PwC | China

Community engagement

Strategy and approach

Our community investments are part of our larger efforts to build trust in society and solve important problems. We contribute by partnering with charitable organisations, utilising our core competence to strengthen community organisations, and leveraging our peoples’ time and professional skills to help individuals, NGOs and social enterprises maximise their potential.

Complex factors such as rapid economic growth, regional economic disparities and the vast geographical landscape have caused education inequality in China. Investing in education has been a key focus area at PwC for more than a decade, and we have established a strong foundation and framework for solving local issues.

We are investing in the future and growth of 15 million people, NGOs, and micro and social enterprises to help maximise their potential by June 2022.

As we move forward, our community investments will increasingly focus on New world. New skills. A digital upskilling revolution that will leverage our existing resources, capabilities, and relationships to reach those where the need is greatest.

Our social impact

PwC Foundation

Established in 2006, the PwC Foundation is a platform that aims to create positive outcomes for a broad range of beneficiaries in our communities. It provides a channel for the firm and our people to donate to charities and supports volunteering and fundraising events led by PwC people. In FY20, the PwC Foundation funded 37 volunteering activities organised by passionate PwC people, engaging 617 staff across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao and contributing over 5,600 volunteering hours.

To encourage participation and to recognise the most impactful activities, each year the top three volunteering events receive a Foundation Award, with additional funds donated to the NGO recipient.

NGO capacity building

Since 2013, focusing on good governance and transparency, we have developed and provided free resources, training and professional mentoring opportunities to more than 2,024 NGOs across Mainland China and Hong Kong SAR to assist them evaluate and improve their internal governance, risk controls and reporting.

PwC’s online transparency check tool is China’s first free self-evaluation system to help NGOs assess their disclosures and external communications against industry best practice. PwC's NGO Risk and Control Management Framework is China's first free risk control related index for NGOs. Our Personal Data Privacy Toolkit (English version) / 非政府機構個人資料私隱指南 (繁體中文版) enables NGOs in Hong Kong to strengthen personal data protection and compliance capability, including suggestions on how to develop compliance protocols and measures.

Our strategic pro bono, subsidised and discounted services for NGOs focus on projects where we can put our unique skills and solutions to use helping NGOs and the communities they serve to reach their full potential.

Find out more on how PwC China is supporting the NGO sector.

Volunteering

Our people are passionate about getting involved in their local communities, and PwC encourages everyone in the firm to volunteer their time, skills, expertise and networks.

In 2019, we enhanced our volunteering policy for all social and environmental causes the firm supports. Social Impact Time is a new initiative that provides recognition to our people for their volunteering contributions, and promotes more skills-based volunteering, with no cap in the number of hours for volunteering where our people utilise their professional skills.

1,288 PwC people volunteered in community and environmental activities during FY20, contributing more than 13,900 hours. This number is significantly lower than in FY19 due to the limited in-person volunteer opportunities during COVID-19.

Children and education

Equal access to quality education and upskilling is one of the biggest challenges we are facing today, and maximising the potential of children and youth has always been a key focus area of our Corporate Responsibility strategy. Our investments in education and upskilling include financial literacy, technical and digital skills, mentoring and other supporting skills to help people thrive and prepare them for the opportunities of the future.

We work closely with our charity partners, including Adream Foundation, Chunhui Children, Enactus China, Stepping Stones, Teach Unlimited Foundation, TREATS, and Yao Foundation, to help close the skills and opportunity gap.

New world. New skills. is our new focus on upskilling to ensure everyone is able to live, learn, work and participate in the digital world, and PwC China is prioritising programmes that equip children and youth with digital skills, particularly those at risk of being left behind.