“I hope my skills give her a brighter future,” said a 24-year-old mother to four children.
“She doesn’t remember me at times, but she’s family,” commented a man in his 40s, caring full time for his mother with dementia.
“I want to be a doctor when I grow up,” enthused a young boy with autism.
These individuals are some of those who have benefited from McKinsey’s social impact work in Singapore. “Since 1998, our Singapore office has grown to become home to over 300 colleagues from more than 30 different countries,” said Senior Partner and Managing Partner Badrinath Ramanathan. “Beyond client work, our colleagues have huge hearts for social causes. In 2023 alone, we worked with 9 social service agencies, supporting communities and causes that are important for our colleagues. This is testament to how much our people care professionally and also personally.”
Some of these communities receive support from Project CAN, an initiative by McKinsey in Singapore that pools donations from colleagues and distributes the funds to charities that donors have voted for. Project CAN was started in 2017 by a small group of colleagues who came together and has since grown to become one of McKinsey Singapore’s signature social impact programs.
Kamaruzaman Kamarudin and Lorraine Salazar are part of the ground-up team who got Project CAN started and continue to be involved in the initiative today. “Around 150 colleagues have participated in Project CAN,” said Kamar. “The funds raised have enabled us to support various organizations across different segments of society. We were able to help in a number of ways, including covering the annual expenses of a children’s shelter that can accommodate up to 100 children, sponsoring electric hospital beds and catering meals for over 200 migrant workers and seniors—which was very heartening.” Project CAN has also helped people with dementia, as well as women and families with disadvantaged backgrounds, who receive training to improve their livelihoods.
Project CAN hopes its catchy name will invoke a “Together We Can” spirit. Looking at how much it has given over the years, Lorraine felt it may have achieved that. She said, “The fact that Project CAN is employee driven and has grown organically, is one of the things that makes it meaningful. As it grew, it also motivated many of our colleagues to find other ways to give back to society in Singapore, further multiplying our impact.”
Besides Project CAN, McKinsey Singapore contributes to the community through volunteering efforts. Dedicated volunteer Yujie Tag passionately says, “McKinsey encourages colleagues to give both time and money. For instance, we have an annual day of service where we celebrate the importance of giving back to communities, an effort that I have been leading with several other colleagues over the past few years. The firm also offers colleagues extra time off for time spent volunteering, and we take on projects for charities. For example, for six weeks out of a two-year project we assigned a manager and four consultants to work on a pro bono project full time, in the same way we would staff a client study. We serve our beneficiaries as we would serve our clients.”
Aziah Hussin talked about her experience as a volunteer and why it mattered, “I volunteered with a group of colleagues from the Singapore office to help a charity that provides training and community resources to upskill women from underprivileged backgrounds who were looking to re-enter the workforce. We supported this charity by minding the children whose mothers were doing evening trainings and courses, as these mothers had little access to and resources for childcare.”
“We forged bonds very quickly with the children,” Aziah continued, “and they had plenty to teach us in return, including conflict resolution and problem-solving, like how they took care of the kids who were younger and newer to the program by sharing toys, playing games and telling stories.”
Reflecting on McKinsey’s talent and expertise, Aziah said, “Our greatest strength is our people. The firm has a great deal of resources, which are high impact and meaningful in the non-profit context. The more we radiate that, the more impact we’re able to generate to benefit others.”
“Giving creates a sense of fulfilment and purpose,” Kamar added. “We feel blessed to have the capacity and ability to make a small difference to our society.”
Lorraine echoed, “I feel that we get a better perspective and more happiness in return, which is humbling.”
“What makes me proud of McKinsey Singapore’s social impact work is not just the quantum of monetary support that we provide, which is substantial thanks to the generosity of our colleagues,” Badri emphasized. “I am even more inspired by the energy and commitment that our colleagues bring to causes. This spirit is truly inspiring, and we strive to bring this spirit to everything that we do.” Together, McKinsey Singapore can indeed make a difference.