When employees have a passion for
At professional services network PwC, one of their core values is to make a difference, and this includes
This approach is a great way to show people that what matters to them also matters to the company — something 82% of employees think is important, according to a survey from LinkedIn.
"Gone are the days of the standard, 'We're going to all donate to this one charity that everyone has to give to this one thing,'" says Victoria Russell, managing director and inclusion strategy leader at PwC.
By expanding their scope, PwC has made a greater impact on their communities: Their latest impact report shows that in the past year, more than 26,000 workers have contributed over $28 million in donations, including its people-led initiatives.
But donating funds is just one piece of the strategy: The company's own charitable work is widespread: In 2024, over 3,500 employees served on nonprofit boards, compiling 170,000 hours of pro bono service valued at $55 million. Additionally, 15,000 employees volunteered over 320,000 hours with nonprofits in their communities.
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Lead by example
The company "sets the stage" for giving back as a firm and through their charitable foundation, Russell says. The PwC Foundation operates globally, with a focus on areas like diversity and inclusion, education and the environment. These efforts encourage employees to come forward with their own areas of interest that, as long as they are commercially relevant to the firm, become a company interest as well, she explains.
"The firm leads, but we listen to the voices of our people in terms of [what] causes matter most," Russell says. "If people don't feel and see themselves — especially younger demographics — reflected in giving, that [doesn't] get them excited about the work, or excited to give. They work hard, and how they spend their money matters to them."
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Make giving easy
It's important that employees have easily accessible avenues to give how they choose, Russell says. PwC offers up to 40 hours annually for workers to donate their professional skills virtually or in person in nonprofit areas such as pro bono projects, serving on boards, and mentoring.
Technology is extremely helpful in driving the program's success. PwC provides a platform that lists every 501(c)(3) in the country, where employees can not only identify nonprofits that resonate with them, but also prompts and links to find out more information such as whether the company provides matching contributions. It keeps all records of donations, so people can pull them from the platform for tax purposes.
PwC also has 12 inclusion networks for various employee populations, which serve as a great springboard for gathering interest in a common cause.
"Almost half the firm is participating in those, making it easy [for people to] come together and drive some of that momentum," Russell says. "[Whether] it's crowdfunding, collaborating around heritage month celebrations, a crisis in the world that people want to [help with] as a group or a collective — that really helps bring our people together [and] creates that sense of belonging and contagious commitment."
Payroll deductions are another easy way for employees to participate in giving, and PwC offers multiple options for this, including their Pennies for Payroll program, which allows people to round their paychecks down and donate the change to an organization of their choice. While this small amount may not be missed, it's a way for people to have a big impact on a cause over time, Russell says.
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Show your workforce why giving matters
No matter how big or small a company's giving program is, showing its results to employees is imperative for continued momentum, and this is another way tech can come in handy, says Russell. In addition to impact reports, PwC provides cost portfolios, which show employees exactly how their personal donations impacted organizations, and it records hours logged for any volunteering. Having all of this information digitized makes it simple for employees to use, shows them their individual and the company-wide impact, and saves time on the administrative side, Russell adds.
Beyond the positive impact on employees themselves, their involvement in giving also establishes PwC as a business that walks the walk when it comes to company values, and clients take notice. Along with assisting them with things like tax and audit work, Russell and her team also share their expertise in all the areas that their giving program touches.
"We get tapped often to go meet with clients and help them in other ways around their inclusion strategies and their social impact work, and we share a lot of that to help them advance the work they do," she says. "I love that our team can bring value to [PwC] through our clients and our communities. And then we get to see a tangible impact, because we also track associated revenues and things that we touch to see the impact we're making by the work that we're doing."
