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The Best CSR Skills-Based Volunteering Software for Employee Engagement & Social Impact

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Technology plays a crucial role in making skills-based volunteering programs seamless, scalable, and impactful. The right platform can help match employees at scale with meaningful opportunities, track impact, and ensure alignment with business goals.

In an era where CSR programs are under increased pressure to appeal to employees while also being under intense scrutiny to provide business value, the right software is key to achieving both (see our CSR trends for 2025). However, most software still represents outdated volunteering models.

Key Features of an Effective Corporate Skills-Based Volunteering Platform

When evaluating corporate volunteering software, companies should prioritize platforms that offer:

  • Global Accessibility & Scalability: Can employees from different regions participate easily?
  • High-Impact Matching: Does the platform connect employees with skills-based opportunities that align with their expertise?
  • Employee Engagement & Professional Development: Does it help employees apply and develop their skills through volunteering?
  • Organization Engagement and Support: Is it easy and rewarding for social impact organizations to participate?
  • Guided Matching and Accountability: Does it encourage employees to stay engaged in their volunteering commitments?
  • Integration with CSR and Business Goals: Can it link with leadership development, learning, and sustainability initiatives?
  • Real Impact Measurement & Reporting: Does it track engagement, business impact, and social outcomes?
  • Customer Service Support Beyond Software: Does it provide program management, education, and storytelling tools?
  • Community and Inspiration: Does it foster a culture of purpose and make volunteering a fulfilling experience?

How to Choose the Best Corporate Volunteering Platform for Your Company

Before evaluating platforms, companies should clearly define their goals and needs. We recommend taking these three steps:

Step 1: Build a decision committee and set a strategy

Bring together a trusted group of company stakeholders, and go through all the questions above. Decide what is important, and what is not. Then, decide the criteria you need the right software to have. Do this BEFORE analyzing the software. Creating a rubric based on the key features above will help determine the best fit. By starting with internal priorities, CSR leaders can ensure they select a platform that truly aligns with their objectives rather than being swayed by generic solutions.

Step 2: Compare options

With your list of criteria, analyze the software providers below to see who has the right solution for you. In sales calls, be clear that you want the provider to clearly demonstrate how their software meets YOUR criteria. You should run this show, and be wary if a provider tries to steer you away from your strategy.

Step 3: Make a choice

Keep in mind that you may need multiple providers. As an example, many companies will use a platform like Benevity or YourCause for global volunteer tracking and donation management, and then a specialized platform like MovingWorlds to scale skills-based volunteering. 

(Need help growing your CSR budget? Here are tips.)

Top Software Platforms for Corporate Skills-Based Volunteering: Pros & Cons

1. Benevity

✅ Pros:

  • Robust corporate philanthropy and grant management features
  • Easy-to-use employee giving and volunteering portal
  • Integrates with HR and payroll systems 

❌ Cons:

  • Primarily focused on general volunteering, not skills-based programs
  • Limited professional development features

2. Blackbaud from YourCause

✅ Pros:

  • Strong in donation matching and nonprofit grantmaking
  • Customizable dashboards for impact tracking 

❌ Cons:

  • More focused on fundraising than skills-based volunteering
  • Complex implementation process

3. Goodera

✅ Pros:

  • Offers both virtual and in-person volunteering opportunities
  • Large database of causes and nonprofits 

❌ Cons:

  • Primarily event-driven, not long-term skills-based projects
  • Not focused on skills-based
  • Requires additional effort to engage employees consistently

4. A Home-Built Custom Solution

✅ Pros:

  • Fully customized to company needs
  • Direct integration with internal corporate systems 

❌ Cons:

  • Expensive and resource-intensive to develop and maintain
  • Limited network of volunteering opportunities

5. Catchafire

✅ Pros:

  • Strong database of nonprofits seeking skilled volunteers
  • Focuses on meaningful, skills-based projects 

❌ Cons:

  • No built-in corporate program management features
  • Limited global accessibility

6. Taproot+

✅ Pros:

  • Free to use for individuals and companies
  • Flexible skills-based volunteering options 

❌ Cons:

  • No dedicated corporate account management
  • Limited impact tracking features

7. MovingWorlds

✅ Pros:

  • Global accessibility with skills-based projects in over 100 countries
  • Integrated learning and leadership development programming and education
  • Comprehensive program support including matching, coaching, management, and reporting 

❌ Cons:

  • Primarily focused on skills-based volunteering, which may not suit companies looking for one-time events
  • Limited in-person opportunities

Conclusion: Making Volunteering a Catalyst for Corporate & Social Change

The best corporate volunteering platforms go beyond simple project matching—they ensure meaningful experiences and measurable impact. Selecting the right platform can transform corporate volunteering from an occasional initiative into a powerful driver of innovation, engagement, and social good.

Ready to take the next step? Choose a platform that aligns with your goals and start building a high-impact volunteering program today. And if you’re interested in MovingWorlds, learn more and schedule a demo here.

AI disclaimer: Following our AI Ethics policy, we disclose when we use AI. This post was written with the help of an AI chatbot that we trained with our research, brand voice, and other rules. The content strategy was first written by MovingWorlds, inputted into AI with instructions to match our brand voice and readability, and then the post was proof-read by a real human.

How to Scale Skills-Based Volunteering at Your Company

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As companies face economic pressures and shifting workforce dynamics, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) leaders must rethink how to scale employee engagement programs. Skills-based volunteering is a proven strategy to drive employee development, engagement, and social impact—but these programs can be really time intensive to manage, and even more challenging to get employees genuinely excited about.

(See our 7 CSR trends for 2025)

In facilitating thousands of skills-based matches across over 110 countries, we’ve learned what it takes to build magnetic programs that are easy to manage. There are three ingredients corporate skills-based volunteering programs need:

1. Build the Architecture for Scale

In a time when CSR budgets are at risk of stagnation, operating efficiently is key. The goal is to integrate volunteering seamlessly into existing corporate structures while ensuring employees have the autonomy to engage how and when they want to.

  • Create policies that encourage volunteering. This includes integrating volunteer time off (VTO) into HR policies and offering incentives like “dollars for doers,” where financial contributions are tied to volunteer efforts. Companies can also tie volunteer contributions to performance reviews, making it a recognized and rewarded activity.
  • Implement systems that allow for personalization. Some employees volunteer extensively and need minimal guidance or nudges. Others are embarking for the first time and may need some hand-holding. Regardless, employees expect tailored experiences. Software platforms like MovingWorlds enable employees to participate at their own pace—whether through individual, team-based, or cohort-driven programs.
  • Build an internal champion network. Ensure that each strategic office location, employee resource group (ERG), or business unit has both an executive sponsor and a program delivery champion. This decentralizes efforts while maintaining centralized oversight.

📌 Example: SAP has successfully scaled its skills-based volunteering program by allowing employees to take time off to volunteer, providing an easy-to-use platform for project matching, and leveraging local CSR champions to drive engagement in their regions. Employees experience personalized opportunities while leadership supports global participation.

2. Create Magnetic Programming

With an increased focus on profitability, employees may hesitate to engage in volunteer programs unless they see clear personal and professional benefits. Programs must be designed to attract participation and demonstrate tangible value.

  • Engage executives and managers. Employees are more likely to participate if they see leadership engaging. Partner with Learning & Development (L&D) to position volunteering as a career-advancing opportunity. Encourage executives to champion the program through company-wide communications.
  • Highlight career-building benefits. Volunteering is not just about giving back—it accelerates leadership development. MovingWorlds’ data shows that skills-based volunteering fosters professional growth more effectively than many traditional L&D programs. By framing it as a leadership development tool, companies can attract high-skilled professionals.
  • Offer flexible participation options. Employees in different locations and roles have varying availability. Delivering programs that allow for both structured and independent participation increases engagement.

📌 Example: EY’s skills-based volunteering program attracts participation because executives, partners, and senior directors actively engage in it. Employees see that volunteering enhances innovation and client management skills, making participation highly desirable. As a result, EY’s program remains oversubscribed year after year.

3. Demonstrate Business Value

For long-term sustainability, CSR programs must align with business objectives and clearly communicate their value to key stakeholder (see our 7 trends for CSR in 2025).

  • Align with corporate strategy. Programs that support business goals receive more investment. Identify how skills-based volunteering contributes to innovation, employee development, and market positioning.
  • Gain executive buy-in. Create customized approaches for different business leaders, addressing their specific interests and priorities. Continually communicate the program’s impact to transform executives into active promoters. (Here are 7 tips to help you out).
  • Tell a compelling story—again and again. Build a simple yet powerful narrative about how skills-based volunteering benefits the business. Share case studies, internal reports, PR campaigns, and manager-facing communications to reinforce the message across all levels of the organization.

📌 Example: Companies that continuously communicate the business case for volunteering see greater internal buy-in. Regularly sharing success stories—both internally and externally—ensures ongoing leadership support and employee engagement.

In Summary

1️⃣ Build a scalable infrastructure by embedding volunteering into HR policies, using technology for personalized engagement, and leveraging internal champions.


2️⃣ Create compelling programming that demonstrates career benefits, encourages executive participation, and provides flexible engagement options.


3️⃣ Prove business value by aligning with corporate strategy, securing executive sponsorship, and continuously reinforcing the program’s impact through storytelling.

By following these steps, CSR leaders can efficiently scale skills-based volunteering while driving business and social impact. Investing in a well-structured, engaging, and strategically aligned program ensures long-term success for both employees and the communities they serve.

Many leading companies have successfully navigated these challenges by implementing proven frameworks and leveraging technology to personalize and scale their programs. If you’re looking for insights, best practices, or support in taking your skills-based volunteering efforts to the next level, exploring resources from organizations like MovingWorlds can help you build a program that is both impactful and sustainable.

AI disclaimer: Following our AI Ethics policy, we disclose when we use AI. This post was written with the help of an AI chatbot that we trained with our research, brand voice, and other rules. The content strategy was first written by MovingWorlds, inputted into AI with instructions to match our brand voice and readability, and then the post was proof-read by a real human.

What CSR Leaders Are Doing to Maintain — and Grow — Their Programs and Budgets in 2025

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In an era of political and economic uncertainty, corporate social responsibility (CSR) leaders face heightened scrutiny to justify their budgets while demonstrating impact. The silver lining? This is also an opportunity to innovate, align more deeply with business goals, and position your program as a critical driver of long-term value.

Here are the strategies top CSR leaders are using to not only maintain but also grow their programs and budgets in 2025.

1. Pause and Re-Align Your CSR Strategy with Business Strategy

In recent years, corporate CSR and ESG efforts have become more diversified and confusing than ever. 2025 is the year to bring focus and clarity to this strategy.

Before diving into tactics, take a moment to assess your program’s alignment with your company’s overarching business strategy. The following prompts can help you align on new opportunities:

  1. What is your company’s primary business objective in the coming 3 years?
  2. What are the burning priorities of your executive team?
  3. How is your company recruiting and engaging employees in this pursuit?
  4. What external partnerships are needed to achieve these goals?
  5. How can your team help support the business, company leaders, employees, and strategic partners?

One of our tech clients, for example, has decided to focus its CSR efforts towards supporting innovative and environmentally-driven startups. Why? Because supporting these startups advances core business objectives — by building future customers, creating partnerships in new markets, and providing valuable insights to improve the company’s own core technology. By grounding your program in your company’s priorities, you position it as indispensable, even during budget discussions or when executives retire.

2. Audit Your Assets: What Can Your Company Uniquely Contribute?

CSR initiatives disconnected from your company’s core competencies are more vulnerable to cuts. Too often, companies have languishing programs because they did not answer the question: “How are we uniquely positioned to support social good?” A good way to arrive at an answer – and generate alignment in the process – is to to the following:

  1. Conduct an audit to understand how your company’s products/services, resources, and people can uniquely contribute to sustainability and equity that is in-line with the strategy discussed above.
  2. Have a series of conversations with key influencers across your company to brainstorm ways that your company can create impact in ways that no other company can.
  3. Find potential champions amongst leadership, and ask them for helping building a business case for programs that operate at the intersection of business strategy and your company’s assets.

Consider this example: A professional consulting firm specializing in B2B tech once supported military veterans—an admirable cause, but it didn’t align with the company’s strategy or expertise. The company also tried to “check off the basics” with earth day campaigns and fundraising initiatives for every disaster. This left them with no time to build anything truly unique. When the company’s business leadership had to shift funding during hard times, it’s mix of CSR initiatives previously catered to a CEO’s pet project were cut, and the CSR team was downsized. 

3. Propose Programs That Align with Business Imperatives

If your company has a sound strategy for the coming years, it has likely launched strategic business initiatives to achieve its aspirations. These initiatives could be things like opening new offices in new geographies to support sales, investing in more technology to fuel AI-driven innovation, managing huge-upskilling initiatives for staff, or other priorities that have CEO-level visibility and focus.

Your CSR initiatives will get more visibility – and funding – if they are seen as supportive of the company’s long-term strategy AND these short-term initiatives. 

As an example, in EY’s 2024 CSR report, you can see that talent recruitment and upskilling is a major priority to support EY’s growth and impact ambitions. CSR initiatives put funding, programs, and employee volunteers in support of developing youth in ways that are directly in-line with both societal needs and its own hiring goals.

4. Develop a Business Case Using the Right Data

Data is your secret weapon in justifying—and growing—your budget. CSR programs are proven to build bottom-line benefits in at least 5 categories that executives care about:

  1. Business model innovation
  2. Recruiting and engaging top talent
  3. Improving regulatory and governmental relations
  4. Strengthening strategic partnerships
  5. Opening up new markets

Once you have the proposal for the right programs that align with long-term strategy and short-term initiatives, you’ll need to strengthen your case. There is a plethora of data out there, so find the data points that will appeal to your executives and help tell the story of how your programs are good for society AND the business.

Tip: AI can help you uncover compelling data points from your industry and amongst competitors. For example, studies show that skills-based volunteering boosts employee mental health, engagement, leadership development, and even sales. You can use this prompt in a tool like perplexity.ai to find actual data points (not AI hallucinations): “My company specializes in [core assets]. Our long-term strategy is _______. Our highest priority initiatives this year are related to _______. I am looking to build a business case for our executive team to grow a couple specific CSR Programs, including _________. My executives will care the most about _______. Can you help find data points that will demonstrate the business value in investing in these specific CSR initiatives this year?” 

5. Partner Across Business Units for Greater Impact

Collaboration across departments not only strengthens your programs but also garners additional resources and advocates. Look for shared goals: as an example, if your program supports sales, partner with your Chief Revenue Officer or marketing team. Or, if your initiatives drive innovation, collaborate with product or business development teams.

These partnerships not only amplify your impact but also help secure buy-in from influential stakeholders. As an example, the CSR leader at one of our corporate partners has internal partnerships with HR, Sales, Leadership Development, and Tech units who expose their employees to skills-based volunteering programs because they see how it helps their employees remain customer centric and become more innovative.

6. Be Bold: Don’t Hide During Uncertain Times

Fear of backlash can lead to paralysis—but inaction is the greatest risk of all. As Desmond Tutu said: “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” It can feel daunting to put yourself out there during a time where it seems like many initiatives are being pulled back. But take a look at our CSR Trends for 2025 – the initiatives getting cut are mainly the greenwashing and impact-light programs of yesteryear. Employees, consumers, governments, and investors are rewarding strategically aligned impact programs, so don’t let the media fool you into thinking CSR and ESG is dead. Now is the time to act – your executives do not know how to communicate social impact during this era, and you are the key to a very real pain point.

One consumer beverage company pulled back from all CSR initiatives in the U.S. due to fear of cultural backlash. The result? Programs stagnated, and the team became expendable. Great employees left, and previous beneficiaries were abandoned. On the flip side, companies that take bold, values-driven action are earning loyalty and driving meaningful impact.

7. Stay Human-Centric

At the heart of every successful CSR initiative are the people it serves. Take time to engage your employees: interview them, observe grassroots efforts, and identify what truly excites them. Programs that employees love and that align with business goals will make your team indispensable.

A Path Forward for CSR Leaders

The road ahead isn’t without challenges, but it’s also filled with opportunities. By aligning with business strategy, leveraging your unique assets, and building cross-functional partnerships, you can position your CSR program as an engine of impact and innovation. As we explained in our 2025 CSR Trends article, the most successful CSR leaders will be those who step forward with bold ideas, strategic alignment, and a commitment to meaningful change. The question isn’t whether you can grow your program—it’s how you’ll lead the charge.

7 CSR Trends in 2025: Navigating Chaos, Defiance, and the Future

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As we enter 2025, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is under siege. Trump’s first week in office has unleashed a wave of rhetoric and policy rollbacks—defunding sustainability programs, attacking DEI efforts, and fueling political backlash against responsible business practices. If it feels like chaos, that’s because it is.

But here’s the truth: CSR isn’t dying—it’s evolving. Despite political headwinds, the demand for corporate responsibility has never been stronger. Consumers, investors, and employees aren’t backing down; they’re doubling down, expecting companies to lead where governments won’t.

In a fractured landscape, CSR leaders must rethink their strategies. What worked before won’t work now. The future demands deeper integration, measurable impact, and a relentless commitment to action.

Here are 7 trends shaping CSR in 2025—and how companies can rise to the challenge.

1. Greenwashing is Declining, Investments Are Rising

The days of flashy, superficial sustainability campaigns are numbered. Companies have learned the hard way that marketing without meaningful action can backfire. In 2025, organizations will prioritize embedding sustainability into their core operations rather than relying on hollow marketing ploys.
This shift is driven by consumer and investor scrutiny. Companies that transparently showcase real impact—backed by data—will earn trust and loyalty. Companies that just run a marketing campaign on a trendy topic will be negatively impacted by both sides. Expect to see fewer greenwashing campaigns, and instead, more tangible investments in sustainability initiatives that drive measurable change.

2. ESG Talk Will Decrease, but Regulation and Action Will Increase for Global Companies

While ESG reporting regulations may vary, investor demand for reliable ESG data continues to grow. Research from ESG Today and Morgan Stanley show that 80% of investors plan to increase sustainable investments over the next two years.

Meanwhile, regulatory requirements are expanding. The European Union’s CSRD will mandate sustainability reporting for nearly 50,000 companies by 2025, while states like California enforce climate-risk disclosures. Canada, the UK, and Japan are also aligning with IFRS standards.
Though these mandates enhance transparency, they can strain budgets. Companies must make a strong business case for integrating sustainability into their core strategies to balance compliance with meaningful impact.

3. DEI and Social Impact Remain Crucial to Consumers

Despite political and social pushback, consumers still value Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and social impact initiatives. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows that 67% of consumers are more likely to trust companies committed to social issues. Despite political headwinds, companies that can prove a business case – like Costco – are increasing investments.

However, standalone marketing campaigns won’t cut it. The key is integration—products and services must reflect these values. For example, a company producing soap with sustainable sourcing and equitable labor practices will thrive, whereas a soap company merely marketing a diversity initiative won’t resonate with today’s discerning consumers.

4. Politics Are Not Everything, Partnerships Are

Global business leaders are looking beyond short-term political trends and planning for a future where climate and social equity will be essential to healthy supply chains and markets. According to Oxford Economics and IsoMetrix, international partners increasingly favor companies that prioritize long-term sustainability and social equity, even if they’re not vocal about it today. But the biggest challenges facing companies are not problems any individual company can face alone. Coalitions for clean water, plastic, access to healthcare, and access to education – to name just a few – are things that must be done in partnership.

No single organization could possibly tackle the scope/complexity of challenges that our world currently faces. Partnerships are a way to unlock mutual benefit, and make limited resources go even further in a targeted way: collaborate with cross-sector partners, strategic supply chain organizations, channel partners, and even competitors, to amplify scale and effectiveness, ensuring solutions are inclusive and resilient to future challenges.

5. Donations and Matching Programs Still Matter

As governmental contributions to social and environmental causes decline, individuals and companies are stepping up. Show me the most staunch conservative or libertarian, and I’ll still show you somebody that has a cause near or dear to their heart that they donate money to. Even if political trends are shifting, humans are still humans, and they still give to causes individually. Recession fears are fading, and consumer confidence is rising, leading to increased charitable giving. Companies that make it easy for employees to donate and match their contributions will see increased loyalty and engagement.

Employer-supported donation programs not only foster goodwill but also strengthen the company’s internal culture by aligning with employees’ values.

6. Not Planning for Disasters Will be Disastrous

Forward-looking companies will realize that disasters—current and new—will continue, and new ones will emerge. Planning a disaster response in advance will help your company do more when it happens, and in a way that builds long-term value for your organization. Additionally, it positions your CSR department as a critical business function, enhancing its importance within the organization.

Build alignment with your business’s corporate strategy in advance by aligning leaders to what causes you will respond to, and how you will respond. And then, when they (sadly) happen, you’ll be ready to deploy resources.

7. Employees Will Want to Act, and Skills-Based Volunteering Will Provide the Highest ROI

Your employees will want to take action but will not be certain how to take action. You can help employees navigate this uncertain time by showing them that volunteering isn’t only for “woke” people, and engaging in social good through is not bad for their careers – in fact, the opposite is true and it can support their career growth. Skills-based volunteering (SBV) is gaining momentum as a high-ROI strategy for employee engagement and social impact. Unlike traditional volunteer programs, SBV allows employees to apply their professional skills to solve pressing social challenges, delivering measurable benefits for nonprofits and communities.

The benefits extend to employees and businesses alike: improved leadership development, enhanced innovation, and greater retention and engagement to name a few. Companies partnering with platforms like MovingWorlds can scale these programs with ease and are aligned with business objectives.

Some Thoughts on How to Move Forward

Don’t let the anti-ESG, DEI, or sustainability backlash derail your mission. While approaches may evolve, the core principle remains: we have a responsibility to build a world that works for everyone.

Politics will always swing, but purpose endures—stay focused. On LinkedIn, Solitaire Townsend posted a great reminder: “Back in the 90’s the ‘war on woke’ was a ‘war on political correctness’. The only difference was that we’d made far fewer wins than we have now. ‘Alternative energy’ was a sideshow, vegan was only in kooky health food stores and many companies had one mid-level Energy Manager doing everything on environment and even human rights.”

You can’t solve everything. But what you CAN do is identify the area that your company can make the most impact with its core business. And remember, in 2025, CSR is no longer about checking boxes or launching one-off campaigns. It’s about deeply integrating social and environmental impact into the heart of your business. Companies that embrace this shift will build trust with consumers and investors today while driving innovation and long-term success.

And, as Joel Makower wrote: Be persistent. The future of CSR is bright for those willing to invest in meaningful change, and who can bring their business leaders on the journey.

Why Social Enterprises Are Key to a Sustainable Global Economy — And Our World-Changing Idea to Make it Happen

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The growth of the social enterprise movement is a silver-lining of the last 18-months, and we cannot let the opportunity to scale this movement go to waste.

Earlier this week, we hosted a virtual celebration of our Fast Company World Changing Idea Honoree award, where we shared more about what is next for our S-GRID program, how it connects to our MovingWorlds Institute and Corporate/CSR partnerships, and some BIG platform improvements we’ve made to make it easier for you to build your network, grow your skills, and scale your impact.

Continue reading for key takeaways from the session, and you can also watch the full recording here.

Why Social Enterprises Are Key to Building Back Better

Navigating the challenges of this last year hasn’t been easy for anyone working in the social impact sector. But through it all, we’ve been continuously inspired and motivated by the incredible individuals and organizations in our community.

We saw social enterprises rise to the occasion, responding faster than governments or nonprofits to crises like COVID-19. And if there’s one silver lining from this year of tumultuous change, it’s been the growth of the social enterprise movement – and at MovingWorlds we’re determined not to let this opportunity to further scale this movement go to waste. We’re committed to pouring resources into our communities, social entrepreneurs, and partnerships to help the movement do even more. 

And we’re not alone – governments, corporations, and even the World Economic Forum are making major bets on the social enterprise movement, and investing accordingly. 

We missed social entrepreneurs in the first two crises of this decade; we cannot afford to miss them again.

-Chantal Line Carpentier, Chief of the New York Office of the Secretary General at UNCTAD, USA

Why all the focus on social enterprise? There’s an Archimedes quote we return to again and again that goes, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” At MovingWorlds, we firmly believe that our biggest lever for changing the global economy is social enterprise, which we define as “an organization that utilizes business principles, highly ethical internal operations, and the alignment of 100% of its resources to solve social and environmental challenges through the creation of sustainable earned revenue streams – while also positively influencing the larger systems around it.”

If we can help more social enterprises participate in the global economy by embedding into global value chains, we can help facilitate the spread of more sustainable thinking across all sectors. 

Our ‘World Changing Idea’ 

Every year, there are about $12 trillion worth of transactions just in small business-to-business spending, many of which deplete the environment while propagating inequalities. If you expand the scope to include large corporations, that number becomes even bigger, but we’re focusing on small businesses because they’re typically the ones at the very beginning or very end of supply chains – niche areas where governments and big corporations are not providing enough support.

The amount of money that these small businesses are transacting represents almost 100x more than all governments combined spent on global development in 2019. Our ‘world changing idea’ that led to the launch of our S-GRID program was: if we can divert some of that capital to social enterprises, we can help corporations meet their sustainability and equity targets by embedding social enterprises in their value chains, helping the social enterprises scale impact and revenue while making the entire system around them more sustainable.

If we continue to rely solely on charity or government to solve our most pressing global challenges, we may as well be trying to rebuild with a shovel what we’re removing with dynamite. Even corporate leaders are increasingly speaking up about how unrestrained shareholder capitalism has gone too far. But we are also living in a time when we actually believe capitalism can change – according to JustCapital, a majority of people think if we can evolve capitalism we can realize a more sustainable and equitable future.

Our 2021 Research

6 months ago, we set out on a CSR research project to find out: is this really a movement, or just a few forward-looking companies who are making real investments in meaningful social impact?

What we found is that corporations are investing more than ever before. In fact, 72% of companies mentioned the SDGs in their reporting. Still, only 14% have specific targets outlined, indicating that while a lot of companies are talking about being good, only a fraction of those are actually investing in it. Still, we have seen more and more real action and commitment by companies to invest in social enterprise, including SAP’s new 5×5 by 25 social procurement pledge, PepsiCo’s bet on regenerative agriculture, and in some cases tying CEO pay to equity targets. 

This trend will only continue to grow, and as it does, more and more companies will be approaching social enterprises as potential partners who have already figured out the unit economics of doing well by doing good. This represents a tremendous opportunity for social enterprises, as these potential partners control billions of dollars in spend that could make all the difference.

It’s important to point out here that this is NOT charity or traditional philanthropy; corporations are investing in social enterprises because it actually makes good business sense. Businesses are starting to use their most powerful assets – both financial and human – and preparing them to partner with social enterprises, and MovingWorlds is helping companies, like SAP and PayPal, make that transition.

The Opportunity of a Generation

There is a massive shift underway where corporations are investing in sustainability and equity through their core business, and social enterprises are realizing that revenue-based partnerships with these corporations are an effective way to grow beyond traditional philanthropy, grants, or impact investment. There are also an increasing number of individual professionals looking for more purpose and impact in their work who have control over parts of that spend. Combined, these three trends are resulting in a massive growth of capital being deployed towards social enterprises. That’s what we at MovingWorlds are working to accelerate. 

To help social enterprises realize this opportunity to change the economy, MovingWorlds focuses specifically on what’s known as the “pioneer gap.” 

As you can see on the left-hand side of the social venture growth curve graphic above, when an idea is initially developed, it’s easy to access capital and support: there are grants available, new business competitions, accelerators, and all kinds of potential investment. This is the pioneer gap.

But as soon as an idea moves into initial testing and hits the reality of the market, things start to get tough. More investment is needed to improve the product, adapt to customer feedback, and iterate on the prototype. In this and the subsequent stages, it’s hard to access talent or financial capital as even “early-stage” impact investors won’t get involved until the idea is proven. Once there’s proven scale potential, as you see on the far right side of the graphic above, then it becomes easy again to access resources and impact investments.

What MovingWorlds is focused on doing is providing support to cross that pioneer gap. We go into the places where financial capital won’t, and when we do, we bring corporate procurement spending and human capital with us. And if we can do that correctly, it will truly change the world – helping social enterprises grow their world-positive ideas while making corporate value chains sustainable and equitable.

Platform Updates to Make You Even More Impactful

MovingWorlds now operates a single platform where corporations, ecosystem builders, social enterprises, and passionate individuals can learn, connect, and work together to build the sustainability and equity of the global economy. 

That means more learning, community, and networking opportunities for professionals, more direct support and revenue opportunities for social enterprises, and more connections and partnerships across value chains and sectors.

Starting with social enterprises, we help them access the connections, resources, and learning they need to grow their operations. Our community platform creates peer-based connections, our learning management system provides learning and interactive guides to build skills and processes, and along the entire journey, social enterprises can use our Experteering network to request:

  • An expert to come lead a training for any number of employees
  • An Expert Advice Call to get subject matter expertise on any topic
  • A Connection to build a network at a company or in an industry
  • Aa Coach and/or Mentor for ongoing support
  • A Pro Bono Project for dedicated skills-based consulting or project-based work.

As we have for nearly a decade, we also support professionals that want to learn more. They can also access our community site, learning resources, and provide support to our social enterprises. Increasingly, we also host events that engage both professionals and social enterprises together, like design challenges.

And then for corporations and CSR leaders, we operate a fully managed platform and service to scale social impact programs by educating and engaging employees to build more sustainable and equitable supply chains.

The Next 10 Years

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The Future of CSR: Inside Microsoft’s MySkills4Afrika Program

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In 2016, the United Nations declared access to the internet as a basic human right. Still, only 62% of the world has consistent access. The impact of COVID-19 has made this digital divide even starker: companies with internet access have been able to virtualize their operations at remarkable speed, while those without access are getting left further behind. With both the resources and global reach to meaningfully address these kinds of complex global challenges, corporations are uniquely positioned to affect systemic change — and are increasingly being called on by consumers and employees to do so. 

Virtual collaboration technology and more meaningful investments in sustainability are here to stay as we rebuild our post-COVID new normal, and many companies are still grappling with how to adjust their course accordingly. But one company that has been ahead of the curve for years is Microsoft. In fact, companies around the world wouldn’t have been able to adapt to virtual work so quickly without the work Microsoft has been doing for years, developing tools and technologies to enable collaboration while also building capacity to close the digital divide.

Through its MySkills4Afrika program, Microsoft helps individuals and organizations build capacity to scale solutions by Africans for Africa, creating long-term sustainable impact in a way that advances its own sustainability and employee engagement goals. This kind of initiative — in which business objectives and social impact targets mutually reinforce, rather than compete with, each other — represents the future of corporate social responsibility, and should be looked upon as an example for other companies to emulate. 

We sat down with MySkills4Afrika Business Development & Program Manager Wanjira Kamwere to learn more about the inner workings of this award-winning and industry-leading program, and how more companies can follow Microsoft’s lead to achieve meaningful systemic change.

The Business Case for the ‘CSR’ of the Future

Part of what makes the 4Afrika initiative so unique is that it is integrated into Microsoft’s core business operations, rather than standing alone as an ancillary CSR program. Launched in 2013 out of the business division overseeing growth in that part of the world, 4Afrika blends business and market development with long-term capacity building to drive economic development, inclusive growth, and digital transformation across the continent. 

Microsoft employees can directly support these capacity-building efforts by volunteering their time, skills, and expertise through the MySkills4Afrika program, which has 3 main objectives:

  1. Promote global leadership and skills development amongst our employees
  2. Provide better understanding of the African markets throughout the company 
  3. Transfer vital skills that help Africans grow, innovate and compete globally

Beyond volunteering, the 4Africka initiative also provides technology, grants, and other support to key stakeholders, including nonprofits, startups, entrepreneurship support organizations, and more.

Structured this way, resources invested into sustainability and social impact aren’t taking away from core business objectives – they are furthering them. 

Leveraging Technology to Match Real Skills with Real Needs

When it comes to identifying host organizations to work with, Wanjira explained that “we look for partnerships with organizations that support Africa’s competitiveness through innovation for economic growth and societal impact.” That includes working with individual start-ups, governments, as well as accelerators and incubators to provide broader skill-building support. For example, “we collaborate with incubation centers, where we bring in young people for 6 months to undergo technical training and mentorship. These participants gain experience developing software applications and working on real-life projects, so that they can ultimately go on to build companies and organizations that leverage industry-level technology to scale solutions to local challenges. Our work is enabling access to technology to drive this kind of innovation, creating a way for them to create wealth for themselves and their communities. If they need support further along down the road, MySkills4Afrika can continue to support them,” Wanjira explained.

Like all MovingWorlds partner programs, the MySkillsAfrika program always starts with the local need. Representatives from organizations can partner with a local Microsoft employee (the project owner) to submit a request for support through the MySkills4Afrika program. The organization and project owner are guided through a process to focus on a specific need. Once approved, the MySkills team broadcasts the need for skills-based volunteers across the company to find the best possible support from out of the over 150,000 people that work at Microsoft. 

To have this kind of impact on such a large scale, Wanjira explained that “we leverage technology a lot in the way we manage the program to ensure hosts get connected to the right volunteer, and to ensure that shared value is delivered for all stakeholders.” Through an online portal, Microsoft employees around the world can access a database of projects coming in from the field. Before a project can be added to the database, Wanjira and her team “ensure that we’ve collected as much information from the host partner as possible about the project’s scope, expected results and deliverables, and how the project will impact the community in the long-run.” Having this information all in one place helps automate the pre-screening process, which is key to being able to replicate the process at scale. “When a Microsoft employee sees a project that matches their skills and expertise, they can then apply through the portal. When the match is confirmed, we also have planning guides and goal setting documents to facilitate the preparation.” Investing heavily in this degree of planning and scoping up-front ensures that “by the time a volunteer is matched and arrives to begin the work, everything is very clear, and we can create a significant impact even in a short amount of time.” 

Generating Shared Value for All Stakeholders

Most projects last for about 2 weeks, Wanjira pointed out, “which is why it’s so important to continuously track, monitor, and evaluate the results to ensure we’re delivering sustainable long-term impact.” After each engagement, surveys are sent to the volunteer, the volunteer’s line manager in the office they are based, the host organization, and the project owner in the field. Even during the upheaval of COVID, projects are still occurring, impact is still being measured, and all stakeholders continue to score the program very highly.

Host Organizations

For host organizations, MySkills4Afrika projects transfer vital skills that help Africans grow, innovate and compete globally. According to the program’s latest impact report, 100% of host organizations reported impact on organizational capability and staff, and 90% reported increased ability to compete. 

This is an aspect of the program that Wanjira is most proud of, sharing that “for us, it’s seeing the impact that a highly customized engagement can make. As a company, we have a lot of skill-building resources more broadly available through portals and online courses. But when you add the element of someone with experience in another market coming in to help tailor this best in class technology to a host’s unique needs, so much more becomes possible.”

One organization that recently received capacity-building support through the MySkills4Afrika program is Azubi Africa, a training and employability program to help recent graduates succeed in the job market. In order to build its internal capacity to train participants on high-demand data science skills, the team partnered with Microsoft Cloud Solution Architect, Tunde Xintia Gyenge from Microsoft UK, to host its first Data Science Workshop. 

One of the participants in Azubi Africa’s skills lab, Queen Attipoe, shared “With all the technological advancement and rise in social media’s popularity, there will always be a need for people who can use this data to gain meaningful insights that will help shape the world. The [Azubi Africa Business Intelligence] program was exactly what I was looking for: an opportunity to acquire new skills to become the Data Analyst I want to be; and to expand my network. Little did I know there was more to be gained from the program than I had thought.” 

Queen went on to explain that, “The onboarding process was very smooth. We were given all the tools needed to make our virtual training experience a great one. I hadn’t used Microsoft teams before but with the training and help of Coordinators and Facilitators of the program, it was very easy to access materials for the program and join all the training sessions.” 

Queen and her Azubi Africa colleagues

The lead facilitator for Azubi Africa’s skill lab, Wendel Laryea, added that “Running the Power Platform training in our skill lab was very exciting and came with its own challenges. Fortunately, we had support from our expert volunteer, Microsoft employee Renato Leite. Our sessions together were very impactful and inspiring. He served as a sounding board to validate our ideas and also helped to mentor our trainees by sharing relevant tips and resources that can make our growth and learning well grounded. Renato always went the extra mile in making time for us; he helped us prepare trainees for their certification exams as well as connected us with other experts like Luis Filipe dos S. Nunes who also supported our trainees greatly through mentoring sessions and meet-ups.”

With support from facilitators and Microsoft employee volunteers, skill lab participants like Queen were able to make tangible progress towards their goals. Queen reflected, “One thing I never imagined myself saying before the program was “I developed an app”. But in the end, I did. I was able to leverage the Power Apps Canvas App for Mobile and Power BI to build a low code app which helps Mobile Money Agents save and track records of their transactions and have some insights on the performance of the business.”

Thanks to collaboration technology, even after completing the training workshops, Microsoft volunteers like Renato and Tunde can continue to mentor Azubi Africa students virtually. Tunde shared, “I am so excited knowing that we are going to continue learning together in the upcoming period (even though we will do it now remotely), empowering each other in making things better with small steps regardless of where we are in the world – it can be in London, in Accra or in my hometown.”

Virtual mentorship session with Azubi Africa participants, made possible by Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Employees

The positive impact of this program goes both ways, having a transformative impact on employees who volunteer their skills and expertise. We previously featured the leadership development and innovation benefits to employees from Microsoft in SSIR and the Seattle Times. Wanjira shared that, “A lot of the feedback we get from volunteers in the field is that they feel proud to be associated with a company that can offer them this kind of opportunity to grow as a leader while making a meaningful difference. Volunteers are being brought into situations that stretch them beyond their comfort zones, doing things they may not have done before in their full-time roles, like presenting to very senior leaders.”

By design, these stretch experiences also increase employees’ level of adaptability. “Even with all of the preparation that goes into the project ahead of time, being in the field forces you to think on your feet”, Wanjira pointed out. In follow-up surveys, Wanjira and her team specifically measure the impact of the experience on the six Microsoft core competencies: Drive for results, Customer focus, Judgement, Adaptability, Influencing for Impact, and Collaboration. 

You can see this adaptability in action in a reflection that Software Engineer Neil Davis recently shared about his experience teaching core programming and cloud concepts to students at the Refactory SkillsLab coding bootcamp in Uganda. He shared, “Covid-19 added a few opportunities and challenges to the workshop. The whole workshop had to become virtual, allowing us to include students from Kenya. Due to time differences, we spread the program out over two weeks and held sessions each night over Microsoft Teams Live. I needed to make all the content accessible on OneNote and GitHub so that students could work during the day. Finally, due to more limited uses of data (especially with streaming the presentations), I needed to make all the content downloadable. Fortunately, the workshop was a success! The students seemed to have enjoyed the content and appreciated my efforts to include them and give access as much as possible. I’m excited about this initial response, and hope to see the impact continue to grow from there!”

The data below shows just how impactful MySkills4Afrika has been for employee volunteers, something that Wanjira has observed directly. “We have some volunteers who have done four or five engagements now. To find people who’ve wanted to keep coming back and supporting the program virtual and/or through onsite visits makes a difference I think really is a testament to the positive impact this program has for all stakeholders. Having a positive impact in the field in turn has an impact on how the employees feel about working for Microsoft and their day to day jobs – the value of the experience doesn’t end when they return home” she reflected.

Participating in this program also gives Microsoft employees a direct connection to the company’s mission. Technical specialist Felix Ndugwa, who traveled to Nairobi to help local partners safely migrate to the Cloud, reflected on LinkedIn that it was, “[an] amazing feeling, empowering everyone on the planet to achieve more.” The resulting increase in employee motivation and engagement has positive ripple effects that makes Microsoft a better company as a whole. Wanjira explains that participating in the program “increases employee’s awareness of how technology is being used in other parts of the world, exposes them to technology leaders within the continent, and gives them new insights based on direct experience that help ensure African voices are heard within the company on issues of accessibility, equity, and ethics in tech.”

What’s Next for MySkills4Afrika

Due to travel restrictions imposed by many governments across the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the MySkills4Afrika program is now operating fully virtually. But what sets best-in-class programs like this one apart from the rest is viewing change as an opportunity, rather than a threat. 

Wanjira shared, “The necessity of adapting to virtual work has opened new opportunities and pathways for even more Microsoft employees and African businesses to experience the benefits of this program. When it comes to what’s next for MySkills4Afrika, I think we’ll be able to offer even more colleagues the experience and exposure to another culture through virtual engagements. This also opens up opportunities for longer-term support, perhaps even giving groups of Microsoft employees with similar roles but different geographic locations the chance to “adopt” a certain organization to work with over the longer-term to see how they can really move the dial.” The data being collected shows that the virtual engagements are not only powerful, but also more inclusive. One Microsoft volunteer, David Branscome, has trained over 1,200 people in best practices for cloud-based architecture, which is 10X more than the number of people it would be possible for him to train in-person.

Lessons Learned

In our work with Microsoft, we have picked up a lot of valuable lessons, some of which are highlighted in our e-guide on how to scale social impact programs. In particular, MySkills4Afrika demonstrates these key lessons for other companies to keep in mind when building their own programs at the intersection of social impact, employee engagement, and leadership development: 

  1. Design with and for the local team. The key decision makers on the MySkills4Afrika and 4Afrika initiative are Africans. Stellar leaders like Wanjira, and her manager who oversees all of the 4Afrika program, Amrote Abdella, are from and of the continent. While the 4Afrika partners with teams from around the world and company, it oversees the budget and strategy of the program locally.
  2. Involve stakeholders, and measure impact for all. Assessments are in place for end beneficiaries, representatives from hosting organizations, project owners, employee volunteers, and the volunteers’ managers. You are what you measure, and by soliciting feedback from all, the program continues to get better for all.
  3. Focus on long-term impact. The success of an initiative isn’t measured the moment a project or engagement ends, but years down the road. Capacity-building takes time to show results, but it’s more sustainable than short-term efforts that may be ‘quick wins’ but ultimately not as impactful. By designing for long-term impact for all stakeholders, and consistently monitoring the long-term affects of the program, it can continuously improve
  4. Remain agile to keep improving and innovating. The way that MySkills4Afrika has adapted to COVID-19 by virtualizing projects, creating even more inclusive and numerous opportunities for employees to get involved, is a great example of turning an unanticipated challenge into an opportunity. Certainly, the right technology platform is a key enabler of this, but so is a growth mindset with a focus on impact.
  5. Don’t view CSR as a stand-alone category adjacent to your core business functions. As MySkills4Afrika demonstrates, embedding sustainability into your company’s core operations allows you to make a bigger impact while simultaneously developing employees and boosting engagement while better serving key customers and stakeholders.

Whether your company has an established CSR program or is in the process of developing one, keeping these key lessons in mind will help you tailor your program for maximum impact. Looking for customized support building an industry-leading program of your own? Learn more about our corporate social impact program development and consulting services, and be sure to follow the great work of Microsoft’s MySkills4Afrika program.