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giving back in 2025 🤝
let's chat about corporate volunteering
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Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends! 🦅
We hope you’re reading this on Friday (or even better, Monday) with a cup of coffee and the last leftover slice of pumpkin pie.
And hello to our readers from all over the world, of course👋
Today, we complete the Thanksgiving theme by looking ahead to 2025 and having a ponder about corporate volunteering trends 🧠
We hope this sparks some ideas for your business, and wherever you are, have a peaceful weekend and we’ll be back in your inbox on Monday!
In Today’s Edition
🤝 Why Corporate Volunteering Matters Now
🛋️ The Break Room: How do you feel about your company's current volunteer program?
📚 Human Readsources: Success comes from doing what you love (Warren Buffet says so), Employee confidence remains flat amid job concerns, Walmart and others roll back DEI policies.
Can we do more in 2025 than we did in 2024?
Today seems like an ideal opoortunity to reflect on giving back. To our local community and beyond. Corporate volunteering programs can benefit great organisations, deliver social impact and build team spirit.
The numbers don't lie - 94% of companies now run these programs, and they're seeing amazing employee retention as a result.
Today we'll look at a few ways that you can make corporate volunteering work for your business as we prepare for 2025.
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🌟 Why Corporate Volunteering Matters Now
Let's face it - corporate volunteering isn't just about feeling good anymore. It's obviously amazing to give back and do the right thing but it's also becoming a major player in employee engagement and retention.
And with the workplace evolving faster than ever, traditional once-a-year volunteer days just aren't going to cut the mustard.
According to recent data, companies with strong volunteer programs see 52% lower turnover rates.It's not about forcing everyone to plant trees together, its about flexibility and choice.
For example, micro-volunteering opportunities, virtual charitable options, and skills-based programs that actually align with what your people care about.
For you (HR pros) who we know are juggling a million priorities, this means rethinking how you approach corporate giving. Create a menu of options rather than one-size-fits-all programs.
Your employees want to give back, but they need it to work with their schedules, skills, and interests.
🔗 Relevant links
👀 TLDR
Corporate volunteering is evolving beyond feel-good PR into a serious retention tool (with 52% lower turnover!). Ditch the one-size-fits-all approach and offer flexible options that match your employees' schedules and interests. Your people want to give back - just help them do it their way and to the programs that resonate personally with them and their communities.
⚡ Takeaway and Try
- 🗣 ️ Ask your team leads this week: "If we gave you 4 hours of paid volunteer time each month, what causes would your team want to support?"
- 📊 Survey your employees about their volunteering preferences (virtual vs. in-person, individual vs. team-based, specific causes)
- 💰 Calculate what a "Dollars for Doers" program might cost if you gave $10 for every volunteer hour (start small with a pilot group!)
- 🎯 Pick one team meeting this month and dedicate 15 minutes to brainstorming micro-volunteering opportunities that could be done during lunch breaks
- 📱 Test a virtual volunteering activity with your remote workers (like mentoring students via Zoom) and track participation rates compared to in-person events
☕ The Break Room: What's Your Take?
How effective is your corporate volunteering program currently?? |
📚 Human Readsources
🏢 Warren Buffett's Success Secret: Love What You Do (Inc.) - Find work you love and give love to others generously.
⚖️ Employee Confidence Stagnant as Senior Leaders Lose Faith (HRO Today) - Employee confidence remains flat amid weak job market conditions.
📊 Walmart Scraps DEI Programs Amid Corporate Backlash (The HR Digest) - Walmart ends DEI policies amid growing corporate diversity program rollbacks.
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