Hootsuite chooses Benevity to scale new social impact initiatives globally

Hootsuite leverages Benevity’s employee engagement solution to fuel ‘Beyond the Nest,’ where employees are encouraged to volunteer in the communities in which they live and work.

Hootsuite today announced that it has selected Benevity, Inc., the leading provider of corporate purpose software, globally, to power its social impact programmes with a focus on employee engagement through volunteerism and employee giving and matching.

“We are thrilled to be working with Benevity to bring our global volunteering and employee giving initiatives to life,” said Eva Taylor, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Hootsuite.  “The Benevity team has worked with us to develop and launch a programme that is aligned with our company’s guiding principles and goals so that we can focus on making a lasting and positive impact on a personal level with each employee.”

In a time when people are craving connection with their co-workers, communities and something bigger than themselves, Benevity’s employee engagement solution, Spark, will enable Hootsuite employees to give back to the organisations and causes that matter the most to them. 

Benevity’s integration with VolunteerMatch enables access to nearly two million nonprofits worldwide and over seven-and-a-half million volunteer opportunities including virtual and skills-based volunteering. Last year, Benevity’s client community and their people volunteered almost seven million hours of their time despite a major shift from in-person to virtual opportunities.

Hootsuite will leverage Benevity to launch ‘Beyond the Nest,’ a new annual initiative where all employees at Hootsuite will be encouraged to engage in personal volunteering opportunities, alongside new company benefits that include paid volunteer time off. 

“We’re thrilled that Hootsuite has chosen Benevity to engage their team in supporting the causes they are passionate about and that they will be using our platform to create a stronger connection with their co-workers and communities,” said Kelly Schmitt, Benevity CEO. “Hootsuite joins our 650+ strong client community which includes iconic purpose-driven brands like Nike, Starbucks, Apple, Google and Microsoft, all of whom are helping to shape a new era in which business has the power to shape a better world for everyone.”

The launch of ‘Beyond the Nest’  is just one of several initiatives underway for Taylor as Hootsuite’s recently appointed first CSR Director, a role that was formalised in 2021. The leadership position cements Hootsuite’s commitment to driving a positive impact in the neighbourhoods and communities where its people live and work—while empowering a variety of global not-for-profit organisations with the tools and resources necessary to succeed on social media.

Following a year marked by social upheaval, organisations globally are realising the need for a new path to growth—one which balances better business with a better world. According to a 2020 client survey cited in Benevity’s State of Corporate Purpose Report, 59% of industry leaders felt corporate purpose programmes were critical for helping nonprofits in times of need and 58% felt they were valuable for fostering employee connection. Additionally, 49% indicated their programmes became more critical than ever to building culture.

“Doing good in the world is a journey of many small steps and deeds, not a destination,” said Tara Ataya, Chief People and Diversity Officer, Hootsuite. “This partnership with Benevity is one of those steps to help us positively impact our employees, customers, neighbourhoods, and communities for the long term.” 

Read the highlights of Hootsuite’s progress in corporate social responsibility in 2020 and learn about our areas of focus in 2021 in Hootsuite’s Social Impact Annual Report.