How to Engage ERGs in Your Social Impact Strategy

Part 1 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.

The Power of Employee Resource Groups

Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are no longer just cultural clubs or affinity spaces—they’re strategic engines for equity, inclusion, and impact. Yet many companies underutilize ERGs in their social impact programs.

Done right, ERGs can become some of your most engaged partners in driving real change inside and outside the company. This post explores how to integrate ERGs into your broader Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy to maximize participation, authenticity, and outcomes.

Why ERGs Are Essential to Social Impact

ERGs are employee-led communities often organized around shared identities, interests, or life experiences (e.g., race, gender, sexuality, parenting, mental health, veterans, etc.). Their relevance to social impact is clear:

• ERG leaders are often closest to the communities being served
• ERGs bring lived experience and cultural insight that strengthens program design
• These groups mobilize members around purpose and identity

It’s good for business, too. According to McKinsey, employees who rate their ERGs as effective are significantly more likely to report feeling included at work, highlighting the critical role ERGs play in driving belonging and engagement across the organization.

Common Pitfalls

Too often, companies silo belonging and social impact, or treat ERGs as optional partners rather than strategic leaders. Common missteps include:

• Expecting unpaid ERG leaders to run programs without budget or support
• Failing to track ERG contributions to impact outcomes
• Overlooking the opportunity to co-create programming with ERGs
• Not formally recognizing or celebrating the efforts of ERG leaders—or failing to include these contributions in performance reviews and promotion processes

If your ERGs feel like an afterthought in your CSR plans, it’s time to reframe the relationship.

Strategies to Integrate ERGs into Social Impact

1. Give ERGs a Seat at the Table
   • Invite ERG leaders to help shape annual CSR goals
   • Include them in cross-functional planning with HR, DEI, and ESG teams
2. Fund ERG-Led Campaigns
   • Provide budgets that support community-specific impact efforts
   • Example: a Latinx ERG organizing voter registration drives during Hispanic Heritage Month
3. Enable ERGs to Partner with Nonprofits
   • Let ERGs nominate and vet nonprofit partners that align with their values
   • Empower them to lead relationship-building and joint campaigns
4. Celebrate ERG Impact Stories
   • Use internal comms and social media to amplify the work ERGs are doing
   • Feature ERG-led projects in annual impact reports and DEI scorecards
5. Provide Tools and Metrics
   • Use platforms like Deed to give ERGs real-time data on engagement, outcomes, and reach
   • Build dashboards that make it easy to evaluate impact and ROI
     
     

How Deed Supports ERG-Driven Impact

Deed’s tools are purpose-built to help ERGs lead and scale their impact. Whether it's organizing events, fundraising, or building community, Deed empowers ERGs with:

• Deed Communities, a social and affinity-based platform layer, gives ERGs a dedicated digital home to foster connection and action—organized around shared purpose, interests, and identities
• Customizable campaign pages for ERG-led events, fundraisers, and drives
• Private groups and messaging features to coordinate efforts and deepen engagement
• Budget tracking and nonprofit donation matching to amplify impact
• Engagement data and recognition tools that spotlight ERG impact leaders across the organization

With Deed Communities, ERGs can create vibrant digital spaces that drive both belonging and action. By putting powerful tools and real-time insights into the hands of ERG leaders, Deed helps companies activate purpose from the ground up—turning values into measurable impact.

Make ERGs Core to Your Strategy

ERGs already embody the values your social impact program aims to advance. When you elevate and equip them, they become your most credible and passionate change agents.

Integrating ERGs into your impact strategy isn’t just inclusive—it’s effective. Let’s build a future where every employee group has the power to shape real change.

Want to empower your ERGs? Let’s talk.