In the wake of the earthquake that hit northeastern Japan on March 11, Morgan Stanley employees in Japan have been engaging in on-site recovery efforts to support the local community in quake-hit areas. Several trips have been arranged to Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture so far. Morgan Stanley volunteers took overnight buses to the site and spent their weekends removing muck from gardens and houses, and digging mud out of street drainage. Besides these firm-wide initiatives, a number of employees have also organized their own trips to the affected areas to help support the communities. Morgan Stanley has recently enhanced the volunteer leave policy for Japan employees who engage in earthquake-related volunteer activities.

In addition to these on-site recovery efforts, nearly 100 employees brought in 1.5 tons of food items and sent them to the quake-afflicted areas, and we donated sewing materials to “Arts for Hope,” an organization which provides art therapy programs to help drive its doll-making therapy sessions held in evacuation centers for children and elderly people.

Many of the Firm’s employees across the globe are also supporting Japan in various ways. At Japan’s NPO Ashinaga’s fundraising campaign that took place at Times Square in New York in June, Morgan Stanley provided space in its head quarters for Ashinaga’s press conference.

For details on the Firm’s Disaster Relief donation, please see HERE.

"Global Volunteer Month"

As part of the firmwide initiatives, Morgan Stanley designates month of June as the “Global Volunteer Month” during which a variety of community service events are held around the world. With a goal for every employee to dedicate at least one hour of time to volunteering, the 2011 campaign succeeded in prompting nearly 21,000 employees across the globe to engage in a total of 171,000 volunteer hours, the largest number of hours ever.

"Inspire Charity Appeal"

The Firm’s annual “Inspire Charity Appeal,” one of the largest fundraising campaigns organized in Tokyo, started in 2003. Employees and the Firm have donated more than JPY20 million annually for four consecutive years between 2007 and 2010, to support charity organizations in the community.

"Step Up to the Plate" Global Campaign

Morgan Stanley’s “Step Up to the Plate” global campaign was launched in fall 2009, as a new global initiative to reduce childhood malnutrition and to save lives worldwide. In Japan, the Firm demonstrated its continued commitment to the local community by creating a series of food-related volunteer opportunities, such as a food drive, a candy giveaway for children as a holiday gift, and a cooking class with children from an orphanage.

Financial Industry in Tokyo (FIT) for Charity Run

Morgan Stanley is a founding member of the FIT for Charity Run’s organizing committee, and has been an active sponsor of the event since its inception in 2005. The event is an annual charity marathon organized by institutions in the financial and related industries in Tokyo. Many of our employees, families and friends take part in the event as runners and volunteers to make a difference in the community. In 2011, the event raised JPY68 million with the participation of a record 111 financial companies, to support relief efforts in the Tohoku region and local charities in Japan.

Tokyo Charity Cup Soccer Tournament

"Tokyo Charity Cup" is an annual soccer tournament organized by a number of investment banks and law firms in Tokyo. As one of the co-sponsors, Morgan Stanley team participates in the tournament to help raise funds for orphanages and charities that support children.

Clothing Drive

Employees bring clothes, linens, household goods and other items for donations to Clothing Drive, which is held twice a year. Collected items are donated to women”s shelters and The Salvation Army.

Second Harvest Soup Kitchen

Morgan Stanley employees participate in Second Harvest Japan’s weekend soup kitchen volunteer activity at Ueno Park in Tokyo every quarter. The employees help prepare some 700 to 800 hot meals a day to distribute to those in need.

JEN Niigata Recovery Support

Morgan Stanley has been providing a series of recovery support to the Chuetsu region of Niigata, an area struck by an earthquake in 2004. Right after the natural disaster, the Firm and its employees made contributions to the relief fund and donated foods and beddings. Today, Morgan Stanley employees continue to support the region through JEN’s "Village Revitalization Volunteer" project, engaging in various activities including farming and restoration of old traditional Japanese houses. The Firm also provides financial support to JEN in refurbishing accommodation facility for the volunteers in Niigata.

Music Workshop with Palette

Morgan Stanley participated in the music and dance workshop put together by Palette, an organization which supports social independence of the physically and mentally challenged. Along with Palette participants, our employees learned how to express their emotions through dancing and playing musical instruments.

Ashinaga Charity Walk

Our employees engage every fall in a charity walk organized by Ashinaga’s students to help raise money for their educational programs for orphans overseas. In addition to the charity walk, the Firm makes donations to Ashinaga through the funds raised in the annual Inspire Charity Appeal. The contribution is used to support scholarship loans for students in Japan who have lost their parent.

KIDS Tokyo Disneyland Volunteer

Morgan Stanley sponsors an annual volunteer program organized by KIDS (Knowing Is Doing Something) to accompany physically and mentally challenged children to Tokyo Disneyland. The Firm supports the event through employees’ participations as well as donations.

Cooking Class with Children from Fukudenkai

As one of the “Step Up to the Plate” campaign events, Morgan Stanley employees and children from Fukudenkai participated in a cooking class. They learned how to cook healthy nutritious food using ingredients including brown rice, tofu and fruits. The class provided an opportunity for attendees to appreciate food and learn the importance of staying healthy.

HOPE Charity Concert

Morgan Stanley has been sponsoring HOPE Worldwide Japan’s annual charity concert since 2007. Our employees help accompany and guide physically challenged children who are invited to the concert. The fund raised in the charity concert is donated to Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE, a children hospital in Cambodia.