Earlier this year, the giving platform Benevity released its 2023 Top Charitable Causes report. The report is a very telling snapshot of this moment in history, clearly showing that employee giving is motivated by the heightened crises we are facing globally. 

As a fundraiser who leads Global Impact’s emergency response campaigns for employee donors, I wanted to share a few of my takeaways from the report. The data is a humbling reminder that suffering can and will be met with equal (or greater) amounts of compassion and generosity when we give donors the chance to get involved.  

Takeaways 

  • 2024 is the year to strengthen and re-invest in your employee giving program. There was a 14% increase in Benevity platform donations despite overall declines in individual giving. Workplace giving remains a successful fundraising channel that fits well into most companies’ CSR goals. So, if you haven’t done anything new with your program in a few years, or haven’t built it back up post-pandemic, now is the time. 
  • Emergencies are a driver of generosity that companies must tap into. Crises like the Israel-Hamas War, the Maui Wildfires, and the Turkey-Syria Earthquake occurred throughout 2023 and drove giving year-round. Even if you have a set campaign window for your employee giving program, you need to be thinking about timely activations. That’s going to help drive giving and foster more meaningful connections for your employees.  
  • Some further advice: Making public statements about current events can be difficult for our corporate partners. How to respond, what to say? Focusing on the humanitarian aspect of a crisis and humanizing the impact is one strong way to address these events for your employees. It provides an outlet for expression and response amidst challenging times. 
  • Stick to prominent current events, as they are the most compelling emergency ask of employees. Note that ongoing crises that once dominated news cycles like the Russia-Ukraine War and COVID pandemic are no longer influencing Benevity’s reported giving totals the way they once did. Emergencies sadly have limited shelf-lives, and this is important for you to note with your campaign.
  • Some further advice: Leverage previous emergency donors for current appeals. If you had employees giving in response to the conflict in Ukraine, they’re likely interested in addressing the Israel-Hamas war in some way too. Conduct some outreach to your lapsed donors and drive stronger giving year over year. 
  • If you are not already offering volunteering, you should. The 57% increase in Benevity volunteer participation signals strong employee interest in giving outside of donations and a desire to give back while at work. Global Impact offers workplace volunteering resources and ideas on our Employee Giving Hub to help get you started.  
  • There are other ways for your company to engage with emergencies beyond charitable giving. While it might not be in the Benevity report, Global Impact has seen increased giving to our clients’ Employee Assistance Programs that help support their colleagues in need during a crisis. We can support this through platforms like Benevity, so it creates a seamless experience for employees with one place to go to do all their giving. This aligns with individual giving trends showing that donors are expanding beyond formal giving to 501(c)(3) nonprofits.  

Top Performers
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to highlight the Global Impact Charity Alliance members on Benevity’s top 20 causes list: 

UNICEF (#7) 
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories, helping to save and meaningfully improve the lives of children globally — focusing on the most vulnerable. This kind of scale and breadth of work means that there’s something compelling for all of your employees. Whether it’s ensuring that children have the opportunity to go to school or access healthcare, this global leader will always be a favorite on the Benevity platform for employee giving because they show their donors that they’re creating a better world for future generations. 

Islamic Relief (#9)
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza propelled Islamic Relief forward in giving totals this year, and for good reason. Islamic Relief partners have been distributing local food parcels, supplying hygiene kits to people in shelters, providing medical supplies to three hospitals, setting up mobile clinics, and more. Their critical and life-saving work in this crisis drove giving, and in particular they’re a great organization to connect with your company’s Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). Their faith-based roots are a strong connection opportunity for ERGs looking to address this crisis. 

Save the Children (#11)
It isn’t surprising to see Save the Children consistently in the top performing charities. They have a broad appeal and strong brand recognition, but they also offer companies very engaging employee activities and volunteer opportunities. For example, check out our webinar we hosted with them in August: Empower your employees as humanitarians. They combine powerful storytelling with meaningful updates on their work and impact.  

International Rescue Committee (IRC) (#12)
IRC is not only a global leader in addressing humanitarian crises, but they’re also very intentional about their connection with their donors. Employees who give to IRC at work receive timely and thorough updates on the impact of their gift. IRC does an excellent job communicating to donors about other ways to give and how to take advantage of matching gift offers.  

They and the rest of our charities provide critically needed aid for humanitarian crises around the world, and we are glad to see this level of support for their work. 

The full list: 

In their report, my colleagues at Benevity said, “In times of division and crisis, there lies a potent opportunity for companies and individuals to come together and act as a unifying force for good.” Here at Global Impact, we could not agree more. We can help you plan fundraising events, host employee engagement activities, connect you with leading charitable organizations, and more, to support your company’s employee giving campaign and broader CSR work. Reach out to connect with someone from our team.