‘Lead by example’: staff at accounting firm KPMG team up to raise funds for Hong Kong’s Operation Santa Claus
- Besides KPMG-wide activities, different departments organise their own activities and games to promote generosity and donations
- ‘This collaborative approach fosters healthy competition and camaraderie, motivating team members to contribute more towards our charitable initiatives,’ department director says
A major accounting firm in Hong Kong aiming to lead by example in promoting sustainability and governance has taken up systematic planning, which boosts employee participation, to achieve its philanthropic goals.
KPMG hosted a lucky draw bingo game on December 7 for members of the tax and legal departments to raise funds for Operation Santa Claus (OSC), an annual charity drive organised by the South China Morning Post and public broadcaster RTHK.
KPMG has donated more than HK$3 million (US$384,000) to OSC since 2015, supporting NGOs that work for vulnerable communities, disadvantaged individuals and environmental causes.
Kirsten Mundy, a director of KPMG’s government and infrastructure department, said that in addition to firm-wide activities, different teams had organised their own activities or games to promote generosity and donations among members.
She added that a group of 20 workers, called People Champions, had contributed a variety of games and ideas to bring their teams together, promoted volunteering and organised engaging corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities.
“They play a crucial role in coordinating our CSR activities throughout the year, ensuring a systematic and consistent approach to giving back to our community,” Mundy, who is also a People Partner, said. People Partners are senior staff members who sponsor various activities, including CSR.
“This collaborative approach fosters healthy competition and camaraderie, motivating team members to contribute more towards our charitable initiatives, resulting in amplified fundraising efforts and greater overall impact,” she added.
Committed to giving back to the community, Mundy said that the firm aimed to lead by example in ESG (environmental, social and governance) for its clients and partners, ranging from conglomerates to listed companies.
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Among those planning Christmas donation and CSR activities this year is audit partner Kevin Wong.
Wong said he believed that allowing different teams to come up with their own games and activities for donations allowed diverse cultures and perspectives to be incorporated.
“This approach helps team members engage effectively, ultimately maximising the overall donation amount from the entire firm,” he added.
“The key is to ensure that our team members are well-informed about the NGOs that OSC collaborates with and the beneficiaries they support, before encouraging donations.”
Tanya Trantallis, People Partner and director of the firm’s Greater Bay Area tax practice in the global transfer pricing services department, highlighted the value of partnering with OSC.
“Through this collaboration, we gain access to a network of trusted NGOs, allowing our colleagues to engage in meaningful volunteer work and reach out to disadvantaged communities,” she said.
Chris Lam, People Champion and tax practice manager, called his experience during a team-building activity “rewarding”.
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“It involved building a bike that would be donated to children in need,” Lam said. “Our team successfully built the bike, and later received videos of children happily playing with it. This rewarding experience left a lasting impression on all of us.”
OSC has raised HK$369 million to support the Hong Kong community through 338 charitable projects since 1988.
