Key CSR Insights from the 2025 Corporate Service Council Winter Summit

On March 5 and 6, 2025, Points of Light convened its Corporate Service Council in Chicago for the annual Winter Summit, “Purpose & Progress: Leading the Next Era of Corporate Social Impact.” Hosted by the chair of the Council, Anita Whitehead, president and chair, KPMG U.S. Foundation, the Winter Summit brought together top corporate social impact leaders from across the nation for thought-provoking discussions, facilitated networking, and practical learning and insights into the latest trends shaping the sector. The event also celebrated Points of Light’s 35th anniversary and 20 years of collective impact with its Corporate Service Council, and explored how companies will chart the path forward to advance corporate social impact and employee volunteering.

“This year’s Winter Summit underscored the crucial role that corporate social impact plays in developing meaningful programs that provide opportunities for employees to volunteer with purpose. As we gathered together, leaders from diverse industries, regions and positions united around our common goal of engaging employees and companies in building stronger, more connected communities, while taking moments to learn from our past and grow towards our future.”

— Lacey Gaitan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Programs

This year’s topics included

• Ethical corporate social impact storytelling
• Generational perceptions and evolving expectations around corporate responsibility
• Investing in and supporting community-led change
• Making employee volunteer programs more meaningful, accessible and scalable
• Leveraging employee volunteering to build bridges and empathy
• Creating a new future of volunteering with purpose

15 KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE 2025 WINTER SUMMIT

• Reframe the Hero Narrative: Ethical impact storytelling prioritizes shared agency, human connection and empowerment over traditional “savior” narratives. Asset-framing helps center stories on an individual or community’s strengths and aspirations, rather than on their hardships.
• Find Power in Human Stories: Transformative stories don’t require dramatic narratives or elaborate impact reports. Personal moments of change and discovery from employees, volunteers and partners build trust and inspire action.
• Trust is Harder to Earn: Consumers and employees demand responsible corporate action but remain skeptical of intent. Efforts must be consistent, strategic, genuine and deeply integrated into business priorities.
• Authenticity Builds Credibility: Long-term strategy, “skin in the game” investments, leveraging business strengths and third-party endorsements build CSR credibility. Employees and nonprofits are the most trusted voices when communicating CSR, while a company’s own advertising and social media are the least.
• Customize CSR for Generations: A one-size-fits-all approach to communicating and engaging diverse workforces won’t work. Tailor messaging and feedback channels to different age groups to ensure CSR initiatives remain relevant and impactful.
• Beyond Participation to Purpose: Effective employee volunteer programs move beyond events focused on participation to create purposeful volunteer experiences that empower and inspire employees. Companies must design inclusive programs that remove barriers and create access for harder to reach employees to meet them where they are.
• Scale Through Networks: Activating employee groups and ambassadors along with nonprofits with their own networks enables companies to drive impact at scale while still aligned with a focused strategy.
• Volunteering Needs a Rebrand: Companies present a unique opportunity to shift the perception of volunteering from something that is “nice” to “necessary” and increase volunteering at scale. Younger voices, especially Gen Z, are key to shaping the future of volunteering.
• Prove the Value of Volunteering: Companies need stronger data to demonstrate the impact of volunteering on business outcomes, nonprofit organizations and employee volunteers. Proving this value will lead to more effective practices and greater investment in volunteering capacity.
• Rethink Impact Measurement: Companies often measure CSR by dollars and hours, while communities focus on systemic change. Aligning on long-term goals and outcome measurements is crucial and requires honest conversations between the company and nonprofit.
• Don’t Overlook Social Capital: While less trackable, companies have significant networks, relationships and influence that can be used to support and accelerate community-led initiatives and nonprofit organizations.
• Invest in Community-Led Partnerships: Long-term, authentic partnerships with nonprofits help ensure CSR programs address real needs and community-led solutions, rather than imposing company-driven initiatives. It is critical that companies invest time, effort and resources to truly understand the communities where they live, work and serve.
• Diverse & Connected Workplaces Thrive: Companies represent diverse communities and have a unique opportunity to foster relationships across religious and cultural differences through volunteering and engagement programs.
• Loneliness & Disconnection Costs Money: Social isolation is a widespread issue that negatively impacts mental health, economic stability and community well-being. Isolated employees have lower commitment, higher turnover and increased absenteeism.
• Workplace Volunteering is a Solution: Volunteering facilitates social connections, builds empathy and fosters a sense of belonging and purpose. These benefits help employees in the workplace and as more civically engaged members of their community.

Participating Companies

AARP Foundation, Abbott, AbbVie, Advocate Health, ALDI, Allstate, American Electric Power, Caesars, CITGO, Citi, Cox Enterprises, Delta Air Lines, Discover, Eastman Chemical Company, Fidelity Investments, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Grant Thornton Advisors, Health Care Service Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, KPMG , Lineage, Inc., Louisiana Blue, Nielsen, Northern Trust, Northrop Grumman, Pacific Life Foundation, PDS Health, Prudential, Starbucks, Stryker, Target, Tata Consultancy Services, Truist Bank, UPS, UScellular, Verizon

Partners & PRESENTING ORGANIZATIONS

Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals, Cause Strategy Partners, Changing Our World, Chicago Cares, Foundation for Social Connection, HandsOn Suburban Chicago, Interfaith America, LISC Chicago, Story & Spirit, True Impact, VeraWorks

About the Corporate Service Council

The Points of Light Corporate Service Council is a vibrant community dedicated to empowering and equipping corporate social impact leaders and their teams. Through an annual membership, CSR and corporate social impact leaders and their teams gain access to actionable resources, insights, training and connections needed to advance their social impact goals and be recognized for their success.

To learn more about becoming a member of the Corporate Service Council, email Points of Light or visit pointsoflight.org/corporate-service-council.

About Points of Light

Points of Light is a nonpartisan, global nonprofit organization that inspires, equips, and mobilizes millions of people to take action that changes the world through volunteering and civic engagement. Through work with nonprofits, companies and social impact leaders, the organization galvanizes volunteers to meet critical needs for healthier and more equitable communities. As the world’s largest organization dedicated to increasing volunteer service, Points of Light engages more than 3.8 million volunteers across 32 countries. For more information, visit www.pointsoflight.org.