Four Ways RBC Capital Markets is Engaging its Employees in its Corporate Philanthropy

By Bobby Grubert, Co-Head of Global Equities, RBC Capital Markets

At RBC Capital Markets, we’re passionate about being a values-oriented, purpose-driven and principles-led organization. We call this our “Collective Ambition” and the word collective is critical. We want our employees aligned with our purpose: to help our clients thrive and communities prosper and we want to ensure employees are 100% engaged in the philanthropic initiatives we support.

Identifying one key focus that employees are genuinely passionate about is key. Our commitment to youth is fundamental to our vision of helping communities prosper. Millions of youth are affected by risk factors that impact their ability to reach their full potential, from serious illness to unyielding poverty, and we work directly with Youth INC. and other non-profits to help address these obstacles. Currently, many of our employees serve as board members and are active volunteers in grassroots charities (such as Play Rugby USA and The TEAK Fellowship) that help support youth. This is by design. When determining our area of charitable focus, we surveyed employees and learned helping youth at the grass-roots level was the cause that resonated most with our employees.

While we are committed to youth as a firm, we also empower and support our employees on the individual issues they care about. Our firm offers a gift matching program to employees for eligible 501(c)(3) charities they support and we reward volunteer efforts. Through our employee volunteer grant program we recognize individual volunteer time by donating to the charities that employees dedicate their time to helping, and we encourage group volunteering by promoting Team RBC grants, where a $1,000 donation is made to support the nonprofit hosting the volunteer activity. In addition, we continue to expand the opportunities that allow employees to volunteer their professional work skills. These types of programs not only exponentially increase the impact our employees make but send a powerful message to employees: we support the causes that matter the most to you.

A culture of giving needs to be embedded in the very heart of an organization. It needs to be linked to the causes employees are passionate about. Importantly, it needs to be created with a long-term journey in mind, giving causes and corporations alike a chance to develop long-lasting ties, foster relationships and drive a greater sense of community, thereby harnessing a firm-wide culture of philanthropy that resonates.

Bobby Grubert is Co-Head of Global Equities at RBC Capital Markets. He has been a Board Member of Ronald McDonald House New York since 2009.

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