Social Impact & Volunteering

Five UK Charities to Receive Pro Bono Advice as Morgan Stanley Launches Second UK Strategy Challenge

Mar 17, 2015 1:30 PM ET

NEW YORK, March 17, 2015 /3BL Media/ - Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) today announced that five UK-based charitable organisations will benefit from the Firm’s second UK Strategy Challenge.  The Strategy Challenge is Morgan Stanley’s signature skills-based volunteer programme, launched in the United States seven years ago, to provide non-profit organisations with pro bono strategic consulting.

The five UK organisations taking part in this year’s challenge are:

  • Action for Children - Action for Children provides targeted support to vulnerable and socially excluded young people right across the UK
  • Career Academies - Career Academies UK provides a structured programme of internships, mentoring, masterclasses and workplace visits to prepare 16-19 year-olds for the world of work
  • Rays of Sunshine - Rays of Sunshine is a national charity, whose mission is to brighten up the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting wishes for them and their families
  • Think Forward – Think Forward helps the most vulnerable young people navigate the transition from school to work, providing highly trained coaches based in their schools to guide and support them
  • Whizz Kids - Whizz-Kidz provides vital mobility equipment and support and life skills to disabled children

Colm Kelleher, President, Institutional Securities and CEO, Morgan Stanley International said, “Giving back is a core value of Morgan Stanley and its employees. Charities, like all organisations, have strategic challenges which can have long-lasting implications to the way they are able to function. By providing our charity partners with the business skills and knowledge of our employees, we are able to work with them to solve these challenges, ensuring that their valuable time is spent not on overcoming obstacles but breaking new ground and expanding the important services they provide”.

To facilitate the Strategy Challenge, Morgan Stanley has teamed up with Pilotlight, a non-profit organisation which helps small, ambitious charities function more effectively.  The Strategy Challenge pairs each of the charities with a team of five Morgan Stanley employees for eight weeks.  During this time, the employee volunteers will use their professional expertise and skill sets to develop business strategies that will help the charities fulfil their objectives in a more effective and efficient way.

Gillian Murray, Chief Executive of Pilotlight, continued, “We are always delighted to find corporate partners whose objectives around working with charities align with ours - that is, focusing on long lasting impact by helping organisations become more effective and sustainable. Initiatives like Morgan Stanley’s Strategy Challenge shows that corporate social responsibility is not about a one off engagement or donation, but about bringing people, industries and talent together to support good causes, and doing it for the long term.”  

Geraldine Blake, Chief Executive of Community Links, whose strategy challenge team won in 2014, added, “Community Links were so pleased to be part of the Strategy Challenge last year. The Morgan Stanley team was a pleasure to work with, so committed.  It was without a doubt the biggest single contribution of pro bono consulting we have had, on top of which it was extremely high quality thinking.  It's shaped our direction ever since.” 

Morgan Stanley’s US Strategy Challenge, launched in 2009, has cumulatively delivered more than 45,000 hours of service to 77 non-profit organisations over the last seven years, providing charities with significant assistance while giving valuable skills training to 400 Morgan Stanley employees.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. With offices in more than 43 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments, institutions and individuals. For further information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

 

Media Relations: Tom Walton, +011 44 207 425 5658 (London)