We know that giving back and volunteering together unites people around a common purpose, giving them the opportunity to connect at the deepest levels of human meaning. This is true for us as individuals, and it’s true for us when we come together in community, whether that’s in our lives as private and public citizens, or in our workplace.

Are you checking the corporate volunteering box?

How do you give a giant shot of adrenaline to charitable fundraising? Throw a virtual party that covers half your state and mix in a slew of cash incentives, challenges and a stadium throwdown to get nonprofits, individuals and corporations engaged.

With the pile-up of data proving the bottom line benefits of employee volunteer and giving programs, more companies are clamoring to launch or escalate their own programs. As someone whose business helps organizations manage their corporate volunteering and giving, I’m delighted with this trend towards more employee-led philanthropy.

At Causecast, we are frequently collaborating with corporate social responsibility leaders on how to build memorable, impactful philanthropy opportunities into their employee benefit programs. I’ve heard countless wonderful ideas for 2016, but there’s one workplace volunteering activity that I’m most excited to watch flourish in the new year: refugee kitting events.

As a nonprofit, VolunteerMatch believes in making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. We also believe we aren’t the only ones who hold this belief, and that by joining forces with other like-minded organizations, we can create an even greater impact together.

A recent report by America’s Charities (an exclusive partner of my company, Causecast) puts to rest any doubts about the link between employee volunteering and employee engagement. Companies prioritize employee engagement as a way to attract and retain employees, and 84 percent of the companies surveyed view volunteer opportunities as an important way to engage employees.

It’s that time of year when CSR budgets are being drawn for the year, and the unfortunate reality is that many companies will come up short. 

Out in the trenches of corporate volunteer and giving programs, I’m seeing tons of creativity in the ways that companies are engaging employees in volunteering. So many businesses are stretching themselves far beyond the “One and Done in a Day” mentality of yore, when troops were rallied to paint a mural en masse and then everyone patted themselves on the back for a year.

The Great Recession delivered a body blow to our country’s financial equilibrium, and only after years of painfully slow recovery have housing prices begun to stabilize and the unemployment rate steadily fallen. But while the economic crisis has abated, it remains a devastating morass for many, especially young adults, ethnic and racial minorities, and lower income families.