When it acquired Accelio Corporation in April 2002, Adobe gained more than 250 talented employees and an impressive suite of software products for managing electronic documents. It also inherited the valuable legacy of the Accelio Charity Committee, an active partner in the Ottawa community for nearly 20 years.

Culturally, the two companies had much in common, including a tradition of social responsibility. It was this shared value, in fact, that prompted Accelio to rank Adobe first among its potential buyers. The ink was barely dry on the acquisition agreement before Adobe began collaborating with its new Ottawa employees to blend its philanthropic mission of improving childhood education and fighting poverty with Accelio's long-standing community relationships.

For starters, Adobe immediately extended its Matching Gift Program to Ottawa employees, enabling them to double the personal charitable contributions they make directly or via payroll deduction. Ottawa-area nonprofit organizations and schools became instantly eligible to apply for volunteer support and software contributions through Adobe's Volunteer Request, Software Donation, and Special Request Programs.

To manage its regional volunteer outreach efforts, Adobe formed the all-volunteer Ottawa Philanthropy Council, which is patterned after the other employee councils in Silicon Valley, Seattle, and San Diego. The Ottawa team convened in July and wasted no time in getting to work. It coordinated six volunteer events in October alone, during Adobe's annual Community Involvement Month outreach.

Through the OttawaReads literacy program, for example, 15 Adobe employees began training to tutor students each week at the nearby Cambridge Street Community Public School. Other activities included collecting outerwear and cash for the Ottawa Snowsuit Fund, collecting groceries and providing volunteers for the local food bank, conducting a blood drive for Canadian Blood Services, providing race marshals for the University of Ottawa's Run/Walk for Lunch fundraiser, collecting toiletries for two homeless shelters, and collecting gifts for the local Angel Tree program, which provides holiday gifts for children in need.

On a larger scale, Adobe forged an agreement with the City of Ottawa to fund — over the next 10 years — city programs aligned with the company's philanthropic mission. In 2003, Adobe will issue its first city grant, which in turn will be channeled to the Community Health and Resource Centres (CHRCs) to support their programs to improve childhood education and break the cycle of poverty. There are currently 14 CHRCs supporting neighbourhoods throughout Ottawa.

Clearly, 2002 was just the beginning of Adobe's community involvement in the region. As it establishes itself in Ottawa, Adobe will seek additional opportunities to build long-lasting partnerships with area charities, schools, and government agencies, just as Accelio did during its 20-year history, and Adobe has done so successfully in Silicon Valley and Seattle.

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