M·A·C’s VIVA GLAM program has now raised more than $540 million globally since its launch in 1994, according to the brand’s 2025 Impact Report. The update offers beauty industry stakeholders an analysis of how a single product platform has sustained three decades of funding while adapting to shifting social and environmental priorities.
“Together, we’ve built an incredible legacy: $540 million USD raised and over 60 million lives impacted around the world,” M·A·C wrote in the report. “This last year alone, M·A·C VIVA GLAM donated $4.5 million USD to 64 nonprofit partners globally, sharpening our focus on organizations that advance sexual, racial, gender and environmental equality.”
The figures reflect both long-term scale and a more recent strategic shift.
Equality pillars broaden the program’s scope
VIVA GLAM was originally created by M·A·C founders Frank Toskan and the late Frank Angelo in response to the HIV/AIDS crisis. The model was simple: sell a lipstick and donate 100% of the selling price.
More than three decades later, the core mechanic remains unchanged, but the scope has evolved. Last year, which marked the program’s 30th anniversary, the Fund’s mission was expanded to “support equality and healthy futures for all in order to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” the report noted.
In addition to its longstanding support for people impacted by HIV/AIDS, the fund now operates across four defined pillars: sexual equality, racial equality, gender equality, and environmental equality.
For stakeholders, the expansion reflects a broader alignment with multi-issue ESG frameworks that increasingly shape both beauty retailer expectations and corporate reporting.
Global reach and measurable outputs
The program’s scale remains one of its defining features. According to the report, VIVA GLAM has reached 92+ countries and served more than 60 million people since 2013, supporting over 2,000 NGOs globally and helping more than one million people each year.
In fiscal year 2025 alone, the fund distributed $4.5 million to 64 nonprofit partners, M·A·C confirmed.
Across the program’s pillars, the It Gets Better Project reached more than 2,300 youth through three queer prom events and funded more than 15,000 students to participate in community initiatives. Orange Babies distributed more than 1,240 dignity packs and supported 150+ girls with one year of education.
In the environmental category, Plastics For Change Foundation collected 2.5 metric tons of plastic at its Kolkata aggregation center and 281,500 kilograms at a women-led collection site.
The diversity of program partnerships illustrates how the initiative has evolved from a single-issue response model to a broader social impact framework.
Product refresh supports platform longevity
The report also provided some updates to the VIVA GLAM product lineup. In 2024, M·A·C introduced a new silky matte finish and refreshed shade names to align with the expanded mission.
“Alongside the revamped M·A·C VIVA GLAM platform, the iconic Lipstick that gives back 100% has been maxed out to give lips MORE, with a new silky matte finish, new impactful names and new luxe look,” the report stated.
The company clarified that “shade selection does not impact donations allocated among the pillars,” maintaining a unified donation pool rather than linking specific SKUs to specific causes.
In June 2025, the brand extended the platform with a limited-edition Lipglass Air launch in partnership with Kim Petras, with 100% of the selling price donated to aligned charities. These shifts reinforce how incremental product innovation can support a long-standing philanthropic SKU without altering its funding structure.
Employee engagement as an operating lever
The report also emphasized internal activation as a key driver of the program’s reach. M·A·C cites a global network of more than 11,500 artists who support VIVA GLAM both in-store and online.
For example, during World AIDS Day initiatives, the company facilitated more than 100 rapid HIV tests in under three hours at Baruch College in New York City. In Germany, it announced a €100,000 donation to the Deutsche AIDS-Stiftung during the Berlin Opera Gala.
The fund also mobilized $100,000 in wildfire relief donations to the California Fire Foundation following the January wildfires, demonstrating how the platform can respond to emergent crises beyond its core pillars.
Next milestone: another half-billion
While the report reflected on 31 years of activity, it also outlines the next target.
“Now, we’re looking ahead to our next milestone: raising the next half-billion dollars,” said M·A·C.
The report added, “Although raising $540 million+ over the past 31 years is an incredible accomplishment, we need you to keep the M·A·C VIVA GLAM momentum going so we can reach our goal of raising the next half-billion dollars to support sexual, racial, gender and environmental equality for all."
For industry stakeholders, the longer view may be the most instructive. As cause-driven marketing becomes more common across the US beauty sector, Viva Glam demonstrates how product, purpose, and scale can operate within a single, consistent framework.
