In 2026, employee volunteering is about more than checking a box—it’s about creating meaningful, accessible, and engaging experiences that connect employees to purpose, impact, and each other.
With new hybrid work norms, and evolving employee expectations, companies need smarter ways to drive participation. That’s where Visit.org comes in.
Here are 8 proven recommendations from Visit.org to help you boost participation and excitement around your volunteering experiences this year and beyond.
Tip #1: Listen First, Then Design for Impact
High participation starts with feeling heard. Actively listening to employees and participants is a powerful differentiator in 2026. Pre- and post-experience 360° surveys, which typically ask about employees’ preferred activities, dates and times, satisfaction with the event, feedback on hosts and nonprofits, and overall sentiment, help identify the impact areas that matter most. These insights enable organizers to design engaging, relevant social impact experiences.
Visit.org can support this process by helping you gather meaningful feedback through 360° surveys, making it easier to turn insights into action. Ongoing feedback, before and after events, ensures you understand what truly resonates with employees’ interests, values, and expectations.
Tip#2: Make Leadership Visible, Let Leaders Lead by Example.
When executives and people managers actively participate in Visit.org experiences, employees are far more likely to join (we observed a 5% increase for events in 2025!). In 2026, visibility matters just as much as intention.
Try this:
- Have leaders host or kick off a Visit.org experience with a short welcome.
- Include “Hosted by [Leader Name]” in the event title or invite.
- Ask leaders to share why the cause matters to them in one or two sentences.
- Encourage leaders to personally invite their teams through active communication channels, or designate a champion to do so, when participants feel personally included, others are more motivated to join.
Leadership presence signals that volunteering is not “extra”, it’s part of your culture.
Tip #3: Show the Impact Before the Event — Not Just After
Employees want to know their time truly matters, instead of simply promoting an experience, highlight what employees will actually accomplish.
For example:
- “Your hour will help prepare 30 students for real-world interviews.”
- “Together, we’ll assemble 100 care kits for families in need.”
Visit.org experiences are designed in partnership with Nonprofits across the Globe, Visit.org’s experience pages include the desired impact—make that impact clear upfront to spark motivation and connection.
Tip #4: Design your 2026 Calendar
Participation grows when volunteering feels collective and special, rather than hosting individual events, anchor Visit.org experiences around meaningful moments such as:
- Heritage and awareness months (Women History Month, Black History Month, Pride, Veterans Day)
- Company kickoffs or team offsites
- Annual Days, Weeks, or Months of Service
Creating a short campaign (e.g., “3 Ways to Give Back This Quarter”) helps build momentum and a shared sense of purpose.
Need help getting started? Download 2026 Social Impact Calendar here.
Tip #5: Make It Easy — Simplicity Drives Sign-Ups
Employees are more likely to participate when volunteering fits seamlessly into their workday.
Best practices include:
- Offering short, high-impact experiences (30–60 minutes)
- Providing virtual or in-person options for your teams based on their office schedule
- Consider your Company’s annual calendar to avoid high-demand dates like closings
- Pre-selecting the right amount of offerings in Days, Weeks, or Months of Service to reduce decision fatigue
- Plan ahead! Provide a quarterly or yearly calendar of available experiences so that employees can plan ahead and pick and choose the activities that best suit their schedule and passions
The simpler the process, the higher the engagement and participation. Your Visit.org Customer Success Manager and our team of social impact experts can guide you through planning, scheduling, and experience selection—making it easy to design a program that works for your teams.
Tip #6: Empower ERGs and Teams as Engagement Champions
Employee Resource Groups, regional offices, departments, and teams are powerful drivers of participation and help volunteering feel more personal.
Try empowering teams to:
- Sponsor or “own” a Visit.org experience
- Align volunteering with their mission or interests
- Encourage friendly participation challenges across teams
- Assign a team lead or ambassador to help plan and host the event - with full Visit.org support!
Visit.org can equip ERG chairs or team ambassadors with a customizable toolkit, including best practices, templates, and guidance to help them feel confident leading the experience.
When employees feel ownership, engagement naturally follows.
Tip #7: Connect Volunteering to Skill-Building and Growth
Purpose and professional development now go hand in hand. In 2026, skills-based volunteering is a key differentiator.
Position volunteering as:
- A leadership development opportunity
- Hands-on belonging and learning
- A way to practice real-world skills in an impactful setting
Skills-based volunteering strengthens leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving while creating meaningful community impact. It supports professional and personal growth, increasing engagement, confidence, and purpose at work. When employees see how giving back also fuels their development, participation increases.
Tip #8: One Invite isn’t Enough, Consistent Storytelling Matters.
To maximize turnout:
- Send a clear invitation, a mid-point reminder, and a final “last chance” nudge, using email schedulings
- Use engaging subject lines like:
- “Limited Spots Available!”
- “Join Us in Making an Impact”
- “Last Chance to Volunteer Together!”
- Share post-event photos, impact stats, and employee quotes
And remember, your Visit.org Customer Success team is always available to help with promotional materials, impact reporting, and strategy.
The most successful CSR programs don’t just offer volunteering—they create experiences employees are excited to be part of.
By focusing on purpose, simplicity, leadership involvement, and impact storytelling, you’ll not only boost participation, you’ll strengthen culture, connection, and long-term engagement.
Here’s to creating meaningful impact together in 2026 🌍✨Happy volunteering with Visit.org!