Ask a CSR Friend: Making the Case for an Employee Volunteer Champion Model

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Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know collaboration is key to creating vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

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Dear CSR Friend,

I’m convinced that the best way to scale and deepen the impact of my company’s employee volunteer efforts is by launching an employee volunteer champion model. The problem? Leadership supports volunteering in theory, but they don’t view it as a strategic priority. I need to prove the value of a champion model using language that speaks to them. How do I make the case, so they see this employee-powered model as an investment worth making?

Signed,

Choosing Champions in Chicago

Dear Choosing Champions,

Ah, the age-old CSR challenge: You know that volunteering is a game-changer, but leadership still thinks of it as a “box-checking” exercise. Time to shift the narrative!

An employee volunteer champion model isn’t just about making volunteering easier to manage although that’s a nice perk. It’s about scaling impact, developing talent and embedding social responsibility into the company’s culture—all while delivering real business and social value.

Since executives love a good business case, let’s break this down in language that will resonate:

1. It Efficiently Scales and Deepens Impact

Leadership loves efficiency. A champion model upholds the enterprise-wide strategy but decentralizes volunteer engagement, putting it in the hands of employees across geographies, business units and even ERGs. That leads to:

• More volunteer participation through increased accessibility and without the CSR team having to do it all
• Localized impact that aligns with both company priorities and community needs, and is culturally relevant
• A sustainable structure that keeps volunteering alive even if budgets and priorities shift

Your pitch: “Right now, our team is trying to scale impact alone. A champion model creates a distributed leadership network, increasing engagement, buy-in and reach without adding headcount.”

2. It’s a Secret Weapon for Talent Development

Workplaces are changing fast, and companies need employees who can lead, solve problems and adapt. A champion model builds these skills by giving employees hands-on experience in:

• Leadership and project management (without waiting for a formal promotion)
• Cross-functional collaboration (because champions come from all departments)
• Stakeholder engagement and problem-solving (skills needed in every role)

Your pitch: “This is a cost-effective way to upskill employees in leadership, communication and innovation—through real-world experience, not just on-demand training modules.”

3. It Drives Employee Well-Being, Engagement and Retention

Engaged employees = productive employees. And guess what? Employees who volunteer through their company are more likely to stay, perform better and feel connected to their work. A champion model strengthens this by:

• Creating peer-led engagement (employees listen to each other more than corporate emails)
• Removing barriers and understanding motivations (champions tailor opportunities to what employees want and gain buy-in from middle managers)
• Reinforcing company culture and values (volunteering becomes a norm, not a one-off event)

Your pitch: “Our employees want purpose at work, especially younger generations. A champion model gives them ownership of that purpose, increasing engagement, retention and morale—without requiring new perks.”

4. It Strengthens the Company’s Brand and Reputation

Customers, job seekers and investors care about authentic social responsibility. A champion model ensures:

• A platform for responsible impact storytelling across locations and business units
• Deeper, long-term nonprofit partnerships that utilize the company’s key competencies
• A strong talent pipeline due to positioning as a purpose-driven leader

Your pitch: “When we share stories of employees leading the way in social impact, it can strengthen our employer brand and build trust with customers, communities, investors and future talent.”

If leadership still hesitates, ask them this:

• Do we want to scale impact efficiently enterprise-wide and tailored to the communities where we operate?
• Do we want more employees who are adaptable, future-ready and deeply engaged?
• Do we want to be seen as a company that authentically walks the talk on social impact?

Because if the answer is “yes” to any of the above, a champion model isn’t just a “nice idea,” it’s a necessary investment in the company’s future.

Go make your case! And if all else fails, remind them that companies with strong cultures and strategic volunteer programs with effective infrastructure also happen to be more innovative, more successful and better places to work. (Funny how that works.😉)

Until next time,

Your CSR Friend

Learn more about how we can help you level up your employer’s social impact efforts and why your company should join top corporate social impact leaders and become a member of the Points of Light Corporate Service Council. Still have questions? Don’t forget you can always ask a CSR friend!