Workplace culture is not the pushed screensaver with a beautifully designed listing of corporate values or the photos of colleagues shared on your careers page of the website. It is the lived experience of employees, made and benefitting from their interactions with each other at their desk, over virtual meetings, and out of the office. For many employees, company values become real in two distinct moments: when they interact away from their desk doing something different or learning something new, and when they get to express a part of themselves as part of that culture.
Workplace giving and volunteering are key elements of bringing your work culture to life. When it is designed well, it becomes a practical expression of how the company cares for its employees: accessible, inclusive, and connected to the causes employees already value. A volunteer shift with teammates, a thoughtful conversation with an employee resource group (ERG), a matched donation that turns one person’s contribution to a cause they care about into something bigger…. These moments are more than nice extras; they are visible signals that purpose is part of how a company shows up for its people and its communities.
Purpose Is Stronger When Employees Can Participate
Companies often talk about purpose in broad terms: mission statements, values, commitments, and community impact goals. But employees experience purpose through simple and everyday interactions.
- Can they find a cause that matters to them on your intranet?
- Can they volunteer with colleagues without navigating a complicated time-off request?
- Can they make a gift in a way that feels personal but also secure and supported by the organization?
For many employees, volunteering is the most natural entry point into workplace generosity. It is tangible. It is social. It lets people see the work of a nonprofit partner up close and understand the need behind the mission. A strong volunteer program can therefore do more than organize service hours; it can create the trust, emotional connection, and shared experience that make employees more likely to consider a gift later.
The key is to treat volunteering and giving as connected parts of one employee journey, not as separate programs competing for attention. After a team volunteer event, employees can be invited to learn more about the partner organization, share the experience internally, or support the cause through your planned workplace giving campaign. The invitation should feel helpful, not transactional: “If this experience mattered to you, here is one simple way to continue the impact.”
Quick Case Study: Rise Against Hunger
For many of our corporate partners, meal packing events are an easy way to connect employees to impact, especially around the holidays. Nonprofit partners like Rise Against Hunger do the set up so that employees can come together to package nutritious meals for communities facing hunger, creating a shared experience that makes the impact of their service tangible. That connection often inspires employees to participate in workplace giving, support fundraising efforts, or champion deeper partnerships with Rise Against Hunger. Volunteering becomes more than a one-time event; it becomes the first step toward lasting engagement.
Make Giving Visible and Practical
Year-end campaigns can create momentum, but culture is built through repetition. If employees only hear about giving during one annual push, they may see it as a seasonal activity. If they see stories, opportunities, and leadership participation throughout the year, they begin to understand it as part of their company’s identity.
A year-round strategy does not need to be complicated. In fact, the most effective programs often start with simple, repeatable actions:
- A monthly spotlight on an employee-supported cause
- Quarterly volunteer opportunities tied to business priorities
- Leader participation that normalizes involvement
- Clear reminders about the timing of your matching gifts or payroll giving
One effective approach is to align employee engagement opportunities with established awareness days and the nonprofits leading those conversations. For example, World Water Day, observed annually on March 22, raises awareness about the global water crisis and the billions of people who still lack access to safe water. UNICEF USA uses the day to educate communities; share stories about the impact of water scarcity on children and families; and encourage action through advocacy, donations, volunteerism, and social media engagement. The annual campaign creates a timely opportunity for companies to share educational content, highlight water-related causes, or support employee fundraising efforts tied to a global issue.
Similarly, World Refugee Day, observed each year on June 20, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about the experiences of people displaced by conflict, disaster, and persecution. For its 2026 campaign, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) centered its message around “closing the distance” between refugees and the opportunities, resources, and support systems they need to rebuild their lives. To make it easier for workplaces to show their support, the IRC set up ready-to-use activities including cause marketing ideas, employee engagement opportunities, workplace giving support, and more. Their leadership for refugees empowered companies like Cotopaxi and the IKEA Foundation to get involved in the campaign.
By building a calendar around moments like these, companies can create a steady rhythm of engagement throughout the year. Whether highlighting World Water Day, World Refugee Day, or other mission-driven observances, the goal is the same: Connect employees to causes they care about and make giving and volunteering a visible part of company culture.
Three Practical Ways to Strengthen a Workplace Giving Strategy
1. Start with the employee experience. Map the moments when employees already engage with purpose: volunteer days, ERG activities, onboarding, team meetings, awareness months, etc. Then identify where a giving invitation would feel natural and supportive.
2. Connect volunteering to continued impact. After an employee tracks their volunteer hours or hosts a team volunteer event, provide a short thank you email that explains why employee engagement is important to your company and remind the employee of when your company offers giving opportunities and/or matching gifts. Encourage them to mark their calendars for your giving week or month.
3. Make participation visible and measurable. Share stories, recognize teams, and report progress in ways that highlight both community impact and employee engagement. Visibility helps show employees that giving is not an isolated act; it is something their workplace values and celebrates.
A Clear First Action for Corporations
Do you feature the same nonprofit partners for each campaign or leverage the same annual calendar? Try something new! Leverage one of our Take 20 toolkits as an upcoming volunteer opportunity and build a simple giving pathway around it. Our Take 20 toolkits help explain an important cause, show how leading nonprofits are addressing the need in communities around the globe, and allow teams to host the event when it works for their employees. They seamlessly incorporate volunteering, giving, learning, and connecting.
Bring Purpose Into the Everyday
Workplace giving is most powerful when it feels like a natural part of how a company cares for employees, communities, and the world around them. We know each company highlights giving and volunteering differently, and we are here to be a resource to support your company and boost your employee participation.
Visit the Employee Giving Hub. This free resource is filled with trainings, resources, and more.