Corporate volunteering is experiencing a major surge, driven by hybrid work models. Companies are increasingly aligning their employee engagement with their strategic direction and the core of their business.
According to a recent Benevity report, the following key trends and data points emerged in 2024 and 2025:
- Surge in Participation: a 57% increase in global employee participation, with a 41% rise in total volunteer hours.
- Hybrid & Flexible Models: While in-person events have returned, many companies now allow “Volunteer Acts of Kindness” (VAOK), which account for 35% of total hours.
- High-Impact Strategies: Companies using a mix of team-based volunteering and employee-led opportunities see up to 12 times higher participation.
- Skills-Based Focus: There is a growing focus on using professional skills for non-profit capacity building.
- Rewards & Incentives: Around 60% of companies offer incentives, such as “dollars for doers” programs, which are linked to higher engagement.
Other platforms such as Goodera saw a similar trend. In 2023, 183,745 employees volunteered through 4,137 events facilitated by Goodera. By 2024, those numbers had nearly doubled — 352,892 volunteers across 7,263 programs.
A Forbes article, published in August 2025, discusses the social roots of corporate volunteering as a way to counteract anxiety, loneliness and apathy associated with much of modern life. In that context, the surge in demand for corporate volunteering opportunities is a modern response to the desire to connect and to many of our social issues.
A 2024 Harvard study reinforces this point, with 75% of 1,500 respondents agreeing that “finding ways to help others”—including through workplaces—could be one solution to the loneliness crisis and may help explain the popularity of structured volunteer programs.
While there are undisputable benefits to employees, communities, and society as a whole, corporate volunteering also benefits employers in many tangible ways:
- A survey of Fortune 1000 companies found that group volunteering helps employees bond and leads to more productive workplace relationships.
- Volunteering together with fellow employees creates stronger bonds within the organization, fostering teamwork and people skills for 92% of volunteers and building stronger relationships for 77%.
- In certain types of jobs, including managerial positions, volunteering may contribute to higher pay.
- After 12 months of volunteering, 93% of employees feel less stressed, leading to less burnout, fewer instances of absenteeism, and greater productivity.
- Nearly 4 in 5 (79%) volunteers report that volunteering makes them feel better, leading to a healthier, happier workforce.
- Those who live their purpose at work are more productive than those who don’t. They’re also more engaged, loyal, and willing to recommend the company to others.
For a deeper dive, read the full articles referenced in this post:
New Benevity Report Reveals a Surge in Corporate Volunteerism
Corporate Volunteering Is On The Rise—Here’s Why That Matters Now
30+ facts about volunteering and statistics to inspire and engage employees