Blackbaud Releases 10th Annual Industry Report on Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Engagement Trends
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB), the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, today released its 10th annual Industry Review: Employee Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility Report, which analyzes corporate social responsibility (CSR) program data and employees’ philanthropic behavior across the sector. The report provides insights and trends from more than 380 participating companies and their 7.6 million+ employees using data collected between January and December 2021 within Blackbaud’s YourCause® CSRconnect®, GrantsConnect® and NPOconnect® solutions. Companies evaluated in this report represent a subset of the total client base.
“With an increased focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, and employees’ continued desire to engage in purpose-driven work, it’s more important than ever for companies to build and grow their CSR programs,” said Brandon Sharrett, president and general manager, Corporate Solutions, Blackbaud. “We’ve been in the social good business for 40 years and are dedicated to helping companies drive giving and volunteering. This report provides data and insights to help CSR leaders make decisions, benchmark their companies and explore strategies for boosting employee engagement.”
Key findings from this year’s Industry Review:
- 6.3 million volunteer hours: Employees from companies evaluated volunteered over 6.3 million hours. Employees volunteered more in-person than virtually in 2021—72% of the total volunteer hours took place at in-person events.
- 43.7% of the total donation amount were dollars funded by companies: Nearly half of the total donation amount in 2021 from companies evaluated were dollars funded by company matching gifts, volunteer grant programs and other incentive and recognition programs.
- 91% of companies supported offline giving within their programs: Most companies allowed employees to make donations in a way they were comfortable with offering multiple giving methods. Offline giving accounted for 27% of the total donation amount from companies evaluated in the report.
- Over $607 million in grants were awarded: The report also looks at corporate grantmaking program trends from companies using YourCause GrantsConnect in 2021. These companies ran grant programs of all sizes, starting as low as $1,000 in grants awarded.
- $1.59 million additional dollars went to nonprofits: Companies within the study enabled an additional $1.59 million in donations in 2021 by covering third-party credit cards fees as a program benefit.
In addition to 2021 data, the report also provides a look at trends overtime from 2016–2021 for full-time employees. It can be helpful to look back on how the industry has shifted alongside changes in the economy and work trends as companies and people continue to focus on purpose. The robust report looks at programs and employee engagement by geographic region—both in the U.S and globally. Companies of all sizes are included to provide a holistic view of the current industry.
“We are working in a world that is changing dramatically and with people who are seeking increased support from their employers to help manage these shifts,” said Rachel Hutchisson, vice president, global social responsibility, Blackbaud. “I am heartened to see companies of all sizes, especially the small businesses, cultivate a focus on giving and service within their employee community.”
The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer reported that 60% of global employees will choose a place to work based on their beliefs and values, and companies investing in purpose will be well positioned to attract that talent. Download the full Industry Review here, and learn more about Blackbaud’s CSR solutions for companies here.
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud is the world's leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, higher education institutions, K–12 schools, healthcare organizations, faith communities, arts and cultural organizations, foundations, companies and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG), school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing and analytics. Serving the industry for more than four decades, Blackbaud is a remote-first company headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, with operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
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