The Launch of the Global Goals Platform
Canva’s billionaire co-founders, Cliff Obrecht and his wife Melanie Perkins, have launched a new philanthropic initiative called the Global Goals Platform. Funded by the Canva Foundation, the platform asks people around the world a single question: what is the one goal you most want to see achieved in your lifetime for the world, your country, or your local community? The project is the first concrete step in the couple’s plan to eventually donate the vast majority of their 30% stake in the privately held design software company, a stake currently valued at $42 billion.
Perkins, who serves as Canva’s CEO, described the initiative as part of a “lifelong giving journey.” She and Obrecht joined The Giving Pledge in 2021, committing to donate more than 80% of their wealth through the Canva Foundation. Forbes estimates each holds an 18% share in Canva, worth $7.6 billion. Canva’s other co-founder, Cameron Adams, has also pledged to give away the bulk of his estimated $3.8 billion fortune but will do so outside the Canva Foundation.
The foundation has so far granted over $80 million, including more than $50 million of a $150 million commitment to fight extreme poverty in Malawi through GiveDirectly. The new platform is still in early development, with pilot surveys running in partnership with the nonprofit Ad Council in the US and with the local council in Wollongong, Australia. Perkins says the plan is to publish a report next year that philanthropists, business leaders, and governments can use to guide action, though exactly how the platform will evolve beyond data collection remains unclear.
How Canva’s Founders Are Rewriting the Giving Playbook
A Tech Founder’s Approach to Philanthropy
Obrecht and Perkins are borrowing a playbook familiar from their product-building days. Rather than relying on a small circle of experts to decide where their money goes, they are building a large-scale listening tool. The platform’s core mechanic—a simple, globally scalable survey—aims to surface what people in different communities actually want, not what donors assume they need. If the data proves robust, it could shift how other Giving Pledge signatories structure their own giving, moving from top-down grantmaking toward community-driven goal setting.
Why a Survey, Not a Chequebook
The couple’s choice to invest in a data-gathering platform before committing the bulk of their wealth signals a long-game approach. By first identifying shared aspirations, they may be laying the groundwork to channel their $42 billion stake more effectively over decades. Perkins explicitly links this to an optimistic belief that enough resources and goodwill already exist; the missing piece is letting people have a say. The pilot with the Ad Council and Wollongong council tests whether the model can work in both a large, media-driven market and a local community, offering a template that other municipalities or foundations might replicate if results are compelling.
Alignment with Canva’s Corporate Identity
The initiative is not walled off from the company. Perkins says the platform will influence both Canva and its charitable arm, because they share the same purpose: “to empower people.” For Canva, whose brand already leans heavily on democratising design, the founders’ public commitment to giving away their fortune reinforces the narrative that the company is driven by purpose, not just profit. This reputational halo could help attract talent, retain users, and differentiate Canva from rivals in a crowded software market—provided the platform delivers tangible, transparent results rather than becoming a public relations exercise.
What the Philanthropy Sector Can Take from the Global Goals Platform
- For corporate foundations: The survey-first model offers a potential template for aligning giving with public sentiment rather than boardroom priorities. Observers should watch the Wollongong and Ad Council pilots for early evidence of whether the data yields actionable insight.
- For Canva’s competitors and investors: The founders’ narrative of a $42-billion donation deepens Canva’s “purpose-driven” brand positioning. Rivals should expect this story to feature prominently in Canva’s employer branding and customer communications, especially as the promised report draws near in 2027.
- For other Giving Pledge signatories: The Global Goals Platform could become a shared resource. If the survey generates credible, granular data on community priorities, it may influence where other billionaires direct their charitable dollars, potentially creating a network effect that stretches beyond the Canva ecosystem.
Risk & Opportunity Assessment
| Commercial Risk | Low | The new platform is a philanthropic initiative, not a commercial product; it does not directly affect Canva’s sales or revenue streams. |
| Competitive Risk | Low | While the reputational boost could indirectly strengthen Canva’s brand, it does not alter the competitive dynamics in design software, and competitors face no immediate threat from a survey tool. |
| Regulatory Risk | Low | The platform involves surveying public opinion and grant-making; it operates in spaces with established frameworks and no regulatory hurdles are foreseen. |
| Reputation Risk | Medium | If the Global Goals Platform fails to demonstrate genuine impact, or if data is mismanaged, it could damage the founders’ and Canva’s image. The $42-billion pledge sets high expectations; a perception of delay or hollow action could attract criticism. |
| Technology Disruption | Low | The platform is a survey and data aggregation tool; it does not represent a technological shift that would disrupt industries or markets. |
| Commercial Opportunity | Medium | Successfully aligning Canva’s brand with a massive, credible giving commitment can strengthen customer loyalty and attract purpose-driven talent, particularly as ESG considerations grow in importance among consumers and employees. |
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