Media Release: Clayton Utz among Australia's Top 40 Best Workplaces to Give Back

15 October 2020: Clayton Utz is proud to have earned a place on Australia's Top 40 Best Workplaces to Give Back in 2020

An initiative of GoodCompany, the list celebrates employers that are considered the best (assessed against specific criteria) at empowering their people to give back: via payroll giving, paid volunteer leave, matching donations, fundraising, sponsorship and other pro-social activities.

Anna Pavincich, Clayton Utz's Manager - Community and Sustainability, said the result reflected a strong culture of volunteering, workplace giving and fundraising at the firm:

Clayton Utz has relationships with 20 community partners Australia-wide, with which our people volunteer in a range of capacities: from sharing career experience and advice as Beacon Foundation mentors, or donating books to and enjoying conversations with patrons of The Footpath Library, to making meals for FareShare to deliver to people in need. Our people are also active in fundraising for organisations such as Movember, Cerebral Palsy Alliance and Hartley Lifecare and in donating amounts via their pay to the Clayton Utz Foundation, so it in turn can make financial grants to organisations that have a connection to the firm through our Pro Bono practice or our Community Connect program. The benefits of giving back go both ways. We're not only helping organisations to make an impact, we're building meaningful connections that we hope enrich people's lives.

In FY20:

• 36% of our people (560 partners and employees) volunteered with our community partners, which include Ardoch, Beacon Foundation, FareShare, Sunnyfield, Fitted for Work, Ecumenical Coffee Brigade, Wirrpanda Foundation and Dress for Success.
• 33% participated in our Workplace Giving program, providing vital support to the Clayton Utz Foundation so it can fund community organisations addressing disadvantage.
• People's fundraising contributed to Clayton Utz and the Clayton Utz Foundation donating $200,000 for bushfire relief and recovery appeals. In response to COVID-19, the Foundation provided additional grant support to Community Partners for needs arising directly from the crisis, ensuring their essential work could continue.