GS in the Community

The people of Goldman Sachs are committed to assisting those in need and the communities around the world through volunteer endeavors and partnerships with nonprofit organizations.

Goldman Sachs helps serve the community through multiple outlets.

Public Service Program

Goldman Sachs Foundation

Employee Giving

Community TeamWorks

The Community TeamWorks (CTW), its signature volunteer program, embodies this commitment and gives their employees time off from work each season to volunteer in a team-based project coordinated with local nonprofit organizations. Each year, CTW offers innovative volunteering opportunities worldwide This program allows each person one day away from work to volunteer on a team-based project with a non-profit organization. In 2009, over 22,800 Goldman Sachs people joined with family and friends to contribute over 134,247 hours to the communities where they work and live. This helps make a tangible difference in the community and that foster inter- and intra-divisional camaraderie within the firm.

Goldman Sachs launched the Public Service Program in 2004. The program underscores their commitment to leadership and expands the platform for their people to be catalysts for change in their community. Public Service Program Fellows are selected and given paid leave for one year to serve at organizations aligned with the firm's corporate engagement interests.

These fellows have created organizations that embody and continue to promote Goldman Sachs commitment to leadership and philanthropy.

Sometimes, and more often lately, Goldman Sachs gets criticized for the high salaries given to its employees. Goldman Sachs has two programs to enhance its reputation in this aspect. It has the Employee Giving program and the Goldman Sachs Foundation.

The Employee Giving, also called Goldman Sachs' Matching Gift Program, encourages employees to support their favorite charitable organizations. Employee gifts up to USD $20,000 are matched on a 1:1 basis per employee per calendar year to eligible nonprofit organizations.

The Goldman Sachs Foundation was funded in 1999 with a $200 million donation from The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. The Foundation's mission is to promote excellence and innovation in education worldwide. The Foundation, administered by the Goldman Sachs Office of Corporate Engagement, is an important extension of the tradition of philanthropy and public leadership at Goldman Sachs. Grants have been awarded in excess of $114 million since its inception, providing opportunities for young people in more than 20 countries.

Some ways this money is spent is through scholarships as well as conferences and learning seminars for youth around the world.