When Bruce Elliott’s CTO demonstrated that generative AI could recreate their entire product—5,000 personalized games for people with dementia—in a single weekend, Elliott faced an uncomfortable question: What was his venture’s competitive advantage if the technology itself had become commoditized?

Memory Lane Games had spent years building an app downloaded 100,000 times across 100+ countries, helping people with dementia maintain connections through memory-based games. The platform showed clinical evidence of improving socialization, not just entertainment. But if AI could replicate their core offering so easily, were they suddenly irrelevant?

Elliott’s anxiety reflects a broader moment of reckoning. What cost $100 to process with AI in mid-2023 now costs roughly $10—a 90% drop in 18 months. Personalized education for millions, 24/7 healthcare guidance in resource-constrained settings, career coaching for underserved populations—services that would have required $3-5 million in infrastructure just years ago are now accessible to small organizations with limited budgets.

For social entrepreneurs, this represents an unprecedented opportunity. The gap between mission and capability has collapsed. Yet most ventures struggle to capitalize on this moment. The bottleneck is no longer technology or capital—it’s deployment wisdom.

The Paradox: Accessible Technology, Elusive Impact

Three social entrepreneurs recently participated in a masterclass, hosted by MovingWorlds and featuring world-renowned entrepreneur Claudio Sassaki to explore this deployment challenge. Beyond Elliott’s dementia care platform, the group included Geraldine Kyazze, whose MyMedikoz platform addresses medical record fragmentation for 1.2 billion uninsured Africans, and Agnieszka Czmyr-Kaczanowska, whose Talenti provides AI-powered career guidance to women navigating systemic barriers in Central and Eastern Europe.

All three had functioning AI solutions. All three faced adoption challenges that had nothing to do with accessing technology. Their struggles revealed a critical gap: as AI capabilities democratize, success depends less on technical sophistication and more on strategic deployment—understanding user needs, building trust, allocating resources effectively, and knowing when to orchestrate versus build.

Claudio Sassaki, who built Geekie (a Brazilian edtech company that used AI to personalize learning for 12 million students) and now serves as entrepreneur-in-residence at Stanford University, identifies the shift: “Innovation isn’t building the hammer anymore. It’s knowing exactly where to swing it.” In the Masterclass

The implications extend beyond individual ventures to the entire social impact ecosystem. Impact investors, accelerators, and capacity builders designed to support innovation still largely evaluate ventures based on proprietary technology rather than strategic deployment. This misalignment leaves entrepreneurs with the wrong kind of support at precisely the moment they need practical guidance most.

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Four Insights Emerging from the Frontlines

1. Strike While the Economic Window Is Open

The cost trajectory of AI capabilities isn’t just declining—it’s collapsing exponentially. What this means in practice: ventures that establish user bases and prove models now will see margins expand dramatically as costs continue dropping, while those who wait for “perfect” infrastructure risk missing the first-mover advantage entirely.

Elliott initially asked, “How can we keep our personalized AI offering affordable to deliver maximum impact globally?” The question presumed that current costs were prohibitive. But deeper analysis revealed a different dynamic. His AI companion currently costs roughly $6 monthly per user. According to Sassaki, processing costs, currently about 2 cents per minute of conversation, will likely drop to 0.005 cents within 18 months.

The strategic implication: rather than over-optimizing current costs, Elliott should focus on user acquisition and proving value. As costs decline, margins will naturally expand—but only if he has established market position. The window for differentiation is now, before every competitor can easily replicate core functionality.

This economic reality creates urgency that many social entrepreneurs underestimate. Geraldine Kyazze spent months perfecting technical features for MyMedikoz before launching, wanting the product “ready.” But in rapidly evolving AI markets, perfectionism becomes procrastination. The entrepreneurs gaining traction are those deploying imperfect solutions now and iterating based on user feedback, rather than waiting for technical perfection that will be outdated within months.

The challenge for accelerators and funders: traditional milestone-based support (build MVP, then pilot, then scale) may be too slow for AI-driven markets where capabilities evolve monthly. Ventures need support structures that enable rapid iteration and deployment.

2. Lead with Outcomes, Hide the Infrastructure

When Kyazze won a presidential award for AI innovation in Uganda, she initially led with technology in her communications—showcasing “AI chatbot capabilities” and “handwriting-to-PDF conversion”—to build credibility. Her inbox soon filled with warnings that AI was “demonic” and messages steeped in superstition about technology.

The lesson wasn’t about technology skepticism—it was about positioning. Users don’t care about your LLM architecture. They care whether you solve their problem. Instead of “AI-powered chatbot,” Kyazze now says “your personal health assistant.” Instead of “AI converts handwritten records,” she says “take a photo, get it organized instantly.”

This principle extends beyond avoiding negative associations. Even in contexts without AI skepticism, leading with technology distracts from value. When Elliott described Memory Lane Games, he emphasized personalized games and conversational AI. But families don’t pay for technology—they pay for connection. His platform has the potential to promise something different: weekly audio clips of a loved one’s most treasured memory, captured by an empathetic companion that adjusts to emotional cues. The AI enables this outcome, but the outcome is the value proposition.

Czmyr-Kaczanowska faces skepticism from another direction: impact investors who question whether using Google’s Gemini + RAG constitutes “real innovation.” Her response reveals the positioning challenge many ventures face. Building a proprietary language model would cost millions and take years. Using Gemini costs $0.002 per conversation, enabling her to serve thousands of women for the cost of a single engineer’s salary.

Sassaki pointed out that her innovation lies elsewhere: proprietary career data from 10,000 women, bias-aware prompt engineering that counteracts gender bias in LLM training, human-AI hybrid models that route complex cases to mentors, and regional labor market integration. Netflix didn’t build the internet. Apple doesn’t manufacture chips. Strategic orchestration of existing infrastructure is innovation.

But communicating this requires different language for different audiences. For users: outcomes and benefits. For investors: defensible advantages and strategic positioning. For partners: complementary capabilities. The failure mode is using the same technology-forward language for all audiences, assuming sophisticated stakeholders care about infrastructure rather than strategic deployment.

3. Obsessive User Focus Despite Infinite Possibilities

Perhaps the most counterintuitive insight: AI’s infinite possibilities become a liability without ruthless focus on specific user needs.

Elliott’s platform could generate games on unlimited topics, in multiple languages, with varying difficulty levels, for different cognitive abilities. The temptation was to build features showcasing this flexibility. But what actually reduces churn? What makes the service irreplaceable to families?

Through user research, Elliott discovered the answer wasn’t more games or features—it was emotional connection. Families needed to feel connected to loved ones they couldn’t visit daily. They needed relief from guilt. They needed reassurance that their relative was engaged and experiencing moments of joy. The 45-second weekly audio clip of treasured memories addressed this need. Additional game variations didn’t.

This focus becomes especially critical given resource constraints. Social entrepreneurs face the universal challenge of searching for product-market fit before running out of money. The instinct when uncertain is spreading efforts across multiple approaches, hoping something resonates. But this guarantees mediocrity. With AI enabling rapid feature development, the discipline of saying “no” becomes paramount.

Kyazze struggled with this. MyMedikoz started as a personal health records platform but added consultation features and health forums to increase engagement. Different clinic partners wanted different modular features. The temptation was offering everything to everyone. But fragmented offerings dilute brand, complicate positioning, and prevent doing any single thing exceptionally well.

Sassaki’s guidance that was the most pertinent to all – even if scary to implement: pick one flagship feature, validate that clinics will pay for it, then expand. Don’t launch five modules before proving one. Choose your best bet, focus obsessively on that user need, validate the model, then expand. Otherwise limited resources get spread too thin to achieve excellence in anything.

For accelerators, this suggests a different support model. Rather than encouraging ventures to pilot multiple approaches simultaneously, effective support might mean helping entrepreneurs identify which single bet to focus on, then providing intensive resources to validate that quickly.

4. Build Trust Before Features—The Human-AI Hybrid Imperative

The ventures achieving traction aren’t choosing between AI or humans. They’re building hybrid models where AI handles scale while humans provide wisdom, nuance, and trust.

Czmyr-Kaczanowska’s Talenti illustrates this. Their AI assistant Zoe provides 24/7 initial career guidance, answers common questions, and helps women articulate goals. But career breaks, imposter syndrome, and wage negotiation require human mentors who understand cultural context and power dynamics. The community validates AI advice—”Zoe suggested this path; here’s my experience with it”—creating feedback loops that improve recommendations while building trust through peer experience.

This hybrid approach addresses a fundamental challenge: trust building takes time that resource-constrained ventures often lack. The shortcut is leveraging existing trust networks. Kyazze partners with Rotary International, community health workers, and local clinics—institutions that already have credibility. These intermediaries become the face of the service, not the technology.

When Sassaki built Geekie, his team partnered with famous Brazilian educators who had established public trust. They worked with religious institutions, influencers, and community groups that had no economic gain to advocate for their product. Once these influencers endorsed the solution, school adoption accelerated dramatically. The pattern holds across contexts: identify who users already trust, position those intermediaries as champions, and let them vouch for outcomes rather than explaining technology.

This has implications for measuring success. Traditional metrics focus on user acquisition and engagement. But trust-building metrics might be more predictive: How many trusted intermediaries actively refer? How strong is community validation of AI recommendations? What’s the ratio of human touchpoints to AI interactions? Ventures optimizing for rapid user growth without trust infrastructure often achieve impressive numbers but struggle with retention and word-of-mouth growth.

The deepest insight about trust and features came from Sassaki’s coaching: “Build trust before you build features.” Ventures instinctively want to prove value through feature sophistication. But users don’t trust you because of features—they trust you because you consistently deliver on a simple promise, then expand. Elliott focused on one irreplaceable thing for families. Kyazze validated one modular feature clinics would pay for. Czmyr-Kaczanowska proved value through a free tier before optimizing pricing.

Systems-Level Implications: Rethinking Support for AI-Driven Ventures

These insights reveal a misalignment between how social entrepreneurs need support and how impact ecosystems typically provide it.

For Impact Investors: The ventures to bet on aren’t those building proprietary AI models—they’re those demonstrating strategic deployment. Questions to ask: What’s your defensible advantage beyond technology? How are you building trust with users? What makes you irreplaceable even as AI capabilities commoditize? Can you articulate why strategic orchestration is more valuable than infrastructure ownership?

For Accelerators: Traditional programs emphasize either technical AI training (“here’s how to build models”) or general business fundamentals (“here’s how to create a business model canvas”). But entrepreneurs with functioning AI solutions need strategic deployment guidance: positioning, pricing strategy, trust-building approaches, go-to-market tactics. The gap is practitioner wisdom from those who’ve navigated similar challenges, not more technical training or generic business frameworks.

For Capacity Builders: As AI democratizes technical capabilities, the scarce resource shifts from technology access to deployment wisdom. Effective support increasingly means connecting entrepreneurs with experienced practitioners who can provide strategic guidance on their specific context—not just training modules or consulting frameworks, but hands-on coaching through actual deployment challenges.

For the Field: We need new frameworks for evaluating innovation. Proprietary technology made sense when infrastructure was expensive and capabilities were scarce. But in an era of commoditized AI, innovation lies in strategic resource allocation, deep user understanding, trust-building capability, and knowing what to build versus what to orchestrate. Our evaluation criteria should reflect this.

The New Scarce Resource

When costs of powerful capabilities drop 90% in 18 months, what becomes valuable? Not access to technology. Not capital to build infrastructure. The scarce resource becomes wisdom about strategic deployment, or as Sassaki said, innovation is not building another hammer, “it’s knowing where to swing the hammer”.

This wisdom is inherently contextual. It comes from having navigated similar challenges in adjacent spaces. Sassaki brought value to these entrepreneurs not because he knows more about AI than they do, but because he built an AI-powered edtech company in a developing market, dealt with skeptical users, wrestled with B2B and B2C models simultaneously, and struggled through pricing and positioning challenges.

The implication for building support systems: as AI capabilities democratize, the highest-value intervention shifts from providing capital or technology to connecting entrepreneurs with practitioners who have relevant deployment experience. Not training. Not consulting frameworks. Strategic coaching through actual implementation challenges from people who’ve been there.

The entrepreneurs scaling AI-driven social impact aren’t building proprietary models or waiting for perfect infrastructure. They’re deploying existing tools strategically, building trust effectively, focusing obsessively on user needs, and proving value relentlessly. The real innovation isn’t in the technology itself—it’s becoming more human in an AI-driven world.

The three organizations featured—Memory Lane Games (dementia care), MyMedikoz (medical records in Africa), and Talenti (women’s career advancement in Europe)—participated in a masterclass examining AI deployment for social impact, facilitated by MovingWorlds. The session was led by Claudio Sassaki, entrepreneur-in-residence at Stanford University and former CEO of Geekie. While their specific challenges differed across sectors and geographies, common patterns emerged about strategic deployment, trust-building, and the support systems social entrepreneurs need as AI capabilities democratize.

Social Entrepreneurs are encouraged to join MovingWorlds to access support from skilled professionals around the world.

• Our program Partnering with the Corporate Sector to Create Market Opportunities for Impact Entrepreneurs received a Bronze Award in Partnership or Collaboration, recognizing how we help global companies channel their expertise and resources to scale social enterprises addressing sustainability challenges. 
• Our collaboration with SAP, Scaling a Culture of Corporate Social Responsibility through the SAP Acceleration Collective, earned a Silver Award in Corporate Social Responsibility, honoring how corporate employees can co-create meaningful impact through experiential learning and capacity-building with social innovators.

Together, these awards affirm a powerful truth: real, sustainable impact happens when businesses, social enterprises, and communities work together — not in isolation.

While we’re deeply honored to receive this recognition, what matters most is what it represents: the power of partnership. These awards are a reflection of the incredible companies, innovators, and community members who collaborate with us every day to build more equitable and sustainable systems.

In that spirit, this post isn’t just about what we won — it’s about what we’ve learned from the partnerships behind these wins, and what is ACTUALLY working in the fields of Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Innovation.

What’s Working in Building Sustainable Impact

Here are five lessons that continue to shape our work in building high-impact, meaningful, and award-winning corporate social responsibility and skills-based volunteering programs.

1. Start by Centering the People You Serve

The most powerful and lasting impact happens when we center the people and communities we aim to serve. This isn’t just a philosophy; it’s a practice that ensures equity, effectiveness, and sustainability.

The best way we’ve found to operationalize this principle is through Human-Centered Design (HCD). When we listen first, co-create with empathy, and design around lived experience, outcomes improve for everyone.

2. Collaboration is the Real Accelerator

When companies and social enterprises co-design solutions, innovation happens faster and lasts longer. We’ve seen how shared ownership turns one-off projects into ongoing, measurable impact.

Frameworks like Network Leadership and Collective Impact help corporations set aside their short-term time pressures and instead focus on meaningful, long-term change. 

3. Partnerships Only Work When There’s Mutual Learning

The most transformative partnerships aren’t transactional — they’re reciprocal. Corporate teams learn from social innovators about adaptability, equity, and resilience. Social enterprises learn from corporates about systems, scaling, and sustainability. 

Mutual learning also depends on trust and openness. Capturing and sharing quality data is hard, and riddled with privacy concerns. But investing in systems that enable real-time sharing of data, and being transparent with it, helps ignite curiosity and exposes opportunities for improvement.

4. Experimentation Benefits Everyone – When We Share Insights

Nobody has all the answers to the challenges of our time. We have to experiment to see what can work at scale. In order to experiment, we need to think less like fundraisers and business leaders, and more like researchers: valuing the search for knowledge over the pursuit of perfection or profit. 

When collaborators share their biggest blockers and opportunities, then co-design experiments and share lessons learned, innovation happens faster. Speaking openly with our partners, customers, and users about what is working – and more importantly what isn’t working – has helped us and our partners unlock new pathways for impact.

5. People Power the Movement

Behind every system, program, or partnership are individuals — employees, entrepreneurs, mentors, volunteers — who make it real day-to-day. Their creativity, empathy, and persistence are the true engines of change. At MovingWorlds, it is our team of amazing humans that show up every day to create the connections and tools that help our members accelerate their impact. And across our partners, it is the people on the other side of every Zoom/Teams/Meet call who show up with open hearts and minds that make this kind of collective progress possible.

Treating the people driving this work with respect, injecting joy, and celebrating accomplishments helps strengthen bonds – and build the trust – that fuels lasting collaboration.

A Moment of Gratitude and Commitment

These awards remind us that recognition can — and should — reflect something bigger than a single organization. 

They celebrate our collective commitment to collaboration and systems change that’s driving the future of sustainability. These awards belong to all of our amazing partners like EY, Reckitt, SAP, F5, Lumen, Bayer Foundation, and even more so to the thousands of social impact organizations we support in over 110 countries. 

We see more companies realizing that sustainability and innovation aren’t separate goals — they’re deeply intertwined (and the ROI is proven, even in uncertain times). When businesses partner with social enterprises, they don’t just “give back”; they move forward — building resilience, relevance, and shared prosperity.

We’re grateful for the Anthem Awards — but even more grateful for what they represent. They affirm that partnership, shared learning, and human-centered collaboration work.

To every social enterprise, impact professional, and corporate partner in our community: thank you for proving that sustainable change is possible when we collaborate together.

And to the businesses still searching for meaningful ways to connect purpose with performance — we’d love to learn and build with you. Want to explore partnership opportunities or launch a skills-based volunteering program at your company? Let’s talk.

This paradox came into sharp focus during a recent Social Impact World webinar, titled The ROI of Skills-Based Volunteering, featuring two companies that have cracked the code: EY and SAP. Their approaches offer a blueprint for CSR leaders ready to move skills-based volunteering from the margins to the strategic center of their organizations. The below is a summary of that webinar, and at the bottom, you can access the recording, slides, and key assets (including a helpful ROI calculator).

But first… an important note about what drives us as corporate responsibility leaders: Impact. While this post is about how corporations benefit from implementing skills-based volunteering, it’s important to highlight that skills-based volunteering also is a critical driver for consistent, scaled sustainable development. Before examining the business case, it’s critical to address why skills-based volunteering matters from a mission perspective.

MovingWorlds, which facilitates programs for both EY and SAP, reports an 84 NPS score from social enterprises—a “world class” level. Over 70% of participating organizations report increased partnerships that generate revenue, 85% achieve successful knowledge transfer to local teams, and more than 90% accelerate their overall impact.

This dual value creation—meaningful social impact alongside measurable business returns—is what transforms skills-based volunteering from a nice-to-have into a strategic imperative. Companies no longer need to choose between doing good and doing well. The most successful programs, as EY and SAP demonstrate, achieve both.

Now… on to the summary of the webinar with the amazing Erin and Noshin!

The Five Business Drivers You Need to Track

Before diving into specific strategies, it’s crucial to understand the five core areas where CSR programs deliver measurable business value:

1. New Market Opportunities

Employees volunteering with social innovators gain firsthand insight into customer needs and product adaptation requirements that traditional market research might miss. Unilever discovered product innovations through employees volunteering with Kasha, a social enterprise serving women in underserved areas.

2. Proactive Regulatory Relationships

Governments increasingly require social value commitments in procurement, like the UK’s Social Value Act that Noshin highlighted. Companies with robust skills-based volunteering programs can quantify their contributions—hours donated, organizations supported, capabilities built—turning compliance into competitive advantage.

3. Talent Attraction and Retention

EY’s data shows volunteers demonstrate significantly higher retention, performance, and pride scores than non-volunteers. Skills-based volunteering offers authentic development through solving real business challenges, creating the purpose-driven engagement that retains top talent. SAP has similar data, sharing that 74% of employees report a long-term impact on their professional careers and 86% said their ability to collaborate with global and diverse colleagues improved by participating in programs like this. 

4. Stakeholder Value Enhancement

When executives from EY and client companies co-coach social entrepreneurs together, they build relationships beyond transactional business. EY notes that clients participating in joint volunteering show higher loyalty, improved net promoter scores, and enhanced brand perception.

5. Supply Chain Resilience

Skills-based volunteering builds capacity in your ecosystem—Reckitt employees volunteer to strengthen entrepreneurs who then become suppliers. For service companies, this might mean building digital capabilities of partner organizations that become future collaborators.

These aren’t theoretical benefits. They’re measurable outcomes that EY and SAP track religiously.

How to Build the Business Case

Build a Data Story

EY Ripples, the firm’s global corporate responsibility program, has impacted 250 million lives through 14,000+ skills-based volunteering initiatives involving 600,000 employees. But the real story isn’t the scale—it’s the rigor behind their measurement.

From day one in 2018, EY started tracking every single volunteering initiative globally. They know exactly who participated, for how long, and in what capacity. This infrastructure, combined with the internal partnership with HR, enabled them to conduct a game-changing analysis: comparing volunteers against non-volunteers in their annual EY-wide pulse surveys. 

The results? Employees who volunteer through Ripples demonstrate:

• Higher retention rates
• Better performance metrics
• Greater pride in working at EY

“We translate that into a pound value, a dollar value metric,” explains Noshin Suleman, Associate Director of EY’s Global Corporate Responsibility team. “That metric has really opened many doors for us across executive conversations.”

The lesson: Start building your data infrastructure today. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago; the second best time is now.

Design Programs for Business Impact

SAP takes a spectrum approach to skills-based volunteering, carefully aligning programs with business objectives. Specifically, their pro bono consulting portfolio includes:

Social Sabbatical: Four-week immersive experiences for high performers, working directly with nonprofits and social enterprises abroad. Teams are thoughtfully constructed to maximize cross-regional collaboration.

Acceleration Collective: A virtual pro bono program open to any employee with two+ years of professional experience. Participants can serve as coaches, mentors, workshop leaders, or project consultants over 8-10 weeks.

Strategic partnerships: In alignment with SAP’s focus on accelerating social business, employees engage through regional and country-specific partners, offering mentorship and other direct support to entrepreneurs. 

Local opportunities. Local champions can organize events that appeal to local needs, even if that branches from skills-based. 

The genius of SAP’s approach? 

• A strategic internal partnership with HR, which suggests that 10-15% of work time be related to learning and development, and demonstrating how skills-based volunteering clearly ties to growth in leadership, innovation, and customer service skills.
• Building a coalition of impact partners that offer skills-based volunteering engagements, including several that are made available via the MovingWorlds platform – all of which tie to SAP’s mission and product strategy.

“We don’t see pro bono consulting as taking a step away from your work,” notes Erin LaBarge, SAP’s Global Program Lead for Volunteer Strategy. “It’s leaning into the work that you do at SAP and the skills you lean on everyday, and carving out some time to partner and share those with a social enterprise.” The data is clear per a case study published on this volunteering program.

Participants develop concrete skills—cross-cultural agility, growth mindset, active listening, empathy—that directly translate to better customer / stakeholder engagement and innovation capacity.

Cracking the Executive Code: Practical Strategies

Both companies emphasized a hard truth: You’re competing for executive attention in 5-15 minute windows. Here’s 4 tips on how to maximize the impact of your executive exposure:

1: Speak Their Language

Go beyond positioning CSR as the “do-good function.” Instead, articulate value in business terms: retention metrics, innovation pipelines, client satisfaction scores. 

2: Map to Their Priorities

Every executive typically has a support team (i.e. chief of staff, technical assistant, etc.). So, before any executive meeting, work with their support teams to understand current priorities. Come prepared to connect your programs directly to their goals, and equip support team members with the talking points to keep the conversation going.

3: Distribute Your Advocacy

“The days of having one really generous sponsor across the whole executive board…those days are done,” Noshin suggested. Build champions across the C-suite: CFO, CHRO, CTO, not just the Chief Sustainability Officer. Using data is crucial for this, so double down on your “data story.”

4: Help Them Feel It

Both companies engage executives as program participants, not just sponsors. SAP’s CEO provided mentorship to an impact startup. EY executives co-coach social entrepreneurs for six months alongside Unilever leaders. These experiences transform executives from supporters to champions.

Suggestions on Building Executive Support for Skills-Based Volunteering

1. Plant the Data Tree Now

Build tracking infrastructure immediately. Create unique identifiers for volunteers, track participation hours, and establish baseline metrics for comparison. Partner with HR to access retention and performance data.

2. Find Your Internal Allies

Look beyond your immediate team. One company that MovingWorlds partners with built an informal network including data scientists and an IO psychologist to strengthen their analysis. Work hard across HR, Innovation, Supply Chain, and Product teams to find levers and hook them with program outcomes that you know they will care about. Your allies might be in unexpected places.

3. Start with One Executive Experience

Rather than presenting to executives, involve them directly. Design a short, high-impact engagement—even a two-hour strategy session with a social entrepreneur can be transformative.

In Summary

Skills-based volunteering isn’t corporate charity. It’s strategic business development that happens to create social impact. Or rather, it’s an important driver of the Sustainable Development Goals that also creates a positive return on investment for corporations that sponsor employees to engage in skills-based volunteering. The companies that understand this—and can prove it with data—will win the war for talent, accelerate innovation, and build the resilient stakeholder relationships required for long-term success.

CSR leaders who continue to position their programs as “nice to have” will face continued budget pressures and limited scale. Those who embrace the rigor demonstrated by EY and SAP will find themselves at the strategic table, driving programs that create value for business, employees, and society.

The question isn’t whether to invest in skills-based volunteering. It’s whether you’ll build the business case that unlocks its full potential.

Need help building a skills-based volunteering programs? Get in touch with us at info@movingworlds.org or learn more about our scalable volunteering programs and software.

Resources Shared

1. Recording of the webinar
2. Slides presented during the webinar (And embedded below)
3. ROI calculator (watch this video explainer first) 
4. ROI narrative

We are excited to announce that MovingWorlds has been recognized by the 2025 Anthem Awards in two categories:

In the Sustainability, Environment & Climate — Innovations category, the MovingWorlds Platform is recognized of its work in “Partnering with the Corporate Sector to Create Market Opportunities for Impact Entrepreneurs in 110+ Countries”. Learn more and “Celebrate” us.

In the Sustainability, Environment & Climate — Team & Internal Initiatives category, our partnership with SAP was recognized for its achievements in in “Scaling a Culture of Corporate Social Responsibility“. MovingWorlds is the proud engine of SAP’s Acceleration Collective program, which is SAP’s signature skills-based volunteering program available to any employee across the globe. Learn more and “Celebrate” us.

About The Anthem Awards:

Launched in 2021 by The Webby Awards, The Anthem Awards honors the purpose & mission-driven work of people, companies and organizations worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, we’re defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their own communities. The Anthem Awards honors work across seven core causes: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging; Education, Art & Culture; Health; Human & Civil Rights; Humanitarian Action & Services; Responsible Technology; and Sustainability, Environment & Climate. This season’s partners and sponsors include AARP, Sustainable Brands, NationSwell, The Bloom, the Social Innovation Summit and TheFutureParty. The Awards were founded in partnership with the Ad Council, Born This Way Foundation, Feeding America, GLAAD, Mozilla, NAACP, NRDC, WWF, and XQ.

Judges for the 5th Annual Anthem Awards include an esteemed panel of leaders from leading organizations and companies dedicated to social impact, including Nancy Brown, CEO, American Heart Association, Heather Malenshek, CMO, Land O’Lakes, Inc., Kim Getty, CEO, Deutsch, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Award-Winning Actor & LGBTQ+ Advocate, Belén Frau, Global Communications Manager, IKEA, Linda Roth, Chief Communications Officer, World Central Kitchen, C.D. Glin, Global Head of Social Impact, PepsiCo, and many others.

• 98% of CEOs agree that sustainability is core to their role — and 97% expect to integrate sustainability into core strategies and leadership pay in the future
• Nearly three-quarters say they feel increasing pressure from investors, customers, and employees to act
• 90% of CEOs advise their successors to continue investment in sustainability initiatives.
• 88% say the business case for sustainability is stronger today than five years ago
• Yet, only 50% feel comfortable talking about this publically.

The Sustainability Ambition Gap

But here’s the catch: only 5% of CEOs believe that business is currently doing enough. And only a vast minority have plans in place to seize the opportunity. The gap between ambition and execution is real — and it’s where CSR and corporate social impact leaders play a critical role.

The study reveals both an urgent need and an extraordinary opportunity: CSR leaders can help CEOs transform bold (even if unspoken) commitments into meaningful action by designing programs that align social impact with business strategy.

Why the Gap Exists

CEOs aren’t short on vision. The study shows that 84% of CEOs see sustainability as a gateway to business transformation, not just a compliance exercise. Yet structural barriers often stand in the way:

• Short-term financial pressures
• Fragmented approaches to sustainability across functions
• A lack of measurement systems that connect impact to business value
• Ignorance about more sustainable and equitable business models

In other words, while CEOs may want to “do good,” they’re still figuring out how to operationalize it across the business. That’s where CSR leaders can shine.

What CSR Leaders Can Do

CSR leaders are uniquely positioned to turn CEO ambition into company-wide execution. Here’s how:

1. Translate lofty goals into employee engagement

The study shows that 87% of employees who participate in corporate volunteering or giving programs report improved perception of their employer (Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship). CSR leaders can build the bridge between CEO commitments and employee pride by scaling meaningful, skills-based volunteering programs that demonstrate the company is walking its talk.

2. Focus on systems, not stunts

Trust in corporate sustainability claims hovers around 25%. Employee participation in volunteer programs averages just 17% despite 89% of companies offering them. Too many CSR programs default to “one-day wonders” like kit-building events. While easy to organize, they don’t advance sustainability or equity goals. By aligning volunteering, giving, and partnership activities with core business capabilities — for example, mobilizing engineers to support climate tech startups — CSR leaders can ensure employees contribute where their expertise has real leverage.

3. Aligning programs with corporate strategy

Harvard found 77% of programs lack strategic alignment. Nearly 60% fail due to poor stakeholder engagement. Giving, volunteering, and educational programs that don’t help employees use their jobs to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals via the corporate strategy will be shutdown in the months and years to come. New programs that mobilize employees, partners, and supply chains in world-positive ways that align with the business’s long-term strategy are needed to support transformation.

4. Find the positive and politically-safe PR

The vast majority of companies don’t walk to talk about their sustainability programs, which lowers the ROI of the investments. CSR leaders, through strategic alignment of their programs with corporate sustainability targets, can create meaningful PR that politicians and investors will reward, and steer clear of the ESG political backlash.

5. Show the business case for impact

The 2025 CEO Study found that 63% of CEOs report investors are asking for greater transparency on sustainability performance. CSR teams should connect the dots between their programs and investor-relevant metrics: lower risk, stronger talent retention, customer loyalty, and innovation. That’s what elevates CSR from “nice to have” to “essential strategy.”

Need help? Check out our guide to calculating an ROI.

6. Partner across ecosystems

The report emphasizes that no single company can achieve systemic change alone. CSR leaders can help CEOs deliver on their promises by brokering partnerships with nonprofits, governments, and social enterprises. By doing so, they extend the company’s impact footprint and create multiplier effects. In addition, these programs create trust with strategic buyers, suppliers, and go-to-market partners

Helping CEOs Close the Gap

The world doesn’t need more commitments, strategies, or plans. It needs execution. CEOs are clear about what they want, and the data shows the urgency. But ambition alone won’t deliver sustainable and equitable outcomes.

Money is sitting on the table, and CSR leaders hold the keys to making CEO promises real. By focusing on employee engagement, business alignment, and partnerships that matter, you can help your organization close the gap between words and action.

And if you’re ready to build or scale a skills-based volunteering program that delivers both community impact and measurable business value, MovingWorlds can help.

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 proofread and finalized by a real human.

So when Lumen launched its new Lumen Cares Volunteer Sprint Program — a partnership with MovingWorlds that gives employees two weeks of paid time to use their skills in support of purpose-driven organizations — Phani didn’t hesitate to sign up. 

Here’s his story, in his own words.

“Volunteering has always been close to my heart. Even in my previous organization, I actively engaged with MovingWorlds, contributing my time and skills to causes that mattered. So when the opportunity to go Experteering came up just a month after I joined Lumen, I didn’t hesitate — I jumped at it.

Taking the Leap

The timing might have seemed unconventional. I had just joined a new company, was settling into a new role, and building new relationships. But knowing Lumen’s commitment to social impact, I felt empowered to answer the call to give back. I’ve always believed that purpose and passion should guide our professional journeys, and Experteering offers the perfect blend of both.

Through the MovingWorlds matching process, I was fortunate to be paired with Global Leading Light Initiatives (GLLI) — a nonprofit empowering women and youth in low-income communities through technology, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion. 

From the very beginning, Allo (the CEO of GLLI) was clear and thoughtful about his expectations, which made it easy for me to plan and deliver meaningful outcomes. His clarity and commitment to his mission were inspiring and set the tone for a deeply fulfilling experience.

Before Experteering

Before this journey, I was focused on building strategic initiatives at Lumen, including leadership development and AI-driven transformations. My professional background is rooted in technology and coaching, and I’ve always sought ways to use these skills to empower others. Experteering gave me a chance to do just that — outside the corporate walls, in a space where impact is measured not only in KPIs, but also in lives changed.

What I Did on My Experteering Project

My initial goal was to mentor one or two aspiring women leaders through leadership coaching. But the scope quickly expanded, thanks to Allo’s vision. I was invited to conduct a session with a larger group of GLLI alumni — women entrepreneurs running small businesses — on how AI could accelerate their growth.

We started by conducting a leadership analysis, which allowed us to identify key improvement opportunities for each participant. Then, we worked on those opportunities with interesting and fun roleplay and mentoring sessions. I was thrilled to hear from Allo that he already could see the difference these sessions made in just 2 weeks! I am sure the leaders will grow even stronger in the days to come.

In addition to the above, I connected with individual Alumni to explore practical applications of AI in their small businesses, from customer engagement to operational efficiency. I shared frameworks, tools, and real-world examples tailored to their contexts. The sessions were interactive, filled with curiosity, and grounded in real challenges they faced.

The Highlight of My Project

The most heartwarming moment came after the sessions, when I received feedback from the women entrepreneurs. They spoke about the impact of the work we did together and how it would shape their future decisions. Their words were genuine, filled with hope and gratitude. They even requested a second group session — which I was more than happy to conduct.

As someone deeply passionate about AI and giving back, this was a moment of deeply fulfilling alignment — where my skills, values, and purpose came together in service of others.

What I Wish I Knew Before Volunteering Across Cultures

One thing I wish I had known earlier is how important it is to stay flexible. While I had a clear plan going in, the real magic happened when I adapted to the evolving needs of the community I was there to serve. Being open to change, listening deeply, and responding with empathy made all the difference.

Also, understanding cultural nuances and communication styles is key. While the mission is global, the impact is always local — and being sensitive to that amplifies your effectiveness as a coach or mentor.

Advice for Aspiring Experteers

If you’re thinking about Experteering, my advice is simple: do it. Don’t wait for the perfect time or the perfect project. The opportunity to make a difference is always now.

Bring your whole self — your skills, your passion, your humility. Be ready to learn as much as you teach. And most importantly, stay connected to the purpose that brought you there.

I also want to express my gratitude to those who supported me on this journey. My leader, Soumitra, encouraged me to pursue this even though I had just joined the company. His support meant a lot. I also want to thank Ana White, Chief People Officer at Lumen who always encouraged, supported and motivated me in participating in the first Volunteer Sprint at Lumen.

And to Sim, Siphokazi, and Abongile — thank you for your questions, your courage, and your willingness to challenge me. I’m confident you’ll be successful leaders in the future.”

Bringing it all together

Phani’s journey is a reminder that impact starts with people: one professional, bringing their unique skills, can spark lasting change for entire communities. His experteering project with GLLI shows the ripple effects that happen when purpose-driven organizations and skilled volunteers come together.

Through programs like Lumen Cares, and with the support of the MovingWorlds platform, more professionals are discovering how to align their expertise with global needs. If you’re inspired by Phani’s story, we invite you to join the MovingWorlds Platform and take your own first step toward creating meaningful change.

But as founder Omami Wabala puts it: “As a growing social enterprise, we recognized that specialized skills from global professionals could help us scale faster and smarter.”

Specifically, Virbyze was seeking support to strengthen its operational strategy and refine its go-to-market approach, two critical needs for scaling impact in emerging markets. That’s what led them to MovingWorlds — and why hosting an Experteer became a game-changer.

A Thoughtful Match

Finding the right people to collaborate with can often feel daunting, but for Omami, the MovingWorlds process made it feel seamless.

“The platform made it easy to identify professionals whose skills aligned with our project goals. The matching process felt thoughtful — it wasn’t just about qualifications, but also shared values and passion for our mission.”

Once matched, the collaboration took off quickly. “Planning with our Experteer was collaborative and energizing. We co-created a roadmap and aligned on milestones… setting the tone for a partnership built on trust, adaptability, and shared purpose,” Omami reflected.

Fresh Eyes, Bigger Thinking

The Experteer brought fresh perspective and new ways of working that quickly unlocked opportunities.

“Our Experteer gave us valuable insights we might not have uncovered on our own. Their fresh perspective helped us see our challenges and opportunities through a global lens — revealing how small adjustments in our processes could create outsized impact,” Omami recalls.

One lesson stood out in particular: “The importance of designing our solutions to be both locally grounded and globally adaptable.”

By introducing data-driven decision-making, streamlined workflows, and a mindset of curiosity, the Experteer helped Omami and his team challenge their assumptions, spark creative problem-solving, and refine their long-term strategy. 

“Through this partnership, we gained not only technical expertise but also fresh perspectives that challenged us to think bigger, act bolder, and create solutions that resonate across different cultural and economic contexts,” he reflected.

Real Impact, Tangible Results

The impact wasn’t only strategic — it was deeply practical.

“The most valuable contribution our Experteer made was their ability to combine strategic decision-making with practical, hands-on support,” Omami explains.

That support took many forms:

• Streamlined business processes, improving efficiency and internal coordination.
• Agile leadership coaching, helping the team adapt quickly and work more flexibly.
• Translation services from English to French, a critical bridge that strengthened engagement with French-speaking partners.

As Omami explained, “By bridging both cultural and operational gaps that would have been difficult to solve on our own, the Experteer’s contributions helped us operate with greater clarity, cohesion, and impact.” 

These contributions didn’t just solve a short-term need — they laid a solid foundation for sustainable, long-term growth.

Scaling Faster, Smarter

With these changes, Virbyze was able to make their existing resources go even further.

“The Experteer equipped us with the tools, processes, and connections we needed to work smarter and reach more people,” Omami says. Perhaps more importantly, “Their guidance in streamlining our operations freed up valuable time and resources, allowing us to focus on high-priority initiatives that directly serve our beneficiaries.”

The results were immediate: stronger partnerships, improved service delivery, and a clear path for scale “in a much shorter time than we could have achieved alone.”

Lasting Skills for Long-Term Growth

Perhaps the most meaningful outcome wasn’t a process or a deliverable — it was the skills the team built along the way.

“We learned practical tools for process mapping, workflow optimization, and performance tracking — skills we can now apply to future projects without external support,” Omami explained.

Just as importantly, the Experteer modeled a new way of thinking. “They showed us how to balance long-term vision with immediate priorities. That mindset has become part of how we lead and make decisions every day.”

Omami and his team are now embedding these lessons into Virbyze’s core operations.

“The streamlined workflows developed during the project will remain the backbone of how we manage tasks, track progress, and collaborate across teams. The ripple effects of this collaboration will continue to drive impact long after the project’s conclusion.”

The Bigger Picture

Virbyze’s journey is proof that when social enterprises embrace cross-sector collaboration, they can break barriers, scale faster, and grow stronger.

As Omami reflects: “This experience didn’t just accelerate our impact — it transformed how we think, work, and collaborate for the future.”

If you’re a social enterprise looking to accelerate your own impact, MovingWorlds can help. Join the MovingWorlds community today and connect with Experteers who can help you scale — faster, smarter, and more sustainably.

What does this mean for CSR leaders? It means that now, more than ever, corporate giving should be viewed as a high-impact investment, not just an expense. Below, we explore how strategic philanthropy drives tangible business results, what the new “1% floor” tax rule changes (and doesn’t change), and how companies can adapt to continue maximizing the ROI of doing good.

The Hidden ROI of Strategic Corporate Giving

Think of corporate philanthropy as an investment that pays dividends in multiple “currencies.” When done strategically, charitable initiatives can boost employee engagement, customer loyalty, innovation, and more – benefits that compound into financial returns. Consider these data-backed insights:

• Engaged Employees, Stronger Teams: When employees participate in corporate giving or volunteering programs, 87% report improved perception of their employer. This matters because higher engagement translates into lower turnover, higher productivity, and even greater innovation. Employees who feel proud of their company’s social impact are more committed and tend to stay longer, saving recruitment costs and building a more loyal, capable workforceccc.bc.edu. Purpose-driven companies have seen turnover drop 25–50% after investing in CSR and volunteering programs, yielding major cost savings in hiring and training.
• Customer Loyalty & Brand Premium: Consumers reward companies that give back. A comprehensive 2025 meta-analysis of 158 studies across 45 countries found that strategic philanthropy significantly enhances financial performance, largely by boosting customer loyalty. Customers aware of a brand’s CSR efforts demonstrate higher loyalty and purchase intent. In practical terms, corporate giving can differentiate your brand and increase customer lifetime value – a market advantage that directly impacts revenue.
• Innovation Catalyst: Corporate giving often opens doors to new partnerships and ideas. Research shows companies engaged in strategic philanthropy gain access to expanded networks and knowledge flows that benefit their innovation pipeline. For example, when a tech firm funds a university STEM program or a manufacturer supports an R&D challenge, they’re not just being charitable – they’re building relationships that can lead to breakthroughs, talent recruitment, and early insight into emerging technologies. Strategic philanthropy becomes a bridge to innovation ecosystems that might otherwise remain out of reach.
• Financial Performance & Risk Mitigation: Numerous studies link robust corporate responsibility to stronger financial metrics. In emerging markets or fragile states, firms see especially high returns from corporate philanthropy, as these investments help fill critical social needs and stabilize the business environment. Even in developed markets, companies with higher ESG scores (which factor in philanthropy) enjoy a lower cost of capital – investors demand a lower risk premium – because strong social performance signals good management. In short, Wall Street is taking note that companies “doing good” often also do well, financially.

These outcomes make a compelling business case: strategic philanthropy isn’t just charity – it’s competitive strategy. Leaders who move beyond sporadic checkbook donations to integrate giving with core business objectives unlock multiple value streams over time. From engaged employees and loyal customers to innovation opportunities and investor confidence, the dividends of doing good can far outweigh the initial costs.

What Changed in 2025: The New 1% Floor on Deductions

If strategic giving is so beneficial, why are some companies rethinking their donations? The catalyst is a tax change under OBBB 2025 that introduced a “1% floor” for corporate charitable deductions. Here’s a quick summary of what that means:

• Old Rule: Previously, corporations could deduct charitable contributions up to 10% of their taxable income (with excess carried forward 5 years). Every dollar donated (within that cap) reduced taxable income, yielding a tax benefit right away.
• New Rule (1% Floor): Now, a company must donate over 1% of its taxable income in a year before any charitable deductions apply. Donations up to that 1% threshold get no immediate tax deduction (unless carried forward in limited cases). The 10% ceiling still exists, with carryforwards for excess contributions over 10%.

Why it matters: For a corporation with $100 million in taxable income, the first $1 million in donations now yields no tax break – only giving beyond that $1M floor can be deducted. This effectively raises the after-tax cost of typical donation levels. Many companies historically give less than 1% of earnings to charity, so under the new law, those contributions wouldn’t lower their tax bill at all.

Projected impact: Policymakers estimate the 1% floor will net an additional $16.6 billion in tax revenue over 10 years. However, that comes with an expected $45 billion reduction in corporate charitable giving over the same period. In other words, companies may respond by curbing donations, resulting in $4.5B less given to nonprofits per year – a significant drop in social investment.

Early research on tax sensitivity supports this concern. Economists find that corporate giving is moderately elastic to tax costs: a 10% increase in the cost of giving tends to reduce giving by about 6–20%. One study predicts that even a modest 1% increase in the tax cost of giving could lead to roughly a 4% decline in total charitable donations received. In short, when deductions are harder to claim, some firms will scale back philanthropy.

How Companies Might Adapt Their Giving Strategy

Facing a higher cost of giving (at least for that first 1% of income), what are companies likely to do? Experts, as reported by the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship, anticipate a few strategic responses, based on economic modeling and international experience:

1. Bunching Donations in Specific Years: Rather than give 0.5% of income each year (and never hit the deductible floor), a company might donate 0% for a couple years then give 2–3% in one shot to cross the 1% threshold. This “bunching” behavior ensures some tax deductibility, but it creates feast-or-famine cycles for nonprofits and irregular budget impacts for the business.
2. Reclassifying Philanthropy as Business Expense: Some contributions could be reframed as direct business expenditures (under marketing, R&D, or PR budgets) if they clearly serve a business purpose. For example, sponsoring a cause-related event or funding a program that is tied to market development might be booked as a marketing or operational cost (deductible under ordinary business expenses) rather than a charitable gift. This essentially seeks a deduction through another route (IRC §162) by demonstrating a tangible business return for the spending.
3. Shift to Cause Marketing or CSR Initiatives with ROI: We may see a tilt from pure donations toward initiatives like cause marketing, strategic sponsorships, or skills-based volunteering programs that deliver more direct business benefits. By doing so, companies can justify the expense internally (and sometimes tax-wise) as an investment in brand, talent development, or innovation – aligning philanthropy more closely with core business strategy.
4. International Giving Realignment: Multinational corporations might redirect some giving to countries with more favorable tax incentives for charity. If other jurisdictions offer deductions or credits without a floor, global companies could allocate philanthropic budgets to those regions (of course, considering the strategic importance of the causes and markets involved).
5. Use of Corporate Foundations or Donor-Advised Funds: Companies could contribute large sums to a corporate foundation or DAF in one year (exceeding 1% to get the deduction), then grant funds out to nonprofits over subsequent years. This doesn’t change the total given, but smooths out the support that nonprofits receive. Essentially, it’s another way to bunch for tax purposes while trying to maintain steady community investments over time.

None of these responses are simple, and each has pros and cons. Notably, the bunching strategy – while logical for tax reasons – can wreak havoc on nonprofits that rely on steady support, forcing them to manage unpredictable income cycles. CSR leaders will need to weigh the tax benefits of these adaptations against the potential impact on community partners and their own long-term goals.

Keep Purpose at the Core (Tax Change or Not)

Amid these adjustments, one thing is clear: companies should avoid anchoring the value of their giving solely to tax breaks. As the earlier data showed, the intrinsic business value of strategic philanthropy is huge – far greater than a tax deduction. In fact, the OBBB change can serve as a catalyst for deeper conversations within companies about why and how they give.

Research indicates that corporate giving decisions are driven not just by profit maximization, but also by managers’ values and aspirations for their organization. Now is an ideal time for leadership teams to revisit their core values and long-term vision. What kind of company do we want to be? What impact do we want to have on our employees, customers, and communities? These questions transcend any single fiscal year or tax provision.

Forward-thinking companies are using this moment to double down on strategic philanthropy – ensuring their social investments align with business strategy and stakeholder expectations. Rather than pulling back, they are integrating CSR more tightly with their operations: for example, expanding employee volunteering and skills-based volunteering (SBV) programs that develop talent and deliver community impact, or launching multi-year initiatives that address social issues relevant to their industry. (Notably, skills-based volunteering has proven ROI in its own right – companies with strong SBV programs see significantly higher employee retention and performance, illustrating how “doing good” internally also pays off.)

Crucially, most other developed countries do not impose a floor on charitable deductions. The U.S. approach is relatively unique, and global companies know that philanthropic engagement remains the norm (and often expected) in many markets. Some studies even suggest that the optimal corporate tax rate for maximizing charitable giving is around 27% – higher than the current 21% U.S. rate – implying that making giving less attractive through tax policy could actually suppress donations more than policymakers intended. All this reinforces that businesses shouldn’t lose sight of the bigger picture: maintaining their social license to operate and investing in the health of the communities and environments they depend on.

Strengthening Partnerships with Nonprofits and Social Enterprises

If you’re a CSR leader, it’s also important to consider how these shifts affect your nonprofit partners. Many nonprofits may face greater uncertainty in corporate funding, so proactive communication and planning will be key. Companies can help by:

• Providing Multi-Year Commitments: Even if your actual donations might be “bunched” in certain years, work with key nonprofit partners to assure them of support over a multi-year horizon. This could involve formal pledge agreements or use of a corporate foundation to distribute funds annually. The goal is to avoid leaving partners in the lurch during off years.
• Building Nonprofit Resilience: Encourage and assist nonprofits in building financial resilience — using your own employees through skills-based volunteering programs. This might include capacity-building grants for developing reserve funds or helping them diversify their funding sources so they’re less vulnerable to any one donor’s timing. Strong, resilient partners ultimately make your social impact programs more effective.
• Emphasizing Shared Value: When evaluating grants or donations, look for opportunities that create mutual value – social impact and business benefits. For instance, a nonprofit project that also offers employee engagement opportunities or aligns with your market objectives can be a win-win. Clearly articulating the business rationale (e.g., improving community education strengthens your talent pipeline) can even allow the expense to be viewed through a strategic lens rather than pure charity. This mindset helps protect budgets and sustain programs in a tight fiscal environment.
• Integrate Social Enterprises in Your Supply Chain: The best money is earned, consistent, and sustainable revenue. Doing business with social enterprises and integrating them into your core business is more effective than any donation.

In short, use this period as a chance to innovate in how you partner with nonprofits and social enterprises. The companies that navigate these changes best will treat their nonprofit relationships as true partnerships – with open dialogue, flexibility, and a focus on long-term impact.

Conclusion: Purpose and Profit in Tandem

The new 1% floor on deductions presents a challenge, but it also underscores a powerful message: strategic philanthropy is about far more than tax relief – it’s about business value and societal value moving hand in hand. Companies that continue to invest in thoughtful, well-aligned social impact programs will reap rewards on multiple fronts, from engaged employees and loyal customers to innovation and risk reduction. The evidence is overwhelming that when businesses “move beyond checkbook charity” and embed purpose into their core strategy, the returns are substantial.

Yes, the tax rules have changed. But the fundamental equation remains: doing good is good for business. In an era where corporate reputation, talent retention, and stakeholder trust are invaluable, the question isn’t whether your company can afford to invest in strategic philanthropy – it’s whether you can afford not to. The competitive advantage now lies with those organizations that embrace the full potential of business as a force for good, rather than treating philanthropy as a line-item to trim when tax incentives dwindle.

As you plan your CSR strategy forward, keep sight of that bigger picture. By focusing on the true ROI of corporate giving – the innovation sparked, the communities strengthened, the talent attracted, and the goodwill earned – you can ensure your company continues to thrive financially while making a meaningful social impact. If you then integrate strategic skills-based volunteering efforts into this same strategy, then your financial and human capital assets do even more together. That is the ultimate win-win-win, and no tax policy can take it away.

Want to talk about updating your #CSR strategy to turn crisis into opportunity in 2026? Please do contact us.

Sources: Recent research and analysis compiled from Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship.

But if you’re still waiting for a sign, here’s your green light:

Sustainability is not dying. It’s scaling (quietly)

Despite the noise and politicians claiming ESG is daead, the latest data tells a very different story: companies are increasing investments in sustainability and social impact—because it’s good for business.

Let’s look at the numbers:

• 87% of U.S. companies are maintaining or increasing sustainability budgets in 2025. (EcoVadis – July 2025)
• 88% of companies see sustainability as a long-term value driver, with over 80% actively tracking ROI. (Morgan Stanley – June 2025)
• Only 2% of organizations cut sustainability budgets—while over 40% increased them. (ISEP – July 2025)
• 89% of executives plan to grow their sustainability budgets, and nearly a third say it’s their #1 priority. (Forbes – April 2025)
• 85% of companies increased sustainability investments, up from 75% the previous year. (Deloitte – September 2024)
• Products with sustainability attributes drive 6–25% more revenue and 37% of companies are ramping up climate ambition. (PwC – March 2025)

Even JP Morgan is weighing in: 88% of executives say sustainability directly supports their long-term strategy. (JP Morgan)

What’s more? Companies aren’t just spending—they’re seeing returns:

• In EcoVadis’ July 2025 report, 65% of executives say supply chain sustainability provides a competitive advantage.
• 52% of finance leaders agree sustainability directly supports growth.
• And 96% of investors say sustainability reporting strengthens financial performance.

Social impact spending is growing too—and it’s creating business value

It’s not just environmental sustainability getting the green light. Corporate investment in social impact programs—especially those centered around purpose, equity, and employee engagement—is also rising. And the business case has never been stronger.

• Companies with the highest participation in employee volunteering and giving programs had 57% lower turnover, according to Benevity’s State of Corporate Purpose.
• Gallup’s 2024 Workplace Report found that employees who believe their company’s purpose resonates with their own are 4.5x more likely to be engaged, and highly engaged employees correlate with 21% higher profitability.
• In LinkedIn’s 2025 Purposeful Workforce Study, 68% of employees said they would leave a company that doesn’t prioritize purpose, and 76% of Gen Z candidates consider a company’s social impact commitment a deciding factor in job offers.
• According to CECP’s Giving in Numbers, median total giving by companies increased 14% year-over-year, and median non-cash giving (like skills-based volunteering) rose by 18%. More importantly, these aren’t just budget line items—they’re performance drivers:

And it’s not just employees paying attention.

A 2025 NielsenIQ global survey revealed that:

• 73% of consumers prefer to buy from companies that support social justice and equity
• 64% say they’ve boycotted a brand over misaligned values
• And among B2B buyers, 83% said supplier diversity and ethical sourcing are factors in their procurement decisions

This isn’t “woke capitalism”—it’s smart business strategy.

Whether you’re building an employee development initiative through skills-based volunteering or engaging underrepresented suppliers to drive equitable growth, these programs are contributing to brand strength, talent retention, and market differentiation.

If you’re trying to get executive buy-in, start with this bottom line: social impact isn’t a cost center—it’s a competitive advantage.

(And, as we showed in an earlier post, it has a positive ROI)

So why does it feel like the world’s gone quiet (at least on ESG)?

Welcome to the era of greenhushing. Over 30% of companies are pulling back on promoting their sustainability work—not because they’ve lost interest, but because of growing scrutiny and political fear mongering. Say the wrong thing, and you can get ESG-cancelled.

This isn’t a retreat. It’s a recalibration.

As Tim Mohin wrote recently, we’re nearing the end of the “sustainability recession.” The best leaders are emerging from this with sharper focus, clearer metrics, and stronger alignment with business goals. They are also using more precise language, like climate adaption, risk mitigation, resiliency, and more. But call it what you want, it is the recognition that investing in people and planet is good for profits in the long run.

“Even as the debate over business sustainability heats up, executives are focused on the reality—sustainability is what keeps supply chains running and customers on board.” – Pierre-François Thaler, Co-CEO, EcoVadis

What does this mean for CSR and Corporate Social Impact leaders?

It means your moment is now.

CEOs and CFOs are actively looking for sustainability and equity initiatives that drive real results. They’re asking: Where do we see risk? Where can we save money? Where can we grow differently? Where can we build inclusive and sustainable business models of the future?

The leaders who win in this moment won’t be the ones who waited. They’ll be the ones who:

• Built programs that integrate social impact into business operations
• Showed ROI by aligning volunteering and skills-based initiatives with learning, retention, and innovation
• Linked sustainability and procurement with inclusive business models
• Designed for resilience, not just compliance

If you’re tired of waiting for permission to lead, here’s your cue: show the business case, and the business will follow.

And if you need a partner to help you build for long-term, scalable impact—MovingWorlds is here to help.

Let’s build what comes next. Let’s build better.

That’s where MovingWorlds came in.

“We chose to host an Experteer to leverage external expertise and fresh perspectives to accelerate our mission,” shared Ronald Mugaiga, Founder & Managing Director of Ecomak. “At Ecomak Recyclers, we recognize the value of collaborating with skilled professionals who can bring innovative solutions and strategic insights to our organization.”

A Strategic Match: Finding the Right Expert at the Right Time

Through the MovingWorlds platform, Ecomak connected with Sandy, a Senior Director of Product Strategy & Partnerships from SAP whose experience aligned perfectly with their mission. From the start, the match felt purposeful.

“Finding and matching with the right Experteer was an inspiring and collaborative journey,” Ronald reflected. “Sandy’s expertise seamlessly aligned with our mission of transforming plastic waste into eco-friendly construction materials, and what we needed to advance that mission further.”

Together, they mapped out a strategy to enhance Ecomak’s production efficiency and market growth, while staying true to its community-focused roots.

“Together, we meticulously planned innovative strategies to enhance our recycling processes, ensuring our products — durable bricks, pavers, and roofing tiles — remained cost-effective and high-quality,” Ronald said, “helping us not only reduce environmental pollution but also provide sustainable housing solutions in Uganda.”

What One Person Can Unlock: New Strategies, New Markets

Sandy didn’t just bring insights — she helped Ecomak see its potential with fresh eyes.

“Her fresh perspective highlighted untapped market potential and innovative revenue streams, helping us refine our value proposition” Ronald noted. “She identified key partnerships and distribution channels, enhancing our market reach.”

By implementing data-driven decision-making and introducing tools for impact measurement, Sandy also helped the team refine its business model and communicate the profound economic and environmental impacts of its work more effectively.

“The most valuable contribution that Sandy made was developing a comprehensive business growth strategy,” Ronald shared. “She identified key market opportunities and helped us establish strategic partnerships, significantly expanding our customer base. This holistic approach not only enhanced our operational efficiency but also strengthened our market position.”

A Lasting Impact: New Skills, Systems, and Confidence to Grow

The experience wasn’t just about solving short-term challenges — it left Ecomak with the skills and tools to keep building momentum long after the engagement ended.

“Sandy helped our team develop critical skills and know-how by providing targeted training and hands-on guidance,” Ronald explained. “She introduced advanced project management techniques, enhanced our ability to plan, execute, and monitor projects, and conducted workshops on optimizing production and resource management, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.”

The results? Ecomak solved bottlenecks, scaled production, cut costs, and began expanding into new markets — faster and more confidently than ever before.

“Her expertise in business development enabled us to streamline our production processes and optimize resource allocation, which we had struggled with previously,” Ronald emphasized.

What’s Next: Scaling Impact and Innovation

Ecomak isn’t slowing down. With the foundation laid during their Experteering project, they’re now focused on:

• Expanding their market reach to new customer segments and regions
• Strengthening partnerships with stakeholders
• Optimizing operations to reduce costs and boost output
• Investing in continuous training and innovation
• Leveraging their new impact framework to attract more support and investment

As they look to the future, Ecomak is confident in their ability to scale both their economic and environmental impact — and they credit their Experteering experience as a turning point.

“This support was pivotal in overcoming operational inefficiencies and expanding our reach, ensuring the sustainability and growth of Ecomak Recyclers.”

Join the Movement

Ecomak’s story is one of many. Through MovingWorlds, social enterprises around the world are accessing the skills, perspectives, and strategies they need to grow — while professionals like Sandy get to contribute their expertise to causes that matter.

Are you a social enterprise looking to accelerate your impact? Join the MovingWorlds platform today to connect with global professionals ready to support your journey.

Watch Ecomak in action: Ecomak Recyclers – Transforming Waste Into Opportunity