The Foundation encourages our colleagues across Macquarie to contribute time, money and skills to community organisations. The Foundation matches charitable donations made by Macquarie businesses up to $A5,000 per donation1 and consults on business-led giving opportunities, including fundraising, volunteering and pro bono initiatives.
The Future Skills Now training program is an example that brings together ANZ-based staff with diverse expertise from across Macquarie’s Financial Management Group and Risk Management Group to help a non-profit organisation problem solve for a critical challenge it currently faces. In 2022, Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) NSW and Shoreline Foundation worked with Macquarie staff on two quite different projects.
The Foundation also supports innovative Macquarie teams to solve social issues through existing business models, creating ways to have sustainable social impact.
We are finding opportunities to drive more shared value2 at Macquarie; building on the many ways our businesses are already innovating in this area and focusing on how the Foundation can help catalyse more social impact driven through Macquarie’s businesses.
To meet the UK’s net zero ambitions, two million people will need to be trained in new skills by 2030 across a wide range of sectors and professions, including wind, solar, insulation, and many more.3 With catalytic funding from the Foundation, non‑profit Generation UK and Macquarie’s Green Investment Group developed a first-of-its-kind initiative in the UK to give profession-specific training to people facing barriers to employment.
This training enables participants to thrive in jobs fundamental to the green transition. To date, the program has enrolled 86 people across five cohorts of learners, with 53 people graduating and 33 being placed into green jobs.4 Following the success of the project in the UK, we are now working with Generation to also implement a green jobs program in France.
Together, Macquarie and Generation UK developed a report that reviewed the program – from the methodology and program design to the diagnostic of selecting which specific green job to focus on – and shared the findings publicly. By sharing the report and using these to enhance the program, we will continue to support future cohorts and, in turn, deliver a robust pipeline of skilled workers that can help organisations across the country meet their net zero commitments.
Hear from graduates Mohigul, Faisa and Barbara as they share their experience of the Green Jobs program and their transition into jobs in the green sector.
To raise awareness of shared value and recognise a Macquarie team driving significant social impact through a business-led project, the Foundation launched the Macquarie Social Impact Award in late 2022. In memory of Macquarie’s former Managing Director and Executive Chairman David Clarke AO (1942-2011), the Award garnered significant interest and 15 applications were submitted.
The inaugural winner of the Macquarie Social Impact Award is the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Major Bridge P3 Initiative managed by Macquarie Capital. This project will develop major bridges throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the US while also deploying an enduring workforce development initiative.
Crucial to this workforce initiative was the partnership with Philadelphia Works, supported by the Foundation. Through the non-profit, the project team will tap into existing workforce programming and offer the financial incentives needed for low-skilled workers to re-train and be re-employed into growing careers.
The judges selected this project as an excellent example of shared value – demonstrating how innovative Macquarie teams can intentionally help to solve social issues through existing business models.
Philadelphia Works, the non-profit involved in the project, will be awarded a $A100,000 grant to help increase the scope or scale of social impact.
The winning Macquarie team comprised Geoff Segal, Rick Mayfield, Jason Chun, John Watson, Ryan Karmel, Reem Abi Ammar, Allen Farberov, Carter Dickinson, Stephen Rambin, Nathaniel Steen, Grace Xiong and the late Sarah Schick, our much-valued colleague who passed away earlier this year.
Pictured: members of the winning team with Michael Silverton, Global Head of Macquarie Capital (front row, second from left), Shemara Wikramanayake, CEO and Managing Director, Macquarie Group (front row, third from left) and Alex Harvey, Chief Financial Officer and Chair, Macquarie Group Foundation (back row, second from left).
After an extensive judging process, the following submissions were recognised with a highly commended award. The high calibre of the applications received from across Macquarie represents the significant work being done by these teams to help solve social problems through their business models.
A concept to extend the Bluebird fibre internet network while providing free access for charities and community organisations.
A project to reduce carbon emissions and preventable health issues in developing countries by deploying cookstoves to replace household cooking on a three stone open fire.
A project providing unemployed people with training and placement in jobs fundamental to the green transition.
In the year ahead, the Foundation will continue to work with the Macquarie Social Impact Award applicants and other innovative teams across Macquarie on shared value opportunities that have a positive social impact alongside commercial returns.
