Managing your CSR efforts can quickly become a complex exercise. Volumes of data, changing ESG regulations, growing expectations from employees, investors, and other stakeholders, and impact reporting requirements can be difficult for a single team to manage and control.
However, you can structure your CSR and ESG efforts with a dedicated CSR platform or tool. When you equip your teams with such tools, you give them the means to turn their commitments and objectives into action.
Some platforms offer an all-in-one CSR and social responsibility solution, while others focus on two or more aspects, like fundraising and volunteering. Selecting the right platform can make or break the success of your CSR programme.
To help you make the right choice, this article outlines and recommends 4 leading CSR platforms your organisation can partner with for future social drives.
1. KindLink
KindLink is a UK-based CSR platform specially developed to make CSR, ESG, and corporate philanthropy accessible and simple. It’s designed to offer a wide range of CSR solutions, including volunteering, donation management, ESG and SDG reporting, impact tracking, and sustainability management from a single platform.
If you’re looking for a user-friendly and all-in-one CSR platform, KindLink can be a standout choice. This tool also connects to the KindLink Foundation, a charity CRM, via a dedicated marketplace for corporate volunteers seeking vetted charities.
KindLink’s mission is to bring in transparency and trust in CSR and corporate giving efforts by creating a platform that supports them. You can also find KindLink on social platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Benefits
Easy to Use
KindLink’s tools and functionalities are designed to be easy to use and intuitive, even for the untrained. It requires minimal training for users and employees.
Affordable
KindLink keeps its pricing affordable. Companies can register and get started with a free plan and try the features, from fundraising to impact updates. They offer premium plans starting at £11/month (billed annually) and enterprise plans (quote-based pricing), making them affordable for organisations of any size.
Comprehensive Suite
From corporate donation matching to employee-led volunteer giving, KindLink encourages you to do more with your CSR programmes. Engage in contactless fundraising, manage corporate grants, track and report social impact, and do a lot more with KindLink.
Feature-Rich Functionalities
Empower your employees to raise funds and organise activities, while you record and manage their impact. Social sharing and integrations with Slack and Teams allow your efforts to be noticed and tell the story of the impact your organisation is making.
Challenges
Customer Support
Customer support availability varies by plan. At present, it can be limited to email on weekdays from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, UK time. However, they attend to all queries within 72 hours.
Here’s a review from a KindLink customer:
“A really tidy way to display and celebrate all our CSR activities in one place”
2. Benevity
Benevity is one of the established CSR platforms, offering a comprehensive suite of tools. It’s globally recognised for its robust capabilities for managing and tracking social impact initiatives.
Benefits
Purpose-Built for Enterprises
Benevity has designed software for some of the largest global enterprises. It tailors CSR solutions from its comprehensive suite to fit an organisation’s specific needs.
Integrations
Benevity’s tools support multiple integrations. For example, they can connect seamlessly with your organisation’s HR software and payroll systems.
Global Reach
Thanks to its global teams, this platform’s reach expands worldwide. They also support multiple languages and global giving opportunities.
Challenges
Cost
Benevity’s pricing plans are reportedly among the highest in the sector.
Complex UI
Since its platform comprises multiple tools and products, end users need training and a dedicated team to support a customised experience.
Customer Support
Although they have a global reach, it can be difficult to reach support.
3. OnHand
OnHand (or BeOnHand) is an app-based tool for corporate volunteering and sustainability engagement. Its USP lies in offering thousands of preloaded volunteering actions.
Benefits
Gamified Interface
The OnHand application delivers a seamless user experience through its gamified interface. It ranks high in user engagement through sustainability challenges and tasks that can be tracked in real time on a leaderboard.
Micro-Volunteering Focus
OnHand focuses on global micro-volunteering, bringing a gamified experience to volunteering for global teams.
Challenges
Limited Features
OnHand primarily focuses on corporate volunteering and sustainability efforts with a narrower set of features than other platforms.
4. Deed
Deed is a modern CSR platform focused on workplace giving and volunteering activities.
Benefits
User-Friendly UI
Deed offers a user-friendly interface that encourages engagement.
Responsive Customer Support
Deed can connect you with a customer support representative to answer your queries.
Challenges
Integrations
Deed offers key workplace integrations (e.g., Slack/Teams and HRIS/payroll), but the breadth of integrations may differ depending on your stack.
Pricing
Pricing is inconsistent and not straightforward. It can vary on the organisation’s size.
Reporting & Analytics
While Deed gets full marks for its standout design and giving tools, its reporting and analytics features may not be up to the mark.
In Conclusion
It’s clear that choosing the right CSR platform can influence the way your organisation manages and tracks social impact efforts. Each of these platforms has its own strengths and challenges while supporting different needs and priorities.
Whether your organisation needs an intuitive UI, a wide range of features, built-in ESG, SDG, and impact reporting, or all, there’s an option. As your business continues to grow, having the right tool by your side can help deliver real, lasting social impact. Before you plan your next social drive, take time to explore these options and do your own research to find the one that best fits your needs and goals.