Corporate Volunteering – Impact in the Workplace, Insights from Thierry Goder, President of IMSA Search Global Partners and CEO of Alentaris Recruitment Limited
In 2026, across the globe, corporate volunteering is quickly evolving. Employers are focused on ensuring that their volunteer programs drive employee engagement and strengthen their corporate culture. They are increasingly recognizing that their employees are driven by finding purpose, holding their employers to high standards of community responsibility, and seeking meaningful ways to help others during work. Employees and employers alike are aware that volunteer programs have the potential to connect employees to each other, to their community, and to the company mission.
According to Points of Light, the largest global organization specializing in volunteer service, over 33% of corporate employees participate in volunteer programs and more than 66% of Fortune 500 companies offer paid volunteer time. Benevity, a leading platform for tracking volunteer hours, logged 23+ million volunteer hours across companies using its platform in 2024.
Employee participation is rising with Millennials and GenZers especially interested in how their companies are giving back. The Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals 2025 Insights Report (published in partnership with YourCause from Blackbaud) found that 57% of professionals reported increased employee participation in volunteer programs in their workplace in 2025.
At the same time that corporate volunteer programs have become embedded as strategic imperatives, there is no longer a one-size-fits-all volunteer program model. In 2026, notable trends in corporate volunteer programs include:
Multiple Days of Service – One day volunteer days are being replaced with “days/weeks of service” which are easier to implement across geographies and time zones. For example, Amazon has a Global Month of Volunteering and reports 134K+ participants for 2.5K organizations across 55 countries.
Hybrid Volunteering – Hybrid volunteer efforts are increasingly options given that post-pandemic, most workplaces have normalized the hybrid work model in one way or another. Deloitte’s service models include virtual projects at scale.
Skills-based Volunteering – Skills-based volunteering in on the rise as more organizations are focused on driving efficiency and managing costs, while recognizing the value of pro-bono consulting. IBM’s pro bono teams include Corporate Service Corps, which launched in 2008 and has deployed 3K+ employees to 40+ countries.
Themed Volunteer Days – Volunteer days are often linked to important issues and themes. According to the 6th Annual CSR Insights Report 2025, top issues are workforce development, K-12 education, and food insecurity. Some politically charged issue areas have been replaced or reframed.
Employee Decision Making Teams – Employees want to participate in selecting the cause they are volunteering for. To maximize employee satisfaction and participation, companies are creating employee volunteer leadership teams with representation across departments, functional areas, and/or geographies.
Volunteer Outcomes – Surveys and measurement are more important than ever before. It is no longer enough to simply count the number of participants in the room but rather today’s focus is on the outcomes. For example, how many people were served, how many skills were transferred, and how many meaningful connections were created.
Companies are tracking and managing employee volunteer hours primarily through specialized Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Volunteer Management Software (VMS). Digital systems have replaced hand-written spreadsheets and now include registration, time logs, and impact reports.
According to Thierry Goder, “Globally we are experiencing volunteering as an integral aspect of building corporate culture. Organizations are keen to share their initiatives and their impact with prospective employees, their industry, and the world at large. Here in Mauritius, two recognized leaders are: IBL Group with IBL on the Move and the Fondation Joseph Lagesse and Absa Mauritius with its Employee Volunteering Program encouraging employees to devote one day annually to social or environmental impact initiatives. Also interesting is Mo Volonter, an app-based initiative of the National Social Inclusion Foundation (NSIF) that connects corporate teams with 57+ registered NGOs and civil society organizations for projects in education, health, and environment.”
Strategic corporate volunteer programs can deliver great value, particularly when they align with business objectives and carefully consider community impact and outcomes. Yet, volunteer programs are not free; they require investments including managerial time, training, supervision, evaluation, marketing, and program expenses. When well-conceived and well-implemented, corporate volunteering programs can have a significant impact on the community, on the employees, and on the employer brand.
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