How Workplace Giving and Corporate Philanthropy Fosters Engagement and Industry Goodwill

How do you think workplace giving and corporate philanthropy programs are making businesses wealthier?

It’s with unique assets – like engaged employees, industry goodwill, and a compelling employer brand. There’s a lot beneath this iceberg which you should know.

Dive in to know more.

Altruism – be it in the form of charity, oblation, or gifts – is one of life’s greatest paradoxes. Economists are fixed by them… accountants can’t account for them… clients aren’t too sure about them.

The reason is simple. Giving - without the expectation of receiving - goes against the very grain that defines our daily rut-race (defined as a rat race, caught in an infinite loop rut).

And, like a phantom component, it balances life’s lopsided equation. Replaces the take-take with give-take. And resets the wheels of engagement with honor, justice, and gratitude.

Before we move further, first let’s understand what workplace giving is in its true form.

What is workplace giving?

Workplace giving is part of a company's CSR that promotes a culture of giving in employees by motivating them to make donations to charities and non-profit organizations for a noble cause.

Workplace giving is a win-win for both employers and charities. The employers get to see engagement, retention, productivity, and a sense of satisfaction in employees.

On the other hand, the charities get regular financial support and strong partnerships.

Workplace giving is the helper's high

Giving is good. But if you think it makes only the receiver smile, think again. Indeed, there are so many benefits of workplace giving that one could be forgiven for wondering if it qualifies as a selfless act at all.

‘Helper’s High’ – a dopamine-induced physical sensation usually experienced after an act of giving and validated by research - is known to carry big-time advantages: It makes us feel happier, calmer, live longer, and less stressed.

Given that the act is associated with chemical changes in the mind and body, it’s not surprising that the joy of giving – as they say – lasts longer than the joy of receiving. And it is this joy – rarer in the course of a regulation day than it perhaps should be - that leaders and businesses must revive if they are to recharge their journeys in a new age.

Gen Z & millenials are in 'give mode'. Are employers receiving the signals?

Despite the financial insecurity induced by the pandemic, millennials – more than any other generation group - are donating to charity passionately. 75% of them, to be precise, as per payment app Zelle’s Consumer Payment Behaviors report.

They are followed by Gen Z. It’s not just the pandemic, though. Even back in 2014, a whopping 84% of millennial employees donated both money and time to charitable causes, according to the Case Foundation’s Millennial Impact Report: 2015.

The habit persists - despite incomes coming down in the #NewNormal and student debts on the rise - making this generation amongst the most generous in history.

Digital technologies have made accessing information about the world’s problems – and collaborating with like-minded communities to address and solve them – easier than ever, catalyzing the intent to contribute.

"I don’t see this as a generation that wants to write a check and be done with it. They want to see how their donation is making an impact and affecting real change." - Jessica Carlino, volunteer engagement coordinator for United Way of Greater Waterbury, a nonprofit which serves ten towns in Connecticut.

Millennials already constitute nearly half the working population. That number is rising fast, even as Gen Z is expanding its own clout in the workplace.

Employers must connect with this spirit of corporate philanthropy by bringing out their own philanthropic side with Workplace Giving Programs.

Institutionalize ‘workplace giving’ in its many forms and avatars. Convert it into a strategic tool and competitive advantage. Make Corporate Philanthropy the cornerstone of their culture.

And accentuate their journey with a sense of purpose that resonates strongly with teams, channels, networks, clients, and indeed, the industry at large.

How to set up a workplace giving program: A quick action map

In today’s digital and socially conscious era, workplace giving extends well beyond traditional donations or salary deductions. It’s about creating consistent, meaningful opportunities for employees to support causes they care about—woven into the fabric of daily work life.

Here’s a step-by-step framework to help you set up a successful workplace giving program tailored to your company culture:

1. Plan purpose-driven activities employees care about

Begin by identifying community causes or social impact areas that resonate with your workforce—such as environmental sustainability, education, healthcare, or DEI. Design volunteer opportunities and donation initiatives that reflect shared values like empathy, kindness, and gratitude.

2. Partner with relevant organizations

Establish partnerships with NGOs or nonprofit organizations that align with your company’s purpose. Focus on groups that offer deep domain expertise or serve specific communities. Collaborating with reliable partners ensures credibility, structure, and long-term impact.

3. Make room in the calendar

Allocate dedicated time for giving activities by including them in your workflow calendar. Whether it’s monthly volunteering or quarterly campaigns, set aside time so employees can participate without conflicting with core responsibilities. Use shared calendars to provide visibility and avoid overlap.

4. Communicate across internal channels

Promote your giving program through your intranet, internal newsletters, or collaboration tools like Slack or Teams. You can even create a dedicated microsite where employees can sign up, view upcoming opportunities, or track their involvement. Appoint ambassadors to drive participation and share the message across teams.

5. Track progress and showcase impact

Transparency fosters trust and motivation. Share updates on how much was raised, the number of volunteer hours logged, or the direct outcomes achieved. Use visuals, stories, and testimonials to communicate the real-world difference employees are making.

6. Encourage engagement with gamification

Incorporate gamified elements such as badges, points, or team-based competitions to increase engagement. A visible leaderboard can motivate participation and create a healthy sense of pride and friendly rivalry among teams.

By following these steps, you can build a workplace giving program that not only supports your community but also deepens employee engagement, enhances your brand’s social impact, and strengthens internal culture.

Thumb rules of corporate philanthropy

Corporate philanthropy isn’t just about writing checks—it’s about making a real difference while staying aligned with your company’s values. Here are a few thumb rules to help guide your efforts and ensure they create genuine impact.

1. Options

Get creative in designing your Workplace giving activities – the more avenues and channels you give your employees to reach out to the community and express their altruism, the greater the chances of participation, involvement, and fulfillment.

One great way is to map the Giving activity to your teams' intrinsic and extrinsic motivational drivers – so that it hits home.

2. Networks

Nurture relationships with local NGOs and nonprofits. Encourage them to keep you notified about their latest programs and innovations. Co-create Giving Activities with their campaign teams.

3. Recognition

Spot and applaud the intent and effort of your employees at every step – to keep them enthused and focussed.

Benefits of workplace giving programs

Rewards and incentives play an important role in improving employee participation and engagement and so does workplace giving, something which often gets lost between other important workplace initiatives.

These 3 benefits of workplace giving programs will definitely make more companies look for ways of investing in communities that are key to their business.

1. Sticky employer brand

The connotation of ‘work’ is changing – especially with the emerging generation, which equates work with career growth and financial freedom and as a platform to make a difference to society and the planet.

An organization that lets them do that ‘on its own clock’ (such as by allowing employees ‘paid time’ to pursue their community passions or making room in its workflows for ‘social work’) makes an instant connection with this wavelength.

By putting its money where its mouth is, the company proves its values are more than just a policy file stashed away in a forgotten folder.

No better way to build your employer brand, is there? No better way to land the talent you want, either. And, for companies who treat this as more than just a fad or ‘tactic,’ no better way to experience the true meaning of pride.

2. Efficient teams with high morale

The spirit of Giving breaks down emotional silos and knits teams tighter. Research work by sociologists Brent Simpson and Robb Willer suggests that generosity - more often than not - is likely to be reciprocated, drawing both parties into a common ‘pact of positivity.’

In her book The How of Happiness, Lyubomirsky states that this fosters a heightened sense of interdependence and cooperation in your social community.”

In a 2006 study, Jorge Moll and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health discovered that the act of philanthropy – such as donating to charities – triggers a ‘glow’ of warmth, trust, and social closeness.

This is validated by biology: When we trust someone, our system releases a neurochemical or hormone called oxytocin that reduces the typical wariness (which we feel when accosting strangers), thus increasing our ability to understand others better.

In the work setting, enhanced cooperation, better collaboration, and amped-up morale are all essential ingredients of an efficient outfit.

The best part? This is a self-propagating cycle. Once you have planted the ethos of giving across your organizational rank and file, the effort you need to put in (to keep it going) will progressively come down. The system will grow on auto-pilot as it enters a ‘virtuous circle’ where each individual’s behavior inspires and ignites another’s.

Researchers at the University of California and Harvard opine as much: “Each person in a network can influence dozens or even hundreds of people, some of whom he or she does not know and has not met.”

3. Better business ROI

A team that trusts each other performs more efficiently and consistently, lifting business outcomes perceptibly. Progress and prosperity follow as researcher John Cacioppo captures in his book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection… “The more extensive the reciprocal altruism born of social connection . . . the greater the advance toward health, wealth, and happiness.”

Empuls: Where purpose meets people

Behind every powerful workplace giving program is more than just a system—there’s a culture. A culture where employees aren’t just encouraged to give, but are inspired to care. Empuls helps you bring that culture to life.

At a time when Gen Z and millennials are prioritizing values over vanity, Empuls empowers your teams to channel their energy into causes that matter. Whether it’s raising funds for disaster relief, supporting local NGOs, or volunteering for underprivileged communities, Empuls transforms giving into a shared journey—not a one-off activity.

Here’s how Empuls brings it all together:

• 🌱 Dedicated giving communities where employees can discover causes, share experiences, and rally around what they care about.
• 📢 Digital storytelling tools to amplify impact—recognize volunteers, highlight stories from the field, and celebrate small wins that spark big change.
• 🧭 Campaign management made easy—plan giving events, run donation drives, and track participation effortlessly, all within the flow of work.
• 🎖️ Built-in recognition that makes generosity visible—because giving deserves the spotlight too.

This isn’t just CSR. It’s not just a program. With Empuls, it’s culture by design—where doing good feels natural, and building goodwill becomes your brand’s superpower.

Conclusion

Getting involved in workplace giving activities helps in building a culture where employees feel valued and that they are an integral part of the company.

Moreover, it is an easy, safe, and cost-efficient way to make tax-deductible contributions to the charities you care about. It’s the right thing to do.

Is your workplace giving program in place? Do let us know.