24 Corporate Social Responsibility Statistics for Teams & Leaders

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs sometimes seem, especially to smaller businesses, too complicated or expensive to implement. Executives might feel like only larger companies, with broader marketing efforts and deeper pockets, can actually realize positive effects from CSR initiatives.

The opposite is true—any company that embraces social responsibility programs can reap the financial benefits alongside the primary benefit of making a positive difference in the world. If you’re still skeptical, we have the corporate social responsibility statistics to prove it. 

The Groundswell team has gathered 24 CSR statistics to drive home the importance of giving back in the 21st century. We’ve done our best to include statistics from the past two years, as well as slightly older figures that illustrate developments in the CSR world. 

Table of Contents:

• General CSR Statistics
• CSR Benefits Statistics
• CSR Cost Statistics
• Corporate Philanthropy Statistics
• Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) Statistics
• Stay on the Cutting Edge of Corporate Philanthropy with Groundswell

General CSR Statistics

Overall, charitable giving from corporations and smaller companies held steady in 2024, although, under the surface, the types of donations shifted slightly. A solid majority of businesses report prioritizing CSR programs.

• U.S. charities and nonprofits collected around $592 billion from all donors in 2024. (Giving USA, 2025).
• For the first time since 2021, total charitable giving remained even with inflation; by the end of 2024, donations outpaced inflation. (Giving USA, 2025). 
• Charitable giving from foundations went over $100 billion for the third year in a row. (Giving USA, 2025).
• Pro bono services have increased by 5% between 2021 and 2023, while other types of non-cash giving decreased by similar margins over the same period. (CECP, 2024).
• K-12 education was the most popular focus area of companies’ CSR strategies in 2023 (29%), followed by health and human services (23%) and community and economic development (16%). (CECP, 2024).
• 81% of U.S. companies in the 2024 CECP survey reported having a company-managed trust or foundation. (CECP, 2024).
• The department most commonly responsible for CSR strategies and execution is Human Resources (20%), followed by Other (16%), Communications (15%), and Sustainability/ESG (10%). (CECP, 2024).

CSR Benefits Statistics

The benefits of CSR statistics make it clear that businesses that do not contribute to society might be leaving massive amounts of money on the table. Customers and employees increasingly value socially conscious companies, and revenues often follow suit.

• Companies that aligned CSR strategies with business practices enjoyed, on median, a 45% increase in pre-tax profits in 2023 relative to businesses with no CSR strategy. (CECP, 2024).
• Around 94% of companies matched employee donations at some point in 2023. (CECP, 2024).
• A Forbes survey found that 92% of Fortune 500 companies currently offer or have historically offered donation-matching programs. (Forbes, 2020).
• Companies that engage in CSR endeavors rank highly among millennials; more than three-quarters think corporate philanthropy is important. (Forbes, 2019).
• Around 9 in 10 employees say they would be more loyal and motivated for employers that have a “strong sense of purpose.” (Porter Novelli, 2020).

CSR Cost Statistics

Here’s a quick look at the financial obligations companies face when implementing robust CSR programs:

• Fortune 500 companies collectively spent around $15 billion in CSR programs in 2018. (Duke, 2018).
• Companies in 2023 spent a median of $2 million in CSR and employee engagement initiatives. (CECP, 2024). 
• Median CSR expenses for companies with foundations totaled $2.18 million, while companies without foundations spent, on median, $1.35 million. (CECP, 2024). 
• Non-cash charitable donations (such as pro bono services, use of facilities or real estate, and product donations) represented the least-used funding vehicle for corporate giving in 2023, but more than two-thirds of companies in a CECP (Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose) survey confirmed they include it as part of their broader CSR strategy. (CECP, 2024). 

Corporate Philanthropy Statistics

The latest corporate social responsibility statistics indicate that monetary contributions from businesses—including employee matching donations—remained  relatively strong in 2024. There has been a notable shift away from corporate-led foundations, however.

• Corporate philanthropy hit $44.4 billion in 2024, a 9.1% year-over-year increase. Corporate giving increased at a greater rate than donations from individuals, foundations, and bequests. (Giving USA, 2025).
• Nearly 85% of those asked in a UK survey reported they were more likely to donate to nonprofits if companies would match their donations, and 33% said they would consider making larger donations. (The Big Give, 2023).
• Money transferred from companies to foundations decreased by 34% from 2021 to 2023; this decrease seemed to be driven by inflation and lowered profit margins. (CECP, 2024).

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) Statistics

Donor-advised funds are gaining favor among companies looking for more flexibility with donation timings. Donation bunching, a strategy used with DAFs, has become more prevalent after the Big Beautiful Bill’s signing in July 2025.

• Grant payouts from DAFs in 2023 totaled $54.77 billion in 2023, a slight decrease from $55.53 billion in 2022. (National Philanthropic Trust, 2024).
• Charitable assets held in DAFs swelled to $251.52 billion in 2023, a 10% increase from the year before. The increase is owed to the rebounding stock market. (National Philanthropic Trust, 2024).
• The collective payout rate from DAFs hovered around 24% in 2023, which is around the historical average. (National Philanthropic Trust, 2024).
• The average DAF account held $141,120 in 2023, a healthy 9.2% increase from the $129,106 average of 2022. (National Philanthropic Trust, 2024).
• The total number of DAFs reached an estimated 1,782,281 in 2023. (National Philanthropic Trust, 2024).

Stay on the Cutting Edge of Corporate Philanthropy with Groundswell

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are here to stay, but the best ways to implement and execute financially viable initiatives can change from year to year. To that end, companies need CSR software that supports a variety of functions, including donating matching, volunteering, grantmaking, corporate DAFs, and employee assistance funds (EAFs). Groundswell proves it is possible to offer such a platform that is cost-effective for both enterprise businesses and businesses that don’t have unlimited coffers.

Unlike the legacy software providers, our team also provides top-tier customer service and doesn’t require multiple logins to take advantage of our suite of features. Your personalized demo is waiting!