Community engagement on a global basis
As a responsible employer, we encourage our people to apply their workplace skills to create positive change in communities close to home and around the world. And as a global business leader, we join with organizations like the Private Sector Leaders Forum of the World Bank, the World Economic Forum and Transparency International to help find ways to address the social and economic challenges of our time.
We channel our corporate responsibility efforts into three key areas – education, entrepreneurship and the environment – that complement our business strategy and are critical to strengthening market economies.
Volunteering is an important part of our culture, but we don’t simply provide an extra pair of hands. We contribute more to our communities and give our people more meaningful experiences by tapping into our professional skills and capabilities. Our people serve on not-for-profit boards, support schools, mentor students, assist high-impact entrepreneurs and strive to reduce our environmental footprint.
Below are some examples of ways we bring our commitment to community engagement to life.
Skills-based volunteering = career development
EYU, Ernst & Young’s learning and development framework, lists “community engagement” as a key professional development experience. With skills-based volunteering, our people gain new experience in project management, teamwork and leadership while giving back in a way that brings real value to their communities.
The Ernst & Young Community Engagement Network
With offices in more than 80 locations, we have the capacity to make a difference, both in our own neighborhoods and throughout the Americas. Our Community Engagement Network is comprised of Ernst & Young professionals who volunteer where they live and work and eagerly share their best practices with one another. This robust exchange has led to the development of relationships with several not-for-profit focus organizations in the education, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability arenas, as well as the creation of impactful, signature Ernst & Young community engagement programs.
Embedding corporate responsibility in our major milestone events
Ernst & Young professionals come together at different milestones in their careers. This commitment is reflected in our publication, High-impact meetings: Think corporate responsibility. Our interns participate in an International Intern Leadership Conference, our new hires attend a Welcome to Ernst & Young program, and promotions to manager, senior manager and director are marked by “Milestone” meetings focused on leadership development. At all of these events, our people hear about our commitment to corporate responsibility and experience it first hand. This past summer, our interns planted trees to offset carbon emissions and heard from Ernst & Young leaders who are active in their local communities. An overview of our corporate responsibility strategy is embedded in new-hire orientation. And at a recent training session for new managers and senior managers, teams assembled 1,000 backpacks for low-income youth.
Promoting dialogue and action through the World Economic Forum and the World Bank
Ernst & Young is one of the 1,000 member companies of the World Economic Forum and one of 95 Strategic Partners. As a member, we contribute to working groups, participate in roundtables and speak on panels. We send senior leaders to attend the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China; the annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland; and regional summits. We also join with other Global Private Sector Leaders in our support for the World Bank Gender Action Plan, a multi-year initiative to expand economic opportunities for women across the globe.
Fighting corruption with Transparency International
Since 2006, Ernst & Young has been a sponsor of some of Transparency International’s most widely distributed studies, including the Corruption Perceptions Index, the Bribe Payers Index and the Global Corruption Barometer.
Please note: Ernst & Young does not accept unsolicited requests for funding or volunteer engagements.
