How ERGs Can Supercharge Corporate Volunteering

Part 2 of Deed’s ERG-Driven Impact: A Catalyst for Culture, Belonging and Change Series

Employee expectations are evolving—and so is the role of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in shaping workplace purpose. Today’s most impactful companies are tapping into ERGs not just for community, but as strategic drivers of culture, connection, and change.

Deed’s latest series, ERG-Driven Impact: A Catalyst for Culture, Belonging and Change, explores how ERGs can powerfully shape your social impact strategy by fueling corporate volunteering, advancing a culture of belonging, and transforming values into visible, measurable outcomes.

From Community to Culture

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have long been a pillar of inclusion within modern workplaces. ERGs are voluntary, employee-led groups formed around shared identities, experiences, or interests—such as race, gender, LGBTQ+ identity, working parents, veterans, and more. They foster connection, representation, and a sense of belonging across the company. But their power goes beyond internal community-building. Increasingly, ERGs are becoming catalysts for corporate volunteering—mobilizing employees to take meaningful action in their communities.

This post explores how ERGs can amplify volunteer engagement, deepen impact, and drive measurable community and environmental impact through employee-led volunteering programs.

Why Volunteering Needs a Rethink

Traditional corporate volunteering often suffers from:

• Low participation rates

• Top-down planning with little input from employees

• One-off events that don’t tie into broader impact goals

That’s where ERGs come in. These employee-led groups are uniquely positioned to:

• Understand the passions and needs of their members

• Identify mission-aligned causes

• Activate networks across functions and locations

The ERG Advantage: Why They’re Your Volunteer Superpower

ERGs bring something unique to corporate volunteering: community trust, cultural insight, and peer-driven motivation. These traits make them incredibly effective at activating employees where traditional top-down initiatives often fall short.

Here’s how they do it:

And it’s not just theory—research backs it up. According to the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP):

“ERG participants can amplify upcoming giving or volunteering events to their membership in forums that non‑members may not have access to…”

This includes private Slack channels, employee newsletters, or regional meetings—creating touchpoints that traditional corporate comms often miss.

When ERGs lead, participation grows, engagement deepens, and corporate impact becomes more inclusive, relevant, and scalable.

How to Empower ERGs to Lead Volunteering

1. Give Them the Tools

   • Use platforms like Deed that let ERGs create and manage campaigns, recruit volunteers, and track impact.

2. Integrate with Belonging and ESG Goals

   • Align ERG-led volunteering with broader company strategy to drive measurable results.

3. Offer Budget and Autonomy

   • Trust ERGs to own their programs. Small budgets go a long way in building momentum.

4. Celebrate and Share Stories

   • Amplify ERG-led impact stories in company comms, social media, and leadership meetings.

5. Measure and Repeat

   • Track participation, hours served, causes supported, and employee sentiment.

     
     

How Deed Helps ERGs Scale Impact

Deed gives ERGs:

• A flexible platform for campaign planning and promotion

• Cause discovery tools to find aligned nonprofits

• Real-time reporting on who’s engaging and where

• Custom landing pages to build ERG visibility and pride

  
  

Let ERGs Lead

When ERGs lead corporate volunteering, impact becomes more personal, more relevant, and more powerful.

It’s not just about checking a box—it’s about building community, living your values, and making measurable change.

With the right tools and trust, ERGs can become your most effective force for good.

Want to empower your ERGs to drive impact? Let’s talk.