More than half (54%) of employees said that working for an employer who supports charities increases their sense of pride in working there, CAF's research showed.
Meanwhile, 51% of employees reported feeling more loyal to an employer who donates to charity, and 47% said that it increases their willingness to go the extra mile for their employer.
“Corporate giving significantly enhances employee engagement by aligning a company’s actions with its purpose and values,” Philippa Cornish, CAF's head of corporate clients, told HR magazine.
“People want to work for an employer that reflects their values. HR should clearly communicate how corporate giving aligns with the company’s purpose and values, in a way that employees from every area of the business will understand.
“Corporate giving creates a culture of 'good corporate citizenship' by focusing on causes within employees' communities, resonating across all generations.”
Employers that encourage employees to be involved in decision-making around corporate giving are most successful, Cornish added.
She continued: “Companies that do [corporate giving] best typically engage employees in three ways: first, by allowing employee-directed choices, where staff select causes to support with company funds; second is an employee-managed approach, where employees help decide how funds are allocated through forming cross-team charity committees, or employee-wide voting against a shortlist. A third way is through incentives, where participation is encouraged through matching employee fundraising, volunteering or payroll giving.
“Graduate programmes tied to corporate giving initiatives can be particularly effective for engaging younger employees, especially when executives are visibly involved.”
CAF found that younger generations felt especially motivated by charity donations. More than three fifths (63%) of 16-to-24-year-olds who were surveyed reported that their loyalty to their employer was boosted by its charitable giving.
Decision-makers should especially make sure to engage young people in corporate giving programmes from the start, noted Alastair Gill, employee engagement lead for the water dispensing business Aqua Libra.
Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “Fuse the business mission and values into the day-to-day decisions and actions so that it all makes perfect sense. Confusion kills.
“Want to align it with younger people? Involve them in every single stage. Involve anyone interested, test, learn and share. Yes, it will take a little longer, but it will make sense. That is the goal: it is about being effective, not efficient.”
A separate survey by Aqua Libra's Flavour Tap division showed that 33% of jobseekers look for employers that commit to charity programmes.
Aqua Libra's research team found that 55% of employees wanted more information and communication from their employers about charity initiatives.
Employers should communicate their charity giving programmes to employees from onboarding onwards, Cornish suggested.
She advised: “To signal the importance of corporate giving, HR should embed it into onboarding, share progress through internal channels, and encourage senior leaders to demonstrate commitment.
“The more that senior leaders and the C-suite can set the tone from the top, the better. This approach makes the company’s values tangible, fostering greater employee pride and engagement.”
The CAF team commissioned YouGov to survey 1,880 employees in February and March 2024. Representatives of the foundation also commissioned BDRC to survey 1,200 businesses between 1 and 15 March 2024.
Agents of Aqua Libra Flavour Tap commissioned Censuswide to survey 1,000 UK employees at companies with more than 250 employees between 20 and 21 November 2024.
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