Leadership in Community Investment“The best job at Macquarie.” That’s how Julie White describes her role as Head of the Macquarie Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Macquarie Group. With staff in Hong Kong, New York, London and Toronto, the Foundation has a global reach. Macquarie Group has 70 offices in 28 different countries.
Julie was appointed to the position in 2000. Under her leadership, the Macquarie Group Foundation has expanded significantly, with Macquarie Group staff contributing millions of dollars to community organisations around the world.
Julie explains that the causes supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation all reflect the passions and community involvement of staff members. “The Foundation isn’t a bolt-on or a public relations exercise – it’s deeply embedded in Macquarie’s ethics and values. All the not-for-profits and causes that we support begin with the passions of staff, their voluntary efforts or their donations. We match their fund-raising and personal donations dollar for dollar,” she says. “It’s empowering for staff, to see the success their efforts can have. Occasionally it may even give them an advantage in business. For example, if a business contact mentions he is looking for sponsorship in a charity run, one of our guys can write a cheque for $5,000 and say ‘By the way, you’ll get another $5,000 when our Foundation matches my donation.’”
Macquarie Group Foundation gave WorkVentures a three-year Capacity Building Grant to upgrade the professionalism of its marketing, internet presence and management systems. Julie says that capacity building is behind-the-scenes empowerment. “We like to see specific outcomes from these grants, which reflect the value that Macquarie Group places on the right people and skills. The ability of not-for-profit organisations to meet changing community needs is only as good as their infrastructure. We see these grants as an effective way of having an impact on the sector. We are aiming to build a specific skill set so the sector can keep pace with emerging trends. Capacity Building Grants are a key aspect of the Macquarie Group Foundation’s leadership in community investment.”
One of the Foundation’s initiatives at Macquarie is the Staff in the Community Awards. “We highlight people who are volunteers, fundraisers and pro bono advisers. Our staff see a different, and sometimes unexpected, aspect of their colleagues, and gain insight into ways of getting involved,” Julie says. “Some of our bankers are great philanthropic mentors for younger staff. The Awards opens people’s eyes to the kind of contributions they could be making to the community.”
While the Foundation is not the main drawcard for talented young people seeking to work at Macquarie Group, its values, generosity and level of staff involvement contribute greatly to employee loyalty long-term. “The Foundation is a unifying factor, and some of our voluntary and fund-raising activities are terrific for team building,” Julie says.
Julie began her career as a community social worker in local government in Australia and overseas. Her experience includes establishing state wide community legal education programs for the NSW Government, working in educational development and fundraising, and working voluntarily for Save the Children Fund, Mirabel and Bundanon Trust. She currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Centre for Social Impact, Social Ventures Australia Consulting Advisory Board, the National Advisory Board for Surf Life Saving Australia, the Eastern Territorial Board of the Salvation Army, and the Council of Knox Grammar School.
In 2008, Julie was named as one of the Australian Financial Review BOSS Magazine’s True Leaders, recognising her efforts in the not-for-profit sector in Australia, and in 2009 she was a finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards.
Julie White believes that the social enterprise model is gaining traction in Australia’s not-for-profit sector. “It’s a different, more creative way of supporting communities. WorkVentures has always had that philosophy, so in many respects it’s been ahead of its time.”
Macquarie Group Foundation is a major supporter of WorkVentures through a Capacity Building Grant, and we thank them for their support.
