Introduction
McKinsey.org is the social-impact learning platform of McKinsey & Company, providing free capability-building programs that help nonprofit organizations and individuals develop the practical skills needed to improve performance, strengthen careers, and increase social impact.
History and Background
McKinsey & Company has a long history of supporting communities through pro bono professional services, nonprofit partnerships, research, and workforce-development initiatives.
In 2020, the firm announced a ten-year, $2 billion commitment to social responsibility, focusing particularly on expanding economic opportunity. McKinsey.org was launched two years later to make McKinsey’s organizational knowledge, professional tools, and skill-building resources available to nonprofits and individuals without charge.
The initiative was developed around the idea that mission-driven organizations and individual professionals can achieve greater impact when they have access to the management tools, organizational practices, and workplace capabilities commonly available to major companies.
Mission and Purpose
McKinsey.org’s purpose is to share McKinsey’s knowledge and capabilities to help more people succeed.
The initiative works with ambitious nonprofit organizations and individuals who want to strengthen their performance, increase their confidence, and generate greater economic and social impact.
Its programs address two connected needs: helping nonprofits develop healthier and more effective organizations and helping individuals acquire transferable skills for employment, career advancement, and the changing world of work.
Governance and Structure
McKinsey.org is supported by a dedicated leadership and program team within McKinsey & Company’s broader social-responsibility activities.
The team activates McKinsey’s international network of professionals to deliver learning sessions, share management tools, facilitate organizational assessments, and support participating nonprofit teams.
McKinsey.org is not presented as an independent grantmaking foundation. Its governance and operations are connected to McKinsey & Company, and its programs form part of the firm’s commitment to inclusive growth and economic opportunity.
The platform works with nonprofit organizations, employers, educational institutions, foundations, and other partners to identify participants and deliver programs in different regions.
Funding and Grants
McKinsey.org does not operate as a conventional funding agency and does not primarily provide cash grants to nonprofit organizations or individuals.
Its principal form of support is in-kind professional assistance. Participating organizations and individuals receive access to learning resources, diagnostic tools, mentoring, expert-led sessions, organizational-development frameworks, and virtual training without charge.
The value of its support comes from adapting McKinsey’s management knowledge and professional-development resources for nonprofit and individual participants who might not otherwise have access to such tools.
McKinsey.org’s activities are connected to McKinsey & Company’s wider social-responsibility commitment, which includes pro bono services, partnerships, nonprofit capacity building, and initiatives that promote economic opportunity.
Major Programs and Initiatives
McKinsey.org Forward
McKinsey.org Forward is a free, ten-week digital learning program for people at different stages of their careers, including career starters, professionals seeking advancement, and individuals preparing for new employment opportunities.
The program requires approximately two hours of learning each week. It combines self-paced digital courses, case scenarios, virtual events, assignments, and reflection exercises.
Participants develop transferable workplace skills such as problem-solving, communication, adaptability, relationship building, resilience, and digital capability. Those who complete the program receive a McKinsey.org Forward digital badge and become part of an international alumni network.
Forward is available in more than 130 countries. Its learning materials are offered in English and translated or supported in languages including Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Arabic.
Ability to Execute for Nonprofits
Ability to Execute for Nonprofits is a six-month learning and organizational-development program designed to strengthen the ways nonprofit employees collaborate and deliver their missions.
The program includes interactive learning sessions with McKinsey experts, practical assignments, organizational exercises, and opportunities for teams to apply new approaches to their daily work.
Participating nonprofits develop skills in problem-solving, prioritization, decision-making, communication, leadership, collaboration, and execution. McKinsey.org reports that 95 percent of surveyed participating organizations said the program continued to have a positive effect after completion.
Organizational Health Index for Nonprofits
The Organizational Health Index for Nonprofits is a free diagnostic tool that helps nonprofit leaders understand how effectively their organizations operate.
The assessment examines nine organizational-health outcomes and identifies behaviors and working practices that influence long-term performance. Participating nonprofits receive an organizational-health report, comparisons with a nonprofit benchmark, and guidance for setting improvement priorities.
Unlike a standard employee-engagement survey, the Organizational Health Index connects assessment findings with practical actions that leaders can take to improve organizational performance.
Nonprofit Partnerships and Learning Support
McKinsey.org works with nonprofit organizations in different regions and sectors, including education, employment, youth development, poverty reduction, entrepreneurship, technology training, and community development.
Its programs have supported organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Delivery is adapted to local organizational needs while retaining a shared focus on leadership, collaboration, execution, and measurable impact.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
McKinsey.org supports impact through free capability building rather than direct project grants. Its contribution is measured through the number of learners trained, organizations engaged, working practices improved, and communities reached by participating nonprofits.
The Forward program has empowered more than 500,000 participants worldwide with practical workplace skills, confidence, and career-development tools.
McKinsey.org has worked with Per Scholas, a United States nonprofit providing tuition-free technology training, career coaching, and employment support. Per Scholas has helped approximately 30,000 workers develop skills for technology careers, contributing to increased earnings and stronger local economies.
One Acre Fund participated in organizational learning designed to strengthen communication, collaboration, prioritization, and talent development as the organization works toward supporting millions of farming households.
In Brazil, the Ability to Execute program supported Reprograma, Ensina Brasil, Nova Escola, and the Latin American Leadership Academy. Together, these organizations have reached more than 1.4 million people through activities involving technology skills, education, teacher development, and youth leadership.
Other participating organizations include JA Europe, SHOFCO, the Akanksha Foundation, and nonprofit organizations in Greater China and the Philippines. Support has helped teams strengthen accountability, improve meetings, clarify priorities, develop leaders, and establish more consistent organizational practices.
Conclusion
McKinsey.org expands access to professional and organizational-development resources by offering its flagship programs at no cost. Through Forward, Ability to Execute for Nonprofits, and the Organizational Health Index for Nonprofits, the initiative helps individuals prepare for career opportunities and enables nonprofit teams to operate more effectively.
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