Corporate volunteering is on the rise; now it’s time to take the next step

Corporate volunteering is on the rise; now it’s time to take the next step

Corporate volunteering is thriving. According to Benevity’s State of Corporate Volunteerism 2026 report, more and more employees are getting involved in their communities. Since 2019, the number of corporate volunteers worldwide has increased by 30%, the number of unique volunteers has grown to 1.87 million, and an impressive 23.7 million volunteer hours were recorded in 2025.
This is a positive development. The more people contribute their time and skills, the greater the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in society. Yet there is still work to be done.

The same report shows that growth does not automatically lead to greater impact. Employees are increasingly choosing short-term, one-off volunteering activities. As a result, the average number of volunteer hours per employee has fallen from 16.4 to 12.7 hours per year. Another striking finding is that 39% of volunteers stop volunteering after just one year.

This highlights an important challenge. Volunteering has become more accessible, which is a good thing. At the same time, it raises a new question: how do we keep people engaged and ensure their efforts create a lasting impact?

From activities to meaningful experiences

Transformational volunteering, a concept popularised by expert Chris Jarvis, suggests that truly impactful volunteering is not about simply completing tasks. Instead, it focuses on changing the volunteer’s perspective and strengthening their capacity for empathy.

At Samen voor onze Regio, we strongly believe in this approach. When employees and community organisations genuinely connect, something more valuable than practical support is created. The experience becomes meaningful for the volunteer, increasing the likelihood that they will volunteer again. At the same time, it makes a real difference for the organisation and the people it supports.

That is why we look beyond simply organising volunteer activities. We help companies shape their social engagement in a thoughtful way. We create strong matches between corporate volunteers and community organisations, while also adding opportunities for deeper reflection and connection. Every activity includes an introduction and a closing reflection session. This helps volunteers not only understand what they are doing, but also why their contribution matters. As a result, volunteering becomes more than a one-time activity. It increases engagement, strengthens empathy, and often inspires people to remain socially involved in the future.

Sustainable Employee Engagement

Corporate volunteering has enormous potential. The first step, encouraging more people to participate, has already been taken. The next step is creating greater depth and meaning. More connection, more purpose, and ultimately more sustainable impact. This is why we are increasingly exploring forms of volunteering that go beyond one-off activities. When employees commit to a community organisation over a longer period, there is space for genuine relationships to develop. Volunteers get to know the people they support, feel connected to the organisation, and are able to contribute in more meaningful ways. This makes the experience more valuable, both for the people receiving support and for the volunteers themselves.

During a sustainable volunteering pilot with DLL, employees committed themselves on a regular basis to two different community organisations. This ongoing involvement created moments of recognition, trust, and connection for both participants and the organisations involved. DLL employees felt welcomed and engaged, while the organisations gained additional capacity to provide personal attention and support to their target groups.

At Vitalis Peppelrode, two volunteers at a time supported care staff with non-medical tasks in the community living room. They provided residents with extra time and attention, helping to create a warm and welcoming space where people could enjoy a conversation, a cup of coffee, a game, or simply good company. At ThuisKLUP, an initiative of Kansen voor Kinderen, volunteers also contributed to a stronger and more connected neighbourhood. By playing with children or reading with them, they supported the programme’s activities and created additional space for staff members to have meaningful conversations with families visiting the ThuisKLUP.

Creating Lasting Impact

Sustainable volunteering requires more than enthusiasm alone. It requires guidance, coordination, and intentional planning. Yet it is precisely these elements that create the depth corporate volunteering needs today: stronger connections, greater meaning, and ultimately more impact. Long-term engagement enables volunteers to build relationships, truly understand the people they support, and become a lasting source of value for community organisations.

Corporate volunteering is growing. Now it is time to take the next step: moving beyond participation and focusing on experiences that create lasting connections, meaningful engagement, and sustainable impact.