Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, the Canva co-founders who have already redefined online design for millions, are now setting their sights on a new objective: to put a different spin on philanthropy.
The billionaire couple has introduced the Global Goals Platform, an undertaking that is in keeping with their promise to give away more than 80 per cent of their fortunes. It is a way for them to move beyond the boardroom and let the public have a say in how billions of dollars are put to work.
Under the auspices of the Canva Foundation, the new platform is an open invitation for people across the globe to put forward the changes they want to see in their own communities and countries. With Canva’s $42 billion valuation in mind, Perkins and Obrecht are making good on their long-held intention to be generous donors without making those decisions in isolation. They operate on the conviction that those living with societal problems are best suited to find the solutions.
Global Goals Platform Invites People to Shape the Future of Philanthropy
The premise of the Global Goals Platform is deceptively simple. It puts one question to its users: “What is the one goal you would like to see come to pass in your lifetime for the world, your country and your community?”
In effect it is a global listening exercise. The aim is to amass a body of responses from all walks of life and distil them into a report next year for the consideration of policymakers, business leaders and philanthropists alike. The hope is that future investments will be based on what is needed on the ground, not on conjecture.
Pilot Programs in the U.S. and Australia Mark the First Step
For all its global pretensions, the initiative is starting with some measured pilot programmes. In the U.S. there is a partnership with the Ad Council, the nonprofit behind many of the nation’s public service campaigns. Closer to home in Wollongong, Australia, near the Sydney headquarters, the local city council is backing another effort. These will provide the data and test the waters before a full expansion.
How the Initiative Fits into Canva Founders’ 80% Wealth Pledge
This is all part of a broader vision. When Perkins and Obrecht put pen to paper on The Giving Pledge in 2021, they vowed to channel over 80 per cent of their wealth through the Canva Foundation in their lifetimes. Forbes puts each founder’s 18 per cent stake in the company at roughly $7.6 billion; their plan is to eventually hand over a 30 per cent ownership stake as well. Canva has its own 1 per cent Pledge for equity and profits to charity, but the lion’s share of the Foundation’s funding comes from the founders themselves.
Learning from Communities to Build Better Philanthropy
They have learned from experience. A past collaboration with GiveDirectly in Malawi, which saw cash go directly to 130,000 people, taught Perkins that you cannot outsource an understanding of local priorities.
So the Global Goals Platform is designed to get input from residents and officials who know the reality of things, much in the same customer-first manner that made Canva a dominant force in design.
Why the Global Goals Platform Could Transform Modern Giving
Looking ahead, if the pilots are a success, the platform could set a standard for a more democratic form of giving. For Perkins and Obrecht, it is about more than just ticking a box on a financial pledge. It is an effort to make philanthropy transparent and collaborative, ensuring that the people whose lives are to be bettered by these resources have a hand in where they are directed.
