Ask a CSR Friend: Building a Culture of Service by Keeping Volunteering Going Year-Round

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Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro, we know collaboration is key to creating vibrant workplaces where employees are equipped to contribute to the communities and causes they care about. So, when you need a trusted advisor to lean on, rely on Points of Light to be Your CSR Friend. Each month, our experts share their wisdom and wit to address a specific but often universal challenge related to your work as a corporate social impact practitioner.

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Dear CSR Friend,

Every year, interest and engagement for employee volunteering spikes around Giving Tuesday and runs through the holidays. Then, it drops off fast in January. We go from full calendars, an inbox full of team volunteer photos, and a ton of enthusiasm to…crickets!

I know our nonprofit partners need consistent, reliable support all year long (and frankly, so do the communities they serve). But it’s hard to maintain momentum when employees feel busy, stretched, and “tapped out” after year-end.

How can I keep volunteering from constantly being seen as a seasonal campaign, and instead build a culture of service that employees talk about, celebrate and sustain throughout the year?

Signed,
Seasonal in St. Louis

Dear Seasonal in St. Louis,

The end of the year is full of “service moments” and the start of the year is full of “service gaps.” And yet, the Giving Tuesday surge is proof that people want to show up when the invitation is clear and the energy is contagious. In 2025, Benevity reported record-breaking Giving Tuesday engagement through its platform, and Giving Tuesday’s U.S. results also showed growth in participation — including millions of people who volunteered.

The opportunity for CSR leaders is to treat Giving Tuesday as a spark, not the whole fire. Culture is what keeps it burning: visibility, recognition, storytelling, and an easy on-ramp for employees to keep showing up in ways that fit their lives.

The Bottom Line: Four Ways to Keep Volunteer Engagement Going Year-Round

1. Make Service Visible

If service only shows up in December recaps, employees will subconsciously categorize it as a “holiday thing.” Photos (and short captions) help service feel social, real and repeatable, and they reinforce that volunteering is part of your company’s identity year-round.

• Create a monthly “Moments of Service” collage for internal channels (not just the holiday newsletter).
• Add a simple prompt: “What did you do, who did it help, and what stuck with you?”
• Invite team leaders to repost and tag their teams to normalize participation.

2. Reward and Recognize Behaviors You Want Repeated

Recognition isn’t fluff, it’s a retention strategy. When employees see that service is noticed and valued, they’re more likely to make time for it again.

• Add a recurring “Volunteer Shout-Out” in all-hands meetings or internal newsletters.
• Recognize different types of contribution: first-timers, team captains, skills-based volunteers, and behind-the-scenes organizers.
• Celebrate informal helping too (mentoring, meal trains, neighborhood support) so people see service as bigger than one event.

3. Move from Hours to Meaning

If you want year-round participation, you need year-round meaning. Stories help employees connect effort to impact and they help peers picture themselves doing the same.

• Use a simple three-question story capture: What did you do? Who benefited? What changed (for them or for you)?
• Rotate formats so it stays fresh: short quotes, quick videos, a “story of the month,” or an internal “impact wall.”
• Give teams permission to be honest: it’s okay to get something out of volunteering (connection, pride, perspective).

4. Make January a Launchpad, Not a Drop-Off

One of the best ways to avoid the January slump is to plan your year like a playlist, not a single hit song. Build a steady rhythm with multiple entry points and set expectations so people can participate without burning out.

• Create a 12-month “menu” of opportunities: recurring shifts, pop-up projects, and skills-based options.
• Offer a “choose your cadence” approach (1 hour/month, 1 project/quarter, or 1 team day/year).
• Provide a variety of experiences by varying causes and formats to keep energy high and prevent burnout.
• Schedule a January re-entry moment: a New Year of Service kickoff with easy sign-ups and clear next steps.

If Giving Tuesday shows what’s possible when the world “lights up,” year-round culture is what keeps the lights on. Make service visible, celebrate it often, tell the impact stories, and plan a steady cadence that fits your employee’s lives year-round. That’s how volunteering becomes a habit and not just a season.

Until next time,
Your CSR Friend

If you need help strategizing ways to engage your employees in support of your community, Points of Light’s Consulting team is here to help and the Corporate Service Council member network is a great way to engage your peers in conversation on vital topics like this.Still have questions? Don’t forget you can always ask a CSR friend!