Those who work at Avast, otherwise fondly known as Avastians, have always cared about what is happening in their communities and have done a great job of lending a helping hand where needed. That’s why we decided to launch the Avast Employee Donation Matching Program.

Details about the program

We've taken the time to design the program to make the biggest possible impact and support causes that matter to Avastians. The primary purpose of the program is to support Covid-19 relief efforts and organizations fighting injustice and inequality. During June and July 2020, Avastians were presented with the opportunity to participate and support local organizations by donating to an NGO of their choice. Avast committed to matching each individual donation from employees with a five-fold match for an even greater impact. 

We selected a reliable partner to help us administer the donations, VIA Foundation, an organization which has a long experience with facilitating employee matching schemes and crowdfunding campaigns.

Results of the program

Avastians raised nearly $123,000 during the program, which Avast matched fivefold, making our overall contribution totalling more than $735,000.

In response to the results of the program, Avast CEO Ondrej Vlcek said, “I was impressed not only by the number of people who helped and by the generosity of their donations, but also by the fact that many supported organizations in other locations than their home countries. Clearly, the willingness to make a difference transcends borders, and this makes me even more proud. Thank you, Avastians, for giving back to our communities so generously -- and simply for caring. It makes a huge difference."

Here’s a list of the organizations that we have chosen to support with the 2020 Donation Matching Program:

Organizations in the Czech Republic

• Developing quality patient care for COVID-19 survivors (University Hospital Brno, Czech Republic) - $30,744
• Fighting COVID-19 economic effects with SOS Czechia (People in Need, Czech Republic) - $113,928

People in Need: “We will use donations from Avast's employee collection primarily in two areas. The first is food aid for people who lose their jobs because of a pandemic or get into unsolvable economic problems, such as single mothers dependent on state aid combined with a small extra income. We pay special attention to people who for some reason (mostly bureaucratic) do not get help from the state. We give food aid on a one-time basis; it is always accompanied by counseling and further work with the client so that he is in a better situation in a month and does not have to come again. So, we try to connect the most endangered people to the aid of the state, or to help them to pull round both physically and mentally. The second area is the pandemic and the associated spring closure of schools that had a negative impact on most schoolchildren. However, the worst affected group were children from poor families, who completely dropped out of school because they do not have a computer or even a phone with mobile data at home. Unfortunately, this has widened the already large differences between children from poor families and their peers who have taken part in online education. We have been helping children from socially excluded localities for many years, and during the critical spring months, we launched a program of lending connected computers with and online tutoring, which we want to expand in the autumn.”

Organizations in the United States

• Defending and preserving individual rights and liberties (ACLU, United States) - $66,492
• Fighting to achieve racial justice, equality and an inclusive society (NACCP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, United States) -$46,890
• Sustaining the hospitality industry through the COVID-19 crisis (NC Restaurant Workers Relief Fund, United States) - $7,067
• Stopping domestic violence during the pandemic (CORA, United States) - $55,002
• Food aid for vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic (Alameda County Food Bank, United States) - $60,498

Alameda County Community Food Bank: “Avast’s contribution will ensure we can continue to provide healthy food to our neighbors in Alameda County. During this very difficult time, we are now serving tens of thousands more individuals and families than we did prior to the COVID-19 crisis. Avast’s support makes a significant difference to ensuring that every person in need has enough to eat – now and in the future. Many thanks again. We are proud to partner with Avast. We look forward to reporting back the ways Avast positively impacted our community.”

Additional international organizations

• Support for violence victims during lockdowns (Women against Violence / BFF, Germany) - $19,044
• Supporting heroes caring for COVID-19 patients (NHS charities, United Kingdom) - $309,876
• Slovak students using the technology to fight the virus (University of Zilina, Slovakia) - $4,548
• Medical Equipment for healthcare centers in Serbia (Novak Djokovic Foundation, Serbia) - $20,862

Novak Djokovic Foundation: “We are glad that Avast recognized our work and extremely grateful for the contribution granted to us by its employees. The funds will be invested in procurement and donation of medical equipment for healthcare institutions across Serbia as an additional aid to our country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We feel that it is our duty to help our healthcare workers in their continuous efforts to change the current difficult situation for the better, and we are happy to have the Avast company by our side that also recognizes that solidarity and responsibility are crucial in these times.”

Each of these organizations received funding raised by the Donation Matching Program this summer.