Taking pro bono global
Sharing our passion and purpose with the world is the bedrock of Moody’s CSR strategy. And our employees play an essential role in making that possible.
In 2018, we created Moody’s Future Solutions™, a pro bono program that gives employees the opportunity to support nonprofit organizations through high-impact skills-based volunteering. In the fall 2018 pilot, hosted in New York City, 16 New York–based Moody’s employees brought their expertise to two local nonprofits.
To build on this momentum in 2019, we extended our pro bono strategy to include a global immersive program, in which employees travel to volunteer with organizations around the globe.
“We’re proud of our volunteers for positively impacting local communities and enhancing their leadership skills, cultural awareness and professional networks.”
STEVE TULENKO
PRESIDENT, MOODY’S ANALYTICS
Valuable skills and vital partnerships in Beijing
On August 17, 2019, 11 employees from Moody’s offices worldwide gathered in Beijing for our first global pro bono program, developed in partnership with PYXERA Global. Over three weeks, Moody’s volunteers provided professional services and knowledge development to local nonprofit partners, while growing their skills and expertise on the region.
Moody’s and PYXERA Global selected three partner organizations, each aligned with Moody’s focus on the environment and sustainability, to participate in the program: the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology, the Global Environmental Institute and the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua University. The volunteers were split into teams and paired with one of the organizations.
“Moody’s global immersive program in China enabled employees from all over the world to use their passion and expertise to help promote entrepreneurship, protect environmental and ecological systems, and advance sustainable development in the region,” says Moody’s Analytics President Steve Tulenko. “We’re proud of our volunteers for positively impacting local communities and enhancing their leadership skills, cultural awareness and professional networks.”
One Moody’s team helped the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology create a strategic volunteer management plan. Another team provided the Global Environmental Institute with background information on financial metrics to analyze its programs. The final Moody’s team provided quantitative research to the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua University to support the development of tools and frameworks for evaluating Chinese corporations’ contributions toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
With the services that Moody’s teams provided, the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology can enhance the reach and impact of its volunteerism throughout China, the Global Environmental Institute can speak to its stakeholders with greater confidence and the Institute for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua University has a strong foundation for its work toward the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in China.
“We hope to see more projects like this, which help build a better future for everyone,” says Wu Tong, secretary-general assistant and manager with the Society of Entrepreneurs and Ecology.
“We hope to see more projects like this, which help build a better future for everyone.”
WU TONG
SECRETARY-GENERAL ASSISTANT AND MANAGER, SOCIETY OF ENTREPRENEURS AND ECOLOGY
A hopeful outlook for students in London
From the launch of our global pro bono program in China to our first pro bono project in Europe, Moody’s Future Solutions is evolving the way we think of employee engagement.
In London, Gladesmore Community School is an oasis amid inequality. In an area with high levels of crime and poverty, nearly 1,300 children turn to Gladesmore for encouragement and development. Gladesmore’s well-planned curriculum, mentorship programs and extracurricular classes and activities have made it one of the top 1% of schools nationally.
Moody’s is committed to helping young people reach their potential, and Gladesmore exemplifies how the right support can help students succeed. As part of an ongoing relationship with the school, Moody’s employees host students in our London office and visit them at Gladesmore throughout the school year. During these sessions, employees meet with students to provide career guidance and to help them develop their interview skills and build confidence.
Student and school council member Ruby Buttolph was ecstatic when she found out she had received top scores on all her exams and believes Moody’s played a big role in her success. “I am so grateful for the support that I have received from my teachers and my mentor from Moody’s,” she says. “They gave me the encouragement I needed to achieve the success I dreamed of.”
“I am so grateful for the support that I have received from my teachers and my mentor from Moody’s. They gave me the encouragement I needed to achieve the success I dreamed of.”
RUBY BUTTOLPH
YEAR 11 STUDENT, GLADESMORE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
In 2019, we extended our relationship with Gladesmore to help it address a new challenge. With recent government cuts to education, the school needed to diversify its funding to ensure the continued success of its students. A team of Moody’s volunteers worked with the school to identify sources of private and public funding and put together pitch materials for meetings with potential funders.
Since completing this work, Gladesmore has won a bid for two years of funding, totaling £16,000, to continue to offer Saturday classes for students who require additional support. In addition, the school has raised enough money to deliver a new mentorship program to a group of Year 9 students.
An ongoing relationship
Moody’s is helping Gladesmore respond to evolving educational challenges with guidance and mentorship.
A look ahead for Moody’s Future Solutions
Pro bono initiatives such as the global immersive program in Beijing and the local work with Gladesmore have been popular with employees and partner organizations alike. Moving into 2020, we plan to initiate more local pro bono programs across all our regions, and we have already started two new projects in Australia and the US. As Moody’s Future Solutions grows and inspires additional employee engagement efforts around the world, it has the potential to create a wave of positive impact.
“Moody’s Future Solutions underscores our commitment to CSR and the importance of sharing our expertise globally with those who will benefit greatly from it,” says Mona Breed, chief information officer at Moody’s Corporation.
By providing more opportunities for employees to showcase their talents and contribute to solving critical social challenges, Moody’s strives to continue to share our passion and purpose with others.
“Moody’s Future Solutions underscores our commitment to CSR and the importance of sharing our expertise globally with those who will benefit greatly from it.”
MONA BREED
CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER, MOODY’S CORPORATION
