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Explore articles, toolkits, and information on corporate giving programs from the experts.

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10 Charitable Giving Ideas Based on Moments That Matter for Employees

If the business of HR is to manage — and enhance — the employee experience, an understanding of Moments That Matter (MTM) may be one of the most critical tools the HR professional can add to their repertoire. The HR world adopted the term from the customer relations department, which refers to the moments in a customer's life when they are likely to make the decision to buy a product or service. In HR, it refers to the moments in an employee's life, both professional and private, that can most influence their feelings about their job and their employer. There are many ways to employ a Moments That Matter approach to employee management, but there's one that's often overlooked — incorporating it into the company's corporate giving strategy. Here's why you should, and some ideas of how your company can do it.

Moments That Matter — What It Is and Why It Matters

The idea behind the MTM management philosophy is that certain moments in your employees' lives have an outsize impact on their work satisfaction and attitude toward the company. Some of them are fairly generic — the job interview, their first weeks on the job, and promotions, for example. Others are more personal: an expectant parent, for instance, is likely to be influenced by how well — or poorly — HR helps them navigate the changes surrounding that milestone. Each of these experiences contributes to the overall employee experience with your company, and managing them well can play a big role in improving employee morale, job satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

Which Moments Matter?

As suggested, the answer to that question can vary from employee to employee. There is, however, some agreement on the most common moments, and suggestions for determining which moments matter the most to your employees. Gartner, Inc., an internationally respected HR consulting firm, lays out five types of moments likely to have the highest impact on employees in a recently published paper. They include moments that are:

Emotion-generating: like personal anniversaries and life milestones.
Scalable: have the potential to influence many employees.
Frequent: happen many times over the course of a day, week or month.
Business-aligned: moments that align with corporate strategy or culture.
Critical talent-aligned: impact a specific population with critical talents in the organization.

Understanding which moments matter to your employees can help you create policies and procedures that acknowledge them and respond to them positively and positively. In order to do this, it's vital that you equip your HR department with the tools to identify important moments and respond to them with empathy and clear guidance.

Corporate Philanthropy and Moments That Matter

More and more research shows that employees care about working for a company that aligns with their values. They want to work for a company that makes them proud, one that takes corporate responsibility seriously (CSR) and that supports — or empowers them to support — the causes that matter to them. Many employees are motivated by a company's commitment to give back and are engaged by corporate giving strategies like donation matching, group volunteer efforts and community giveback days. When you incorporate MTM into your corporate giving strategy, you can exponentially increase the impact on both your employees and the causes they support.

10 Moments That Matter-Inspired Charitable Giving Ideas

If all of that explanation left you buzzing but still unsure how to combine it with your corporate giving strategy, here are 10 ways that you can use Moments That Matter to inspire, motivate and engage your employees.

1. Make Corporate Giving Part of Your Employee Benefits Package

The job interview is one of the first times your employee will have contact with the HR department. Use that moment to explain that corporate giving is part of your standard employee benefits package, and show them how you make it easier for them to support the causes that matter to them.

2. Celebrate Work Milestones With Charitable Donations

Instead of — or in addition to — recognizing work anniversaries or achievements with swag, offer a bonus donation to be made to the charity of their choice. If you're using the Groundswell platform, it's easy to simply add the appropriate amount to the employee's giving account. You can even set it up as part of the policies that administer the program.

3. Use Data From Your Employee Donation Programs To Help Identify Moments That Matter

Many employee benefits management companies provide data and feedback to your company that can give you insight into what matters to your employees. Use that data to help identify giving trends and refine your program to make it more appealing.

4. Reward Team Milestones with a Giving Stipend

Sure, go ahead and have that pizza party for the team when QA checks off on their work, but why not give them something even more meaningful — add a little something to their charitable giving stipend. You're being doubly rewarding by giving them the power to support the causes they care about.

5. Recognize the Employee of the Month with the Opportunity to Make a Difference

It's nice to get your picture in a place of honor when you're voted Employee of the Month, but you can do better by giving your EOTM a chance to do more good. It's easy to set up one-time additions to an employee's giving fund based on their designation as a valued employee.

6. Give the Gift of Giving for Birthdays

Birthdays are a classic personal moment that matters — and many people celebrate by making a donation to charity. Even Facebook recognizes that — their Birthday Fundraiser feature is one of the platform's most popular. Empower your employees to be more charitable on their birthdays by making a birthday donation part of their benefits package.

7. Mark Work Transitions with More Donating Power

Take the opportunity to recognize work transitions — the end of a probation period, a promotion to team leader, or moving to a new department — with a contribution to their giving fund. If the transition is a promotion or other permanent rise in the company structure, you can even make it a permanent increase in the company's charitable giving program.

8. Celebrate Personal Milestones With a Contribution

There's no better way to make employees feel valued than demonstrating that you notice — and care about — what's happening in their lives. In addition to standard milestones, such as weddings or a new addition to the family, you can also celebrate the achievement of a new degree or certification, closing on a new house, or being recognized by a community organization.

9. Share the Celebration of Company Milestones

It's common for businesses to mark milestones by making a donation to charity. Whether your company is celebrating Founder's Day, recognizing their 1 millionth sale, or marking the awarding of a big contract, let your employees share in the festivities by making a contribution to their donor funds to distribute as they see fit.

10. Extend Your Annual Holiday Bonus

Add a little something extra to your holiday bonus program — an extra contribution to their employee giving fund. Many employees celebrate holidays with a donation to their favorite charities anyway. Why not empower them to give a little more?

How Groundswell Helps You Meet Moments That Matter to All of Your Employees

The right software program can make it easy for you to match moments that matter to the unique interests and needs of all of your employees. Designing a corporate giving program can be challenging, with many factors to consider and incorporate. Groundswell is designed to be inclusive, private, and empowering. By putting the power to give into the hands of each employee, the platform eliminates many barriers to giving that are inherent in traditional corporate match programs.

Employees can donate on their own timeline, rather than during a specified giving period.
There are no complicated forms to fill out and have approved.
Charities get their donations all at once rather than having to wait for the matching part of the donation.
Employees can give to the causes they support without worrying that their donations will expose parts of their private lives they'd rather not reveal. You can read more about how the Groundswell platform helps make employee giving more accessible and welcoming to everyone in the blog Is Your Donation Matching Program Inclusive and Equitable? Probably Not.
The simple interface makes it easy for your company to respond quickly to current events that have a wide cultural impact and provides a way for your company to be supportive to diverse groups among your employees.

Of course, your company can — and should — support your employees' charitable efforts in other ways, as well. You can create moments that matter for your employees by, for example, sponsoring weekly, monthly, or annual team volunteer opportunities. The time spent building out playgrounds, repairing homes for seniors, and serving meals at a local food kitchen all have the potential to be part of the reason your employees feel that they matter, not only to your company, but to the community at large.

Final Thoughts

Moments That Matter is more than just a current HR trend. It reflects a long tradition in the HR field — one of philanthropy and benefit focused on employees and their needs. When your company recognizes the most impactful moments in the lives of its employees — and provides them with a way to recognize, celebrate and navigate them — you are strengthening the relationship between your employee, your company and the community. In short, everyone benefits. Learn how at Groundswell.

Featured Resources

68% of Nonprofits Say This About Donations vs Volunteers - “Show us the money!”

Recently, leaders have stopped organizing employee volunteer events and shifted towards gifting and matching programs for good reasons.That's because company leaders have discovered that they're not the only ones that think volunteering isn't the best place for highly-skilled employees to spend their limited time. In fact, two-thirds of nonprofit leaders agree that donations are often better than organizing and overseeing volunteer events.A recent poll conducted by Groundswell of 500 nonprofit leaders indicated 68% preferred receiving monetary contributions over facilitating a corporate volunteer event.If you've considered putting together a volunteer event for your employees or setting up a corporate gifting and matching program, you're in the right place.This article helps you decide what programs are best for you and your organization, what benefits and drawbacks come with organizing volunteer events, and why companies are moving away from sending their employees out and moving towards offering employees a gifting and donation match program that sends money directly to nonprofits.

Volunteers or Donations?

Volunteering is at the heart of many charity and nonprofit organizations. Without people willing to volunteer their time to support the causes they care about, some nonprofits would fall short of their goals.However, while the act of volunteering is noble and well intentioned, not all volunteers and volunteering activities are created equal. Most organizations that rely on volunteers to deliver services strive for volunteers who are willing to show up consistently, complete training, and execute tasks according to standards.For example, the Boys and Girls Club’s lifeblood is community members who sign up to mentor at-risk youth. Mentors who consistently meet with, coach, and encourage their mentees can have a profound impact on that child’s life. Conversely, a volunteer that quits after two meetings can devastate a child’s self-esteem.Similarly, Feeding America - the largest network of foodbanks in the U.S. - relies substantially on volunteers to help operate its food warehouses. But, just like any Amazon fulfillment center, maintaining an efficient operation requires effective human capital management, including volunteer scheduling and training on tasks like storing, packing and shipping different types of food items. Having dedicated volunteers that commit to consistent work shifts allows FA operations leaders to plan effectively.There are countless examples of how committed volunteers can make a difference, but anyone considering a day of volunteering should ask themselves important questions about what the nonprofit they’re aiming to support needs most: time or money?

The Truth About Why Companies Love Corporate Philanthropy

Corporations love sending employees to help nonprofits because they see it as a win-win-win: nonprofits get support, employees get engaged, and the company burnishes its reputation..It’s clear that an army of employees adorned in color-coordinated shirts emblazoned with the company’s logo, deployed out into the community with rakes or paintbrushes, makes for a great photo op. The activity sends a message to the community that the company cares, and that’s a good thing as corporate stakeholders increasingly demand that company’s focus on social impact.There’s also no doubt that the activity engages employees. It often gets them out of the office and mingling with one another in a low-stress, lighthearted way. Many will return to the office grateful that their employer prioritized making a difference.But what about the nonprofit? Have they received the resources they need most to execute their mission best?

The Pros and Cons of Hosting Volunteer Events

Corporate volunteer events are events organized by nonprofit organizations at the request of a company, often through a corporate social responsibility (CSR) team.These events generally last a few hours, typically around the same time as an employee all-hands conference or retreat. They can be hosted at the company’s headquarters or at the nonprofit’s location. Often, employee volunteers are untrained, and despite wanting to make a difference, likely have no direct tie to or passion for the nonprofit’s mission; meaning most will conclude the event with no intention of volunteering with the organization again.If coordinated with the nonprofit effectively and resourced appropriately, corporate volunteer events can create value.

Here are the pros and cons of corporate volunteers.

Benefits of volunteering:

Positive employee experience - employees that volunteer often walk away with a good experience and positive outlook on aiding others.
More hands on the project - some projects benefit from more people on a project, like with community clean-ups.
Positive company image - Employees that volunteer contribute to the philanthropic values of a company and improve its public image.

Drawbacks of volunteering:

Additional work for the nonprofits - Organizing an event, training new volunteers, and managing an unfamiliar person can take a lot of effort and resources away that could have otherwise been used on supporting the organization's cause.
Reduced efficiency - The best nonprofits build efficient systems to do their work. Oftentimes, corporate volunteer events operate outside these systems. This can happen geographically, by dictating the location be at the corporate office, or otherwise by having to accommodate volunteers unfamiliar with the established system or process.

Volunteering isn’t always equitable and inclusive - Not every employee can participate in a volunteer activity. For example, if you’re cleaning up a beach employees with mobility issues could be left out.
Smaller return on investment - Volunteer events take a lot of work to plan, coordinate and execute, and sometimes - especially absent an additional monetary contribution from the company - the effort doesn’t yield sufficient impact.
Unpredictable effort and labor - The skills of volunteers can range from amateur to expert, which can make it tough for organization leaders to get high-level contributions.
No time -- Businesses are busy. Not all employees, executives, investors, and board members have the time to commit to volunteering, making it easier to donate money instead of time.

While volunteering can have a handful of benefits, it can sometimes come with a great deal of unnecessary administrative duties that take valuable resources away from an organization's limited resources.

Four Valuable Insights From Nonprofit Employees

Along with uncovering the reality about corporate volunteer programs, our poll revealed important insights into the truth about how nonprofits leaders felt about shifting trends in corporate philanthropy.According to our research, 79.4% agreed that corporate volunteer events are often more focused on employee experience than generating desirable outcomes for the organization's causes.Notably, 56.2% experienced a corporate volunteer event that didn't lead to efficient outcomes for the organization's cause.Perhaps in light of that, 72.2% believe corporations should make monetary contributions to offset the effort required to facilitate corporate volunteer events.Finally, a remarkable 42.2% believe planning volunteer opportunities for companies is actually a distraction to their core mission.

Here's Why Donating Is Better Than Volunteers.

Just like any business, having working capital is crucial for charities to deliver consistent outcomes.For nonprofit organizations, donations help fuel campaign initiatives, purchase supplies, pay for employee salaries, cover the cost of insurance and support efforts made by the entity. Even volunteer events cost money! Who do you think covers the cost of those bottles of water, ham sandwiches, and cans of paint?In other words, donations support nearly every facet of an organization, from supporting their infrastructure to facilitating initiatives and backing campaigns.In nearly all cases, donations are much more flexible than volunteering. Donations can be used for anything related to the organization's operation while volunteering is limited to labor-specific tasks. Volunteering is also limited by the volunteer's level of expertise, whereas donations can be used to hire experts to accomplish the same task using less effort and resources.

Have You Launched Your Company Gifting and Matching Program?

Since donations generally contribute directly to the organization's central mission while providing them with ultimate discretion in how to deliver impact, corporate leaders and their employees are realizing their contributions can go a lot further when donating money instead of time.If you’re curious to learn more about how corporate gifting and matching programs work, you’ll find more resources on our blog.

Featured Resources

Is Your Donation Matching Program Inclusive and Equitable? Probably Not.

Corporate employee gift matching - where an employer matches an employee’s gift to a charity - has been a mainstay of major companies for decades. It has unlocked billions of dollars of community funding and helped donors double their impact. It’s also inequitable and lacks inclusion as matching programs currently operate. Fortunately, there’s a solution.

But first, a history lesson.

In many ways and for many reasons, GE is one of America’s most iconic companies - though notably its star has dimmed since its peak several decades ago. GE was born by Thomas Edison, became a founding member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (where it stayed from 1907 to 2018), and was awarded countless patents for innovation across aviation, healthcare, and energy.

However, an innovation GE rarely gets credit for is its innovation in corporate philanthropy. In 1954, GE rolled out what is often credited as the first workplace-giving program. In the nearly seven decades since GE reports that it has matched over $1.5 billion in employee gifts. That’s an astounding number.

Yet GE’s program has not evolved much since its inception. Sure, it uses a software platform to help facilitate gifts (one that could use a good ol’ fashioned overhaul) and they’ve probably increased the amount they’ll match (it’s currently a generous $5,000 per employee). But the basic construction remains the same - and therein lies the problem.

Today’s standard matching gift program works like this:

An employee gives money to a charity; they then submit that donation receipt to someone on staff (often in HR, finance, or perhaps a dedicated corporate social responsibility or CSR function). That staff member then must vet the charity to ensure it’s a registered 501c3 with the IRS and that it meets the company’s stated program requirements (for example, many companies won’t match gifts to places of worship - like a church - despite them being tax-exempt organizations). Finally, if all goes according to plan, a form is submitted to the accounts payable department and a check is issued from the company to the nonprofit - often weeks or months later.

Many folks would rightfully point out that this process seems like an administrative nightmare - and it is, both for the employee and the employer. But what’s often not discussed is that it is also by nature exclusionary and therefore inequitable.

How so? Let me explain.

The existing process - even if supported and enabled by software platforms that ease (but don’t eliminate) some of the administrative burdens - requires the employee to disclose where they have given to charity. On the surface, this may not seem like a problem - how else would the employer know where to send the matching money? But spend a moment and imagine all the reasons that someone may not want their employer or work colleagues to know the specific charities you are supporting.

For many people, their philanthropy is deeply personal and inspired by lived experiences. An employee that grew up in an abusive household may support a local domestic abuse shelter. A member of the LGTBQ community that is not yet open about their sexuality certainly wouldn’t want their coworkers knowing they support the Trevor Project. A recovering alcoholic may not want to submit the receipt for their monthly donation to Alcoholics Anonymous.

So what happens?

They simply don’t participate. They feel excluded.

The inequity is further exacerbated when companies determine that some causes or issues are worth matching, but others are not. In GE’s example, the determination that the company will not match contributions to houses of worship - churches, synagogues, mosques, and others - is akin to telling GE’s employees that what matters to them is not worth matching.

Now, we should be fair to GE. Because of GE’s matching program design, any matches sent to charities are coming from GE. Iconic brands like GE must be very careful in creating a perception that they are affiliated with or endorse any specific organization, or in this case, faith. That’s certainly reasonable - but it’s demotivating to the practicing Catholic who dutifully tithes 10% of her paycheck each week to her church.

(As a disclaimer, we draw the line at any nonprofit, religious or not, that stands for hate, and you won't find any classified hate groups available to fund in the Groundswell app.)

Essentially, today’s standard matching program makes about as much sense as if an employer chose not to deposit employees’ paychecks into bank accounts, but instead forced those employees to submit receipts for all of their expenses so that their cost of living could be reimbursed. How comfortable would you be with inviting someone into your personal life in that fashion?

So is there a better way? Yes, there is.

Modern matching programs must evolve to reflect the capabilities of our modern tax and financial technology ecosystem. Groundswell (www.groundswell.io) is doing this by making donor-advised funds (DAFs) accessible to anyone, and by specifically creating a corporate benefits platform that provides one to employees. By providing employees with Personal Giving Accounts built on top of donor-advised funds, our platform can disaggregate someone’s decision to be charitable (the moment they contribute to their Groundswell account) from their decision on what charity to support (sending their Groundswell funds to a nonprofit).

With Groundswell, employees contribute to their Personal Giving Account and companies can match those contributions according to their matching program rules. At that point, the employee controls the funds - they can direct the full amount to whatever qualifying charity they choose when they choose.

Because funds sent to charities are distributed by the Groundswell Charitable Foundation, companies no longer have to restrict where their employees give - because the company is never directly associated with the gift.

Information provided back to the employer is anonymized. They will know all the charities that were supported but will not be able to associate them with individual employees. The result is that companies can better understand what their employees truly value, without violating their privacy.

With Groundswell, employers can take meaningful action that drives home their commitment to DE&I initiatives while providing a unique employee benefit that allows employees to freely be their authentic, charitable selves.

Let's have a conversation - what do you think?

Featured Resources

What Is Corporate Philanthropy and Why Should You Care?

If the words "corporate philanthropy" call up images of pink ribbon campaigns, big donations to very visible causes, and big brands improving their image through charitable donations, hang tight.There's a lot more to the picture than big-dollar donations to well-known charities and causes. In today's business world, businesses of all sizes and in all sectors are committed to giving back to their communities through some form of charitable giving — and "charitable giving" takes on many forms.In fact, as of 2021, 85% of U.S. companies have a formal corporate giving program in place, and they donated a combined $20.77 billion to charitable causes.But what is corporate philanthropy, exactly, and what are the best ways for your company to give back to the community? The answers to those questions are evolving as a society — and employees — become more knowledgeable, engaged, and interested in how the companies they deal with affect the world around them.

What Is Corporate Philanthropy?

Corporate philanthropy refers to activities and investments voluntarily made by businesses to make a positive impact on the community around them. That's a very broad umbrella. It covers everything from giving money to donating expertise and encouraging employees to volunteer for community organizations. If your company hosts a food drive for Thanksgiving, buys uniforms for a local soccer team, or offers a matching donations program for charitable giving, it is engaging in corporate philanthropy. Learn more about corporate giving and why it's important in our resource section.

Who Benefits From Corporate Philanthropy?

The benefits of giving back are many, and not just for the organizations on the receiving end of donations. The business also reaps benefits, as do the employees and the general community. In a world where consumers increasingly expect companies to be socially responsible partners in our world, having a formal corporate giving program in place is a vital part of doing business. Charitable donations aren't just a sunk cost of doing business, though. There are clear benefits for the company when they make the choice to give back. Those include:

7 Types of Corporate Philanthropy

The face of corporate philanthropy has been evolving rapidly, especially in light of the last few years of upheaval and technological advances. These are the seven most common forms of corporate giving. Many companies engage in more than one, and many more are rethinking their strategic corporate philanthropy plans as corporate social responsibility takes on more importance to customers and employees. More on that later.

Employee and Board Stipends

Some corporations provide cash stipends to employees or board members, which they can donate to the charities or causes of their choice.

Volunteer Support

Companies may organize, support or give paid time off to employees who volunteer for organizations in their community. The support may be technical — an accounting firm may provide training and expertise to a startup nonprofit, for example — or more general, such as gathering a team to help paint houses or build playgrounds in the neighborhood.

Corporate Sponsorships

The Little League team, a fundraising event by the local food bank, a fashion show put on by a local charity — these are all examples of businesses using corporate sponsorships as part of their overall corporate philanthropy strategy. The corporation makes a donation to charity in return for being prominently mentioned during the event.

Community Grants

A company may offer grants to community organizations that apply for them and meet specific criteria to qualify. Walmart, for example, offers grants ranging from $250 to $5,000 to local community organizations. Often, the grants are given through a foundation established by the company for the purpose of making corporate donations.

In-Kind Donations

In-kind donations are donations of goods or services instead of cash. This type of donation is more common among smaller businesses, such as restaurants donating pizza to a local homeless shelter, or providing coffee and donuts free of charge to a weekly parents' group meeting. Similarly, many companies donate a "portion of x sold" gifts to charity. Stop and Shop, for example, donates a dollar to a local organization for each reusable shopping bag purchased by customers.

Donor-Advised Funds

Donor-advised funds — DAFs — are a variation on making grants to charities and causes through a foundation. In a nutshell, a DAF is like a personal charitable giving account, similar to a health savings account. The donor can make donations at any time and receive an immediate tax advantage. The funds sit in the DAF until the donor decides to disburse them to the charity or cause of their choice. DAFs offer several benefits that make them the fastest-growing charitable giving vehicle in the U.S.

Matching Donations

We saved this one for last because matching donation programs are among the most common corporate giving programs — 9 out of 10 companies have employee matching programs. Traditionally, an employee makes a donation to a charity or cause, and then either they or the nonprofit submits a form to the company, which then makes a second donation to the charity, effectively doubling — or sometimes tripling — the original amount. Despite their popularity, matching gift programs account for only about 12% of cash donations received by nonprofits, and an estimated $4 to $7 billion in matching gift money is never distributed. That's because the entire process can be cumbersome, both for your HR department and for the nonprofit receiving the donation.

A New Kind of Corporate Philanthropy — Philanthropy as a Service

Groundswell believes that it's time to rethink how matching donations programs work. Groundswell makes it easy for companies to launch a charitable giving program that takes advantage of all the benefits of a DAF for them and their employees. The Groundswell platform unlocks the potential of DAFs reimagining corporate philanthropy using the x-as-a-service model. Philanthropy as a service — PHaaS — lets you skip the complicated process of setting up a foundation, hiring accountants and handling all the day-to-day nuts and bolts of managing a charity. Instead, you get a simple, transparent platform that allows your company and your employees to support the causes they believe in without all the friction that accompanies traditional matching donation programs. Your company reaps the benefits of having a defined charitable giving program. Your employees are more engaged, with their privacy protected and their autonomy honored, and the causes they support get their donations without the hassle of chasing down the matching funds. It's a win-win-win solution that empowers everyone in the equation.

Final Thoughts

Corporate philanthropy has evolved over the years, and it's evolving faster than ever thanks to technological advances and changing social attitudes. If you're ready to take the next step in corporate philanthropy, reach out to us to learn more about what PHaaS can bring to your company.

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The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with Step-By-Step Instructions

Consumers want to do business with companies who practice corporate social responsibility – and for good reason.Companies that have a good CSR program have a long-term view on doing business and understand their impact on society. These companies know their business has a ripple effect, so they focus on how they can do the most good without sacrificing profits.Companies that take the time to design and implement a thoughtful, intentional CSR strategy are often rewarded with loyal customers, a strong, talented workforce, and a positive public image.In other words, consumers want to buy from businesses that are making a lasting positive social impact and employees want to work for those same companies doing good in the world.Corporate social responsibility (CSR) helps create a framework for greater corporate purpose, and promises a better future with sustainable business operations.In this Ultimate Corporate Social Responsibility Guide, we define corporate social responsibility and explain how to align and leverage CSR best practices for your company. We also give you tips on how you can make your company socially responsible and how to make the case for including CSR programs to your executive team.

What is Corporate Social Responsibility?

Corporate social responsibility is the integration of societal and environmental concerns into the strategy and operations of a business.It consists of initiatives and policies founded on the principle that companies should play a positive role in the community and be accountable for the impacts they have on society as a whole, alongside making profits.Corporations accomplish this by ensuring existing business practices are responsible and sustainable, and that corporate philanthropy supports causes that are meaningful and aligned to their core business.With a commitment to implement a strong CSR strategy, companies have an opportunity to determine where and how their business intersects with communities. They can support solutions to a range of social problems like poverty, hunger, and disease.For example, the food company Campbell’s saw an opportunity to align its core business with the challenges surrounding access to healthy and nutritious food. In response, they implemented a 10-year program to improve food access in Camden, New Jersey.Companies also have a responsibility to protect the environment, maintain a safe, inclusive workplace for employees, and even consider how a portion of profits could support social and environmental initiatives, such as programs that provide clean water to those in need, or help maintain and increase access to free public parks in underserved communities.Companies that operate with CSR best practices are proud to share how they give back to society, often through cause-related messaging, to encourage employees to volunteer and customers to support business.As a byproduct, companies that grow in size also grow the size of their CSR programs. This growth gives corporations the opportunity to make a larger social impact as well as bring in more profits.

Why does CSR Matter?

Growing expectations by consumers and employees around the positive role that companies can and should play in society means that CSR matters more than ever. Increasingly, it can impact the bottom line - with consumers rewarding companies for their efforts to operate responsibly by purchasing their products in larger quantities, and with higher prices, just to name a few.Corporations must learn how to adapt to the demands of this shift in consumer behavior while continuing to produce the goods consumers want.

Reasons why companies practice corporate social responsibility

Business Longevity

In the past, a corporation's main responsibility was to make money for its shareholders. And while that is still important, it is also true that shareholder value can be increased through a business model that is more responsible and sustainable.An example of a company that has grown and benefited by integrating CSR into its core business practices is Dr. Bronner’s. Not only has their CSR program improve customer loyalty, it’s helped make a positive social impact.

Employee Engagement and Retention

Employees, especially the Gen Z workforce, increasingly want to work for a company that aligns with their values. Employees are most engaged with a company that is giving back to the community. A growing trend in business shows that employee satisfaction and employee-to-company relationships directly impact performance.Companies with strong CSR practices can see increased productivity from their employees, less turnover and attrition rates, less absenteeism, enhanced loyalty and goodwill towards the organization, and positive word of mouth.As a byproduct of a company’s CSR efforts, employees also feel their individual interests being taken care of, especially for those who offer employee benefits packages that include health, retirement, and charitable giving programs that empower employees to give to charity.

Attract and keep customers

It is possible that some, if not most, of companies’ customers will have a social agenda of their own and may not be willing to support a company that is not socially responsible. Research has shown that customers are four to six times more likely to buy from and trust a company that has a strong sense of purpose.The companies that can tap into consumers’ sentiments around social and environmental issues and prove they are responsible corporate actors will likely have an edge over competitors who don’t.

Public Reputation

It’s no secret that a company’s reputation and their social responsibility are closely linked. Practicing social responsibility gives a company a chance to have the secondary benefit of making a positive impact on their reputation.Having a good reputation in the community and with the public is a major factor in growing a successful business.

Corporate social responsibility benefits

While few People Leaders see CSR as a burden of business operation, corporate social responsibility campaigns actually afford several benefits to businesses.A good CSR campaign that promises to improve employee retention saves a company in onboarding and training expenses as well as the opportunity costs that come with losing talented employees.Furthermore, companies with useful CSR-supporting software can save on hiring data-entry specialists. Tools like Groundswell can cut out the administrative duty needed for managing a corporate giving program.

How to Build a CSR Program

Identify important company goals
Understand consumer interests
Brainstorm programs
Carry out program plans
Measure results

Designing and implementing a CSR program must be guided by the company’s business strategy, customer expectations, and employees’ interests. It is often shaped by the company’s operational footprint, the industry or sector, and where employees are based.

1. Identify important company goals

The first step is to identify and prioritize important company goals and how the CSR program supports those. This includes understanding your industry and the challenges that you are going up against, both today but also what is on the horizon.Take note of how the business is going, who the detractors are and who the supporters are. This information will help guide your CSR campaigns during planning.

2. Understand consumer interests

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer and what they might be looking for. You’ll find this exercise enlightening and helpful in deciding where to put your resources. Do they support your business (product, service, etc) because of an existing CSR program that inspires them?Aligning your programs to not just meet the expectations of your customers but give them a sense of pride and true connection to your business puts the company in a better position to compete with companies offering similar products or services.It also helps to find out what employees care about. Often, employees are also consumers, so getting to know your workforce can provide strong insights.

3. Design programs

The communities closest to your business, its operational footprint, and reach of the product or services, will be the first to experience your social impact. This can be mapped based on geographic footprint as well as demographic groups. Based on this mapping, you might identify and provide funding to nonprofits that are serving those communities closest to the business.If your employee base is also local, then supporting local schools, community centers, and other social programs can result in a healthier, thriving workforce.Aligning your CSR programs with stakeholder interests helps your company’s reputation, as well as helps build stronger, positive relationships in the community.As you brainstorm and design programs, think of ways you can make a positive impact on the lives of your employees, customers, and the broader community.During the design phase, it’s also important to articulate your overarching goals and develop Key Performance Indicators to help you measure progress against those goals. This is a critical part of program design that will enable you to report back to internal and external stakeholders on the value of the programs.

4. Carry out CSR programs

Once the planning stages of your CSR program are complete, it’s time to carry out your campaigns.After some time, your company’s CSR program will go through several changes and continue to refine itself. As long as your team puts an effort in organizing and managing the CSR program, you can feel confident that you’ll develop a program that works best for your business.A great way to get started with a CSR program that requires little-to-no administrative requirements, corporate giving and matching programs work well.

5. Measure results

In order to celebrate the successes but also make necessary adjustments, it’s important to gather data and keep track of your progress by measuring your program’s impact.Some key performance indicators (KPIs) of a good CSR program could include a number of community members served/impacted by the nonprofit programs your company supports; level or percentage of employee engagement in a giving or volunteer program; and an improved or positive ‘score’ on CSR rankings (e.g. Dow Jones Sustainability Index, 3BL Corporate Citizens Awards, Sustainable Brands, etc).

Examples of Companies with Amazing Corporate Social Responsibility Programs

Patagonia is an outdoor clothing company based in Ventura, California. Their mission is to create quality products that last a lifetime.In addition to its sustainability practices and its clothing-repair program, Patagonia donates its profits to its nonprofit, Holdfast Collective, an organization dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature.Starbucks is a coffee company based in Seattle, Washington. This people, planet, and profit-positive focused company has CSR programs focused on inclusion and diversity.Starbucks established the Starbucks Foundation in 1997, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the goal of strengthening humanity by uplifting communities. As part of their mission, the have the goal of hiring 25,000 US military veterans and spouses by 2025 as part of their program.Toms is a shoe company based in Los Angeles who pioneered the One for One model–which was a program that gave away one pair of shoes for every pair sold.Today, Toms gives away ⅓ of profits to fund grassroots initiatives to help those in need of support for mental health. Since 2006, Toms has given away over 100,000,000 shoes and impacted just as many lives.Bombas is a clothing company based in New York whose mission is to put thoughtfully designed, essential clothing into the hands and onto the feet of those in need.The company donates the #1, #2, and #3 most requested items to homeless shelters as well as donates one pair of socks for every pair of socks purchased. To date, Bombas has donated over 75 million items.

Pitching your CSR Program to Your Executive Team

1. Frame Your Pitch

When pitching your CSR campaigns to your executive team, you want frame your presentation in a way that speaks to why the programs are valuable to the business and not just “for the good of society.”Executives have a responsibility to grow the business and return value to shareholders, so a CSR program needs to stay aligned with business objectives to be considered worth the budget required to execute it.Framing your pitch to speak on the goals of the business, how the CSR program will help employee performance, how the program aids in employee retention, and how it reduces the cost of onboard and training new employees will help your executive team understand the benefit from a business point of view.

2. Collect Supporting Data

As you create your presentation, include a section that discusses the impact CSR campaigns have had on business results in recent years.Look for information highlighting employee satisfaction and retention as a result of CSR programs as well as reports on employee productivity and performance.There’s a strong correlation between employee performance and CSR programs that have been proven through scholarly research.The Wall Street Journal reported companies experience 52% lower turnover among newer employees involved in corporate-purpose programs.

3. Choose the Right Program Software

Part of managing your CSR programs is having the right software to support your team’s needs.Depending on the CSR programs you have in place, there are a handful of software you can use to take the hard work out of implementation, organization, and management.For example, when considering how best to empower employees to donate to charities, Groundswell Giving is an example of a corporate giving platform that takes the work out of managing a workplace giving program. What’s more, Groundswell provides program administrators easy access to the data to help report back to key internal stakeholders about the causes that are supported, top charities, total funds sent to charities, and level of employee engagement in the program.

4. Present to Your Team

During your presentation, be sure to communicate how the corporate social responsibility program will help the company achieve its larger business goals.While you’ll want to speak to the broader importance of practicing corporate social responsibility, your message will resonate most with the executive decision-makers when your message is paired with the business case for the CSR programs.

6 mins read

Blog Post

How To Promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace

It’s easy enough to incorporate DEI into your values statement and add a page or two to your website. But like every other aspect of your business, when it comes to implementation, things can get a bit more complicated. If you find yourself wondering how to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the real world, you are not alone.The good news is, however, that it can be done. It’s worth getting it right, too, because the rewards will come. For many companies, it’s not just a matter of sentiment. In fact, diversity doesn’t always feel warm and fuzzy. Sometimes it can feel a little uncomfortable. But that’s when you know it’s working and you’re reaping the benefits.In today’s climate, diversity, equity and inclusion matter. In this article, you’ll not only learn more about why it matters, but you’ll also understand how it feels. Finally, we’ll give you some ideas on how to promote DEI in the workplace.

Why DEI Matters

The data just keeps stacking up. Diversity is good for your business. Of course, DEI is competing with a myriad of other business imperatives. But when it comes to cultivating a high-performing organization, there are many compelling reasons that DEI should garner attention. Diverse teams are more engaged and productive. The best teams are adept at problem-solving and spawning innovation. Teams that are gender diverse are powerhouses, but teams that mix ethnic backgrounds? Even better.Yet many organizations simply have not matured in their DEI efforts so that they can reap the full benefits. In a 2022 HR Research Institute survey, although 44% of respondents said that their organization’s DEI initiative plays a role in strategic planning, just 9% of companies said that the effort was very effective. That leaves a lot of room for improvement.The U.S. is becoming increasingly diverse. The 2020 Census revealed that nearly half of the population under the age of 18 identify as something other than white. Companies that invest resources into their DEI initiatives will be able to reap long-term benefits. Those that do not will fall behind.

Forget About How It Looks. What Does DEI Feel Like?

Diversity is something you can try to quantify. But the numbers alone are not enough. In order to get the benefits from your DEI efforts, you need to cultivate an equitable and inclusive work environment. In short, this means that employees feel a sense of belonging. While there are various reasons employees give when asked why they feel they do not belong, researchers at Columbia Business School say it comes down to “identity threat.” Identity threat is anything that makes someone feel different than others. This can be relatively minor, such as when a manager talks to a group of low-income employees about vacationing in Italy. It also includes micro-aggressions, such as when a highly qualified Black manager is told that she is “so articulate.” Researchers found that participants reported an average of 11 such experiences a week. Although identity threat is associated with feeling excluded, that isn’t all. More importantly, individuals feel that they cannot be themselves at work. Predictably, this leads to discontent and may explain why some companies lose diverse employees as quickly as they bring them on.

How To Get the Most Out of DEI Efforts

DEI isn’t about walking on eggshells. However, it does require that managers think more deeply about how to root out systemic and institutional biases. Laying blame on groups or individuals for implicit biases doesn’t help, nor does it ingratiate employees to the cause. Either they feel exonerated because their biases are not their fault, or they feel blamed because they have chosen to embrace their biases. We all have biases, implicit or otherwise. The larger problem is that some of the most harmful biases are ingrained in the policies of our institutions. So it helps to think broadly about what must change. Tackle the big issues and the smaller issues start to fade. It is apparently what has happened in the gay and lesbian community. As more people came out, the idea became less foreign. More connections, or the “contact hypothesis” as psychologists have called it, led to greater acceptance and the shedding of biases. The same thing can happen in the workplace.Meanwhile, here are five ways to systemically promote DEI in the workplace.

Examine Your Company Policies

When you created your company DEI policy, you may have reviewed other policies to ensure alignment. Go back and revisit those documents with a fresh eye. There may be bias embedded in these policies that you didn’t recognize. Or perhaps you need additional guidelines. For example, many diverse employees may be primary caregivers. Does your leave policy take this into account?

Promote Pay Equity

According to the HR Research survey, just 9% of companies say that equitable pay is a top priority for executives. The gender pay gap still exists in 94% of all occupations. During the pandemic, women were net losers, dropping out of the workforce in record numbers, exacerbating inequities that existed pre-COVID. There is no better time to refocus on pay equity.

Train Often

DEI training should never be considered complete. You don’t need to throw out your bias training. But remember the big picture. Focus on how inequities are built into systems. The goal is to raise the overall level of cultural sensitivity and reflect these values systemically. It helps if senior executives split their attendance among multiple sessions and offer kudos, both publicly and privately, to employees who are there. Offer refresher courses annually and reward participation so that everybody attends.

Mix Things Up

Ensure that teams, workgroups and task forces are diverse. Bring lower-level employees into executive meetings when possible. Encourage groups to participate across functions and include upper management when it seems appropriate. Mixing things up can feel uncomfortable. But this is how new and different ideas emerge. Promote your best team leaders — those that ensure that all team members feel included and heard.

Facilitate Feedback

It’s essential to understand how diversity is working in your company. It’s also essential for diverse employees to receive feedback. Giving feedback is a difficult job for many managers. They may be especially reluctant to offer feedback to diverse employees. This means that diverse employees receive less mentoring and guidance and fewer opportunities to make course corrections and advance in the organization. Ensure that the feedback conversation is a two-way conversation. Train your managers as needed.

Support Nonprofits

Align your philanthropic activities to support nonprofits that improve diverse communities. Remember that people like to work for companies that share their values. When you provide matching donations, as well, it democratizes the process so that every employee can have a voice. There are many benefits that accrue to businesses that figure out how to build a truly inclusive culture. With a proactive approach, your company can push your DEI initiative beyond the numbers and retain the diverse talent it attracts. If you need a better way to set up and manage your corporate giving program, Groundswell can help. We can get your program up and running fast, providing an excellent giving experience for your employees.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Giving Tuesday Donations: Best Practices and Ideas for Businesses

Giving Tuesday is fast approaching, so we wanted to give you great Giving Tuesday ideas. Now’s the time when nonprofits ask their patrons and donors to dig a little deeper to finish off the annual donations drive with a strong push.Normally December is the month when donations peak. Giving Tuesday donations serve as a kickoff, establishing the momentum for this important month of generosity. Although the proceeds from Giving Tuesday benefit nonprofits, businesses play an important role. It’s a great opportunity to help the community and invest in causes that support the company’s values. Employees, too, will appreciate the chance to participate in meaningful ways.

What Is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday rolls around every year on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, or perhaps, more appropriately, after Black Friday. But it’s not nearly as old. It was started in 2012 at the 92nd Street Y in New York City by soon-to-be-CEO Henry Timms and co-founded by the United Nations Foundation. Timms’s idea was to reverse the trend of heavy consumerism surrounding Black Friday and encourage everyone to give back. Sure, people like Bill Gates tweeted about it and helped to spread the word. But the idea was supercharged by families and small communities that embraced the idea and ran with it, asking themselves and their children what they stood for, and then donating and pitching in to help the causes they really cared about.According to Timms' interview with PBS, “We need to stop seeing people as donors and start seeing them as owners.” In the new paradigm that Timms envisioned, the role of the donor extends far beyond money. It also includes giving time, a voice and ideas to confront the problems in an increasingly interconnected world. What surprised and delighted Timms most was that, from the very beginning, the idea captured the hearts of people around the world who wanted to make the idea even better. Today, Giving Tuesday has become part of their traditions.

Why Is It Important?

Giving Tuesday provides a boost to donations for the year, encouraging businesses and individuals to give in whatever ways suit them best. It’s a chance to raise more money than on an average day and serve to kick-start the year-end giving campaign. Those who want to take advantage of tax-deductible donations will be looking for opportunities to contribute. Further, Giving Tuesday donations leverage the generosity that has long been a tradition of the holiday season. Giving Tuesday can provide a boost to your brand. You can leverage the opportunity to let customers know about the good things your company does year-round. It’s well established that customers care about purchasing from companies that are charitable. And it's not just about feeling good either. Recent research has discovered that people purchase from companies that demonstrate corporate social responsibility (CSR) because they believe that the company’s products and services are safer and of higher quality.Giving Tuesday is also an opportunity to remind employees that they are part of a company that cares. Employees who work for companies with generous giving initiatives are likely to be happier and more engaged than employees who work for other companies.

How Companies Can Make a Difference When It Comes to Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is more than a once-a-year symbolic movement of generosity. It’s about individuals who ask what they can do and then act in powerful ways to help others. It’s about mobilizing communities so that they are empowered and self-advocating. But it’s also about companies, both large and small, doing what they can to support the communities they serve. Everybody and every organization can make a difference.Companies with CSR initiatives are uniquely positioned to do more than individuals. CSR is all about companies taking a positive role in the community. In addition to considering the ethical and environmental impact of their operation and making sound fiduciary decisions, the most progressive companies are proactive in their philanthropic pursuits. That means making the world a better place. There are many ways to do this including donating to worthy causes and creating their own trusts.Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to highlight your company’s ongoing activities such as volunteering, matching donations and other activities. Treat it as part of your overall corporate philanthropy strategy.

Giving Tuesday Best Practices

Here are some best practices that companies have used to ensure that their Giving Tuesday event is successful.

Set Your Values

It’s important to have alignment between the company's values and its decisions and actions. This is equally important with your philanthropic efforts. Revisit why charitable giving matters so that as you develop your strategies you develop a long-term plan.

Define Targets

Before you establish goals, you’ll need to think about the targets. Your Giving Tuesday initiative should have something in it for the community as well as for your customers and employees. For example, giving a portion of sales is a good way to include customers.

Inventory Your Resources

There are always more needs than there are resources available to help. But just remember, Giving Tuesday goes beyond dollar donations. There is also employee time, goods and services, managerial talent, facilities and social media reach.

Establish Goals

Take stock of your resources and commit to specific and measurable goals. Edit and prioritize so that you can devote sufficient time to achieving the goals you set.

Make a Plan

Choose some ideas and decide how to implement them. Start planning early so that you have time to fine-tune the details. To support your efforts, ensure that your communication strategy is buttoned up. Include, for example, an email campaign, social media outreach and a robust webpage.

Establish Metrics

Measure so that you will have benchmarks for your future efforts. In addition to the ROI, you will also want to know who benefited from your efforts and what to repeat or improve next year. Did you actually increase your overall giving?

Giving Tuesday Ideas

There are hundreds of Giving Tuesday ideas that your company can implement. Following are just a few suggestions on what you could include in your initiative.

Ask employees to nominate and select a long-term charity partner.
Create a Giving Tuesday hashtag and donate each time the hashtag is shared.
Match the proceeds of a fundraising event planned by employees.
Coordinate with other local businesses to host a charity auction.
Host a meet-and-greet for nonprofits with local businesses to extend their network.
Donate a portion of sales to a nonprofit group.
Give employees a charitable stipend to give to a nonprofit of their choice

Make It Easy

The best way to manage Giving Tuesday ideas and all your philanthropic initiatives is with a corporate giving platform. Groundswell can help with its frictionless setup and administration. We can have your program up and running in no time with minimal investment of your staff and resources. Contact us today.

6 mins read

Blog Post

What Is Corporate Philanthropy and Why Should You Care?

What Is Corporate Philanthropy?

Who Benefits From Corporate Philanthropy?

7 Types of Corporate Philanthropy

Employee and Board Stipends

Some corporations provide cash stipends to employees or board members, which they can donate to the charities or causes of their choice.

Volunteer Support

Corporate Sponsorships

Community Grants

In-Kind Donations

Donor-Advised Funds

Matching Donations

A New Kind of Corporate Philanthropy — Philanthropy as a Service

Final Thoughts

6 mins read

Blog Post

6 Ways to Modernize Your Corporate Giving Program this Holiday Season

GivingTuesday is a global movement unleashing the power of people and organizations focused on transforming their communities and the world. In 2021, donations to global charities reached an incredible $2.7 billion from GivingTuesday, demonstrating how inspirational the movement has become.Now more than ever employees want their values to align with their company’s values. In February 2022, Groundswell polled over a thousand executive-level leaders and employees working at Fortune 500 companies about how they perceive their corporate philanthropy. Sixty percent of employees said that if their company provided them with a stipend for charitable giving, it would lead to better alignment between the company’s values and its employees, inspiring more altruistic actions.The problem is, today’s offerings for a corporate giving program are outdated and don't fully recognize the unique perspectives and passions of each employee. Not to mention that the administrative burden of running a program can be a nightmare.

How can you modernize your corporate giving program?

Since 74% of Americans contribute to charities each year, employees have a high degree of respect for companies that offer an easy corporate giving program as an employee benefit.If you want your company to be known as a leader of innovation in corporate philanthropy, here are six ways to encourage employees to make a big impact this GivingTuesday in a modern way:

1. Decentralize your corporate philanthropy.

Consider giving a percentage of your corporate grants straight to employees. Every employee is diverse - representing different cultures, backgrounds, religions, and lived experiences. The causes they are passionate about and the charities they want to support should reflect that diversity. Many employer-sponsored giving programs are restricted to a handful of “priority” cause areas or featured nonprofits chosen by company executives - preventing employees from giving to what they feel most connected to. Groundswell’s platform gives your employees the power to choose from over 1.5 million registered charities.

2. Make your giving program equitable and inclusive.

If you have an existing giving program, chances are it is neither equitable nor inclusive. It likely requires your employees to submit details about the donations they want to make to receive a company match. And perhaps employees are only limited to a certain category of charities. Groundswell turns the old model on its head by providing a modern donation experience that centers on your employees and empowers them to choose where they want to donate, with no additional steps to claim their match and no questions asked. They can be fully in control of the way they want to support the causes they care most about.

3. Jump-start the holiday giving spirit with a “gift to give.”

In addition to the existing matching or gifting program you may have, a special gift to kick off an end-of-year giving campaign can motivate and inspire employees to be equally generous. With Groundswell’s platform, you can pre-load funds into an employee’s giving account and they can choose where to donate on their own time.

4. Remove the red tape and year-end receipt gathering.

The sheer administrative burden of many corporate giving programs means that billions of dollars are left unclaimed. The simplicity of Groundswell is that employees do not have to send any follow-up paperwork to their employer after they click that “donate” button. And program administrators don’t have the burden of vetting charities or submitting matching donations. It’s a streamlined process - free of receipts or other paperwork - that gives your employees the confidence that they can have an impact on the causes they care most about at the end of the year.

5. Spark shared social responsibility.

Since your employee base is your most valuable resource, empowering your team to donate through Groundswell can inspire a shared sense of social responsibility. Perhaps you have Veterans who can help shine a light on supporting mental health nonprofits that serve the veteran community; or, perhaps an employee from the Gulf Coast can share details of what it’s like to be impacted by a hurricane.

6. Provide inspiration to your employees on where they can give.

While many employees may know where they want to donate, it also helps to give them some additional inspiration - or introduce them to nonprofits they might not be aware of. Groundswell’s impact team works to research and vet amazing nonprofits that are working tirelessly across a diverse range of cause areas - found in the Spotlight area of the Groundswell app dashboard. If you want to see more ideas, check out our GivingTuesday toolkit that features additional inspiration on how to engage your employees in an end-of-year giving campaign.

Interested in modernizing your company's giving program this year?

Groundswell can help you get a corporate giving program up and running in less than two weeks. Through Groundswell’s platform, you can pre-load funds from your company into a Personal Giving Account for employees before GivingTuesday.

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Problems With Corporate Volunteer Programs and How To Avoid Them

Why Corporate Volunteering Programs Are Often Ineffective

The concept of corporate volunteering is one of the fair-haired darlings of the corporate social responsibility conversation. Corporations who are looking to give back to the community in a meaningful way often turn to corporate volunteer programs as an easy win-win that provides benefits for everyone involved.The proponents of corporate volunteerism tout it as an effective way to communicate company values, cement teams and boost employee engagement and loyalty, while improving relations with local organizations and community, all wrapped up in a neat "socially responsible" bow. While those benefits are real, companies that set out to build corporate volunteer programs often overlook the other side of these widely used programs.If you're seriously considering a volunteer program for your business, it's important to weigh the benefits against the work you need to do to create and manage an effective, engaging program that works for your company, your employees and the causes you support.

What Goes Into a Successful Corporate Volunteer Program?

Running a successful, effective volunteer program within your company is a lot of work, and the work starts well in advance of the launch.Volunteer Hub, which provides software for managing an employee volunteer program (EVP), lists eight steps to launching a successful EVP, each of them time consuming but essential to success.A couple of key steps highlight some of the most common pitfalls these companies encounter.

Assess Community Needs and Employee Interest

Far too often, companies start an EVP because someone in the company leadership saw a cool idea and thought it would be a good fit for their company. They launch into it without taking the time to research the community needs or consulting employees for ideas and interest. The end result can be a program with low employee engagement that is a headache for the causes they hope to promote and support.

Partner with the Right Organizations

If part of your incentive in creating an EVP is to raise your profile in the community, it's important to choose organizations that align with your business's objectives and values. Ideally, those will be causes or charities that resonate with your employees, but that might not be the case for all of them. Programs that focus narrowly on one or two organizations risk shutting out some employees who may have other priorities for their volunteer time.

Assess and Quantify Impact

Record-keeping and assessment are an essential part of managing a successful, ongoing EVP. Collecting and managing the info — especially if your EVP includes paid time off or volunteer stipends — is an additional, time-consuming burden on your HR department.

Publicize Your Program

Marketing your EVP has two main targets: your employees and the community. In both cases, it requires time, effort and expense on the part of your company and those who are managing it.

The Pitfalls of Corporate Volunteer Programs

While the benefits of employee volunteer programs are widely known, there's not as much conversation about the problems that often arise in running and managing them. Beyond the time and expense involved in managing an EVP, companies may run into one or more of these issues that diminish the impact it might have.

What Employees Say

Recent research into employee motivations and lived experience of employee volunteer programs highlighted some of the challenges and negative outcomes they experienced. Some of the issues included:

The pressure to volunteer makes some employees feel that they are being judged or evaluated for their commitment to the company, especially if they aren't connected to the volunteer work.
Many employees felt that they didn't have enough time to do volunteer work and still keep up with the demands of their job.
Volunteer programs may inadvertently shut some employees out of participation. For example, volunteer activities that involve physical activity, such as building houses or fundraising walks, may be difficult for employees with mobility problems. A single parent may find it difficult to participate in activities that happen outside working hours because they don't have child care.
When volunteer programs limit opportunities to one or two events, some employees may find nothing that interests them.
Many employees want more control over their volunteer opportunities, from choosing causes to support to planning activities for the team.

What Nonprofits Say

Volunteer management is a specialized skill in the nonprofit world, and many larger organizations that depend on volunteers for their operations have staff dedicated specifically to that task. That's not always the case.In fact, some corporate volunteer programs can make extra work for a nonprofit without a tangible gain. These are some of the issues highlighted by nonprofits who accept corporate volunteers.

A mismatch between employee skills and nonprofit needs.
Employee volunteers who don't understand the aims and philosophy of the nonprofit and/or its clients.
The need to train and supervise volunteers.
A lopsided power dynamic between the company and the nonprofit, especially if volunteerism is connected to a monetary donation.

In short, an EVP that isn't planned and coordinated with a nonprofit partner, and focused on filling their needs rather than those of the corporation, can be a drain on the nonprofit's resources.

Practical Alternatives to Corporate Volunteer Programs

The challenges described in the previous section often result when programs are conceived, planned and executed from the top down, without considering the other stakeholders — the employees and the nonprofits — they're intended to benefit. Many of these can be alleviated by following specific best practices, including:

Involve employees in the planning from the start.
Engage in meaningful assessment with potential nonprofit partners to assess their needs and capacity.
Tailor volunteer activities to the needs of the nonprofit and your employees.
Provide wider choices in corporate volunteer program activities.
Measure the impact of your program periodically and make adjustments where needed.

What if, after doing the research and evaluating your capacity, you realize that typical corporate volunteer programs aren't the best fit for your company and your employees? There are some practical alternatives to consider, alternatives that give your employees more choice and autonomy while still allowing your company to support them and the causes most important to them.

Give Them More Money To Donate

The one thing that every nonprofit always needs is more money. While volunteering feels good, nonprofits can often make better use of cash donations that they can apply to their own needs.

Expand Your Definition of Volunteering

If you offer paid time off for volunteering, expand your definition to include the informal volunteering that many people do as a matter of course. Paying employees for the time they spend supporting the causes most important to them sends a powerful message that your company values them.

Empower Employees To Donate in the Ways That Are Most Meaningful to Them

Employee giving programs — including employee volunteer programs — are most effective when they empower employees to support the causes and charities that are most important to them. By removing barriers to giving and volunteering, your company can provide the opportunity and means for your employees — and your business — to make a difference in the world.

The Groundswell Difference

Groundswell makes it easy to get an employee giving program up and running with a minimum of effort on your part. It's designed to empower employees to support the causes and charities that are most important to them, while respecting and supporting each of their diverse perspectives. You choose how and when your company disburses funds into your employee giving accounts — such as paid time for volunteering — and they choose when and how they donate those funds.To learn more about how Groundswell can help power your corporate giving strategy and empower your employees to make an impact, contact us and ask about the benefits of an equitable, inclusive employee giving program.

6 mins read

Blog Post

68% of Nonprofits Say This About Donations vs Volunteers - “Show us the money!”

Volunteers or Donations?

The Truth About Why Companies Love Corporate Philanthropy

The Pros and Cons of Hosting Volunteer Events

Here are the pros and cons of corporate volunteers.

Benefits of volunteering:

Positive employee experience - employees that volunteer often walk away with a good experience and positive outlook on aiding others.
More hands on the project - some projects benefit from more people on a project, like with community clean-ups.
Positive company image - Employees that volunteer contribute to the philanthropic values of a company and improve its public image.

Drawbacks of volunteering:

Additional work for the nonprofits - Organizing an event, training new volunteers, and managing an unfamiliar person can take a lot of effort and resources away that could have otherwise been used on supporting the organization's cause.
Reduced efficiency - The best nonprofits build efficient systems to do their work. Oftentimes, corporate volunteer events operate outside these systems. This can happen geographically, by dictating the location be at the corporate office, or otherwise by having to accommodate volunteers unfamiliar with the established system or process.

Volunteering isn’t always equitable and inclusive - Not every employee can participate in a volunteer activity. For example, if you’re cleaning up a beach employees with mobility issues could be left out.
Smaller return on investment - Volunteer events take a lot of work to plan, coordinate and execute, and sometimes - especially absent an additional monetary contribution from the company - the effort doesn’t yield sufficient impact.
Unpredictable effort and labor - The skills of volunteers can range from amateur to expert, which can make it tough for organization leaders to get high-level contributions.
No time -- Businesses are busy. Not all employees, executives, investors, and board members have the time to commit to volunteering, making it easier to donate money instead of time.

Four Valuable Insights From Nonprofit Employees

Here's Why Donating Is Better Than Volunteers.

Have You Launched Your Company Gifting and Matching Program?

6 mins read

Blog Post

How To Boost Employee Morale Before, During and After Smartsizing

Dealing with layoffs and the resulting fallout after a company downsizes can be one of the most difficult tasks to face for any manager or human resource professional. It's no secret that layoffs can take a major hit on company morale, not just for the workers who are being laid off, but for those who remain. Finding ways of keeping morale high in a workplace that has just downsized can be tricky, but it's vital. Taking steps to reassure your remaining workers that they are valued and their jobs are secure can go a long way toward cementing company loyalty and making your business a place where employees want to work.

Behind the Wave of Smartsizing

The headline on the Business Insider article is stark: "A Wave of Layoffs Is Sweeping the U.S." The article goes on to detail dozens of businesses that have downsized since the beginning of 2022, including many that made headlines: Netflix, Gap, Carvana, Ford Motor Company, Peloton and Wayfair among them. These layoffs follow two years of corporate and labor downsizing during COVID-19 when nearly 15% of U.S. adults reported that they were laid off because of the pandemic. While many of those were rehired — or found other jobs when businesses reopened — other businesses shed workers they'd hired to deal with a temporary boost in work during the shutdowns. To compound things even further, the Federal Reserve's plan to fight inflation has many experts fearing that even more layoffs are coming. The truth is, though, that layoffs are an unfortunate fact of life in the modern workplace. Even without the extraordinary pressures of the last few years, businesses often choose to reduce their workforce for strategic reasons — to cut costs in the face of bankruptcy, because they've adopted new technology that requires fewer workers, or because a project has ended. When layoffs happen, the fallout can negatively affect everyone involved — and your business suffers. Taking an open, transparent approach to the situation is one of the most effective ways of managing employee morale before, during and after the workforce reduction. These tips can help you plan how to boost employee morale during these difficult times.

Before Layoffs — Make a Plan and Communicate It

There are a few throughlines in managing employee morale during layoffs — careful planning, open communication, transparency and respect for your employees. This starts from the moment your company decides to restructure.

Have a Plan and a Process

Creating a layoff process — preferably before you ever have to use it — is helpful for many reasons, not the least of which is making sure that your company is in regulatory compliance. More importantly, when there's a process, it informs everyone in the chain of command, from the front office to line managers, of their role and responsibilities.

Communicate Openly, Effectively and Respectfully

Carefully consider how you'll announce the layoffs — who will tell employees, how they'll deliver the news and what they'll say. In general, the news should come from a direct supervisor and should be delivered in person. The announcement should include the reasons for the downsizing, the steps the company has taken and what employees can expect to happen over the next several days. The person delivering it should express compassion and understanding, and be prepared to answer questions and manage employee reactions. The manager should also explain any assistance and benefits the company will provide for the workers whose jobs will be eliminated, and make a promise to keep the lines of communication open throughout the transition to a smaller workforce. Above all else, be honest and authentic in all of your communications. Your employees deserve your honesty.

Speak With Individual Employees Privately

Schedule private interviews with employees to discuss particulars about their situations. Give them time and space to express their emotions, and listen compassionately. Have any paperwork and informational handouts prepared in advance, and go through them together. Provide them with any information they need to access accrued benefits, as well as any processes or paperwork they need to transfer insurance policies, employee giving accounts and other benefits to themselves.

During Layoffs — Be Transparent and Compassionate

The days and weeks immediately after an announced downsizing can be among the most difficult to manage. You can make it easier when you follow a few simple guidelines.

Get It Done Quickly

If possible, inform all employees that are part of the downsizing immediately. The longer it takes for everyone to know their status, the more time your employees will spend stressing and worrying if their job is on the line.

Communicate New Directions Clearly and Promptly

Your remaining employees — known colloquially as survivors — know that things are going to be changing. Be open and honest about the plan going forward, and listen to any feedback they offer. The better they understand their evolving role — and the company's evolving plan — the more comfortable it will be for everyone.

Be Available

As employees settle into their new workplace environment, make yourself available as much as possible. Don't just wait for them to come to you. Go out of your way to check in with people. Reassure them, solicit their feedback on changes and step in to take up the slack as people adjust.

After Layoffs — Reassure, Reconfigure and Stabilize

As the workplace stabilizes, recognize that employees may still be dealing with the aftereffects. Downsizing survivors often have complicated feelings, ranging from continuing anxiety to survivor's guilt. The steps you take now are not just a short-term strategy — think of them as a blueprint for employee engagement going forward.

Reconfigure and Regroup

Continue to be available to answer questions and help employees sort through their new responsibilities and roles. Listen to concerns openly and with compassion, and be willing to take feedback and criticism without taking it personally.

Rebuild Trust and Goodwill

This is the time to turn back to everything you know about building a healthy workplace culture and put it into practice. Keep in mind that this is a key "moment that matters," and the actions you take now will resonate with employees for as long as they stay with you. For example:

You can offset the reality of giving employees more responsibility by shifting to more flexible schedules that take their lives into account
Give employees more voice in decisions that affect them most
Review your current benefits package with your employees and find ways to make it more meaningful to them

The Bottom Line

Restructuring and downsizing are never fun, but this can be an opportunity to make other positive changes in your company. Setting up a meaningful employee giving program is one of those positive changes. Groundswell can help you get a corporate giving program up and running faster than any other. Our platform makes the entire giving process more efficient by establishing a personal giving fund for each employee while reducing the amount of tracking and work for your HR department. Best of all, it's designed to respect and support all of your employees' diverse perspectives and shows them that you're truly committed to building a respectful, inclusive, diverse workplace for everyone.

6 mins read

Blog Post

What Is “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”?

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. The concepts aren’t new but they’re more important than ever. Most companies have some sort of DEI initiative. But diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s workplace go beyond the concept of equality. Whether you’re looking to optimize the framework you already have or are starting from the beginning, it’s good to understand DEI in greater detail. As the world becomes increasingly diverse, DEI is a business imperative.

The Components of DEI

So, if DEI is not equality, what is it? It’s perhaps best to address that question by first understanding each of the components of DEI and how they look in action.

What Is Diversity?

Workplace diversity starts with hiring people from different backgrounds and life experiences. Although early definitions centered around race and gender, diversity also applies to ethnicity, age, sexuality, language, background, education, personality traits and more. And it’s not just about bringing in diverse people, it’s also about ensuring that these valuable employees can participate and contribute in ways that benefit the individual, the company and society at large.

What Is Equity?

Equity is a term frequently conflated with equality. The terms are similar but when companies pursue equality over equity the outcomes will be strikingly different. Equality is about treating everyone the same regardless of what they need to succeed and despite the systemic inequities that have existed for generations. Equity, on the other hand, recognizes that historically unequal access is inherent in economic, educational and social structures. So what’s required is the application of different methods so that everyone has an opportunity to succeed. That’s how equity differs.

What Is Inclusion?

When the workplace is inclusive, employees feel valued and accepted as part of the larger organization. It happens without them having to become something they are not. Inclusive companies celebrate and encourage diverse ideas and approaches, giving everyone the same opportunities for advancement.

What Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Looks Like

As useful as it is to understand what DEI is, it’s equally important to understand what DEI is not. Superficial treatments of DEI initiatives predictably lead to less-than-stellar outcomes. Here are a few examples.This is DEI:

A visually impaired worker is given a large, high-quality monitor and other low-vision accommodations.

This is not:

The weekly staff meeting is always held in the late afternoon even though the single parent who must attend has a childcare issue.

This is DEI:

Resume screening during the hiring process is blind, eliminating names and addresses.

This is not:

Job candidate information on the resume helps decision makers identify candidates by gender, race, ethnicity or neighborhood.

This is DEI:

The company conducts a regular pay gap analysis to ensure gender pay e quality.

This is not:

Salaries are never included in job postings despite suspected discrepancies between men and women.

This is DEI:

Religious and cultural holidays are acknowledged and employees are automatically given the time off to observe these occasions.

This is not:

The company holds a yearly Christmas party and other holidays, like Rosh Hashana, pass by without mention.

It’s not unusual for management to feel overwhelmed by the number of small details that impact their DEI efforts. It can seem impossible to do everything. It’s important to remember, however, that small gestures go a long way toward ensuring that DEI is ingrained in the culture and is a responsibility assumed by all, not just a yearly check-box initiative. Once DEI becomes business as usual, it will be as natural as taking a breath. When that happens, you’ll reap the benefits that accrue to a truly diverse organization.

How To Set Up DEI Strategy That Actually Works

Diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t new, but it’s more important now than ever before. That’s because the world is changing and so is the marketplace. Companies need diversity to innovate and grow to meet evolving needs. Diversity is important in the upper ranks, as well. In fact, when it comes to gender, companies in the top quartile of diversity are 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability than those in the bottom quartile. Companies that currently have a DEI initiative can optimize it to ensure that it accomplishes their objectives. Those with no DEI framework can ensure that they build in certain components from the beginning. Here’s how to set up a strategy that works:

Start From the Top

A committed DEI program must have committed leaders. You don’t just need a sponsor; you need a top-down commitment to make change a priority. Your DEI effort goes beyond lip service. It changes the way employees work together. Tie DEI goals into your company objectives and values. That means that in addition to organizational data and metrics that really matter, you’ll need someone to hold managers accountable for meeting the objectives of the program.

Hire Good Resources

Ensure that you put the right people in place. You may have the people internally to lead the effort but it never hurts to bring in outside consultants to facilitate the setup. DEI conversations can be tricky and the last thing you want is a ham-fisted approach that puts the people you need most on the defensive. DEI is going to be everyone’s job.

Find Mechanisms to Expand the Dialogue

Every good DEI initiative begins with a conversation. You’ll need to keep the conversation uplifting and productive. Affinity groups can help. They can give a voice to those who are underrepresented, provide input into critical decision-making processes, and help companies decide how and when to weigh in on important social issues.

Recognize the Culture Change

DEI is a cultural change in most companies. You’ll need to examine your systems and policies, your language and even your values. Diversity doesn’t just happen. Companies that are diverse and inclusive get there through a series of deliberate and proactive decisions. There are reasons why there may not be qualified people from every community and identity in your workplace and why, when they do come, the outcomes may not be as expected. Culture change will require aligned systems to support the beliefs and behaviors you want to instill.

Find a Common Cause

Companies that truly believe in diversity reflect those values by showing up in the communities they serve. One of the best ways to participate in the many underserved world communities is through philanthropic activities. Such efforts are good for humanity, good for the planet and a great way to engage employees. It can be a challenge to find something the company can do together to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion values. Groundswell is one way to make giving an employee benefit as well as to embrace diversity as a corporate value.Groundswell can get your corporate giving program up and running effortlessly. No more tracking of donation receipts or vetting nonprofits. Each employee is set up with a personal giving account established just for them. It works just similar to a 401(k), only it's for charitable giving. Now your company can easily support diverse perspectives with a giving program that is equitable and inclusive.

Diversity Is Increasing. Are You Ready?

In the years to come, the people you hire will be increasingly diverse, coming from different backgrounds and life experiences. This diverse perspective will help shape both your culture and your destiny. Your company will need to invest time and energy to yield the benefits promised. In the ever-changing business landscape, companies must be able to adapt and evolve. The concepts of diversity and inclusion are not new, but are becoming more important than ever before. With a diverse group of employees, companies can gain new perspectives, learn from one another and become stronger as a result. Start today with Groundswell.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Nonprofit Organizations Supporting National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month, a nationally recognized time to spread awareness about the importance of mentoring, and highlight the positive impact it has on people's lives.

It was established in 2002 by the Harvard School of Public Health and MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, with the support of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice.

In addition to raising awareness, this month is also a time to help inspire and motivate people to become mentors, especially for younger generations. And it is a time to create or support existing mentorship programs at companies and other organizations.

There are numerous nonprofits that have programs to encourage mentorship for people of all ages, including those who are underprivileged or at risk. Consider supporting one of these amazing organizations working to provide critical mentorship to those who need it most.

List of Nonprofits for National Mentoring Month

Hidden Genius Project

The Hidden Genius Project is a nonprofit organization based in Oakland, California that aims to empower young men of color through technology, leadership, and entrepreneurship. The organization was founded in 2012 and offers a variety of programs and services, including a technology bootcamp, a leadership development program, and an entrepreneurship incubator.

The goal of the Hidden Genius Project is to help young men of color develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the tech industry and become leaders in their communities.

Women’s Mentoring Network

Women’s Mentoring Network is an organization serving Fairfield County, Connecticut. Their mission is to provide career, educational and personal resources that lead to the economic empowerment of low-income women and their families.

100 Black Men Of America Inc.

100 Black Men of America, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that works to improve the quality of life for African Americans and other underserved communities through programs in education, health and wellness, economic empowerment, and leadership development.

The organization was founded in New York City in 1963 and has chapters in cities throughout the United States.

Some of the programs and initiatives offered by 100 Black Men of America, Inc. include mentorship and leadership development for youth, health screenings and wellness education, financial literacy and economic empowerment workshops, and college preparation and scholarship programs. The organization also advocates for policies and initiatives that promote equity and opportunity for African Americans and other underserved communities. I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is a non-profit organization that provides one-to-one mentorship programs for children and youth facing adversity. The organization was founded in 1904 and has a network of affiliates located in all 50 states.

BBBSA's mentorship programs are designed to help young people develop positive relationships, improve their academic and social skills, and achieve their full potential. The organization matches young people, or "Littles," with adult volunteers, or "Bigs," based on shared interests and goals. Littles and Bigs participate in activities together, such as spending time outdoors, playing sports, or participating in community service projects.

BBBSA's programs are designed to be flexible and adaptable to the needs and schedules of Littles and Bigs. The organization offers a variety of mentorship programs to meet the needs of different age groups and populations, including programs for children, teenagers, and young adults.

BBBSA's mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one relationships that change their lives for the better, forever. I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Anthropos Arts

Anthropos Arts is a nonprofit organization founded to address a need in Austin for high-quality music education for low-income students. Their mission is to connect low-income youth with professional musicians, cultivating confidence, integrity and life-skills through musical instruction and mentorship.

Since inception, Anthropos Arts has provided over 18,000 music lessons, over 100 incredible workshops in Title 1 schools with world- class and Grammy- winning artists, over 150 public student performances and collaborations with world-renowned artists.

HER Resiliency Center

HER Resiliency Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving vulnerable young women ages 18 to 25, regardless of race, class and background, with the support, skills and resources they need to make educated decisions in their life.

The organization works to combat isolation, domestic violence, substance use, homelessness, and sexual exploitation.

Foundation For Choice

Foundation for Choice is a nonprofit organization that promotes choice in education and advocates for policies that give families more control over their children's education.

The organization supports a variety of educational options, including traditional public schools, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling. It believes that all families should have the right to choose the best educational option for their children, and that competition among schools can drive improvements in education.

Foundation for Choice works to educate the public about the benefits of school choice and to advocate for policies that increase the availability of educational options for families.

GEMS

Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) is a non-profit organization that provides support to young women and girls who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking.

GEMS was founded in 1998 by Rachel Lloyd, a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation, with the goal of helping young women and girls escape the cycle of violence, exploitation, and trauma that they have experienced. The organization provides a range of services to its clients, including crisis intervention, counseling, education and vocational training, and legal and advocacy support.

GEMS also works to raise awareness about the issue of commercial sexual exploitation and domestic trafficking and to advocate for policy and legislative change at the local, state, and national level.

Summer Search

Summer Search is a nonprofit organization that helps low-income high school students develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed in college and beyond. The organization provides students with mentorship, leadership development, and experiential learning opportunities through summer programs and ongoing support throughout high school and college.

Summer Search helps students discover their passions and potential, and empowers them to make a positive impact in their communities.

Minds Matter Southern California

Minds Matter is a national organization that provides academic enrichment and support to high-achieving, low-income students in order to help them get into college.

Minds Matter Southern California is a chapter of the national organization, and it serves students in the Southern California region. The organization provides students with a variety of resources, including tutoring, test preparation, and college admissions counseling, to help them succeed in school and prepare for college. It also provides students with the opportunity to participate in college visits, cultural events, and other activities designed to broaden their horizons and help them succeed in the future.

Scholar Match

ScholarMatch is a nonprofit organization that helps students from low-income families find and apply for college scholarships. It was founded in 2010 by Kofi Andoh, a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley.

The organization's mission is to make college more accessible and affordable for students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue higher education.

ScholarMatch provides a variety of services to its users, including assistance with finding and applying for scholarships, mentorship, and college readiness resources. It works with high schools, colleges, and community-based organizations to identify talented students who could benefit from its services and to provide them with the support they need to succeed in college and beyond.

Learn more about corporate giving with Groundswell.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Spotlight: The Hidden Genius Project

For National Mentoring Month, Groundswell highlights the Hidden Genius Project.

Founded in 2012, the Hidden Genius Project came together when five men sought after higher employment for Black communities by establishing programs that connect the youth with skilled, experienced mentors.

HGP trains and mentors Black male youth in technology creation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills to transform their lives and communities.

Join us in congratulating and thanking the Hidden Genius Project for the impact they’ve made on communities all across the nation.

Learn more about the Hidden Genius Project programs:

Intensive Immersion
Catalyst Programs
Community Partner
Youth Education
Alumni Venture Seed Fund
Uber Career Prep Program

Envisioning a Future with More Black Entrepreneurs and Technologists

In 2019, the Hidden Genius Project laid out a strategy plan for growth. As a fast-growing, innovative organization, they envisioned themselves becoming the global leader in Black male youth development.

Their plan to become the leading incubator of dynamic young Black male entrepreneurs and technologists has come a long way since launching its flagship program, Intensive Immersion.

With only $1,500 and a staff of volunteers, their organization grew from serving five students in 2012 to 1478 by 2018.

The Hidden Genius Project continues expanding its operation from its roots in Oakland, CA and the Bay Area. By 2025, HGP aims to open the Intensive Immersion program in five more cities, bringing the total to 10 sites.

National Mentoring Month

Since January is National Mentoring Month, a nationally recognized time to spread awareness about the importance of mentoring, we’re showcasing the positive impact nonprofits like the Hidden Genius Project have on the lives of people.

In addition to raising awareness, this month is also a time to help inspire and motivate people to become mentors, especially for younger generations. It is also a time to create or support existing mentorship programs at companies and other organizations.

Donate to the Hidden Genius Project on the Groundswell app.

Follow The Hidden Genius Project on social media:

6 mins read

Blog Post

From Dock to Dish: A Deep Dive Into Seafood Sustainability

This week we dive into an interview with Wendy Norden, Director of Science and Global Strategies at Seafood Watch Program at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, discussing the interconnected depths of consumer buying, aquaculture, climate change, and economics of seafood.Celebrating seafood sustainability is a cause bigger than itself affecting human populations around the world as much as the species we fish and farm, and a cause that Meg Vandervort of Groundswell is particularly passionate about. Meg sat down with Wendy Norden from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program with questions to help all of us non-marine biologists understand the challenges and successes surrounding sustainable seafood. Wendy spent years working underwater as a marine biologist and researcher, before moving to New Zealand and working in a government role overseeing their seafood industry. For the past twelve years, Wendy has been with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and is currently the Director of Science and Global Strategies for their Seafood Watch Program, responsible for the overall scientific integrity, vision, innovation, and direction of the program. She’s also in charge of maintaining global strategic direction and partnerships that support global fisheries and aquaculture improvement.

Welcome! In celebration of World Oceans Day this year, I’m excited to dive into a topic near and dear to me—seafood sustainability. I’m a huge fan of Monterey Bay Aquarium and have been following the Seafood Watch program for some years now. For those who aren’t as familiar, can you give a brief overview of what Seafood Watch is doing to advance healthier oceans?

Wendy: Sure, and of course. Seafood Watch provides the information needed to make better choices at the supermarket, and we'll work with business partners to really source seafood and see that it’s more responsibly done. And it really boils down to very difficult subject matter into a guide, like red, yellow, and green, knowing what to source and also knowing that you know, consumer choices really do matter quite a bit. You know, that also has very broad reaching applications as well. So when consumers make choices in the United States, our business partners kind of come to the table—they want to source those seafood products that the consumers are looking for and also to make a better planet as well. But on top of that, it also gives producers around the world an idea of where their product is in terms of sustainability. And it is a big landscape, right, from really great production to really poor and everything kind of in between. So, we provide that information that helps guide purchasing but also helps industry understand about sustainability in order to make change and make things better, because our goal really is about celebrating seafood, making the right choices, and hopefully improving the rest.

That’s wonderful! I’m actually curious to learn a little bit more about you. We always love to highlight the people behind some of these amazing movements that are happening, but can you give us a brief history or your journey to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seafood Watch program, and have you always had a passion for the ocean growing up?

Wendy: It’s a very winding path. Growing up I got into scuba diving. Before college, I worked several jobs and saved a lot of money because I wanted to travel, so then I went to New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji as a young person. When I went scuba diving in most of these places for the first time, I did not realize at that point that it could be a job, like you could actually do this kind of work. The minute I came back home, I officially got advanced certified and I enrolled in college to really be a marine biologist. Everyone told me at that point, “that's nice, you'll never get a job”, but I was determined to do it anyway because I knew I’d figure it out. Throughout college, I had a lot of great internships, and I did a lot of work underwater. I got more experience doing research, but I wanted to do more. I ended up moving to New Zealand for several years, and I got a really great job working for the government working on a program to reduce bycatch, and I actually worked on the observer program for the whole country. That really helped me understand how to work better with the industry, how to set goals that maybe people didn't agree with, but learned how to actually work together. That and science, plus understanding what to actually call it, really helped me. With that experience, I ended up working in academics for a while. When I got to Seafood Watch, all that experience helped me understand how to apply science in an understandable way—how to work with the industry, knowing that you might be at odds at some point, but you actually all want the same end goal as well. It really helped me set up my career, and I’ve been with Seafood Watch for almost twelve years now. It’s been a very exciting journey. I learn every day—something different, something new—and I have amazing partners.

That’s exciting! Sounds like a dream job.

Wendy: Yeah, I feel really lucky. I never get bored. I find I'm amazed at the people that I meet all the time because I travel—or I used to before COVID— all over the place, talking to people about seafood, working with producers, understanding where everyones’ values are. At the end of the day, everyone wants to do a good job for seafood sustainability.

You touched on something that leads me to my next question about seafood sustainability in general, which is that it's actually an extremely complex thing, and it's not so cut and dry, like just buying from the local fisherman, or don’t eat fish.

But between sustainable fishing practices, aquaculture and the seafood supply chain – it's a lot to wrap your head around. What would you say for someone who's just getting into understanding this topic? What is the most pressing thing we can focus on?

Wendy: I feel like at any level, if you want to get involved, there's a place for you. I think if you really just want to, say, I want to understand the source of a particular seafood and I'm going to purchase responsibly, use our information. We boil it all down into very simple red, yellow and green. All of our reports and assessments are online, so if you want to dig a little deeper, you can read those assessments and understand the issues. There really is a place for any level of information you want, essentially, because we put it all out there. It's all out there publicly available. I think it really is important to know that the choices we make do matter at the grocery store. They do mean something. And they help us do our work and improve, because we want to celebrate seafood. We think eating seafood is a great thing. We want to have all seafood produced in a way that's sustainable and when I say sustainable, I mean the environment. I mean food security. I also mean things like better equity and supply chains. So, it really has to be good for people and the ocean.

Oh, that's so interesting. I'm also curious, from the general consumers’ perspective, a question that might come up is “should I potentially avoid buying a particular type of seafood?” For example, if I'm buying shrimp, is it more likely that it's unsustainably caught or has human trafficking attached to it?

Wendy: I go back to using our recommendations. The red is really what things you should avoid. Our hope is that red doesn't stay red. Our hope is not like you just abandon it and say, I'm not buying this again. But it does matter because when consumers don't buy something because it's red, that gives us a lot of incentives to go to the industry and say look, this is really what people are wanting. They want more sustainable products. That does go a long way. What we do in our reports is dig into those major issues. Why does it cause red? So we have standards that we develop from wild-capture and fisheries. We know scientifically why it's not sustainable, and it gives us the consumer demand. It really gives us that extra incentive for the industry to make those changes, which are also good for them. Any seafood product generally can be the best choice, farmed from any country that has a species—it's just a matter of us getting the right data, and us being able to say it isn't being done the right way. So the ability is there, like our green listing isn’t completely aspirational. It is doable, but it's a high bar. Everyone can actually get there. And that is our goal: To push the entire industry and have a much more sustainable industry overall.

On a brighter note, what are some of the bigger recent accomplishments that the Seafood Watch program has had that maybe people don't know about?

Wendy: Well, I think a big one that we haven't talked about enough is our development of our improvement verification platform, which doesn't sound very exciting, but it really is. We have developed the technology with partners to collect data efficiently and quickly on a farm and then scale it up to a region to understand. We actually can assess thousands of farms and in little time spent, get them to that green level. That has not happened in the past. We've developed technology that basically works online or offline and collects data efficiently and quickly, and then we scale it up to a region so you can have more scalable change. It also identifies areas needing improvement. We already have 2,000 shrimp farms going through the system that are green. To me, that's a huge accomplishment that's taken us a long time to develop. Very exciting. We also have recently launched aquaculture governance indicators, which again doesn't sound exciting, but it is because we have developed these indicators. We don't really know what makes really good aquaculture governance structures. What do you need to have? What are the key elements? We worked on developing those key elements to help the governance structures, and it isn't just about legislation, it's about how the industry is formed, and how reactive it is to change and how adaptable it is that the system in place in a country or region that allows for good things to happen allowing for sustainability. Understanding those underlying conditions and what gets in the way of sustainability is super important, because it isn't as simple as saying, here's a checklist. There's a reason why that isn't happening. And it could be infrastructure, it could be poverty, it could be too many illegal things happening. It could be many different things. It helps us understand underlying conditions that exist. A third one I'll just briefly talk about, one issue, is why use antibiotics for aquaculture? And that’s spread across every production system from farm salmon, shrimp, tilapia, you name it. We convened a large working group of fifty people from over twenty-one countries in the last year with the World Bank and came up with the key areas of impact on antibiotics, because we still don't even know that necessarily. What are our key recommendations going forward about what we think we should do, and how do you actually make sure the antibiotic issue doesn’t get out of control? Because right now, with warming water temperatures, you're gonna have more disease, more need for antibiotics. And in poor countries, you often don't even have labels on bottles for these things. Some people don’t really know what they're putting in their ponds. We are going to be launching our key recommendations very soon on that government and industry and then we're also doing a series of workshops to talk to farmers directly and find out what their needs are.

Wonderful, thank you so much for your insight and time, Wendy!

For Seafood Watch’s consumer guides to buying sustainable seafood that Wendy mentions, you can find them at SeafoodWatch.org.Log into your Groundswell Personal Giving Account to support Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Seafood Watch Program.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Anna Malaika Tubbs: On Celebrating Black Motherhood, and Creating a Social Justice-Driven Portfolio

At Groundswell, we are privileged to talk to a wide range of individuals about philanthropy in all its forms. That is why we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with New York Times best-selling author of The Three Mothers, Anna Malaika Tubbs. The Three Mothers shines a light on mothers Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin, who raised and shaped Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X., and James Baldwin. The book celebrates their legacy and Black motherhood which has shaped much of American history. Anna believes in supporting philanthropic organizations that recognize the importance of motherhood, particularly for black women in America.

Thanks for joining us, Anna. It’s an honor to speak with you. You begin your book by outlining your personal tie to three very incredible mothers — Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin — and how their history spans over the past century. That’s incredible. What ultimately led you to exploring these three incredible women in particular?

It was done out of curiosity, and it was a sort of elimination process, in the sense that I knew I wanted to do a project like Hidden Figures, Margot Lee Shetterly's book. I wanted to be a person who discovered other hidden figures; other black women whose tales we should have known all along but had been lost, erased, or hidden.

I had an amazing mother who was always talking about the significance of celebrating mothers and paying more attention to the crucial role that moms play in our society.

So I've always had this idea in my head that I'm going to do something about black mothers who should have been known.I wanted to focus on the civil rights movement because it comes up so frequently in our policy debates and other discussions. I whittled it down to these three since they were born within six years of each other, and their famous kids were born within five years of each other. This brought them together over time without reducing their complexity and diversity, while celebrating their differences; each chapter covers ten years of their lives.

What I think is so great about your book is your approach to research, and how you were so honest about what information you could find and what you could not. The absence of history is equally as important. That said, you talk about the erasure of Black Women in history, especially through the eyes of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis. Even through your initial research it was hard to nail down exact details like birthdays, and you say Berdis’s name wasn’t even listed in the US. Census. For those who are unaware, can you outline why this Is so important to explore this history and how it better informs us today?

The research process was really difficult, and I'd like to point out that this was also the subject of my PhD dissertation, so this is completely original research.

I needed to dig for every single detail that I uncovered, and even if I found a small nugget of information, I needed to push further to understand the context behind it.

Also, I needed to remember that a lot of what I was finding had been filtered via men, typically white men, who recounted these stories quite differently from how I would. So it was highly complicated, requiring a variety of procedures such as contacting local historians, searching census data, locating land deed, birth certificates, death certificates, and interviewing family members. I'm doing my best to fill in the blanks with information from documents I discover. But it is a reminder to us, first and foremost, of how we value various lives in different ways.

I like to speak about each of our lives as if they are puzzles, and certain puzzles we put together, frame, and hang, either on a mantel or on a wall, to treasure, marvel at, celebrate, and honor.

Then there are the puzzles that we just leave on the ground; every time we move, we leave some pieces in one house, we may throw them away, or the dog may chew on them; no one is ensuring that we retain this information, notice it, or care about it. So I was there, putting the puzzle pieces together.

What I believe is important is that we do this for more people; each story does matter, especially when we see how black women have contributed everything they could to the progression of this nation.

Unfortunately, we continue to disregard their lives, saying, your history doesn't matter, your contributions don't matter. As a result, we've arrived at a point where we don't understand what's going on in our country. We believe that all of these instances of sexism and racism, the intersectionality of the two, as well as the many other isms with which it intersects, occur at random or independently of one another, rather than as a product of years and years of devaluing lives.It's done through systems, regulations, and extremely strategic tactics to eliminate people in order to keep those puzzle parts scattered and concealed. So I simply want more of us to take on that project. I don't want this to be the only book about the three of them. I was declaring that they are worthy of study, worthy of celebration, and worthy of being on the cover of a book. Because what they deserve, in my opinion, was to be seen, celebrated, and honored.

Speaking especially of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis' stories, what surprised you when writing your book, and what was left out of their history?

When I first came up with the idea, I merely wanted to recognize them as individuals with their own interesting lives. I knew they'd be not just intriguing, but also valuable to our society in the ways they were generating life beyond their children through activism and creativity. I wasn't trying to argue that since Alberta [King] did this, Martin [Luther King] did this—I wasn't trying to emphasize the sons in that way. But every piece of information madethe relationship and connections so evident, they’re undeniable.Even if I didn't tell you their names and only described the women based on their passions and approach to fighting for freedom, you'd be able to connect them with their sons. Even if you only know a little bit about the sons.Those are the instances where it's surprising we didn't already know their names.

Moms affect their children in a variety of ways, and you can't dispute it in these three cases.

Because you almost had to work at separating them, it made the erasure even more infuriating. You must purposefully leave out the fact that they are linked. During the course of writing this book, I discovered that the sons did give credit to their mothers. So it's not really their fault; rather, it's those of us who have researched them and determined that they don't fit our racist patriarchal view of who matters. Those who have said, we'll leave that as a footnote but we're not going to center it in the way you believe it should be centered in the record.

You talk about how the media played a role in the erasure of these women’s stories, which essentially shaped what the narratives would become. How does this affect those that are intentionally being erased?

This is a fantastic segue for me to speak about my TED talk, because it's all about storytelling and how we follow the stories that we’re told and how our policy reflects that. In the TED talk, I address the way we talk about moms in the stories we share, not only on an interpersonal level, but in media and in literature. We thank moms for being selfless and putting everyone else's needs ahead of their own.

Moms themselves then believe they should be individuals who don't have their own needs and don't have their own identities.

That can be excruciatingly painful, frustrating, and confusing. It also expands on the stories we're telling in the media that don't highlight the contributions of mothers. We as a society believe that mothers are exclusively important in the domestic sphere, or we take those contributions for granted, or employers will try to fire mothers because they believe they are distracted, even though there is no evidence to support this.Then we see that when it comes to voting for policies that could actually help moms and provide them the support and resources they need for their important job, we can't get them passed because people don't seem to believe they're required. So, if you don't believe the role is important, or that it is easy, you're not going to vote for things like parental leave.We live in a country that does not value motherhood; we do not have affordable childcare, universal preschool, or even universal health care, all of which overlap with the role of motherhood. During the pandemic, we saw many women, particularly moms of color, leave their work because they had no other option. I do believe that a lot of that stems from our cultural understanding of motherhood; if more of us understood the essential nature of the job, stay-at-home moms, for example, what they do for all of us, not just for their children, but for all of us day in and day out, it would be easy for us to say, "Yeah, let's vote for those things. We need that," so I want us to see more stories that represent mothers accurately and their role more appropriately.

Out of curiosity, are you aware of any other cultures outside of America that properly values motherhood?

We've seen these rankings in terms of maternal health and motherhood happiness in the United States, which is really low when compared to other countries. We have a maternal health problem that is disproportionately affecting black women and women of color, but it also affects all women; women are dying at higher rates in this country. That is something that we should all be very concerned about.

Mothers are reporting higher levels of postpartum depression, they're burning out, they're exhausted.

They feel like there's something wrong with them, because they've been told they're supposed to take care of all of this, and then not be thanked for it. As if it's okay to be invisible.Sweden and other Scandinavian countries, for example, have models and policies that we may replicate in the United States. Scandinavia has a more homogeneous culture than the United States; we have a lot more diversity here. However, this does not preclude the adoption of universal parental leave or the distribution of baby boxes in the United States. In Sweden, for example, parents receive a package including the fundamental necessities that they will require when raising a child. That is something we could do in the United States. We could create daycare centers in companies so that if parents do return to work outside the home, they may bring their children with them to the same location, which would increase production for the entire company.

There are many bits and pieces and policies from other countries that I believe we can still apply to the United States, despite the fact that our population is considerably more diverse than that of most other countries.

What organizations would you include now in your own giving portfolio for advocacy work, particularly around motherhood?

The first one I think of is Black Mama's Matter. In the United States, black women, particularly black moms, are still considered as less than human beings. Their effort to build this alliance of people with diverse knowledge, backgrounds, and experiences to address the core causes of black maternal health and the black mother’s experience in the United States is critical.

I wanted to write about black mothers because the dehumanization is evident when you look at the relationship between our country and black mothers in the United States – mothers being refused basic treatment, denied human respect, and being treated with a lack of basic decency.

I also really love the work of the Young Women's Freedom Center. It's in San Francisco, and it works with women who have been impacted by various systems, such as incarceration or juvie. All of these other things that have locked our young women of color away and then blamed them for their experiences, rather than the systems that have pushed them to the margins and forgotten about them and tried to ignore them. Through working with the center, they can reclaim their identity and use their voice.Essie Justice Group is another. It is led by a friend of mine. We see that the cost of having a loved one in prison is quite high, and black women are spending a lot of their money paying into this mass incarceration system in the United States. Instead of addressing the various issues that lead to them being taken away and locked up, we continue to place that burden on the shoulders of black women. So anything that relieves that weight, anything that reminds us that this isn't just a black woman's problem to fix, but that it will affect our entire nation is work that I support and a message that I try to elevate.

If we can come together and really focus on the experience of black women, it will be beneficial to us all.

All of those organizations sound incredible. What is your process of finding which organizations to support around a cause?

I like to begin by asking why we want to talk about black women, and by discussing the legislation that has existed from the beginning of slavery and states that black women are the producers of property rather than the producers of life. It is important to understand that from the start, the idea that a black person's life begins as property is key to understanding the ills of our nation.That is what we want to examine, as well as how this concept about the life of a black person has permeated so many different systems. Then we'd want to know who the organizations are that are dealing with those various systems. So whether that's through tackling mass incarceration – which continues to say that these people are objects and not people, and we can control their lives and their lives matter less than other people's lives – or through thinking about the American gynecological system, and how it's based on experimenting on the bodies of enslaved black women.I’d ask: How is all that still playing out today? Who are the organizations that recognize black women as having been viewed as less than human? What are they doing now to fight for humanity? That's how I'd organize a portfolio.

For our last question, what advice would you give to someone who wishes to be a true ally, especially after reading your book?

That's a great question. When the topic of allyship comes up, I remember my mother, a white woman with black children.

She would approach me and say, "In this world, I have no idea what it's like to be a black girl or a black woman. And I'm not going to pretend I know; I'm not going to claim to understand your experiences. But what I can say is that I believe you are worthy of the same respect and dignity that everyone else is, and I will walk with you, learn with you, and do my best to make this world a better place for you."

I'm paraphrasing; these are not exact words; they are a compilation of lessons learned throughout the last 29 years of my life. But this was her general approach to things, and that's exactly what we're looking for in allies.We're not expecting somebody to say, "I know what it's like to be a black woman," because that's not the correct thing to say. Don't say anything like that. It's fine to recognize that your and mine experiences will differ in this regard. You may say "I feel you are entitled to be regarded as a human being and to have access to the same resources as I do. And I will do my part to help with that. And I will walk beside you and learn alongside you. And it shouldn't be much more complicated than that as a result of that mindset, there will be sacrifices. And I'm not going to pretend that I understand what it's like to be you." I believe it is an accurate summary. And perhaps, more individuals will feel at ease embracing that charge.

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Guide to Being a Modern Philanthropist: Elevate Your Impact With Groundswell

This guide is intended to provide resources and inspiration for Groundswell users on how to donate to causes they care about. It provides tips to best identify and donate to charities that have a proven track record of impact. It also discusses how to think about geography and size when deciding where to donate, and explains the ways in which even small, recurring donations can have be powerful for charities working on the frontlines every day.

Groundswell can be your partner in your journey as a modern philanthropist. Your donations are a critical part of addressing society's myriad issues, such as poverty, education, healthcare, and environmental concerns. And giving to others is also good for you. It has been shown that people who donate to charity experience increased happiness and well-being compared to those who do not give. This sense of satisfaction comes from the knowledge that your actions are making a positive impact on the world and helping those in need.

Through Groundswell, you can easily add funds to your account, browse or search for charities, and donate in a matter of minutes. In this guide, we help demystify some of the questions you might have as you consider where, when and how to donate.

Six Tips to Becoming a Modern Philanthropist

Summary

Pick causes and charities that align with your values: When deciding what you want to support, start by taking into consideration the people, places, or problems that you care about most.
Understand impact through the lens of size & geography: The geographic reach of different charities' programs, and how large or small they are, can help as you determine what to support.
Evaluate best in class charities: Learn how to assess not only the financial health of an organization, but also what questions to ask when looking at other impact metrics.
Set a giving goal: Decide how much you want to give annually through Groundswell, and follow the simple steps to set up contributions to achieve that goal.
Maximize impact through recurring donations: Simplify your giving and provide nonprofits with a steady stream of revenue through monthly, recurring donations.
Optimize your giving through tax-efficient strategies: Leverage the versatility of Groundswell to reduce your tax burden through payroll giving, stocks contributions, and bunching.

1. Pick Causes & Charities that Align with Your Values

Your giving journey often is deeply personal, rooted in your own values and lived experiences. When deciding what causes you want to support, it’s important to start by taking into consideration the people, places, or problems that you care about most. Who or what do you want to impact? What cause is most aligned with that? Use that as a starting point to then find the charities best positioned to have an impact on what you care most about. Focusing on specific cause areas allows you to be more intentional about how you donate.

There are thousands of causes and more than a million nonprofits on the Groundswell platform that tackle challenges from all angles, from improving K-12 education or finding a cure for Alzheimer’s to reducing plastics in the ocean or protecting women’s rights.

After determining what causes matter most to you, it’s also helpful to identify the type of impact you are seeking to make. Are you interested in supporting organizations that are “on the ground” providing direct services or those doing longer-term, important policy and research work? That can help guide you in picking the charities that you want to donate to.

2. Understand Impact: Size & Geography

Where to donate

When deciding where to donate, it’s also important to determine where you want that impact to happen. For many people, where they give is closely linked to where they live – their local food pantry, homeless shelter, house of worship, or neighborhood school.

Others may want to focus their giving beyond where they live and donate to organizations that operate in certain regions or even other countries. There’s no ‘right’ answer - and many people choose to donate both locally and globally to a cause they care about. For example, you may want to support an organization that is both on the frontlines supporting refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine, as well as helping resettle refugee families near your town in the U.S.

Does size matter?

Similarly, there is no right answer for what size organization is best to donate to. Whether they are large or small, if they have a strong track record of impact and do not have a pattern of mismanagement of funds, they are worthy recipients of donations.

Many people want to donate to organizations that have a proven track record of implementing large-scale programs, or are on a strong growth trajectory, year over year. Larger organizations generally have shown their ability to receive larger amounts of funding, and in turn design and implement programs at a scale that have a greater impact towards the causes you care about most. But small organizations can also be extremely impactful - even if the radius or scope of impact is smaller. Although many of today’s social and environmental problems are massive in scale, the vast majority of nonprofits are tiny; indeed, most nonprofits in the United States are small, grassroots organizations - and 20% have annual budgets of less than $50,000. For smaller nonprofits, even the smallest donation on an annual or monthly, recurring basis can have a huge impact on their ability to sustain programs or even expand.

3. Evaluate "Best in Class" Charities

There are multiple ways to assess the quality of a charity; many ratings sites focus primarily on financial metrics, but it is equally important to assess not only how an organization is managing its funds, but also the quality of its work. And while a rating system like Charity Navigator can be helpful, it is important to know that no rating system is comprehensive. Groundswell offers an important starting point - we only feature organizations that are in good standing with the IRS and eligible to receive tax-deductible donations.

Programmatic Impact: Understanding a nonprofit’s impact - through its programs and the populations that it serves - is an important way to evaluate its effectiveness in tackling the causes you care about. Many nonprofits provide details about programming approaches on their websites, including testimonials, photos, and reports detailing specific results. Keep in mind that understanding and assessing impact is highly qualitative - there is no clear ‘score’ - especially because what or who is being impacted varies across the thousands of nonprofits.

Financial Management: Nonprofits, especially larger ones, are required to disclose details related to their financial performance annually – to include assets, revenue and breakdown of expenses in forms submitted to the IRS. Many nonprofits are proactively transparent about their finances and post audited financial statements and other reports on their websites. But financial data does not always tell a complete story. There may be important investments in fundraising staff, which two years later yield a windfall in donations that can be put towards programs.

Advisories: Sometimes there are advisories based on pending or ongoing legal action. Groundswell works to monitor these advisories and remove any charities that it believes are acting improperly or mismanaging donor funds. We also remove any charities that have had their nonprofit status revoked by the IRS.

Groundswell-curated Featured Causes: While many donors might want to do their own research, sometimes it’s far easier (and efficient) to put your trust in others. Groundswell’s impact team provides donors with additional inspiration, and has done the vetting work to determine cause-specific organizations that are well run and most importantly having a strong impact.

4. Aim High with a Giving Goal

You can use Groundswell’s calculator found under your Profile to set or edit your annual giving goal. This can be a flat amount, or a percentage of your annual salary. While estimates vary, a common range for giving as a percentage of annual salary is between 2-6%.

The good news is that with your Groundswell Personal Giving Account, you can easily set up recurring contributions to stay on track to meet your goals. It’s also important to maximize the matching offered by your company’s giving program, where applicable.

Your giving goal can help fund recurring donations, as well as account for unexpected events that you may want to donate to.

5. Level Up with Recurring Donations

Recurring donations can be a great component of your philanthropic strategy. As a bonus, there are benefits for both donors as well as nonprofits.

For donors, setting recurring donations to autopilot every month or quarter means you don’t have to think about it or go through the steps to do it on a regular basis.

Put simply, it’s a smart use of your time. It is also a symbol of a donor’s commitment to a cause, and a belief in the nonprofit’s ability to have a positive impact - not just in a moment of crisis, but on a continuous basis. Groundswell’s recurring contributions and donations features help facilitate recurring giving.

For charities, recurring donations provide a steady, predictable stream of revenue that helps with budget planning. For many organizations, large or small, recurring donations can have a huge impact. Similar to the trends in grassroots political fundraising, having many small-dollar donors is good for nonprofits.

It helps them build awareness and shows to the larger-dollar donors that there is a community that believes in the nonprofit’s mission. It also helps de-risk; nonprofits with one or two large donors and very few small-dollar donors can run into major problems if any of those large donors stop supporting their work.

6. Optimize Your Tax-Efficient Giving

You can leverage the versatility of your Groundswell Personal Giving Account, which is underpinned by a Donor-Advised Fund, to be strategic and reduce your tax burden.

Donate appreciated stock

If you have appreciated stocks that you've held for more than a year and you donate them through your Groundswell account, you won't have to pay capital gains tax on the appreciation when those shares are exchanged for their market value.

Plus, you'll be eligible for a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of contribution into your Groundswell account.

Give with payroll

You can leverage Groundswell’s Payroll feature to make giving more tax efficient. Contributions to Groundswell through payroll deductions are eligible for an immediate tax deduction for the amount contributed. This means that your taxable income for the year is reduced by the amount of your contribution. Contributing on a recurring basis via payroll also makes it easier to “set and forget” and achieve your giving goals more efficiently.

Bundle contributions

You can also take advantage of the Donor-Advised Fund structure of Groundswell to make a larger contribution in a single tax year and maximize tax benefits by itemizing deductions in the year that the larger contribution is being made - commonly known as “bunching.”

For example, if you typically give $5,000 to charity each year but decide to give $25,000 to your Groundswell account in one year, you can itemize your deductions that year and take the standard deduction in the following years. By doing so, you may be able to minimize your tax burden over time while still supporting the charities you care about.

Want access to other toolkits like this?

Corporate giving programs aim to empower employees and help companies facilitate and support philanthropic efforts. As global access grows and corporations become more diverse, employee representation becomes an increasingly important subject.

Groundswell enables companies to lay the foundation for their employees to adopt a generous giving attitude towards charities and world-shaping efforts.

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Science of Giving: Why Do People Donate to Charity?

It’s easy enough to give away that old sofa stashed in the corner of your garage. But why do people donate to charity? What causes you, or anyone else, to send a $100 check to a foundation or spend an evening tutoring underserved youth? We have dozens of sayings about giving. Do good and good things will happen to you. To whom much is given, much is expected. I can’t do everything, but I can do something. There’s more, but the point is that giving is a part of the human experience. Without a doubt, for many people, it seems the right thing to do. People give because it feels good to do so. Americans are a particularly generous lot. In fact, 60% of us give money, 72% help strangers and 42% volunteer, often just because we are asked. And during the pandemic? Americans became even more generous. In 2020 and 2021, donations were higher than they were in 2019. The average donation per person was $574 in 2021.What’s more, there are undeniable psychological and scientific benefits that make donating important to the human spirit and will keep people giving generously into the foreseeable future.

The Science of Giving: What Happens in the Brain

For Americans, there are plenty of opportunities to spend money which, researchers admit, provide a dopamine hit. So it can be tempting to think that we’re just a purchase away from nirvana. But the accumulation of things is not the type of spending that makes a difference in our lives or the lives of others. We get more bang for the buck, so to speak, when we give to others. That’s because giving has a positive impact on the brain. It makes sense that our brains would reward us for helping to preserve society, releasing the same types of feel-good chemicals as during exercise. It is one of the evolutionary traits that has helped us build prosperous civilizations. In fact, in 2006, Jorge Moll and Jordan Grafman, neuroscientists at the National Institutes of Health, were able to measure the neural activity of giving, thus proving what we intuitively knew already. Subjects were allocated money that they could either keep for themselves or donate to selected charities. By tracking the impact on the pleasure centers of the brain, researchers discovered that the midbrain ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the subgenual area lit up when subjects donated the money. These are the same parts of the brain that light up when presented with a delicious meal or when talking about a romantic partner.

Why Do People Donate to Charity?

For years, there has been a philosophical discussion about whether or not charitable giving is altruistic. Do people give their money and donate their time just for the purpose of doing good, expecting nothing in return? Psychologists and philosophers argue that because charitable acts lead to feelings of happiness and satisfaction, true altruism does not exist.But many people consider this argument flawed. When it comes to human behavior, there are many shades of gray. If a benefactor feels happier following an act of kindness, that doesn’t mean that the motivation is self-serving.

Altruism

Altruism is a hallmark of cooperation. Cooperation underpins our society and is, in part, what separates humans from animals. Why do people donate? Because it feels good. Our society is built on the values of empathy, compassion and solidarity, among others. People give because doing so fosters a sense of belonging and generates meaning and purpose in their lives. There are other good outcomes, as well.

Giving May Help Depression

It’s pretty obvious that giving makes people happier. Michael Norton, professor of psychology at Harvard and co-author of the book, “Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending,” agrees. “When we tell people ‘Hey, did you know that giving to other people can make you happy?’ Most people are not blown away. They’ve had experiences that make them happy. They understand the concept, but it doesn’t occur to us that often to give instead of getting stuff for ourselves.”If you’re assuming that depression is not a major factor in your company, don’t be so sure. According to a July 2021 survey by SilverCloud Health, approximately two-thirds of U.S. workers suffer from clinical levels of depression or anxiety. Depression may mean that employees exhibit a high rate of absenteeism and fall short in key areas of performance, including decision-making, focus and communications. When an employee is depressed, it can have a devastating effect on the workplace. Depression is generally accompanied by a decline in how an individual views themselves. It may seem intuitive for those suffering from depression to attempt to bolster their self-image by focusing on, for example, getting others to notice their positive qualities. But researchers found that goals centered around self-image will likely make matters worse. Alternatively, they found that the pursuit of compassionate goals, that is, helping others, seems to alleviate the symptoms of depression and improve personal relationships. Perhaps that’s because helping others puts one’s own life into perspective and generates a more optimistic outlook.

Giving Increases Longevity

Charitable volunteering could even increase your lifespan. A classic study published in the Journal of Health Psychology concluded that elderly volunteers had a 44% lower mortality rate within the next five years after controlling for health habits, social support and other factors. According to researchers, prosocial spending or spending money on other people (which includes charitable donations) can even lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation, both risk factors for a number of health conditions.

The Charitable Brain and Your Corporate Giving Programs

According to Michael Norton, automatic withdrawals may not be enough to engage your employees. “(Automatic withdrawals are) not going to have as big an impact on my life as if I’m thinking about who I’m giving to and why I’m giving to them and the impact that I’m having.” When you understand how and why charitable giving makes people happy, you can leverage this information to make your corporate giving program one that will not only engage and delight your employees but accrue benefits to the company and to the broader society as well. The best programs align with corporate values and help employees establish habits that facilitate giving in a memorable and meaningful way. Certainly, it makes sense for companies to implement programs that are easy to administer. But they must also ensure that employees are involved in selecting charities, auditing themselves, managing their giving targeting, tracking the good deeds of the non-profits and maybe even volunteering. With a properly executed corporate giving program, companies can realize the many benefits that such a plan has to offer to its employees and to the communities it serves. At Groundswell, we can help you give your corporate giving program a whole new look and feel and make it a pillar of your compensation system. Contact us for more information.

6 mins read

Blog Post

From Dock to Dish: A Deep Dive Into Seafood Sustainability

Welcome! In celebration of World Oceans Day this year, I’m excited to dive into a topic near and dear to me—seafood sustainability. I’m a huge fan of Monterey Bay Aquarium and have been following the Seafood Watch program for some years now. For those who aren’t as familiar, can you give a brief overview of what Seafood Watch is doing to advance healthier oceans?

That’s wonderful! I’m actually curious to learn a little bit more about you. We always love to highlight the people behind some of these amazing movements that are happening, but can you give us a brief history or your journey to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seafood Watch program, and have you always had a passion for the ocean growing up?

That’s exciting! Sounds like a dream job.

You touched on something that leads me to my next question about seafood sustainability in general, which is that it's actually an extremely complex thing, and it's not so cut and dry, like just buying from the local fisherman, or don’t eat fish.

But between sustainable fishing practices, aquaculture and the seafood supply chain – it's a lot to wrap your head around. What would you say for someone who's just getting into understanding this topic? What is the most pressing thing we can focus on?

Oh, that's so interesting. I'm also curious, from the general consumers’ perspective, a question that might come up is “should I potentially avoid buying a particular type of seafood?” For example, if I'm buying shrimp, is it more likely that it's unsustainably caught or has human trafficking attached to it?

On a brighter note, what are some of the bigger recent accomplishments that the Seafood Watch program has had that maybe people don't know about?

Wonderful, thank you so much for your insight and time, Wendy!

6 mins read

Blog Post

How To Become a Philanthropist: 7 Steps To Change the World

If you’re wondering how to become a philanthropist, it’s easier than you think. Anyone can do it and, contrary to popular belief, it’s not just for the wealthy. Make no mistake about it: Humans are social creatures. We love to help one another. That’s why philanthropy is so popular. It’s a feel-good activity that improves our world. And the benefits far outweigh the costs. Before you start contributing to worthy causes, however, it helps to understand the options available to you. You’ll want to make good decisions so that you maximize the impact you want to make in the world. No worries, either, about how much — or how little — money you have. All you need is a vision and a plan.

What Is Philanthropy?

A philanthropist is an entity, either a person or a corporation, that provides time, money, or resources — and perhaps all three — to people or nonprofits in need of assistance. The overarching goal is to make lives better for others (or the world we inhabit). Philanthropy is often associated with large sums of money and wealthy people. But, as mentioned, philanthropists can be any person or entity. Even a tiny business can be philanthropic.Some philanthropists rise to rockstar status and are known for their generosity. For example, Warren Buffett, Melinda Gates and Oprah Winfrey are just a few among the mega-rich who have given large sums and had an impact on important social and environmental issues. But you don’t have to be a millionaire, and indeed - many nonprofits are supported by hundreds of thousands of people who give modestly. Even a relatively small donation - alongside hundreds of others who also are giving a small amount - can add up to hugely impactful levels of support for nonprofits working to support communities in need.

What Philanthropy Looks Like

Philanthropy can take a number of forms. These include, for example:Money: Donations may be one time only or on a regular basis. Philanthropists may also bequest money after death or establish a trust.Time: Those who don’t have money to donate or prefer to contribute in other ways can donate time and labor. Examples include volunteering at a homeless shelter or tutoring students after school. As with monetary donations, these can be one-time, yearly or more frequent contributions. Many small, community-based nonprofits are dependent upon the generosity of their volunteers’ time to extend the impact of their mission.Resources: These donations, known often as “in-kind,” include furniture, vehicles, food, clothing, toys, computers, etc.

Benefits of Changing the World With Philanthropy

It may seem to be a cliche, but the benefits of philanthropy are immeasurable for those donating time, money or other resources:

Lends perspective: Philanthropy heightens your sense of connectivity to the world and the things that really matter.
Better health: Your mental health and physical wellbeing both improve when you give back.
Lower stress levels: Volunteering has been proven to lower stress and enhance feelings of well-being by releasing dopamine.
Tax reductions: Donations may be written off on personal taxes.
Social interaction: Volunteering can offer opportunities to network and meet others who are committed to similar causes, and connections can be formed among a group of donors providing financial support.
Improved skill set: As a volunteer or a donor who has researched the causes that nonprofits are working on, you will learn new skills, both hard and soft, and improve your leadership acumen.

How To Become a Philanthropist

As with any good strategy, you’ll need a road map to get to your final destination. Follow these seven steps to become a philanthropist:

1. Clarify Your Goals

Before you decide where to put your time and effort, you’ll need to understand what’s most important to you. What do you value? Where can you make a difference? What would feel good to do? Include your personal or professional goals such as expanding your network. Whether it’s working for climate change or helping your community’s underserved population get the resources they lack, make sure that you feel passionate about the issue.

2. Determine Your Commitment

Before you decide what to do, you need to determine how to do it. Do you want to give money or time? If it’s money, what can you afford? If you plan to volunteer, how much time do you have? When can you volunteer?

3. Choose Your Organization

Once you know the type of commitment you can make, research and vet organizations. Do they align with your mission and values? Where do they work? If you know you want to focus on homelessness in your community, determine if the organization is serving the homeless population in your city. Most organizations share information about their programs, their leadership and how they use their charitable donations. If you have questions, ask. The organization should be transparent and credible.

4. Check With Your Company

Before you completely nail down a target nonprofit, check out the support your company may offer – whether that be a match or volunteer opportunities.

5. Establish a Plan

Based on the causes you care about, the resources you want to commit to and the organizations you want to support, determine your giving cadence. For many, setting up recurring, monthly donations means you can ‘set it and forget it.’ But you might also want to consider setting aside some funds for donating during an emergency - whether it's a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, the war in Ukraine, or a social justice issue.

6. Stay Engaged and Curious

Find your community, and learn about other organizations that are doing important work in support of the causes you care about. You might find that in order to tackle an issue that you’re passionate about, multiple organizations are needed to make change. You can create social connections in-person or online to discover more organizations.

7. Trumpet the Cause

Now that you’re a practicing philanthropist, tell others about the organizations you support and why. They may be inspired to help or to find a cause of their own.

Have Fun With It!

Philanthropy is something anyone can do. Whether you donate time or money, it offers great benefits and improves the lives of others. Find the organization or cause you want to support and go for it. It’s a fun and easy way to give back to the community and expand your horizons.If you would like to know more about a corporate giving program, contact Groundswell. We can help turn philanthropic giving into an essential employee benefit.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Donor-Advised Fund vs. Private Foundation: What's the Difference?

Donating directly to a charitable organization might be the simplest way to give, but there are also various philanthropic vehicles available for minimizing taxes and maximizing impact. Two of the better known structures are donor-advised funds (DAF) and private foundations.

Donor-Advised Fund vs. Private Foundation

While there are 1.4 million registered public charities in the United States, less than 1% are donor-advised funds. Likewise, private foundation numbers, at around 90,000, are relatively modest. The impact of these nonprofit organizations, on the other hand, can be considerable. Here are the key differences between donor-advised funds and private foundations.

What Is a Donor-Advised Fund?

The donor-advised fund (DAF) is a tax-advantaged personal giving account established at a public nonprofit sponsor organization. The account is opened in the donor’s name and contributions are made to the organization(s) chosen by the donor. That might be a charity, but it could also be a university, religious foundation or financial institution. DAFs are enjoying unprecedented popularity with donations jumping by 27% since 2019. Giving from DAFs topped $34.67 billion in 2020, with the five largest — Fidelity, National Philanthropic Trust, Schwab, Vanguard and Silicon Valley Community — accounting for $24.5 billion alone. That said, the size of the average fund is a lot less, at around $150,000. Donors can gift cash, stock, real estate or other assets to a donor-advised fund. Traditionally, DAFs have been viewed as a tax-efficient way to give over a longer period of time without any annual obligation to distribute funds (thus the nickname “zombie philanthropy”), but now Groundswell is empowering corporations to unlock the advantages through our Philanthropy-as-a-Service platform. Whereas DAFs have conventionally been the preserve of the ultra-rich and brokerages, we’re offering access starting at $1 million (the lowest minimum contribution in the industry) to help employees with meaningful giving that benefits communities.

What Is a Private Foundation?

A private foundation, on the other hand, is a legal entity established solely for charitable purposes. Usually launched as a family or organization’s legacy initiative, the private foundation is a long-term project whose influence can spread worldwide. That’s certainly true of three of the biggest three: the Bill and Melinda Gates, Ford and Getty foundations. Private foundations are administered by a board of directors and can receive funds via real estate, investment assets or charitable donations. Unlike public charities, however, they usually derive their financial support from a single source, whether it’s a person, family or organization.

Key Differences Between Donor-Advised Fund vs. Private Foundation

There are a few important distinctions to note between the two, particularly when it comes to the overarching mission and vision.

Longevity

Most donor-advised funds are intended to support charitable giving during the philanthropist’s lifetime, although some do extend to a further generation or two. One of the criticisms of DAFs is that rather than distributing donations to non-profit organizations in need, they are used by the rich to “park” private wealth in a tax deductible fund. That’s not the Groundswell approach. Our platform is designed to establish a minimum annual distribution for DAFs to bring communities to life, not mothball zombie philanthropy funds. Private foundations, by contrast, focus firmly on the future legacy, and most are established as permanent entities that will outlive the founder.

Control

The board of directors (which can include the founder) manages a private foundation. For a DAF, the sponsor organization has control, although the donor may give their recommendation or advice on how grants are distributed.

Profile

Private foundations often celebrate a particular goal or set of values, so concealing the founder’s identity is rarely a concern. DAFs do offer confidentiality, so they are a useful vehicle for benefactors who want to support a charitable organization anonymously.

Establishment

There is a lower barrier to entry for donor-advised funds, some of which can be set up with as little as $5,000, although upwards of $100,000 is more common. Because all legal formalities are covered by the parent organization, DAFs are relatively easy to set up. By contrast, private foundations take longer to establish, and the legal, administrative and tax affairs require professional support. Private foundations usually start with funds of $10 million or more.

Tax Matters

Arguably the biggest difference between the two is in terms of tax regulation. For private foundations, the IRS dictates that a 5% minimum of net investment assets must be distributed annually in the form of grants or administrative expenses. To set up a private foundation, the founder(s) must apply for recognition of exemption under Section 501(c)(3) with the IRS, and will subsequently need to file detailed tax returns on board members’ compensation, fees and grants. All are a matter of public record. Donor-advised funds, on the other hand, do not require any annual grants to be administered but do offer immediate tax advantages, particularly if the donor is receiving a windfall, inheritance or revenue from a business or property sale. Neither do DAF donors have to file tax returns to the IRS, not least because ultimate control of the DAF is with the sponsor nonprofit organization.

We’re Here To Support Your Giving Efforts

Despite the “zombie” tag, DAFs are by no means evil by nature. In fact, they can be an effective way to drive meaningful giving that brings communities to life. To find out how we’re raising zombie philanthropy from the dead with an employee benefit that benefits the world, get in touch with us today.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Anna Malaika Tubbs: On Celebrating Black Motherhood, and Creating a Social Justice-Driven Portfolio

Thanks for joining us, Anna. It’s an honor to speak with you. You begin your book by outlining your personal tie to three very incredible mothers — Alberta King, Louise Little, and Berdis Baldwin — and how their history spans over the past century. That’s incredible. What ultimately led you to exploring these three incredible women in particular?

I had an amazing mother who was always talking about the significance of celebrating mothers and paying more attention to the crucial role that moms play in our society.

What I think is so great about your book is your approach to research, and how you were so honest about what information you could find and what you could not. The absence of history is equally as important. That said, you talk about the erasure of Black Women in history, especially through the eyes of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis. Even through your initial research it was hard to nail down exact details like birthdays, and you say Berdis’s name wasn’t even listed in the US. Census. For those who are unaware, can you outline why this Is so important to explore this history and how it better informs us today?

The research process was really difficult, and I'd like to point out that this was also the subject of my PhD dissertation, so this is completely original research.

I needed to dig for every single detail that I uncovered, and even if I found a small nugget of information, I needed to push further to understand the context behind it.

I like to speak about each of our lives as if they are puzzles, and certain puzzles we put together, frame, and hang, either on a mantel or on a wall, to treasure, marvel at, celebrate, and honor.

What I believe is important is that we do this for more people; each story does matter, especially when we see how black women have contributed everything they could to the progression of this nation.

Speaking especially of Alberta, Louise, and Berdis' stories, what surprised you when writing your book, and what was left out of their history?

Moms affect their children in a variety of ways, and you can't dispute it in these three cases.

You talk about how the media played a role in the erasure of these women’s stories, which essentially shaped what the narratives would become. How does this affect those that are intentionally being erased?

Moms themselves then believe they should be individuals who don't have their own needs and don't have their own identities.

Out of curiosity, are you aware of any other cultures outside of America that properly values motherhood?

Mothers are reporting higher levels of postpartum depression, they're burning out, they're exhausted.

There are many bits and pieces and policies from other countries that I believe we can still apply to the United States, despite the fact that our population is considerably more diverse than that of most other countries.

What organizations would you include now in your own giving portfolio for advocacy work, particularly around motherhood?

I wanted to write about black mothers because the dehumanization is evident when you look at the relationship between our country and black mothers in the United States – mothers being refused basic treatment, denied human respect, and being treated with a lack of basic decency.

If we can come together and really focus on the experience of black women, it will be beneficial to us all.

All of those organizations sound incredible. What is your process of finding which organizations to support around a cause?

For our last question, what advice would you give to someone who wishes to be a true ally, especially after reading your book?

That's a great question. When the topic of allyship comes up, I remember my mother, a white woman with black children.

She would approach me and say, "In this world, I have no idea what it's like to be a black girl or a black woman. And I'm not going to pretend I know; I'm not going to claim to understand your experiences. But what I can say is that I believe you are worthy of the same respect and dignity that everyone else is, and I will walk with you, learn with you, and do my best to make this world a better place for you."

6 mins read

Blog Post

Night of the Living DAF: How Groundswell is Raising Zombie Philanthropy From the Dead

No one likes zombies. They’re noisy. They’re disgusting. Worst of all, they try to eat your brain.But perhaps the spookiest thing about them? They’re mindless. Zombies are automatons who amble along without thinking. Left to their own devices, they would go on like that, mindlessly, forever. Never changing, never helping, never improving.It is this critique of the undead that gets levelled at a form of charity dubbed zombie philanthropy. In this critique, the drivers of zombie philanthropy are Donor-Advised Funds (DAF)s. To quote The Washington Post:This is problematic. We’re in a world where there is no time to waste. There are too many crises facing our country and global community and it serves no one to have money sitting on the sidelines. At Groundswell we’re going to change that by building a platform that will better facilitate these funds and empower donors to make an impact quickly.

WTF is a DAF and who contributes to them?!

A Donor Advised Fund allows donors to put all of their charitable dollars into one single fund, receive an immediate tax deduction, grow those assets over time, and distribute assets to nonprofits of their choice at any given time. It was established in the 1930’s to handle charitable donor-advised fund contributions on behalf of organizations, private individuals, and families. Since then, DAFs have been primarily utilized by the ultra-wealthy. According to the 2020 Donor-Advised Fund Report, grants to qualified organizations from DAF accounts totaled $27.37 billion in 2019, up 15.4% from $23.72 billion in 2018. But considering there are over $140 billion in total assets squirreled away in DAFs, $27 billion is merely a fraction of the impact potential they represent.

Why Do DAFs (Sometimes) Become Zombies?

Donor Advised Funds are popular due to their ease of use. Donors typically struggle with deciding where to direct their philanthropic contributions, especially when large sums of low-value assets are contributed. Managing several beneficiaries while meeting a deadline might be difficult. As a result, one-stop-shop giving simplifies the philanthropic process.Why have DAFs become the target of “zombie philanthropy” accusations? The critiques typically go like this:

Unlike with private foundations, there is no requirement for minimum distributions from Donor Advised Funds. As a result, investors routinely deposit significant amounts of equity or cash in those accounts with no need to distribute them right away. This means that a DAF’s capital can sit static for years or decades, and never actually reach a nonprofit.
This is particularly worrisome at a time when nonprofits need funds urgently, not in a distant future.
Some individuals use DAFs primarily for income tax reductions, balancing their tax bill with their giving, so that the upside, like capital gains, is neutralized. Others use DAFs to pass on money to their offspring, once again with minimal taxes.

With DAFs, people can sidestep learning about the best causes in place of simply dumping the money in a pot on the advice of someone else.We recognize these critiques. Any tax instrument can be manipulated depending on a user’s intentions (we’re looking at you, Peter Thiel). However, we don’t believe DAFs are inherently evil and are instead breathing new life into the zombie philanthropy model.Groundswell reaps the benefits of DAFs without the downsides. And we believe that this approach can be scaled to reach any prospective donor, not just the ultra-rich.

How Groundswell is Raising Zombie Philanthropy From the Dead

Groundswell is built differently.Legacy DAF providers also happen to be massive asset managers. No wonder their platforms are designed to keep money in the DAF, and not move it out to charity. In fact, it’s in their best interest for it to play out that way.However, Groundswell is built to move money as efficiently as possible out of the system and into the hands of charities.The objectives of our platform are aligned directly with the goals of charities – including the goal of disbursing as much money as possible into the community. That’s probably because we were founded by a former nonprofit executive, a key difference in Groundswell vs. the competition.We have no beef with DAFs and not every DAF fund is a zombie. The fact is, when funds are transferred to a DAF, they will eventually finance a program sponsored by the donor, though it may be slow and delayed funding means delayed impact.As we already mentioned, we believe that Donor Advised Funds are not inherently evil – even if they are exploited by a large number of ultra-wealthy individuals and fail to generate as much good as intended. In principle, DAFs can be powerful but, like everything else, they must evolve.That’s why Groundswell is supportive of recent talks aimed at reforming Donor Advised Funds to include, among other things, a minimum annual distribution. DAFs, built and leveraged appropriately, can bring massive efficiencies to the nonprofit sector and the giving of ordinary Americans.So instead of allowing these legacy Donor Advised Funds to shuffle around mindlessly like zombies, let's build an alternative like Groundswell that breathes life back into the Donor Advised Fund and democratizes philanthropy for the 99%.

6 mins read

Blog Post

12 Employee Benefits Survey Questions Modern Companies Should Ask

In today's business environment, having the right and highest performing talent is more critical than ever. With benefits packages playing a vital role in these decisions, how can companies truly gauge their effectiveness? By initiating regular employee benefits surveys.

Scroll down for a free survey template below.

Let's dive in to the importance of asking the following questions.

Is our workforce satisfied with the current employee benefits package?

Gaining insights from "how satisfied are you with our company’s benefits package?" can offer companies a quick pulse on the effectiveness of their benefits. A dip in satisfaction might signal a need for re-evaluation, especially if you're looking to maximize your budget.

How comprehensive are the employee benefits we offer?

Do employees feel that the organization covers a wide range of their needs? Asking, "do you feel our benefits package is comprehensive in its offering?" can shed light on any potential gaps in coverage.

Are we showing true commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion through our benefits?

Are the company's efforts in promoting DE&I resonating? This can be gauged by asking if the benefits genuinely support diversity and inclusion. If they aren't, here's an opportunity to collect ideas directly from your employees.

Do our benefits reflect our company culture and values?

The question, "do you feel our benefits package supports our cultural values?" will highlight any potential discrepancies in practicing what you're preaching.

Did you know? Two-thirds of employees say it’s important for a company to align to their values.

Are we catering to the needs of a remote or multi-location workforce?

With remote work on the rise, is the company adapting its benefits accordingly? It's essential to find out if employees feel supported, regardless of their work setting.

Would employees recommend the company based on our benefits?

This is an easy one to skip, but it's a great question to ask. See how influential your benefits package is for employee referrals. Determining if employees would advocate for the company based on its benefits can be a key metric for recruitment.

How do specific benefit categories fare?

By querying satisfaction levels across various benefits – physical health, social impact, mental health, financial health, and fringe benefits – can companies discern which areas are thriving and which need enhancement?

What additional benefits do employees desire?

Is there a particular benefit that could make a difference in employee satisfaction and retention? Discovering this can be as straightforward as asking, "if you could choose one benefit not currently offered, what would it be?"

If your workforce desires a more meaningful benefit, see why decentralizing your corporate philanthropy strategy can achieve greater impact at scale.

How often should I send an employee survey about our benefits?

While every business has their own set of unique needs, conducing a quarterly employee survey at minimum can help you get a pulse check.

There will be some natural and unplanned peaks in valleys throughout the year that can drastically affect employee morale and company culture. By proactively seeking feedback through surveys, companies can foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring they remain at the forefront of employee satisfaction.

What are some affordable benefit options we can provide employees?

Corporate matching or giving programs can be a low-cost addition to your benefit offering that supports your employees’ unique passions and perspectives through charitable giving and boosts your company’s commitment to social impact. Groundswell offers a comprehensive solution with a simple implementation and nearly zero administration burden.

Request a demo

[Free Template] Employee Benefits Survey Questions

How satisfied are you with our company’s benefits package?
Do you feel our benefits package is comprehensive in its offering?
Do you feel our benefits package supports our cultural values?
Do you feel our benefits package supports our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion?
Do you feel our benefits package supports our remote or multi-location workforce?
How likely are you to recommend applying based on our benefits package?
How satisfied are you with our physical health benefits (i.e. health care, sick leave, etc)?
How satisfied are you with our social impact benefits (i.e. corporate matching, volunteering, etc)?
How satisfied are you with our mental health benefits (i.e. vacation time, EAP, etc)?
How satisfied are you with our financial health benefits? (i.e. retirement, student loan assistance, etc)
How satisfied are you with our fringe benefits and perks? (i.e. fitness subsidies, stipends, etc)
If you could choose one benefit not currently offered, what would it be?

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Guide to Being a Modern Philanthropist: Elevate Your Impact With Groundswell

Six Tips to Becoming a Modern Philanthropist

Summary

Pick causes and charities that align with your values: When deciding what you want to support, start by taking into consideration the people, places, or problems that you care about most.
Understand impact through the lens of size & geography: The geographic reach of different charities' programs, and how large or small they are, can help as you determine what to support.
Evaluate best in class charities: Learn how to assess not only the financial health of an organization, but also what questions to ask when looking at other impact metrics.
Set a giving goal: Decide how much you want to give annually through Groundswell, and follow the simple steps to set up contributions to achieve that goal.
Maximize impact through recurring donations: Simplify your giving and provide nonprofits with a steady stream of revenue through monthly, recurring donations.
Optimize your giving through tax-efficient strategies: Leverage the versatility of Groundswell to reduce your tax burden through payroll giving, stocks contributions, and bunching.

1. Pick Causes & Charities that Align with Your Values

2. Understand Impact: Size & Geography

Where to donate

Does size matter?

3. Evaluate "Best in Class" Charities

Programmatic Impact: Understanding a nonprofit’s impact - through its programs and the populations that it serves - is an important way to evaluate its effectiveness in tackling the causes you care about. Many nonprofits provide details about programming approaches on their websites, including testimonials, photos, and reports detailing specific results. Keep in mind that understanding and assessing impact is highly qualitative - there is no clear ‘score’ - especially because what or who is being impacted varies across the thousands of nonprofits.

Financial Management: Nonprofits, especially larger ones, are required to disclose details related to their financial performance annually – to include assets, revenue and breakdown of expenses in forms submitted to the IRS. Many nonprofits are proactively transparent about their finances and post audited financial statements and other reports on their websites. But financial data does not always tell a complete story. There may be important investments in fundraising staff, which two years later yield a windfall in donations that can be put towards programs.

Advisories: Sometimes there are advisories based on pending or ongoing legal action. Groundswell works to monitor these advisories and remove any charities that it believes are acting improperly or mismanaging donor funds. We also remove any charities that have had their nonprofit status revoked by the IRS.

Groundswell-curated Featured Causes: While many donors might want to do their own research, sometimes it’s far easier (and efficient) to put your trust in others. Groundswell’s impact team provides donors with additional inspiration, and has done the vetting work to determine cause-specific organizations that are well run and most importantly having a strong impact.

4. Aim High with a Giving Goal

Your giving goal can help fund recurring donations, as well as account for unexpected events that you may want to donate to.

5. Level Up with Recurring Donations

Recurring donations can be a great component of your philanthropic strategy. As a bonus, there are benefits for both donors as well as nonprofits.

For donors, setting recurring donations to autopilot every month or quarter means you don’t have to think about it or go through the steps to do it on a regular basis.

6. Optimize Your Tax-Efficient Giving

You can leverage the versatility of your Groundswell Personal Giving Account, which is underpinned by a Donor-Advised Fund, to be strategic and reduce your tax burden.

Donate appreciated stock

Plus, you'll be eligible for a tax deduction for the full fair market value of the stock at the time of contribution into your Groundswell account.

Give with payroll

Bundle contributions

Want access to other toolkits like this?

Groundswell enables companies to lay the foundation for their employees to adopt a generous giving attitude towards charities and world-shaping efforts.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Unleash the Power of Your Employee Giving Program: Best Practices Guide

Your Best Practices Guide for Maximizing Your Employee Giving Participation

This guide provides you with tools and tips to maximize employee participation in your giving program, not just when the program launches but throughout the entire year.

Leveraging our expertise in the social impact and nonprofit sectors, Groundswell is here to support you and your employees on your impact journey.

Overview

Employee giving programs can be a great way for companies to demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility, engage employees, and make a positive impact on the community. But too often, employees don’t take full advantage of the opportunities provided through their giving programs, leaving billions of funds unmatched every year. For some, this is due to either a lack of awareness about their company's giving program, or for others because an unwieldy donation portal and match process that leaves employees frustrated. Groundswell's technology brings corporate giving into the 21st century and unleashes the modern philanthropist in all of your employees.

Whether your goal is to grow the percentage of employees participating in your giving program, increase the amount of funds going to nonprofits, or to better understand the causes that matter most to your employees, these best practices can help you achieve those goals.

By reducing the administrative burden required to launch and implement a Giving Program, Groundswell frees you up to focus on what matters most: inspiring your employees and having a positive impact on the world through your company’s support for charitable causes.

6 Tips for Maximizing Participation in Your Employee Giving Program

1. Communicate Early and with Intention

Communication is a critical component of any successful giving program. We want you to have the tools to effectively share program details and encourage participation - whether launching a new employee giving program or transitioning from an existing one.

The key is to help employees understand why and how Groundswell fits into your company’s broader vision around corporate citizenship and employee engagement - and build enthusiasm around the potential to collectively have a positive impact on the world through donations to charities.

Program Launch Communications:

Here are some ways to think about the program launch. Depending on whether this is a new program or transitioning from an existing one, your adoption plan may change. You don’t want to inundate employees with too much information, while also providing them with the resources they need to successfully enroll in the program and easily engage on the platform.

Keep it short, and emphasize that the intent is to center employees in corporate philanthropy and make it as easy as possible for employees to give.
If the Giving Program is new: Why now? How does it align with your company’s values? Why is Groundswell a good fit for the company?
If the program is replacing an existing program: Why now? What’s different (and better) from the previous program? New matching or gifting features? It may also be helpful to highlight the tax effectiveness of the donor-advised fund model.

Monthly Program Communications

In order to encourage ongoing participation in your program, and for employees to take advantage of the gifts and matches offered by your company, we encourage monthly nudges to remind employees about the program.

Monthly Cause Spotlights

Start off the month by highlighting some timely causes - make sure to link to Groundswell-curated “Featured Cause” Portfolios that Groundswell uploads to the dashboard every month for a hand-off approach to spotlighting.
Share “Cause of the Month” information with employees, leveraging the toolkits found in Groundswell’s Resource Center.

Engagement & Impact Reporting

Utilize the data that you can find on your company Dashboard or download via CSV to highlight some of your company’s collective impact - including a percentage of employees enrolled, the total dollar amount that has been donated, as well as top nonprofit donation recipients and/or cause areas.
This helps employees see how their individual donations are having a larger impact as part of your company’s collective giving program.

2. Drive Early Adoption through Gifts

Gifts can be a terrific way to get employees to sign up and start using the Groundswell platform immediately. Here are a few tips on how to drive early adoption using the Gifting feature:

Launch with a one-time gift into employees’ Giving Accounts that will show up as soon as employees enroll. This can be a great way to create buzz about the program and empower employees to donate and make an impact immediately - even before they contribute their own funds to their Groundswell account.
Throughout the year, provide unexpected, ad hoc gifts into employees’ accounts - for work anniversaries, milestones, great performance, etc.
A way to make it fun is to do a lottery at All Hands meetings by randomly selecting an employee to receive $25 in their Groundswell account. Follow this link or reach out to the Groundswell Customer Success team to learn more.

3. Inspire Engagement through Matching

Set up a matching program that immediately doubles the impact when an employee puts funds into their Groundswell Giving Account. This creates a feeling of “we’re in this together” - and drives home the message about an equitable approach to corporate philanthropy.
A match program can run for an entire year, or be tailored to specific months.
With the Groundswell match happening at the point of contributing funds to the Groundswell account, employees can tangibly see and feel what it means to double the impact for the charities and causes that matter most to them.

4. Leverage Cause Campaigns & Respond to the Emergent Events

Planned Campaigns:

Utilize a Social Impact Cause Calendar to plan monthly or bi-monthly communications to employees highlighting specific causes - with resources to educate employees about the cause, and a curated list of nonprofits most relevant to the cause. You can refer to Groundswell’s monthly cause portfolios that are updated to reflect timely causes and issues.
Tip: Plan your annual budget to launch match campaigns focused on specific charities or cause areas throughout the year.

Unforeseen Events:

Utilize Groundswell’s curated list of best-in-class nonprofits responding to disasters in the United States or globally. Being able to quickly and confidently point your employees to vetted nonprofits to donate to shows that you are responsive as a company and empowering employees to take action in moments of crisis.
Tip: Keep a portion of your annual budget in reserve so that you can match employee donations and/or provide gifts to employees to expand the impact in response to the unforeseen emergency.

5. Engage Employee Resource Groups

Another mechanism to center employees in corporate philanthropy and recognize their own lived experiences: provide Employee Resource Groups (ERG) a platform to speak to key cause areas (e.g. AAPI Awareness, Black History Month, etc).

ERGs can take the opportunity to recommend nonprofits that they think are most effective and related to the cause, and share their commitment to specific causes with the tag-line “My cause is ____ “
Tip: Solicit recommendations from the Employee Resource Group for books to read, films, and documentaries to watch, and podcasts to listen to. This can generate a deeper understanding of causes and lead to engagement via donations to support the causes.

6. Lean Into End-of-Year Giving Spirit

30% of annual giving happens in December, with about 10% of all annual donations coming in the last three days of the year. For nonprofits, this can be a critical time to raise funds and prepare programming budgets for the next year.

You can leverage Groundswell's Giving Tuesday resources to launch an end-of-year donation campaign, featuring specific cause areas and nonprofits.

Tip: Set a budget aside for a surprise end-of-year gift - leveraging the fact that a large percentage of people prefer to donate at the end of the year.

Read related articles

Groundswell is your ally in corporate philanthropy.

Groundswell enables companies to lay the foundation for their employees to adopt a generous giving attitude towards charities and world-shaping efforts.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Complete Handbook to Corporate Grants

Corporate grants are financial support provided by a business to a nonprofit organization, educational institution, or another type of community group.

These grants can be used to fund a wide range of projects, including programs and initiatives that align with the values and mission of the funding organization.

In this ultimate guide, we will explore the various types of corporate grants available, how to find and apply for these grants, and tips for success in securing funding.

Types of Corporate Grants

There are several types of corporate grants that organizations can apply for, depending on their needs and the focus of the funding organization. Some common types of corporate grants include:

General Operating Support: These grants provide funding for the general operations and administration of an organization, including salaries, rent, and other overhead costs.

Project-Specific Grants: These grants are provided to fund a specific project or initiative, such as a research project, community development program, or arts and culture event.

Capital Grants: These grants are provided to fund the purchase of long-term assets, such as equipment, real estate, or vehicles.

Sponsorship Grants: These grants provide financial support for a specific event or activity, such as a charity fundraiser or sporting event.

Matching Grants: These grants require the recipient organization raises a certain amount of funds on their own, which is then matched by the funding organization.

How to Find Corporate Grants

There are a few different ways to find corporate grants that may be a good fit for your organization. Here are some tips:

Research funding organizations: Many businesses have corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that provide grants to nonprofit organizations. Research the CSR programs of businesses in your industry or local area to see if they offer grants.

Use grant databases: There are many online databases that list corporate grants, such as Grants.gov and the Candid, formally known as Foundation Center. These databases allow you to search for grants based on your organization's location, mission, and area of focus.

Join grant-seeking networks: There are many online networks and forums for grant seekers, such as Candid, formally known as GrantSpace, and the Grant Professionals Association. These communities can be a valuable resource for finding corporate grants and learning about the grant-seeking process.

How to Apply for Corporate Grants

Once you have identified a corporate grant that is a good fit for your organization, the next step is to prepare and submit a grant proposal. Here are some tips for success:

Follow the application instructions carefully: Each grant program will have its own application requirements and guidelines, so it is important to follow these instructions carefully. Be sure to complete all required forms and provide any supporting documents that are requested.

Clearly articulate your needs and objectives: In your grant proposal, be sure to clearly explain your organization's needs and the specific objectives that you hope to achieve with the funding. Use specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to demonstrate the impact that the grant will have.

Demonstrate your organization's capacity to deliver: In addition to outlining your needs and objectives, it is important to demonstrate your organization's capacity to deliver on its proposed project or initiative. This may include information about your staff, volunteers, resources, and past successes.

Proofread and edit: A well-written and well-organized grant proposal is more likely to be successful. Be sure to proofread your proposal carefully and have at least one other person review it before submitting it.

Tips for Success in Securing Corporate Grants

Start early: Many corporate grant programs have deadlines that are several months in advance of the funding period. It is important to start researching and preparing your grant proposal as early as possible to allow sufficient time for revisions and any additional information that may be requested by the funding organization.

Build relationships with funders: Building relationships with potential funders can be a valuable asset in the grant-seeking process. Attend events and networking opportunities where you can meet with representatives from funding organizations, and consider reaching out to them directly to introduce your organization and its work.

Be persistent: Securing corporate grants can be competitive, and it is not uncommon to be rejected on the first try. Don't be discouraged by rejection – use it as an opportunity to learn and improve your grant proposal for the next round of funding.

In conclusion, corporate grants can be a valuable source of funding for nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and community groups. By researching and identifying appropriate grant programs, preparing a strong grant proposal, and building relationships with potential funders, your organization can increase its chances of success in securing corporate grants.

More about Groundswell

Groundswell is an affordable workplace giving program built for modern businesses. We give organizations the infrastructure and tools to make it easy to empower employees to support the causes they care about during moments that matter most.

Subscribe to our newsletter and reach out to our team to learn more about Groundswell.io.

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Workplace Giving Handbook: Everything You Need to Know

Workplace giving programs offer employees an important benefit.

It gives employees a way to support the causes they care about and trust that their support is actually doing good in the world.

It's not news that people are skeptical of corporate charity — it's why words like pink-washing and greenwashing have entered the public vocabulary. Workplace giving programs offer a way to combat that skepticism and give employees a reason to feel good about the places where they work.

But what exactly is workplace giving, and how do you set up an employee-powered giving program at your company?

What is Workplace Giving?

Workplace giving is any organized program that collects employee donations for charitable causes through payroll deductions and/or one-time donations. The company then disburses those donations to nonprofits.

Over the years, the term has evolved to include volunteer giving programs, and other forms of employee giving programs. These giving programs take many forms today, including payroll deductions, donation match programs, and volunteer giving programs.

Matching Gift Programs

Donation match programs are among the most popular types of workplace giving programs, offered at nearly 65% of Fortune 500 companies, and accounting for $2 billion to $3 billion in donations annually.

The concept is simple in theory: an employee donates to a qualified nonprofit, and the company then makes a matching donation to the same nonprofit.

In practice, matching gift programs can be cumbersome and difficult to manage. In fact, for every dollar donated through matching gift programs, more than $2 goes unclaimed.

Volunteer Programs

In addition to typical volunteer programs — serving dinners at a local shelter or reading to school kids, for example — many companies create or participate in volunteer fundraising events, such as walk-a-thons or charity 5k runs.

Employees participate as a team, and the money raised is donated to the specific non-profit named. These campaigns can be great for team building and bonding, not to mention providing high-profile PR opportunities for the company.

Volunteer Grants

Many companies offer grants to organizations where their employees volunteer. This kind of program ensures that the company is helping to support genuine community organizations that their employees care about. They help deepen the ties between the company and the community and send the message to your employees that you care about the things that are important to them.

Volunteer Hours Matching

The third iteration of volunteer donation programs rewards your employees with the extra cash they can donate to others based on hours that they spend volunteering with community organizations.

Giving employees paid time off for volunteering can make it difficult for workers to keep up with their workload and make more work for nonprofits. Some companies have found ways to reimburse employees for their time working in their communities.

One way is to deposit the equivalent of their salary for hours spent into a Groundswell Personal Giving Account. From there, the employee can direct the donation to their chosen cause, effectively doubling their impact on the ground.

Donations Through Payroll Deduction

Many companies offer employees the opportunity to make giving easy by enrolling in an automatic payroll deduction for a chosen charity. Payroll deductions allow employees to essentially budget their charitable contributions over the course of the year.

However, the choice of charities to support is usually very narrow — often only one or two charities are chosen by the board.

A growing number of CEOs are moving away from the top-down approach to corporate giving, and moving to a model that puts the choice in the hands of their employees.

What Is a Workplace Giving Campaign?

Workplace giving campaigns are typically annual events companies hold to encourage employee donations to a cause.

They're often held in the fall, to coordinate with the holiday season — and of course, the end of the tax year. They can, however, take place at any time. Their purpose is to publicize and raise awareness of any company-sponsored employee giving programs, and get more people involved in them.

Campaigns may also revolve around a specific need or event. These campaigns include disaster relief campaigns, or campaigns to support specific needs in the local community — supporting the unhoused, or providing funds for meals during a pandemic, for example.

How Does Workplace Giving Work?

The nuts and bolts of employee giving programs are rapidly evolving. Legacy workplace giving programs collected donations from employees then combined them and funneled them to one or two charities chosen by the board of directors or the CEO. Historically, there are two major models for doing this.

Payroll Deduction

Programs that collect charitable donations through payroll deductions are the most common workplace giving programs, accounting for nearly 75% of all employee giving annually. Payroll deductions make charitable giving easy on employees — they fill out a payroll deduction form once, and HR/Payroll does the rest. It's so easy, in fact, that when Google implemented a pilot payroll giving program, it increased the likelihood of donations to a promoted charity by 50% without reducing the average amount donated.

In addition, each participating employee has a running record of their deductions on their pay stub, with the current and year-to-date donations recorded. That's a big boon at tax time — their pay stub serves as proof of their donation, so they don't have to scrounge around looking for acknowledgment letters from the nonprofits they donate to.

Nonprofits also benefit from this type of workplace giving program in several ways: they get predictable, sustainable donations, and often get more donations. Just as important, a payroll deduction model reduces the amount of work that falls on their shoulders by transferring much of it to the company's payroll department. Managing a workplace giving campaign is a complex undertaking involving multiple steps and responsibilities.

The company creates a campaign to engage and encourage employees to sign up for the giving program. This is no small undertaking — entire toolkits are devoted to teaching employees and volunteers to run successful campaigns.
The employee fills out a pledge card, designating the amount of the donation and/or the amount to be deducted each pay period. If the company allows it, they may also choose one of several pre-approved nonprofits to receive their donation.
The payroll department — or the company's payroll provider — sets up the recurring deduction for each employee.
If the company also operates a matching donation program, HR processes all donations to set up the matching donation.
Each pay period, the payroll department deducts and deposits the funds from each employee into a central account, then sends the final donation amount to the paying agent, such as the United Way.
The paying agent distributes the funds to the designated organizations.

Donation Matching Programs

Donation match programs can also be time-consuming and difficult to navigate — so much so, that billions of dollars in matching funds go unclaimed every year. A typical donation match program works like this:

The company determines which organizations will qualify for a matching gift and makes the list of qualifying organizations available to employees, and creates rules to determine the amount of the match. There may be differing amounts depending on the employee's position or other criteria. For example, all full-time employees may qualify for 100% matching, while managers qualify for 200% matching.
The employee makes a donation to the charity of their choice.
After determining that their chosen organization qualifies for a match, the employee fills out and submits a request to HR for their employer to match their donation.
HR processes the request and determines the match amount based on the rules.
The company sends a check for the matching amount to the qualifying organization.

Emerging Trends in Workplace Giving

Since the early 2000s, there's been a growing movement to allow employees more choices of donors. Many donation match programs, for example, will match employee donations to any 501(c)3 charity. New platforms are streamlining corporate and employee giving, reducing the amount of work and time that goes into managing workplace giving campaigns and employee giving programs in general.

The newest trends in corporate giving include making charitable giving part of the employee's benefits package and providing granular control and choice on when and where to donate their funds.

Advances in technology provided new tools — yes, there's an app for that — to help companies manage and deploy their corporate giving programs in ways that make sense for their workforces. As the workplace and trends in giving continue to evolve, employee giving programs will also evolve to keep pace and provide the most seamless, empowering giving experience.

Benefits of Workplace Giving Programs

Employee giving programs are not just good for the causes that get the donations. They provide important positives for employees, the company, and the community. These are a few of the most important.

Improved Employee Recruitment: 55% of employees — including 75% of Millennials — would choose to work for a socially responsible company, even if they got paid less.
Increased Employee Engagement: Employees are more engaged at work when they feel their employer aligns with their values.
Increased Profitability: Companies with the most engaged workers are 21% more profitable.
Better Public Image: People think more positively about businesses that give back to the community.
Deeper Community Connections: A well-planned employee giving program helps the business connect and cement relationships with organizations in the community.
Increased Employee Loyalty: Employees are more likely to recommend businesses that support them and their interests.
Higher Retention Rates: Employees who take advantage of employee giving programs stay with the company 75% longer.

What Employees Care About

According to a recent Deloitte Workplace Giving survey, 37% of workers donated to charity through a workplace giving program, but — and this is a big but — when they looked at Millennial and Gen Z employees, that percentage skyrocketed to 58%.

Younger workers, those destined for leadership positions in future companies, care deeply about doing good in the world, and they reflect it in their behavior. They donate because they are connected to a cause or charity, because they want to support their community, and because giving makes them feel good.

When you make it easy for them to plant a tree, buy a kid a desk, or adopt sheltered puppies, your company is showing them that they respect and support the people that they are, not just the work that they do for your business.

Why Is Employee Giving Important?

In addition to the benefits to your employees and your business bottom line, employee giving also brings an immense benefit to the community.

In 2021, workplace giving programs raised more than $5 billion, with about 50% of that coming from matching gift programs. Those donations went to

Education-related causes: 29%
Health and wellness causes: 25%
Community and economic development causes: 15%

Employees who donated through workplace giving programs reported that they donated to

Hunger and homelessness relief: 47%
Education: 23%
Social and racial equity causes: 20%

The right workplace giving program empowers your employees to support the causes closest to their hearts, without judgment and with the confidence that their employer trusts them to put their money where it will matter the most.

How to Set Up a Workplace Giving Program

If this is your first time setting up a workplace giving program, there are some important steps to consider. You want a program that reflects your company's mission and core philosophy, one that your employees will embrace and be proud to use. These are some key principles to keep in mind and some action steps to get you started.

Evaluate Your Company's Corporate Social Responsibility Policy. If You Don't Have One, This Is A Good Time To Brainstorm.

Create a vision for your CSR that balances your responsibilities to your shareholders/owners, your employees, the community, the planet, and any other stakeholders.
Evaluate your current activities in light of community service. Do you partner with local organizations? Host volunteer activities? Make donations to local charities? Any of these would fit under the umbrella of CSR.
Establish a corporate code of ethics detailing how your company will treat employees, customers, the environment, and competitors in all your dealings.
Get strategic with your giving program to ensure that it aligns with your company's values and ethics.

Set a Budget for Your Giving Program.

The amount you budget for corporate giving should be no more than you can afford to give without affecting the cash flow you need to operate your business.
Many large companies earmark 1% - 5% of their pre-tax earnings for charitable giving. Small companies often donate 6% or more to charity.
Consider designating profits from one particular product for giving.
Use the Sabsevitz Ante-Up Formula — multiply last year's pre-tax net income by 1.2% to come up with a donation budget.
Check out more suggestions for setting your budget in this blog post.

Set Up Guidelines for Your Program

Employees: will all employees be included in your benefits program? Will they all be level-funded, or will some positions qualify for a higher workplace giving benefit?
Moments That Matter: Can you make donations more meaningful by tying deposit amounts to specific events in the lives for your employees?
Decide which charities/causes your company will support. Will you restrict employee giving to designated nonprofits? How expansive will your list of eligible organizations be?

Establish A Process For Collecting, Matching, And Donating Contributions.

See the section on How Does Workplace Giving Work?
(Hint: Groundswell takes the stress out of this step.)

Publicize The Program.

The key to a successful workplace giving program is awareness. Your employees can't use a benefit they don't know about, and your company won't reap the benefits if your customers and employees don't know what you're doing. These are a few suggestions for raising awareness of your new employee giving program.

List it as a benefit in your recruitment materials.
Provide an easy — and very visible — way to access your program's front end on your employee website, Discord, or other communication software.
Highlight your program in the company newsletter.
Create and distribute flyers explaining the program, its benefits, and how to use it to your employees.
If you offer donation matches, make sure that local nonprofits are aware of it.
Partner with local nonprofits and community organizations when it makes sense.

Is Workplace Giving Tax Deductible?

The simple answer is yes, in most cases, workplace giving is tax deductible, and has been since 1935 when Congress passed a law allowing corporations to deduct up to 10% of their pretax income on their tax returns. That limit was raised to 25% to encourage more giving during the pandemic.

Maximizing Tax Benefits for Workplace Giving

It's important to understand how tax-deductible donations work in order to maximize the benefits of a workplace giving program.

Some types of corporate giving offer more benefits than others.

DAFs offer unique tax benefits, but until recently, they've been reserved for high-dollar donors. Briefly, a DAF allows your company to make a donation at the most advantageous time — before the end of the tax year, for example — and take the deduction immediately, and decide when and where that money should be donated to nonprofits. In addition, DAFs make it more efficient to donate non-cash assets, such as stock and real estate, to charity, without incurring an additional tax burden.

Workplace Giving with Groundswell

Groundswell's innovative Philanthropy as a Service model democratizes workplace giving by setting up a Personal Giving Account — an individual DAF — for each employee, effectively putting the power of a DAF in the palm of their hand.

The company can make donations into each Personal Giving Account as part of an overall corporate giving strategy, timing the donations to provide the most benefit. The employee then decides when and where to make donations to the causes that are most important to them.

If you're ready to increase the impact of your workplace giving programs, contact us to learn more about how Groundswell can empower you and your employees to do more good and make the changes they want to see in the world.

6 mins read

Blog Post

The Problems With Corporate Volunteer Programs and How To Avoid Them

Why Corporate Volunteering Programs Are Often Ineffective

What Goes Into a Successful Corporate Volunteer Program?

Assess Community Needs and Employee Interest

Partner with the Right Organizations

Assess and Quantify Impact

Publicize Your Program

Marketing your EVP has two main targets: your employees and the community. In both cases, it requires time, effort and expense on the part of your company and those who are managing it.

The Pitfalls of Corporate Volunteer Programs

What Employees Say

Recent research into employee motivations and lived experience of employee volunteer programs highlighted some of the challenges and negative outcomes they experienced. Some of the issues included:

The pressure to volunteer makes some employees feel that they are being judged or evaluated for their commitment to the company, especially if they aren't connected to the volunteer work.
Many employees felt that they didn't have enough time to do volunteer work and still keep up with the demands of their job.
Volunteer programs may inadvertently shut some employees out of participation. For example, volunteer activities that involve physical activity, such as building houses or fundraising walks, may be difficult for employees with mobility problems. A single parent may find it difficult to participate in activities that happen outside working hours because they don't have child care.
When volunteer programs limit opportunities to one or two events, some employees may find nothing that interests them.
Many employees want more control over their volunteer opportunities, from choosing causes to support to planning activities for the team.

What Nonprofits Say

A mismatch between employee skills and nonprofit needs.
Employee volunteers who don't understand the aims and philosophy of the nonprofit and/or its clients.
The need to train and supervise volunteers.
A lopsided power dynamic between the company and the nonprofit, especially if volunteerism is connected to a monetary donation.

In short, an EVP that isn't planned and coordinated with a nonprofit partner, and focused on filling their needs rather than those of the corporation, can be a drain on the nonprofit's resources.

Practical Alternatives to Corporate Volunteer Programs

Involve employees in the planning from the start.
Engage in meaningful assessment with potential nonprofit partners to assess their needs and capacity.
Tailor volunteer activities to the needs of the nonprofit and your employees.
Provide wider choices in corporate volunteer program activities.
Measure the impact of your program periodically and make adjustments where needed.

Give Them More Money To Donate

The one thing that every nonprofit always needs is more money. While volunteering feels good, nonprofits can often make better use of cash donations that they can apply to their own needs.

Expand Your Definition of Volunteering

Empower Employees To Donate in the Ways That Are Most Meaningful to Them

The Groundswell Difference

6 mins read

Blog Post

68% of Nonprofits Say This About Donations vs Volunteers - “Show us the money!”

Volunteers or Donations?

The Truth About Why Companies Love Corporate Philanthropy

The Pros and Cons of Hosting Volunteer Events

Here are the pros and cons of corporate volunteers.

Benefits of volunteering:

Positive employee experience - employees that volunteer often walk away with a good experience and positive outlook on aiding others.
More hands on the project - some projects benefit from more people on a project, like with community clean-ups.
Positive company image - Employees that volunteer contribute to the philanthropic values of a company and improve its public image.

Drawbacks of volunteering:

Additional work for the nonprofits - Organizing an event, training new volunteers, and managing an unfamiliar person can take a lot of effort and resources away that could have otherwise been used on supporting the organization's cause.
Reduced efficiency - The best nonprofits build efficient systems to do their work. Oftentimes, corporate volunteer events operate outside these systems. This can happen geographically, by dictating the location be at the corporate office, or otherwise by having to accommodate volunteers unfamiliar with the established system or process.

Volunteering isn’t always equitable and inclusive - Not every employee can participate in a volunteer activity. For example, if you’re cleaning up a beach employees with mobility issues could be left out.
Smaller return on investment - Volunteer events take a lot of work to plan, coordinate and execute, and sometimes - especially absent an additional monetary contribution from the company - the effort doesn’t yield sufficient impact.
Unpredictable effort and labor - The skills of volunteers can range from amateur to expert, which can make it tough for organization leaders to get high-level contributions.
No time -- Businesses are busy. Not all employees, executives, investors, and board members have the time to commit to volunteering, making it easier to donate money instead of time.

Four Valuable Insights From Nonprofit Employees

Here's Why Donating Is Better Than Volunteers.

Have You Launched Your Company Gifting and Matching Program?

6 mins read

Blog Post

How To Boost Employee Morale Before, During and After Smartsizing

Behind the Wave of Smartsizing

Before Layoffs — Make a Plan and Communicate It

Have a Plan and a Process

Communicate Openly, Effectively and Respectfully

Speak With Individual Employees Privately

During Layoffs — Be Transparent and Compassionate

The days and weeks immediately after an announced downsizing can be among the most difficult to manage. You can make it easier when you follow a few simple guidelines.

Get It Done Quickly

Communicate New Directions Clearly and Promptly

Be Available

After Layoffs — Reassure, Reconfigure and Stabilize

Reconfigure and Regroup

Rebuild Trust and Goodwill

You can offset the reality of giving employees more responsibility by shifting to more flexible schedules that take their lives into account
Give employees more voice in decisions that affect them most
Review your current benefits package with your employees and find ways to make it more meaningful to them

The Bottom Line

6 mins read

Blog Post

What Is “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”?

The Components of DEI

So, if DEI is not equality, what is it? It’s perhaps best to address that question by first understanding each of the components of DEI and how they look in action.

What Is Diversity?

What Is Equity?

What Is Inclusion?

What Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Looks Like

A visually impaired worker is given a large, high-quality monitor and other low-vision accommodations.

This is not:

The weekly staff meeting is always held in the late afternoon even though the single parent who must attend has a childcare issue.

This is DEI:

Resume screening during the hiring process is blind, eliminating names and addresses.

This is not:

Job candidate information on the resume helps decision makers identify candidates by gender, race, ethnicity or neighborhood.

This is DEI:

The company conducts a regular pay gap analysis to ensure gender pay e quality.

This is not:

Salaries are never included in job postings despite suspected discrepancies between men and women.

This is DEI:

Religious and cultural holidays are acknowledged and employees are automatically given the time off to observe these occasions.

This is not:

The company holds a yearly Christmas party and other holidays, like Rosh Hashana, pass by without mention.

How To Set Up DEI Strategy That Actually Works

Start From the Top

Hire Good Resources

Find Mechanisms to Expand the Dialogue

Recognize the Culture Change

Find a Common Cause

Diversity Is Increasing. Are You Ready?

6 mins read

Blog Post

5 Benefits of Donor-Advised Funds for Corporations

Here are numerous reasons why donor-advised funds (DAFs) are the fastest growing charitable giving vehicle in the United States. They combine versatility, flexibility and simplicity when it comes to reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Their appeal is widening too. Once confined largely to high net worth donors, their reach now extends to corporations of all sizes. Groundswell is playing a key part in empowering philanthropy using DAFs. Learn more about the five main benefits of donor-advised funds.

Recap of the Donor-Advised Fund

A DAF is a personal giving account with some big tax advantages and no minimum distribution requirements. That immediately puts it at an advantage compared to a private foundation, which must disburse a minimum of 5% annually. Giving to a DAF is straightforward, especially with Groundswell. You create a giving account and start making donations. There is no minimum annual contribution, and you don’t have to decide from the outset which charities you wish to support. The only restriction to be aware of is that the broker who manages the DAF retains control of how and when funds are disbursed. Donors can advise, but they do not make the final decision. Neither can you withdraw a donation once you’ve made it, since they are irrevocable.

5 Benefits of DAFs for Corporations

With these features of DAFs in mind, what can businesses look forward to in real terms? It’s not just a question of paying lower tax, even if that is the most eye-catching advantage. DAFs can make a positive impact on the internal business culture too. Here are five areas that make DAFs hard to resist.

1. Reduced Tax Liability

DAFs allow companies to look beyond short-term performance when it comes to charitable giving. That’s primarily because donations are immediately tax deductible at the time of giving, but the funds don’t have to be disbursed until later. In short, that means you can take advantage of tax deductions in a windfall year and advise on where funds should be disbursed when you’re ready. Instead of giving only in bumper years and having to rein in philanthropy in leaner ones, corporations can lock in the tax deduction in the former and release the funds throughout the latter. From a tax planning perspective, the reduction in liability is significant. Individuals can offset up to 60% of their adjusted gross income, although charitable donations cannot exceed 25% of taxable income.

2. Save on Capital Gains

If the prospect of handing over 15% to 20% in capital gains tax to the IRS every time you liquidate assets rankles, donor-advised funds offer a welcome solution. You don’t have to pay capital gains tax on assets transferred to a DAF, whether they are stocks, bonds or real estate. Moreover, you can transfer assets at the fair market value rather than the purchase price, provided you have held them for more than a year. For corporations who’ve seen their assets perform strongly in a bull market, the idea of giving up a substantial portion of the gains to the government without having any say in where the money goes can be unpalatable. Donating the assets to a DAF allows the business to release the tax deduction and put those assets toward a more clearly defined purpose.

3. Multiple Donation Options

Many nonprofits are restricted from accepting complex assets (i.e., other than cash) as donations if they want to stay on the right side of IRS 501(c)3 regulations. Donor-advised funds provide the mechanism, however, for businesses to donate real estate, private and public stocks, or inventory. On the giving side, corporations can fuel their account with a variety of assets and amalgamate a large number of individual donations into an easy-to-administer fund. Compared to private foundations in particular, the administrative burden is significantly lower.

4. Unlock Investment Opportunities

Investments in donor-advised funds grow tax-free and you can donate mutual fund shares, trusts, private equity and hedge fund interests and even cryptocurrency. When it’s time to release the grants, you can unlock the appreciated value of the assets without deducting tax. Admittedly, that’s not always the approach some corporations take with their investments. Criticism is often leveled at DAFs as a means for institutional investors to “park” assets in funds and collect the upfront tax deduction without disbursing any grants. That’s “zombie philanthropy” in action, but Groundswell is geared toward moving grants as efficiently as possible to the nonprofits that desperately need support.

5. Increased Employee Engagement

Donor-advised funds empower companies to align their charitable giving to their corporate goals. Instead of making smaller, less formal donations on an ad hoc, reactive basis, leadership can collaborate with employees on a long-term philanthropy structure:

Focus donations on the sector your business operates in. For example, if your business is in the hospitality sector, you can “give back” by supporting charitable causes linked to food banks, sustainability or homelessness.
Tie your donations to your founder story or company ethos. Donations can ensure that the obstacles the company had to overcome in its early years are resolved for future generations (from equity and diversity to health and accessibility).
Invite input from your employees and customers and reflect their wishes. What matters to them?

DAFs provide a great way to define and improve company culture. A more engaged workforce leads to a more profitable and productive company, after all. You’ll also have a stronger case for attracting top talent if you can demonstrate a commitment to causes that resonate with your future employees and offer a stakeholder role as part of your financial wellness benefits.Employees can sit on the committees that set philanthropic goals and nominate causes to support. Whether the committee decides to support a single cause or a collection of charities linked to a global mission, a proactive approach gives clarity and consistency. It also makes it easier to deal with ongoing requests for charitable support during the financial year. While there is no obligation for a business to reveal the causes it supports through a DAF, it’s an opportunity for transparency and positive PR. List the nonprofit organizations the company supports in company reports and on the website, and show fundraisers how to apply for grants.

How Groundswell Is Different

The philanthropy-as-a-service (PhaaS) model pioneered by Groundswell is giving fresh impetus to corporate giving. Not only do we allow your business to set up a giving account faster, we provide a better giving experience too:

Accessible: You don’t have to be a high net worth individual with millions to spare. Groundswell allows you to start with a contribution of just $1.
Efficient: We create personal giving accounts for each employee, which can be easily administered without tracking receipts and vetting nonprofits. Think of it as a 401(k) for corporate giving.
Discreet: All employee donations are kept private, so your giving program is more equitable and inclusive. We respect that charitable giving is an anonymous, private affair for many.
Diverse: Instead of nailing your company mission to a single cause, Groundswell allows you to respect and support all of your employees’ diverse perspectives.

You’ve seen the benefits. Now learn more about maximizing the ease and efficiency of your corporate giving, as well as boosting employee engagement, with Groundswell.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Is Your Company Ready To Handle the Next Hot-Button Issue? How To Stay Two Steps Ahead

Crickets. That’s the sound coming from many companies over today’s most pressing hot-button issues. Yet there is an increasingly blurred line between business and politics, leaving business leaders wondering how they should weigh in. These issues are both plentiful and polarizing. It would be easy, if not forgivable, to remain silent from a business standpoint. However, it’s not so simple. The public supports and even expects companies to speak out. In recent years as the political landscape becomes even more divisive that expectation continues to grow. In a Forbes poll, 75% think that companies should be leaders and change makers. And why not? Thanks to employees, stakeholders and the communities they are privileged to serve, companies have the bully pulpit and the resources needed to make a difference. Moreover, recent polls indicate that people trust businesses more than the government. Leaders must ask themselves what role their companies should play in the evolving political environment. But before they decide how to engage, they must consider both the risks and the challenges.

Current Landscape of Hot-Button Issues

It’s not just about the things that any good corporate citizen ought to do, like be a responsible steward of the earth’s precious resources. It’s about values that cut to the core of every American. Issues like voting rights, vaccine mandates, Roe v. Wade and gun control. There are new issues arising monthly.

Impact on Business

Make no mistake: Taking a stand can have both good consequences and bad. For some companies, it may mean an increase in sales or a boost to their reputation. When Uber and Lyft offered to pay the legal fees for drivers sued under Texas law for driving pregnant people to abortion clinics, they saw an uptick in their stock. However, there was also a negative backlash. Purportedly, the company doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to supporting its drivers in other regards. Yes, taking a stand opens the company up to scrutiny. But it also helps keep leadership accountable and make them even more determined to ensure that their actions match their words, a good all-around strategy for every sustainable business.

New Issue, New Strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all strategy for hot-button issues. Most require case-by-case analysis. You may not want to issue a public statement at all, but that’s not the only option. Before you do anything, you’ll need to assess the potential impact on your business. It always pays to know your customers — not just the products and services they will buy but what they believe and value. What are they saying on social media? The same is true for stakeholders and employees, including the company’s affinity groups. What do they want you to do? Acknowledge and respect differing viewpoints while ensuring that the decision-making process is transparent. Of course, everyone will not agree but it’s important that the process is fair and that once the decision has been made, you are clear and unapologetic about how the decision aligns with company values. Follow through on your promises and be consistent.L’oreal Paris learned the hard way how important it is to practice what you preach. After posting in support of Black Lives Matter, the fashion company was lambasted for dismissing one of their models who had previously taken a public stance against racism and white supremacy.

How To Be Proactive Against Hot-Button Issues: 3 Preparation Steps

In addition to making deliberate decisions, here are three concrete steps your company can take to ensure that they are prepared for the next hot-button issue.

1. Establish Safety Nets

Safety nets are resources that are set aside to protect employees and other stakeholders of the company against inequities and provide fair treatment across the board. They provide tangible benefits to all employees and to the community. A safety net allows the company to help without necessarily taking a public political stand. Despite their own business woes, consider the many companies that stepped up to the plate during the pandemic to provide, for example, support to first responders and vulnerable populations, or that adapted their supply chains to provide personal protective equipment. When companies establish a track record of pitching in during times of greatest need, they build the type of social currency that generates public trust.A safety net could be considered the company’s own economic relief fund. There are no hard and fast rules about how it should operate. However, safety net funds could support:

Travel for health care that is not offered locally
Consistent levels of accessibility in all of the company’s offices, whether or not it is mandated by law
Volunteer activities in the community
Extended employee benefits like remote work, flex time, etc
Employee Assistance Programs
Trauma treatment across all of the various communities and identities
Temporary shelters for weather-related and other emergencies
Nonpartisan resources that support elections

2. Operationalize Your DEI Strategy

Hot-button issues present an opportunity to lean into the company’s core values and support them through your DEI strategy. To do so, however, the strategy must be operationalized. Until you formulate and actualize a plan, it’s just a mental exercise. Operationalization means making DEI part of your business and operating model. You will be most successful in your support of the underserved communities you’ve identified if your strategy establishes the following:

In-House DEI Team: Even if you solicit outside help to facilitate your DEI strategy, you still need an in-house team. Your in-house team plays a critical role in analyzing hot-button issues and making recommendations for a thoughtful and inclusive response.
Diversity Training: Training is key, and not just a once-and-done workshop. Rather, you’ll need an ongoing approach to ensure that your guidelines are put into practice and everyone understands what’s expected of them. Through regular training, you signal to the organization that diversity, equity and inclusion are important values that you take seriously and that these values extend beyond the doors of your organization.
Affinity Groups: Your affinity groups provide the staffing and energy to take on issues. They play a key role in two-way communication that helps to bolster curiosity and empathy among the larger community. They will want to have a voice in the company’s response to these issues.

3. Fortify Your Corporate Giving Program

When hot-button issues arise, companies that have established corporate giving programs can respond internally, even without making a grand public gesture. The best programs are those that are flexible, easy to set up and require minimal administrative time. Corporate giving programs not only empower employees, they build engagement and morale, and encourage individuals to express themselves in meaningful ways. The Groundswell platform allows employees to pre-load charitable donations in a giving account for when and where they want to use them. There are a number of ways for employees to participate, including selecting from various volunteer opportunities or supporting a cause that the company champions. Employees are able to express their values to support something they believe in and they may be eligible, as well, to receive matching donations or use paid time off that the company provides. Groundswell makes it easy, allowing companies to offer giving as an employee benefit. Further, the Groundswell platform removes the hassle. There’s little administration, paperwork or reporting so that your company can easily shift gears for the next hot-button issue. Employees appreciate the opportunity to help the causes they care about year-round, as well as to be part of larger-scale, more impactful giving efforts.

Stay Ahead and Be Proactive

Hot-button issues can be tricky to navigate. But they don’t have to create internal headaches. They can, in fact, be opportunities to lean into the values that make your company unique, attract and retain diverse talent and drive innovation. You just need a good plan.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Recession Recovery: How To Show Local Community Support

During the recession recovery, it’s important for businesses to support local communities. It’s a role that businesses have historically played and one that allows communities to bounce back as quickly as possible. Certainly, it helps that many businesses remained open or reopened quickly during the crisis, providing products, services, and jobs when they were most needed. However, there are many other ways that your business can help your community recover as we look forward to more prosperous times.

Why It’s Important To Support the Community

As mentioned, communities benefit from the products, services, and jobs each business offers. Businesses, in turn, must be surrounded by strong communities, without which they cannot survive. So it’s in the best interest of your business to provide as much support as possible to stimulate the local economy and fulfill your corporate social responsibility (CSR). Not only will the community recover more quickly, but your business will also have fostered deeper relationships, enhanced your brand awareness and reputation, and generated lasting goodwill. Further, it’s an opportunity to foster a positive culture internally that attracts and retains the best people. It’s true: People like companies that support the community. This applies to employees, as well. It’s a win-win for everyone.

How Your Business Can Help

The most effective community recovery plan will be those that are a part of your business disaster preparedness and continuity planning process. You may have such a plan in place but found that it fell short during these unprecedented times. You may have anticipated many types of scenarios. Handing out bottled water after a devastating storm. Providing emergency shelter. Sponsoring a local food bank. But who could have predicted a worldwide pandemic? Apparently, not very many. Still, there are things that your business can do right now to aid in the economic recovery of the communities you serve. If you were fortunate enough to make it through the financial ups and downs with your own business intact, you are one of the fortunate companies that are uniquely positioned to help.

What To Do

It doesn’t take a Herculean effort, just a few purposeful steps.

Hire Local Businesses

As you know, not every business made it through the darkest days of COVID-19. But the restaurant industry was especially hard hit. Although the number is exceptionally difficult to pin down, according to the Washington Post, an estimated 70,000 restaurants closed due to the pandemic. For those that survived, why not hire them to cater your next employee event or luncheon? Or, rather than sourcing your paper and packaging needs online or from a big corporation, find your local supplier. Buy gift cards from nearby businesses to use as rewards and incentives. You may have to get creative about how you spend your purchasing dollars, but every company can find ways to channel more money into local businesses that don’t have the deep pockets needed to survive such harsh times.

Donate to Local Organizations

Establish a fund to collect money from employees, customers, suppliers, partners, and anyone you do business with. You can facilitate donations via your website. You can also contribute a portion of your sales revenues to the fund or organize an employee-run event. Engage your employees by allowing them to decide both how to raise money and how to donate it. When employees are involved in decision-making, they feel more empowered and invested in the outcome. Plus, it removes the burden on company leaders to make all the choices.According to Groundswell founder and CEO Jake Wood, "It can feel overwhelming as a company leader to know where to support. We know our employees have a wide range of causes they care deeply about, so why not directly support them? We want to democratize that decision and give it back to our employees. It's a model we feel extremely passionate about.”Groundswell took the idea a step further. “We're gifting $150 per quarter to our employees into their own personal giving account to donate to whichever charity they want to support."

Provide Resources

Think beyond dollars. Your communities may have other needs. For example, perhaps the children from the local area need laptops, Wi-Fi services or school supplies. If you have a robust website, think about providing an online resource center to help community members find or exchange the things they need. The resource center is also a good way to determine which needs are going unmet. If you don’t already do so, subscribe both online and off to your local newspapers. Make them available in your place of business for both employees and customers. Place a stack outside your entrance as a free service to the public. You can fight the trend toward misinformation and support your local news as well.

Provide Paid Time Off for Volunteering

Your company can provide human resource support to nonprofit companies by allowing employees to volunteer during the workday. The employees get paid and the nonprofit receives much-needed services. Since many volunteer activities take place during the workday, employees can volunteer without giving up their personal time off or sacrificing pay. Sometimes companies determine which activities they will allow employees to do. But in many cases, the only requirement is to do good in the community. Whichever option you choose, it’s only a benefit if employees use it. Inform employees and support them when they take time to volunteer.

Combine Forces

Demonstrate leadership by taking the initiative and forming alliances with other businesses. Together you can make a greater impact when you combine funds and resources. Such alliances allow you to accomplish more without taking on too great a burden. It’s a good business opportunity, as well, to network and find synergies and best practices with complementary companies. It pays to nurture relationships with other businesses.

Support Community Events

Make an extra effort to support community activities, from outdoor concerts to farmer's markets to art gallery openings. Use your social media accounts to share word-of-mouth. Provide sponsorship with money, resources and facilities. This is an opportunity to attach your company’s name to the great things that are happening in your area. Even better, it’s a way to support local artisans and venues, stimulate the economy and generate community cohesion.

Hire Locally

Despite the press generated around the Great Resignation, there are still plenty of families reeling from job loss and rising inflation. The good news is, that many are right there in your neighborhood. If you have positions to fill, don’t miss the opportunity to help. Seek out the underserved and overlooked populations (e.g., hourly workers) who are most affected by a return to the office amidst soaring gas prices.

Businesses Doing More

These are some of the most important ways that your business can support the community during the recession recovery. Of course, you’ll want to keep sponsoring the local baseball team and keep your active membership in the Chamber of Commerce during trying times. But to join the ranks of the most respected businesses in your community, the place where employees are proud to work, you’ll want to do more.A corporate giving program is one of the best ways to support your community, demonstrate corporate philanthropy and foster a positive work culture. The Groundswell platform makes it easy to provide this coveted employee benefit. Contact us for more information.

6 mins read

Blog Post

Why You Should Consider Providing a DAF in Your Financial Wellness Benefits

With 42% of employees in full-time work struggling to make ends meet, financial wellness benefits are no longer a bonus perk that Human Resources can offer. They are a business priority. Uncertain economic conditions, from the aftershocks of the pandemic to rising inflation, compel employees to make their money go further. Financial wellness benefits offer a framework for investing in the future, and no more so than with donor-advised funds (DAFs). Employees don’t have to compromise on their charitable giving because of financial health challenges. In fact, DAFs can unlock some attractive tax advantages.

What Are Financial Wellness Benefits?

Employees are increasingly looking at the financial wellness benefits a company offers with the same interest they pay to the starting salary, health and well-being perks, and flexible working options. That’s because financial stress is on the rise. When workers are preoccupied with their personal finances, they’re not only less productive. They’re also likely to seek a more attractive offer from an alternative employer. Workers want the most sought-after financial wellness benefits:

Retirement planning ranks as the #1 priority. Employees want to feel secure about their future after work.
Insurance is another must-have. Health, life and disability coverage provides a safety net should circumstances change.
Financial education can help employees save, limit their tax liability, and build a budget that supports personal growth.
Investing opportunities allow employees to put their money to work so that they’re earning even when they’re away from the office.

Why It’s Important

Personal and professional lives are never completely separate and that’s why employee benefits are so important. Bearing in mind that one in four employees claim that financial worries negatively impact their professional performance, companies who take the initiative with financial wellness packages should look forward to:

Better employee retention
Higher engagement and morale
Greater opportunities to attract top talent

Salary isn’t everything, particularly to Gen Z. One of the issues that the Great Resignation highlighted is that workers are fleeing roles that don’t align with their personal goals, but they will invest their skills in a company culture built around strong values.Corporate giving is one of those values that still register high on the wishlist. There’s a sense that a company’s obligations don’t stop at its internal gender equality, diversity and inclusion goals. The impact a business makes on the local and wider community is just as important, and philanthropy is a key measure for supporting that vision.

Why You Should Include Donor-Advised Funds

The benefit that a DAF brings to corporate giving is that it balances philanthropy with financial benefits for the employee. By donating through a DAF to a public nonprofit sponsor organization, employees can gift cash, stock, real estate or other assets. Donations of the latter (real estate and assets) tend to happen at the corporate level, but individual employees can unlock immediate tax advantages by gifting cash or stock through a DAF. The advantages of giving through a DAF include:

Reduce Tax Liability

Individuals can claim a tax deduction of up to 60% of their adjusted gross income if they give through donor-advised funds — and there’s no need to submit piles of extra paperwork to the IRS.

Avoid Capital Gains on Stocks and Securities

That’s particularly attractive for workers at tech firms or startups, where stock options and signing bonuses are a key employee retention strategy. Employees at Amazon, for example, receive restricted stock units (RSUs) that yield big dividends in years three and four. The only restriction on giving through DAFs is that the threshold is usually high. Although the minimum donation with some brokerages is as little as $5,000, these are the exceptions. Morgan Stanley and Vanguard, for example, start at $25,000, making them more suitable for giving at a corporate rather than individual employee level. That’s why Groundswell is so innovative within the corporate giving space. Employees can have their own DAF and get started with as little as $1, meaning that any employee can access a personal giving account and enjoy the tax benefits immediately. Find out more about corporate giving as an employee benefit by contacting us today.

6 mins read

Blog Post

4 Ways That Your Business Can Make Waves of Social Impact

No matter the size of your business, it can have a social impact in the communities that you serve. Maximizing social impact is a good idea for the bottom line. It can raise the company’s visibility and ensure future sustainability by creating a favorable business climate. The bonus? It always feels good to do good, build connections and have a net positive effect.However, for most businesses, none of this happens by accident. In an effort to ensure profitability, it can be easy to forget how important every business is to its employees as well as to the community and society at large. And it’s not just the responsibility of large corporations. Small businesses have always had an integral role in shaping society. In fact, they currently generate 44% of economic activity. That includes your business. So what can you do to create the type of social impact you’d like to have? A good place to start is by understanding exactly what social impact is and why it’s so important.

What Is Social Impact?

Social impact is the effect that your company has on its employees, customers, business partners and the community as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR). It includes the efforts, activities and policies, deliberate or not, that the business makes to address critical social injustices and challenges. These challenges might include, for example:

Economic disparity
Inequalities due to gender, race, sexual orientation, physical abilities, etc
Contamination of air and water
Depletion of natural resources and energy
Stagnation of economic growth and job opportunities
Hunger
Poor health care
Disparities in educational opportunities

Of course, there are more. These are just some of the types of impacts businesses may seek to address.In addition to actions taken, social impact can also be the result of the failure to act. In this way, business social impact can be negative. But for many companies, probably yours included, it is an essential ethical responsibility to make a positive difference. The question is how.

How Your Business Can Have Bigger Impact

As mentioned, positive social impact doesn’t happen by accident. Companies that make a difference do so by including deliberate action within their strategies. Your organization can get started by defining the areas where you can have the greatest impact and that are aligned with the company’s mission and vision. Then it’s up to leadership to create opportunities that inspire the company and its employees to participate in philanthropic and community-oriented efforts.

4 Ways Your Business Can Have Social Impact

Here are four ways that your company can maximize its social impact. Most socially responsible companies will prioritize one over the others. But the most successful will include elements of each. They are all important to the proliferation of prosperous communities worldwide.

1. Philanthropy and Giving Back

It’s one thing to donate to a worthy cause here and there. It’s quite another to implement a philanthropy program that promotes social value. A well-designed approach signals to employees that the company shares their values while elevating your corporate giving to a whole new level and providing opportunities to community residents. You can capture the hearts and the imagination of your employees by soliciting active involvement, providing matching donations and encouraging volunteer support. A holistic program aims to improve the community and enhance the company’s future viability. Philanthropy can become a vital part of your business success.

2. Exhibit Environmental Social Responsibility

More companies are becoming environmentally aware. Green initiatives save money and the environment while putting the business ahead of the regulatory requirements that will surely come in the near future. Many consumers, as well, want companies to reduce their carbon footprint and be better stewards of world resources. This isn’t just limited to corporations with large energy requirements. It includes small businesses of every type that can make an effort to reduce, recycle and reuse. In doing so, companies may also find ways to innovate and create better internal processes.

3. Support the Local Community

No company can dominate its market in the long run without community support. It may not be feasible to sponsor every soccer team that asks, but most successful businesses recognize a responsibility to be a contributing member of the community. Thriving companies create jobs and generate tax revenue. They make the area a more attractive place to work, live and raise a family. The relationship is symbiotic, however. There could be no business without a healthy and supportive community. Remember, too, that one of the main reasons your business does well is because the business community itself is vital and even competitive. No business wants to be one of the crowd, but remember that if you have no competitors, you may not have a viable business model for long. In fact, complementary businesses help increase your customer base. Further, competition might actually increase your chances of long-term success.

4. Exhibit Internal Social Responsibility

It’s not enough to simply provide jobs within the community. Social responsibility means that employers carefully consider the company’s ethical practices and the impact that these practices may have on the broader society. This means demonstrating fair and equitable treatment, not just to the customers that buy its products and services but to its own employees. Research shows that employees who are treated well can engender loyal customers.Virgin Airlines founder and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, for one, agrees: “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.”Companies exhibit internal corporate responsibility by implementing policies that go beyond legal requirements. Businesses that are known for creating a great culture do much more. Policies that promote sustainability demonstrate a visible and deeply held commitment to:

Pay fair wages in all of the communities and countries that support the company
Treat employees equitably
Encourage work-life balance
Support physically and mentally healthy habits
Hire diversity and promote diverse pipeline strategies

Beyond profit, these companies recognize that equitable internal practices are vital to their public image and, hence, to their sustained success.

Benefits of Making an Impact

Increasingly, both consumers and communities alike expect businesses to contribute to societal well-being. Even without this expectation, however, there are many reasons to maximize your company’s social impact. These benefits warrant a complete article on their own, but, briefly, they include:

Reducing social risks that may impact the business in the long run, for example, the decline in the availability of critical technology skills.
Improving employee productivity, engagement and loyalty by cultivating happier employees who share the company’s sense of purpose.
Attract the 60% of customers who increasingly prefer products offered by environmentally friendly, sustainably sourced and ethically responsible companies.
Enhance the company’s reputation, its attractiveness to investors and access to capital markets.
Support sustainability by helping to promote a healthier marketplace.
Gain an early competitive advantage by addressing issues that may eventually come under regulatory control, for example, the overuse of nonrenewable resources.

All of these benefits, individually and jointly, serve to greatly enhance your company’s profitability and long-term sustainability.

Maximize Your Impact

Clearly, the choices that we make today will impact future generations for years to come. It’s both a privilege and a responsibility to be part of the decision-making process. It doesn’t have to be overwhelming, however. One of the easiest ways to get a jumpstart on your commitment to maximizing social impact is to implement a philanthropy program. It should be thoughtfully designed, but that doesn’t mean it must be difficult to put in place. Groundswell can help. We turn charitable giving into an employee benefit that will not only benefit the community, but it will also boost your bottom line. Contact us for more information.