Macquarie Group Foundation | 2024 Annual Review
Chair’s message
Welcome to the Macquarie Group Foundation’s FY2024 Annual Review, which reports the contribution Macquarie and our people have been making to help build a better future for the communities in which we live and work.
This is the 39th year of Foundation, and I’m proud to say it marks a record contribution of giving. During FY2024, $A67 million1 was contributed to 3,000 community organisations around the world. Together with our people, the Foundation has contributed $A641 million2 to thousands of community organisations since its inception in 1985.
Our people support our grant and social impact investment partners by volunteering their time and skills, organising fundraising initiatives or working pro bono on projects. You can read about many inspiring examples in this Annual Review.
We would like to thank the Macquarie Group Foundation Committee members for their valuable contribution and guidance over the past year: Alex Harvey (Chair), Brett Bingham, Evie Bruce, Stuart Green, Jackie Hamilton, Leigh Harrison, Verena Lim, Shawn Lytle, Stephen Moir, Bruce Phipson, Paul Plewman, Lynnette Sarno and Rohan Westcott.
involved in the community6
donated or fundraised by employees3
days paid volunteer leave taken3
in value donated through skilled volunteering4
The global scale of our impact comes directly from Macquarie’s greatest asset: our people.
We encourage employees to support the causes that matter to them by providing a range of benefits including donation matching, paid volunteer leave and charitable donations in recognition of time spent volunteering or serving on a non-profit board.
In FY2024, 36% of eligible employees globally reported involvement in the community by giving their time, financial support or skills, and they donated or fundraised a record $A19.5 million which was matched by the Foundation. Our people took over 1,900 days of paid volunteer leave and contributed over $A5.7 million in value through skilled volunteering to support the causes that matter to them.
This year marked our 10th annual Foundation Week and together with matching from the Foundation, our people raised a record $A10 million for the causes that matter to them, a significant increase from our previous record of $A5.3 million in 2020.
Our people organised or participated in over 320 initiatives, spanning 42 offices in 25 markets, supporting more than 240 non-profits globally in aide of causes that matter to them.
In recognition of the 10th anniversary, an initiative in each region was awarded $A10,000 for creating outstanding impact, which they donated to a community organisation of their choice. You can read about the winners in the article below.
philanthropic and impact investment funding5
employment focused partners5
people supported through training, skilling and employment programs5
people into employment5
Recognising that many people around the world face systemic barriers to employment, the Foundation uses a range of tools, including grants and social impact investments, to support organisations helping to break down these barriers and build effective pathways to employment.
In addition to our funding, our people provide support by volunteering in mentoring, training, and employability programs, as well as working pro bono on social impact investments.
In FY2024, the Foundation provided $A13.4 million in philanthropic and impact investment funding to 54 employment-focused partners. Our existing employment-focused partners reported supporting 1,300 people into jobs, with a total of 21,000 people provided with access to training, skilling and employment programs (*).
We strive to ensure our grantmaking practices and processes are as equitable as possible. We also fund organisations that focus on promoting a more equitable and just society for underrepresented people.
Now in its fourth year, the Racial Equity Fund in the Americas supports four multi-year grant partners, as well as four employee-selected People’s Choice grant recipients.
In FY2024, the Foundation provided a grant to the Bullard Center for Environmental & Climate Justice to fund a new HBCU (Historically Black College or University) Climate Corps at Texas Southern University.
The program will equip young people with the tools they need to become the next generation of leaders and educate them on climate change and its impact on communities of colour.
In this video, hear from Dr Robert D. Bullard, Founding Director of the Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, and employees from the Macquarie Group Foundation on how our grant is being used to fund a new historically black college or university (HBCU) Environmental Justice and Climate Corps (GreenCorps) at Texas Southern University.
In support of humanitarian relief efforts in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, our people and the Foundation contributed over $A3 million to organisations working to provide vital support. In addition, the Foundation also provided $A1 million in grant funding to two aid agencies – Anera and IsraAID – both providing critical humanitarian relief in the region.
In the fifth and final year of our 50th Anniversary Award, our five grantees continued to make progress towards their goals, which were first outlined back in 2019, with each organisation receiving $A10 million in grant funding over the five-year period.
As well as providing advice on philanthropic giving, the Foundation is partnering with Macquarie businesses to integrate a shared value approach into existing business models and identify upcoming projects that can deliver both increased social value and enhanced commercial advantage.
To catalyse this work within Macquarie, the Foundation created the Macquarie Shared Value Award, in memory of Macquarie’s former Managing Director and Executive Chairman David Clarke AO (1942–2011) to recognise Macquarie teams driving social impact through a business-led shared value project.
In this video hear Michael Silverton, Group Head of Macquarie Capital and Erin Shakespeare, Head of Philanthropy and Engagement, Macquarie Group Foundation, discuss how a shared value approach can fulfil Macquarie’s purpose of empowering people to innovate and invest for a better future.
The Macquarie Group Collection (Collection) is a unique philanthropic corporate collecting model comprising 940 works. Featuring art in all media, the theme of the Collection is The Land and Its Psyche. The Collection promotes the talent and diversity of Australian emerging artists by acquiring and displaying their art in 44 Macquarie offices worldwide.
Macquarie Sports aims to engage young Australians by improving access to sporting opportunities. In FY2024, Macquarie Sports supported 36 sporting clinics in communities around Australia, reaching over 1,500 participants.