Volunteerism Surges Across Benevity’s Growing Client Community, Now Nearly 1,000 Companies Strong

Benevity today announced a surge in volunteerism across its platform with 14.3 million volunteer hours logged in 2022, representing 61% year-over-year growth in volunteering hours and a 91% increase in the number of people volunteering.

More than $2.8 billion was donated by Benevity clients and their people who supported 249,000 nonprofits around the world last year.

According to the Calgary tech unicorn, relaxation of pandemic restrictions, support for people displaced within Ukraine and a mix of in-person and virtual volunteering drove this increased participation in volunteering.

Meanwhile, companies also leaned more heavily into volunteering as a way to solve core business issues around building culture, community and connection in a hybrid work environment.

In 2022, 86% of companies using Benevity’s employee engagement software recorded people actively volunteering, up from 80% in 2021. This data demonstrates the continued belief in volunteering as a way to drive social, team and business impact.

“We saw a jump in participation in corporate purpose programs across our entire client-base from 2021 to 2022, largely due to the increase in volunteerism. We believe there is an opportunity for businesses to lean even further into volunteering in 2023,” said Kelly Schmitt, Benevity’s Chief Executive Officer.

“When people volunteer, they create deeper bonds with their companies, colleagues and communities. They also become more engaged at work, which brings countless business benefits – higher levels of productivity, better client satisfaction and increased retention rates, all of which are top of mind for employers amid the current economic climate.”

In addition to the uptick in volunteering on its platform, Benevity added 193 companies, including Cisco Systems to its client portfolio in 2022, which now consists of nearly 1,000 purpose-driven brands.

Earlier this year Benevity announced that it was laying off 137 staff members, representing 14 per cent of the company’s workforce with Schmitt calling it one of the toughest days in the company’s history.