Giving Back

Deji

It starts with listening

We engage with communities and organizations through stakeholder roundtables and intentional conversations, learning how we can best provide support and make a positive impact.

"We bring a holistic approach to building our products sustainably, fostering an inclusive and diverse workforce and giving back to our communities — all of this helps us act responsibly for our stakeholders.”

Deji Olukotun

Director of Global Affairs and Sustainability

Giles Martin

Regenerative sound

Conserving forests and promoting biodiversity

As a global company, we are committed to fighting climate change. In 2023, Sonos launched a partnership with 1% for the Planet. As proud members of this global movement, we are donating 1% of all Certified Refurbished sales to high-impact nonprofits focused on environmental preservation and restoration. We continually look for ways to mitigate our environmental impact and do our part to protect the planet.

Since establishing our Regenerative Sound program in 2021, we have focused on supporting ecoacoustics projects. Ecoacoustics is a cutting-edge field that uses sound to promote biodiversity and conservation. Our collaboration with 1% for the Planet enables us to deepen our investment in organizations like Rainforest Connection. With projects spanning 35 countries, Rainforest Connection enables scientists, governments, and local communities to take action against climate change and the ongoing biodiversity loss crisis that threatens thousands of species with extinction.

"By listening to and learning from nature, we can contribute to global conservation efforts and safeguard critical species and forests from the worst impacts of climate change,” says Deji Olukotun, Director of Global Affairs & Sustainability at Sonos.

Sonos contributions help support a Rainforest Connection project site in Sabah, a Malaysian state in Borneo’s northern region where our products are manufactured. “We have a long history of working with manufacturing partners in Malaysia,” Olukotun continues, “Sonos wanted to act locally in support of an initiative close to where our products are built.” Borneo, known for its rich biodiversity, is home to thousands of wildlife species, including the critically endangered orangutan, and approximately 3,000 tree species, outnumbering the combined native species of North America and Europe. However, these species face increasing threats from agricultural practices that lead to land degradation and fragmentation. To stem the increasing threats facing these species, Rainforest Connection and its local partner HUTAN, employ acoustic monitoring technology to assess the impacts of reforested agricultural landscapes on the orangutan and its habitat.

Hear the sounds of Malaysian Borneo below.

Giles Martin

Music education

Positively changing the lives of young people

Since 2018, we have donated over $1 million to youth music education programs around the world, partnering with youth orchestras, beatmaking workshops, choral groups, and music camps. We’re proud to have achieved our goal of providing 100,000 hours of quality music education to underserved youth by 2025.

One of our long-standing partners, ZUMIX, empowers young people to build successful futures for themselves — transforming lives and communities through music, technology, and creative employment. Sonos supports ZUMIX’s programming that equips youth with the tools necessary to reach their full potential, while creating a safe space for them to explore who they are and who they want to be. ZUMIX is committed to providing access to top-quality arts experiences for a low-income, historically underserved neighborhood of East Boston in Massachusetts.

Giles Martin

Inclusive sound

Championing women and BIPOC in sound

A 2021 study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that only 2% of audio engineers were women. That doesn't sound right to us, so we're supporting We Are Moving the Needle, a nonprofit founded by Grammy award-winning sound mixer Emily Lazar.

We Are Moving The Needle is focused on closing the gender gap and bringing equity to the recording industry. From providing scholarships to leading music production academies, donating recording equipment, and expanding career opportunities, their work is laying the foundation for long-lasting change.

Read all about our efforts

Learn more about our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) in the 2023 Listen Better Report, where we share detailed information on our broader initiatives regarding sustainability, supply chain responsibility, giving back, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and disclose the progress we've made in the past year.

listen better report Download the 2023 Listen Better Report (PDF)