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Westpac employees’ charitable donations matched to $6 million

 

23 March 2014

Westpac Group and its employees have donated approximately $6 million to more than 600 Australian-registered charities as part of its 2014/15 Matching Gifts program.

This brings to $46 million the total amount that Westpac and its employees have donated to 1,820 charities through the Matching Gifts program since it was established in December 1998.

Ms Christine Parker, Group Executive, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs, said Matching Gifts was a flagship community program within the bank, which creates significant value in a number of ways.

"By matching our employees' generous donations, dollar for dollar, we're making a valuable contribution to charities right across the country which, in turn, deliver incredibly important social services to people in need," Ms Parker said.

"We're very pleased that Westpac Group's charitable foundations, as well as our long-term and emerging community partners, were among the top 10 of our employees' most supported organisations.   

"What is great about this program is that we will support any charity our people choose, which means an incredibly diverse range of organisations receive donations.

"Our support for our employees' generosity is also a source of pride for our people," Ms Parker said.

Matching Gifts is Westpac's largest corporate giving initiative and was the first of its kind to be introduced among Australian banks.

Under the program, Westpac employees make donations to the charities of their choice throughout the year to 31 December. In March of the following year, Westpac matches those employee donations, dollar for dollar, enabling the charities to receive double the amount of the initial donation.