Employee Volunteering Has Changed — and It's Not Going Back

The past three years have accelerated trends and created new opportunities for employee engagement. In the years leading up to 2020, employee volunteering was largely a binary choice. Companies offered their employees the opportunity to participate in either skills-based or traditional, hands-on volunteering. Each method had its own pros and cons, which were well known, and the recipe needed to host a successful volunteer event in each format was clear.

When workplaces cleared out in 2020, though, the formula was completely turned on its head at the exact same time that volunteer engagements became more needed than ever before.

Corporate social responsibility teams saw overwhelming need throughout their communities. More individuals faced food insecurity. Essential workers were unable to get access to life-saving masks. Children were forced to complete classwork at home, despite the all-too-common digital divide. And, of course, seniors who were living in assisted living centers and already struggling with loneliness were more isolated than ever before.

Human resource teams also realized the massive benefit their colleagues working in CSR could provide at this moment.  Corporate volunteer events — whether held virtually or not — could assist employees who were struggling with feelings of helplessness (and hopelessness) as well as feelings of disconnection.

Learn more about how Give To Get met the moment in our recent guest post for America’s Charities.