Introduction

We empower digital citizens across the globe

We envision an equitable and inclusive digital future in which everyone has safe access to the tools and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.

Key milestones

21

countries reached

€2,013,981

awarded to good causes

35

awards made

Strategy and Five Year Plan

Launch of employee programs

Launch of first youth program

Brand development and launch

Sustainable Development Goals

We believe in the power of technology to build an inclusive sustainable digital society. We are committed to playing our role in delivering the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Activities and grantmaking

We supported a variety of programs and initiatives, including a multi-organization partnership, an in-house cyber safety education program, match-funding for one employee driven fundraiser, project grants to 15 beneficiary organizations, and core funding to 19 organizations selected through an inclusive process with the Avast employee community.

Programs and initiatives

Youth

Young people are often among the most vulnerable and disenfranchised. They have little collective access to power and influence. Yet it is their futures and wellbeing which are often most adversely affected by issues from climate change to growing inequality, including the digital divide, worldwide.

Programs and initiatives

Activating digital citizenship

We are working toward more inclusive democracy and civil society. Technology can be used in innovative ways to engage people in pro-social activities and connect civil society, communities, and the private sector. The organizations we are supporting are working on initiatives like open government, social innovation, and increased transparency.

Programs and initiatives

Disaster response

We set aside a portion of our annual funding for responsive work. This enables us to act quickly and nimbly in response to unforeseen crises, such as natural disasters, political or economic instability.

Employee engagement

The Foundation has worked with the Avast employee community to amplify our collective impact. Volunteering, donation, and fundraising schemes animate our shared purpose and values of giving back and creating a better world. With the full support of Avast leadership, we embarked on a journey to co-design employee engagement programs with staff.

Employee ambassadors

The Avast Foundation ambassadors were an integral part of our team, helping to co-design our employee programs, as well as continuously raise awareness about volunteering and donation activities among staff. We also enjoy and are extremely grateful for the broad support of the leadership and teams across the company, including PR, Marketing, Brand, Web, Legal, Finance, and Threat Intelligence, who provide direct support to enable our work.

Dan Casey

Collections Specialist

Tereza Sevcikova

Partnerships Specialist

Jakub Gros

Scrum Master

April Pressley

US Office Manager

Thought leadership

We work to raise awareness and to convene and connect organizations, experts, and communities around key issues related to digital freedom and citizenship.

Thought leadership

Creating research opportunities

In 2021 we launched the #TrollFreeFuture campaign and a multi-year cooperation with Oxford University to sponsor two doctoral students conducting research into online trolling.

Anna George, a recipient of one studentship, researches online safety and specifically how extremist ideas spread online.

Thought leadership

#TrollFreeFuture campaign

Research into online trolling - what prompts it, who does it, and how it harms those who are the frequent targets of trolls - has expanded widely in recent years, especially as victims of particularly vitriolic and hateful, sometimes racist, misogynistic, and even directly threatening online abuse have spoken out.

We commissioned a poll of 4,000 people in the US and UK during the summer of 2021. The results revealed that trolling behavior is fairly common, and while the worst abuse may be directed toward public figures, it also happens among closer contacts, like friends and associates.

United Kingdom

1.
Across all age groups, jumping on the bandwagon is seen as one of the biggest drivers of trolling (23% 16-24 year-olds, 26% 25-34 year-olds, 35% of 35-44 year-olds).
2.
Almost one in five people also believe their trolling behaviour wouldn’t cause any harm.
3.
Anger is the biggest driver of trolling behaviour – nearly a third across all age groups cite this as a key motivator.
4.
16% of people think that standing up to people who are hateful is the most acceptable excuse to troll and 26% rising to 1 in 4 among people aged 16-24.

United States

1.
Over two thirds of American 25–34-year-olds (64%) have engaged in trolling online (defined as leaving intentionally offensive messages or insulting someone on purpose online).
2.
57% acknowledge that others have been upset by their actions.
3.
40% believe themselves to be considered as confrontational.

We used these findings to drive awareness and generate engagement through our social media channels online, and we continue to return to these themes through our work with the YLB, Anna George, and others, as the topic is unfortunately evergreen.

Avast Foundation is now part of Giving@Gen

On September 12, 2022, Avast merged with NortonLifeLock, Inc., and a successor company, Gen, was launched. Gen is a global company powering Digital Freedom through consumer brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender, and CCleaner. Gen’s vision is to big vision to power Digital Freedom by protecting consumers and giving them control of their digital lives. Gen’s philanthropy and corporate responsibility program, Giving@Gen, is a big part of that mission, and will draw on the legacy of Avast Foundation and NortonLifeLock Cares programs.

To learn more about Giving@Gen, please visit Gen’s corporate responsibility website.

Learn more