Companies Committing Social Good: Real-World CSR Examples
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerTrends in corporate philanthropy show that corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are on the rise among companies of all sizes. While large corporations have more resources to set aside for CSR, small and medium-sized businesses can also make meaningful impacts in their communities.
The first step for creating a winning CSR strategy is to know what’s possible for your business. That’s why business leaders who are serious about CSR should examine what other companies have accomplished through their social good programs.
To help your research, we’ll look at top companies with thriving CSR programs and provide insight into how you can incorporate their strategies into your initiatives. While many of these are large companies, even small businesses can adapt their practices to fit their resources and capabilities.
But first, let’s explore why companies offer CSR programs and the sheer variety of ways you can approach CSR at your business.
Why do companies participate in corporate social responsibility?
CSR benefits society. Through these programs, nonprofits receive donations, the environment gets cleaned up, and employees have safe and healthy working conditions. These are all obvious reasons why CSR is a positive force, but what do the companies paying for these initiatives get in return?
It turns out businesses committed to CSR can more than make up their investment. They can expect benefits like:
- New marketing opportunities. Some CSR programs involve partnering with third-party organizations, usually nonprofits. To say thanks, these charitable organizations promote their business partners to their supporters, opening up new marketing channels and providing a foot in the door with new customers.
- Easier recruitment. Along with holding on to the employees you have, CSR also helps businesses find and recruit top talent. For instance, if your company is committed to worker safety, health, and well-being, word-of-mouth about your positive work environment will likely spread, resulting in more qualified applicants.
- Boosted reputation. Just as employees want to work for employers committed to social good, customers want to shop at ethical businesses. For example, let’s say you have the choice of buying two products of equal quality. One brand has a spotty history with CSR, while the other pledges to donate a portion of proceeds to good causes. In this situation, most buyers would select the business with a positive reputation.
- Improved employee engagement. Employees tend to work harder, care more about the quality of their work, and stick with their employer longer when they feel like they are working for a good cause. By doing good in your community and implementing socially responsible internal practices, you’ll help employees feel more engaged, increasing productivity and loyalty.
The benefits your business gains depend on the types of CSR programs you offer. For example, will you focus on internal practices to engage employees, explore external philanthropy to connect with your community, or try a mix of both approaches?
What are the types of corporate social responsibility?
CSR is ultimately an umbrella term that consists of all the activities a company does to further social good. This includes both philanthropic donations and internal company conduct.
To give you a sense of the sheer variety of CSR programs, here’s a brief list of some of the most common types of CSR:
- Employee giving. Workplace giving programs involve facilitating donations to nonprofits by encouraging your employees to donate. To encourage employee donations that align with their missions, many businesses provide recommendations for nonprofits to support. Corporations can also boost employee donations by offering to match their gifts, usually at a dollar-per-dollar rate. Although, some businesses match at a 2:1 or even 3:1 ratio.
- Sustainability. Sustainable companies are positive for the environment and signal to investors that their businesses plan to operate for decades to come. CSR programs focused on sustainability usually involve reducing their carbon footprint, eliminating waste in the production process, taking accountability for any environmental clean-up needs, and using renewable energy sources.
- Volunteerism. Rather than asking employees to donate their paychecks, businesses can enable them to donate their time. Volunteerism programs include team volunteer days wherein the business organizes a volunteer activity in partnership with a nonprofit, volunteer time off where employees can take paid time off to volunteer, and volunteer grants, where businesses donate to nonprofits based on how many hours their employees volunteer.
- Adherence to workers’ rights. Treat workers with respect by providing fair wages, creating an equitable and diverse workplace, promoting employee health and wellbeing, and using supply chains that follow ethical labor practices.
- Sponsorships. As mentioned, philanthropic donations fall under the umbrella of CSR. Sponsorship agreements typically involve monetary donations but may also include gifts of supplies or specialized services and promoting nonprofit causes.
- Grantmaking. Some businesses, usually large corporations, establish grantmaking foundations as part of their CSR efforts. These organizations have a specific focus area for which they provide grants, such as advocacy, environmentalism, or economic equality.
Whether you plan to launch several or just one CSR initiative, software can help you organize and monitor your program. While CSR software providers have various focus areas, most solutions allow businesses to track employee donations, manage grants, facilitate nonprofit relationships, and oversee matching gift requests.
Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility
1. TOMs
Shoe retailer TOMs has made CSR a part of its brand to the point of becoming a Certified B Corporation, meaning the company meets high standards for social impact, environmental protection, and accountability. Not only has TOMs achieved this honor, but the organization has boosted its initial score of 96.3 in 2018 to 121.5 in 2021, all while the median score for businesses hovers at just 50.9.
TOMs takes a multi-pronged approach to CSR, dividing its efforts into three categories:
- Purpose. TOMs aims to create a more equitable world by supporting grassroots nonprofits. As such, TOMs donates a third of its profits to nonprofit organizations dedicated to boosting mental health, increasing access to opportunities, and ending gun violence.
- Planet. TOMs seeks to improve its environmental friendliness in multiple ways, specifically by using sustainable and recycled materials. Currently, 80% of TOMs’ packaging is made from recycled materials, and the company aims to use 100% sustainably grown cotton by 2025.
- People. In addition to giving to nonprofits, TOMs aims to improve internally by positioning their organization as anti-racist, launching volunteer initiatives on GivingTuesday, and working with suppliers that share its values.
TOMs is proud of the impact it has made so far and only aims to improve its CSR programs in the future.
CSR Takeaway
There’s no need to choose just one type of CSR program for your business. Taking a multifaceted approach to CSR like TOMs allows your business to engage employees, build a positive reputation with customers, and connect with like-minded organizations.
Conduct an internal assessment and determine what improvements you can make immediately and what may take a few years for your company to accomplish. For instance, you may be able to set up a long-term partnership with a nonprofit organization within a few months but need several years to reduce your carbon footprint.
2. Checkr
Checkr, a leader in the background screening industry, exemplifies corporate social responsibility through its commitment to creating fairer employment opportunities and enhancing impact with generous giving. Recognized for its innovative approach and dedication to social good, Checkr has integrated CSR into its core values, earning accolades and driving significant positive change.
This company’s CSR initiatives are designed to promote social justice, environmental sustainability, and community engagement. Its matching gift program in particular stands out for the simplicity with which its staff can get involved through an auto-submission partnership with Double the Donation!
CSR Takeaway
Checkr is a CLMA-designated matching gift company, which means the company is a Certified Leader in Matching Automation. In other words, Checkr prioritizes accessibility and a streamlined submission process in its programming, making it easy for employees to engage.
Checkr’s comprehensive CSR strategy demonstrates that a business can drive meaningful change by addressing social, environmental, and community needs in a way that rallies the whole company.
3. PayPal
PayPal’s payment processing services need little introduction, but many may be less familiar with how they use this technology to help charities earn more donations through the PayPal Giving Fund.
Essentially, the PayPal Giving Fund supports charitable organizations through this four-step process:
- Charities create a registered account with PayPal. Registered charities will receive PayPal’s low processing fee rates and access to donation opportunities on PayPal and its partner organizations, including GoFundMe, eBay, and Humble Bumble.
- Supporters donate through PayPal, eBay, or another PayPal partner. Many PayPal partners will even cover processing fees for charities, making donations to nonprofits go even further.
- PayPal receives the donation and provides the donor with a receipt. PayPal will use this information to provide participating charities with monthly donation reports.
- The funds are added to the charity’s PayPal account. In addition to individual donors’ gifts, charities can receive grants and major gifts through PayPal.
Along with ensuring donations are securely processed, PayPal’s extensive partner network helps nonprofits receive funds from various sources.
CSR Takeaway
This CSR program takes advantage of the technology PayPal already has to help nonprofit organizations. Assess your business’s products and services and whether they would benefit charitable organizations in your community. If so, you can provide your offerings at a reduced cost or even for free to nonprofits for a philanthropic CSR program.
4. FP Markets
FP Markets is a financial trading service that allows customers to trade Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Metals, and Bonds. FP Markets is also committed to CSR, stating that its mission is to: “Actively contribute to the well-being of communities and the environment. Through sustainable practices, philanthropic initiatives, and ethical decision-making, we aim to make a positive impact on society, fostering a better future for all. Our projects across multiple sectors reflect this goal, promoting change and fostering a healthier, more equitable world.”
Currently, FP Markets has two unique CSR programs worth highlighting:
- Men’s Health. FP Markets focuses on promoting advocacy for overlooked health issues that affect men, including prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health conditions.
- Cricket Brazil Youth Development Programme. In this example of philanthropic CSR, FP Markets partnered with a Brazilian youth cricket organization to support young athletes and create a positive difference in their communities.
As these two causes show, FP Markets is interested in making a difference globally and partnering with a variety of charitable causes, no matter where they’re located.
CSR Takeaway
Your business doesn’t need to build an entirely new program to serve your community. Rather, try partnering with nonprofits in your area and support them through sponsorships and marketing assistance. These organizations already have the research, resources, and infrastructure to fulfill their charitable missions that align with your CSR goals.
5. Toast
Toast.org is the foundation founded by Toast, a point-of-sale software vendor for restaurants. Just as its products revolve around the food industry, Toast’s CSR program also revolves around food. Through its foundation, Toast aims to address hunger and provide access to healthy food.
Toast also encourages its employees and customers to participate in this mission. To motivate employees, Toast offers a matching gift program, which saw a 48% participation rate in 2022. Additionally, through its software, Toast provides restaurants with features to track and reduce food waste.
CSR Takeaway
When selecting your CSR mission, consider what focus areas make sense for your business. Determine what you have the resources to accomplish, what challenges your business and community face, and how your mission impacts your brand.
Many companies have CSR missions unrelated to their businesses. However, a mission that aligns with your products or services can make your brand memorable and allow you to better connect with new audiences that discover your business through your CSR program.
6. Amalgamated Bank
Amalgamated Bank brands itself as “America’s most socially responsible bank,” meaning CSR is a core part of its strategies. It focuses on a wide range of issues, including:
- Climate Justice
- Immigrant Rights
- LGBTQ+ Rights
- Anti-Violence & Gun Safety
- Criminal Justice
- Workers’ Rights
- Reproductive Rights
- Voting Rights
- Racial Justice
- Economic Justice
For each of these issues, Amalgamated Bank takes a proactive stance. Its CSR efforts range from offering pro-bono services to nonprofit organizations to not doing business with parties they feel are harmful, such as fossil fuel companies.
CSR Takeaway
Your business can conduct CSR in many ways. If there’s a focus area you care about but don’t have the resources to launch an entire program for, consider how else you can support it. For instance, if you’ve already used up your philanthropic budget by donating to economic equality groups, you might organize a corporate volunteer day with an environmental organization to plant trees.
Additionally, CSR benefits companies by associating their businesses’ names with good causes. There’s no need to be modest about your organization’s work to assist nonprofits, create a positive work environment for employees, and be a better corporate citizen. When you promote your CSR efforts, you’ll attract customers and employees who share your values, creating a positive and productive environment.
7. Ben & Jerry’s
Since its founding, Ben & Jerry’s has had two goals: provide quality ice cream and make the world a better place through activism.
Over the years, Ben & Jerry’s has expanded its activism into several focus areas, including ones both related and unrelated to its products. Currently, Ben & Jerry’s CSR programs center on these issues:
- Racial justice
- Fairtrade
- Rights and dignity of refugees
- Campaign finance reform
- LGBTQ+ rights
- Climate change
For examples of Ben & Jerry’s programs in action, it became the first ice cream maker to use Fairtrade Certified ingredients in 2005, and since 2014, all ingredients in Ben & Jerry’s products are Fairtrade Certified.
Or, in regards to climate impact, Ben & Jerry’s set climate goals approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. These include using 100% renewable energy and 40% greenhouse gas intensity reduction both by 2025.
CSR Takeaway
Ben and Jerry’s has evolved its CSR programs over time based on new urgent issues and its ability to meet goals. For instance, after the company achieved its Fairtrade-related goals, it continued the program and expanded its efforts to support Fairtrade Certified suppliers.
For your business, use this as inspiration to continue adjusting and expanding your goals. If you hit a target, consider how to push your company to do more.
8. Bombas
Specializing in socks, Bombas is a clothing company that gets its customers involved in its CSR initiatives. Workplace giving programs are popular because they allow employees to take an active role in making a difference, and the same principle applies to shop for a cause programs like the one Bombas offers.
Essentially, whenever a customer buys a t-shirt, pair of socks, or underwear—the three most requested items at homeless shelters—Bombas will donate the same item to one of their nonprofit partners, who then distribute the clothing to those in need.
CSR Takeaway
Determine how much you want your customers and employees to get involved in your CSR program. Some initiatives, like establishing a charitable foundation, are usually influenced very little by customers or employees, allowing the companies that operate them to act more independently.
However, programs that engage stakeholders are far more public and help businesses make CSR a part of their brand identities. Plus, initiatives like shop for a cause programs can lead to positive business outcomes. After all, if a buyer knows each item they purchase results in a donation, they’re likely to buy more than they normally would.
9. Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle, renowned for its commitment to fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients, exemplifies corporate social responsibility through its dedication to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and community support. Recognized for its forward-thinking approach and substantial impact, Chipotle has seamlessly woven CSR into its brand identity, garnering praise and driving considerable positive change.
Chipotle’s CSR efforts focus on promoting environmental sustainability, ethical farming practices, and community involvement. Notable among its initiatives is the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which supports sustainable agriculture, family farming, and education programs. Additionally, the company’s Harvest Program, which donates unused food to local communities, stands out as a testament to its commitment to reducing waste and supporting those in need.
CSR Takeaway
Chipotle’s comprehensive CSR strategy showcases the power of integrating employee-led philanthropy into a business model, and this is only reiterated by its status as a CLMA-designated (or Certified Leader in Matching Automation) employer. By prioritizing its matching gift program and enabling auto-submission for employees, Chipotle not only enhances its brand reputation but also sets a high standard for corporate responsibility and employee engagement in the food industry.
10. Land O’ Lakes
Founded in 1921, Land O’ Lakes is a farmer co-op that produces a wide range of agricultural goods, from dairy products to animal feed. As part of their co-op model, Land O’ Lakes is deeply committed to community and empowering farmers, stating: “We believe success shouldn’t only be measured in financials and figures, but also in stories told and lives changed. That’s why we’re using our voice to elevate the ongoing work our farmers, members and employees are doing in their communities and beyond.”
Along with an investment in sustainability, Land O’ Lakes is most notable for its recent work with the inventory management platform Spoiler Alert to increase timely food donations. Food companies that produce products with limited shelf lives, like Land O’ Lakes’ dairy products, often want to donate excess products but have challenges doing so in a timely manner.
By partnering with Spoiler Alert, Land O’ Lakes alleviated this problem, and in 2023, the company donated 3.6 million pounds of food, far surpassing its initial goal of donating 3 million pounds cumulative by 2030. With this new technology, Land O’ Lakes has updated its donation goal to 15 million pounds of donated food by 2030.
CSR Takeaway
Technology can dramatically improve your company’s ability to enact its CSR programs. From efficiency leading to increased productivity to organizational capabilities improving tracking, the right software can streamline your efforts.
11. PNC
PNC provides retail banking, asset management, and corporate banking services to customers across the United States. With over 1 million customers, PNC serves a wide range of communities and has CSR programs dedicated to meeting the unique needs of every location.
Specifically, PNC offers two major CSR programs dedicated to improving local communities:
- The PNC Community Benefits Plan is a pledge to provide $88 in financial support over a five-year period to moderate and low-income communities. PNC has provided loans to small businesses, mortgage financing, community investments, and charitable donations.
- PNC hosts multiple employee volunteerism programs, including skills-based and pro bono work programs that allow PNC legal professionals to lend their services to nonprofits in their local communities.
CSR Takeaway
If your business has multiple locations, consider CSR programs that allow you to address local needs. For example, employee volunteer programs enable employees to give back to their unique communities. This type of initiative allows you to adapt to a variety of situations and needs rather than creating one program with blanket policies.
Corporate Social Responsibility Examples: More Resources
There are as many ways to approach CSR as there are businesses operating. The examples in this guide are a strong place to start to inspire your own CSR efforts to positively impact your community, all while boosting relationships with customers and employees.
Of course, to create the transformative programs listed here, these companies started with a strong foundational knowledge of CSR best practices. Continue to expand your business’s expertise with resources like these:
- Corporate Citizenship: Creating Meaningful Community Impact. CSR is about being a good corporate citizen. Explore the nuances of how to make an impact in this guide.
- Top Employee Engagement Companies Leading By Example. CSR efforts can boost employee engagement. Discover the intersection of employee engagement and CSR with these real-world examples.
- CSR in Action: Corporate Social Responsibility Examples. Interested in exploring even more examples of CSR programs? Check out this guide to discover the vast world of CSR.
Engaging Multigenerational Donors [With Workplace Giving]
/in Donor communications, Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerTons of companies offer workplace giving programs as a way to incentivize employees to give back to their communities. To make the most of these philanthropic initiatives, qualifying nonprofits are taking increasingly proactive steps to drive supporter participation. But with a need for engaging multigenerational donors in the workforce, promoting the opportunities is not a one-size-fits-all task.
Instead, we recommend exploring effective strategies as you tailor your approach to each age group. And you’ve come to the right place to do so! In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about engaging varying generations of supporters, including:
- The Unmatched Value of Multigenerational Donor Engagement
- Top Fundraising + Workplace Giving Strategies by Generation
- Collecting Donor Data to Segment Your Engagement Strategy
- Our #1 Recommendation for Engaging All Generations: Automating Workplace Giving
Remember: the more you adjust your fundraising approach to your intended audience, the more likely the segment is to actively engage with your efforts.
Ready to create impactful and inclusive workplace giving programs that resonate with every generation in your supporter base? Let’s dive in.
The Unmatched Value of Multigenerational Donor Engagement
Your organization is likely backed by a wide range of donors of all ages, races, genders, backgrounds, and more. But do you take a universal approach to engagement? How exactly does a person’s stage in life factor into their relationship with your organization? Where do employee giving opportunities come into play for any age group?
These are the questions you should be asking yourself if you’re looking to develop a multigenerational engagement strategy.
And doing so is essential. After all, facilitating long-lasting connections with supporters of all age ranges empowers your organization to build a sustainable donor network.
As of findings from 2022 annual giving, the estimated generational giving breakdown is as follows:
- Matures — 20.2%
- Baby Boomers — 40.8%
- Generation X — 22.9%
- Millennials — 13.9%
- Gen Z — 2.2%
Meanwhile, the makeup of the current workforce looks like this:
- Matures — 1.3%
- Baby Boomers — 25.6%
- Generation X — 33.1%
- Millennials — 35%
- Gen Z — 5%
All in all, workplace giving programs continue to go significantly underutilized, with an estimated $4 to $7 billion in corporate funds going unclaimed from matching gifts each year—with volunteer grants and other employee giving initiatives falling short as well.
Ultimately, a strategy that focuses too narrowly on the older generations is likely to miss out on the immense opportunities made available by the up-and-coming (and, in many cases, already here) younger donors in your network. Conversely, centering too much on younger donors can cause missed potential from older generations who remain and still possess invaluable experience, deep connections, and a strong commitment to philanthropic support.
The answer? A well-balanced, multigenerational fundraising and workplace giving strategy that prioritizes the strengths of each group to maximize overall success.
Top Fundraising + Workplace Giving Strategies by Generation
With different characteristics defining each segment, effective workplace giving efforts can vary accordingly. Here, we’ll provide an overview of the five generations currently in the workforce—and partaking in philanthropy—and our recommended practices for engaging with the group.
Source: Giving USA’s Special Report – Giving by Generation
The Matures
- Age in 2023: 77 years and older
- Key Characteristics: Dependable, straightforward, and reliable
- Influenced by: Tradition, loyalty, recognition, and authority
- Preferred Communication Channels: Direct mail, phone calls
- Preferred Giving Methods: Direct mail, check/cash donations
Born prior to 1946, the Matures (also known as the Traditionalists or the Silent Generation) exhibit strong values of loyalty, discipline, and respect for authority. They have a powerful sense of duty and often prioritize stability and tradition. Though the causes they support are widespread, the Matures tend to be drawn to established institutions with long-standing, positive reputations.
Though the vast majority of the Mature generation is now retired, the group continues to give generously to the organizations they care about. In fact, retirees contribute an estimated 42% of all charitable dollars in the U.S. each year.
Our Top Tip: Familiarize yourself (and your team) with matching gift and volunteer grant programs that are inclusive of retirees!
Luckily, a lot of companies include retired employees in their workplace giving programs—such as the Coca-Cola Company, Johnson and Johnson, Chevron, Gap (and its subsidiaries), and many more.
However, there’s a good chance that eligible retirees (or even those still working for the companies) remain unaware of these programs. Thus, it’s a good idea for your organization to research available programs and communicate the opportunity to your audience.
Baby Boomers
- Age in 2023: 59 to 77 years old
- Key Characteristics: Optimistic, driven, and value personal growth
- Influenced by: Social change, civil rights, and economic prosperity
- Preferred Communication Channels: Meetings, phone calls, Facebook
- Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, check/cash donations
Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers are a generation known for their strong work ethic and dedication to social causes. This group believes in making a tangible impact on specific communities or individuals through their charitable contributions. Plus, they often seek opportunities to actively engage with causes they care about.
When engaging Baby Boomers in workplace giving, it is crucial to emphasize the outcomes and measurable results of their doubled donations. Recognizing their long-standing commitment to making a difference and providing volunteer opportunities can also resonate well with this generation.
Our Top Tip: Highlight the opportunity for Baby Boomers to leave a lasting (and multiplied) legacy through workplace giving.
As this group approaches or enters retirement age, Boomers often take the time to reflect on their life’s accomplishments—and the impact they want to have made. By emphasizing how their contributions, combined with corporate funding, can create a meaningful and enduring impact on the causes they care about, nonprofits can tap into their desire to leave a positive mark on the world.
Be sure to provide tangible examples and motivational stories that demonstrate how matching gifts and volunteer grants have made a difference for your organization!
Generation X
- Age in 2023: 43 to 58 years old
- Key Characteristics: Independent, adaptable, and familiar with significant changes
- Influenced by: Authentic storytelling and tangible giving outcomes
- Preferred Communication Channels: Email, social media
- Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, event-based giving
Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X is known for their independent, resourceful, and self-reliant nature. Gen Xers often seek causes that align with their personal beliefs, and they appreciate efficiency in communications. Plus, this group values flexibility and giving experiences that provide a sense of meaning.
When engaging Generation X donors in workplace giving, it’s a great idea to offer options that cater to their individual wants and needs. Providing customizable and streamlined ways to get involved with matching gifts, volunteer grants, and more, highlighting tangible outcomes, and offering opportunities for skills-based volunteering that align with their professional expertise can be effective ways to engage with this generation.
Our Top Tip: Harness Gen X’s desire for financial efficiency by promoting the potential to double their donation impact through matching gifts.
Generation Xers, who are often at the peak of their earning potential, appreciate maximizing the value of their giving. Highlight the fact that their donations can be matched by their employers, effectively doubling the impact they make on the causes they care about. And it’s all without reaching back into their own wallets at all!
Millennials
- Age in 2023: 27 to 42 years old
- Key Characteristics: Tech-savvy, socially conscious, and outcome focused
- Influenced by: Peer-to-peer communication, transparency, and impact
- Preferred Communication Channels: Email, text messaging
- Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, peer-to-peer fundraising
Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials are a generation characterized by their tech-savviness, passion for social justice, and desire for meaningful experiences. They grew up in the age of technological advancements and are often highly connected through social media and other digital platforms.
Overall, this group values transparency and tangible impact and is typically more motivated to give to causes rather than specific institutions. Millennials saw a 40% increase in average annual household giving from 2016 to 2022—the only generation with a positive change in the period. Providing opportunities for hands-on involvement, peer-to-peer fundraising, and highlighting the collective impact of their contributions can further engage this segment.
Plus, the group is already highly involved in workplace giving, with more than 86% of Millennial employees donating to nonprofit causes. Not to mention, a 2020 study reported that 58% of young professionals had given through an employee giving program, compared to only 37% overall.
Millennials also volunteer at a higher rate than any other generation, which means that volunteer grants are an excellent opportunity to pursue.
Our Top Tip: Mention workplace giving opportunities in your Millennial-focused donation appeals to incentivize giving in the first place!
A recent study indicated that while 64% of donors say that the presence of a matching gift is likely to motivate them to give, Millennials are more likely to be impacted by a match (over 78%) than any other generation.
Not to mention, younger generations of donors are increasingly likely to work for socially conscious companies that offer matching gift and volunteer grant programs, thus elevating their chances of eligibility.
Gen Z
- Age in 2023: 11 to 26 years old
- Key Characteristics: Tech-native, prioritizes diversity, and values social justice
- Influenced by: Desire to create social change
- Preferred Communication Channels: Messaging, texts
- Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, crowdfunding, monthly giving
Gen Z represents the youngest group entering the workforce and, subsequently, becoming potential donors. Born between 1996 and 2012, Gen Z is often overlooked for its relatively limited capacity to give. However, this group currently has the “fastest growing economic power across all generational cohorts.”
With an estimated $360 billion in disposable income in 2021, Gen Z is expected to grow its aggregate income to over $33 trillion by 2030. As their disposable income grows, organizations can expect donation amounts to follow. And securing them as supporters now can go a long way in the end!
Also worth noting is that Generation Z is the most likely to opt for monthly giving (62%), which is often attributed to their familiarity with paying for subscription-based services. They favor regular communications as well, typically preferring monthly updates from the organizations they support.
Our Top Tip: Communicate the potential of workplace giving initiatives to further amplify recurring donations.
A common misunderstanding surrounding matching gift programs is that recurring donations do not qualify for employer matching. But in most cases, that’s generally not true! Make an effort to research your monthly donors’ corporate giving guidelines and communicate relevant information to your supporters.
By participating in their employers’ philanthropic initiatives, recurring donors can make an even greater impact on the causes they care about. You just need to break down the myths that are holding your match potential back and take a proactive approach to marketing workplace giving opportunities to your youngest donors.
Collecting Donor Data to Segment Your Engagement Strategy
As with any effective segmentation strategy, you’ll need the right information to inform your organization’s efforts. As you aim to elevate your workplace giving initiatives with generational data, you’ll need two key types of details.
Demographic Information
What is it? Defined as “quantifiable attributes of a population, group, or individual,” demographic information includes details such as age, gender, income, education level, marital status, location, and more. Regarding multigenerational engagement, the most essential metric you’ll need is your donors’ (as well as volunteers’ and other supporters’) age groups.
Why does it matter? Having this information will allow you to target your workplace giving strategies accordingly! For example, you might determine that a top matching gift opportunity falls into the “Mature Generation” category. In that case, you may decide to send a direct mailing that highlights the opportunity and shares the information they need to participate rather than rely solely on digital outreach.
How can I get it? The easiest way is just to ask. But you don’t have to come right out and ask for their exact age. Instead, add an optional donation form field that prompts donors to enter their date of birth (hint: you can also send a birthday card!).
Or, ask supporters to check a box for the age range they fall into (ex: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+).
Employment Data
What is it? The other key information you’ll need to market workplace giving strategies effectively has to do with your supporters’ employment data. Though the companies your audience works (or worked) for is the most essential piece, it can also help to know their working status—such as full-time, part-time, or retired.
Why does it matter? This information will help your team (or your software) identify available opportunities for workplace giving programs. When you see that your donors work for companies that match gifts or your volunteers work for companies that provide volunteer grants, you’ll want to follow up with information about how they can get involved.
How can I get it?Add another field to your donation form that prompts supporters to enter the name of their company, or embed our employer search tool directly into your giving page or confirmation screen. With Double the Donation, you can even enlist follow-up messaging to provide another opportunity for donors to share the information with ease. Jump to the next section to learn more about how automation helps drive results!
Top tip: When you provide context for the ask (e.g., “See if your company will match your gift! Select your employer here.”), donors typically respond particularly well. On the other hand, a data appending service can help fill in the blanks for those who don’t provide it themselves.
Our #1 Recommendation for Engaging All Generations: Automating Workplace Giving
When it comes to engaging multigenerational donors in workplace giving, there is one strategy that stands out above the rest… And that is automating the process.
Workplace giving automation not only streamlines the process for your team behind the scenes but also enhances convenience, accessibility, and engagement for donors across all age groups.
Here’s how automation elevates matching gifts and volunteer grants:
Increases awareness of the opportunity for all supporters.
There’s a significant knowledge gap regarding workplace giving programs among every generation. In fact, an estimated 78% of eligible donors have no idea that their employer matches. Luckily, workplace giving technology automates marketing and promotions around the opportunity, ensuring that every donor receives information regarding the programs. When supporters are aware of their chance to stretch their impact further with matching gifts and volunteer grants, they’re often eager to participate!
Facilitates easy personalization.
Individuals of all generations appreciate personalized outreach. From seeing their name in an email subject line to being provided with insights for their employer’s giving program, tailored messaging strengthens relationships—and produces results. With a matching gift tool, the software fills in the blanks in customizable templates, providing highly specific communications with no added effort.
Appeals to all levels of tech savviness.
In today’s digital age, younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z often prefer digital engagement. After all, they tend to have ample experience with online transactions. And while older generations may not be as familiar with the technology, an automated tool can go a long way in helping guide them through the process with detailed assistance and step-by-step instructions. Now, they won’t need to go searching in their company’s intranet for a matching gift form to complete—because they were provided with a direct link to the submission portal in their email.
Tracks and drives more matches to completion.
Ultimately amplifying giving with more matches making it across the finish line, automation allows for seamless matching gift tracking and follow-ups. The end result is fewer matches left unclaimed and more corporate funds available to your organization. And when supporters of all ages see the impact of their contributions being multiplied, they’ll become increasingly engaged with your cause.
Final Thoughts
Engaging multigenerational donors is a dynamic and multifaceted process that requires careful consideration of your audience. After all, each segment plays a key role in your overall fundraising and workplace giving success. Thus, you’ll want to account for the diverse needs and preferences of every generation.
The better you understand the primary characteristics, values, and motivations that describe each group, the more effectively your organization can tailor its giving programs. Plus, there are a few key strategies that can lend themselves to powerful workplace giving results across all generations—such as investing in dedicated matching gift and volunteer grant technology—that you certainly don’t want to miss.
In the end, your nonprofit will be better funded, your donors feel strengthened connections to your cause, and the communities you serve experience greater programming made available through workplace giving revenue.
Best of luck!
Sources:
Creating a CSR Strategy: How to Forge a Lasting Impact
/in Learning Center, Corporate Consulting /by Adam WeingerThere 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:
- What is a CSR Strategy?
- Why is Developing a CSR Strategy Important?
- How to Create Your CSR Plan
- 4 Top CSR Strategy Examples
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:
- Creating a corporate giving program to donate funds to charitable causes.
- 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:
- Sustainability
- Employee well-being
- Corporate philanthropy
- Supply chain processes
- DEI
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.
Let’s examine four exceptional examples of CSR strategies to inspire your efforts:
REI
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 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:
- 16 Impactful CSR Statistics Charitable Companies Should Know. Become a corporate social responsibility expert by exploring this collection of CSR statistics for companies.
- What’s the Impact of CSR? FAQ & Key Benefits for Businesses. How much of an impact can CSR have on your company? Find out in this detailed guide.
- 25+ Top Corporate Volunteering Ideas to Inspire Employees. Get your employees out in the community with these 25+ inspiring corporate volunteering ideas.
9 Exciting Employee Giving Campaign Ideas & Real Examples
/in Learning Center, Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerThanks to the growing movement toward increased corporate citizenship, combined with innovative new technology, many companies are stepping up their employee-giving game like never before.
Businesses interested in creating or improving their workplace giving programs—as well as nonprofits eager to engage donors and corporate partners in new ways—will find inspiration in these versatile employee giving campaign ideas.
This guide will cover:
- The Importance of Employee Giving
- The Benefits of Workplace Giving Campaigns
- 9 Employee Giving Campaign Ideas to Try Throughout the Year
Before we dive into ideas your business can use for employee giving, let’s explore the basics.
The Importance of Employee Giving
The framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly popular across many sectors. It’s even inspiring employers to provide a variety of ways for their company to give back to the community in the form of philanthropic donations, volunteerism, and proactive policies that put people and the environment first.
Take a look at these statistics to understand the power of CSR:
- 77% of consumers aim to support socially responsible companies.
- 93% of employees believe companies must lead with purpose.
- 92% of consumers would buy a product that supports a good cause.
A welcome shift from the “greed is good” mindset of past generations, corporate citizenship promotes commitment to sustainability both inside and outside corporate office walls.
Employee giving (also called workplace giving) is one of the most popular CSR strategies. It creates opportunities for everyone in a corporate environment to support charitable organizations and causes in a collective effort, making a much greater impact than what most individuals can do alone. From annual fundraisers and donation drives to giving days and volunteer programs, employee giving campaigns will (and should!) look different in every workplace, depending on your unique company culture and values.
However, there is one aspect of employee giving every workplace campaign should include: matching donations.
When individual employees give from their own pockets to eligible nonprofits, their companies should match those donations. Through matching gift programs, companies can double their employees’ impact on the causes they care about. This kind of support and commitment builds buy-in, signals to employees that their company is just as committed to this work as they are, and affirms that their participation is seen and celebrated.
The Benefits of Workplace Giving Campaigns
Employee giving initiatives backed by matching donations can do a whole lot of good—and not just for your nonprofit beneficiaries and the communities they serve.
A company’s public image, for example, can undoubtedly improve with well-documented charitable contributions. Plus, the tax incentives for large philanthropic gifts are nothing to shrug at. Still, it’s the impact that workplace giving campaigns have on employee morale that cannot be understated.
Generosity, science tells us, is tied to human happiness. Creating meaningful opportunities for employees to build relationships and contribute to good causes alongside their peers leads to a greater sense of belonging, stronger engagement in future activities and projects, and higher staff retention. It’s a win-win-win!
With the help of automated systems, giving can become an integral part of the culture of your workplace. Imagine an environment where giving is as much a part of your work week as logging into your email in the morning—not just once a year, but throughout! That’s achievable by implementing matching gift programs and hosting regular employee giving campaigns.
9 Employee Giving Campaign Ideas to Try Throughout the Year
We’ve gathered some of our favorite workplace giving campaign ideas you can implement year-round at your office. Plus, each idea features an example from a real nonprofit that nailed it.
Every workplace is different, so think creatively about how you can customize and adjust these ideas based on your company’s size, time constraints, interests, and areas of specialty. The possibilities are endless—just like your potential for making a positive impact in your community.
1. Prepare for winter with in-kind donations.
Winter is a particularly difficult time of year for many nonprofit beneficiaries, especially if they’re individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty. Encourage your employees to make in-kind donations, which are any non-monetary gift, to organizations that need them. This is an especially great idea for employees with tighter budgets who may not be able to justify a monetary donation.
To make the donation process easier for your employees, partner up with one or a few specific nonprofits. Ask them what donations would be most helpful to them, and then provide your employees with that list of items. Organizations might be searching for items that directly help their beneficiaries, such as canned food or winter clothing, or they might be searching for items to empower them to more effectively help their beneficiaries, such as computers, printers, or fundraising event decorations.
Real-world example: Second Helpings Atlanta is a nonprofit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the Metro Atlanta area. It rescues healthy, nutritious, surplus food and distributes it to those in need.
They’ve created a network with over 75 food donor organizations across Atlanta, including businesses such as Chick-Fil-A, Mercedes Benz, Pizza Hut, and Publix. These businesses work with Second Helpings Atlanta as part of their CSR and employee giving initiatives to use food for good in the local community.
2. Lean into the competitive spirit for Giving Tuesday.
Year-end is a popular time of year for nonprofit fundraising, and it all begins with Giving Tuesday. This global day of generosity happens the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is meant to channel the shopping madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday toward a worthy cause instead.
A virtual peer-to-peer or team fundraising Giving Tuesday campaign is an easy and fun way to foster friendly competition as individuals or staff teams try to out-raise one another for their cause.
The secret to a successful peer-to-peer fundraiser? Keep spirits high and be a cheerleader for your fundraisers! Celebrate everyone’s hard work by shouting out teams at various times throughout the campaign and offering prizes for the teams with the most donations, the highest amount raised, or even the most team spirit.
Real-world example: For the Together Housed campaign, participants created personal or team fundraising pages to raise money over three weeks for women in Los Angeles experiencing homelessness.
This virtual effort raised over $155K for the Downtown Women’s Center and culminated in a live-streamed celebration to thank individual fundraisers and corporate sponsors.
3. Turn your holiday party into an opportunity to give back.
The holidays bring out the giving spirit in even the Grinchiest among us—especially if the food and drinks are free. If you’ve already budgeted for a staff gathering or outing for the holidays, think about adding on a party-worthy fundraising element like a silent auction to benefit a local nonprofit. This is also an excellent time to celebrate your Giving Tuesday teams or winners with silly prizes or awards!
Depending on the size of your staff, a team can volunteer to source auction items or request that everyone (CEO included) contribute an item, experience, or basket to auction off during the party.
Sourcing items can be work-intensive, so make the rest of the process easy on your team by using an online silent auction platform that partygoers can use to bid right from their smartphones. Mobile bidding also makes it easy to create a hybrid or virtual auction experience if your remote employees want to start a bidding war for a good cause.
Real-world example: The Ultimutt Auction fundraiser for the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation offered bidders a range of fun experiences and items from local businesses. To reach a wider audience and build momentum to raise more funds, the organizers had the online auction open for a week, enabling them to raise over $21K!
4. Kick off the new year with a monthly giving program.
With everyone energized by your Giving Tuesday and holiday party success (and hopefully some time off), build on this momentum to get employees excited about giving back regularly.
A great place to start is by hosting a casual “Lunch and Learn” once a month, where a guest speaker or representative from a local nonprofit gives an informal presentation about their impact and need.
The actual giving part can happen in a few different ways:
- A monthly stipend from the company that employees can donate
- Informal monthly contributions matched by the company
- Automated payroll deductions (also matched by the company)
Build buy-in by providing incentives like a catered lunch for those who attend and asking staff to nominate organizations or community groups that are meaningful to them. National celebrations like Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March), Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), etc., can be a great guidepost for causes to highlight if you’re not sure where to start.
Be sure that your company’s matching gift program is set up before you begin your new monthly giving program. That way, you’ll be able to engage your employees through philanthropy and increase the impact of gifts to your local nonprofits.
Real-world example: Clothing retailer rue21’s annual giving campaign organizes staff fundraising teams by department (Marketing, Merchandising, Human Resources, and so on). Each year, they have raised more funds for their nonprofit partner organization, Foster Love Project, which serves youth in foster care.
5. Spring into volunteering.
Financial contributions aren’t the only way to make a difference in your place of work. Harness the power of your team’s talents to give back through volunteer hours or pro bono projects in partnership with a local nonprofit, school, or other community organization.
Volunteering can be skill-based work (graphic design, tutoring, or even accounting!) or just helping with whatever is needed (envelope stuffing, serving meals, or checking people in). It’s all about meeting the needs of your particular community partner.
The key to success here is to incentivize volunteering, which can happen in many ways.
Some companies, including 40% of the Fortune 500 list, give volunteer grants to employees who put in a certain number of hours, and others offer perks like additional vacation time. You can even liven things up by making it a competition to see who can give the highest number of hours by a specific date.
Real-world example: Chicago-based software company Sprout Social organized Philanthropy Week, which combined volunteering and team-based fundraising for local nonprofits.
Teams of employees chose an organization in their community, created fundraising pages, and volunteered on-site to foster deeper connections with their partners.
6. Create your own workplace giving day in May.
Aside from being a great help to nonprofits, volunteering is also one of the most effective team-building activities. Hosting a workplace giving day can empower your company to build connection and belonging amongst your staff—and contribute to a good cause at the same time.
As the weather warms up, partner with a local nonprofit that needs a lot of hands for a park cleanup, meal prep, material assembly, mural painting, or other beautification projects. Make sure everyone on your staff is able and incentivized to attend, get t-shirts made for the occasion, and cap it all off with a celebration and big group photo.
If all goes well, try to make it an annual event that employees look forward to, your nonprofit partners can plan around, and the entire community can feel proud of.
Real-world example: When pandemic restrictions made in-person activities impossible, Presence Marketing organized a virtual 5k and complementary fundraiser in partnership with a charitable foundation to help build a Kindergarten in the West African nation of Togo.
The event was so successful that they organized a second annual day of giving the following year to benefit another charity project!
7. Celebrate summer with sponsorship.
June is the start of summer and Pride Month, a great time to support organizations that serve the LGBTQ+ community. Give your coworkers a special night out together and raise some serious money by sponsoring a fun fundraising event, like a standup comedy, drag show, or a combination of the two!
Planning events is a lot of work, so if that’s not something you can take on, seek out a nonprofit partner already planning a benefit event that you can sponsor. Or enlist the help of a local venue that can help match you with a good cause. If a virtual or hybrid event can help you reach your community better, livestream it!
Real-world example: Platinum Top 50, an industry organization for real estate professionals in Texas, organized a comedy show fundraiser featuring standup and improv from some talented local realtors. In addition to ticket sales, extra donations from individuals and corporate sponsorships helped them to raise over 200% of their original goal for their hunger-fighting nonprofit partner.
8. Go virtual with a back-to-school drive.
Drives for essential items like jackets, toys, and perishable goods are popular for workplace giving campaigns for many reasons. For one, those who are making donations can immediately see the real-life impact of their gifts, which is sometimes harder to communicate with solely monetary asks.
With a virtual drive, donors can still understand exactly where their money is going and, at the same time, give the nonprofit beneficiary more oversight and flexibility to order the items they need and get them directly to the people who need them.
This campaign idea is also great for remote office teams, as virtual drives open up donations to a broader pool of people and save the time and energy it can take a team of employees to collect, organize, and transport items.
Real-world example: With several businesses participating, Teachers’ Treasures organized the Gr8 Paper Push Virtual School Supply Drive and enabled donors to select specific classroom items or just make a flat donation to the campaign.
This campaign also had an added team fundraising element. Local businesses competed with one another to raise the most, which created a lively, fun atmosphere.
9. Make a No Shave November everyone can join in on.
Movember and No Shave November, popular social challenges to see who can grow the most facial hair, were created to raise awareness and funds for men’s health and cancer prevention. Anyone can play on this idea for a good cause of their choosing—just make sure to take lots of photos!
Real-world example: For their annual Let It Grow! campaign, Vermont-based victims’ services agency Windham County Safe Place engaged teams from the police departments, hospitals, and legal groups that they work with for a light-hearted competition. Each team was encouraged to grow facial hair or rock colorful hair extensions and bright nails for the month. Inclusivity for the win!
Every participant received a special pin for joining the campaign. They created their own individual or team fundraising page, donated $25 or more, and encouraged their friends and family to help them reach their goal. The top three earners even won a special prize at the end of the competition! The novelty of this campaign drew attention to their cause from local media and helped them to raise thousands of dollars.
Additional Resources
From selling tickets and making donations to administering payroll deductions and matching contributions, automating as much of your workplace giving campaigns as possible will save you a lot of time and energy. CSR platforms can free you up to focus on what really matters—engaging your workplace community and creating meaningful ways to give back together.
Looking for more inspiration? Dive deeper into these additional resources:
- Employee Giving Guide: How to Empower & Engage Employees. Discover valuable tips for employers looking to empower and engage employees through philanthropy.
- Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies. Learn more about workplace giving, why it matters, and additional resources for getting started.
- Office Fundraising Ideas. Explore 15+ more creative fundraising ideas you can implement in your workplace.
Company Spotlight: Maximizing Matching Gift Innovation with Innovative Discovery
/in Learning Center, Learning Center, Corporate Consulting, Company Spotlights, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam WeingerThe 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!
Read on to learn more about:
- What to Know About Innovative Discovery
- Current Matching Gift Program Guidelines
- Standing Out With Matching Gift Auto-Submission Through Selflessly and Double the Donation
- Innovative Discovery’s CSR Software Partner, Selflessly
- Other Innovative Giving Initiatives
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.
Learn more about Innovative Discovery’s matching gift program guidelines here.
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.
- From there, the matching gift request is processed behind the scenes—thanks to the integration between Double the Donation and ID’s corporate giving software Selflessly—and the match funding is paid out to the organization.
Learn more about matching gift auto-submission with Double the Donation here.
Innovative Discovery’s CSR Software Partner, Selflessly
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.
- Corporate Matching Gift Programs: The Definitive Guide for Growing Your Revenue. Nonprofits looking to maximize their funding through corporate matching gift programs should check out this resource to learn more about the basics of donation-matching, top matching gift companies, common guidelines, tools, and more.
- 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.
What are Challenge Gifts? A Guide to High-Speed Fundraising
/in Learning Center, Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerA thoughtful and robust fundraising strategy is key to any nonprofit’s success. As a nonprofit professional, you’re probably always on the lookout for new ideas and strategies to spice up your organization’s fundraising efforts. That’s where challenge gifts come in—when done correctly, this fundraising idea can supercharge your mission with increased gifts.
In this guide, we’ll go over the basics of challenge gifts and empower you to leverage them by covering the following topics:
- What is a challenge gift?
- What are the benefits of challenge gifts?
- What are the drawbacks of challenge gifts?
- Getting Support for Your Challenge Gift Campaign: 5 Tips
Challenge gifts offer a dynamic way to elevate your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy. By leveraging the power of these incentivized donations, you can boost donor engagement, drive higher contributions, and create a sense of urgency that propels your mission forward.
Whether you’re new to this strategy or looking to refine your approach, this guide will equip you with the tools to maximize your fundraising efforts and achieve greater success.
What is a challenge gift?
A challenge gift is a donation that is contingent on another goal, usually another donation. Typically, the donor will commit to contributing a certain amount to a nonprofit if the organization or its other donors fulfill a certain goal or take an action within a certain amount of time. Only then is the donation made.
Common challenge gift goals include:
- Total money raised. This goal is fairly self-explanatory—essentially, the donor’s gift hinges on the nonprofit reaching a fundraising goal. For example, a major donor might commit to donating $20,000 if the nonprofit raises $40,000 worth of other donations during their next fundraising campaign.
- Total number of donors. Instead of committing a donation based on the amount raised, some donors choose instead to base it on the total number of donors that give during a set amount of time. The goal for this type of challenge gift is to help the nonprofit recruit more donors. Some challenge donors may specify that they only count first-time donors, while others will count donations made by any donors.
- Matching gifts. For a matching donation challenge, a major donor or sponsor will commit to matching gifts made by other donors. For instance, a major donor may match gifts at a 1:1 ratio up to $30,000. That means that if you raise $30,000 from other donors, then you’ll receive $60,000 in total. However, if you raise less than the match amount, such as $10,000, then you’ll only receive the match up to that amount, or $20,000 total.
Challenge gifts are a great way for a major donor to inspire and encourage other donors to give, resulting in greater fundraising success for the nonprofit. When handled properly, these challenges can be used to secure future support and improve the sustainability of your organization.
What are the benefits of challenge gifts?
At this point, you may be thinking: Aren’t challenge gifts just donations with strings attached? Why would I want those instead of straightforward donations?
Although you might feel that way, challenge gifts bring your nonprofit a variety of game-changing benefits. Some of these include:
- Increase fundraising impact. The most obvious benefit of challenge gifts is that they incentivize supporters to give. Your supporters are invested in your nonprofit’s success, which makes it more likely that they’ll donate so that you can secure challenge gift funds.
- Attract new donors. If the challenge gift is contingent on acquiring a certain number of donors, it will be especially useful in attracting new donors. Plus, challenge gifts inspire a sense of urgency, providing a compelling reason for potential supporters to engage through donations.
- Engage board members. Board members who are passionately invested in your nonprofit’s cause may inspire and engage their fellow board members by making a challenge gift for them. For example, a board member might say that they will give an extra $30,000 if the board as a whole gives $200,000 by a certain date.
- Strengthen existing relationships. The urgency from the time-sensitive nature of challenge gifts will also help you secure donations from previous donors. Alongside a great stewardship plan, challenge gifts can greatly contribute to engaging previous donors and increase retention rates.
- Form corporate partnerships. Although challenge gift donors don’t have to be businesses, if they are, it presents an opportunity for you to form partnerships with companies that are invested in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Having such a partnership may lead to future support through initiatives such as employee matching gifts, volunteer grants, in-kind donations, and more.
- Secure long-term support. Aside from short-term support for immediate fundraising campaigns, certain challenge gifts can also help your nonprofit secure long-term funding. For example, a challenge donor may create a bequest challenge for $50,000. Every time someone submits a signed statement that they have put your nonprofit in their estate plan, the donor will release $2,000 from the challenge gift total.
When it comes to boosting your fundraising and securing support, challenge gifts are a valuable opportunity for nonprofits to reliably meet their goals. While the donor dictates the terms of the challenge, the concept itself has a lot of flexibility, as it accommodates multiple types of challenges.
What are the drawbacks of challenge gifts?
We’ve already touched on the main drawback of challenge gifts—the inability to fulfill the challenge, and therefore the loss of the challenge gift funds. The most common restrictions on a challenge gift include:
- Goal amount. Whether it’s the number of donors or the donation amount, each challenge gift comes with a goal that the nonprofit must reach. Without reaching this objective, part or all of the challenge gift might be forfeited.
- Time. That challenge gifts are time-sensitive creates a great sense of urgency that propels supporters to give. However, that same benefit is also a restriction—your nonprofit only has a set amount of time to reach your goals. This duration can vary greatly, based on the challenge the donor has set.
- Donation requirements. These refer to any extra requirements that the challenge donor places on gifts that count toward the challenge gift goal. We’ve discussed that the challenge donor might choose to restrict the type of donor that can participate in the challenge, but they can also restrict the type of donation that qualifies. For example, they might specify that the challenge only applies to direct donations and specify that purchases made at a fundraising auction don’t qualify.
Another challenge nonprofits face with these types of gifts surrounds identifying the right donor to fulfill the pledge. After all, it can be difficult to find the right individuals or companies that are willing and able to offer a meaningful challenge gift. However, with careful planning and the right tools, this process becomes much easier. By leveraging donor data, analyzing past giving history, and using tools to identify potential high-value donors, you can quickly locate the ideal candidates for challenge gift campaigns. Additionally, clear communication and compelling reasons for their involvement can motivate the right donors to step forward.
Although challenge gifts have their drawbacks, with proper planning and consideration, you can mitigate their disadvantages. While they might put your nonprofit’s fundraising and donor acquisition strategies to the test, the result will be well worth it—a large amount of funds that you can leverage to support your beneficiaries.
Acquiring Support for Challenge Gifts: 5 Tips
To help you make the most of any challenge gifts your nonprofit receives, we’ll go over five tips for acquiring support to fulfill your challenges. Let’s dive in!
1. Create a challenge gift proposal.
While some donors may make a challenge gift unprompted, it’s more likely that your nonprofit will need to specifically seek out challenge donors, much like you seek out sponsorships. To do so, you’ll want to draft a challenge gift proposal to pitch to potential donors.
As you create your proposal, be sure to:
- Introduce your nonprofit. Provide a general overview of your nonprofit’s mission, beneficiaries, and the purpose of the challenge gift that you’re requesting.
- Give any relevant context. If there’s any relevant information that would help contextualize your proposal, add it. For example, if your nonprofit works with individuals experiencing homelessness and the weather is much colder than usual in winter, you may say that you’re fundraising for warm winter clothing.
- Outline your goals. Whether your goal is to obtain funds, new donors, or bequests, outline it in your proposal. Be specific—for instance, you may say that you want to raise $100,000, attract 500 new donors, or obtain 300 bequests.
- Determine the challenge details. Lay out the general details of your challenge so your potential challenge donor knows exactly what is expected of them. Let’s say you want to raise $100,000. In your proposal, detail that you want to do this through a matching donation challenge, where your challenge donor matches $50,000 worth of donations at a 1:1 ratio to help you meet your overall goal of $100,000.
- Detail the benefits. Aside from describing what you need from your challenge donor, let them know what they’ll be getting from your partnership as well. For instance, if you partner with a company, include their logo and branding on your promotional materials. That way, they can access potential customers amongst your nonprofit’s supporters.
Keep in mind that your challenge gift proposal should look different depending on which potential donor you’re trying to connect with. Just as you would segment your regular donors based on their interests and preferences, make sure to tailor your proposal based on the donor’s gift capacity and previous engagement with your nonprofit.
2. Strategically connect with challenge gift donors.
There are different types of potential donors that you can connect with to pitch challenge gifts to. When first starting, we recommend reaching out to similar types of potential donors to get a better feel of interacting with them and minimize the number of proposals you need to customize.
In general, most challenge gift donors fall into one of the following groups:
- Local businesses. When connecting with local businesses, focus on the benefits that you bring to the local community and how that will bring greater success for the business. For instance, your nonprofit’s environmental focus might enhance a business’ neighborhood and bring in more customers.
- Large corporations. Large corporations will likely have more money to donate as a challenge gift to your cause but require more effort when forming a partnership. Keep your pitch focused on the benefits that they receive from the partnership. This could look like a shoutout from your nonprofit or a mutually beneficial CSR partnership. A corporate giving database like Double the Donation’s can help you identify companies that make a habit out of giving back, too!
- Major donors. Especially if they’ve previously made donations to your nonprofit, major donors are invested in your mission and strongly want you to succeed. For these pitches, you can discuss more in-depth the benefits that your nonprofit will receive while emphasizing how their previous support impacted your success.
- Foundations and grantmakers. For this group of potential challenge donors, you’ll likely go through a rigorous application process to be considered. However, foundations and grantmakers exist to provide support to nonprofits, so you can focus your application on what your nonprofit gains.
- Celebrities and influencers. Celebrities and influencers receive a large boost in reputation for being associated with charitable causes such as your own. Plus, their influence will greatly increase the visibility of your challenge. Be sure to take both of these factors into consideration as you craft your appeal to this group of potential donors.
To help you narrow down the potential donors you should connect with, focus on those who have already indicated a philanthropic interest in some way. For example, businesses with existing corporate citizenship or CSR initiatives that align with your cause will be more open to aiding your nonprofit.
3. Thoroughly promote your challenge gifts.
Ensure that your challenge gifts drive the impact you desire by thoughtfully promoting them to all of your nonprofit’s supporters. Use the following marketing channels to do so:
- Your website
- Direct mail
- Text or SMS
- Social media
Send communications before and during the challenge to drum up excitement and secure support. Provide all relevant details to supporters so they know how they can help. For example, if your goal is to acquire 100 first-time donors, ask your supporters to reach out to their friends and family to appeal for first-time donations. Provide templates for social media posts and emails that they can use to make their appeals easier.
Additionally, be sure to focus your messaging on urgency and speed. Emphasize the approaching deadline and don’t be afraid to send multiple messages during the challenge as reminders. To make this process more efficient, consider using a marketing tool to streamline your promotional efforts.
4. Maximize your gift impact with employee matching.
When properly planned and marketed, one of the great benefits of challenge gifts is a boost in the number of donations made during the challenge. Maximize the impact of gifts by diving into employee matching gifts.
If you’re new to matching gifts, they are a form of corporate philanthropy where employers match their employees’ donations to nonprofits. Although most match at a 1:1 ratio, particularly generous companies may match at a higher ratio, such as 2:1 or even 3:1.
This is how it works:
- An employee donates to a nonprofit.
- The employee submits a donation match request to their employer.
- The employer reviews the request.
- The employer approves the match and donates the matching funds to the nonprofit.
As around $4-7 billion of matching gift funds is estimated to go unclaimed every year, it’s clear that one of the biggest obstacles to obtaining matching gift funds is awareness.
During a donation challenge period, you’ll be sending out many communications to supporters to urge them to donate. Maximize the impact of those donations by also reminding supporters to look into their employers’ matching gift programs. With a small amount of effort from them, they’ll be able to greatly increase the funds that you raise. Plus, it won’t require them to gift more of their money!
5. Celebrate achievements and goals.
When the period set by your challenge gift has ended, be sure to celebrate all achievements and goals met with your supporters. Recognize all the donors that have given during this time and thank them for participating in the challenge. Even if you didn’t meet your goals, saying a simple thank you goes a long way toward facilitating long-lasting and fruitful relationships.
If you did meet your goals, then consider hosting a celebration! This can take the form of a donor appreciation event, where you invite all those who gave to come and have fun. Or, if your donors are spread all over the country or the globe, send gifts to them instead. These don’t have to break your budget, as they can be small trinkets or merchandise branded to your nonprofit.
Just don’t forget to celebrate the challenge gift donor, too! After all, this individual or group played a pivotal role in your success, so make sure they feel valued in your efforts. Recognize their contribution publicly and privately, whether through a personal thank-you letter, a shout-out on social media, or a special mention at your appreciation event. Highlighting their generosity not only expresses gratitude but also strengthens the relationship, making them more likely to support future campaigns.
The most important thing is to let your individual and challenge gift donors know that your success would not have been possible without them. Show your genuine gratitude so that donors are incentivized to continue supporting your mission.
Wrapping Up & Additional Resources
Challenge gifts are an incredible opportunity for your nonprofit to buckle down and meet its goals. They also incentivize increased giving from your supporters through gamification, making them a worthwhile gift to receive.
If you’re interested in learning more about nonprofit fundraising opportunities, check out the following resources:
- Matching Donation Challenges: A Guide to Increasing Gifts. Matching donation challenges are a challenge gift that focuses on matching donations. Learn more about leveraging this type of challenge to raise more for your cause.
- How to Unlock Corporate Sponsorships: Get More Support. While not all challenge gift donors are corporations, there’s a possibility that you’ll need a business sponsorship to acquire these gifts. In this guide, you’ll discover how to unlock corporate sponsorships.
- Matching Gift Software Vendors: The Comprehensive List. Ready to increase the impact of donations with matching gifts? Check out this list of matching gift software vendors to streamline your processes.
Donor Recognition: When & How to Acknowledge Supporters
/in Nonprofit Basics, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerWhat would you do if your organization hit a record number of new donors within a year?
Celebrate! But what about after the initial excitement wears off? Discovering that donors share the same passion for your cause is exhilarating. However, many organizations fail to communicate their appreciation adequately, which can have negative retention effects.
In fact, lack of recognition is one of the top five reasons why donors choose to stop giving. That said, donor recognition is a key part of donor stewardship, which can usher first-time donors into long-term supporters.
In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of donor recognition and discover how your organization can create an effective acknowledgment strategy. Let’s dive in!
What is donor recognition?
Donor recognition describes the practice of thanking your organization’s donors for their gifts to your nonprofit. It’s a way for nonprofits to express gratitude and reinforce supporters’ commitment to the cause.
Many nonprofits separate recognition into tiers based on the type of gift and amount given by a donor. We’ll explore this concept more later, but for now, know that nonprofits refer to this tier system to ensure their recognition level matches a donor’s generosity.
There are several methods for recognizing donors. Everything from a simple phone call to a fancy outdoor display falls under this category. At the most basic level, you should send a prompt donor thank-you letter or email acknowledging them for responding to your fundraising appeal and supporting your mission. As with any nonprofit fundraising letter, this thank-you should:
- Be personalized with the donor’s preferred name
- Include relevant, engaging images
- Convey the impact of the donor’s support
Despite the various methods, the purpose of every donor recognition strategy is always the same: to acknowledge a donor’s generosity.
Why does donor recognition matter?
Donor recognition is a vital component of nonprofit fundraising and relationship-building. It’s what inspires donors to stick around and continue supporting your cause, so you can pursue your mission and build a community behind your cause. Let’s explore how meaningful donor recognition impacts both nonprofits and their donors.
Benefits for Nonprofits
Acknowledgment plays a fundamental role in acquiring, retaining, and inspiring greater support. For nonprofits, meaningful donor recognition helps:
- Increase donor retention. Recognizing donors makes them feel like they are making a difference. It also indicates that your organization prioritizes showing appreciation regardless of the gift amount.
- Encourage recurring giving. Donors who feel recognized are more likely to give more and give more often. When you take time to recognize a donor’s gift, you indicate that they’ve made a smart choice to donate to your cause.
- Acquire more donors. Recognizing donors publicly can act as a form of social proof. When people see their friends donate to a cause, it motivates them to explore the organization and maybe get involved themselves.
- Promote a positive brand image. Organizations that prioritize donor recognition further their positive perception in people’s minds. People notice when nonprofits go the extra mile for their supporters.
- Encourage an atmosphere of gratitude. Staff, volunteers, and other supporters want to work for an organization that expresses gratitude regularly. The positive emphasis on appreciation creates a vibrant work culture.
Nonprofits rely on their donors to power their missions, making proactive recognition a vital part of their fundraising efforts. From retaining donors to expanding your community of supporters, showing gratitude goes a long way.
Benefits for Donors
On the other side of things, proper acknowledgment can impact donors in several ways, too. Here’s a quick rundown of how you can influence supporters by recognizing them:
- Make donors feel valued. Donors like knowing that their gift is appreciated. Frequently showing recognition makes them feel valued as important contributors to your organization.
- Affirm their decision to give. Donors could have given to any cause, or not given at all. When you recognize their contributions, you reassure them that they made the right choice.
- Deepen their connection with your organization. When organizations recognize donors individually, it makes them feel like a part of the team. This deepens their connection and can even encourage them to get involved in other ways like volunteering.
- Remind them of their impact. With plenty of distractions, donors can easily forget to support your organization regularly. But, when you recognize them, you remind them of their special part in driving impact. After all, 41% of donors will give again when they receive personalized outreach on the impact of their support.
- Offer community connections to like-minded people. Recognition policies, especially event-oriented ones, allow donors to connect with like-minded individuals and expand their personal and professional networks.
As you can see, consistent donor recognition accomplishes both nonprofit-related and donor-related objectives. That’s why creating a robust recognition program now can cause positive ripple effects for your organization for years to come.
When should you recognize donors?
The short answer: as soon as the gift is received. Expressing acknowledgment and gratitude promptly is what makes donor recognition matter. After all, saying thank you a few weeks or even a few days later does not carry the same meaning. Instead, aim to recognize a donor within 48 hours of receiving their gift. Many nonprofits document their official gift recognition and substantiation procedures in their gift acceptance policies.
Of course, more involved recognition strategies like a naming opportunity will take longer to complete. However, all donors should receive a prompt and personalized acknowledgment. More specifically, plan to thank donors at every touch point. For example, capital campaigns should use donor recognition strategies that actively support the larger campaign purpose and complement each stage of the project.
Who should your nonprofit recognize?
Your goal should be to make all supporters feel recognized and valued for their contributions, regardless of the size of their gift.
But, it’s important to choose recognition strategies that adequately address the level of a donor’s generosity. Responding with an unexpected abundance or limited amount of recognition can throw your donor relationships off-kilter, leading to feelings of dissatisfaction.
To avoid this, you’ll need to create donor recognition levels based on donation type, donation amount, engagement level, and donor type. Let’s explore each in more detail below!
Donation Type
There are several different donation types, from matching gifts to in-kind donations. Generally, donors give through one of the following donation methods:
- Cash: Direct monetary deposit to your nonprofit organization.
- In-Kind: Food supplies, medical supplies, or other tangible goods.
- Time: Donors can choose to devote part of their time to volunteering with your organization and may even apply for volunteer grants to help you raise more funds.
- Matching Gifts: Many corporations offer matching gifts as a part of their philanthropic initiatives, meaning they match their employee’s donations at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio.
Depending on the type of donation, you can organize your recognition program to acknowledge donors’ specific gifts. For instance, if a donor opts to give through a matching gift program, your recognition should acknowledge their thoughtfulness in doubling their donation.
Donation Amount
Many nonprofits segment their donor tiers by donation amount. How you determine the tiers will depend on your organization’s average donation size. A smaller nonprofit’s average donation size might be $200 while a more established nonprofit’s average donation size might be closer to $2,000.
For example, a community-based nonprofit’s donation recognition levels might look something like this:
- Friends: $100 – $499
- Tax receipt and handwritten thank-you note from the Executive Director
- Recognition in annual report
- Believers: $500 – $4,999
- All the benefits of the Friends level
- Exclusive updates on nonprofit activities, impacts, and forthcoming initiatives
- VIP experiences and behind-the-scenes access or unique networking opportunities
- Advocates: $5,000 – $19,999
- All the benefits of the Believers level
- Website or newsletter recognition feature
- Named sponsorship recognition
- Visionaries: $20,000 – $49,999
- All the benefits of the Advocate level
- Press release and major publication recognition
- Special event recognition
- Naming opportunities
- Ongoing personalized stewardship
You can also organize these levels based on impact. For instance, a food pantry might categorize amounts by their ability to feed five families, 50 families, or 250 families. Adjust the amounts and the recognition titles to best suit your organization’s average donation size and mission impact.
Engagement Level
You can also categorize donors by their engagement level with your organization. This identifier will significantly impact how you decide to recognize them. Here are the various engagement levels to consider:
- First-time donors: It’s important to promptly recognize first-time donors to affirm their decision to give to your cause and welcome them to your organization. Welcome packets full of fact sheets about your organization, branded merchandise, a thank-you note, and upcoming volunteer opportunities are a great way to recognize new donors.
- Repeat donors: Currently active donors who know your organization well are also worth recognizing. Show them your appreciation with personalized phone calls, exclusive nonprofit updates, and event invitations tailored to their interests.
- Major donors: Donors who give significant amounts of money to your cause deserve thoughtful recognition. Keep them in the loop with specialized impact reports and dedicated donor thank-you events as a part of your stewardship efforts.
- Legacy donors: People who decide to dedicate their life’s earnings through planned gifts or estate plans qualify as legacy donors. Include these generous individuals in legacy society publications and send them exclusive updates on their future gifts’ impact.
You can categorize this donor data within a dedicated CRM so that your team can reference and update it throughout your relationship. That way, you’ll never miss a beat when recognizing new or long-time donors.
Donor Type
When you think of donor recognition, you might primarily think of individual contributors. However, there are a few different types of donors, and you should adjust your recognition strategies for each type. Donor types differ across three major categories:
- Individual donors are private individuals who contribute their personal funds. They are the most common type of donors and range from small contributors to high-net-worth individuals making major gifts.
- Corporate donors are companies that provide financial support or other resources. Corporate giving takes various forms, such as monetary donations, in-kind contributions, employee volunteer programs, or cause-related marketing partnerships.
- Foundations are organizations formed to provide funding and support to charitable causes. They can be private (i.e., established by individuals or families) or public (i.e., government-funded or endowed by corporations).
As mentioned, you’ll need to adapt your recognition efforts for each donor type. For example, personalized acknowledgments and donor spotlights are suitable for individual donors, while corporations might benefit from specialized CSR employee engagement programs. Foundation recognition, on the other hand, would take the form of grant acknowledgments.
Top Donor Recognition Ideas
Depending on the above considerations for each donor, there are several ways you can recognize them. As always, you’ll need to match the strategy to your relationship with the donor for maximum impact. Here are some top recognition ideas based on engagement levels and donation amounts:
Digital eCards
To make your recognition both prompt and personalized, use digital eCards. This approach allows you to send a branded thank you to donors. These digital tools make it easy to honor donors and spread the word about your cause. It’s as simple as logging in, customizing your design, drafting a thank-you, and sending it to your donor’s social media account or inbox.
Not to mention, eCards are a great source of revenue when you sell them to supporters, too. Check out this video for an in-depth review of how this technology works:
From thanking donors to raising funds, digital greeting cards can add a special touch to your fundraising techniques. Greeting cards are perfect for any occasion, including saying thank you to your valued supporters!
Phone Calls
Simple and straightforward, a phone call from your nonprofit’s Executive Director is a meaningful way to recognize a donor. This strategy will make donors feel seen by your nonprofit’s efforts. Be sure to have the donor’s donation type and amount handy so you can express gratitude for their specific gift.
Branded Gifts
Send your donor nonprofit branded merchandise as a thank-you! Blankets, t-shirts, hats, and hoodies all make for fabulous donor recognition gifts that will make your donor feel welcomed into your organization. If your nonprofit has an online gift shop, consider sending a donor a discount to choose a branded gift that best suits them.
Thank-You Notes from Beneficiaries
Your donors likely expect a thank-you message from your nonprofit’s team, but you can pleasantly surprise them with a handwritten appreciation letter from your beneficiaries. All you need to do is:
- Sign up beneficiaries to write letters. Ensure they know that this is a small time commitment to encourage more people to join.
- Provide writing resources for beneficiaries. Offer items such as a thank-you card template, paper, and pens to make the writing process as easy as possible.
- Coordinate letter drop-off. Instead of sending letters themselves, ask your beneficiaries to drop their thank-you letters off at your office. This way, beneficiaries don’t need to pay for stamps, and your donors’ sensitive information is kept safe.
- Send the thank-you notes to donors. Make sure to send your letters in a timely manner. If you’re worried about stamp prices, look into qualifying for USPS’ nonprofit discount to cut costs.
Take the following example from Youth For Understanding. The nonprofit offers study abroad opportunities, helping young adults learn about the world via semester and year-long exchange programs. They had previous program participants craft thank-you notes to send to their host families or anyone else who made their experience memorable.
This idea is a fun twist on traditional approaches to nonprofit thank-you cards, allowing your beneficiaries to build personal connections with donors and secure their future support.
Social Media Spotlights
Looking for a way to make an individual donor feel special? Social media spotlights are an effective option for highlighting your donor’s generosity. First, make sure your donor follows you online and regularly engages on the platform you choose. Then, with their permission, feature an image of them with a caption describing the impact of their generosity and why your team is grateful for their support. Or, host a livestream during a big campaign to thank donors.
Appreciation Videos
Appreciation videos are great for social media posts and blog posts on your website. These do not need to be long. However, be sure to include your executive staff thanking individuals for their support. You can also include, with their permission, a thank-you from the beneficiaries who your donors have helped. Doing this will help your donors understand the importance of their gifts.
Donor Lunch
Invite your donors to a dedicated lunch to celebrate their generosity. Send an invitation in advance and keep the invite list small to focus on a couple of key individuals. This option is great for donors who would appreciate more than a thank-you note but are uncomfortable attending a large dedicated event.
Donor of the Month Program
While your donors don’t give for the attention, you can still provide public shoutouts to your mid-tier contributors. Unlike social media spotlights, Donor of the Month is a time-bound award that’s given to the donor who’s made a big impact during that calendar month.
For instance, some good candidates for this award include a volunteer who decides to donate for the first time or an existing donor who smashes their peer-to-peer fundraising goal. You can highlight their dedication to your mission by:
- Featuring them in your newsletter
- Allowing them to write a guest post for your blog
- Interviewing them and sharing the video on your website and social media accounts
Ensure your donor consents to being publicly recognized and notify them in advance so you can get your appreciation materials out on time.
Outdoor Displays
Take your recognition outside with a vibrant outdoor display to honor your donors. A nonprofit-specific monument or statue outside your facility can be a valuable addition to your headquarters. Consider partnering with design and construction partners to ensure that your display can withstand weathering and is designed to inspire. Include donor names in a plaque beneath the display.
Donor Plaques or Walls
Probably the most well-known recognition practices, donor plaques and donor walls are popular strategies. Donor plaques honoring the sole donors of a nonprofit project are often posted outside of buildings that the donors funded, for example. Donor walls can display several names and are best unveiled following a capital campaign.
Appreciation Events
Host a virtual happy hour or in-person dinner as a way to say thank you to donors. This can provide a valuable opportunity for donors to network with other supporters and discuss your cause. You could even run an online cooking class or informal craft tutorial. Or, you can make your event larger scale and host a fancy gala; just be sure to keep the focus on donor appreciation.
Donor Hall of Fame
Donor social media shoutouts and Donor of the Month are great ways to publicly appreciate your donors, but you can take this idea to the next level for major donors by starting a Donor Hall of Fame. This honor should be reserved for your most engaged and influential donors and awarded sparingly (e.g. once or twice a year). You can inaugurate donors by:
- Hosting a dinner in their honor
- Adding their picture to a wall in your organization’s office
- Naming events and items after your donors
Unlike Donor of the Month and one-off shoutouts, this idea immortalizes your most impactful contributors. By going the extra mile with this idea, you can demonstrate how donations fuel your mission and that donors forever mark your nonprofit.
Board or Committee Invitations
Invite mid-sized and major donors to serve on advisory boards or committees. This form of recognition engages them more deeply in the organization’s work by showing you value their input and expertise.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering might not seem like an appreciation idea at first glance. However, many donors will appreciate engaging with your cause in new ways. By encouraging donors to volunteer, you’ll deepen their involvement in your mission. This will help them form a more personal connection to the work your organization does and see the impact of donations.
Private Tour
With this donor recognition idea, you’ll show donors where the magic happens! Even though they contribute to your mission substantially, many of your mid-sized and major donors may not have seen your office space and work sites before. Give donors an inside look into your organization by showing them around.
A great chance to use this type of recognition is when someone contributes to fund a specific project or initiative. For example, let’s say a major donor gave to your capital campaign to relocate to a bigger office. You might host an in-person tour or record a virtual one to show them around the new space.
Tips to Level Up Your Donor Recognition
Now that you have some creative donor recognition ideas, it’s time to brainstorm how you’ll cater each one to your unique donor community. Here are some ways to take these donor recognition ideas up a notch:
- Communicate impact. According to Blackbaud, two of the top reasons donors churn are because they never received information on how their gift was used, and they don’t think the organization needs them. Avoid this by tying donations to tangible results. For example, show donors you need their support by telling beneficiaries’ stories and giving them an inside look into their impact.
- Get permission for public recognition. While some donors might love a public shoutout, others might prefer private recognition, like a phone call or letter. Before acknowledging anyone publicly, ask them if it’s okay first!
- Get creative. While a traditional thank-you letter can show appreciation, catch your donors’ attention by testing new recognition techniques. You have tons of powerful technology at your fingertips. Pair that with your team’s creativity, and you’ll come up with out-of-the-box ideas. Even formatting your letters as eCards can make recognition more impactful.
Creating a thoughtful donor recognition strategy can go a long way in showing that you genuinely care about their support. Pay attention to what resonates with donors, and you’ll learn how to show appreciation in more meaningful ways.
Final Thoughts and Additional Resources
Your donors are the reason you can continue pursuing your mission. By properly recognizing them, you’ll increase donor acquisition and retention. Remember, acknowledge your donors often and authentically to convey your nonprofit’s appreciation for them. Be sure to always ask for their permission for public recognition and mention how their specific gift impacted your mission. In turn, thoughtful recognition will pave the way for stronger donor relations.
Did you enjoy this guide to donor recognition? Check out these resources to learn more:
- How to Write The Perfect Donor Thank You Letter – Do you want to make sure you get your thank-you note just right? Follow Kwala’s thank-you note guidelines for tips!
- Donor Data Management: A Quick Guide for Nonprofits – Keep your donor data clean, organized, and accessible with NPOInfo’s guide to donor data management. That way, you can make sure to send the best types of acknowledgment to each donor!
- Get to Know the Basics of Corporate Matching Gift Programs – Did you know that you can double your supporter’s revenue through matching gifts? Learn how in this ultimate guide.
Corporate Volunteering Platforms: Boost Employee Engagement
/in Learning Center, Corporate Consulting /by Adam WeingerCompanies that serve their communities stand out to customers and employees. With robust corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in place, businesses can engage their employees and prove their commitment to bettering the world around them.
With 63 million Americans already volunteering with nonprofits each year, corporate volunteerism is an easy way for companies to get started with CSR. To ensure your program runs smoothly, invest in a corporate volunteering platform. This type of tool facilitates the logistics of corporate volunteerism, making it easy for employees to participate.
In this article, we’ll cover the basics of corporate volunteerism and corporate volunteering platforms, including:
- What Is Corporate Volunteering?
- What Are the Benefits of Corporate Volunteering?
- What Are Corporate Volunteering Platforms?
- What Are the Top Features of Corporate Volunteering Platforms?
- How Do You Select A Corporate Volunteering Platform?
Whether you’re new to corporate volunteerism or want to make your existing program more efficient, corporate volunteering platforms are an excellent investment in your company’s CSR efforts.
What Is Corporate Volunteering?
Through corporate volunteering programs, companies encourage their employees to volunteer their time with charitable causes. These programs typically involve businesses promoting or organizing volunteer opportunities for their team. They may also feature incentives for volunteering, such as volunteer time off or volunteer grants.
What Are the Benefits of Corporate Volunteering?
While corporate volunteering clearly helps nonprofits gain more volunteer support, what about businesses? Why should your company start a corporate volunteering program?
There are so many advantages your company can unlock by starting a corporate volunteering program, including:
- Better working environment. Team volunteer outings allow employees to bond as they work together toward a common goal. As a result, 64% of employees involved in corporate volunteering claim that it has strengthened their work relationships. Corporate volunteering is also a purpose-driven alternative to typical office social opportunities. In fact, 70% of employees believe corporate volunteerism is a more effective morale booster than happy hours and other similar company-sponsored activities.
- Increased employee retention. CSR opportunities such as corporate volunteerism help people feel more engaged with their workplace. When people help to make the world a better place through their work, they’re more likely to stay at their current company, as evidenced by the fact that employees at purpose-driven companies have 20% longer expected tenures and 64% higher levels of job fulfillment.
- Improved employee performance. Some volunteer opportunities help employees work on skills that they can transfer to the workplace. Volunteerism can also improve employees’ mental and physical health, allowing them to perform at their best.
- Enhanced reputation. Consumers want to support companies with strong CSR initiatives in place. Considering that 77% of customers want to purchase from companies that contribute to the greater good, businesses need to actively promote their charitable efforts to stay relevant. Snapping some photos of your corporate volunteers in action and sharing them on your website and social media channels can demonstrate your commitment to CSR.
- Purpose-driven applicant pool. In addition to adequate salary, generous benefits, and opportunities for mobility, 65% of people prioritize companies with CSR programs when applying for jobs. By showcasing corporate volunteerism and other CSR initiatives, your company can attract purpose-driven applicants who will help better your workplace and community.
From employees to customers to job applicants, corporate volunteerism allows your company to develop stronger, longer-lasting relationships with a variety stakeholders.
What Are Corporate Volunteering Platforms?
Corporate volunteering platforms are a form of volunteer management software. These tools help companies manage their corporate volunteerism programs and streamline communication with volunteers. By investing in a corporate volunteering platform, you can formalize your program and take your CSR efforts to the next level.
What Are the Top Features of Corporate Volunteering Platforms?
Each corporate volunteering platform has its unique features. We’ve compiled a list of some of the top features to look for when choosing your own platform:
- Volunteer listings. What’s a corporate volunteering program without volunteer opportunities? Most platforms allow a place for you to organize volunteer outings or promote nonprofit volunteer events. That way, you can keep volunteer opportunities all in one place, as opposed to relying on email or direct mail to inform your employees.
- Recruitment tools. Your corporate volunteering platform should make it easy for your employees to sign up for volunteering. For example, you may upload branded sign-up forms and allow employees to apply for volunteer opportunities straight from your platform.
- Volunteer scheduling tools. Create a volunteer calendar so you can manage and update employee volunteer shifts. You can also add upcoming volunteer opportunities to the calendar so interested employees can save the date.
- Volunteer database. Keep track of key volunteer information using volunteer profiles. Store contact information so you can send reminders about upcoming events and communicate any necessary details. You may also add data about the types of opportunities each volunteer prefers so you can highlight volunteer outings they might be interested in. Lastly, a volunteer database can help you keep track of how many times each employee has volunteered so you can recognize those who have gone above and beyond.
- Mobile app. On the day of a volunteer event, the check-in process can be quite chaotic. To save time, some platforms offer an app that allows volunteers to check in beforehand. The app may also let volunteers access other features of the platform right from their phones or tablets.
- Volunteer hour tracking. There are a few reasons why volunteers may track their hours. One of the most common is for volunteer grant purposes. Companies that give volunteer grants to nonprofits usually do so based on the number of hours their employees volunteer with certain organizations. Alternatively, companies may hold volunteer challenges and offer rewards for employees who volunteer the highest number of hours during a certain period of time.
- Volunteer grant support. Once employees track their volunteer hours, they can complete a volunteer grant request form and send it to their employer. Facilitate this process by allowing volunteers to submit this form and track its progress right on your platform.
- Communication tools. Prevent volunteer-specific communications from getting lost in email inboxes by leveraging messaging options within your platform. Corporate volunteering platforms may offer chat functions for individual conversations and group messaging.
- Reporting capabilities. To understand and highlight the impact of your corporate volunteering program, look for a platform with reporting capabilities. For example, you may report on how many employees participate in your program, how many hours they’ve contributed, and which nonprofits you work with most often.
Of course, your company may not need all of these features to successfully manage your corporate volunteer program. Take the time to sit down with your team and determine which features are necessary before investing in a platform.
How Do You Select A Corporate Volunteering Platform?
With the different potential features in mind, you may be wondering how you should proceed with choosing a corporate volunteering platform. Follow these steps to make the best decision for your company:
- Determine your platform priorities. What features are essential for your corporate volunteering platform? For example, if you offer volunteer grants, you may prioritize platforms with volunteer hour tracking and volunteer grant request features.
- Create a budget. Like with any new purchase your company is pondering, setting a budget is key. Platform providers may charge a flat fee or charge per volunteer, so be sure to get an estimate of how much different options cost.
- Research different platforms. Now, it’s time to explore the different platforms at your disposal. In addition to the platform provider websites, check out reviews and testimonials from real users to guide your decision-making process.
- Request demos. When you’re in the final stages of platform selection, request demos from the platforms you’re considering. That way, you can test out the software and see if it fits your volunteer management needs.
- Select your platform. Meet with your team to make the final decision. If there’s any uncertainty about which platform is best, consider having a small focus group of employees involved in your volunteer program test your options and report back on which one they prefer.
To ensure your corporate volunteering platform is effective, you’ll want to make sure your employees know how to use it. Schedule a meeting to teach your employees the ins and outs of the platform and answer any questions they may have.
Wrapping Up & Additional Resources
Starting a corporate volunteerism program is a great first step in developing your CSR repertoire. With the right corporate volunteering platform, you can take your program to the next level, engaging more employees and helping tons of worthy causes.
If you’re looking for additional ways to enhance your corporate volunteering program, check out the following articles:
- 23+ Corporate Volunteer Ideas to Build A Better Community. Looking for volunteer opportunities to add to your corporate volunteering platform? Check out this comprehensive list of corporate volunteer ideas for inspiration.
- 9 Volunteer Thank You Letter Samples to Show Appreciation. Your corporate volunteering program would be nothing without your employees. Make sure you know they appreciate your support with a thank you letter.
- Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs: Learn the Basics. Volunteer grants allow you to encourage employee volunteerism and provide extra financial support to nonprofits at the same time. In this article, you’ll learn how you can start your own volunteer grant program.











































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