Today, companies are diving deep into social good causes in large part due to the rise of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which reflects a company’s efforts toward improving society. One of the biggest programs to come from CSR is workplace giving.
Workplace giving programs are important to more organizations than just the companies that run them. Nonprofit organizations all over the world benefit from CSR initiatives, with workplace giving at the forefront, raising approximately $5 billion every year.
Both companies and nonprofits should focus on workplace giving to reap its unique benefits. That’s why we’re going to cover the following topics:
Workplace giving can have a huge impact on society as a whole, benefiting nonprofits all over the globe. But there’s more to it than that. Let’s get started.
1. What is workplace giving?
Workplace giving is a company-sponsored program that provides its employees with the opportunity to financially support nonprofit organizations.
Through workplace giving, employees can make charitable donations to the nonprofits they care about.
Workplace giving is an umbrella term, which means it can refer to multiple types of programs. Diversifying workplace giving can encourage greater employee participation. When you provide multiple ways to get involved, employees have the freedom to choose how they want to give and actively take part in the process as a result.
As part of workplace giving, companies can choose to:
Match donations.Corporate matching gift programs are a form of workplace giving in which companies financially match donations their employees make to nonprofits, essentially doubling employees’ donations.
Offer volunteer grants. For employees who might not be able to donate financially, they can still donate their time. Employees who volunteer on a regular basis with a nonprofit can submit a volunteer grant request to their employer. This means the nonprofit will receive a donation from the employer based on the number of hours the employee volunteered.
Payroll deductions. Payroll deductions are one of the most common types of workplace giving. Rather than employees going out of their way to make donations, payroll deductions automatically deduct a portion of their paychecks to donate to a charity of their choice. Payroll deductions are usually small but can quickly add up, allowing one nonprofit supported by an entire company to amass significant financial support.
Of these programs, corporate matching gifts are arguably the most effective and important giving channel to focus on as both a company and a nonprofit. Most companies match at a 1:1 ratio (a dollar for a dollar), but ratios can range from 0.5:1 to 4:1. Many companies also match donations to a wide range of organizations, with few restrictions.
Workplace giving can be enhanced by any of the programs we’ve already mentioned. But the most important thing to remember is that when companies offer multiple ways to give to charities, employee participation as a whole will rise.
2. Why workplace giving matters for companies
Beyond the social good workplace giving promotes all around, there are specific benefits for companies:
When it comes to employee engagement, a company’s employees tend to be happier working for companies that support generous giving initiatives, and companies with happy employees outperform their competition by 20%.
69% of employees feel a stronger sense of loyalty to their employer if they have a workplace giving program. This loyalty leads to higher retention, meaning less turnover and more time spent investing in experienced employees rather than training new ones.
Apart from internal benefits, companies also maintain a positive public image in the communities in which they operate. 84% of consumers state they have more trust in businesses that have charitable giving programs.
Your company has spent a lot of time and energy setting up its workplace giving program, and you can start reaping its benefits faster the easier employee participation is. After all, the more your employees take part in workplace giving, the happier they’ll be.
When an employer leverages a workplace giving platform equipped with auto-submission functionality, which recently came out of beta for all 360MatchPro users, it makes workplace giving participation easier than ever before. Not only is it quicker for employees to get involved, but it’s also simpler for companies to organize, establish, and maintain their programs.
Employers can spend less time tracking and reporting on employee giving and matching gift submissions, reducing the administrative workload it takes to manage workplace giving. And it’s all while making a larger impact on the causes their employees care about!
3. Why workplace giving matters for nonprofits
It’s obvious that workplace giving campaigns help nonprofits financially. But the benefits go deeper than that.
When companies emphasize corporate matching gifts and other workplace giving programs, nonprofits benefit tremendously. This is because:
Workplace giving builds stronger relationships between nonprofits and companies/employees. Even charitable employees can forget to give on occasion, but workplace giving makes interacting with nonprofits a routine part of their schedule, increasing interactions and strengthening their investment in the nonprofits they give to.
Long-term relationships between nonprofits and companies lead to ongoing partnerships. When multiple employees give to the same nonprofit, leadership may be inspired to take their support to the next level with corporate sponsorships for the nonprofit’s events and programs.
Nonprofits can better serve their constituents and their missions. Nonprofits also save time and resources by participating in workplace giving programs. They can receive gifts in a cost-efficient way without spending time soliciting donations. Instead, that time can go to doing good.
When companies do everything they can to encourage employees to participate in workplace giving programs, nonprofits gain more than just monetary support. They’ll become part of a larger community that helps them reach their goals.
How auto-submission helps
With higher participation rates by companies and their employees, auto-submission leads to greater revenue for the nonprofits on the receiving end of the relationship. More matching gifts are processed with auto-submission, meaning charitable organizations in need of support earn more revenue.
Not to mention, matching gift auto-submission directly addresses obstacles that nonprofit fundraisers have been facing for years! Common roadblocks, such as a lack of donor awareness of workplace giving programs and non-completed submission forms, are eliminated with auto-submission. Donors are more inclined to complete their end of the process when it’s as easy as a single click, and they’re also likely to keep giving and matching year after year.
4. Why workplace giving matters for employees
Workplace giving doesn’t just benefit companies and nonprofits. As previously mentioned, companies that participate in workplace giving maintain a higher employee engagement rate and lower turnover.
Let’s look at how workplace giving programs can further benefit employees specifically:
Employees give to reputable charities. One of the benefits of workplace giving—especially for employees—is that they can be certain they’re giving to reputable organizations. Generally, workplace giving programs screen the nonprofits that are allowed to participate. This means employees can rest assured their donations are going to a good cause.
Employees give in smaller increments. Employees who might not be able to donate a large sum at once can benefit from automatic payroll deductions. The smaller amounts deducted from each paycheck will add up over time, and, when paired with a matching gift from their employer, add up to make a real impact.
Employees make a larger impact overall. Even if employees are only able to donate in small increments, their gifts combine with those of thousands of employees across the country. These donations are also unrestricted, meaning nonprofits can use them however they see fit to continue fulfilling their mission.
There are many reasons why workplace giving matters, and for employees, being able to donate effectively to worthy causes is a big one.
How auto-submission helps
A nonprofit’s donors want to make a significant impact on their favorite organizations’ missions. Additionally, a company’s staff appreciates the opportunity to involve their employer in the causes they care about. Luckily, auto-submission makes every step in the process easier.
When an employee who qualifies for auto-submission gives to an organization equipped with Double the Donation’s tools, a matching gift request can be completed in mere seconds—no website redirects, separate login processes, or repetition of donation information.
This empowers more employees to get involved in their companies’ workplace giving programs that would have otherwise been deterred by a complicated process.
5. How can companies implement and maintain workplace giving programs?
For companies, reporting tools are crucial to their workplace giving programs’ success. If a company doesn’t have a set process in place for tracking matching gifts, volunteer grant requests, payroll deduction options, and other components of their giving programs, measuring what impact the company has made becomes challenging.
Reporting enables your company to maintain transparency, which tends to be low among corporate philanthropy programs. As a result, only 1 in 10 consumers state that they trust corporate giving programs as compared to nonprofit programs.
That’s why many companies invest in workplace giving solutions to effectively track each task, their CSR initiatives, their goals, and any pending requests. There are many types of workplace giving platforms, so be sure to look for tools that meet your company’s needs.
More specifically, if you’re running a matching gift, volunteer grant, or payroll deduction program, below are key features to look for in your workplace giving solution:
Centralized employee donation tracking
Streamlined approval process for nonprofit types, donation matches, and volunteer grants
Volunteer event setup and management
Volunteer hour tracking
Payroll integration
When you choose workplace giving software that offers the tools you need to manage each component of your giving program, it’ll be much easier for your employees to get involved and for your company to track your overall CSR initiatives and progress.
How can companies offer the best workplace giving programs for employees?
According to corporate giving research, one of the largest considerations as to whether employees will participate in a workplace giving program revolves around how easy it is for them to get involved. For many donors, that idea is based heavily on the different ways that they’re able to give.
For example, our studies show the following:
96% of employees at companies with matching gift programs have a strong or very strong preference for their company to match donations made directly to a nonprofit (such as through the nonprofit’s website, peer-to-peer fundraising platform, or mail) rather than only matching donations through a workplace giving software platform.
This idea boils down to the fact that employees do not want to participate in an employee giving program that is restricted to gifts made through just their employer’s workplace giving platform. The more options a company has for employees to support the nonprofits they care about, the more likely they are to partake.
Along similar lines, if you want more employees to get involved with your matching gifts initiatives, adjust your requirements to offer low minimum donations, high maximums, and liberal submission deadlines, and expand the types—full-time, part-time, and retired—of employees who can have their gifts matched.
Once a match-eligible donation has been made, it’s equally (if not more) important that the match submission process is quick and easy. Again, this is where matching gift auto-submission—made available through Double the Donation in partnership with select workplace giving platforms—can come in handy.
How can companies actively promote workplace giving programs?
The best thing a company can do to promote workplace giving—and to help nonprofits in the process—is to educate their employees.
Feature your workplace giving programs in employee onboarding materials. More specifically, you should highlight:
Matching gift programs
Volunteer grant opportunities
Payroll deductions
Paid time off to volunteer
Other opportunities to support nonprofits
Educating your employees when you first launch your program and offering reminders throughout the year will keep your CSR initiatives at the forefront of your company culture.
Of course, it’s always a good practice to get employee feedback on your workplace giving programs. This will help you determine whether your program is accessible and effective. Send out surveys and allow employees to vote on the types of nonprofits or causes they want to support or even the types of workplace giving programs they want to see offered.
Additional workplace giving resources
If you’re interested in starting a workplace giving program, hopefully, this guide has served as a helpful start to learning more about employee giving opportunities and why workplace giving matters in the long run. Whether you’re part of a company or nonprofit, the benefits of taking part in workplace giving programs are endless.
To learn more about this extensive topic, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite resources below:
As a leader at your company, you’ve likely heard about the widespread movement toward more socially responsible business practices. With 65% of Fortune 500 companies offering matching gift programs, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly common. In fact, 93% of employees believe that companies should lead with purpose through these programs.
However, starting a CSR program at your business can be challenging. For example, how do you know how to balance priorities like your profits with social good initiatives like corporate volunteer programs? Frameworks like the pyramid of corporate social responsibility can help you navigate these decisions.
We’ll break down what the CSR pyramid is and explore the ways your business can use it in practice. Let’s get started!
What is the pyramid of corporate social responsibility?
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a company’s commitment to social good through philanthropy and employing sustainable and ethical business practices. Socially responsible businesses aim to have a net positive impact on the world.
CSR strategies like implementing workplace giving programs and building partnerships with nonprofit organizations can also benefit your business by enhancing your reputation, attracting top talent, and boosting customer and employee loyalty.
The pyramid of corporate social responsibility is a framework depicting the importance of four key CSR dimensions: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. This model was created by Professor Archie Carroll in 1991 as a way to visualize his four-part definition of CSR. The pyramid reveals the building blocks that businesses can use to become responsible in all four areas, rather than prioritizing profits alone.
The 4 Levels of the CSR Pyramid
The CSR pyramid has four tiers of social responsibilities, including:
Economic responsibilities: This is the lowest level of the pyramid. In order to achieve success in the other three areas, your business must be profitable and financially stable. However, profitability should not come at the expense of other responsibilities, such as ethics.
Legal responsibilities: While economic responsibilities are key for providing a strong foundation for these other efforts, legal responsibilities could be considered the most important. This involved complying with all relevant laws and regulations to ensure the business is conducting its operations fairly.
Ethical responsibilities: This refers to doing the right thing and following ethical norms to fill in any gaps or ambiguities in the law. Similar to the legal layer, the purpose of being an ethical business is to operate fairly and avoid causing harm.
Philanthropic responsibilities: The final level of the pyramid includes the voluntary responsibilities that businesses take part in to go above and beyond, such as donating to a nonprofit. While businesses are not legally obligated to participate in these activities, employees are coming to expect it. For example, 60% of employees say that it’s imperative their employer offers matching gifts.
Carroll used a pyramid for this framework to highlight the importance of each facet of CSR and the order in which companies should implement changes. For example, because your business’s profitability is the foundation of the pyramid, you’ll need to make sure this area is sound before moving on to your legal responsibilities.
How can businesses use the pyramid of corporate social responsibility?
While the pyramid does a good job of transforming an abstract concept into a clear visual, it doesn’t provide instruction on the practical ways to implement these ideas at your business.
To fill in the gaps, we’ll break down some of the ways you can use the pyramid to improve your operations and explore examples from real companies:
Level 1: Economic Responsibilities
If your business cannot sustain a profit, then it will eventually have to shut down. Clearly, this would prevent you from taking part in philanthropic activities and being an ethical employer. Your company also wouldn’t be able to offer jobs to its community or provide valuable goods and services to customers.
However, it’s important to be ethical in your pursuit of profit. While working with the cheapest manufacturer to fabricate your product might increase your profits, for example, that manufacturer may be exploiting its workers in the process.
Ensure you’re meeting your economic responsibilities in ethical ways by:
Offering fair, living wages and benefits to employees.
Creating high-quality products and services.
Prioritizing customers’ safety and satisfaction.
Remaining transparent about your business practices, finances, and motives.
Economically Responsible Company: Patagonia
Patagonia is a California-based clothing retailer that specializes in outdoor recreation apparel. Patagonia aims to make changes by implementing environmental and animal welfare responsibility programs that guide how the brand produces its products. Additionally, the company maintains transparency about where its facilities are located and strives to produce products under safe and humane working conditions.
These measures help Patagonia make a profit and remain economically responsible. The company is valued at about $3 billion and brings in about $100 million in revenue each year. Sales have steadily increased over the last decade, proving that sustainable businesses can be successful.
Level 2: Legal Responsibilities
Following all of the laws and regulations that apply to your business helps ensure that your company is operating fairly and not causing any harm. This can protect your business from legal implications like fines, and it is an indicator to employees and customers that you are a trustworthy organization with integrity.
While it’s best to get lawyers, accountants, and other professionals involved when it comes to legal issues, a good starting point is to make sure your company is complying with:
Employment laws
Health and safety regulations (e.g., OSHA)
Tax regulations
Environmental laws
Legally Responsible Company: Moleskine
Moleskine is an Italian company that manufactures paper goods, such as planners, notebooks, writing tools, and bags. Because its products are made from trees, Moleskine is subject to additional environmental regulations.
Moleskine meets these regulations and goes above and beyond to protect the planet. Not only does the company donate and recycle unsellable products, but they have been Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified since 2008. This indicates that the business follows relevant environmental regulations for forests and commits to nurturing, restoring, and protecting forests.
Level 3: Ethical Responsibilities
Being ethically responsible means doing the right thing even if you aren’t legally obligated to. For example, your business might implement hybrid schedules that increase sustainability by limiting how often employees need to drive to the office. Plus, initiatives like this one can boost employee engagement and retention by enhancing work-life balance.
Additionally, your business can pursue certifications to guide your decisions and signal that you are an ethical organization, including:
B Corps Certification: This designation is extended to businesses that demonstrate high social and environmental performance, make a legal commitment to prioritize ethics (e.g., adjusting the corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders), and exhibit exceptional transparency. B Corps you may have heard of include Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and TOMS.
Fair trade certifications: These apply to items like food, drink, housewares, and apparel. Companies are held to fair labor standards such as providing a sustainable income and practicing environmental stewardship. Popular certifications include Fair Trade USA Certified and Fairtrade International.
Animal welfare certifications: These certifications are concerned with the treatment of animals in the manufacturing process. Some certify that the products did not test on animals while others confirm that products are free of any animal products (e.g., vegan leather or almond milk). Widely used certifications include Leaping Bunny, PETA, and Vegan.org.
Ethically Responsible Company: Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s is a Vermont-based ice cream company. The business has been dedicated to supporting progressive causes and operating sustainably and fairly for decades, following core values such as human rights and dignity, social and economic justice, and environmental protection. In their own words, they strive to be “a social justice company that makes ice cream.”
In addition to being a Certified B Corporation, Ben & Jerry’s shows its commitment to ethics in almost every aspect of its operations. The company supports supplier diversity, helps farmers thrive through organizations like Fairtrade International, and believes in animal welfare. Ben & Jerry’s also works to protect the environment by reducing its carbon footprint, running energy-efficient freezers, and using FSC-certified paper packaging.
Level 4: Philanthropic Responsibilities
Finally, your business should focus on driving change through philanthropy. There are many ways to contribute to charitable causes and issues that your business and employees are passionate about. Choose initiatives based on the time and resources you have available along with your CSR goals. For instance, if you aim to increase employee engagement with your CSR programs, opt for philanthropy initiatives that put employees in the driver’s seat.
Some popular CSR programs include:
Matching gifts: Through these programs, employers offer to match the donations their employees make to charitable organizations. For example, if one of your employees donates $100 to a local nonprofit, your company would match that donation with an additional $100. This way, employees can double their impact without needing to give more. Many of the most successful companies in the world have matching gift programs, including Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Disney.
Corporate volunteerism: With a corporate volunteer program, your company will coordinate with a nonprofit to have your employees volunteer with the organization. For example, you might have optional volunteer hours for employees over the weekends. Or, you can set up company-wide volunteer days where employees can choose to spend the whole day volunteering.
Volunteer grants: Volunteer grants, sometimes called Dollars for Doers programs, allow employees to turn the time they spend volunteering into more money for the nonprofits they support. Some companies give donations based on an hourly rate (e.g., $20 per hour volunteered) while others give a flat amount once employees pass a certain hours threshold (e.g., $500 once the employee reaches 20 volunteer hours).
Corporate grants and sponsorships: Corporate grants supply nonprofits with the funding they need for a specific project or initiative. When awarding grants, you have more control over what the funding will be used for. Additionally, you may offer corporate sponsorships. These tend to be more informal than a grant and might fund things like fundraising events.
Philanthropically Responsible Company: TOMS
TOMS is a California-based company that designs and manufactures shoes, eyewear, and other apparel. The company gained acclaim for its pledge to donate one pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair sold. While TOMS has since phased out this initiative, it continues to focus strongly on philanthropic activities.
Like Ben & Jerry’s, TOMS is a Certified B Corporation that meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The business focuses its efforts on causes like mental health and increasing access to opportunity. Notably, TOMS invests one-third of its profits for grassroots good to drive sustainable change for community organizations.
What are some challenges of implementing the CSR pyramid framework?
As with any academic theory, there are some criticisms of Carroll’s CSR pyramid. Some critics point out that the pyramid doesn’t show businesses how to approach conflicting obligations (e.g., choosing an unethical supplier for the sake of profits). Others argue that the pyramid should place more weight on ethics in general, particularly for global companies that employ workers across regions with varying levels of labor and environmental regulation.
However, it’s worth noting that many companies face negative backlash from neglecting ethics—this backlash ultimately impacts their bottom line. When Rhianna’s Savage x Fenty clothing brand received an abysmal ethics rating of 4 out of 125, fans of the star and her brands were shocked. The company’s reputation was harmed, and many loyal customers expressed hesitation over shopping from the business again.
Additionally, keep in mind that the CSR pyramid is just one framework that businesses can use to structure their CSR efforts. For example, some companies choose to follow the 3 Ps model instead. This idea falls under the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory and posits that companies should work on the following bottom lines simultaneously: profit, people, and planet. Ultimately, you’ll need to select a framework that aligns with your business’s current situation and resources.
Wrapping Up
The pyramid of corporate social responsibility reveals your organization’s core responsibilities to its community and how CSR fits into your operations. With this understanding, you can better allocate resources toward more sustainable, ethical practices. Additionally, you’ll make strides toward a more streamlined and effective CSR program, allowing you to make a bigger impact on your community.
To continue optimizing your CSR initiatives and getting employees involved, check out these additional resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Pyramid-of-corporate-social-responsibility_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-02-06 20:51:452024-02-06 20:51:45Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Go Beyond Profit
Picture two imaginary employees who are both employed by the same company.
Employee A is an enthusiastic, hard worker who loves driving results in their role. They make an effort to contribute in meetings, bring creative ideas to the table, encourage their coworkers, attend company events, and more.
Employee B is also a hard worker and typically performs at a high level, but they seem to have lost some of their enthusiasm for their role. Over time, they’ve become less invested in the company’s goals and stopped actively participating in its internal culture.
The difference between Employee A and Employee B is that Employee A is fully engaged at work. This means Employee A is finding personal fulfillment and happiness in their job and feels good about what their company does and how it contributes to its community.
(Note: This doesn’t mean that Employee B is a “bad” worker by any means, just that their work experience could be improved, leading to better results for both them and the company.)
So, if Employee B was your employee, how could you encourage them to be more engaged at work? Or, thinking more broadly, how can your company hone its approach to employee engagement?
Here’s your answer: By tapping into the right employee engagement ideas!
There are dozens of ways to promote employee engagement in your workplace, all of which can help you take your productivity, profitability, and retention efforts to the next level. It’s a lot to sort through, which is why we’ve created this guide to help you explore your options. Here’s what we’ll cover:
As you learn more about employee engagement and the many ideas and programs you can launch to improve it at your company, remember to take into consideration your company’s specific needs and culture. This way, you’ll implement the engagement initiatives that will most resonate with your current and future employees and drive real results for your organization. Let’s begin!
Employee Engagement: A Quick Overview
Before we get into the specifics of effective employee engagement ideas your company can try, let’s go over some fundamentals.
What is employee engagement?
Employee engagement refers to the commitment employees show to their work, their team, and their employer. In practice, employee engagement looks a little different at every organization, depending on your company culture and the unique personalities on your team. In general, you can expect that an engaged employee will be:
Passionate and enthusiastic about their day-to-day tasks and how they contribute to the organization’s overall success
Loyal to the company
Consistently taking on additional responsibilities and strengthening their skills
Productive and delivering high-quality work
Adept at communicating
Resilient in the face of changes and challenges
Note that when an employee is fully engaged in their work, they are not sacrificing their mental, emotional, or physical health or their personal lives for your company. Engaged employees take a healthy approach to work-life balance and set clear boundaries so they can give their best efforts while at work.
Why is employee engagement so important?
Employee engagement is important for companies to pay attention to, as it can affect all facets of your business operations, not just individual employees’ experiences working for your company. Specifically, high levels of employee engagement can help your company in the following areas:
Retention. When your team members are satisfied with their jobs and feel loyal to your organization, you’ll be able to retain them for longer periods of time, saving your company time and money. Plus, when you need to recruit new employees, you’ll be better prepared to welcome them into a positive and productive culture backed by strong engagement strategies.
Productivity. As your organization takes steps to proactively engage its team members, you’ll find that your employees will be more committed to your company’s goals, enthusiastic about their roles, and more focused on not just their day-to-day responsibilities but also how they can drive the most value for your company. As a result, engaged employees will be more likely to go above and beyond and do their best work, resulting in higher productivity levels, better deliverables, and more efficiency.
Profitability. When your company isn’t worried about hemorrhaging talent and everyone feels empowered to do their best work, you’ll see higher revenue and decreased expenses all around. Plus, you’ll have the time and talent available to pursue new initiatives and offerings.
Any organization that employs people has a responsibility to its employees (and even its stakeholders) to ensure that it’s providing the best employment experience possible, as boosted retention, productivity, and profitability are wins for everyone involved.
The Current State of Employee Engagement
In recent years, employee engagement has been trending downward, according to Gallup. Engagement levels were at 36% in 2020 but dipped to 34% in 2021 and then 32% in 2022. Gallup notes employees’ reports of the following engagement elements declined during this period:
Clarity of expectations
Connection to the mission/purpose of the company
Opportunities to learn and grow
Opportunities to do what employees do best
Feeling cared about at work
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, employee expectations have shifted. For instance, Forbes reports that employees now expect more trust, more flexibility, and more work-life balance. And if the Great Resignation of 2021 and 2022 is any indication, employees are willing to leave their current employers to have these expectations fulfilled at other organizations.
In order to see some positive trends in employee engagement numbers, employers everywhere have to be willing to be open-minded and communicative, and those efforts will include implementing winning employee engagement initiatives.
The Special Role of Corporate Philanthropy in Employee Engagement Initiatives
One of the best ways to effectively engage your employees is to involve them in your organization’s corporate philanthropy efforts. Because corporate philanthropy is how your organization gives back to its community and works to leave a positive impact on the world, it can benefit your employees by:
Giving them a heightened sense of purpose. Though your company’s goals and mission likely already inspire your employees, furthering a charitable cause will give them a stronger sense of purpose in their day-to-day duties. Plus, they’ll feel good about what your company is doing to make a positive difference for others, strengthening their relationship with your organization as an employer.
Connecting with their personal values. Many of your employees likely have an affinity for a charitable cause, whether it’s animal welfare or protecting the environment. By showing them your organization also cares about charitable causes and can empower them to give to causes they support, you’ll connect with their personal values and interests, further strengthening your relationship with them.
Empowering them to connect with others. Many companies facilitate volunteer opportunities for their employees as part of their corporate philanthropy and employee engagement work. Volunteering allows employees to get to know their coworkers in different ways as they work together and provides them the chance to meet other people who are connected to your nonprofit partners.
Giving them the chance to develop new skills. Similarly, volunteering can help your employees strengthen their existing skills or develop entirely new skill sets. For example, a graphic designer may find they have a knack for helping plan nonprofit events, or a customer service representative may find they enjoy tutoring young children in reading.
Improving their health and wellbeing. According to the Cleveland Clinic, charitable giving can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, boost self-esteem, combat depression, and even help increase your lifespan.
If you’re looking for a way to help your employees make a positive difference in the world while simultaneously increasing their job satisfaction, involving them in corporate philanthropy is the answer!
In the spirit of getting your employees involved in your philanthropic efforts, let’s kick off our exploration of employee engagement ideas by exploring some of our favorite philanthropy-centered initiatives!
1. Matching Gift Programs
71% of employees think it’s important to work for companies that give back through philanthropy, making corporate giving a pivotal engagement tactic. One of the easiest and most impactful ways to involve your employees in corporate philanthropy is to start a matching gift program.
Corporate matching gift programs are a type of philanthropy in which companies financially match donations their employees make to nonprofits. Many companies match at a 1:1 ratio (dollar for dollar), but these ratios range anywhere from .5:1 to 3:1. That means employees have the opportunity to increase the impact of their charitable donations!
Why are matching gift programs a great employee engagement idea?
Matching gift programs are essential for employee engagement because they communicate that your company cares about the same causes your employees do. These programs amplify the charitable contributions of employees, making them feel their donations have a greater impact, which enhances their connection to your company.
Enhance workplace culture by giving employees a stronger sense of purpose through philanthropic giving.
Demonstrate your company’s values to the public by aligning corporate objectives with employee interests.
Attract talented employees who prioritize social responsibility, further enriching your company’s culture.
While most matching gift companies organize unrestricted programs (where the employer matches donations to almost any nonprofit), a “one-off” match initiative is a great way to ease into this engagement opportunity. In this case, your company would select one nonprofit to which you’d match donations, thus rallying your staff around a particular cause!
Although matching gifts are common workplace giving programs, many employees don’t know their companies even offer a program. That’s why your company should take the initiative to promote these programs. Whether that’s through onboarding or regular communications, alerting employees that they can double their donations to their favorite charities can inspire participation.
*While Double the Donation’s tool, 360MatchPro, offers custom matching gift program management functionality, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives. 360MatchPro does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.
2. Corporate Volunteerism
Just as matching gifts are one of the most common types of corporate philanthropy programs out there, another common corporate philanthropy initiative is corporate volunteerism.
Through corporate volunteerism, companies encourage their employees to volunteer their time with local nonprofits.
Companies incentivize volunteerism in a number of ways, one of which is through offering paid time off during the year to volunteer (also known as volunteer time off or VTO). This is an extra incentive for employees because they get to support a charitable cause while still getting paid.
Many companies also offer volunteer days, such as a day of service, to promote team-building and give back to the community. This opportunity encourages coworkers to get to know one another and work as a team to help an organization.
Corporate volunteerism also benefits nonprofits because of the skills corporate employees bring to the table—which are often skills and expertise that the nonprofits may not otherwise be able to afford. Plus, employees may pick up new skills from their time volunteering with a nonprofit!
Why is corporate volunteerism a great employee engagement idea?
Companies that promote volunteer opportunities and actively encourage their employees to participate show that they care about giving back to the community, and some are even willing to offer paid time off to do so, demonstrating that they see volunteering as a priority. This initiative reflects well on companies and even encourages consumers to continue purchasing products and services from them.
When employees see the good their companies are doing in their communities, they are more likely to participate, think positively about their roles in the company, and be happier as a result.
3. Volunteer Grants
Corporate volunteerism doesn’t end with the time and effort that your employees offer nonprofits. There’s another type of workplace giving program directly related to volunteerism that can benefit nonprofits, reflect well on your company, and boost employee engagement.
Corporate volunteer grants turn volunteer hours into revenue for nonprofits. When employees at a company devote a specific number of hours to volunteering with a nonprofit, participating companies provide a set dollar amount for those hours to the nonprofit.
For example, this could look like:
$25 for every hour an employee volunteers
$15 per hour an employee volunteers, with a minimum of 20 hours
$500 after volunteering 20 hours with a nonprofit
Corporate volunteer grants essentially help nonprofits meet their fundraising and volunteer needs at the same time. Meanwhile, your employees can increase their impact on causes they care about.
Why are volunteer grants a great employee engagement idea?
Nearly 3 out of every 4 employees say it’s important to work where company culture supports volunteering. The more you encourage volunteerism and promote volunteer grant opportunities, the more employees will feel engaged with your company and its values. Plus, volunteer grants are a great way for an employee to secure a donation for a nonprofit they care about without spending a dime.
Here’s a rundown of how this type of program can transform your workplace:
Communicate your commitment to community involvement and social responsibility by financially supporting employees’ volunteer efforts.
Underscore the importance of giving back, enhancing employees’ sense of purpose and connection to the workplace.
Foster a positive work environment and strengthen team bonds through shared experiences in community service.
Improve your company’s image and resonate with employees’ desires to work for organizations that reflect their values.
Ultimately, volunteer grant programs not only contribute to societal well-being but also promote a more engaged, motivated, and satisfied workforce. Like with matching gifts, volunteers are often unaware that their employer even offers a volunteer grant program. That’s why it’s essential to actively promote these opportunities to employees and streamline facilitation with dedicated CSR software.
4. Employee Wellness Programs
Wellness programs are comprehensive initiatives designed to promote holistic health and well-being among your workforce. These programs encompass a wide range of activities and resources aimed at supporting physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes financial health.
Key components often include fitness challenges, mental health support, nutritional advice, and stress management workshops. While these programs can take many forms, the overarching goal is to create a healthier, more productive workplace by reducing health-related absences and enhancing job satisfaction.
Why are employee wellness programs a great employee engagement idea?
In essence, prioritizing employees’ health and happiness will contribute to a supportive work environment that reduces turnover. Better yet, you can leverage an app to run your entire program.
Designed to streamline program administration and boost employee participation, Givhero can significantly enhance your wellness program by integrating workplace giving into health and wellness challenges. This unique approach motivates employees to engage in healthy behaviors by linking their actions to a broader social impact.
Here’s an overview of how the app works:
Create challenges. Your team chooses from Givhero’s library of health and wellness challenges, whether you want to challenge people to walk 10,000 steps a day or sleep 8 hours each night.
Employees join the challenge. They’ll need to download the Givhero app and choose a nonprofit to support from Givehero’s Partner Network of over 2.3 million charitable causes.
Employees participate in the challenge you choose. As they achieve their goals, they’ll be rewarded with donations to their chosen charity.
It’s that simple! Employees can engage in activities that boost their mental and physical health while supporting causes they care about.
Overall, Givhero serves as a powerful tool for companies looking to deepen employee engagement through wellness initiatives that also support social responsibility goals.
5. Automatic Payroll Deductions
Another form of workplace giving that can lead to high employee engagement is automatic payroll deductions.
An automatic payroll deduction allows employees to set aside a small portion of each paycheck to donate to a charity.
Automatic payroll deductions are great options for employees because they can give to nonprofits in smaller increments—especially if they’re unable to donate a large sum at once. If their employer also offers a matching gift program, those donations can even be doubled.
Companies typically vet charitable organizations beforehand to ensure their employees’ automatic payroll contributions are going to reputable nonprofits. This measure will reassure employees that their donations are going to a good cause.
Why are automatic payroll deductions a great employee engagement idea?
By making it easy for employees to give to reputable organizations, your company accomplishes a few things:
Employees get to make a difference for the causes they care about.
The donations have no extra fees for the nonprofits (like credit card processing fees) and are still tax deductible for employees.
Employees will continue to participate in automatic payroll deductions long-term because of the ease and security associated with these programs.
The more options you offer as part of your workplace giving programs, the more likely employees will be to engage with and participate in those programs. Automatic payroll deductions are an excellent option to consider as a company.
6. Annual Giving Campaigns
The year-end giving season (generally October through December) is the most popular time for nonprofit donations. During this time, donation numbers are higher than all year round as people lean into the generosity they feel around the holidays and wrap up their charitable giving that will be deducted from their taxes in the spring.
Companies can use this time to encourage their employees to donate to important causes, either through monetary or time donations. When paired with matching gifts and corporate volunteer grants, the impact goes even further.
Many nonprofits run annual giving campaigns around this time of year to raise a large portion of the funds they need to continue serving their missions, especially on GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Encouraging your employees to give during these campaigns is especially important for the nonprofits they support but also for your company’s image.
Why are annual giving campaigns a great employee engagement idea?
If your company wants to boost engagement among its employees, be sure to encourage them to participate in annual giving. Promote specific opportunities to donate to nonprofits whose missions align with your company values. This practice reflects well on your company in the public eye, while also showing your employees that giving to worthy causes is an important component of your business practices.
7. Cause Marketing Campaigns
As a big part of corporate philanthropy, companies will often launch a cause marketing campaign in conjunction with a nonprofit cause. During a cause marketing campaign, a company increases its own profitability while also doing good in the communities in which it operates.
Here are some examples of cause marketing:
Businesses encourage customers to round up their purchases to donate to a specific charity or cause.
Businesses donate a portion of their profits to a specific charity or cause.
Businesses accept donated goods to provide to specific charities.
Both the for-profit and nonprofit sides benefit from cause marketing. For-profit businesses can see an increase in sales and exposure, while nonprofits receive more funding and goods that help them serve their constituents.
Why are cause marketing campaigns a great employee engagement idea?
Cause marketing is a great employee engagement idea because it actively encourages employee participation in promoting a nonprofit’s cause to the customers or clients they interact with. Remember that cause marketing works best if your company is helping a cause that your employees believe in. If your staff supports the idea, they’ll work harder and be more invested in helping drive results for both you and your nonprofit partner!
The Key to Making These Engagement Ideas Work: Corporate Giving Software
For all of these philanthropy-centered employee engagement ideas, you’ll want to have an organized system in place to facilitate your initiatives. With so many moving parts and workplace giving options, it can be challenging to consolidate donations, volunteer opportunities and hours, and matching gift requests in one place.
Track and review employee donations, including automatic payroll deductions.
View and approve employee matching gift requests.
Allow employees to log their volunteer hours.
View and approve volunteer grant requests.
Post and coordinate volunteer opportunities for your employees.
Organize team volunteer events.
These are just some of the ways corporate giving software can help keep your company on track.
A Must-Have Feature in Corporate Giving Software: Matching Gift Auto-Submission
The best corporate giving software will offer matching gift auto-submission that allows you to streamline the matching gift process for your employees and ensure that your matched donations get to nonprofits quickly.
Check out how our auto-submission feature works by watching the video below:
As explained in the video, when your company uses a corporate giving tool that offers auto-submission, donors can simply enter their corporate email address and have their match request submitted for them, with no extra steps required on their end.
Be sure to invest in the right software that will allow your company to benefit the most from the workplace giving programs you’ve already put so much effort into, and make sure your platform offers auto-submission capabilities.
Examples of These Employee Engagement Initiatives in Action
As you build out your own corporate philanthropy-centered engagement program, it will be helpful to get inspired by other companies’ programs so that you can ensure yours is poised to be as effective as possible. Here are two examples of companies that are doing good in their communities and getting their employees involved in their efforts!
Google: Matching Gifts
Google offers a matching gift program that its full-time and part-time employees, as well as its board members, are eligible for. It matches gifts up to $10,000 per year per employee at a 1:1 ratio.
In addition, Google also offers donation matching for any funds contributed for disaster or international relief and matches funds that employees personally raise for charitable events (such as walk-a-thons).
Walmart: Volunteer Grants
Walmart offers a volunteer grants program called Volunteerism Always Pays (VAP) that individuals or groups can participate in.
For the individual VAP grants initiative, Walmart gives $10 per hour to the nonprofit an employee volunteers with, up to $1,000.
For the group VAP grants initiative, Walmart offers groups that volunteer together or participate in fundraising runs or walks together grants for $500-$5,000 dollars, depending on the number of employees in the group.
Remember, your company’s own program will likely look a little different than any example you’re inspired by because you have your own values, priorities, and budget to keep in mind. Still, it’s handy to get an idea of what these programs look like at successful companies!
Want to dive into more examples of real-world corporate philanthropy-centered engagement programs?
Other Top Employee Engagement Ideas
Although corporate philanthropy initiatives are an excellent way to engage your employees, there are lots of other employee engagement ideas you can tap into, as well. Let’s explore some other options, all of which we’ve sorted into a few different categories:
You may decide to choose one or even several ideas from this list. Whatever you choose, remember to customize these ideas to fit your specific employees’ needs and expectations!
Employee Engagement Ideas for Recognition and Awards
Many employers make the mistake of assuming their gratitude for their employees is simply implied. However, the truth is that employees need consistent and genuine recognition to feel motivated and encouraged to perform to the best of their abilities.
In fact, according to Nectar HR, nearly 84% feel that recognition impacts their motivation to succeed in their jobs. In this section, we’ll look closely at some employee engagement ideas that involve recognition and awards.
1. eCards
Your employees’ contributions are valuable and deserve more recognition than an occasional pat on the back. Fold recognition into your everyday routine with custom eCards.
eCards are greeting cards’ virtual counterparts, making them easy to send and even easier to create. Plus, when you work with the right eCard site, you can customize your eCards to reflect your organization’s branding or the achievement you’re calling an employee out for reaching. Take this eCard for example:
Digital greeting cards have emerged as a versatile tool for employee recognition, enabling managers and employees alike to show appreciation for their coworkers. They offer several benefits to companies, like:
Immediate Recognition: Managers and peers can quickly acknowledge achievements, milestones, or contributions without the delays associated with traditional recognition methods. This ensures that recognition is timely, reinforcing positive behaviors and accomplishments as they happen.
Personalization: eCards can be customized to reflect the recipient’s personality, the specific achievement, or the company’s culture, adding a personal touch to the gesture. Send a personal message with each eCard to enhance the emotional impact of the recognition and make employees feel genuinely appreciated.
Accessibility and Convenience: Given the digital nature of eCards, they can be sent and received from anywhere, at any time. That makes it easy to fold recognition into everyday work routines, whether you’re working in person or remotely.
Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to traditional recognition gifts, eCards don’t require physical materials or postage to send. That means you can cut down on costs.
If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this video that highlights our recommended eCard software, eCardWidget:
By integrating eCards into your recognition strategies, your company can foster a culture of appreciation that is continuous, inclusive, and aligned with modern work practices. This ongoing recognition can play a crucial role in enhancing employee engagement and motivation, ultimately contributing to a positive work environment.
2. Incentive Bonuses
Depending on the nature of your organization, giving an incentive bonus might be a natural extension of your employees’ work. For example, if your organization is a store that sells musical instruments, you might offer a commission system that incentivizes salespeople to work toward ambitious sales goals.
In other contexts, you may have to get creative with how you offer incentive bonuses. One popular way is to offer an annual holiday bonus, given at the end of the calendar year before the winter holidays, or as a retention award during performance reviews.
However you decide to offer bonuses, make sure you’re clear with your employees about who is eligible to receive a bonus, how much the bonus is worth, and how and when that bonus is paid out.
3. Employee of the Month Program
An employee of the month program is a popular way to thank your top performers for all of their hard work and show them just how much your organization benefits from their efforts. To set up a fair and sustainable program, follow these steps:
Define the criteria for becoming Employee of the Month.
Create a nomination process that managers or peers can use to nominate employees for the award.
Form a committee to choose the winner of the award.
Select rewards the Employee of the Month will receive, such as bonuses, gift cards, special parking privileges, etc.
Promote the program to your employees.
The key to a successful employee of the month program is consistency. Be consistent in how you administer the program and in how you incorporate it into your internal culture. If your employees are excited about the program, it will be a great motivator for solid performance!
4. Pass a Post-It
This recognition idea is a simple one but goes a long way. Simply hand out some Post-its and pens to your employees, and encourage them to write words of encouragement or kind messages to their coworkers, sticking the Post-its on their desks or cubicle walls.
This is a quick and easy way to foster a spirit of appreciation within your organization and to get employees involved in recognizing each others’ contributions.
5. Workaversary Celebrations
Work anniversaries (also known as “workaversaries”) are exciting professional milestones and represent an employee’s loyalty and dedication to your organization. Consider celebrating individuals’ workaversaries in small and meaningful ways. For example, you might post about an employee’s achievements in the last year on LinkedIn, or write them a thoughtful card.
You can also celebrate large lengths of tenure, like a 5-year or 10-year anniversary at your organization. Consider making these celebrations a bit bigger, like a catered lunch or an after-hours work party. This can be an excellent way to demonstrate to all of your employees just how important retention is to your organization and its goals.
6. Personal Milestone Celebrations
In addition to workaversaries, there are plenty of personal milestones that your employees might experience, including:
Getting married
Buying a house
Having a baby
Adopting a new pet
Educational achievements
Show your employees that you care about their personal achievements by celebrating these memorable milestones. For instance, if an employee adopts a dog, you might gift them a bag of dog treats. Or, if they have a baby, you might send them a custom baby blanket featuring their child’s name.
Team-Building Employee Engagement Ideas
For your employees to enjoy their work experience at your organization, they need to feel connected to the people they’re working with. It’s great if your organization can facilitate healthy working relationships between coworkers, but employees will also benefit from building genuine friendships. In fact, Gallup has found that employees who have a best friend at work are more likely to get more done in less time, innovate and share ideas, and have fun while working. These team-building ideas can help you create an environment where strong relationships can grow between team members.
1. Group Activities or Outings
Try hosting activities during or outside of work hours that allow your team members to get to know each other. These might include:
Sporting events
Museum, art gallery, or theater outings
Cooking classes
Art or craft workshops
Picnics, barbecues, or potlucks
To engage your employees in these activities even more, hand the brainstorming and planning over to them. Create an “extracurriculars” budget (i.e., $20-$30 per participant) and allow employees to plan company- or team-wide outings of their choice once per quarter or once per year. This way, you’ll get many activities on the calendar quickly as well as a variety of different activities for employees to choose from to attend.
2. Team-Building Exercises
Team-building exercises are fun activities that groups of employees participate in to strengthen their collaboration and communication skills and to build trust with each other. You’re likely familiar with some popular team building exercises, like The Human Knot or trust falls.
However, there are a number of other exercises to consider, such as playing Two Truths and a Lie, working through an escape room together, completing a ropes course, creating a collaborative art piece, or playing the Blind Obstacle course game, where everyone helps blindfolded team members navigate obstacles and make it to the finish line.
Each of these exercises encourages your employees to unite, talk to each other, and work through problems and challenges together, strengthening their connections to one another.
3. Company Retreat
A company retreat is more of a large-scale employee engagement idea that will require some planning. A retreat gives you the opportunity to get your team together all in one place to enjoy work- and non-work-related activities alike. The best thing about a company retreat is that it sets aside some time for all of your team members to focus on their work relationships and create a collective memory together.
You don’t even have to go far to have a successful company retreat—even a day-long retreat at a local park or events center can give you plenty of time to ensure all of your employees are forming strong connections with each other.
4. Office Competitions
An office competition allows you to tap into your employees’ competitive spirits and encourage them to work toward a common goal. Here’s how to set one up:
Divide your employees into groups. For example, you might make each department its own team or create groups at random to encourage employees to interact with coworkers they don’t usually work with on a daily basis.
Choose the type of competition. There are many different types of competitions you could run, from a desk decorating contest to a trivia contest. One of the most popular types of office competition is a fitness challenge, where team members work toward a goal related to fitness or exercise. For instance, you might challenge your employees to see which team can walk the most steps in a month.
Select a reward. Motivate your employees to participate in the challenge by offering some sort of reward or prize to the winning team, like a trophy, an extra vacation day, or a catered lunch at the office.
Once you’ve set up your competition, you’ll need to get your employees on board. Don’t forget to continue encouraging participation and spreading enthusiasm for the competition even after it starts so they stay engaged for the duration of the competition.
5. Office-Wide One-Off Projects
No matter what your company does, whether you’re a consulting firm or a retailer (or something else entirely!), you and your employees are used to working together toward a common goal. But there are likely projects or initiatives you wish you could get to that are frequently put on the back burner for the sake of day-to-day priorities.
Why not put your team’s regular synergy to good use on a one-off project to try to accomplish something out of the ordinary? For instance, you could choose one project or initiative each quarter that team members will contribute to outside of their usual tasks.
Not only does a one-off project change things up for your team, but it also allows them to work more closely with team members they don’t usually collaborate with.
6. Team Member Spotlights
It’s important to consistently build a strong internal community at your company. However, this is especially tricky at large organizations, where team members might not always have the opportunity to interact with each other often or get to know new hires right away.
Help your employees get to know each other by creating and sending out team member spotlights. A spotlight should walk through some simple get-to-know-you information for each employee, like their name, background, hobbies or personal interests, and a fun fact about them. It will also be helpful to include their professional headshot and a link to their LinkedIn profile.
You can easily incorporate employee spotlights into company-wide meetings or emails.
7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives
How diverse is your team, and is your organization welcoming to all different types of people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences?
You can prioritize DEI in several ways, from adopting diverse hiring practices and establishing policies on gender- or race-based discrimination to conducting regular pay audits to ensure pay equity or making your office space more accessible for individuals with disabilities.
Each organization will have different DEI needs, so take into consideration where your own organization is starting from and how you can improve your efforts.
8. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
Many employees may benefit from joining an ERG, which are groups employees form over a shared characteristic, whether that is gender, lifestyle, ethnicity, or something else. For instance, employees at your organization might be interested in creating a working mothers ERG, or a group for veterans.
ERGs allow employees to come together and support each other in workplace. They may also advocate for the development of new policies related to their ERG’s needs, help each other develop professionally, or host social outings for individuals in the group to get to know each other better.
9. Sports and Recreation Clubs
Many of your employees may enjoy getting together to participate in a sports or recreation activity, whether it’s soccer or rock climbing. Encourage employees to start clubs that meet outside of work hours where they can pursue these interests.
These types of clubs also ensure employees stay active, which is especially important if their jobs require them to remain stationary or sit at a desk for most of the day.
10. Book and Film Clubs
Similarly, employees may enjoy getting together to discuss literature or film. These are also activities that can be held after work or during a lunch break.
The important thing with clubs is to make sure that you let your employees know that you fully support them in getting to know each other over shared interests. You can even go the extra mile by joining or creating a club yourself!
11. International Day Celebrations
International Days like International Women’s Day or Human Rights Day can be great opportunities to recognize and celebrate people within your organization. On international days you choose to recognize, send out an educational email, and incorporate some sort of related activity into your workday.
For instance, on International Women’s Day, you might start your morning meeting by highlighting a few women who have made a big impact on your field or industry.
In some cases, you might also celebrate important holidays from a variety of cultures. For instance, you might recognize both Hanukkah and Christmas in December by putting up a variety of holiday decor around your office.
12. Birthday Celebrations
It’s important to celebrate individuals, too. In addition to celebrating workaversaries or personal milestones, don’t forget that celebrating birthdays can be a great way to help individual employees feel valued and seen.
Keep these celebrations simple by providing the employee’s favorite treat during lunch and giving them a birthday card signed by their peers.
Skill Development Employee Engagement Ideas
Some employee engagement programs can simultaneously increase your employees’ job satisfaction and help them further develop their professional skill sets.
It’s critical for your company to offer opportunities like these because most employees want to learn and grow at their jobs. According to Zippia, 49% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development, and 68% of employees say that training and development are the most important company policy.
Let’s look at some employee engagement ideas that will promote professional growth and skill development.
1. Strong Onboarding Process
You might be thinking, “Onboarding is already something we do. In fact, we have to do it every time we hire someone.”
That may be true, but that doesn’t mean you can’t think of onboarding as an opportunity to engage your employees, both old and new.
As you train new team members, involve long-time team members where you can. For instance, you might have current team members give presentations about their roles or departments to help orient the new team member.
This way, not only is the new team member learning from their manager, but they’re also getting the chance to interact with individuals from other areas of the company, growing their network and giving them a more expansive understanding of how the company works as a whole.
2. Job Shadowing
Job shadowing offers an opportunity for an employee to observe an employee in a different role and get an understanding of their responsibilities and daily tasks. This is a great way for a team member to explore different roles and consider their own options for their progression at your company.
For example, say an employee decides to shadow a manager on another team. They could observe the manager balancing their regular duties with management responsibilities, see how they communicate with their direct reports, and ask questions about why they decided to take a management path. With that information in their hands, the employee could then make informed decisions about the trajectory of their own career.
3. Mentorship Program
Try starting a mentorship program at your company, where senior team members mentor team members who are early on in their careers or new to your organization.
Through mentoring, your employees can learn new skills, get advice about their career paths, build friendships, and receive feedback on their performance. A mentoring relationship can also be a safe space for employees to voice ideas, concerns, and needs.
To identify team members who can serve as mentors in your program, look for individuals who:
Have substantial experience at your organization and in their field
Have the availability for regular meetings with their mentees
Are effective communicators
Are committed to your organization and its values
Though not every mentor needs to have management aspirations, it can be a great plus for those seeking management opportunities to be able to mentor other employees.
4. Skill or Knowledge Sharing
There’s likely a wealth of knowledge and skills in your company already. So, why not facilitate opportunities for employees to share their knowledge and skills?
Skill- or knowledge-sharing opportunities are presentations where an employee shares a skill they’ve learned in their role with the rest of your team. This is a great chance for employees to see what their coworkers’ roles are like and swap useful skills that make their work experience better.
For example, one employee might present their strategy for managing their email inbox. Another employee might discuss the sales process. No matter what your employees have to share, your entire team can learn something new.
These presentations are great to host as informal Lunch and Learn meetings.
5. Personal Training Budget
Every employee is different and will have unique professional development and training wants and needs. Empower your employees to pursue the professional development opportunities they’re most interested in by designating a personal training budget for each employee. For instance, you might cover $100 worth of training materials, conference registration fees, or online course costs for each employee each year.
As employees can choose which training opportunities they want to take advantage of, they’ll not only sharpen their skill sets but also learn skills that provide more value for your company. Don’t forget to encourage employees to share what they learn with the rest of your team.
6. Resource Library
Building and maintaining a resource library is an effective strategy for not only helping employees develop professionally but also preserving all the knowledge and skills that your team brings to the table.
Your resource library can include things like your employee handbook, online training courses, ebooks, podcasts, videos and webinars, training and safety manuals, and more.
To make sure your resource library is useful to your company, consistently direct your employees toward it when they have questions or when they express interest in professional development.
7. Personal Career Development Plans
Encourage your employees to work with their managers to develop a personal career development plan. These plans help employees visualize their professional futures and the steps they’ll need to take to achieve their long-term goals at your organization.
For instance, an employee may set a goal to become a manager, outlining the skills and attributes they’ll need to develop over a set amount of time to be eligible for a management position when the opportunity arises. Or, another employee may be interested in becoming a subject matter expert (SME) in a certain area, and, working with their manager, identify the online courses they need to take or conferences they need to attend to learn about a certain topic and become your organization’s go-to person for that subject.
8. Educational Assistance Programs (EAPs)
Some employers pay for employees’ education expenses through educational assistance programs. For instance, companies like McDonald’s and Walmart offer tuition assistance for eligible employees who want to pursue a college degree.
In addition to covering educational expenses like tuition, books, or online learning subscriptions, you can also provide flexible scheduling that allows employees to attend classes or study without sacrificing their work hours.
9. Leadership Training
Your employees may have aspirations to become managers or leaders themselves one day. Share your knowledge by hosting optional leadership training meetings consistently. You can cover topics like:
Delegation
Active listening
Problem-solving
Playing to your strengths
Strategic thinking
Influence and persuasion
You can also invite leaders from across the company to present on these and other topics. Make sure to provide plenty of personal experiences and anecdotes as you share how you’ve developed these skills over the years.
Health and Wellbeing Employee Engagement Ideas
Are your employees happy and healthy? Your employees’ physical, mental, and emotional health can all impact how they feel about their jobs and also affect other aspects of their lives (such as their relationships).
This next set of employee engagement ideas focuses on ways you can engage your team members through health and wellbeing initiatives and stresses the importance of the connection between employees feeling cared for at work and how engaged they are.
1. Stress Management Workshop
According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of U.S. workers are stressed out by work, with 25% saying that their job is their number one stressor in life.
Even the best jobs and workplace situations can still leave employees feeling stressed out. This fact is important for you to acknowledge as an employer, and you can mitigate its negative impact by hosting a stress management workshop.
To host a workshop that will be useful to your employees, consider inviting someone with stress management experience (such as a therapist or psychologist) to lead the discussion. You’ll likely want your expert to cover the different types of stress, potential workplace stressors, how to gauge personal stress levels, and useful coping techniques.
Drive home the importance of stress management by following up with your employees after the workshop. For example, a few weeks after the workshop, you might invite people to report back on how their stress management efforts are playing out. Or, you might share a coping mechanism that recently worked for you.
2. Yoga or Meditation Sessions
Yoga and meditation are effective ways for people to focus on their mind and body connection and practice mindfulness.
Try hosting monthly, weekly, or even daily meditation or yoga sessions at your office. Thanks to technology like YouTube or mindfulness apps like Calm or Headspace, you don’t need to be a yoga or meditation expert to lead an effective session.
These sessions can be quick, giving you and your team just enough time to take a deep breath and center yourselves before diving back into your daily tasks.
3. Mental Health Support
A recent study by One Medical found that 64% of workers struggle with mental health issues. There are many ways your company can offer mental health support as part of its employee engagement efforts.
These include:
Launching an employee assistance program (EAP) focused on mental health
Providing mental health awareness training to managers
Offering a mental health stipend to help employees cover mental health costs like counseling
Developing policies that address mental health, such as a mental health day policy
Providing access to mental health resources like online self-help tools
Creating an inclusive, supportive culture and encouraging a healthy work-life balance
Though these methods can make a big difference to your employees, remember to emphasize the importance of working with a licensed mental health professional as needed.
4. Healthy Break Room Snacks
Who doesn’t enjoy a good snack during their workday?
Encourage your employees to stay on top of their physical health and eat a balanced diet by stocking your break room with healthy snacks. Granola bars, nuts, fruit and vegetable trays, and protein packs are all great options.
5. Field Day
A field day is a fun event where you and your employees can participate in fun field games and enjoy a day outside. You can host a field day at a local park, featuring activities like:
Three-legged races
Sack races
Egg and spoon races
Tug-of-War
Volleyball
Kickball
Your employees will enjoy spending time outdoors and working together to win each field game. Don’t forget to motivate your participants by offering fun prizes!
6. Stretching Sessions
Stretching relieves tension and stress built up throughout the work day.
Try scheduling a regular stretching session in the morning or afternoon and encourage employees to get up and stretch their arms and legs. This is also a great opportunity for employees to give their eyes, necks, and wrists a break from using a computer!
Work-Life Balance Employee Engagement Ideas
As an employer, it’s important to acknowledge that employees need balance in all areas of their life, especially when it comes to work and everything outside of work. You can do your part as an employer to encourage healthy boundaries between your employees and their jobs by employing the following engagement ideas.
1. Flexible Work Arrangements
Though a majority of workers still work in an office, 12.7% work from home and 28.2% work a hybrid model, according to Forbes. It’s clear that remote and hybrid work aren’t going anywhere, and there’s good reason for that.
Forbes also points out that a whopping 98% of employees want to work from home at least part of the time. Working from home offers a level of autonomy and flexibility that in-office workers just don’t experience.
Consider making your current work arrangements more flexible by offering more work-from-home time to your employees. However, remember that there is still value in having employees gather in an office.
You might help your employees get the best of both worlds by letting them choose which days of the week they’d like to work from home or requiring employees to come to the office on meeting-heavy days. This way, they can still socialize with their coworkers and work together face-to-face while also getting plenty of independent work time in at home on the other days of the week.
2. Paid Time Off (PTO)
PTO is likely a benefit you offer to your full-time employees, but what is your company’s culture like when it comes to actually using that PTO?
Make sure your employees feel comfortable taking advantage of their PTO and vacation days. Lead by example by using your own vacation time well, and make sure to discuss how time away from work can benefit employees both personally and professionally.
3. Family-Friendly or Plus-One Activities
If you choose to schedule fun activities for your employees to participate in outside of work hours, consider making some of those activities family-friendly or encourage employees to bring a plus one. This will encourage more people to attend, whether they feel more comfortable attending with a friend or partner, or aren’t able to attend regular activities due to childcare constraints.
Outdoor activities like field days or big events like your company’s holiday parties are great options for taking a family-friendly or plus-one approach.
4. Compressed Work Week
You’ve probably heard about the new trend in work scheduling, the four-day work week. This approach can look different depending on a company’s needs, whether employers choose to give employees one day off a week or just ask that employees work an average of 32 hours per week instead of 40.
A four-day work week trial in the U.K. resulted in increased revenue for participating companies and boosted employee well-being. If you’ve considered a compressed work week in the past, now may be the time to give it a try!
5. Encourage Breaks
We’ve all been there—feeling so busy at work that you opt to avoid conversations around the coffee pot, skip lunch, and hurry home just to work more after dinner. After all, it seems logical that more time spent on a task equals better results, but that’s not really the case.
In fact, working long hours on tasks without any breaks can leave employees feeling burnt out and frustrated with their jobs. Instead, research shows that planning and taking full advantage of breaks can help employees feel more energized and even boost their performance.
Make sure to encourage breaks in your workplace. You can do this in a number of different ways, from leading by example to encouraging employees to schedule regular breaks on their calendars. You can even ask managers to check in with their direct reports on a frequent basis to ensure they’re taking the breaks they need to do their best work.
6. Encourage Disconnecting After Work Hours
Especially in the day and age of smartphones, work can easily follow your employees home, making some feel like they have to respond to emails, calls, and text messages even when they’re not on the clock.
Boost engagement and encourage a healthy work-life balance by creating a workplace policy that encourages employees to disconnect after the work day. This practice can allow your employees to focus more fully on their friends, family, and hobbies outside of work.
Even if you expect your employees to keep up with their inboxes or answer the occasional call when on vacation, make it clear that you don’t expect them to be constantly available.
Communication and Feedback Employee Engagement Ideas
For your employees to feel truly involved and invested in your organization’s goals and overall success, you need to prioritize effective communication and feedback. The right strategies can help your team be more efficient and encourage individuals to grow and develop their skill sets. Check out the following employee engagement ideas related to communication and feedback.
1. Open-Door Communication Policy
When your employees know that you’re open to hearing their questions, suggestions, comments, and more, you’ll experience benefits like:
Better employee morale
Faster problem-solving and decision-making
More effective collaboration
Enhanced trust in leadership
To make your open-door policy efficient, let employees know when you’re available for discussions. You might even consider holding “office hours” once a week and encouraging team members to hold comments or questions until that time.
2. Frequent Surveys
Surveys are a great way to gauge how your employees are feeling about certain topics or to source new ideas for your organization to run with. For example, you might send out a quarterly survey that asks your employees to identify any inefficiencies they see in their workflow or ideas they have for increasing revenue or decreasing costs.
Surveys work well because they allow everyone the time and space to communicate their ideas in writing. Plus, if you make some of your surveys anonymous, you’ll get more candid responses that will give you an accurate view of what’s going on in your workplace.
3. Suggestion Box Program
Suggestion boxes encourage team members to share any time they have a great idea for improving a process or making your organization a better place to work.
Depending on the nature of your workplace, your suggestion box may be a physical box or an online spreadsheet where people can leave their ideas. Either way, make sure to check the “box” regularly.
It will also be important to respond to each idea so that individual contributors feel heard. Even if your organization won’t be running with an idea, it can be helpful to provide feedback on the idea and thank them for the suggestion.
4. Regular One-on-One Meetings
One-on-one meetings between managers and their direct reports can be an effective way to encourage consistent communication between employees and company leadership.
Harvard Business Review recommends managers have one-on-one meetings with each employee for 30 minutes each week and that managers prioritize listening over speaking. This meeting is an employee’s opportunity to talk about what is going well in their role and seek guidance about how to improve or overcome challenges, so letting them lead the charge on what they want to talk about is crucial.
5. Performance Reviews
Chances are, your organization already holds regular performance reviews at least once each fiscal year. However, your performance review process is worth revisiting if you’re looking for ways to improve employee engagement. Follow these tips from RealHR Solutions to improve how you conduct reviews:
Identify what you want to accomplish by holding performance reviews.
Have managers share self-assessments with employees, as well as instructions for completing them.
Have employees complete and share their self-assessments.
Ask managers to gather feedback on each individual’s performance from their peers, clients, and others who work with them.
Have managers review employees’ self-assessments and complete performance review forms.
Hold performance reviews to cover key accomplishments and improvement opportunities, as well as any compensation changes.
Have managers and their direct reports consistently revisit goals set in the most recent round of reviews.
Remember, you can always improve your performance review process down the road. You might even ask your employees what they see as the most valuable parts of the process and what needs to be optimized further.
6. Internal Newsletters
Keep your employees in the loop by sending out a monthly internal newsletter. This is a great place to provide company-wide updates and celebrate things like birthdays, workaversaries, and more.
To ensure that your newsletters don’t go straight to your employees’ email trash bins, make them interesting to read. Include visuals like photos from your last company party or links to a recent TedTalk your organization’s leadership highly recommends.
Wrapping Up: Inspire Your Employees With a Solid Engagement Strategy
Fully engaging your employees is key to long-term organizational success, and there are dozens of ways to do so, from engaging in corporate philanthropy to starting a company book club or implementing an open-door communication policy.
In this guide, we’ve covered the ins and outs of employee engagement, as well as some of our favorite ideas for your organization to try. Consider your own organization’s engagement levels and culture, and pick a few ideas that you want to implement.
Don’t worry if there’s a bit of a learning curve as you get started—the best employee engagement strategies will take some tweaking to get right! However, your efforts will pay off down the road as you strengthen your workplace and retain your employees for the long term. You’ve got this!
Ready to keep learning about employee engagement opportunities? We recommend these resources:
The Ultimate Guide to Employee Engagement. Take a deep dive into employee engagement and its importance, as well as how you can measure employee engagement at your organization.
Top 20+ Matching Gift Companies: Leaders in Corporate Giving. If you’re interested in starting a matching gift program as part of your engagement efforts, it may be helpful to get inspired by other companies and their programs. Explore this list of 20+ leaders in corporate giving!
List of Top Volunteer Grant Companies. Similarly, you may want to model a volunteer grant program after an existing program. Check out our list of companies with great volunteer grant programs!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/employee-engagement-ideas_Feature.png7562000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-01-04 17:14:342024-03-08 21:41:0352+ Employee Engagement Ideas for Productivity and Retention
There are many markers of a successful business—from pulling in huge profits to maintaining highly engaged employees. To truly stand out in today’s society, however, companies must have a strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. They must demonstrate to employees, customers, and other stakeholders that they are not merely service or product providers, but upstanding corporate citizens with a duty to make the world a better place.
Ready to become a leading company in CSR? We’ll cover everything you need to know about creating an impactful CSR strategy in the following sections:
Your company’s reputation depends on not only how much you make but also how much you give. Philanthropy has become an increasing priority, with corporations donating over $21 billion to nonprofits just in the last year—a 13.4% increase from the previous year. To ensure your long-term success and sustainability, it’s time to solidify what CSR means for your company.
What is a CSR Strategy?
For starters, corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to a company’s responsibility to operate in a way that enhances the welfare of society rather than harms it. To do so, many companies take conscious steps in areas such as accountability and environmentalism.
A company’s CSR strategy, in turn, outlines the various initiatives and programs it will undertake to improve its social impact. What do these initiatives and programs typically entail? Let’s take a look at four main categories of CSR:
Environmental Responsibility
Environmental responsibility refers to your company’s impact on the health of the environment, from its energy use to waste production. Several common activities that businesses can adopt to increase their environmental responsibility include:
Implementing more sustainable business practices to reduce pollution and waste.
Creating a company-wide recycling program.
Investing in alternative energy sources.
Reducing water use in the workplace.
Educating employees about sustainability best practices.
Patagonia is an outstanding company in the realm of environmental responsibility, with an entire page on its website dedicated to its programs and goals. By 2025, the company aims to use only preferred materials, such as organic cotton, that are better for the environment and produce 100% eco-friendly packaging. By 2040, Patagonia aspires to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain.
Ethical Responsibility
Ethical responsibility refers to your company’s treatment of its employees, customers, and other stakeholders. To embrace ethical responsibility, businesses can commit to the following endeavors:
Increasing transparency surrounding business decisions and finances.
Prioritizing safe working conditions and fair labor practices.
Providing all employees with competitive compensation and benefits.
Sourcing all materials in the supply chain ethically.
Establishing anti-corruption policies.
Starbucks makes its dedication to ethical responsibility known on its website by including numerous documents on its policies and impact, from its Global Anti-Bribery Standard to data on its workforce diversity. Making all of this information available to stakeholders allows the company to enhance its reputation and build more trust within its communities.
Philanthropic Responsibility
Philanthropic responsibility refers to how your company contributes to making the world a better place. To boost their philanthropic responsibility, many businesses launch the following initiatives:
Encouraging volunteerism among employees through company volunteering days and volunteer time off (VTO).
Partnering with nonprofit organizations to fund their events and programs.
Providing pro bono services to support nonprofit missions.
Helping nonprofits raise awareness by collaborating in cause marketing campaigns.
TOMS is a noteworthy company that excels in corporate philanthropy, investing one-third of its profits to promote grassroots good. The company partners with nonprofits to support mental health, increase access to opportunity, and end gun violence through cash grants, volunteering, and more. In the last year, TOMS has contributed $1.7 million to its focus areas and impacted 147,510 lives.
Economic Responsibility
Economic responsibility refers to how your company grounds its financial decisions in advancing social good. A few basic ways businesses can enhance their economic responsibility include:
Investing in sustainability research related to their products or services.
Maintaining compliance with tax and financial reporting requirements.
Promoting financial transparency with stakeholders.
Adopting processes that may be more expensive but are more sustainable.
Launching training initiatives to educate employees on areas such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and environmentalism.
For example, LEGO places significant emphasis on researching ways to increase its sustainability. Over the past few years, the company has collaborated with suppliers and research institutions to create LEGO bricks from more sustainable sources—testing over 300 recycled materials and even creating a prototype brick from PET plastic bottles.
Why is Developing a CSR Strategy Important?
Creating a CSR strategy for your company is not as simple as checking off a box on your to-do list. Considering all the planning and effort involved, is such an endeavor really worth it? The simple answer is yes. By designing a thoughtful CSR strategy, your company can:
Enhance its reputation. A CSR strategy demonstrates your company’s commitment to creating lasting social change, rather than merely securing profits. This can go a long way toward generating a sense of respect and admiration in the eyes of your stakeholders.
Attract more customers. As your reputation for social good spreads, you’ll catch the attention of more socially conscious customers interested in supporting your company and its CSR initiatives. Additionally, you’ll be able to win the loyalty of existing customers who share similar values with your company.
Recruit more top talent.PwC reports that 86% of employees prefer to work for companies that care about the same issues they do. By placing more of a focus on CSR at your company, you’ll be able to better appeal to job seekers who are motivated to make the world a better place.
Improve employee engagement. Keeping employees engaged has become a major priority for many companies, considering Gallup’s finding that only 32% of full- and part-time employees are engaged, while 18% are actively disengaged. Having an effective CSR strategy allows your employees to take pride in their work and find a larger sense of purpose in their roles. In turn, this can lead them to stick around for the long term.
Lower its operational expenses. By prioritizing CSR at your company, you can make progress in areas such as energy efficiency, resource consumption, and waste management. With these improved processes, you’ll be able to reduce your operational expenses over time.
Beyond these immediate benefits, a CSR strategy ultimately empowers your company to boost its impact on the world. Your efforts will provide nonprofits with critical funding to fulfill their missions, employees with a healthy and fulfilling work environment, and communities with the support they need to thrive.
How to Create Your CSR Plan
While there are many facets of a CSR strategy, building one doesn’t have to be a complicated task. Follow these eight steps to hit the ground running with your company’s strategy:
1. Set relevant CSR goals.
When building a CSR strategy, it’s important to set clear, relevant goals to maximize your results and avoid overwhelming your team. Think about any existing CSR initiatives you may have within your company. Then, review them alongside your mission and values. Do your activities align with your values? How do they relate to your company’s overarching purpose?
After reflecting on these points, consider setting goals in areas such as:
Before you can launch your strategy, you’ll need to secure support from members of your board and leadership. Be sure to emphasize the benefits of creating a CSR strategy, including how it will contribute to your business goals as a whole. Reference examples of other successful companies to serve as models for your proposed undertaking.
2. Conduct research and collect feedback.
As you develop your strategy, research relevant topics and issues that your company can have a meaningful impact on. Several frameworks exist to inform your decision-making, such as the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include:
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
Quality education
Gender equality
Affordable and clean energy
Decent work and economic growth
Furthermore, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has created a standard to guide companies in developing social responsibility programs. Combine these resources with stakeholder feedback to produce a CSR strategy tailored to your company’s goals and priorities.
To collect this information, send out surveys to your employees, customers, and other community members to learn more about how they view your current CSR standing and what causes are important to them. After all, 84% of consumers and 85% of employees agree that the more a business engages them in charitable giving decisions, the more trust they have in that business.
3. Involve employees with a workplace giving program.
A successful CSR strategy depends on the combined efforts of everyone at your company. Present your employees with direct ways to contribute by creating a workplace giving program. Some basic opportunities you can provide are:
Matching gifts. This initiative is popular among many businesses, with 65% of Fortune 500 companies offering matching gift programs. When an employee donates to an eligible nonprofit, they’ll submit a request to your company. Then, your company will make a donation of its own, matching the employee’s gift amount at a 1:1 ratio or more. This is a stellar way for employees to secure more revenue for causes they care about.
Volunteer grants. The process for volunteer grants is similar to that of matching gifts, except your company will make a donation after an employee volunteers a certain number of hours with a nonprofit. Once they pass the minimum hours threshold, they’ll submit a request, and you’ll contribute a certain amount of funds per hour volunteered.
Payroll deductions. Automatic payroll deductions make it easy for employees to give to nonprofits on a recurring basis. To participate, they’ll select an organization to support and how much they would like to contribute out of their paychecks.
Pave the way for additional team-building by planning volunteer days for your company to take part in. In doing so, you’ll be able to encourage more employees to join in your philanthropic initiatives and cultivate stronger relationships with their peers.
4. Partner with nonprofit organizations.
Enhance your CSR strategy by seeking out partnerships with nonprofits. With the right approach, these partnerships can turn into long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. Beyond organizing regular volunteer opportunities with them, you can sponsor their events in exchange for a mention in their marketing materials. Reach out to nonprofits with missions and values that align with yours to ensure that both parties get the most out of the partnership.
For instance, General Mills has been a partner of Feeding America for over 40 years. The company has supported the nonprofit through a variety of initiatives, such as charitable giving, product donations, volunteerism, and more. Since their partnership first began, General Mills has contributed a total of $37 million to advance Feeding America’s hunger relief goals.
Whirlpool, a kitchen and laundry appliance company, focuses its social responsibility on affordable housing. For 23 years, the company has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity by contributing funds, donating products, and creating support programs in 45 different countries.
Both partnerships illustrate the power of collaborating with nonprofits that share similar values and goals with your company.
5. Adopt CSR software.
Since there are many moving parts to an effective CSR strategy, you’ll need to invest in a toolkit to streamline your processes. A comprehensive CSR software solution should equip your company with features that streamline:
Donation management. Your company should be able to provide its employees with multiple ways to participate in your corporate giving initiatives, including making donations directly through your CSR platform. Additionally, the software should allow you to manage your matching gifts program and automatically approve requests based on your guidelines.
Volunteer management. Your CSR software should supply your company with tools for planning and promoting corporate volunteer opportunities. Furthermore, look for the ability to accept volunteer grant requests and process them based on the number of hours logged by each employee.
Tracking and reporting. A key aspect of CSR involves sharing your initiatives and impact with stakeholders. With CSR tools, you can easily generate reports and maintain transparency about your efforts. This information can also prove useful for refining your strategy going forward.
If you’re looking for a new CSR solution to invest in, be sure to conduct thorough research, request demos, and consider integrations that will enable your company to use its technology to the fullest. For instance, CSR providers that offer an auto-submission integration make it easier than ever before for employees to participate in your matching gifts program.
Check out this quick video to learn more about this cutting-edge feature:
As the video explains, auto-submission is an innovative tool that allows employees to automatically submit matching gift requests after they make a donation to a nonprofit. All they need to do is input their company email address, and the technology takes care of the rest—leading to more employee engagement in your workplace giving efforts and a larger impact on your community.
6. Communicate your CSR strategy with stakeholders.
Once you’ve laid a foundation for your CSR initiatives by setting goals, researching nonprofit partnerships, and equipping the tools you need to succeed, it’s time to formalize the details and share them with your stakeholders. Draft a CSR policy that explains your company’s approach to CSR, including:
Goals and relevant metrics
Focus areas
Opportunities for employee participation
Methods for reporting
Think back to your goals and stakeholder feedback to produce a policy that speaks to their most important interests, priorities, and concerns. Then, share this documentation on multiple platforms for easy access, including your website, employee portal, and social media pages.
7. Prioritize transparent reporting.
Demonstrate to employees, customers, and other community members that your CSR strategy is more than just performative by implementing thoughtful reporting procedures. By leveraging CSR reporting tools, your company can track and report on its:
Corporate philanthropy funds and impact.
Workplace giving participation.
Environmental sustainability.
Internal business practices.
Make your reports accessible to all stakeholders by producing different versions for different audiences. For instance, rather than forcing your customers to read dozens of pages regarding your CSR impact, design a summary sheet with infographics illustrating the key points of your report. In additional documents, include all the details for those who need or want to know more about your initiatives.
8. Recognize employees for their participation.
Keep your company’s employees invested in your CSR strategy by consistently recognizing them for their participation. Doing so reinforces the value of their contributions and ensures that they continue engaging with your initiatives year after year.
Several effective ways you can cultivate a culture of recognition at your workplace include:
Sending eCards commending employees for contributing to your CSR efforts.
Posting social media shoutouts featuring employee names and pictures.
Adding a section on your website showcasing top employee contributors.
Presenting awards to the most involved employees in your CSR activities.
Expressing appreciation to employees is an essential practice that benefits your company as a whole. Open up opportunities for peer-to-peer recognition and reach out on important holidays to establish a close-knit community of loyal employees.
4 Top CSR Strategy Examples
As your company embarks on its CSR journey, know that you don’t have to travel it alone. Many other businesses have taken their own endeavors to improve their impact on society and have succeeded with flying colors.
As a consumer’s co-operative, REI’s CSR initiatives focus on improving the working conditions of its employees, the experiences of its members, the well-being of society, and the success of the company. REI’s most recent efforts include:
Sourcing recycled and renewable materials within the company’s product supply chain.
Using less energy in stores and distribution centers through smart building design and energy-efficient measures.
Encouraging product reuse by creating a Re/Supply program for members to participate in.
Requesting that vendor partners use alternatives to individual plastic bags for product shipping.
In the last year, REI Co-op has contributed $6.9 million to 503 nonprofit partners. Additionally, the company has engaged over 78,000 members of its community in its grassroots advocacy program, sending more than 250,000 messages to state and federal decision-makers. Stakeholders can find key data related to REI’s impact summarized in a straightforward scorecard online.
Microsoft
Microsoft is a top CSR company that focuses its strategy on four commitments:
Expanding economic growth and opportunity.
Earning trust through responsible artificial intelligence (AI) usage, privacy protections, and cybersecurity.
Protecting people’s fundamental rights through responsible business practices and accessibility initiatives.
Advancing sustainability through technological innovation.
The company allows employees to take part in its philanthropic efforts by offering matching gifts and volunteer grants in its workplace giving program. These opportunities have led to $255 million in contributions to over 32,000 nonprofits in just the past year.
HP
As another company dedicated to CSR, HP produces three separate reports based on its main pillars of focus:
Climate action
Human rights
Digital equity
These reports reveal the extent of the company’s tree-planting efforts, investment in minority- and women-owned businesses, and educational programs to promote digital literacy around the world.
Google
Google is a dominant technology company that has set ambitious goals for its CSR, including:
Diverting all office food waste from landfills by 2025.
Making product packaging 100% plastic-free by 2025.
Running data centers and offices on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030.
Furthermore, the company gives $200 million to charitable organizations every year and offers a pro bono program that empowers employees to support nonprofit technical projects full-time for up to six months.
Wrapping Up: Emerging as a Top CSR Strategy Leader
As you work on your company’s CSR strategy and continue researching other examples to learn from, remember that the path to excellent corporate citizenship takes time. Take your resources into account and start small with setting goals and launching workplace giving opportunities. Be open to collecting feedback from stakeholders, and identify ways to refine your strategy year after year.
For more information on where CSR fits into your company’s priorities and success, check out these additional resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CSR-Strategy_Feature.jpg6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-11-17 16:42:312023-11-22 16:42:47Creating a CSR Strategy: How to Forge a Lasting Impact
Your company accomplishes great things through the combined efforts of its leadership, managers, and employees. To stand out in today’s world, however, you need to harness this power to achieve more than just profits. One way to do this is through corporate volunteerism.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a rising priority among modern companies due to its profound influence on reputation, employee engagement, and the welfare of society as a whole. By incorporating volunteerism into your company’s CSR strategy, you can directly involve employees in your philanthropic efforts and connect with local communities.
To set your corporate volunteer program up for success, we’ll cover everything you need to know in the following sections:
Ready to build meaningful, lasting relationships with employees, customers, nonprofit partners, and other community members? Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve an existing corporate volunteer program, having a thoughtful strategy will maximize your results.
Corporate Volunteerism: FAQs
Before we delve into specific tips and tactics, let’s set the stage by walking through some frequently asked questions about corporate volunteerism:
What is corporate volunteerism?
Corporate volunteerism is an aspect of corporate philanthropy that involves encouraging employees to commit their time and skills to charitable causes in their communities. To do this, companies establish corporate volunteer programs that formalize these activities and track their overall impact.
While each company’s volunteer program differs depending on its goals, resources, and employees, having one in place is a first step toward demonstrating your commitment to bettering the world around you.
What are the benefits of employee volunteer programs?
Corporate volunteerism brings a host of benefits to everyone involved—your company, employees, and nonprofits. By opening up more opportunities for employees to volunteer for charitable causes, you contribute more resources to the community and empower nonprofits to better serve their beneficiaries.
For business-specific benefits, creating a corporate volunteer program allows you to:
Engage more employees. Many employees need more than just a regular paycheck to feel invested and fulfilled in their roles. Corporate volunteering initiatives allow them to develop a sense of pride in working for your company since they’re able to contribute to positive change within their communities.
Attract more top talent. According to PwC, 65% of people around the globe want to work for an organization with a powerful social conscience. Creating and publicizing your company’s employee volunteer program guidelines is an excellent way to catch the attention of socially conscious job seekers.
Enhance your reputation. These days, customers expect more from companies than just stellar products or services. They want to know that your business strategy involves more than making profits. Through corporate volunteerism, your company can prove its commitment to social good and bring in more customers as a result.
Develop employee skills. Through volunteering, employees can gain experience and develop abilities they can later apply on the job. This can be anything from leadership skills to technical expertise, like coding. Plus, by organizing team-wide volunteering events, you can foster improved collaboration and communication within the workplace.
Improve employee well-being. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, volunteering can improve a person’s physical and mental health, reducing stress and decreasing the risk of general illness. By encouraging employee volunteering, your company can ensure that they report to work each day feeling ready and eager to put in their best efforts.
However, it takes more than just starting a corporate volunteer program to secure these benefits. First, you need to get your employees excited to participate. To do so, create initiatives that resonate with their specific preferences and interests. At the same time, avoid placing pressure on employees to get involved—employee volunteering should be an option at your company, rather than a requirement.
What are the different types of corporate volunteering?
Corporate volunteerism comes in several shapes and sizes. Consider these popular types of employee volunteering to include in your program:
Direct Service Volunteering. Through this type of volunteering, employees directly interact with nonprofit beneficiaries and community members. For example, they may provide tutoring sessions to local students, walk dogs at an animal shelter, or serve meals to people without permanent housing.
Indirect Service Volunteering. Indirect service volunteering does not involve interactions with beneficiaries. Instead, employees can support their community by assembling care packages, participating in a beautification project, or creating marketing materials online.
Skills-Based Volunteering. Also called SBV, this type of volunteering allows employees to make use of their professional skills to advance nonprofit missions. For instance, employees at a law office may provide pro bono legal services to a charitable organization, while those at a web development company may revamp a nonprofit’s website for free.
Volunteer Grants. A volunteer grant program rewards employees for committing their time and skills to causes they care about. Typically, once they’ve volunteered a minimum number of hours with a nonprofit, they can submit a volunteer grant request to your company. Then, you donate a certain amount of money to that nonprofit, depending on how many hours the employee volunteered.
Volunteer Time Off. You can think of Volunteer Time Off, or VTO, as an employee internship in the short term. Companies generally offer their staff between 8 and 40 hours each year to spend participating in volunteer activities—such as direct, indirect, or skills-based volunteering—while still receiving their regular paycheck.
Team Volunteering. These volunteer opportunities double as team-building events for your company. Many nonprofits need larger teams of corporate volunteers to assist them with projects, from constructing houses to participating in a local cleanup activity.
Mentorships. Through mentorships, employees can make a direct impact on an individual community member’s life. This may involve supporting a student’s personal goals and academic performance or helping a young professional along their career path.
Employee Internships. Some companies lend their employees to nonprofit organizations by allowing them to participate in internships, enabling employees to provide their skills to the nonprofit long-term. During these internships, your business will continue paying employees’ salaries. Patagonia, for example, permits any employee within the company to spend up to two months working for an environmental group of their choosing.
Each type of corporate volunteering varies in the level of commitment expected from your employees. Micro-volunteering opportunities, like translating a single document or drafting a letter, can take only an hour or so, while initiatives such as employee internships can last several months. Be sure to offer several options that appeal to different employees at your company.
7 Corporate Volunteering Statistics You Should Know
If your company is ready to become a leader in corporate volunteerism, explore the following statistics to inform your approach:
71% of employees believe it’s important to work at a company that gives back through philanthropy and volunteering.
96% of companies find that employees who volunteer are more engaged than those who don’t.
Companies see 52% less turnover among employees who participate in workplace giving programs, like volunteer days.
60% of companies offer paid volunteer time off (VTO) to employees.
80% of companies with volunteer grant programs contribute between $8-$15 per hour volunteered.
Virtual volunteering was the most offered volunteer program by companies to both domestic and international employees.
Staying up to date on the latest corporate volunteerism and philanthropy trends ensures that your company is well-equipped to engage its employees in CSR and create a meaningful impact on society.
How to Start a Corporate Volunteer Program
A successful corporate volunteer program differs from company to company. After all, your guidelines and initiatives depend on your industry, business goals, and employees. Follow these seven steps to piece together your program:
1. Define your goals and priorities.
Identify your corporate volunteerism goals to secure support across all areas of your company. Focus on issues or causes that align with your overall mission and values. General Mills, for example, is a global food company that focuses its volunteerism efforts on supporting food banks and anti-hunger organizations such as Feeding America.
Additionally, send out surveys to your employees to find out which causes are close to their hearts, which skills they would like to apply, and which communities they’re most interested in supporting. Use these insights to guide your decision-making as you build your program.
2. Outline your corporate volunteerism program.
Based on your goals and employee feedback, determine which types of corporate volunteering to implement. If you’re hoping to engage and retain remote employees, for instance, you might promote virtual volunteering opportunities.
Formalize your decision-making by creating an official policy for your corporate volunteer program that lets employees know which organizations your program supports. In this document, you should include information such as:
Issues or causes supported by the program
Employee eligibility criteria for participation
Causes or types of nonprofits excluded from the program
Contact information for questions related to employee volunteering
Make this policy available to employees and other stakeholders alike. You can even create several versions depending on the audience. An employee-facing version might include more details about participation, while a public-facing version might feature information on how you’ll report the program’s impact.
3. Invest in CSR software tools.
A comprehensive CSR software solution can facilitate your corporate volunteering initiatives and other philanthropic programs you might launch in tandem. Look for key features that empower your company to:
Share upcoming volunteer opportunities with employees.
Plan and manage company volunteering events.
Track volunteer participation and hours.
Process and follow through with volunteer grant requests.
Measure the impact of employee volunteering.
Beyond managing your corporate volunteerism, this software can streamline other aspects of your CSR strategy and workplace giving, such as matching gifts.
Check with your CSR provider to see whether your platform integrates with the latest matching gift tools, such as auto-submission, to maximize employee participation. With this feature, your employees will be able to automatically submit matching gift requests when donating to a nonprofit. Rather than checking their eligibility and filling out each required field in your application form, all they would need to do is input their company email address to kick off the matching process.
4. Reach out to potential nonprofit partners.
Develop long-term relationships with nonprofits in your community by seeking out partnerships with organizations that align with your mission and values. For instance, a company with a philanthropic goal of improving sustainability might partner with an environmental nonprofit by setting up employee volunteering opportunities with them throughout the year.
Your company can even go beyond corporate volunteering to sponsor the nonprofit’s events or programs. In return, the nonprofit will typically feature your company in its marketing materials to help boost your reputation, turning your support into a mutually beneficial partnership.
5. Promote your corporate volunteer program.
Once you’ve worked out all the details, start engaging employees in your corporate volunteer ideas by spreading the word about your program. Start by walking through your policy in a company-wide meeting, then host follow-up Q&As as necessary. Link to key documents in your employee portal so everyone can access the information they need to get involved.
Furthermore, you can encourage participation by appointing corporate volunteer ambassadors within your company. These individuals act as authoritative resources for employees interested in your program and serve as an example to inspire people to get involved.
6. Measure your corporate volunteering impact.
To ensure the long-term success of your corporate volunteer program, be sure to measure your results. For instance, some basic metrics to keep an eye on include:
Employee participation rate
Total number of volunteer hours contributed
Volunteer event attendance
Average amount of volunteer grants awarded
Share this information with your employees, customers, and nonprofit partners to maintain engagement and morale. Many companies compile their corporate volunteerism data into yearly impact reports containing their CSR progress and publish them on their websites to demonstrate their corporate citizenship.
7. Recognize your employees for participating.
Remember that your CSR impact is only possible thanks to your employees’ participation. With this in mind, develop a strategy for recognizing those who engage with your corporate volunteering activities. Some popular methods of employee recognition include:
Ultimately, having a recognition program in place is beneficial to your company as a whole. Frequent appreciation can go a long way toward reinforcing excellent performance, improving engagement, and cultivating a sense of community in the workplace.
4 Top Corporate Volunteerism Examples
If you need a little more inspiration to create your corporate volunteer program, it’s always helpful to learn from other successful businesses. Take a look at these companies’ top-tier programs and consider how you can incorporate their strategies at your business’s scale:
Disney
The Walt Disney Company’s VoluntEARs program has logged around 13 million volunteer hours since its inception in 1983. Throughout the year, employees have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities, such as:
Helping food banks deliver food to community members.
Creating handmade blankets for children’s hospitals and animal shelters.
Analyzing Great Barrier Reef images to aid conservation efforts.
Planting butterfly-friendly backyard habitats to support the Monarch butterfly population.
Recording Disney bedtime stories for children living in rural areas.
Furthermore, Disney offers volunteer grants to its employees, contributing up to $2,000 a year per employee based on the number of hours they volunteer.
AT&T
By 2030, AT&T plans to engage 50% of its employees worldwide in volunteering and giving. As of last year, it has succeeded in engaging 31% of employees in their communities.
To encourage increased corporate volunteerism, the company:
Recognizes employees with a “Community Impact Award.”
Offers management employees a paid Community Day for volunteering each year.
Organizes regular volunteer projects for environmental stewardship, such as building bee habitats and cleaning up parks.
Providing volunteer grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
AT&T’s volunteers contributed 385,800 hours just in the past year, with employee time valued at $11.6 million.
Verizon
Similar to AT&T, Verizon aims to reach 2.5 million volunteer hours by 2025. The company’s volunteer program focuses on three specific areas:
Digital inclusion by tutoring students online to assisting older adults with technology.
Climate protection by cleaning up rivers to participating in environmental research.
Human prosperity by writing letters to veterans and supporting students with developing career goals.
So far, Verizon has engaged over 95,000 volunteers in over 1.6 million volunteer hours. To invest in its focus areas, the company has partnered with over 39 nonprofits, including the Trevor Project and the American Red Cross.
Salesforce
To facilitate volunteering among employees, Salesforce created a Pro Bono Program called the Impact Exchange, which pairs its skilled volunteers with nonprofit Salesforce customers needing assistance with a particular project. Additionally, the company allows employees to assist schools by leading volunteer programs to support teachers and students.
To provide employees with the freedom and flexibility to contribute to the causes that matter most to them, Salesforce also provides them with seven paid days of VTO every year.
Wrapping Up: Engaging Employees in Making a Difference
Corporate volunteerism is an effective way to boost your CSR program and nurture thriving, collaborative teams within your company. Remember to measure your progress year after year and regularly collect feedback from your employees. Doing so allows you to refine your program for increased participation and greater future results.
For more tips and tools on how to improve your company’s CSR initiatives and boost employee engagement, consider these additional resources:
The list of matching gift companies is endless—and not exclusive to one region, business size, or corporate sector. Instead, employers all over the world opt to match their employees’ charitable donations. Doing so results in elevated corporate philanthropy, team-wide engagement, and even positive brand image.
So what makes one company’s program stand out over another? There are a lot of factors that go into a top matching gift company, including donation (low) minimums and (high) maximums, open eligibility, seamless donor experiences, and more.
One that stands out in all areas is legal services company Innovative Discovery. And we’ll tell you why!
Ready to get started? Dive in and see what makes Innovative Discovery’s matching gift program top-tier.
Fun Fact: By working with a CLMA-certified matching gift platform, Innovative Discovery has become a Certified Leader in Matching Automation. That means it’s recognized for its dedication to providing the best possible experience for its employees participating in the program.
What to Know About Innovative Discovery
Founded in 2005 in Arlington, Virginia, Innovative Discovery is a strategic consulting firm and legal services provider to a wide range of corporations and groups. The company partners with government agencies, construction and manufacturing businesses, energy and utility companies, financial services, healthcare and life sciences providers, and more.
Innovative Discovery employees—a combination of technologists, lawyers, and cybersecurity experts—work as strategic consultants to provide authoritative guidance throughout the litigation processes and information lifecycles. Specifically, the consulting group aims to offer unique insights into cybersecurity, data breaches, digital forensics, and high-stakes litigations to set their clients up for maximal success.
This corporation also places a significant emphasis on giving back to the communities in which they operate, including offering community service, nonprofit sponsorships, and more. Plus, they support nonprofit organizations of all shapes and sizes through their generous matching program.
Current Matching Gift Program Guidelines
Innovative Discovery employees have the opportunity to double their charitable giving impact by participating in the company’s matching initiative. Personal gifts made by Innovative Discovery team members of between $25 and $2,500 are eligible to be matched at a 1:1 rate.
Even better, nearly all nonprofits qualify for the program. This includes K-12 and higher education institutions, arts and cultural institutions, environmental nonprofits, and other registered 501(c)(3) organizations.
And the company makes it as easy as possible for employees to take part, driving participation and overall program usage with auto-submission, a new solution from Double the Donation.
Here’s a quick overview of the Innovative Discovery corporate matching gift program eligibility requirements:
Matching gift ratio – 1:1 (or dollar for dollar)
Qualifying employees – Current full-time and part-time Innovative Discovery team members qualify to request corporate matching donations.
Eligible nonprofit recipients – Most nonprofit mission types qualify for Innovative Discovery matching, which includes:
Educational institutions (K-12 included)
Health and human services
Arts and cultural organizations
Civic and community groups
Environmental nonprofits
And most other 501 (c)(3) organizations
Submission process – Employees may complete their match request directly following their initial donation on the organization’s giving form using auto-submission or navigate to Selflessly’s online matching gift portal to fill out a brief application.
Standing Out With Matching Gift Auto-Submission Through Selflessly and Double the Donation
The #1 thing that makes Innovative Discovery’s matching gift program so innovative is its participation in newly developed matching gift auto-submission. By partnering with Double the Donation and corporate giving platform Selflessly, ID is streamlining the process for employees getting involved.
Enabling the solution, which recently came out of beta, significantly reduces the time and effort involved in completing a matching gift request. And it can all be done directly from a nonprofit’s website—driving more ID employees to participate. With increased program participation, more funding goes to the nonprofit causes their employees care about. Not to mention, the company itself receives elevated benefits from its corporate giving offerings. It’s a win-win-win—and it’s easier than ever before!
Here’s how the matching process works for Innovative Discovery team members using auto-submission:
An ID employee makes a donation directly on their favorite nonprofit’s website and enters their company name—Innovative Discovery—in a donation form field.
On the confirmation screen, the employee enters their corporate email address. They then check a box and authorize Double the Donation to submit the match request on their behalf.
Innovative Discovery facilitates its matching gifts and other corporate giving initiatives by leveraging a CSR management software company, Selflessly. Selflessly is framed as an “all-in-one giving platform for CSR,” offering both corporate giving and volunteerism features.
Through this software solution, companies like Innovative Discovery are able to:
Elevate corporate giving and employee matching with ease;
Simplify corporate volunteering and organize team and individual volunteer opportunities;
Increase employee engagement by participating in social good;
Make the most of purposeful reporting and impact assessments.
Recently, Selflessly was also one of the first providers to participate in the beta program for auto-submission functionality with Double the Donation, making corporate matching gifts easier than ever before.
Other Innovative Giving Initiatives
Innovative Discovery’s website shares that “the primary focus of ID’s corporate philanthropic efforts are nonprofit organizations valued by our employees.” This idea is reflected in the company’s matching gift program as well as additional team-wide efforts for various charitable causes.
This includes:
ID Civic Day — Innovative Discovery’s Civic Day offers an annual opportunity for team members to engage in their communities. Beyond typical PTO, the company offers an additional paid day off work for employees to volunteer with community service projects.
Employee volunteer grants — ID states that the company supports team member philanthropy through matching donations and investments of their time with corporate volunteer grants. When employees volunteer with various causes, the company pays out grants to the organizations to which they dedicate their time and efforts.
Steps for Autism team challenge — Every April, Innovative Discovery employees take part in a workplace giving campaign on behalf of the Autism Society. During World Autism Month, team members compete by department to see who can get the most steps. At the end of the month, ID makes a donation to the Autism Society on behalf of the winning group.
Sponsorship for Climbing Blind: Tibet Expedition — In 2004, Innovative Discovery aided groundbreaking Climbing Blind’s Tibet Expedition. The company sponsored the event by building essential technical infrastructure. With their newly developed interactive website and intuitive web content management system, Climbing Blind had access to the tools they needed to connect climbers with their growing online community.
Innovative Discovery leadership has made it a point time and time again to invest in giving back to their communities. We’re excited to see what they roll out next!
Wrapping Up
Companies like Innovative Discovery are paving the way for more businesses—and the nonprofits, donors, and communities they support—to benefit from groundbreaking matching gift programs with ease. As more and more corporations roll out innovative auto-submission functionality by leveraging partnerships between corporate giving and matching gift-specific technology, the results will continue growing to new heights.
Ready to learn more about standout matching gift companies and practices? Explore other Double the Donation resources here:
Matching Gift Auto-Submission + CSR Platforms | What to Know. Auto-submission functionality enables companies like Innovative Discovery to streamline the experience for employees and ultimately get more out of their giving programs. And the nonprofits involved benefit as well! Learn more with this comprehensive guide.
Selflessly Launches Auto-Submit Match Requests. Companies can bring their philanthropic programming to the next level thanks to the integration between Selflessly and Double the Donation. Find out how auto-submission helps improve programs and how your company can benefit here.
How to Start a Matching Gift Program [For Companies]. Are you a corporate executive looking to launch an employee matching gift program at your company? This step-by-step walkthrough provides unique insights into how your team can develop the most impactful initiative possible.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DTD_Company-Spotlight-Article-Selflessly-Innovative-Discovery_Feature-1.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-11-10 15:48:382024-08-02 21:24:56Company Spotlight: Maximizing Matching Gift Innovation with Innovative Discovery
Expectations of the modern company have changed. To many people, a successful, noteworthy company is not just one that earns profits or offers enticing employee benefits. To win the support of employees, consumers, and other stakeholders, you must also stand as an advocate for social change. That’s where corporate volunteering comes in.
77% of consumers are more motivated to purchase from companies with CSR initiatives. By facilitating corporate volunteering, your company can power social good while engaging your employees in meaningful, rewarding activities. Whether you already have an established philanthropy program, or you’re just looking to launch one, you’ll need to build a repertoire of compelling volunteer ideas to inspire employees to participate.
We’ve compiled over 25 inspiring in-person and virtual ideas, along with tips on making the most of each corporate volunteer experience, in the following sections:
Chances are, many of your employees enter their roles expecting more than just responsibilities and a paycheck. Through corporate volunteering, you can help them find a larger purpose in their roles and encourage them to stay with your company for the long term.
Corporate Volunteer Activities: FAQs
Before we explore corporate volunteer ideas to engage your employees, let’s answer some frequently asked questions to get you started on the right foot.
What is corporate volunteering?
Corporate volunteering, or employee volunteering, refers to the time and skills that a company’s employees dedicate to charitable causes as part of their combined corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.
Since the estimated national value of every volunteer hour is $31.80, corporate volunteering allows companies to make a substantial difference in supporting nonprofit missions worldwide and leave a lasting impact on society.
What are the benefits of corporate volunteering?
While it’s clear that volunteering brings significant benefits to nonprofits, it can be very rewarding to your company as well. By incorporating corporate volunteering ideas into your philanthropic initiatives, you can:
Promote team-building. A winning company culture relies on team-building. By assembling employees for a corporate volunteer event, you’ll help them develop collaboration and communication skills that they can then apply to their roles.
Boost employee retention. It’s one thing to have your employees show up for work every day. It’s another to have them fully invested in their roles and your company’s overall success. Corporate volunteering enables you to better engage your employees by creating a sense of community and purpose among them. This makes them more likely to stick around year after year.
Increase talent acquisition. According to a survey conducted by Paul Polman, 76% of U.S. employees want to work for a company that is trying to have a positive impact on the world. If your company makes it clear, through its corporate volunteering efforts, that it’s committed to the common good, then you’ll attract many more socially conscious job seekers to your roles.
Elevate your reputation. Ultimately, corporate volunteering demonstrates that your company is interested in more than making profits. This can go a long way toward building trust and cultivating support within your community.
While other corporate giving initiatives, such as community grants, can lead to similar benefits, corporate volunteering is one of the most popular and effective ways to directly engage employees in your social impact.
15 In-Person Corporate Volunteering Ideas
In-person corporate volunteer activities allow your employees to get directly involved in their local neighborhoods. Consider the following ideas to start engaging employees and strengthening connections with your community:
1. Organize a community cleanup.
Keep America Beautiful estimates that there are nearly 50 billion pieces of litter along U.S. roadways and waterways. Gather your employees to clean up a local park, beach, or other public space in your local area. This will not only create a more beautiful place for everyone to appreciate, but it will also reduce pollution and protect wildlife in the area.
Furthermore, this corporate volunteering idea can inspire local residents to pay more attention to their carbon footprint and how they can take better care of the community in which they live.
2. Spend a day at an animal shelter.
Enlist your employees to help out at an animal shelter for a win-win corporate volunteer activity. They’ll improve the lives of animals in need of homes, and at the same time, experience a boost to their mental health. Studies indicate that spending time with dogs can raise oxytocin and dopamine levels in people, which promote happiness and reduce anxiety.
There are a variety of volunteer roles that your corporate employees can fill at an animal shelter, such as walking dogs, taking pictures of adoptable animals, and cleaning up the shelter.
3. Build homes for people in need.
If your employees spend much of their time sitting in front of a desk, this corporate volunteering idea provides a wonderful opportunity for them to get active for a worthy cause. To organize this activity, you’ll typically partner with a nonprofit, such as Habitat for Humanity, that can oversee your employees’ efforts and guide them through the construction process.
Bank of America is one standout company that champions affordable housing, with a 30+ year partnership with Habitat for Humanity. Their employees spend about 35,000 a year supporting the nonprofit’s initiatives and making a difference in the lives of people facing housing insecurity.
4. Visit a senior center.
There are numerous roles that corporate volunteers can fill at a senior center. Depending on your employees’ skills and interests, they can:
Speak with and provide companionship to residents.
Lead arts and crafts activities.
Help with administrative tasks.
Assist with meal preparation.
Beyond lending a hand with daily activities, your employees can even plan and host a holiday party or another type of special event to brighten up residents’ lives.
5. Partner with a homeless shelter.
Last year, homelessness in the United States reached record highs. Support your local homeless shelter and assist an increasingly vulnerable population by:
Preparing and serving meals.
Helping children with their homework.
Sorting donated clothes and other goods.
Leading life skills workshops, such as resume writing.
Planning a corporate volunteer event at a homeless shelter is an opportunity for your employees to make a direct impact on the lives of other people in their community. They can not only help raise awareness about homelessness, but also build meaningful relationships with people in need of compassion and support.
6. Help out at a food bank.
Visiting a food bank is a popular volunteering activity for companies and individuals alike. Employees can work together to sort food at the facility, and then transport and distribute these supplies to support hunger relief in the community.
Disney is another company that has a particularly impactful corporate volunteering program. Employee participants in Disney’s VoluntEARS program often team up with food backs to address the needs of thousands of food-insecure community members. Beyond that, they get involved in initiatives ranging from making blankets to recording bedtime stories for children living in rural areas.
7. Support a school improvement project.
Engage your employees in enhancing the education of local students by participating in a school improvement project. These projects might involve:
Renovating classrooms.
Making improvements for accessibility.
Beautifying the school through landscaping and gardening.
Expanding and updating a school library.
This corporate volunteering idea is a stellar way to invest in the future generations of your community. To get started, reach out to local schools and identify those in need of support. With a thoughtful approach, your company can build lasting partnerships and set up more corporate volunteering opportunities in the future.
8. Donate blood.
According to the American Red Cross, someone in the United States needs blood and/or platelets every two seconds. Your company can either host its own blood donation drive or encourage employees to attend one that another organization is holding in the local area.
Before the event itself, be sure to provide educational materials to employees to highlight the importance of donating blood and include basic details on how the process works. This ensures that more employees feel comfortable participating when the day rolls around.
9. Run a donation drive.
Beyond donating blood, your employees can arrange and run a donation drive for a range of essential supplies and resources. For instance, your company could collect:
Clothing
Food
Books
School supplies
Pet supplies
In addition to encouraging employees to give their new and gently used items, you can invite everyone in your community to get involved. This can help your company cultivate new relationships with potential customers and job seekers while furthering your CSR goals.
10. Start or maintain a community garden.
Establishing or maintaining a community garden allows your company to leave a lasting impact on its community. If there isn’t currently one in your local area, consider renting out a vacant lot and creating a plan for how the garden will benefit everyone in the neighborhood.
If there is an existing community garden nearby, assemble a team of corporate volunteers to help with weeding, planting, and harvesting.
11. Plant trees as a team.
80% of consumers are more likely to buy from and 84% of employees are more likely to work for a company that stands up for the environment. Demonstrate your company’s commitment to the environment and engage your employees in a team-building exercise with tree planting.
One of the easiest ways to organize a tree-planting activity is to partner with a nonprofit or local conservation group dedicated to the environment and reforestation. They’ll have the expertise to guide your employees on how and where to plant saplings.
12. Offer a mentorship program.
Consider launching a mentorship program to facilitate connections between your employees and community members. Employees can volunteer their time to support mentees in areas such as:
Resume writing
Job interviews
Career advancement
Your company can choose to offer a virtual mentorship program as well. This would enable more people outside of your local area to participate, including remote employees.
13. Participate in a literacy program.
Literacy programs are essential resources that empower people of all ages to improve their communication skills and set a foundation for their future success. There are numerous ways your employees can support a literacy program, from serving as a reading buddy to creating educational resources for participants. Or, your company can even create its own.
Costco has its own Volunteer Reading Program that allows employees to support students in schools, community centers, and after-school programs. The company engages over 2,600 volunteers and even provides all the reading materials for the program.
14. Prepare and distribute care packages.
Throughout the year, or following a specific incident such as a natural disaster, your employees can assemble and distribute care packages to people in need. These can include anything from hygiene supplies to first aid kits.
Last year, for example, Delta volunteers delivered grocery boxes on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and care packages for service members during USO Fleet Week events.
15. Host a sports clinic.
By hosting a sports clinic, your company can encourage both its employees and community members to engage in physical activity to promote well-being. The process is simple:
Choose a specific sport or activity based on employee or community interests.
Find a suitable location for the clinic.
Promote the event in your community.
Enlist employee volunteers to run the clinic.
With this corporate volunteering idea, your company can demonstrate its dedication to health and wellness in society.
11 Engaging Virtual Corporate Volunteer Ideas
For companies with remote or hybrid employees, putting together in-person corporate volunteer events may not be as practical or effective. Plus, some employees may want to participate in social change beyond just their local communities. In these cases, consider incorporating some of the following virtual corporate volunteer activities into your program:
1. Tutor students online.
About one-third of school leaders indicate that they don’t have the capacity to provide frequent, one-on-one tutoring to all students who need it, and nearly 20% report that they can’t even provide regular tutoring. By engaging your employees in online tutoring, your company can alleviate staff and resource shortages at educational institutions.
With video conferencing platforms such as Zoom, your corporate volunteers can offer one-on-one tutoring sessions with students. In doing so, they’ll be able to support academic excellence and make a tangible difference in the lives of individual students.
2. Provide translation services.
This virtual corporate volunteering idea is ideal for multilingual employees. Many nonprofits serve diverse populations, which means they may interact with people who prefer communicating in another language. In fact, nearly 66 million people, or around 21.6% of the U.S. population, speak a language other than English in their homes.
To help nonprofits make their services more accessible to everyone, your employees can translate documents, website content, and more.
3. Teach language classes.
Encourage your company’s multilingual employees to teach language classes as part of your corporate volunteering activities. They can conduct these classes over Zoom and facilitate practice discussions among online participants.
To make it easy for your employees to get involved, consider creating language learning materials that they can use in their classes. This way, they can dedicate their time to teaching without having to worry about creating a comprehensive curriculum or worksheets.
4. Plan skills-based workshops.
Your employees are a diverse group of individuals with their own interests, skills, and hobbies. Empower them to share their expertise by hosting workshops for people who are interested in learning a new skill. As a form of skills-based volunteerism, these workshops could focus on topics such as:
Business management
Art
Cooking
Leadership
Financial Literacy
If these workshops are related to employees’ roles, they can have the added benefit of reinforcing their skills and knowledge to boost their performance in the workplace.
5. Create content for nonprofits.
To secure enough support for their missions, nonprofits need to produce content to spread awareness and solicit donations. Your employees can assist nonprofits with their marketing efforts in various ways. For instance, they can:
Write blog articles.
Craft social media posts.
Produce short videos.
This corporate volunteering idea leaves employees with a finished product that they can look back on with pride.
6. Pitch in with graphic design.
If your employees have an eye for graphic design, consider having them offer their services to nonprofits. There are many areas where having well-designed images and graphics can come in handy, including:
Whether a nonprofit is looking to redesign its logo or revamp its website, having graphic design services can go a long way toward reaching and engaging new supporters.
7. Help with social media management.
According to Nonprofit Tech for Good, 87% of nonprofits regularly use social media for digital marketing and fundraising. However, with so much activity on social media, it can be a challenge for them to stand out among all the noise. Enlist your social media-savvy employees to help nonprofits by:
Creating eye-catching social media content.
Scheduling posts to maximize engagement.
Interacting with followers.
Doing so will free up more time and energy for nonprofits to focus on other mission-critical activities, such as delivering services to their beneficiaries.
8. Assist with grant writing.
Nonprofits need to seek funding from a variety of sources to continue fulfilling their missions. Many foundations and corporations offer grants to cover program or project expenses—however, a nonprofit must submit a compelling application before they can access those funds.
Since effective grant writing takes time and effort, this is an excellent opportunity for your company to pitch in, especially if you have employees with strong writing and communication backgrounds. They can research grantmakers, help write proposals, and proofread everything before submission.
9. Coordinate remote volunteers.
A nonprofit organization may have plenty of volunteers willing to dedicate their time and skills. Without proper volunteer management, however, they won’t be able to make the most of the resources at their disposal.
Recruit your employees to take over some key remote volunteer coordination responsibilities by onboarding, communicating with, and organizing volunteers in other areas of the world. This creates impactful, satisfying experiences that encourage volunteers to continue supporting a nonprofit time after time.
10. Offer coding support.
If your employees have coding experience, bring them together to offer coding assistance to nonprofits. They can lend a hand with:
Cybersecurity best practices
Web development
General IT support
Staff training
Additionally, consider opening up support beyond nonprofits and planning workshops for those interested in developing their programming skills.
11. Host virtual fundraising events.
Encourage your employees to take the lead in fundraising for nonprofits by hosting online fundraising events. Doing so allows them to tap into their personal networks and cultivate new supporters for a nonprofit’s mission. Get creative as you determine which types of fundraisers will appeal most to your employees and be sure to poll them on which organization or cause should receive the funds raised.
For instance, you could plan a virtual walk- or run-a-thon that employees can participate in by using their treadmills at home. Additionally, consider hosting silent auctions, raffles, and other contests such as a trivia night.
How to Put Your Corporate Volunteering Ideas into Action
Now that your company has some engaging corporate volunteer ideas up its sleeve, it’s time to start planning an experience that employees will be excited to take part in. Follow these steps to set your next event up for success:
Gather employee feedback. Survey your employees in advance to determine which types of corporate volunteer events, activities, and nonprofit causes resonate most with them. Use these insights to guide your planning.
Spread the word about upcoming opportunities. Ensure that your employees are aware of upcoming opportunities, so they can make room in their schedules to participate.
Communicate about nonprofit causes. One effective way to engage more employees in corporate volunteering is to share more information about the nonprofit causes that they’ll have an impact on. This may inspire them to sign up for your next event and make a difference in the community.
Consider offering incentives. For employees who are on the fence about participating, add an extra incentive such as paid volunteer time off (VTO) or a free lunch after volunteering to encourage them to get involved.
If you haven’t already, consider investing in workplace giving software to make planning and participating in corporate volunteer activities easier for everyone. A high-quality solution will streamline processes such as promoting volunteer opportunities and tracking employee hours.
Maintaining Momentum After a Corporate Volunteer Activity
For your corporate volunteer program to be successful in the long term, it’s important to understand that each event is not a one-and-done activity. Consider these tips to maintain momentum and keep your employees engaged after volunteering:
Practice recognition
Show employees that you value their participation by recognizing them for volunteering. There are several effective ways to do so, including:
Social media shoutouts
eCards
Branded merchandise
Furthermore, invite employees to give feedback on their experiences to demonstrate your commitment to providing them with more enticing volunteer opportunities in the future.
Share impact
Don’t leave your employees wondering whether their volunteer efforts actually left a meaningful impact on the world. According to VolunteerMatch, 66% of volunteers are motivated by making a difference in their community. Use multiple channels to celebrate the results of each volunteer event, including:
Website
Email newsletter
Social media
Doing so will both maintain employee engagement within your company and boost your reputation among customers and other stakeholders in the community.
Promote other corporate giving opportunities
Beyond taking part in your corporate volunteer activities, there are many ways employees can contribute to your philanthropic goals. For instance, consider offering volunteer grants to nonprofits after employees volunteer a certain number of hours with them.
Matching gifts are another popular program among many businesses, offered by 65% of Fortune 500 companies. Whether your company already has one in place or is considering starting one of these programs, check to see whether your corporate giving software integrates with the latest matching gift tools. Innovative features such as auto-submission, for example, make it easier than ever for employees to submit matching gift requests.
Wrapping Up: Enhancing Your Company’s Social Impact
As with any company initiative, remember to adopt an improvement mindset from the get-go. Identify and track relevant metrics to unearth insights for improving your corporate volunteer program over time. This ensures that you engage more employees and power more impact year after year.
To learn more about corporate philanthropy and employee engagement best practices, take a look at these additional resources:
Did you know that corporations give an average of $20-$26 billion to nonprofit causes each year?
More than ever before, companies are committed to giving back to their communities and improving the welfare of others—they’re embracing corporate philanthropy.
But what exactly does corporate philanthropy look like when it’s put into action? We’ve put together this guide to explore different types of corporate philanthropy you should know about and how you can embrace them, whether you’re a company looking to start your own program or a nonprofit strategizing to increase giving to your cause. Here’s what we’ll cover:
Corporate philanthropy holds the potential to benefit both companies and nonprofits. In order to get the most out of these programs, it’s important to gain an understanding of the different forms they can take and how they work. Let’s get started.
Corporate Philanthropy: A Quick Overview
First, let’s create a strong foundation for understanding the different types of corporate philanthropy by covering some basics.
What is corporate philanthropy?
Corporate philanthropy is a term that refers to the ways in which a company gives back to its community or promotes the welfare of others. Most commonly, corporations donate money or time to nonprofits to accomplish these goals. However, each company’s program will look a little different, as they’re often built around the company’s unique values and the needs of the community it aims to serve.
As you research corporate philanthropy, you’ll likely come across the term corporate social responsibility (CSR). Though related, CSR should not be confused with corporate philanthropy. CSR refers to the general attitude a company takes toward society and the role it plays in it. You can think of corporate philanthropy as a specific way that companies put their CSR into action.
Eye-Opening Corporate Philanthropy Statistics
Corporate philanthropy may sound good in theory, but you’re probably wondering if corporate philanthropy is successful in the real world. Let’s take a look at the numbers:
The Prevalence of Corporate Philanthropy Programs
65% of Fortune 500 companies have matching gift programs.
Clearly, companies that are leaning into corporate philanthropy are making a difference in their communities and even strengthening their workplaces. But wait—there are even more benefits!
The Benefits of Embracing Corporate Philanthropy
Corporate philanthropy is a win-win-win for the companies that embrace it, the employees who participate in it, and the nonprofits that are able to move their missions forward because of it.
Let’s take a closer look at the benefits each party experiences when they participate in corporate philanthropy.
Benefits for Companies
Strengthened reputation and brand image. A company that demonstrates a commitment to making the world a better place is often perceived as a more appealing company to work for and buy from.
Boosted employee engagement. When employees are empowered to give back through their employers’ corporate philanthropy initiatives, they have more pride in their jobs and are more motivated to be high achievers.
Better connections with stakeholders. The investors, suppliers, and other groups who support a company’s operations want to see their partners making a positive difference in society. Stakeholders may even want to get involved in a company’s philanthropic work.
Tax benefits. Depending on the area in which a company operates, it may be eligible for tax deductions up to a certain amount if it engages in corporate philanthropy initiatives like matching gifts.
Benefits for Employees
Sense of purpose beyond daily tasks. When charitable work or giving is woven into employees’ working lives, they have a stronger sense of purpose and a more expansive view of their work. They can see the connections between what they do every day and what their company does to improve others’ lives.
Heightened camaraderie between employees. Philanthropic programs that encourage employees to volunteer or serve together enable people to get to know their coworkers outside of the day-to-day at the office. Employees can bond over shared values and experiences, which can help build friendships and improve how employees collaborate.
Enhanced skills. Some corporate philanthropy initiatives provide opportunities for employees to use their professional skillsets or to develop new skills. For example, an expert computer programmer might find it fulfilling to use their knowledge to tutor at-risk youth in coding. Or, an employee may enjoy the chance to do something they don’t do every day, like walking shelter dogs.
Improved health. Research shows that people who give back are healthier and happier. According to the Cleveland Clinic, philanthropic giving can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, boost self-esteem, help combat depression, and even extend the lifespan.
Benefits for Nonprofits
Amplified support. Any increase in support, whether it’s funding or volunteer time, is the obvious benefit nonprofits experience from corporate philanthropy. But its importance can’t be overstated. Nonprofits translate companies’ support into tangible results for their beneficiaries. More funding and time may also empower a nonprofit to drive new projects forward instead of staying in maintenance mode.
Increased visibility and awareness. Because companies often promote their philanthropic work, the nonprofits they partner with get more exposure while the causes they champion get more awareness and attention.
Access to new audiences. A corporate donor or volunteer may very well turn into a lifelong supporter. Tapping into a company’s philanthropic initiatives opens nonprofits up to entirely new communities of potential supporters and, better yet, gives them the chance to start building relationships with those potential supporters.
Access to skilled volunteers. When a company partners with a nonprofit to help drive its mission forward, the nonprofit has access to a whole new group of volunteers with diverse skills. Those skills might include customer service, landscaping, graphic design, or more!
Corporate Philanthropy Challenges To Be Aware Of
While companies, employees, and nonprofits can experience countless benefits from corporate philanthropy initiatives, there are also challenges that come with these programs.
For instance, the initial setup of a corporate philanthropy program can divert resources from a company’s business activities and require careful and consistent monitoring of employee engagement in the program. Or, a nonprofit may face difficult questions from its supporters regarding how it allocates funds from its corporate partner.
Whether your organization is a company or a nonprofit, be aware that you will face challenges as you work to lean into corporate philanthropy. However, don’t let the challenges you face deter you from getting involved with corporate philanthropy programs. With careful planning, open communication, and a commitment to making a positive difference in the community, nonprofits and their corporate partners can overcome the challenges of corporate philanthropy and share in the benefits.
14 Types of Corporate Philanthropy To Know
Now that you know what corporate philanthropy is and why it’s important for companies, employees, and nonprofits, you’re likely ready to start participating. Knowing what to look for in a corporate partner or what your company’s program can offer will be critical to your success. So, let’s explore 14 types of corporate philanthropy you should know!
1. Matching Gifts
The most popular type of corporate philanthropy program that companies offer is matching gifts.
Through these programs, companies financially match the donations their employees make to charitable organizations, usually organizations deemed eligible by the company beforehand (e.g., educational institutions or youth-focused nonprofits).
The company will typically donate the same amount of money to the nonprofit, effectively doubling the donor’s gift. Sometimes the company will donate double or even triple the amount of the initial donation.
The beauty of a matching gift program is that it allows a donor to boost their donation’s impact without reaching back into their wallet!
Here’s how the process works:
An individual donates to a nonprofit of their choice.
The employee checks their corporate matching gift eligibility using a database search tool on the nonprofit’s website.
Once the donor knows their donation is eligible for matching, they fill out any necessary online forms provided by the database tool.
After the donor’s company reviews the forms, it follows up with the nonprofit to confirm the donation.
Then, the company sends the nonprofit a donation!
This process is made even easier when a donor uses a CSR platform that offers auto-submission (more on this below). Instead of filling out multiple forms, all they have to do is provide their corporate email address. The rest is taken care of for them!
Each company’s matching gift program will look a little different, depending on the nonprofits they deem eligible for gift matching, the types of employees they deem eligible for the program (e.g., full-time, part-time, retired), the ratio at which they match gifts, the minimum and maximum gift amounts they will match, and the submission deadlines for the program.
If this type of corporate philanthropy sounds too good to pass up, learn more about matching gifts with these resources!
Sometimes referred to as Dollars for Doers, volunteer grants are another incredibly popular type of corporate philanthropy.
Through these programs, employers match the hours their employees have volunteered with a nonprofit with a donation to that nonprofit.
Volunteer grants are a way to turn time into money—and another way for your nonprofit’s supporters to drive more impact without spending a cent.
The volunteer grant process works like this:
An individual volunteers with a nonprofit on a regular basis.
The volunteer uses a corporate giving database to check if they’re eligible for a volunteer grant from their company.
After verifying their eligibility, the volunteer submits their application for a volunteer grant to their company.
The company reviews the application and confirms the volunteer hours the volunteer has put in with the nonprofit.
The company sends the nonprofit a donation!
Like matching gift programs, volunteer grant programs can differ. For instance, one company may give nonprofits a certain amount of money per hour volunteered, while another may donate a flat amount once a certain threshold of volunteer hours is met. Some companies may also offer team volunteer grants, where a grant is provided when a group of employees volunteers together!
Whether you’re a nonprofit or a company, it will be important to have volunteers log their hours. Verifying those hours will be essential to giving and collecting a volunteer grant.
3. Corporate Grants
When awarding a corporate grant, a company gives money to a nonprofit for a specific program or project. Typically, large companies will offer a grant program, as it can be a lot to manage. But this doesn’t mean smaller companies should shy away from the opportunity to award grants!
The process of getting a grant is a little more complex than something like matching gifts or volunteer grants. The nonprofit will have to apply for the grant with a compelling written grant proposal that clearly outlines its needs for the grant and what it will do with the money.
After reviewing the grant proposals, the company decides which nonprofit will receive the funding. The nonprofit must then use the money specifically for the purposes outlined in the proposal and approved by the granting corporation. To maintain a strong relationship with the company (and to lay the groundwork for future grant success), the nonprofit must report back to the company on how it used the funds and impacted its beneficiaries.
4. Employee Grant Stipends
Also known as employee grants or annual grant stipends, employee grant stipends are given on top of an employee’s normal compensation package each year to allow that employee to give to the nonprofit of their choice.
Grant stipends may not yield as much funding for nonprofits as something like a matching gift program, but they do put the power in an employee’s hands, allowing them to choose where their donations go. This allows a company’s employees to choose to give to an organization that aligns with their personal values or interests. Plus, employee grant stipends can be an attractive part of a well-rounded compensation package!
5. Automatic Payroll Deductions
With this kind of corporate philanthropy, employers make giving extremely easy for their employees.
To participate, employees simply arrange to have part of their paycheck deducted and given to a nonprofit of their choice. However, companies may dictate which types of organizations are eligible to receive donations. To offer this type of corporate philanthropy, companies will need to check that their payroll system enables this functionality.
6. Corporate Volunteer Programs
With a corporate volunteer program, a company coordinates with a nonprofit to set up times when the company’s employees can volunteer.
These volunteering outings may take the form of optional standing times for employees to volunteer with a nonprofit after work or on the weekends. Alternatively, businesses might host full-blown corporate volunteering days, where the entire company engages in a day of volunteer work.
Whatever they look like, corporate volunteer programs can be a lot of fun for the people involved. Employees can enjoy working alongside each other and nonprofits can get to know a new large group of enthusiastic potential supporters.
Plus, these programs allow nonprofits to tap into the company’s skill sets or specialties. For example, a graphic design company might volunteer with a nonprofit and spend time helping a nonprofit revamp the branding on its social media content. Or, a team of bakers might come together to bake and serve treats at a nonprofit event.
The possibilities are endless! And employees will love using the skills they’ve developed at work to do good in the community.
7. Volunteer Time Off (VTO)
Volunteer Time Off (VTO) is paid time off for employees to do volunteer work for nonprofits in their community.
According to the Academy to Innovative HR (AIHR), VTO is a relatively new form of corporate philanthropy. (Remember, 28% of employers currently offer VTO, with the number increasing each year.)
AIHR also notes that the amount of VTO usually ranges from eight to 40 hours per employee per year. While that may not sound like a lot of time, a day or two of VTO can be an attractive part of a benefits package and do a lot to nurture a culture of giving within a workplace. Plus, the collective VTO hours donated by just one company can translate into a huge amount of progress for a nonprofit’s cause.
8. In-Kind Donations
When you think of a donation to a nonprofit, you probably picture a check or credit card. However, donations of items or services, also known as in-kind donations, can also be extremely valuable for a nonprofit.
The great thing about in-kind donations is they cut out a step for nonprofits. Instead of having to purchase items or invest in services, they get access to them with less footwork, saving them time and money.
Here are some examples of how a company might provide a nonprofit with in-kind donations:
Give the nonprofit gently used computers or other technology when transitioning to new equipment for the company’s employees
Donate a day of weeding to clean up the grounds of the nonprofit’s facilities
Run a canned food or clothing drive on behalf of the nonprofit
Have the company’s accountants give nonprofits advice during tax season
In-kind donations are a flexible form of corporate philanthropy. Nonprofits should be specific in what they’re looking for—we suggest nonprofits post a wishlist on their websites. Meanwhile, companies should think of out-of-the-box ways they can give items or services.
Giving scholarships to deserving students is an excellent way for companies to invest in the potential of the rising generation and show how much they value education. A company may decide to offer scholarships directly to high school students headed for college or students who are already studying at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Or, a company may partner with a nonprofit to fund an existing scholarship program.
10. Sponsorships
Setting up a sponsorship between a nonprofit and a company is an effective way to create a long-lasting partnership.
Through a sponsorship, a nonprofit provides frequent financial support to its nonprofit partner. In return, the nonprofit acknowledges its sponsors’ contributions through methods such as:
Issuing press releases to announce the sponsorships
Giving the sponsors a shout-out at events in promotional materials
Spotlighting the sponsors on its website
Creating a sponsorship acknowledgement wall or display
Providing sponsors with exclusive opportunities like behind-the-scenes tours or meetings with the nonprofit’s board
Giving sponsors tokens of gratitude related to the nonprofit’s cause (such as branded merchandise)
The months and weeks ahead of an event is an especially good time for nonprofits to seek out sponsors. Companies can not only provide funding for the event but also critical equipment or even venue space.
11. Cause-Related Marketing
Cause-Related Marketing (CRM) is a type of corporate philanthropy in which a company partners with a nonprofit organization to support a specific cause. The nonprofit then develops marketing campaigns that promote its products or services while raising awareness for the chosen cause or issue at the same time.
The key to a successful CRM initiative is to call the company’s audience to action. When they see the marketing materials promoting both the nonprofit cause and the company’s product, they should be inspired to do something on behalf of the nonprofit cause. This could be donating, sharing a social media message, or registering for an event.
12. Annual Giving
For this type of corporate philanthropy, companies encourage their employees to donate to nonprofits at certain times of the year. This is most common at the end of the calendar year. Donating is popular at the end of the year for personal tax purposes and because of the autumn and winter holidays that focus on giving and generosity!
This can be a fun way for companies to engage their teams around holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, and more. Companies can even get involved in their local communities’ GivingTuesday campaigns, which take place on the Tuesday after American Thanksgiving.
13. Employee Product Donation Programs (EPDP)
Some companies may encourage charitable giving among their employees by offering discounts on the products they sell, which can then be donated to nonprofits.
This is an especially popular form of corporate philanthropy for tech companies. And what nonprofit wouldn’t love new computers, tablets, or smartphones to streamline its operations?
14. Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Fundraising
Companies may also partner with a nonprofit and transform their employees into volunteer fundraisers for the nonprofit’s cause.
This is done through peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising campaigns. For these fundraisers, participants (like a company’s employees) are given their own personal online fundraising pages. Then, the volunteer fundraisers solicit donations from their personal networks of family and friends, usually through social media.
This can be a powerful way to engage a company’s workforce, tap into employees’ competitive spirits, and even expand a nonprofit’s audience to volunteer fundraisers’ family and friends.
For Companies: How to Create Your Own Corporate Philanthropy Program
If your organization is a company, you might be interested in starting a corporate philanthropy program of your own after learning about the different options out there.
Here are some steps your company can take to set yourself up for success and engage employees in your efforts:
Consider your objectives. What are you hoping to achieve through your charitable efforts? You may want to make a positive social impact, build customer loyalty, or take care of your local environment. After you define your objectives, set clear and achievable goals, like “Launch a matching gifts program in March for all of our full-time employees.” Having a rock-solid goal will make it easier to bring your corporate philanthropy program to life in a way that maximizes your team’s efforts and minimizes the strain on your company’s time and other resources.
Choose the type of program you want to start. Review the list above to decide which type of program you’d like to start. Consider your company’s philanthropic goals, the shared values you have with potential nonprofit partners, and your employees’ interests. Taking into account the type of program that will resonate with your employees will be imperative because success will depend on their participation. Also, note that you can work up to running multiple types of corporate philanthropy programs. For instance, you may want to have both a matching gift program and a scholarship program, but currently only have the bandwidth for the matching gift program. That’s okay! One initiative is a great starting point and will provide the framework you need to expand your efforts later.
Design the program. Lay out what your program will look like and how it will work. Continuing with the matching gift program example, you should identify which nonprofits will be eligible to receive matched donations, what matching ratio you will offer, and what the minimum and maximum donation amounts are that your company will match. As part of your program design efforts, you may want to invest in a CSR platform to help you facilitate the program.
Partner with a nonprofit that resonates with your values. Partner with organizations that your company and your employees can be excited about working with. Your missions don’t have to be totally aligned, but that can be a bonus. For example, if your company manufactures toothbrushes, you could partner with organizations that provide dental care to people in need.
Create guidelines for employee participation. Identify who at your company can participate in the program. For instance, you might allow part-time, full-time, and retired employees to tap into your matching gift program. You should also lay out the process for how to kickstart the matching process and who employees can talk to if they have questions or encounter any issues.
Launch the program. When you roll out your corporate philanthropy program, be transparent with your employees (and the rest of your community) about the program’s goals and how it will work. Don’t be afraid to share that the program is part of a larger push for CSR or that you’re looking to make more of a positive impact on the community in which your company operates. This honesty will drive more interest in your program and get your employees excited to participate.
Engage employees in the program. Actively promote your corporate philanthropy program to your employees. For example, you might include information about your new VTO policy in your weekly company-wide newsletter or encourage managers to talk about the program in their next one-on-one meetings with directs. To make things more exciting, launch a participation challenge. You might see which department can volunteer the most hours with your nonprofit partner over the next quarter or see which team can bring in the most cans of food for your in-kind donation drive. Don’t forget to reward the winners!
Report on the program’s impact. After your program has been up and running for a good amount of time, take a look at how things are going. (Hint: A CSR platform can help you gather data on your program!) Report to your employees, nonprofit partners, and the larger community on the program’s impact and how you envision the future of your efforts.
Make adjustments as necessary. As you evaluate your program, you may find that some things need to change. For example, you may need to adjust your matching gift ratio or the scholarship amounts you’re offering to local students. Don’t be afraid to make changes. You can even seek feedback from your employees and nonprofit partners so that you have a better idea of how to improve the program.
Starting a corporate philanthropy program takes a lot of work and ongoing maintenance, but it’s worth the effort! You’ll positively impact your community and drive employee participation when you take a thoughtful and thorough approach from the very beginning.
The Winning Element of A Corporate Philanthropy Program: Matching Gift Auto-Submission
Starting a matching gifts program is the easiest way for your company to dive into corporate philanthropy. But sometimes, the process of getting a gift match can be long and drawn out, meaning that employees may disengage with the process and your nonprofit partners may lose out on critical funding.
Take any complexity out of the donation matching process for your employees
Guarantee all matching gift requests are formatted correctly (and actually submitted to your company)
Ensure that the matching gift funds reach your nonprofit partners faster
To tap into the power of auto-submission and level up your matching gifts program, you’ll need to work with the right CSR platform. Double the Donation is not a CSR platform, but we partner with plenty of great vendors that leverage our auto-submission technology. Click the button below to learn more!
For Nonprofits: How to Tap Into Corporate Philanthropy Programs
If your organization is a nonprofit, you’re probably eager to benefit from one or more of the types of corporate philanthropy discussed above! To do so, you need to have a strategic approach. Here’s what we recommend:
Build relationships with potential corporate partners. Get to know the business leaders who run companies in your local area or who share similar values or missions to your own. Get face time with them so that your teams are familiar with each other. Invite them to events. Demonstrate the impact that you could have if you worked together. Then, when the time is right, ask how your nonprofit can become part of their philanthropic program.
Highlight the benefits of partnering with your organization. For instance, when reaching out directly to ask companies to partner with your organization, you might highlight the benefits you give sponsors, such as free publicity or exclusive perks. You could even speak to how your specific cause will help to engage that company’s workforce or how your causes align.
Promote corporate philanthropy among your supporters. Depending on the type of program, the onus will be on your supporters to help your nonprofit tap into their employers’ corporate philanthropy initiatives. Let your donors know that programs like matching gifts and volunteer grants exist and that they could be eligible. Encourage them to inquire about these programs at work, or even to advocate for the creation of a program.
Being thoughtful in how you approach corporate giving will allow you to tap into as many opportunities as possible. You’ll develop more impactful relationships with companies and ultimately drive greater outcomes for your mission.
The Key to Maximizing Corporate Support: A Corporate Philanthropy Database
The most important tool for tapping into corporate philanthropy is a corporate philanthropy database, like 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.
Our database is the largest and most up-to-date collection of information about companies’ matching gift and volunteer grant programs. Here are a few fun facts about our platform:
We have 24,493 company records
This represents nearly 27 million employees
Our database covers an estimated 99.68% of all gift-match-eligible donors
So, when you invest in our database and embed it on your donation form or your website, you’re empowering your donors (and your team members) to check their volunteer grants and matching gift eligibility and start the process.
Click the button below to take 360MatchPro for a test drive!
Wrapping Up: Don’t Miss Out on Corporate Philanthropy!
Remember, although there are many different types of corporate philanthropy out there, the benefits for companies, employees, and nonprofits are universal. Now that you know your options (if you’re a company looking to build its own program) or what to look for in a corporate partner (if you’re a nonprofit), you’re ready to experience those benefits for yourself!
Want to continue exploring the world of corporate philanthropy and CSR? Check out these resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/types-of-corporate-philanthropy_feature.png7602000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-11-07 19:05:372023-11-22 15:03:5214 Types of Corporate Philanthropy You Should Know About
Picture this: you’re the owner of a mid-size technology company that employs around 100 staff members. You’ve been brainstorming ways to boost employee morale and show your target customers that you run a value-driven business making its mark on the world.
You stumble across the idea of corporate philanthropy and, more specifically, employee giving. Quickly, you realize that this one concept can help you meet your previously stated goals—and the tax break would be an added bonus!
You decide to take the plunge and invest in developing a workplace giving initiative that will simultaneously benefit your company, your employees, and a wide range of charitable organizations.
But how can you ensure your staff will actually want to participate? By offering them an employee giving experience that prioritizes their wants and needs and is as simple a process as possible!
In this guide, we’ll dive into these valuable tips for employers like yourself looking to make the most of their workplace giving programs.
Ready to get started with our first step? Let’s begin!
1. Inform employees of available workplace giving opportunities.
Before you can expect employees to participate in your workplace giving initiatives, you’ll need to ensure your staff is made aware of these programs in the first place. Prior to that, you’ll need to determine which types of giving programs you’ll be offering:
Here are a few of the most common examples:
Matching gifts: Your company matches employee donations to qualifying nonprofits, often dollar for dollar.
Custom matching gifts: Your company selects a particular nonprofit and commits to matching employee donations to that cause.
Volunteer grants: Your company provides nonprofits where employees regularly volunteer with monetary grants.
Employee stipends: Your company allocates a dollar amount to each employee annually, which they donate to the nonprofit of their choice.
Regardless of the combination of giving programs you choose, informing your staff about the new offerings and how to get involved is of utmost importance.
According to matching gift research, 78% of individuals eligible for corporate giving programs are completely unaware. As a result, they’re not able to make the most of these philanthropic initiatives.
We recommend providing informational materials that outline your corporate giving programs to all existing staff to get started. For example, you might hold a meeting, send a company-wide email, share a pamphlet, and add an explainer to your employee handbook. Then, be sure your staff knows where to go to seek additional details on the program!
Going forward, you’ll want to educate all new team members about workplace giving opportunities as well.
2. Provide employees with ample ways to give.
There are tons of ways that individual donors can support nonprofit causes. So when you create your workplace giving program, your offerings must be inclusive of all types of employee giving.
Top donation channels might include (but are not limited to):
Nonprofit websites
Online giving tools
Peer-to-peer campaigns
Text-to-give
Direct mail
Recurring gifts
Phonathons
Paycheck deductions
Event pledges
Workplace giving or CSR platforms
The opportunities are endless—and each staff member at your business might have a different favorite way to give.
According to the same matching gift studies above, “96% of employees at companies with matching gift programs have a strong or very strong preference for their company to match donations made directly to a nonprofit (such as through the nonprofit’s website, peer-to-peer fundraising platform, or mail) rather than only matching donations through a workplace giving software platforms. The more options an employee has to give and to get their gift matched, the more likely they are to utilize available company matching opportunities.”
This means that, in order to provide a positive employee giving experience for everyone, be sure to keep your giving (and matching) channels open.
3. Make it simple for employees to determine eligibility guidelines.
As you work to ensure your company is well-informed about the existence of your employee giving programs, it’s equally critical that your programs’ eligibility guidelines are readily apparent as well. But what are these so-called guidelines?
Let’s take matching gifts (i.e., one of the most-used forms of workplace giving) as an example. In order for employees to participate in your company gift-matching initiative, you’ll need to provide your staff with the following information:
Donation minimums and maximums: This is the range within which you’ll match employee donations (e.g., $50-1,000).
Match ratios: This determines the rate at which you match employee donations. This is typically dollar for dollar (1:1) but can go up to 2:1 or 3:1 as well.
Qualifying types of nonprofits: You might choose a particular type of mission (e.g., environmental organizations) or exclude categories of recipients (such as houses of worship).
Qualifying types of employees: Most companies match gifts made by all full-time employees, while others may open the programs up to part-time workers, retirees, and even employee spouses
Submission deadlines: Your submission deadline is the date by which employees must submit a matching gift request to your company in order to be eligible to receive a match. This may be a certain number of months or align with your calendar or fiscal year.
Because these criteria are necessary for employees to determine their eligibility for a company match, it’s important that you communicate this information effectively. Ensure your guidelines are provided in any previously mentioned explainer materials and even on your business’ website. Even interested employees won’t likely be willing to search high and low for this information. If it is hard to find, you’re likely creating an unnecessary obstacle to program success.
Here’s an example of what these criteria can look like:
Plus, as a general rule, keeping your guidelines as open as possible will provide an optimal employee giving experience for your staff. For example, when you set low minimums, high maximums, and generous deadlines, more individuals’ gifts will qualify for your programming. The more employees who qualify, the more will participate. And you know that higher your levels of participation, the more advantages brought to your company.
4. Ensure your company is listed in corporate giving databases.
One of the easiest ways employees can uncover your aforementioned program guidelines is by accessing a corporate giving database. This is essentially a compilation of information on thousands of businesses and their available corporate giving programs.
For organizations that leverage Double the Donation’s embeddable search widget, donors are typically prompted within the donation experience to enter their employer information in search of matching gift eligibility.
If your employees follow this process, you don’t want them to search your company name, only to be met with “no results found.” This can cause discouragement in the process, even if they know how to locate your program guidelines elsewhere. Plus, many well-intentioned donors simply forget to follow up after losing their initial giving inertia.
So what can you do to avoid this scenario? Make sure your business is listed in corporate giving databases, complete with your programs’ eligibility criteria and links to submission forms.
Luckily, Double the Donation accepts submissions for new companies to add to their most comprehensive database, making it as easy as possible for your business to increase its program reach. As a result, you provide the simplest, most optimal employee giving experience while actively supporting their favorite charities.
And if you go the custom program route with a nonprofit partner that uses Double the Donation’s matching gift database, the organization can ensure the program is added correctly using the platform’s one-off match program management feature!
*While 360MatchPro offers custom matching gift program management functionality, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—360MatchPro does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.
That way, your nonprofit-specific program will populate in that organization’s company search tool but won’t appear as an option for other nonprofit causes in order to avoid confusion.
5. Incentivize participation in employee giving programs.
By now, your employees should be aware of your employee giving initiatives in place and understand how they can participate. But what if your staff requires a little extra push to get involved with your philanthropic efforts?
That’s where strategic incentivization comes in!
If you want to encourage individuals to partake in new employee giving experiences, consider motivating the team with giving goals—either in terms of percentage of overall participation or in total fundraising goals.
Once your team reaches the predetermined objectives, you might treat the company to rewards like these:
Catered lunches
Additional PTO
Casual dress days
In-house masseuse services
Gift card rewards
Professional development opportunities
Company apparel and/or swag
Be sure to remind your employees that the ultimate benefit of a well-run workplace giving program revolves around providing mission-based organizations the funds they need to change the world. But some extra motivation never hurts, either!
6. Simplify requests with auto-submission functionality.
Want to increase employee participation in (and satisfaction with) your workplace giving programs? Make it as easy as possible to get involved. And it’s never been easier than with auto-submission!
Here’s what you need to know:
The Historic Submission Process
Once an employee determines that they qualify for a workplace giving program—such as matching gifts—they’ve traditionally been required to complete a request process put in place by the company they work for. Typically, the individual will be asked to provide basic information about their donation (e.g., amount, method of giving, date the gift was made, etc.) and the organization to which they contributed (such as its mission, mailing address, tax ID number, and more).
New Auto-Submission Functionality
Matching gift auto-submission functionality recently came out of beta. Now some programs can offer the new functionality, which substantially streamlines the process for donors and increases the likelihood that matches will be submitted. Instead of asking for all of the above-listed information, companies taking part in auto-submission simply request the individual’s corporate email address. The software ecosystem will take it from there to process, approve, and disburse funding for the match.
Leveraging Auto-Submission Providers
If you’re interested in getting started with auto-submission capabilities, the easiest way is to partner with a CSR management platform that already offers the functionality through a seamless integration with Double the Donation’s innovative technology. These currently include the following providers:
If you already work with a CSR platform that doesn’t yet offer this functionality, consider reaching out to your provider to advocate for the technology. After all, auto-submission is available with no added cost—it’s free for both the matching gift company and the software vendor they use—so you can offer the ultimate employee giving experience to your team.
Keep in mind—the more employees who take part in your company’s matching program, the better the results you can expect to see in terms of team member engagement, brand reputation, and more. And auto-submission abilities set your team up for continued success on all accounts!
There’s little to no purpose in investing in an employee giving program if nobody at your workplace will participate. To drive participation, you need to look at your employee giving experience from a staff member’s perspective and determine whether it’s a positive one.
So provide ample opportunities and avenues for giving, make available programs known, simplify the processes involved, and incentivize participation. This can make a world of difference—to your workforce, your community, and even your company’s bottom line.
Interested in learning more about employee giving? Check out our other educational resources:
Increase Employee Engagement with Corporate Giving. High levels of employee engagement mean increased retention and productivity. Corporate giving opportunities can play a part in boosting engagement, so find out how with this article.
Corporate Social Responsibility: The Definitive Guide. Employee giving and other philanthropic efforts play a big role in CSR. Uncover what else you need to know to be a socially responsible business in this resource.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_How-to-Offer-the-Ultimate-Employee-Giving-Experience_Feature.png275725Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-11-01 21:59:212024-08-16 15:42:38How to Offer the Ultimate Employee Giving Experience
Employee engagement has become an increasingly important part of organizational success. After all, businesses with engaged employees are 23% more profitable than companies whose employees are not engaged.
However, if you’re just starting to prioritize employee engagement, it can be difficult to determine where to begin. It can be helpful to take a look at what other companies are doing to engage their employees to gain actionable insights into how your organization can handle your new priority.
To show you how you can center employee engagement in your organization, we’ll cover the following topics in this guide:
Before we dive into the companies leading by example with their employee engagement programs, you need to understand what exactly employee engagement is and why it’s important. Let’s get started!
What is employee engagement?
Simply put, employee engagement refers to the level of emotional and mental connection an employee has to their team, general workplace, and employer. This translates to the employee’s commitment to the organization and dedication to achieving its goals. There are four different levels of employee engagement:
Highly engaged. Highly engaged employees have very favorable opinions of their team, workplace, and employer as a whole. They’re extremely committed to their organization and willing to go above and beyond to help achieve its goals. Plus, they’re likely to motivate other employees around them with their positive attitude.
Engaged. These employees like their work but might feel less satisfied about certain aspects of the organization. While they’re still committed to their organization’s success, they’re less likely to go above and beyond their call of duty than highly engaged employees.
Unengaged. Unengaged employees feel unattached to their team, workplace, and employer. They’re not committed to their organization and not dedicated to helping achieve its goals. While they’re not unhappy with their work, they aren’t happy either. These employees usually fulfill the bare minimum of their responsibilities and little more. They’ll put time into their work but not their energy or passion.
Disengaged. These employees are actively unhappy with their work and may even be resentful that their employer isn’t meeting their needs. This discontent may result in them acting out on their unhappiness, underperforming in their responsibilities, and even undermining the work of their more engaged coworkers.
As you begin evaluating the general engagement levels at your organization, keep in mind that engagement does not equal enthusiasm. It’s easy to look at a happy employee and assume that they’re engaged with their work. However, employee engagement is tied to your organization. Ask yourself: Is this employee connected to their work alongside being a happy person?
What are the benefits of employee engagement?
We’ve lightly touched on a few benefits of employee engagement. The main one is profitability—employees who are determined to help your organization meet its goals are more likely to do their best to increase your cash flow.
Aside from profitability, here are a few other benefits for companies with engaged employees:
Increased productivity. Businesses with highly engaged employees are 18% more productive than those with unengaged employees. These employees believe that the work they’re doing is important and therefore are more likely to work harder.
Reduced absenteeism. According to Gallup’s employee engagement survey, companies that scored in the lower quartile of engagement were also 81% more likely to experience employee absenteeism. If your employees aren’t showing up for work, it will make it much more difficult for your organization to be successful.
Higher retention rates. If your employees are engaged with their work, their team, and your organization, they’re less likely to seek other employment opportunities. Higher retention rates reduce employee turnover, lowering costs related to re-hiring, onboarding, and training.
Improved recruitment. Happy employees will likely speak about your company in a positive light and be more open about their satisfaction with their work. Your organization’s reputation as an employer will improve through word-of-mouth, which will help you attract top talent and improve the quality of potential employees you recruit.
Positive workplace culture. Overall, the more engaged your employees are, the more positive they’ll be in the workplace. These individuals are excited to work and will raise the spirits of their coworkers, leading to a more positive workplace culture.
Employee engagement is important for all organizations, even those that work in the nonprofit sphere. Plus, it’s especially important for companies that have remote or hybrid employees, as those individuals are more likely to feel emotionally disconnected from their employer due to physical distance.
By prioritizing employee engagement, you’ll be able to leverage these benefits to your organization’s advantage. It’s a win-win—your company will see greater success and your employees will be happier to contribute to that.
The Top 8 Employee Engagement Companies
Now that you know more about what employee engagement is and how it’s helpful for your organization, let’s take a look at the top employee engagement companies that are leading by example.
1. Checkr
Checkr’s employee engagement program emphasizes corporate giving and philanthropy, fostering a culture of generosity and social responsibility among its workforce. This initiative encourages employees to participate in various charitable activities, including matching gift programs, volunteer opportunities, and fundraising events.
By implementing a generous matching gift initiative, Checkr amplifies the impact of its employees’ donations, doubling their contributions to eligible nonprofits. This not only supports the causes employees care about but also enhances their engagement and satisfaction within the company.
Plus, Checkr is recognized as a Certified Leader in Matching Automation (CLMA), which represents its dedication to philanthropy with a streamlined engagement process and more. This makes it easier than ever for its staff to get involved!
2. Adobe
If you’ve worked with or created visual media before, you’re undoubtedly familiar with Adobe. This company offers a product suite for photographers, videographers, graphic designers, and more. Founded on the idea of creating innovative products that change the world, Adobe also prioritizes employee engagement alongside offering technology that empowers people to create.
Here are a few ways the company handles employee engagement:
Work and life integration. Adobe promotes work-life balance by offering a company winter and summer break. Plus, it offers a wellness fund for each employee up to $600 and sabbaticals starting at four weeks off after five years of working at the company.
Learning fund and reimbursement. This company supports employees on their learning journey by offering funds and reimbursements for educational material. It provides a learning fund of up to $1,000 every year and educational reimbursement of up to $10,000 a year.
Frequent employee engagement dialogue. Aside from these benefits, Adobe discusses how leadership can better improve the workplace. It keeps employee engagement dialogue going year-round by conducting regular surveys to understand their workers’ everyday experiences.
Additionally, Adobe has a special focus on helping employees from underrepresented groups gain visibility and grow in their careers. To that end, it provides programs that help employees build leadership skills and connect with other employees across the company.
3. Cisco
Cisco provides innovative cloud-based networking and security solutions to businesses. Its mission is to power an inclusive future for all with technology that connects the world.
Additionally, Cisco believes in creating a workplace where employees can find more than just a job. Ranked by Fortune as one of the best companies to work for, Cisco uses the following strategies to center employee engagement:
Company-wide shut downs. Throughout the year, Cisco will occasionally choose to shut down to let employees recharge. Plus, there’s a company-wide shut down at the end of the year, giving employees time off to spend with families over the holidays.
Corporate social responsibility (CSR). Cisco follows through on its mission of powering an inclusive future for all by giving back to the global community through CSR. It features a reporting hub and is environmentally and socially conscious throughout its entire supply chain, engaging its employees with these practices.
Employee recognition. High performers are motivated to stay connected and work hard with Cisco’s employee recognition initiative. This initiative singles out exceptional employees who deserve kudos for their achievements from colleagues and peer organizations outside the company.
Cisco recognizes that it’s important for workforce leaders to understand employee needs and provide an ideal work experience without sacrificing performance. And its efforts are working, as they are one of PEOPLE magazine’s top companies that care.
4. ExxonMobil
This oil and gas company pioneers new research and technologies dedicated to reducing emissions while creating more efficient fuels. It’s also committed to engaging its employees in meaningful ways—and it’s paying off. In a survey conducted by resume.io, ExxonMobil ranked 15th in employee retention in the United States with a median employee tenure of seven years.
A few of the ways this company focuses on employee engagement include:
Training opportunities. ExxonMobil is committed to enabling its employees to reach their full potential. It invests in talent by delivering educational training courses to employees so that they can develop new skills and initiates a leadership program alongside career advocacy and mentoring programs. Plus, it performs more than 10,000 internal job rotations to support development plans.
Emphasizing thriving. To ensure that employees are thriving in the workplace, ExxonMobile releases company-wide surveys to strengthen its culture framework. Additionally, it supports flexibility, health, and long-term security through its PTO policies, wellness programs, financial planning initiatives, and more.
Centering inclusivity and diversity. ExxonMobil strives to create an inclusive and diverse work environment starting from the top down. Since 2016, women and U.S. minority representation has improved by over 50%, and its employees come from over 160 nationalities. It also fosters inclusive behaviors through annual skills assessments and their culture framework.
This company’s employee engagement strategies have resulted in visible benefits. For example, it was awarded the top most attractive U.S. energy company for engineering students for 10 consecutive years and the second most attractive company globally. It also has strong global acceptance rates from potential employees, about 10-15% higher than other large companies.
Plus, ExxonMobil boasts corporate giving initiatives that keep its employees engaged with philanthropy. If you’d like to learn more about their programs, click on the button below!
5. Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is a healthcare organization that operates hospitals and medical offices and provides health insurance. Aside from caring for the well-being of employees at other organizations, it also focuses on engaging its own employees.
Here are three reasons why Kaiser Permanente is an example of a great employee engagement company:
Investing in employee well-being. Aside from investing in wellness research, this company has implemented various wellness initiatives, including healthy eating and resilience training programs. It offers employees various health insurance packages in addition to plenty of holidays, sick leave, and time off to recharge.
Giving back to the community. Corporate citizenship is one of Kaiser Permanente’s core values and it’s reflected in its employee engagement programs. In addition to weekly community outreach programs, employees have access to quarterly outreach programs to give back outside of the office environment.
Support for veteran employees. Kaiser Permanente is recognized as a top Military-Friendly Employer, offering military transition programs to prepare junior military officers for successful leadership roles within the organization. It actively tries to provide better employment opportunities for veterans and their spouses.
As a health-related company, Kaiser Permanente leadership understands the importance of creating a positive and healthy workplace environment to engage its employees.
6. Microsoft
This technology corporation doesn’t measure employee engagement—it measures employee thriving. It defines thriving as “to be energized and empowered to do meaningful work.” As one of its core aspirations, employee thriving is meant to help employees find their sense of purpose within the company.
A few ways Microsoft focuses on employee engagement and thriving include:
Prioritizing communication. Through its internal employee engagement program, AskHR, Microsoft prioritizes communication between human resources and employees to ensure that employee inquiries are properly addressed. Employees can use the AskHR app to submit a variety of requests that the HR team fulfills promptly. Additionally, Microsoft uses a pulse survey tool to review if employees are thriving and obtain feedback regularly.
Creating a growth culture. This company doesn’t just offer professional development opportunities; it promotes a growth culture and mindset. Rather than being “know-it-alls,” employees should be “learn-it-alls.” Microsoft supports employees seeking professional development by recognizing those who show a growth mindset.
Team-building and networking opportunities. Microsoft acknowledges that forming bonds with coworkers is part of a healthy, thriving workplace culture. It empowers its workers to do that by arranging team-building events to rally employees behind solid company values. For example, it bolsters its commitment to CSR through community volunteering activities.
From Microsoft’s perspective, thriving is different from work-life balance—the former is about being motivated to do meaningful work, and the latter involves an employee’s personal life, too. While it’s possible for an individual to thrive but lack work-life balance or vice versa, Microsoft is dedicated to creating a positive experience in both aspects for its employees.
7. NVIDIA
Multinational tech company NVIDIA designs top-of-the-line graphics processing units, cutting-edge computer chips, and effective employee engagement programs. This organization is dedicated to creating an empowering environment where employees have the support and inspiration to take on the world’s greatest challenges together.
Here are a few elements of their employee engagement strategy:
Physical and mental health. NVIDIA prioritizes physical and mental health by providing a variety of health plans for its employees. It offers a choice between five different medical plans, allowing employees to select the plan that works best for them. It also provides dental and vision plans, flexible spending accounts, and health savings accounts. Plus, it has resources for virtual care, so workers feel empowered to seek the care they need.
Programs for parents. This company has one of the nation’s best parental policies. It includes 22 weeks of fully paid parental leave, unlimited reimbursements for adoption and surrogacy expenses, and plans that cover in vitro fertilization and egg freezing. Additionally, for employees with older children, NVIDIA partners with Collegewise to offer complimentary college preparation resources.
Support for life changes. NVIDIA leadership understands that extenuating circumstances can impact an employee’s ability to work and engagement with their work. From marriage and divorce to moving to losing a loved one, this company offers resources and programs to help employees navigate their life changes.
Although NVIDIA lives in the technology industry, it understands that its employees are not robots or data points and deserve compassion and empathy. It’s committed to supporting its team members holistically, not just as employees, but as humans.
8. Spotify
Spotify is one of the world’s largest music streaming service providers, with over 550 million active users. It offers over 100 million songs and five million podcasts to listeners. Aside from that, it’s also one of the leading employee engagement companies.
A few ways that Spotify keeps its employees motivated and engaged in their work are:
Embracing self-leadership. Spotify leadership encourages all employees to drive their own development. This practice empowers employees to take ownership of their career trajectories and seek out what they need to grow.
Inspiring innovation. Innovation is one of Spotify’s core values, and it acknowledges that to innovate, you must disrupt the status quo. It encourages its employees to find new ways to be disruptive by making it safe to fail. This value creates a culture where employees are not afraid of being bold or taking risks and making mistakes.
Centering sincerity and collaboration. Sincerity and collaboration are two other core values at Spotify. This company puts these values into practice by leading with transparency, engaging with open minds, and delivering honest feedback. Employees recognize that they are all one big team, which means that they share ideas and best practices across business units and despite traditional hierarchies.
When it comes to its employees, Spotify’s approach is that they are all a band—dependent on each other to create the best audio experience. This employee engagement company focuses on creating an environment where employees are energized and excited to inspire those around them and drive innovation.
Additional Resources
Business magnate Richard Branson once said that businesses should “train people well enough so they can leave [and] treat them well enough so they don’t want to.” And these companies do—in some shape or form, they’ve mastered the art of employee engagement to create a great environment where employees are happy and even proud to work. As you begin forming or improving your organization’s employee engagement initiatives, consider taking a leaf out of their book to create a great experience for your team members.
If you’d like to learn more about employee engagement, consider the following resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Employee-Engagement-Companies_Feature.jpg7401680Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-11-01 14:11:252024-07-09 14:33:35Top 8 Employee Engagement Companies Leading By Example
Fun Fact: By working with a CLMA-certified matching gift platform, Innovative Discovery has become a 
Matching gift ratio – 1:1 (or dollar for dollar)
