Employee volunteering continues to grow and mature in South Africa, with most large companies having employee volunteering programmes (EVPs) and employee participation increasing. Employees consider a volunteering programme as an important component of good corporate citizenship, and they increasingly consider an employer’s commitment to the community in their decision to join the company.
This section is dedicated to employee volunteering, bringing together insights from data collected from companies, non-profit organisations (NPOs) and employee volunteers themselves.

Participation
More than three-quarters of companies with employee volunteering programmes (EVPs)
78%
87% of NPOs partnered with corporate EVPs
45% of employees volunteered, up from 23% during Covid
Employee experience

84% of voluteered to ‘give something back’
33% of employees that did not volunteer cited a lack of time; 32% said they did not know about volunteering intitiatives
59% of volunteers selected organisations based on alignment with their interests
Most supoported causes
- Social and community development (63%)
- Education (34%)
- Food security and agriculture (19%)
45% of volunteers considered their employer’s volunteering programme hen joining the company
83% of volunteers said that their company’s commitment to the community made them proud to work at the company
67% of volunteers said they had developed key skills that could be applied to their work through volunteering

Management of volunteering programmes
65% of companies had a STATED EVP POLICY
64% of companies had a EVP BUDGET 21% of NPOs had a volunteering budget
65% of companies employed one or more PEOPLE to manage volunteering in a full- or part-time capacity 75% of NPOs employed one or more people to manage volunteering in a full or part-time capacity
Most supported volunteering initiative
Companies offered
96% COMPANY-ORGANISED VOLUNTEERING INITIATIVES
62% of NPOs received them
53% of volunteers participated in them
However, company-organised volunteering initiatives were the least liked by NPOs.
64% of companies offered time off to volunteer during work hours. Most offered one day per year.
Employee recommendations for companies
1. Improve communication and awareness of EVPs
Several employees mentioned the need for improved communication regarding volunteering opportunities. This is in line with a high number of employees not volunteering because of not knowing about the options. This includes making information about volunteering days, initiatives and available programmes more readily accessible to employees.
2. Incentivise participation
Many respondents suggested that companies should do more to encourage employees to volunteer through incentives for the organisations they support.
3. Increase company involvement
Several respondents suggested that the company should be more involved in volunteering. This includes planning and organising more volunteer activities in which employees can participate.
4. Provide more time off for volunteering
The provision of time off for employees to volunteer, especially for parents, was a common suggestion. This would help employees balance their work commitments with volunteering.
5. Simplify processes
A few respondents mentioned simplifying the process of participating in volunteering initiatives, such as removing the need for line manager approval.
6. Provide a variety of opportunities
Suggestions included offering a greater variety of volunteering opportunities that match employees’ interests and skills.
7. Continuous engagement
A few respondents proposed that the company should maintain ongoing and consistent engagement in volunteering initiatives rather than focusing solely on specific events like Mandela Day. This would be welcomed by NPOs, for whom these types of once-off events are the least liked type of volunteering initiative.
8. Leadership involvement
Encouraging leadership to be more involved and supportive of volunteering initiatives was mentioned.
9. Expand to smaller towns and regions
Expanding volunteering opportunities to smaller towns and regions where the company operates was also suggested.
Respondents
Companies
Between May and August 2023, professional researchers conducted virtual interviews with CSI representatives from large South African companies. Companies also had the option of self-completing the online questionnaire, which was then verified by the researchers.
- There were 68 participating companies in 2023.
- The financial sector was the best-represented sector (26% in 2023). The consumer goods sector was the second largest (15%), followed by basic materials – including mining – at 12%.
- Most companies (53 out of 68, or 78%) offered EVPs.

Respondents companies by industry sector
26% Financials
15% Consumer goods
12% Basic materials
7% State-owned and public enteprises
6% Consumer services
6% Healthcare
6% Telecommunications
4% Technology
4% Oil and gas
3% Industrials
2% Utilities
9% Other
% corporate respondents 2023 n=68

78% Yes
22 No
% corporate respondents 2023 n=68
Companies with EVPs
Non-profit organisations
NPOs were surveyed between May and August 2023, using the online survey tool Qualtrics.
- There were 89 participating NPOs in 2023.
- The NPO sample was relatively evenly distributed in terms of organisation size, although weighted towards medium to large organisations with an annual income of over R2 million (54%). Fifteen percent of the sample had annual incomes of more than R20 million.
- Most NPOs (67 out 77 respondents, or 87%) partnered with corporate volunteering programmes in 2023.

Total annual income
% NPO respondents 2023 n=76
9% Less than R500 000
9% R500 000 – R2 million
18% R2 million – R5 million
21% R5 million – R20 million
15% More than R20 million
28% Don’t know

87% Yes
NPO recipients of corporate EVPs
% NPO respondents 2023 n=77
13% No
Employees
Research with company employees was conducted in June and July 2023 using the online survey tool Qualtrics. The survey was sent to employees from nine companies registered on the forgood platform. Employees were asked about their volunteering activities in 2022.
- There were 600 respondents from the nine companies, with the highest numbers from Sasol (31%) and Standard Bank (25%). Four of these companies (Standard Bank, Momentum Metropolitan, Vodacom and Lombard Insurance) also participated in the 2021 employee survey.
- The largest category of respondents by job level was employees below management level (46%), while only 10% of the respondents held senior management and top management/executive positions.
- Over two-thirds (67%) of the respondents were women, and two-thirds (66%) were between the ages of 31 and 50 years.
- Forty-five percent of respondents had volunteered in 2022, compared to 23% of respondents who had volunteered in 2020.
- Of the 55% of employees who had not volunteered in 2022, 48% said they had volunteered prior to this.

Respondents by company
% respondents 2023 n=600
31% Saasol
25% SStandard bank
10% Momentum Metropolitan
9% Redefine Properties
8% Sanlam
6% Vodacom
5% Makuru
5% Lombard Insuarance
1% African bank

Respondents by job level
% respondents 2023 n=600
46% Employee
19% Junior management( skilled technical and academically qualified
25% Middle management( professionally qualified and experienced specialists)
8% Senior management
2% Top management/executive

31% 31 to 40
Respondents by age
% respondents 2023 n=600
2% 18 to 25
7% 26 to 30
35% 41 to 50
20% 51 t 60
3% Over 60
2% Prefer not to disclose

Volunteered in 2020 and 2022
% respondents 2023 n=600, 2021 n=493
2022
45% Volunteered
55% Did not volunteer
2020
23 Volunteered
77 Did not volunteer
Employee experience of volunteering
Participation in volunteering
- Participation in EVPs increased to 45% of employees in 2022, compared to 23% in 2020, when people reported being constrained by the Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing rules.
- In 2022, women were slightly more likely to have volunteered than men. Women accounted for 70% of the volunteers and men 30%, while non-volunteers consisted of 65% women and 35% men.
Reasons for volunteering
- The top motivation for volunteering by some margin was to give something back (84% of 2022 volunteers, down from 93% in 2020). This was followed by supporting a cause that respondents cared about (59%); learning more about the needs of the community (25%) and setting an example for their family/children (24%).
- The top reasons for volunteering given by employees that did not volunteer in 2022 but had volunteered before, were the same as those given by employees who had volunteered in 2022.
- Business reasons were all cited by fewer volunteers – to interact with colleagues (9% of volunteers in 2022), to develop new skills (6%), recognition from my employer (3%), and time off from work (1%).

Reasons for volunteering
To give something back to my community/country
84% in 2023
93% in 2021
To support the cause iI care about
59% in 2023
68% in 2021
To learn more about the needs in my community
25% in 2023
29% in 2021
To set an example for my family/children
24% in 2023
26% in 2021
Religious belief
14% in 2023
13% in 2021
To respond to a humanitarian or natural disaster
12% in 2023
19% in 2021
Family tradition of volunteering
10% in 2023
4% in 2021
To meet and interact with colleagues outside of the workplace
9% in 2023
6% in 2021
To have fun
8% in 2023
4% in 2021
Idealogical beliefs
7% in 2023
12% in 2021
To develop new skills
6% in 2023
10% in 2021
Recognition from my employer
3% in 2023
4% in 2021
Asked by a friend/family member/colleague
2% in 2023
3% in 2021
Asked by a non-profit organisation/charity
2% in 2023
4% in 2021
Time off from work
1% in 2023
1% in 2021
Other
3% in 2023
4% in 2021
multiple responses % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112
Reasons for not volunteering
- The top two reasons for not volunteering in 2022 were the same as in 2020 if we discount for Covid-19 which was not included as an option in the 2023 survey.
- In the 2023 survey, one-third of respondents (33%) reported a lack of time to volunteer with a similar number (32%) reporting that they did not know about volunteering initiatives. Several reasons for not volunteering are due to a lack of awareness and information about programmes. Many employees recommended that companies improve communication and awareness of company EVPs.

Reasons for not volunteering
Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing*
2022 -not included as an option in the 2023 survey
60% in 2020
I did not have time to volunteer
33% in 2022
23 in 2020
I did not know about the volunteering initiatives
32% in 2022
23% in 2020
I did not have the necessary resources to volunteer( data costs, trasport costs, etc.)
12% in 2022
8% in 2020
I could not find a suitable charity or volunteer opportunity
11% in 2022
15% in 2020
I did not know how or where to start
11% in 2022
14% in 2020
I did not think about it
9% in 2022
9% in 2020
I am not interested in volunteering
2% in 2022
2% in 2020
I had a previous bad experience
- 2022 -not included as an option in the 2023 survey
- 1% in 2020
Other
12% in 2022
8% in 2020
multiple responses % non volunteers 2023 n=230 | 2021 n=281
Causes supported
- Of the 45% of employees that volunteered in 2022, 63% supported causes in social and community development, in line with 2020. This was followed by education (34%), which saw a drop in support to almost half of what it received in 2020 (61%). Although the levels differ, this mirrors the support from companies that are focused predominantly on these two sectors.
- Most volunteers (86%) supported between one and three organisations in 2022, in line with 2020 results.
- Almost half of volunteers (48%) identified organisations to support through their company’s employee platform or website. Around a quarter of volunteers each supported organisations that were selected by their employers (26% of volunteers), organisations in which they were personally involved (24%) or institutions which they identified through their networks of friends and peers (24%). The significant drop in support as a result of ‘personal/family involvement with an organisation’ from 45% in 2020, can most likely be ascribed to the inclusion of the ‘network of friends and peers’ option in the 2023 survey.
- The top criterion for selecting an organisation for which to volunteer in 2022 was the organisation’s alignment with the respondent’s interest (59% of volunteers). This was followed in almost equal measures for its proven impact (34%), its proximity to home/work (33%), and whether it was approved by the employer (31%).

Causes supported
Social and community development
63% in 2023
63% in 2021
Education
34% in 2023
61% in 2021
Food security and agriculture
19% in 2023
17% in 2021
Health
13% in 2023
17% in 2021
Animal welfare
11% in 2023
13% in 2021
Environment
10% in 2023
10% in 2021
Religious intitutions or causes
10% in 2023
14% in 2021
Disaster relief
9% in 2023
6% in 2021
Social justice
8% in 2023
5% in 2021
Safety and security
5% in 2023
4% in 2021
Entrepreneurship, job creation or small business support
Sports
4% in 2023
6% in 2021
House and living conditions
4% in 2023
4% in 2021
Arts and culture
3% in 2023
4% in 2021
Protection of democracy and good governance
2% in 2023
Other
2% in 2023
2% in 2021
multiple responses % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112

Number of organisations supported
One
31% in 2021
37% in 2023
Two
35% in 2021
26% in 2023
Three
25% in 2021
23% in 2023
Four
4% in 2021
5% in 2023
Five
2% in 2023
More than five
5% in 2021
7% in 2023
multiple responses % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112

Identifying organisations
My compay’s employee volunteering platform/website
48% in 2023
46% in 2021
Selected by my employer
26% in 2023
19% in 2021
Personal/family involvement with organisation
24% in 2023
45% in 2021
Network of friends and peers*
24% in 2023
*Network of friends and peers option was not included in the 2021 survey
Through religious organisations
15% in 2023
15% in 2021
Through other non-profit organisations
11% in 2023
13% in 2021
Recipients approach me directly
9% in 2023
9% in 2021
Online search for suitable organisations
5% in 2023
5% in 2021
Noticed in media
5% in 2023
6% in 2021
Advertising
4% in 2023
3% in 2021
Other
1% in 2023
9% in 2021
multiple responses % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112

Criteria for selecting organisation
Alignment with my interest
59% in 2023
70% in 2021
Proven impact
34% in 2023
29% in 2021
Proximy to home or place of work
33% in 2023
39% in 2021
Approved bymy employer
31% in 2023
35 in 2021
Approved by a third party(e.g. forgood/my company’s employee volunteering platform
19% in 2023
18% in 2021
Good governance
16% in 2023
16% in 2021
Ability of the organisation to influence
12% in 2023
13% in 2021
Reputation
10% in 2023
13 in 2021
Quality leadership
10% in 2023
12% in 2021
Rating on my company’s employee volunteering platform
9% in 2023
7% in 2021
Sound financial management an sustainability
7% in 2023
6% in 2021
None
4% in 2023
1% in 2021
Other
2% in 2023
3% in 2021
Multiple responses % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112
Volunteering frequency
- Most employees volunteer infrequently. Almost half of volunteers (49%) volunteered two to five times in 2022, up from 39% in 2020, followed by 26% of respondents who volunteered only once during the year.
- Only 23% of volunteers volunteered six or more times in 2022, with 8% volunteering at least once a week.

Frequency of volunteering
Less than once
2% in 2021
2% in 2023
Once
32% in 2021
26% in 2023
Two to five times
39% in 2021
49% in 2023
Six to ten times
9% in 2021
4% in 2023
Monthly
12% in 2021
11% in 2023
Weekly
4% in 2021
4% in 2023
More than weekly
2% in 2021
4% in 2023
multiple responses | % volunteers 2021 n=112 | 2023 n= 270
Employees that did not volunteer
- Over half of respondents (55%) did not volunteer in 2022, down from 77% in 2020 when the top reason given for not volunteering was Covid-19, lockdown restrictions and social distancing.
- Nine out of ten non-volunteers (89%) said they are planning to volunteer in the future. Of these, 97% plan to do so in the next three years, with 61% planning to do so in the next year.
- When asked what would make them switch from not volunteering in 2022 to volunteering in the future, 36% said time off work to participate in volunteering. Twenty percent would volunteer if there were a humanitarian crisis or national disaster, 19% if they got a request from a friend/family member/business associate, and 16% a direct request from a non-profit organisation.
Company and non-profit management of volunteering
Volunteering policies
- Most companies (78%) had EVPs in 2023, in line with previous years.
- Of these, 65% had a stated EVP policy, in line with 2022 results, but lower than in 2021.
- On average South African companies offered 8.3 hours of paid volunteering time per year, with most offering 8 hours, or one day (42% of companies). The highest offered was 40 hours or five days of paid volunteering time.
- Over half of companies (51%) do not restrict their volunteering initiatives to CSI projects. Around a third (36%) partially restrict them, and 11% fully restrict them, with the remainder unsure.

Companies with EVPs
2023 n=68
Yes = 78%
No = 22%
2022 n=64
Yes = 75%
No = 25%
2021 n=69
Yes = 71%
No = 29%
% corporate respondents

Companies with EVP policies
2023 n=51
Yes = 65%
No = 35%
2022 n=47
Yes = 64%
No = 36%
2021 n=49
Yes = 82%
No = 18%
% corporate respondents

Volunteer service days offered to employees per annum
% corporate respondents 2023 n=33
27% Zero
9% Less than one working day
42% One day
12% Two days
6% Three days
3% More than three days
Read more in ‘Employee volunteering strategies’.
Volunteering budgets
- Around two-thirds of the companies with EVPs (34 companies, 64%) had a budget for managing volunteering in 2023. However, only 26 of these companies provided budget information. Most of these (19 companies, 73%) allocated 1% to 5% of their CSI budget to volunteering. Six companies (23%) allocated 6% to 10% of their CSI budget to volunteering.
- The company budget allocation to volunteering ranged from 0.5% to 10%, with an average of 4.4% and a median of 3.8%.
- Forty-five percent of companies included employee volunteering hours during work as part of the company’s total social investment. This is broadly in line with previous years. However, only seven companies provided the rand value of this.
- Only 16 NPOs (21%) had a budget for managing volunteer programmes in 2023, up from 12% in 2022 but still relatively low.
- Of the 14 NPOs that provided budget information, five allocated between 1% and 5% of their organisation’s budget to managing volunteers, while three organisations each allocated less than 1%, between 6% and 10%, and more than 10%, respectively.
- The NPO allocation of organisational budgets to managing volunteers ranged from 0.5% to 35%, with an average of 7.9% and a median of 2.5%.

Budget allocated to volunteering
% NPO respondents 2023 n=14 | 2022 n=12
<1%
21% in 2023
8% in 2022
1-5%
37% in 2023
34% in 2022
6-10%
21% in 2023
50% in 2022
More than 10%
21% in 2023
8% in 2022
% corporate respodents 2023 n=26 | 2022 n=20
1<%
4% in 2023
1-5%
73% in 2023
70% in 2022
6-10%
23% in 2023
20% in 2022
More than 10%
10% in 2022

Companies recording employee volunteering during work hours
2023 n=20
Yes = 45%
No = 55%
2022 n=44
Yes = 41%
No = 59%
2021 n=49
Yes = 50%
No = 50%
Volunteering staffing
- In 2023, 65% of companies employed one or more people to manage volunteering in a full- or part-time capacity, while the remainder (35%) had no one dedicated to managing employee volunteerism.
- Three-quarters of NPOs (75%) employed one or more people to manage volunteerism in a full- or part-time capacity in 2023, up from 57% in 2022. This is surprisingly high, given the small share of NPOs (21%) that had a budget for volunteering.

Staff managing volunteering
% NPO respondents 2023 n=77 | 2022 n=82
More than one person
22% in 2023
11% in 2022
One full rime
26% in 2023
22% in 2022
One part time
27% in 2023
24% in 2022
None
25% in 2023
40% in 2022
Don’t know
–
2% in 2022
% corporaterespondents 2023 n=52 | 2022 n=46
More than one person
27% in 2023
24% in 2022
One full time
23% in 2023
24% in 2022
One part time
15% in 2023
20% in 2022
None
35% in 2023
32% in 2022
Don’t know
–
–
Types of volunteering initiatives
Volunteering initiatives used by companies and NPOs
- In 2023, companies offered 3.5 types of employee volunteering initiatives on average, slightly down from four types in 2022.
- Almost all companies with EVPs offered company-organised volunteering initiatives (96%) and around two-thirds (64%) offered time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours. These two types of initiatives were among the least liked by NPOs, with 19% and 12% of NPOs selecting them as their least desired type of EVP respectively.
- Fewer companies organised fundraising/collection drives – 57% in 2023 compared to 83% in 2022. This, however, is the third most preferred initiative, with 15% of NPOs selecting it as their most desired EVP.
- A larger share of NPOs reported receiving company-organised volunteering initiatives (62% in 2023, compared to 37% in 2022). This was followed by fundraising drives which were received by 51% of NPOs in 2023, up from 44% in 2022 despite a strong downward trend in this category according to the corporate and volunteer surveys.
- NPOs most liked give-as-you-earn initiatives, (the preferred type for 26% of NPOs), employee match funding (19%) and fundraising/collection drives (15%) – all initiatives that involve money rather than time.

Types of volunteering initiatives used
% NPO respondents 2023 n=77 | 2022 n=82
Company organised volunteering initiatives
62% in 2023
37% in 2022
Time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours
29% in 2023
23% in 2022
Fundraising/collection drives organised by the company
51% in 2023
44% in 2022
Employee-matched funding
22% in 2023
15% in 2022
Give as you earn
14% in 2023
12% in 2022
Pro bono
21% in 2023
32% in 2022
Volunteering-matched funding
22% in 2023
9% in 2022
Employee volunteer recognition awards
Incentive bonuses and employee volunteer recognition were not given as options for NPOs
Team grants
5% in 2023
3% in 2022
Family volunteering
13% in 2023
18% in 2022
Retiree volunteering
15% in 2023
10% in 2022
Incentive bonuses
Incentive bonuses and employee volunteer recognition were not given as options for NPOs
Board leadership programmes
3% in 2023
5% in 2022
Volunteer sabbatical
1% in 2023
3% in 2022
Other
15% in 2023
13% in 2022
% corporate respondents 2023 =53 | 2022 n=47
Company organised volunteering initiatives
96% in 2023
93% in 2022
Time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours
64% in 2023
72% in 2022
Fundraising/collection drives organised by the company
57% in 2023
83% in 2022
Employee-matched funding
51% in 2023
50% in 2022
Give as you earn
40% in 2023
35% in 2022
Pro bono
25% in 2023
24% in 2022
Volunteering-matched funding
21% in 2023
13% in 2022
Employee volunteer recognition awards
13% in 2023
9% in 2022
Team grants
8% in 2023
4% in 2022
Family volunteering
8% in 2023
11% in 2022
Retiree volunteering
2% in 2023
2% in 2022
Incentive bonuses
2% in 2023
Incentive bonuses and employee volunteer recognition were not given as options for NPOs
Board leadership programmes
–
–
Volunteer sabbatical
–
–
Other
–
–

Most and least deesirable volunteering intitiatives
Least desirable % NPO respondents 2023 n=78 | 2022 n=82
Give as you earn
4% in 2023
5% in 2022
Employee-matched funding
6% in 2023
2% in 2022
Fundraising/collection drives organised by the company
9% in 2023
7% in 2022
Pro bono
3% in 2023
2% in 2022
Company-organised volunteering initiatives
19% in 2023
26% in 2022
Team grants
5% in 2023
1% in 2021
Time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours
12% in 2023
18% n 2022
Retiree volunteering
5% in 2023
9% in 2022
Board leadership programmes
5% in 2023
7% in 2022
Volunteer sabbatical
10% in 2023
7% in 2022
Volunteering-matched funding
–
1% in 2022
Family volunteering
18% in 2023
9% in 2022
Other
4% in 2023
5% in 2022
Most desirable % NPO respondents 2023 n=78 | 2022 n=82
Give as you earn
26% in 2023
135 in 2022
Employee-matched funding
19% in 2023
20% in 2022
Fundraising/collection drives organised by the company
Pro bono
12% in 2023
13% in 2022
Company-organised volunteering initiatives
9% in 2023
10% in 2022
Team grants
6% in 2023
6% in 2022
Time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours
5% in 2023
4% in 2022
Retiree volunteering
3% in 2023
4% in 2022
Board leadership programmes
1% in 2023
6% in 2022
Volunteer sabbatical
1% in 2023
1% in 2022
Volunteering-matched funding
–
5% in 2022
Family volunteering
–
1% in 2022
Other
3% in 2023
1% in 2022
Employee participation by type of volunteering initiative
- In 2023, companies reported that an average of 42% of employees participated in company-organised volunteering initiatives, followed by volunteering-matched funding (27%) and time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours (17%).
- Similarly, volunteers reported that they were most likely to volunteer through company-organised initiatives or events in 2023 (53% of volunteers), up from 33% in 2021 when Covid-19-related restrictions would have prevented this type of activity.
- This was followed by individual volunteering facilitated by the company, in which 28% of volunteers participated.
- While companies reported that 27% of employees participated in volunteering-matched funding schemes (i.e. the company matches volunteering done in employee’s own time financially), only 5% of volunteers had participated in these initiatives.
- Employee participation in fundraising/collection drives organised by the company declined from 27% in 2022 to 16% in 2023, in line with the decrease in the number of companies offering this type of initiative. Volunteers also reported less involvement in this initiative, dropping from 25% in 2020 to 16% in 2022. This is most likely due to companies organising more fundraising drives during the Covid-19 years when the need was heightened and volunteering more difficult.

Employee participation by type of initiative
% volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112
Company organised volunteering initiatives
53% in 2023
33% in 2021
Volunteering-matched funding
5% in 2023
7% in 2021
Time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours
10% in 2023
12% in 2021
Fundraising/collection drives organised by company
16% in 2023
25% in 2021
Pro bono
4% in 2023
3% in 2021
Employee-matched funding
n/a
Give as you earn
n/a
Employee voluteer recognition awards
n/a
Individual volunteering facilitated by company
28% in 2023
29% in 2021
Family volunteering
6% in 2023
5% in 2021
Volunteer sabbatical
1% in 2023
–
Other
3% in 2023
8% in 2021
Average % employee participation as reported by companies 2023 n=20 | 2022 n=19
Company organised volunteering initiatives
42% in 2023
47% in 2021
Volunteering-matched funding
27% in 2023
12% in 2021
Time off for individuals to volunteer during work hours
17% in 2023
39% in 2021
Fundraising/collection drives organised by company
16% in 2023
27% in 2021
Pro bono
13% in 2023
15% in 2021
Employee-matched funding
7% in 2023
27% in 2021
Give as you earn
6% in 2023
5% in 2021
Employee voluteer recognition awards
5% in 2023
5% in 2021
Individual volunteering facilitated by company
n/a
Family volunteering
–
–
Volunteer sabbatical
–
–
Other
–
–
Activities employees engage in
- As in the 2021 survey, the most common form of volunteering in the 2023 survey was time spent working with the end beneficiaries of an NPO (40% of volunteers), followed by time spent providing other services (35%) and manual labour (33%).
- There is a strong match between the types of activities volunteers were involved in and the types of activities they would most like to be involved in, unlike in the 2021 survey. Respondents would most like to be working with end beneficiaries (55%), providing other services to a non-profit (41%) and providing manual labour (41%).
- Fewer volunteers wanted to provide professional services and serve as board members of NPOs in the 2023 survey, compared to 2021. However, volunteer involvement in these activities remained the same across the two surveys, both recorded at 11%.

Volunteering activities
Preference % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112
Volunteered time to work with end users/ beneficiaries of non-profit organisation
55% in 2023
15% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide other services to a non-profit organisation/ charity
41% in 2023
29% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide manual labour to a non-profit organisation/ charity
41% in 2023
56% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide fundraising/ event planning services to a non-profit organisation/ charity
36% in 2023
43% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide professional services to a non-profit organisation/ charity
20% in 2023
43% in 2021
Volunteered time as a board member of a non-profit organisation/ charity
16% in 2023
46% in 2021
Other
3% in 2023
4% in 2021
Participation % volunteers 2023 n=270 | 2021 n=112
Volunteered time to work with end users/ beneficiaries of non-profit organisation
40% in 2023
42% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide other services to a non-profit organisation/ charity
35% in 2023
35% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide manual labour to a non-profit organisation/ charity
33% in 2023
17% in 2021
Voluntered time to provide fundraising/ event planning services to a non-profit organisation/ charity
28% in 2023
27% in 2021
Volunteered time to provide professional services to a non-profit organisation/ charity
11% in 2023
11% in 2021
Volunteered time as a board member of a non-profit organisation/ charity
11% in 2023
11% in 2021
Other
6% in 2023
8% in 2021
Employee views on volunteering programmes
Perception of companies and benefits
- The 2023 survey results of employees’ views on their company’s volunteering programmes make a strong case for companies to offer EVPs.
- Almost all volunteers (92%) agreed that a comprehensive employee volunteering programme is an important component of good corporate citizenship, with 62% strongly agreeing with this statement. Similarly, 88% of non-volunteers agreed with this statement.
- Furthermore, 83% of volunteers said that their company’s commitment to the community made them proud to work at the company. Despite not volunteering during the previous year, 82% of non-volunteers agreed with this statement.
- Most volunteers (91%) perceived their volunteering as having a positive impact on the organisation and the beneficiaries they support.
- In the 2023 employee survey, almost half of volunteers (45%) considered their employer’s volunteering programme when joining the company, compared to 32% of volunteers in the 2021 survey. Despite having not volunteered in 2022, 31% of non-volunteers said they considered the company’s volunteering programme when deciding to join the organisation.
- Volunteering has a positive impact on skills, with two-thirds of volunteers (67%) saying they had developed key skills that could be applied to their work through volunteering in 2022.
Employees were about as likely to report being satisfied with their job whether they had volunteered in 2022 or not (81% of volunteers compared to 79% of non-volunteers).

Views on company volunteering programmes
A comprehensive employee volunteering programme is an important component of good corporate citizenship
Strongly agree = 62%
Agree = 30%
Neither agree nor disagree = 5%
Disagree = 1%
Strongly disagree = 2%
I believe my volunteering has a positive impact on the organisation and the beneficiaries I support
Strongly agree = 55%
Agree = 36%
Neither agree nor disagree = 7%
Disagree = 1%
Strongly disagree = 1%
I would recommend my employer to family and friends as a good place to work
Strongly agree = 47%
Agree = 36%
Neither agree nor disagree = 9%
Disagree = 3%
Strongly disagree = 1%
I would recommend my emploer’s products or services to friends and family
Strongly agree = 46%
Agree = 39%
Neither agree nor disagree = 11%
Disagree = 2%
Strongly disagree = 2%
My employer’s commitment to the community makes meproud to work here
Strongly agree = 50%
Agree =33%
Neither agree nor disagree = 13%
Disagree =1%
Strongly disagree =3%
In general, I am satisfied with my job
Strongly agree = 41%
Agree = 40%
Neither agree nor disagree = 13%
Disagree = 4%
Strongly disagree = 2%
I have developed key skills that I can apply at work through volunteering
Strongly agree = 29%
Agree = 38%
Neither agree nor disagree = 21%
Disagree = 7%
Strongly disagree = 5%
I believe my employer’s volunteering programme is better than that of its competitors
Strongly agree = 32%
Agree = 24%
Neither agree nor disagree = 37%
Disagree = 5%
Strongly disagree = 2%
I consider my employer’s volunteering programme when deciding to join the company
Strongly agree = 20%
Agree = 25%
Neither agree nor disagree = 25%
Disagree = 17%
Strongly disagree = 13%
In partnership with forgood.
Source: The original version of this article was published in the Trialogue Business in Society Handbook 2023 (26th edition).