Community
Helping our clients, our people and our communities thrive.
At Hall & Wilcox, we believe our responsibility extends beyond providing legal services. Giving back to the community is an important part of how we fulfil that purpose. Through philanthropy, volunteering and initiatives that create lasting social impact, we support the communities in which we live and work.
Together, these initiatives reflect our commitment to creating opportunities, strengthening communities and helping people thrive.
Established in 2023, the Hall & Wilcox Community Fund delivers philanthropic support to organisations improving human rights outcomes through education, employment and housing.
The Community Fund achieves this by matching workplace giving donations, allocating a donation budget to Community Committees in each of our offices throughout Australia to support local campaigns and providing substantial grants to three charity partners each financial year. The Fund's goal is to improve human rights outcomes in the areas of housing, employment and education.
How we help
In FY2024, the Community Fund provided a $20,000 grant to each of Aurora Education Foundation, Fitted for Work and StreetSmart Australia.
These grants helped:
- Aurora Education Foundation
Support Aurora's international study tour program, enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to visit some of the world's leading universities. The funding doubled the number of international study tours offered. - Fitted for Work
Help 1,205 clients access more than 1,800 employment support services, including resume reviews, interview preparation, work-ready wardrobes, mentoring and LinkedIn training. - StreetSmart Australia
Support the Making a Home initiative, providing essential household items such as furniture, whitegoods and kitchenware to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The grant supported 31 households across five capital cities.
We encourage our people, clients and broader networks to support the Community Fund and help create positive outcomes for communities across Australia.
The Hall & Wilcox Community Fund is a fund of Australian Communities Foundation, a public charitable foundation. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
Volunteering
Volunteering is an important part of how we give back to our communities. Our people contribute their time and skills through mentoring students with the Australian Business and Community Network (ABCN), Graduate Volunteer Day and local volunteering opportunities coordinated by our Community Committees.
Each year, our people participate in 14 ABCN mentoring programs across four offices, including the First Nations Goals Program in Sydney, supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to build confidence, develop leadership skills and explore future career opportunities.
Pro bono and community
Improving access to justice is a core part of how we support our communities. Through our national Pro Bono & Community practice, we provide legal assistance to individuals, charities and community organisations, helping remove barriers to justice and create lasting social impact.
Our work includes legal assistance, strategic litigation, law reform and long-term partnerships that help support people who may otherwise be unable to access legal support.
Other initiatives
Our commitment to helping communities thrive extends beyond philanthropy and volunteering:
- Reconciliation Action Plan: Our Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan outlines how we are working towards our vision for reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Art Exhibition and Acquisition Program: We support emerging Australian artists through our annual Art Exhibition and Acquisition Program and the Hall & Wilcox Art Prize.
- Environment and sustainability: We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and embedding sustainability into the way we operate.
- Diversity, equity and inclusion: We are committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects our people, our clients and our community.
Getting involved
Whether through donating, volunteering or partnering with community organisations, we believe meaningful change happens when people work together.
To stay up to date with how Hall & Wilcox is supporting communities across Australia, connect with us on social media.