearly 2x over their lifetime than high school only graduates and are half as likely to be unemployed.

Too often, our post-secondary education system fails us. College tuition costs have far outpaced wage growth and inflation over the past few decades, making it out of reach for many. For those who do pursue a degree, more than half end up with crippling debt for years to come. For others, a four-year program may not be the best path for success, but they too are left with few options.

This is why we created the Chime Scholars Foundation. Operating as a non-profit, CSF awards annual, renewable scholarships for students pursuing education after high school. There are two attributes that make CSF unique.

First, CSF is designed for any type of post-secondary education, including four-year university, community college, or even vocational training like nursing programs and other apprenticeships.

Second, we didn’t design CSF grants just for the star students with 4.0 GPAs and a long list of extracurricular activities. These kids often have opportunities for grants and scholarships from the schools they attend. CSF is specifically for everyday kids like me who have responsibilities at home, work hard, hustle, and yearn for something more in life. Many of these students just need a little financial support to jump-start opportunities.

While we are formally announcing the Chime Scholars Foundation today, I’m proud to report that CSF has already awarded more than 350 scholarships in our pilot program. Going into 2024, we plan on expanding the program by welcoming over 100 new scholars.

Our ambitions for CSF are high, and my co-founder Ryan and I are enormously proud and grateful to our board of directors, investors, and leadership team for pledging 1% of Chime Financial equity to fund CSF going forward. With this funding and our unique approach, I’m confident that the Chime Scholars Foundation will be a positive force in our communities for generations to come. To learn more or to apply please visit the Chime Scholars Foundation website.

If only Joe could see us now!

Chris

Pledge 1% Gives

This story was submitted by Wilco Source, a CitiusTech Company

Throughout 2023 and into 2024, Wilco Source, now a part of CitiusTech, continues its commitment to the Salesforce 1% Pledge. We applaud Salesforce and all other organizations participating in this philanthropic endeavor.

At Wilco Source, a leader in providing tailored Salesforce solutions for Healthcare and Life Sciences organizations, we are dedicated to positively impacting the world around us. Our acquisition by CitiusTech, a significant milestone in our journey, has enabled us to expand our resources and amplify our corporate philanthropy and environmental sustainability efforts.

A Pledge for a Better Tomorrow

In alignment with our commitment to Pledge 1%, this acquisition represents more than a business milestone; it’s a gateway to greater societal contributions. We believe in leveraging a portion of our resources to support those in need and initiate meaningful change. Empowered by our new partnership, we’re poised to make a more substantial impact.

In 2023, the employees of CitiusTech and its subsidiaries, including Wilco Source, volunteered countless hours in various community service projects. These efforts reflect our commitment to social responsibility and embody the culture of our family of organizations, where giving back is integral to our identity.

Other initiatives include:

Environmental Stewardship: Our union with CitiusTech brings a shared vision for environmental care.

• Energy-Efficient Infrastructure: Enhancing eco-friendliness in our workplaces.


• Sustainable Practices: Emphasizing our commitment to the environment through authorized e-waste recycling and employee-driven initiatives.

Enhancing Social Impact: The acquisition has also expanded our ability to contribute to CitiusTech/Wilco Source social initiatives. Efforts include:

• Salesforce Career Nurturing Program (SCNP): Annually, we aim to fill 20-30% of our positions through our SCNP. This program onboards individuals seeking Salesforce opportunities, offering them a 3-6 month mentorship. Historically, over 90% of SCNP enrollees have joined Wilco Source.


• Combating Hunger and Poverty: Supporting hundreds of children in Mumbai through various initiatives. Additionally, we would like to give a special mention to Sundeep Neravetla, who volunteered 60 hours for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

A Journey Towards Positive Change

As part of CitiusTech, Wilco Source stands at the forefront of corporate responsibility, embracing the synergy of business success and social impact. We are excited to continue this journey, leveraging our expanded resources to make a lasting difference in the world. 

Join us in our pledge to contribute more, care more, and create a better future for all.

This story was submitted by Digitools Consulting, LLC. 

Today is an exciting time for us at Digitools Consulting! As a proud member of Pledge 1% we donate 1% of our time, revenue, and product discounts to non-profits. I’m very happy to show the start of our journey to do good in the communities we serve. We donated $150.00 to Elevate Branson.

Pictured left to right. Bryan Stallings, CEO of Elevate Branson – Nathan Bunting, CEO of Digitools Consulting – and Katie Sandage, Director of Elevate Rides.