What Sets the Civic 50 Apart
The Civic 50 is designed to do more than publish an honoree list. It gives companies a structured way to evaluate their work, understand the practices shaping strong social impact programs, and identify where to focus next. For some companies, The Civic 50 is a recognition opportunity. For others, it is a management tool. In practice, it is both.
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Participation in The Civic 50 is free. Every eligible company that completes the survey receives a complimentary benchmarking scorecard, and additional detailed benchmarking reports are available for companies that want deeper analysis. Company-specific data remains confidential. Public recognition is limited to honorees and award recipients.
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Companies use The Civic 50 to:
- Benchmark performance against peers
- Strengthen employee volunteering and community engagement strategies
- Identify gaps in policies, systems, and measurement
- Equip internal teams with clearer proof points and planning data
- Earn recognition for leadership in social impact
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The Civic 50 evaluates corporate social impact across four dimensions:
- Employee Volunteering: How a company mobilizes employees companywide to deliver meaningful, accessible volunteer experiences that meet community and nonprofit needs
- Giving & Philanthropy: How a company leverages its financial and in-kind resources to drive social impact and strengthen nonprofit partnerships
- Integration & Culture: How a company embeds community engagement into its culture and business systems to sustain and scale social impact
- Planning & Evaluation: How a company strategically plans, measures and communicates its community engagement and social impact initiatives
The survey also looks at the practices that shape stronger programs, including employee volunteering, giving and philanthropy, integration and culture, planning and evaluation, sector insights, and awards and recognition.
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Public and private companies with U.S. operations and annual revenue of $1 billion or more are eligible to participate. The Civic 50 is especially relevant for leaders in corporate social impact, corporate citizenship, community engagement, employee engagement, philanthropy, and purpose-driven business strategy.
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Survey responses are scored using quantitative and categorical data, with results normalized for company size and revenue. The 50 highest-scoring companies earn Civic 50 recognition. Award nominations are optional and do not affect a company’s score.
Recognition That Goes Beyond the Top 50
The Civic 50 also highlights standout leadership across sectors and award categories.
Recognition includes:
- Sector and Category Leaders
- Volunteering with Purpose company awards
- Volunteering with Purpose individual awards
Current company award categories include:
- Volunteer Ambassador & Champion Program
- Companywide Volunteering Activation
- Global Volunteering Program
- Employee Volunteer Recognition Program
- Corporate-Nonprofit Partnership
- Impact Measurement & Evaluation
- Innovative Social Impact Program
Current individual award categories include:
- C-Suite or Executive Sponsor
- CSR Leader
- Volunteer Ambassador or Champion
Plan Ahead for the Next Cycle
The next Civic 50 cycle will open in December and close in mid-March. Company notifications will follow in May, with public honorees announced on June. The next Honoree Insights & Benchmarking Report will be released in September.
How to Prepare Your Application
Start by reviewing the survey workbook, identifying one or two internal points of contact, and gathering your company’s data before submitting online.
Companies will want to have the following ready:
- Company profile and reporting-period details
- Employee volunteering and giving data
- Contact information for application, media, and leadership contacts
- Information on program integration, culture, planning, and evaluation
- Any optional awards nominations they want to submit
