The giving season is more than a feel-good tradition — it’s one of the most powerful times of year to activate employees and create lasting social impact. For CSR and HR leaders, it’s also a key moment to boost engagement, increase participation in workplace giving programs and raise more for the causes employees care about.
So how can teams go beyond the basics and build a program that truly drives action? Here are ten practical tips to unlock engagement, exceed giving goals and deliver a standout employee experience this giving season.
1. Set clear, measurable Giving Season goals
Begin by defining what success looks like. Whether the aim is to grow total donations, increase the percentage of employees who give, or boost repeat participation year-over-year, clear goals create focus. Once goals are in place, use the employee giving platform’s reporting tools to monitor progress and adjust strategies in real time.
Tip: Use last year’s data as a benchmark. Benevity data suggests that workplace giving programs typically see 20–30% participation during the giving season .
In 2024, Benevity clients collectively donated US$3.4 billion to more than 321,000 nonprofits — a record year for generosity (®Benevity 2024
Impact Report).
2. Make giving easy and mobile-friendly
Convenience drives participation. When employees can give in just a few clicks — from their desktop or phone — they’re more likely to act. The mobile-friendly Donate module enables secure donations via credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay or even payroll, depending on how the program is configured.
Highlight accessibility in program communications, especially for frontline or remote workers who may not be at a desk.
Client highlight: PagerDuty used Benevity’s donation seeding and mobile tools to engage employees globally, achieving participation levels well above industry averages (PagerDuty client story).
3. Launch Giving Season with purpose and leadership
Campaigns with a human touch inspire connection. Kick off giving season with a message or video from the CEO, a local leader or an employee ambassador. Connect the initiative to company values or impact goals to make it relevant — not just seasonal.
Tip: Share stories from past campaigns or spotlight nonprofits that employees have supported to make the impact tangible. Cisco, for instance, launched its giving season with employee-led storytelling and saw a significant lift in engagement (Cisco client story).
4. Use matching and seeding to motivate
Donation matching is a proven way to boost participation and total giving. Raising the match cap or offering double match days can help build momentum. Seeding—providing employees with funds to donate—is another powerful motivator, especially for those who may not otherwise give.
Tip: Benevity clients are able to highlight match availability so employees can see exactly how their gift will grow.
Morningstar’s global giving campaign used strategic matching to achieve an 81% employee satisfaction rate among participants (Benevity Client Stories).
5. Activate employee groups and ERGs
Employee resource groups are natural champions for cause-based campaigns. The Employee Groups module enables ERGs to lead local or interest-based giving initiatives and scale engagement globally while maintaining local relevance.
DPR Construction used the Employee Groups module to grow grassroots engagement, allowing employees to lead purpose-driven initiatives across offices (Client Story).
6. Personalize the experience
Generic messages don’t drive action. Create curated cause lists or targeted outreach based on employee location, past donations, volunteering history or selected cause categories. Personalization connects people to the causes they care about — leading to stronger, more sustained participation.
Tip: Use engagement data to guide which causes to highlight.
7. Keep the Giving Season momentum strong
Instead of one long campaign, consider breaking Giving Season into themed weeks — for example: environmental causes, local nonprofits or global hunger relief. This approach keeps messaging fresh and connects with more employees’ passions.
Friendly competition between departments or regions can also help — just be sure it stays inclusive and fun.
8. Make results visible and celebratory
Recognition fuels engagement. Showcase progress with real-time dashboards, intranet banners or email updates that highlight total raised, participation levels and stories of impact.
Tip: Celebrate participation, not just dollars. Every act of giving matters — reinforcing that message helps build a more inclusive culture.
USAA’s “One Million Acts of Goodness” campaign used real‑time challenges to track milestones and celebrate every act of giving, enabling them to surpass their goal ahead of schedule. (USAA client story).
9. Don’t forget volunteering and micro-actions
Giving season isn’t just about donations — it’s about impact. Pair donation drives with volunteer opportunities using the Volunteer module from Benevity, or promote small, purpose-driven actions like writing thank-you notes to nonprofits.
Corporate volunteering is on the rise — Benevity’s report shows a 57% year-over-year increase in employee volunteering participation and a 41% increase in volunteer hours logged (Benevity Report on Corporate Volunteering).
10. Close Giving Season with measurable impact
The end of the campaign is just the beginning of the story. Share final results visually and meaningfully, showing employees and executives the tangible difference that has been made. Benevity’s Employee Giving Impact Reports help quantify outcomes across social, environmental and community dimensions — helping tell a data-driven impact story.
In 2024, 89% of social impact leaders said they were expected to show measurable results from their programs — reinforcing why impact reporting is critical (Benevity Impact Reports Launch).
Go all in with employee engagement this Giving Season
At Benevity, we believe the giving season is more than a campaign — it’s purpose at work. It’s a chance to rally employees, create connection and drive meaningful impact at scale.
With the right tools, thoughtful planning and a whole lot of heart, a workplace giving program can exceed participation goals and create even greater impact — together.
Ready to rally your people around purpose? Download the for tools, ideas and resources to bring your campaign to life.
Giving Season FAQs
What is Giving Season?
Giving Season refers to the final months of the year — typically October through December — when people and companies are inspired to give back through donations, volunteering and community initiatives. It’s a time of heightened generosity and social impact, often aligned with holidays like GivingTuesday, Christmas and New Year — campaigns that drive collective action.
Why is Giving Season important for companies?
For companies, Giving Season is one of the most powerful opportunities to engage employees, strengthen culture and showcase purpose in action. A well-planned Giving Season campaign can increase employee participation, boost retention and demonstrate authentic commitment to social responsibility — all while amplifying impact for nonprofits.
How can we plan an effective Giving Season campaign?
Start by setting clear goals for participation and impact. Then, make giving simple and inclusive by using an employee giving platform like the Benevity® Enterprise Impact Platform. Offer donation matching, seeding funds and easy ways to give — from desktop to mobile. Finally, communicate consistently and celebrate results to maintain momentum throughout Giving Season.
What are the best ways to engage employees during Giving Season?
Involve leaders and employee resource groups, share personal stories from previous campaigns and connect giving to company values. Consider mini-campaigns around weekly themes or double-match days to keep energy high. Recognition and real-time progress updates also go a long way toward sustaining engagement.
How can Benevity support our Giving Season efforts?
The Benevity® Enterprise Impact Platform helps companies create seamless, global Giving Season experiences. From donation matching and volunteer management to automated reporting and storytelling tools, Benevity makes it easy to activate employees and measure real impact — all in one place.
Example: Benevity clients collectively donated $3.4 billion to more than 321,000 nonprofits in 2024 alone — many of those gifts were made during the Giving Season.
What trends should we expect for the 2025 Giving Season?
The 2025 Giving Season will likely see continued growth in mobile giving, micro-actions and employee-led campaigns. Personalization and data-driven insights will also play a larger role, helping companies tailor campaigns to employee interests and maximize participation across hybrid and global teams.
How can we measure success after the Giving Season?
Track key metrics such as participation rates, total donations, volunteer hours and repeat engagement. Benevity’s Impact Reports help quantify outcomes across social and environmental dimensions and share those stories with employees to close the loop and inspire continued purpose-driven action.
How can we keep momentum after the Giving Season ends?
Turn Giving Season energy into year-round engagement by spotlighting stories of impact, celebrating milestones and launching follow-up volunteering or cause campaigns. Use the insights gained from Giving Season participation to inform ongoing purpose initiatives throughout the year.
See how partnering with Benevity can help make your next Giving Season a success
