20+ employee volunteering statistics any company should know

Corporations can engage their employees in a variety of ways, including offering effective compensation practices, advancement opportunities, and a positive workplace culture. However, your business and your community can benefit from another top engagement strategy: implementing an employee volunteer program.

Through these programs, businesses partner with local nonprofit organizations to provide employees with opportunities to contribute their time and skills to a nonprofit through volunteering. Many corporations operate these programs by offering time off to volunteer, team volunteer opportunities, and even grants to support nonprofits financially.

Of course, before launching a new employee engagement program, corporations should do their research to ensure it will be worth the return on investment. For employee volunteer programs, the numbers more than prove that these initiatives can increase engagement, satisfaction, loyalty, and productivity.

Interested in seeing for yourself? Here are several statistics that show what an employee volunteer program can do for your business.

Employee engagement statistics

• The average corporate volunteer participation rate is 33%.
• Employees who work at corporations with volunteer programs are five times more engaged than their counterparts at businesses without equivalent programs.
• Of surveyed corporate volunteers, 70% feel volunteering boosted employee morale.
• Interviews with employees about their experiences in corporate volunteer programs revealed that their programs were most fulfilling when companies considered employees’ input into which causes they support.
• In a 2023 volunteer transformation study, 31% of people who volunteered in the last 12 months did at least some of it online or over the phone.
• 49 percent of individuals state their biggest obstacles to volunteering are work commitments.
• 60 percent of companies offer paid volunteer time off, demonstrating that companies are taking steps to encourage greater participation.
• 79 percent of employees who participate in work-sponsored volunteer programs report being satisfied with their jobs, compared to only 55 percent of employees who do not volunteer through such programs.

Workplace volunteerism has an incredible impact on improving employee engagement. Whether they’re volunteering as a team or are given time off to volunteer individually, employees who participate are generally more satisfied and fulfilled both in and out of the workplace.

Workplace productivity statistics

• Employers who offered volunteer time off for their employees to work in their communities reduced turnover by 50 percent and increased productivity by 13 percent.
• A survey of Fortune 1000 companies found that group volunteering helps bond employees and leads to more productive workplace relationships.
• 79 percent of volunteers report that volunteering makes them feel better, leading to a healthier, happier workforce.
• In a workplace volunteer impact study, 64 percent of employees stated they believe the opportunities volunteerism offers have a positive impact on their individual professional development.
• 92 percent of HR executives believe that contributing time to a nonprofit can help employees enhance their leadership skills.
• The 2022 Global Benefits Attitudes Survey found that about a third of surveyed employees want their companies to offer volunteer days to improve their community and demonstrate a commitment to social responsibility.
• 64 percent of employees said volunteering with coworkers strengthens work relationships.
• After 12 months of volunteering, 93 percent of employees feel less stressed, leading to less burnout, fewer instances of absenteeism, and greater productivity.
• A study from McKinsey found that those who live their purpose at work are more productive than those who don’t. What’s more, they’re more engaged, loyal, and willing to recommend the company to others.

Corporate volunteerism not only boosts employee morale but also fosters skill development and stronger team collaboration. By encouraging volunteering, companies can enhance workplace culture and help employees feel more connected to one another and to the organization. This leads to fewer sick days and increased overall productivity.

Community relations and employee recruitment statistics

• Up to 71 percent of employees say it’s important their employer supports workplace giving and volunteering programs.
• Of corporations measuring their volunteer programs’ impact, 38 percent found they improved their reputation and public trust ratings. Meanwhile, another 29 percent felt they improved their brand perception.
• In the Millennial Impact Report, the top cause-related program Millennial employees reported wanting to see more of is company-wide volunteer opportunities.
• While only 39 percent of survey respondents said a company discussed cause work during the interview process, those that did influenced the interviewee.
• A report on the financial advantages of corporate responsibility found that 80 percent of employees prefer working for companies that care about its societal impact and contributions. Meanwhile, over half would refuse to work for an irresponsible corporation.
• 77 percent of consumers prefer buying from companies with CSR initiatives.

Corporate giving can transform brand reputation for the better. Volunteerism in particular enhances community relations and plays a direct role in recruiting top talent. Companies that actively engage in volunteering are viewed more favorably by potential hires since this communicates a commitment to supporting local communities and investing in employees’ skills. Some of today’s socially conscious consumers even research companies before purchasing a product or service.

How nonprofits leverage corporate volunteer programs

To maximize the impact of your company’s volunteer program, you should understand how to effectively collaborate with nonprofits. Nonprofits strategically partner with businesses to harness the skills, resources, and enthusiasm their employees bring to the table.

By understanding their approaches, your company can better collaborate with them to create impactful, rewarding, and sustainable volunteer programs.

Identify corporate partners.

Nonprofits seek companies whose values, purposes, niches, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals align with their own. For instance, an animal shelter might reach out to local pet stores for support. This ensures a shared vision and enhances the potential for long-term, impactful collaborations.

Nonprofits sometimes also look at the companies where their volunteers and donors work. They use this to indicate an alignment between values. Plus, there may be an opportunity to leverage an existing connection to facilitate an introduction to company leaders.

Publish volunteer opportunities.

To recruit volunteers, nonprofits will often publish upcoming volunteer opportunities online. Volunteer sites like Bonterra Tech’s Mobilize solution act as hubs of volunteer opportunities, helping organizations tap into large networks of passionate supporters.

Nonprofits can publish upcoming roles, events, and petitions, complete with all relevant participation details. Then anyone (including your company and its employees) can scroll through hundreds of nearby opportunities and conveniently find one that fits their needs.

When designing opportunities to attract corporate volunteers, nonprofits usually consider common corporate interests and the skills employees can offer. This can range from hands-on activities to pro bono services, ensuring that the nonprofit, company, and employee volunteers benefit from the experience.

Use a corporate volunteer database.

Nonprofits leverage corporate giving databases to find relevant opportunities. Volunteer coordinators primarily use them to search for their volunteers’ employers. Many organizations also put the power in supporters’ hands by embedding an employer search tool into their nonprofit’s website, such as on their volunteer information page.

Whenever the nonprofit or an individual searches for a company, the solution displays relevant details about that company’s volunteer program. It may cover their volunteer grants offering, including employee eligibility requirements, nonprofit eligibility requirements, and grant amounts. Some solutions will even list volunteer time off (VTO) opportunities for employees. The nonprofit can then reach out to anyone who’s eligible to encourage them to request a volunteer grant from their employer or use their VTO to work with the organization.

Overall, a volunteer database maximizes corporate volunteerism participation by empowering organizations to proactively identify high-value programs and market those programs to individuals.

Track and report impact.

Nonprofits use specialized solutions like Bonterra Volunteer Management (built on Mobilize) to measure the outcomes of corporate volunteer programs, track volunteer hours, and provide detailed reports to corporate partners. This transparency helps companies see the tangible benefits of their contributions and can be used to motivate ongoing support.

While Bonterra Volunteer Management is a point solution that you can buy on its own, nonprofits can leverage all of its features within Bonterra Fundraising and Engagement solution.

How to launch your employee volunteer program

Employee volunteer programs benefit your employees, community, and business. To start experiencing these advantages, meet with your employees to learn what causes matter to them and incorporate them into your CSR efforts.

When launching your CSR program, consider offering opportunities such as:

• Volunteer grants: Businesses that offer volunteer grants promise to donate to nonprofits where employees volunteer. The goal is to support the causes employees care most about with financial support. Team grants take this a step further by providing larger donations when groups of employees volunteer together as a way to foster teamwork.
• Volunteer time off: VTO policies give employees a certain number of paid hours or days to volunteer. This benefit not only supports community engagement but also helps attract and retain employees who value work-life balance and social impact.
• Team volunteer days: Organize group volunteer activities to encourage teamwork among employees while contributing to meaningful community projects. These events strengthen internal relationships and boost morale, creating a sense of shared purpose and pride within the company.

From here, spread the word about your volunteer program in company-wide communications. Be sure to get your company added to popular corporate giving databases to make it easy for nonprofits and employees to find your program’s guidelines, too. After some time, check in with participants to request feedback about how you can improve your program and increase employee participation in it.

Start making a difference

However you approach your program, corporate volunteerism can do a lot of good for improving your company’s culture, reputation, and impact. Think carefully about how you’ll maximize your impact, and launch your program as soon as possible.