Corporate Responsibility
Commitment to the Australian community:
At J.P. Morgan, we believe that we can use our resources to help improve lives and strengthen the local communities in which we operate. The firm is committed to building vibrant communities, preserving our environment and promoting an inclusive culture. Each year JPMorgan Chase distributes more than US$100 million to selected charities across the globe.
In Australia and New Zealand, our philanthropic commitment to the local community is through educational programs. The firm is partnered with four organisations, each of which performs remarkable work in the community.
J.P. Morgan is The Bell Shakespeare Company’s New South Wales education partner, sponsoring its Actors At Work program. The firm is also partnered with the Victorian-based Reach Foundation, supporting a youth leadership and development program. Youthline is the firm’s New Zealand partner working with schools and education partners to deliver a youth development program. In addition, we are partnering with The Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN) to create an Arts Access program for school students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Our Australian philanthropic initiatives align within our global organisational commitment to corporate responsibility detailed in our Corporate Responsibility Report.
The Bell Shakespeare Company:
J.P. Morgan’s focus on education in New South Wales is via the work of The Bell Shakespeare Company. As its NSW Education Partner, we sponsor the Actors At Work program, ensuring students and teachers at remote schools nationally are given an opportunity to view Shakespeare’s work and interact with and learn from the actors.
The Reach Foundation:
The Victorian-based nonprofit, Reach, encourages all young people, regardless of circumstance, to believe they can achieve. The organisation’s crew of inspirational young leaders run workshops, weekends away and large-scale events that improve teenagers’ overall levels of self-esteem, optimism and feelings of control, helping them to believe in themselves and take control of their lives.
J.P. Morgan contributes to the ongoing success and sustainability of the organisation through supporting the development of the Reach Crew, the young leaders who are responsible for delivering its secondary school workshops.
Each year The Reach Foundation works with more than 50,000 young people in Australia.
Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN):
The Australian Business & Community Network is an organisation dedicated to bringing business leaders together in an effort to address social issues in the community, focusing on education amongst students from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
J.P. Morgan is partnering with The Australian Business and Community Network to develop a pilot Arts Access program for school students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Working in partnership with Sydney based arts organisations ABCN will deliver arts experiences to students who would not otherwise have access to these opportunities.
J.P. Morgan employees also continue to play an active role in key ABCN mentoring programs, namely, the Partners in Learning, GOALS and SPARK programs.
Partners in Learning matches senior business partners with principals and deputy principals in order to share experiences and understand the challenges facing many young people today.
Growing Opportunities and Learning Skills (GOALS) is a mentoring program that sees Year 9 students with limited opportunity paired with professionals from a wide range of roles, who can encourage them to consider their vocational and educational options.
SPARK Reading and Literary Support is a mentoring program where business professionals spend an hour each week over two terms reading and spending time with students in Years 2 and 3. The program offers students the chance to socialise and learn from a non-familial adult interested in seeing them succeed.
Youthline:
Youthline has been offering telephone support and counselling services to young New Zealanders for over 40 years alongside community education and youth development programmes to schools and students throughout the Wellington region.
Through these programmes, the organisation aims to support young people to develop positive relationships, positive mental health, and awareness about relating to themselves and others.
We are supporting Youthline to work with schools and education partners to deliver a youth development program to help young people develop essential life skills and empower them to make positive life choices.
Community initiatives and partnerships:
As a company, J.P. Morgan is dedicated to forming strong community partnerships and giving back to those who need it the most, through donations, grants and personal time.
Commitment to progressive employment practices:
J.P. Morgan’s aim, both locally and globally, is to be acknowledged as an employer of choice. We seek to create a culture where all employees are encouraged to reach their maximum potential. The critical factors in our vision are equality and diversity. We aim to build our teams with the best people doing their best work, regardless of nationality, gender, race, sexual orientation, age and physical ability. The framework of employment policies J.P. Morgan has built includes skills-focused recruitment, support for people returning to the workplace and Flexible Work Arrangements; these policies are supported across all areas of the bank and give us an edge over our competitors.
Our efforts are being rewarded in part by the recognition we are receiving in the Australian market. The awards we have achieved in Australia signify our commitment to progressive employment practices globally.
J.P. Morgan has been recognised by the Australian government as an Employer of Choice for Women, gaining a citation from the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA). J.P. Morgan is one of only 99 companies in Australia to gain an EOWA citation, and one of only 42 companies in New South Wales.
On an international scale, J.P. Morgan has received many awards for progressive employment practices and has achieved a 100% rating on the Human Capital Index for the last five years. The Human Capital Index is an evaluation conducted by the Human Rights Campaign to measure how well major corporations treat their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees and customers.
Environmental footprint:
As a firm, we are committed to making a positive contribution to environmental sustainability in order for others to follow suit. With this in mind, J.P. Morgan has committed to an extensive environmental policy that actively seeks to reduce our environmental footprint. Learn more about the firm’s global environmental initiatives.
Reducing financial risk:
J.P. Morgan is committed to participating in international efforts to reduce the risks faced by the financial services industry. In Australia, J.P. Morgan has been a participant in the establishment of regulation that promotes transparency and efficiency in the financial services industry. J.P. Morgan has participated in the Australian Financial Markets Association’s Anti-Money Laundering (AML) working groups, co-operating with the Attorney General and AUSTRAC to help establish the act and draft rules, in addition to the Australian Custodial Services Association’s AML working group. Our Compliance Department took a lead role in ensuring that the obligations of the act are reflected in our current policies.