6 ways to incentivize a workplace giving program

A huge number of employees want their employers to make a positive impact on the world around them. In fact, 93% believe companies should lead with purpose—and a powerful way to do that is with workplace giving programs.

Workplace giving campaigns are impactful, but often overlooked in favor of volunteering or doing pro bono work. Nonprofits benefit from all these types of support, but establishing a workplace giving program can make a big difference.

Below, we explain what workplace giving is, why it's beneficial for employees, employers, and nonprofit organizations alike, and how to inspire companies to run workplace giving campaigns in your favor.

What is workplace giving?

Workplace giving (or workplace philanthropy) means providing employees with opportunities to give to charity. It’s also known as employee giving, as it’s the individual who contributes funds to the charitable cause. 

Employees can donate to causes they care about through company-sponsored initiatives, making the whole process seamless.

Employee giving programs come in many forms, including:

• Employer matching gifts
• Payroll deductions
• Volunteer programs
• Fundraising campaigns

The benefits of workplace giving

Workplace giving is an easy way for companies to give back to their community. Not only that, but it has benefits for everyone involved—the individuals, their employers, and nonprofits.

Benefits for employers 💼

Employee giving campaign incentives for employers center on making the company a desirable place to work. Running workplace giving programs:

• Attracts top talent 
• Increases employee engagement 
• Boosts employee retention
  

Research shows that companies with a purpose program enjoy a 52% lower turnover rate. Plus, 85% of employees agree that having involvement in the company’s charitable giving increases their trust in their employer.

A corporate social responsibility (CSR) program is one of the best ways for businesses to show employees that caring about the world around them is part of their company culture and values. With CSR goals established, organizations can then add workplace giving programs alongside other support like volunteer opportunities, corporate donations, and pro-bono work. 

Benefits for employees 😃

Workplace giving campaigns have benefits for employees, too. Taking part in employer-led charitable giving programs…

• Can reduce taxable income, as long as the contributions go to a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit.
• Supports an individual’s desire to give on a monthly basis, with no ongoing effort.
• Allows individuals to blend their charitable intentions with their work.

There are lots of ways for individuals to get involved with workplace giving campaigns. Whichever option an employer chooses, these company-wide programs make it easy for employees to support a cause they care about and reduce their taxable income too. 

Benefits for nonprofits 💚

Workplace giving programs are obviously great news for charitable organizations, in a number of ways. Beyond offering financial or practical support, other benefits include: 

• Consistent and reliable source of funds
• Long-term partnerships with local businesses and larger corporations
• The ability to more accurately forecast incoming funds to assign to future work

Since many workplace giving programs automatically deduct from employees' paychecks, this creates a consistent, year-round stream of giving for nonprofits that isn’t dependent on one-off fundraising campaigns or events. This ongoing income is a welcome bonus for charitable organizations.

6 collaborative campaign ideas to help you make the most of workplace giving programs

Workplace giving campaigns are a win-win for everyone involved, so why aren’t they as well utilized as they could be? The answer may lie in the fact these programs rely on the corporations to establish them.

With so many priorities, it’s easy for employee giving programs to fall to the bottom of the list. However, there are some things your nonprofit can do to make the process easier for everyone involved and encourage employers to set up campaigns in your favor.

1. Promote automatic giving options 🚗

The most efficient way to approach workplace giving is through automatic payroll deductions. This is where the company automatically deducts a fixed amount at an employee's request, contributing it to their chosen charity.

Let decision-makers know that donating in this way is an option, and provide the payment details they need to make this happen. If a company can’t set up automatic donations via payroll, use a fundraising platform like Givebutter to accept recurring donations instead.

2. Explore matching gift opportunities 🎁

Just as employers often match employee contributions to a 401(k), they can match employee donations for a workplace giving program. When employees see their gifts being doubled, they are more likely to contribute.

Companies aren’t always aware that matching gift programs are an option, so it’s worth talking to any potential partners to let them know how it all works. Once they’re on board with the idea, collaborate on promoting the newly launched matching gift campaign to increase employee participation.

Givebutter's built-in matching donation software allows you to easily promote your match opportunities, highlight match sponsors, and see donations multiplied in real time on your campaign page. You can also take advantage of our native integration with Double the Donation, so when individuals make a donation through Givebutter, they can search to see if their organization has a matching gift program (and submit the necessary forms if they do) right in the donation flow. 

3. Support employee involvement 👯

Individuals feel empowered when they’re involved in the charitable giving choices their employer makes. Appeal to individuals and promote this type of engagement by making it easy for people to give to causes that matter to them.

Promote a giving hub as a way to encourage employee giving at scale. The hub allows a single user to run multiple fundraiser campaigns from one central location. This public-facing website is easily accessible to employees, where FAQ, About, and other tabs can answer questions about corporate giving. 

See it in action

See how Sprout Social raised $19K on Givebutter for 10 different charities employees care deeply about →

4. Offer combined giving and volunteering 💪

Companies are often looking to maximize their impact, and a great way to do this is by combining financial or in-kind donations with volunteer hours. Simplify the process by offering some ready-made ideas on how this could work.

Suggest potential corporate giving programs that combine multiple types of support, and provide specific examples and tips. Nonprofits and partner organizations could even collaborate on planning and logistics, working together to create a program that is mutually beneficial. 

5. Get involved with annual giving weeks 💗

Many organizations like to highlight their corporate philanthropy by hosting a giving week. This is where they invite friends, family members, partners, and vendors to rally together to back a good cause. Work your networking magic and focus on building strong relationships that can lead to future support.

Highlight opportunities to get involved in a future giving week, and come up with a plan about how you can work together to raise funds and improve your community. 

6. Consider charitable contribution stipends 💸

Just as employers offer stipends for gym memberships, lunch, and webinars, companies can offer an annual stipend for charitable donations. Like many of the corporate giving options on this list, companies aren’t always aware that it’s a winning option—so it’s up to the fundraiser to tell them about it.

If companies offer charitable giving stipends, nonprofits can ask to be added to their list and highlighted as an option to employees. If they don’t, charitable organizations can encourage them to consider setting up a stipend program so employees can give more easily. 

How to get started with workplace giving

You might not be able to directly set up workplace giving programs, but you can certainly play a starring role in encouraging your local partners and businesses to get involved. 

Here’s how to move forward with workplace giving and inspire those around you to do the same.

1. Reach out to your network 📣

Unless you’re a large, well-known nonprofit organization, you won’t automatically be top of mind when someone is thinking about who they want to donate to. Getting involved with workplace giving campaigns consists of networking, raising awareness, and rallying support behind your mission and goals.

Speak to your network, and encourage them to speak to theirs. Talk about your charitable organization—who you are, what you do, who you benefit, and why you need their support. As you do this, introduce them to the concept of workplace giving and ask about getting involved. 

2. Share your ideas 💡

The individuals running employee giving programs are also responsible for a lot of other tasks, which means coming up with campaign ideas isn’t always on their minds. Become your contact’s best ally and approach them with not just a desire to work together, but also details on how you can do that.

Prepare employee giving campaign ideas that match both of your goals and come up with practical suggestions on how you could facilitate a volunteer program or support promotion for a giving week. You could even suggest brainstorming together over a coffee if you’d like the process to feel more collaborative.

3. Make the process easy for employers 🧈

Your business contacts aren’t just too busy to come up with ideas, sometimes they’re also too overwhelmed to get started—even if their intentions are good. Become a supportive partner and offer to help businesses get started or improve their processes.

Introduce local organizations to tools that can make workplace giving easier, and offer to help them with any aspects that you’re experienced with. Host a webinar on workplace giving with plenty of practical tips, or create a help sheet with all the details they need for their accounting team. Treat this like a lasting partnership where you’re there to support each other right from the start.

Launch better workplace giving programs with Givebutter

More than half of the United States workforce wants their place of employment to play an active role in bettering society, creating plenty of opportunities for team members to volunteer, donate, and otherwise contribute to charitable organizations.

Now is the perfect time to strike up a relationship with businesses and get involved in their workplace philanthropy programs. Sign up for a free Givebutter account today to make workplace giving easier for everyone involved.