Survey of 135 Companies by ACCP & YourCause® from Blackbaud® Finds Scrutiny and Responsibility Driving Positive Change, including Expanded Team Roles (73%), Greater Visibility (62%), Career Growth (43%), and Stronger Engagement (41%)
WASHINGTON, July 14, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --
Additional key survey toplines, include:
- Companies are shifting community investment priorities away from controversial issues and focusing resources to better align with business goals, including future workforce needs.
- Corporate execs push CSR teams to prove impact: 51% of CSR professionals report being required to link efforts to business value.
- AI transforming CSR as usage jumps to 73%, with productivity gains now a top benefit.
- Despite challenging environment, CSR budgets hold steady or grow, with biggest boost coming in employee engagement spending.
A new survey of 135 companies released by the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP) and YourCause® from Blackbaud reveals that 72% of corporate social responsibility (CSR) teams have seen their roles expand amid heightened scrutiny of companies' social impact efforts. This is the same percentage of respondents who said their team had taken on more responsibility in 2024 as well. The expanded role for corporate social impact professionals has also resulted in several positive impacts for the field, including: 62% of respondents reporting increased visibility within their organizations, 43% citing new career advancement opportunities, and 41% noting stronger team engagement.
The CSR Insights Survey has been conducted annually since 2020 and measures trends in the corporate social impact field. This in-depth, annual survey covers topics ranging from community investments, the way AI is reshaping corporate social impact work, shifts in employee volunteerism within companies, budget and staffing allocations, and other key insights into this rapidly evolving and changing sector. The survey respondents are comprised of CSR professionals on the frontlines of many of the world's major employers and provides unique insight from those who are responsible for carrying out corporate social impact programs.
"As corporate executives increasingly turn to CSR leaders to navigate a period of intense change and scrutiny, our survey reveals this expanded role is driving meaningful benefits across the industry. CSR professionals at 135 major companies report greater internal visibility, stronger team engagement, and new career growth opportunities," said Andrea Wood, President and CEO of ACCP. "For the second year in a row, 72% of respondents report growing responsibility for CSR teams inside of their company, reflecting a deeper recognition of the connection between social impact and long-term business success, from boosting employee recruitment and retention to strengthening brand loyalty and driving profits."
In addition to increased responsibilities for CSR teams and its impacts, the survey conducted in April of 2025 by ACCP and YourCause from Blackbaud revealed several other key trends:
- Shifting Focus on Issue Areas that Align with Business Goals and Strengthen Talent Pipelines: According to the survey, two of the three top issue areas companies are investing in today include job training and/or workforce development (43%), and K-12 education (43%). Additionally, the survey reports an increase in support for community revitalization (+2% to 36%), and STEM education (+3% to 35%).
- Corporate Executives are Increasingly Asking CSR Teams to Make the Business Case for Social Impact Work: A growing number of CSR professionals (51%) report being asked to justify their work by tying it directly to business value—a strong signal that CSR teams must be equipped with data and messaging to defend their programs internally and clearly demonstrate the connection between their efforts and business performance.
- CSR Budget Allocations Are Mostly Staying Flat or Increasing, with the Largest Increases Seen In Employee Engagement Budgets: Employee engagement budgets saw the largest increase, with 36% reporting growth; Foundation budgets also rose slightly (34%);
- AI is Reshaping CSR Work with Use of the Tool Growing Dramatically: 73% of CSR teams now use AI, up from 53% in 2024. AI use for increasing productivity has surged to 64% in 2025, up significantly from 15% in 2024, making productivity gains the most widely-reported business benefit.
"This year's survey underscores a pivotal—and encouraging—shift in how companies approach social impact," said Andrew J. Troup, Head of Giving and Engagement at Blackbaud. "CSR professionals are not only being asked to do more—they're being empowered to lead in new ways. From leveraging AI to drive efficiency, to aligning programs with business goals, the data shows that CSR is becoming more strategic, visible, and valued across organizations. We're proud to partner with ACCP to spotlight these trends and support the professionals driving meaningful change."
Full survey results and topline data illustrations can be viewed here.
Media Contact
Jeanne Metzger, Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP), 202-796-5881, [email protected], https://accp.org/
SOURCE Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals (ACCP)
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