McKinsey and Bain recognised for workplace giving initiatives
The finalists have been announced for the 2021 Workplace Giving Excellence Awards, with leading global strategy consulting firms McKinsey and Bain among those in the running.
The awards, hosted by not-for-profit advocacy and consulting organisation Workplace Giving Australia (WGA), celebrate organisations across a range of categories for their programs to encourage and support employees in their charitable activities. Winners will be announced at the end of the month.
“In a year where the challenges did not cease, and in a period when millions were in lock-downs, we were humbled that so many entries were received,” said WGA CEO Jenny Geddes, with the organisation stating that a record number of entries were received in several categories. “Also, in a year when many other forms of fundraising continued to be stifled, workplace giving has proven to be one of the most important channels.”
For the sixth annual awards, McKinsey & Company has been nominated in two categories, ‘Best Launch / Refresh’ and ‘Best Pro Bono / Workplace Volunteering’. Meanwhile, fellow consulting firm Bain & Company – which has provided total pro bono support for all of WGA’s operational expenses since its inception in 2002 – will be looking to back up last year’s best refresh bronze in the ‘Best Innovation’ category.
In earning its 2020 award – which also saw professional services firms Accenture and Deloitte take home gold and silver for their pro bono / volunteering programs – Bain was noted for having achieved a top 5 status through a concerted campaign and company-wide giving participation rate of 72 percent, up from 57 percent the year prior, and for its ‘very high’ average annual donation amount of $660 per employee.
The firm was also cited for the efforts of its senior leadership, with just about every member on board. Lucy d’Arville, the leader of Bain’s social impact work in Australia, this year joined food rescue charity OzHarvest as a non-executive director, while national managing partner Peter Stumbles serves on the board of WGA itself, alongside L.E.K. Consulting founding member and former Bain managing partner Tim Sims.
In fact, the WGA’s predecessor, the Australian Charities Fund, originally emerged out of Bain as a concept in the late 1990s, with PwC enlisted among the initial supporters which lobbied the ATO to make it simpler for companies to offer ongoing tax-deductible donations. Four-decade Bain veteran Greg Hutchinson was co-founder and CEO, with former PwC and Minter Ellison boss Tony Harrington going on to serve as chair.
One Million Donors
In addition to the awards, WGA also oversees the One Million Donors campaign, which was established by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2014. As a cost-effective way of raising charitable funds, the goal is to encourage one million Australians to donate a small, pre-tax sum from their paychecks through a network of employers – with Accenture, the Big Four, BDO and Boston Consulting Group also among supporters.
“Could there be a more important time for those Aussies in work to support others in their community – little by little, each pay packet? Covid-19, the drought and the bushfires underline just how vital companies are in providing needed, regular income to charities that do good against all odds,” said the judging panel chair Wendy Scaife. “The awards celebrate this special part of Australia’s pragmatic generosity.”
