Creating Transformational Virtual Volunteering Programs: A Blueprint for Impact

A Brief History of Virtual Volunteering

In 1997, Impact Online’s Virtual Volunteering Project launched as the world’s first virtual volunteering initiative (which later become VolunteerMatch). In 2000, the United Nations built on the trend with the launch of its Online Volunteering initiative. Since then, technology has consistently expanded the ways people can engage in meaningful work. The rise of platforms like Skype in the early 2000s enabled volunteers to connect across borders without leaving home, and the 2010s saw an explosion of new solutions—from mentorship platforms like MicroMentor to corporate volunteering solutions like Benevity.

Then came the pandemic.

Almost overnight, virtual volunteering went mainstream, proving that it could be just as effective as in-person, and in some cases, moreso.

While engagement has decreased from its pandemic peak, participation levels remain significantly higher than before. Why? Because companies have realized that when done right, virtual volunteering can drive employee engagement, business innovation, and meaningful impact at a scale not possible with in-person engagements.

But let’s be honest—most virtual volunteering programs fall flat.

Common Pitfall of Virtual Volunteering Programs at Companies

Too often, companies approach virtual volunteering as just another “feel-good” initiative, leading to low engagement from employees and social impact partners alike. Here’s why:

• Prioritizing "Feel-Good" vs. Real Impact: Many programs focus on participation numbers instead of genuine impact. Employees and nonprofits quickly recognize when a program lacks depth, leading to low return rates.

• One-Off Events: While hackathons and days of service generate PR buzz, they rarely create lasting change. Employees quickly disengage when they realize these efforts are more about optics than impact.

• Zoom Fatigue is Real: If virtual volunteering feels like another boring meeting, participation will plummet.

• Lack of Peer Connections & Social Accountability: Volunteering thrives on human connection. Programs without built-in opportunities for employees to collaborate and share experiences tend to struggle.

• Mismatch of Interests: Simply taking an in-person project and making it virtual doesn’t work. Employees won’t engage if projects don’t feel relevant or fulfilling.

• Lack of Manager Support: If leadership doesn’t encourage participation—or worse, if employees feel penalized for taking time to volunteer—the program won’t gain traction.

• Accountability Gaps: It's easier to miss, reschedule, or drop out of a virtual commitment than an in-person one.

• Confidence Gaps: Many employees, even experienced professionals, hesitate to engage because they’re unsure how their corporate skills translate to social impact work.

What Makes a Virtual Volunteering Program Effective?

The best programs aren’t just well-intentioned—they’re strategically aligned with company priorities, employee aspirations, and real community needs. Here’s what successful virtual volunteering programs have in common:

• Business Strategy Alignment: When virtual volunteering supports HR, operational, and business goals, employees see the direct value of their engagement in terms of their career, and are more likely to engage.

• CSR Integration: If executives see the program driving measurable impact, they’ll continue to fund and promote it.

• Employee Preferences: Professionals can find the causes and projects that align with their skills and interests, but that are still aligned with business and CSR goals.

• Employee development: By making volunteer programs more accessible, they can help more professionals access them and grow through the experience.

• Real Organizational Impact: Social impact organizations must view the program as a true value-add that helps them grow in a way that is responsive to their actual needs, not just a corporate checkbox activity.

• Global Relevance: Aligning projects with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ensures that efforts contribute to meaningful global change.

Making Virtual Volunteering Transformational for Employees

A CSR leader at a major computer hardware company recently told us, “Employees don’t want to do as volunteers what they already do at work.” But our data—and extensive research from independent institutions—prove otherwise. Employees do want to use their professional skills, but only when it aligns with their motivations.

We call these motivations the 4 Ps:

1. Purpose: Employees want to know that their skills contribute to something bigger than corporate profits.

2. Passion: They want to make a difference in areas they care about.

3. Professional Growth: Stretch projects in new environments help employees build leadership skills, confidence, and adaptability.

4. Personal Enrichment: Volunteering fosters social connections, broadens perspectives, and enhances well-being.

When companies design programs that tap into these motivations, participation and impact soar.

Our data not only shows growing demand from employees, but also satisfaction and impact scores that rival, and in some cases surpass, in-person volunteering.

Scaling Virtual Volunteering with the Right Model and Tools

To maximize engagement and impact, companies need the right model, and the right infrastructure. When we say model, we mean:

1. Find meaningful skills-based projects that will truly help impact organizations (do NOT try and invent projects to just make your volunteers feel good).

2. Provide guidance to employees to help them feel confident and capable in supporting social good (strangely, even really experienced professionals may feel "imposter syndrome" when trying to apply their skills in unique environments).

3. Build executive and manager buy-in so that employees know they are truly encouraged to engage (in a tightening economic climate with uncertainty, people pull back from activities that might be considered non-essential).

4. Support learning through the experience by providing education, space for reflection, and opportunities to connect with peers (doing so will also help create more accountability and completion).

5. Celebrate milestones and completions by publicly recognizing volunteers AND the impact organizations for their partnership (and try to do so in front of company managers and executives, too).

6. Tie experiences back to the business by encouraging employees to share insights with teams, share stories with sales and HR teams, and report on business drivers to executives.

As it relates to the right tools, there are many platforms available to scale skills-based volunteering—some focus on project matchmaking, while others provide holistic program management. We’ve reviewed the top options in a previous post comparing the top CSR volunteer software, but before investing in software, companies should solidify their strategy.

For those looking for a more customized approach, consulting firms like RealizedWorth can help build a strategy tailored to their business needs.

The Future of Virtual Volunteering: A Call to Action

Virtual volunteering isn’t just a passing trend—it’s a powerful tool for business innovation, employee engagement, and global impact. But to be successful, companies must move beyond surface-level initiatives and invest in programs that align with their values, employees’ motivations, and real community needs.

So, what’s your next step? Start small, design for impact, and prioritize long-term engagement. Whether you're launching a new initiative or revamping an existing one, making virtual volunteering meaningful will benefit your employees, your company, and the world.

Want to learn more about scaling a virtual volunteering program that employees love? Learn more about MovingWorlds CSR platform 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 refined by a real human.