Atlassian cofounder Scott Farquhar takes on chair role at charity group Pledge 1% as the movement he cofounded turns 10

Tech Council of Australia chair Scott Farquhar has another board to run since stepping down as Atlassian co-CEO, taking on a role close to his heart as chair of the global social impact movement Pledge 1%.

Farquhar was one of the founding members of Pledge 1% started in 2015 via the Atlassian Foundation.

Pledge 1% CEO Amy Lesnick, who flew in from the US for a series of 10th anniversary events in Australia this week, said Farquhar’s vision helped shape the organisation’s global impact

“Ten years ago, Scott helped spark a movement that transformed how businesses do good,” she said.

“With Scott stepping in as Board Chair, we are doubling down on our mission to equip and empower companies across ecosystems, industries, and borders to unlock even greater impact in the decade ahead.

“We’ve shown what’s possible when companies align business growth with generosity. The next decade is about accelerating that momentum, because the world needs business at the table, now more than ever.”

The philanthropic initiative now has more over 19,000 companies in more than 130 countries who’ve committed to setting aside 1% of equity, profit, product, and/or employee time to drive social impact.

In Australia more than 1800 companies, including many in tech and startups, such as Canva, Airwallex and Culture Amp, as well as VCs Blackbird Ventures and Skip Capital, have signed up to Pledge 1%.

Farquhar said their impact is now worth around $1 million a day. Globally, more than US$3 billion (A$5bn) in equity has been pledged to social causes, with more than 60 unicorn companies setting aside equity for impact – in some instances just days before they had their IPO.

“Pledge 1% is designed to accelerate impact,” Farquhar said.

“We envision a future where profit is intertwined with purpose, and where social impact isn’t the exception, but the norm. That’s the new blueprint for business success.”

“And we’re not doing it alone. Over the last decade, we’ve built a powerful network of CEOs, social impact leaders, investors, banks, stock exchanges, and other business stakeholders who believe in the power of business for good. Together, we’re inspiring and supporting the next generation of companies to embed giving back into their DNA from day one.”

Farquhar’s wife, VC investor Kim Jackson, the founder of Skip Capital, also spoke about the importance of philanthropy in startups at an event in Sydney last night to celebrate the organisation’s 10th anniversary.

Airtree cofounder Daniel Petre, who went on to found StartGiving, an organisation that covers the cost of startups setting up their charitable efforts, was also in attendance.

On Wednesday, Farquhar hosted a corporate leaders impact round table for Pledge 1% at Atlassian.

Canva cofounder Cliff Obrecht said Pledge 1% is “a force multiplier”.

“What started as a simple idea has become a global framework for impact,” he said.

“We’ve proven that you don’t have to wait to be successful to start giving – you can build it into your organisation from day one.”

Farquhar said Pledge 1% provides a trusted, actionable framework for leading with purpose using a flexible model that enables businesses to engage their employees, customers, and wider community in giving back.

For details and to join, see pledge1percent.org

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