Employees Still Care

Employee demographics and attitudes for charitable giving are morphing before our eyes. As Baby Boomers are getting set to retire, more Millennial and Gen Z workers are moving into the workforce, and their attitudes about charitable giving are changing too. Research is showing that these new workers are willing to donate to charitable causes or give their time through volunteering— in fact, they’re excited to do so. At the same time, the lingering effects of the pandemic and growing inflation create headwinds that not only affect the employee, but also the health of the charity.

“In March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that inflation, as measured by the consumer price index, had risen 8.5% over the past 12 months. Just as American households grapple with falling real wages and declining purchasing power due to inflation, the charitable sector faces similar problems: eroding budgets even as demand remains constant. As a result, the effectiveness of each philanthropic dollar is reduced.”

However, as an employer, you can make a difference by promoting employee giving and providing opportunities for community involvement. People derive personal fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment from volunteering and donating, and supporting this sentiment boosts employee morale. An employer matching gift program creates a motivating factor for employees to get involved in charitable giving. These programs are so exciting to charitable-minded employees because they can multiply the impact of their individual contributions. Employees respect corporations that put their money where their mouth is and actively support nonprofits that resonate with them on a personal, individual level.

These types of programs and platforms have also increasingly become an expectation. Research shows that more than 70% of employees want their employers to provide opportunities for them to help make a positive impact on the company’s social and environmental commitments, and community commitment is a factor when deciding where to work. Ultimately, emphasizing employee giving helps enhance your brand as a socially responsible business operation.

The good news is that there are several great solutions out there that provide easy-to-use online giving platforms. People don’t want to waste time figuring out how to donate to an organization. Some solutions provide a searchable database of the millions of registered charities in the US, integrate the employee giving platform into the company's payroll system, and record it as a simple one-time or recurring deduction. While inflation may take its toll on the total value of the giving, the recurring streams of donations to a charity helps deliver a more predictable revenue forecast toward their business plan.

How you choose to actively support charitable giving is your choice, but just remember that …Employees Still Care. #sharingiscaring #employeesstillcare #givethroughhardtimes