10 Top Trends in Corporate Philanthropy: How to Tap In
With overall corporate giving up by more than 9.1% year over year (and reaching a record high of $44.4 billion, according to the recent Giving USA report), tapping into companies’ philanthropy programs is more important than ever before. Corporate programs like matching gifts, volunteer grants, and even sponsorship agreements are evolving constantly to meet the shifting needs of companies, nonprofits, and supporters alike. But there are external factors at play that impact trends in corporate philanthropy, too.
When the economy starts to appear rocky, for instance, many might worry that corporate matching gifts will be negatively impacted. Luckily, that’s not been the case so far. Instead, many corporations have historically expanded their giving programs in the face of economic downturns to help combat the negative effects on nonprofits. And that’s what we’ve continued to see!
In this guide, we’ll dive into this year’s leading CSR trends, focusing on workplace and corporate giving, and provide a closer look at what we’re currently seeing (and what we expect to continue into the future). This includes:
If you’re looking for the Too Long; Didn’t Read version, it’s this: corporate philanthropy programs are thriving, and we don’t expect them to go away anytime soon. For a more in-depth look, keep reading to find the latest industry developments and what they mean for your nonprofit, or watch this short clip to learn more! ☝️
10 Corporate Philanthropy Trends To Pay Attention To
As corporate philanthropy continues to grow at an unprecedented pace, the explosive rise of giving initiatives is driving companies to rethink how they contribute to their communities, engage employees, and build stronger relationships with customers. In this dynamic landscape, several new trends and patterns are emerging that every nonprofit and corporate entity should be aware of.
Why? These findings are reshaping how organizations approach philanthropy, influencing everything from how they structure their programs to how they measure their social impact. Companies of all sizes, from startups to global enterprises, are exploring innovative ways to give back, creating new opportunities for nonprofit collaboration and community involvement.
Here’s a closer look at the top 10 corporate philanthropy trends currently shaping the landscape and driving the future of workplace giving for organizations like yours.
1. More small and mid-sized companies are participating.
In the past, it’s been primarily enterprise-level corporations that have offered corporate giving programs like matching gifts and more. This is likely because companies needed a bigger budget to get started, not to mention the time and energy required to run the initiative. And that was simply not accessible for a lot of smaller businesses.
Today, our analysis shows that over 65% of Fortune 500 companies still provide matching gifts. But the real trend is surrounding the number of small and mid-sized businesses following suit. Hint: it’s in the thousands.
So, what’s changing? For one thing, the introduction of dedicated yet affordable corporate giving platforms designed for smaller teams has made this possibility available to organizations with limited budgets. Now, just about any employer can hop on the corporate giving trend, get started with matching gifts (or volunteer grants, etc.), and see a substantial return on their investment.
All in all, that means nonprofit organizations are seeing more match-eligible donors, with more than 26 million individuals working for companies that match employee donations thanks to this CSR trend.
2. Year-round giving programs are becoming mainstream.
In the last few years, an increasing number of companies have expanded their corporate philanthropy programs, going from one-off annual fundraising campaigns to year-round employee-directed giving programs.
This is due in part to an increased focus on corporate social responsibility from both employees and consumers. U.S.-based consumers have realized the need for philanthropy and want the companies they work for and buy from to take part on a regular basis. Additionally, businesses realize that the benefits of year-round philanthropy on their bottom line are significant!
That said, we can expect to see continued growth in year-round and recurring corporate giving. In fact, according to recent studies, an estimated 94% of major U.S. corporations plan to heighten or maintain their current level of giving in the next few years. With the workplace philanthropy trends we’re seeing, we can predict that a notable portion of that increased giving will be contributed through employee-driven initiatives, such as matching gifts and volunteer grants. This means your donors (and volunteers) will be in the driver’s seat, so it’s important to keep up your outreach!
3. Nonprofits are proactively seeking matching gifts.
Historically, many fundraising organizations have treated corporate matching as a “nice-to-have” bonus, rather than a core component of their efforts, resulting in a passive approach to matching gifts and a significant gap in collected funding.
Why? Even with an increasing number of companies offering matching gifts, eligible employees remain unaware of the programs available to them, which is a significant roadblock. Research even shows that less than 19% of companies include adequate information on matching gift programs in easily accessible employee-facing materials. As a result, over 78% of donors do not know whether their company matches gifts.
That means available matches are going to go unclaimed.
However, in order to combat this issue, nonprofits of today are taking it upon themselves to promote matching gifts to their audiences proactively more and more. This way, they can grow awareness and be on the positive side of this workplace giving trend.
For the best results, matching gift education can take many forms, but often consists of…
- Internal matching gift training (ensuring your full team is on board)
- Efforts to incorporate matching gifts directly into the giving process through donation form integrations
- Sending personalized follow-ups post-donation, including company-specific instructions and forms
- Using matching gift software to uncover available opportunities and take action to increase revenue
With these efforts, along with other strategic matching gift outreach, nonprofits can increase the number of donors who are aware of their employers’ corporate philanthropy programs, therefore boosting the amount of matched donations they receive.
4. Companies are being more generous with matching gifts.
Today’s businesses recognize that matching gift programs incentivize employees to be charitable, and being as generous as possible can inspire greater participation in workplace philanthropy. That’s why participation in matching gifts has gradually become a key trend in corporate philanthropy.
More specifically, we’ve noticed that a growing number of companies are experimenting with the following strategies:
- Offering open-choice programs (i.e., matching to any nonprofit rather than exclusively health-focused causes)
- Matching donations at higher ratios (i.e., 2:1 rather than 1:1)
- Decreasing minimum donation amounts (i.e., $1 rather than $100)
- Increasing maximum donation amounts (i.e., $10,000 rather than $1,000)
- Opening eligibility to additional team members (i.e., part-time staff, retirees, board members, or even spouses)
- Lengthening the amount of time allotted for matching gift submissions (i.e., year-end deadlines rather than 30 days from the gift being made)
By promising to match donations at higher rates, for example, companies can grow employees’ impact and make it more worthwhile for individuals to submit their match requests. At the same time, minimum donation amounts play a critical role in matching gift accessibility. Currently, our CSR research shows that around 93% of companies have a minimum match requirement of less than or equal to $50. Maintaining affordable match requirements lowers barriers to participation since even modest donations will likely be eligible for matching.
The same goes for increasing maximum donation amounts. Our studies indicate that when companies match larger donations, more employees will be inclined to engage. In fact, while programs with $1,000 maximums see a 12% employee engagement rate, those with maximums between $1,001 and $10,000 have an 18% engagement rate, and maximums beyond $10,000 see an engagement rate of up to 40%.
5. Companies are prioritizing disaster relief and crisis response.
In today’s philanthropic landscape, many companies are placing a strong emphasis on disaster relief and crisis response through their corporate giving initiatives. With the rise in climate-related emergencies such as hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts, there is a clear and urgent need for this type of philanthropy. As a result, companies, along with their employees, are increasingly participating in crowdfunding, volunteering, matching gifts, and other giving initiatives to provide relief in the aftermath of these disasters.
According to the 2024 Measuring the State of Disaster Philanthropy report, philanthropic disaster giving reached $1.7 billion within the year. Despite this significant figure, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy states, “there is still a critical need for increased philanthropic involvement as disasters are growing in size, frequency, and complexity, resulting in more needs, especially for long-term recovery.” This idea underscores the growing commitment of companies to contribute charitably while highlighting the ongoing challenges and the need for continued support.
As these emergencies become more relevant and severe, companies are stepping up to ensure that their support for disaster relief remains a top priority in their CSR strategies.
