Unity has announced that it has partnered with three groups: Playing for the Planet, Pledge 1%, and Rare Beauty.
These partnerships mark the first major initiatives since Unity announced its Unity Charitable Fund. Seeded with 750,000 shares of Unity equity–which at the time of Unity’s initial public offering was $39.0 million, based upon the initial public offering price of $52.00 per share–the fund directs grants to nonprofits and social impact for-profits in the areas of education, inclusive economic opportunity, environment, human wellness, safety, and accessibility.
“Unity’s support for Playing for the Planet, Pledge 1%, and Rare Beauty are the first of what will be a series of many commitments that align with our efforts to make education and economic opportunity widely available, to ensure privacy and online safety, to promote wellness, and to demonstrate environmental responsibility through sustainability initiatives. Partnering with these incredible organizations extends our promise to all creators – from all walks of life – that change is possible, actionable, and most importantly available to all,” said Social Impact, Unity vice president Jessica Lindl.
The partnership with Playing for the Planet, marks Unity Social Impact’s first environment and sustainability initiative commitment, specifically aiming to elevate and rate the Made with Unity experiences that are more eco friendly or impact the environment.
“Playing for the Planet has brought climate awareness and action to an unprecedented number of gamers around the world. Unity’s commitment will provide a major boost to the alliance’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions, protect and restore forests and explore the introduction of new ‘green nudges’ in game design,” said UN Environment Programme’s Ecosystems Division chief for youth, education and advocacy Sam Barratt.
With the partnership with Pledge 1%, Unity joins more than 10,000 Pledge 1% member companies from 100+ countries who are leveraging their assets to support their communities and drive meaningful social impact.
“We are thrilled to welcome Unity to the Pledge 1% movement and to celebrate their incredible leadership as a role model to others. Increasingly, we’re noting a strong trend of top companies like Unity who are setting aside equity for social impact prior to their IPOs.In today’s world, it’s clear that companies have an important role to play in driving solutions to our most pressing social issues. By leveraging equity, in addition to other assets such as time, expertise, product, and its global network, Unity is fortifying its commitment with the financial resources required to sustainably address these challenges and drive lasting positive change,” said Pledge 1% chief executive Amy Lesnick.
Rare Beauty and Unity are partnering to empower entrepreneurs and creators to improve mental health for underserved communities, a mission both organizations share. As part of the partnership, Unity and Rare Beauty are launching a separate Unity for Humanity submission category focused solely on projects that encompass themes of mental health. Unity is donating $50,000, which will go directly to the winning creators. The call for submissions in this category will open on 16 November 2020. Unity is separately donating an additional $50,000, which will go towards the Rare Beauty’s Rare Impact Fund, aimed at addressing the gaps in mental health services, with a focus on underserved communities.
“Even before Rare Beauty launched, we wanted the brand to have a strong purpose that felt authentic to our business and to our founder, Selena Gomez. Through Rare Impact, our goal is to increase awareness and support for people who need access to mental health services, which have had a profound impact on the life of our founder. Partnering with Unity Social Impact to support Unity creators who are building immersive experiences focused on raising awareness for and treating mental illnesses, is a natural next step in realizing this vision,” said Rare Beauty vice president, social impact Elyse Cohen.
