Key takeaways
Treat uncertainty like a crisis: use a risk assessment matrix to gauge your organization's exposure on DEI and nonprofit partnerships, then share that analysis with leadership before they overcorrect.
Anchor goal-setting in data — employee sentiment, internal giving patterns, and CSR impact metrics — to make a compelling case for your programs even on unstable ground.
ERG leaders are at risk of fatigue as DEI scrutiny intensifies. Proactively supporting them — and reminding leadership that ERGs are employee-led, not company-led — helps keep these vital programs stable.
Change and uncertainty have become defining features of CSR work in 2025. When Benevity clients gathered for a Huddle in the Benevity Community on navigating this environment, participants expressed anxiety, overwhelm, and a need for resilience — but they also wanted real guidance.
Concerns ranged from the inability to set goals on unstable ground, to employee fatigue in ERG programs due to increased scrutiny on DEI, to the growing weight of complex risk and governance requirements. As new questions consistently arise, it can feel impossible to maintain control over your programs. Here are steps CSR leaders can take today to navigate uncertainty while continuing to do the work they love.
Be aware of your risk posture and prepare to share with leaders
CSR teams are well positioned to help their organizations gauge current risk levels around areas like DEI and nonprofit partnerships — and leaders are looking for that guidance. Consider responding to this moment as you might a crisis or disaster. Using a risk assessment matrix to determine the likelihood of each potential threat and its possible impact on your business's bottom line provides a structured framework for your organization. Running your position through a matrix also has the potential to quell the urge to overindex on caution and pull all the way back on programs.
Consider what your budget can do for you
Using the budget you have allocated is an important part of strategic planning, and now is a good time to leverage any unused matching budget. Encouraging employees to talk about and support the nonprofits they care about — and matching their contributions — works toward your engagement goals, promotes resilient company culture, and allows you to continue your impact work business as usual.
If your team has an emergency relief budget and your risk assessment has led your company to treat current conditions as a crisis, consider your ability to repurpose that budget to support nonprofits in urgent need of funds.
Tie it all back to your corporate values
For those being asked to make a case for CSR programs and budget, demonstrating alignment between impact work and your company's core values makes a stronger case. While the policy and governance environment keeps shifting, companies that stay close to their values are better resourced to weather storms. Using data to connect CSR programs to corporate goals provides further proof — Benevity clients have reported 52% less turnover among newer employees, and 92% have said that Benevity has had a strong, positive impact on business efficiency.
Seek internal employee data to help set priorities
Goal-setting in times of turbulence is like trying to hit a moving target, but anchoring your priorities on data creates a structure you can continue to build on. Leaders care about employee engagement and retention, so collecting internal data about what matters to employees provides the first steps of your next plan. Benevity's own polarized giving study showed that the majority of giving goes to issues we all agree on — your internal data might similarly provide peace of mind to those fearing a values battleground.
Being able to understand the value of CSR in your specific context points you toward the data you need to help leadership recognize it's critical to business goals. And make sure you're not the only voice bringing that data forward — cultivate internal champions by sharing it widely to remind people why CSR matters.
Engage your nonprofit partners
Pressing on in times of crisis is a nonprofit superpower, so information and skill sharing with your partners right now can strengthen both your approaches. Deep relationships with nonprofit partners ensure trust and confidence that programs are moving in the right direction.
If there is concern at your company about compliance from granting partners, refer back to your contracts — they provide assurance that there is a legal agreement to comply with relevant local legislation. And be open to shifting elements like granting KPIs that will enable nonprofits to make their programs better able to meet this moment. Corporate giving programs have a real opportunity to counter funding threats and support the nonprofit ecosystem during this critical time.
Evolve your internal communications strategy
As internal priorities shift, so too must the way those priorities are communicated. There is a lot of trepidation around speaking out — from both leaders and employees — and intentional, authentic communication can provide a greater sense of security for all. Understanding how employees who use workplace giving programs feel about divisive issues can provide context around your risk tolerance for internal communications.
Consider creating an advisory panel of people from legal, risk and compliance, communications, and HR to help make determinations and craft messaging for complex cases. Engaging relevant ERGs to provide input on sensitive issues is also worth considering.
Check in on your ERG leaders
Many ERGs are experiencing increased scrutiny, especially those related to DEI objectives. As a result, ERG leaders — who do this passion work off the sides of their desks — are at risk of fatigue and fear around speaking out. Despite DEI sentiment in flux, ERGs remain an important part of many companies' employer value propositions and are considered trusted sources of information for leadership.
Ensuring your ERG leaders feel supported and resourced is a proactive step CSR leaders can take now to keep these vital programs stable. CSR teams facing pressure from above about potential ERG risk can remind leadership that, on top of their business and engagement value, ERGs are employee-led — not company-led — which provides a more arm's-length relationship to potential internal or external pushback.
We've got your backs
Purpose-driven work is both the heartbeat of company culture and a tool to make businesses more resilient. Feeling confident in how you do that work successfully is key — and we're here to help. Our resource hub, Leading with Purpose, will be regularly updated with strategies and techniques to help you weather this storm. Get help explaining Benevity's processes and systems — like nonprofit vetting — to your leaders.
Connect with your peers in the social impact space by sharing the techniques and strategies that are working for you. Keep an eye out in our Buzz newsletter for invitations to future Huddles, webinars, and advisory boards tackling the topics that really matter with like-minded professionals who understand what you're going through.
