Chair's message
Welcome to the Macquarie Group Foundation Community Impact Report, which brings to life the work we do alongside our staff and partner organisations to support the communities in which we live and work. This year marks our 35th anniversary as a Foundation. In that time, over $A410 million1 has been contributed to thousands of community organisations around the world through efforts from staff, matching and our grant making program. However, the dollars only tell part of the story – what we are most proud of is the long-term relationships we have built with our non-profit partners, enabling them to leverage our networks, business skills and the services of our staff as volunteers, fundraisers and pro bono advisers. This focus on capacity building in the sector has always been a key focus for the Foundation and reflects the strong commitment of our staff to building a better future.
Find out how we’re supporting our grant partners and empowering our staff to invest in the community for greater impact.
In 2019, Macquarie announced the five winners of the Macquarie 50th Anniversary Award that will each receive $A10 million over a five‑year period for their bold approaches to drive change through global projects.
The winners were selected following a multi‑stage judging process that saw almost 1,000 applications received from 48 countries. Their projects will impact millions of lives, providing life saving healthcare, protecting against devastating diseases, improving social mobility for low income workers and ridding the world’s oceans of plastic.
The Foundation currently works with close to 100 grantees globally through three programs: our strategic grant-making focus, 50th Anniversary Award program, and COVID-19 Donation Fund.
Our strategic grant-making focus is built around a common goal: to support social and economic opportunities for young people in the communities where we live and operate. Across the world, there are young people who need greater support to overcome the social barriers they face. Our strategic grant-making focus aims to break down these barriers and provide pathways to those who will benefit most. Each of our four regions - the Americas, Asia, Australia and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) – faces distinct challenges and priorities, so the grant-making focus is uniquely tailored to each region to strengthen social impact locally.
Below is a snapshot of our grantees across these three programs around the world.
In Australia we support organisations providing economic engagement for young people through education, employment and training. Two of our 50th Anniversary Award winners are also headquartered in Australia, as well as a number of our COVID-19 Donation Fund grantees.
In the Americas, we support organisations promoting college access, success and career attainment for underrepresented youth. The headquarters of two of our 50th Anniversary Award winners are based in Boston, and a number of our COVID-19 donation fund partners are also based around the US and South America.
In Asia we support organisations providing better migration outcomes for migrant workers as a means to combat modern slavery. Multiple COVID-19 Donation Fund grantees are based across India, East Asia and Southeast Asia.
In EMEA we support organisations that promote social mobility for young people through education and employment opportunities. One of our 50th Anniversary Award partners is headquartered in EMEA, and many of our COVID-19 Donation Fund grantees are operating across the United Kingdom, continental Europe and parts of Africa.
Providing sporting opportunities for children in regional and remote Australia since 1999
In 2019, Macquarie Sports celebrated its 20th anniversary by bringing together more than 1,000 primary school children from drought‑affected areas across central west NSW for a multi‑sport clinic held in Mudgee, NSW. Partnering with Australian sports heroes, the clinic brought the community together, giving the kids an opportunity to play alongside our Macquarie Sports coaches and learn new sporting skills.
For over 30 years, the Macquarie Group Collection has been supporting emerging Australian visual artists by acquiring and displaying their work that relates to the theme, The Land and Its Psyche. The Collection was established in 1987 and now includes more than 850 works that have been selected by a volunteer committee of Macquarie Group staff and a curatorial expert. The Collection is on display in around 40 Macquarie offices worldwide.
This year, we celebrate the new contributions to our growing collection and reflect on the year that’s passed.
Our annual reviews highlight the key financial, volunteering and pro bono support Macquarie and staff contribute around the world each year.
