8 Employee Resource Group (ERG) Activities You Can Plan with Groundswell

If you work in HR or the C-suite of your company, you probably hear a lot of positive things about employee resource groups (ERGs). After all, they are great for employees—especially those in minority groups—to find and connect with like-minded individuals.

But you might wonder what, if anything, ERGs can do to make company-wide impacts.

Although their main goal is to provide a community for employees who fit their criteria, they’re absolutely capable of organizing ERG activities that align with your employer’s CSR strategy. We’ve gathered a few ideas for your company’s ERGs to consider in the near future.

Table of Contents:

• What Are Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)?
• Examples of Employee Resource Groups
• 8 ERG Activities You Can Plan with Groundswell
  
  • 1. Tree Plantings
  • 2. Pride Month Events
  • 3. Listening Sessions
  • 4. Disability-Centered Corporate Grants
  • 5. Mentorship Endeavors
  • 6. School Supply Drives
  • 7. Virtual Volunteering for Racial Justice
  • 8. Career Readiness Initiatives for Veterans
• Why Do ERGs Need Purpose-Built Software?
• Equip Your ERGs with a Modern, Mobile-First Platform

What Are Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)?

Employee resource groups are cohorts of workers within the same company or department who have common traits. They came about in the late 1960s and originally focused on helping Black employees connect and overcome hardships they faced in the workplace.

ERGs have expanded to nearly every demographic and cultural minority you can find in the U.S. Most ERGs have executive sponsors, meet during the workday, and even receive funding from their employers.

Examples of Employee Resource Groups

Although many people organize ERGs around one or more protected classes, you can create one around almost any shared identity. A few ERG examples include:

• Veteran statuses
• Racial minorities, such as Black, Hispanic, or Asian-American.
• Religious groups, including Muslim, Jewish, or Hindu worshipers
• LGBTQIA+ community members
• Single-parent employees

Especially large companies could have multiple chapters of the same type of ERG. Your employer might sponsor chapters based on employees’ office location, region, or department.

8 ERG Activities You Can Plan with Groundswell

Simply having ERGs at your company is great for employee connection and camaraderie. ERGs can even help you retain top talent, as suggested by a 2026 study by Korn Ferry.

However, your employer’s ERGs can make an even bigger impact by organizing charitable campaigns and volunteer drives in which all of their coworkers can participate. Below are eight ideas for ERG activities you could float to group leaders.

1. Tree Plantings

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics have entered the mainstream consciousness of many corporate leaders. Younger generations are also paying close attention to their employers’ environmental impacts, and ERGs focusing on the issue have sprung up in recent years.

If your employer sponsors one of these green teams, what better way to engage the rest of the company than to organize a community tree-planting day? 

2. Pride Month Events

June is famously Pride Month in the U.S., and LGBTQ communities usually fill their calendars with parades, celebrations, and other fun events. ERGs focused on acceptance of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities would probably love to enter a float in a local pride parade. Another ERG activity idea could be to gather supplies or donations for homeless shelters that take in gay or trans youth.

3. Listening Sessions

Effective employee resource group activities don’t always have to benefit external stakeholders. ERGs can sponsor listening sessions or expert panels that help foster a welcoming workplace. For instance, an ERG could invite a local expert to speak on anti-racism during Black History Month. 

4. Disability-Centered Corporate Grants

Beyond hands-on volunteerism or donation drives, ERGs can engage in grantmaking. Many ERG members at your company probably have connections to local nonprofits that have helped them or someone they know. 

One example is an organization that builds wheelchair-accessible ramps at individuals’ homes. Your community probably has at least a few nonprofits that perform identical or similar services, and almost all of them could use some grant money.

5. Mentorship Endeavors

The diversity of your coworkers is one of your employer’s greatest assets. Fifty years ago, the white-collar workforce at a similar company would have looked a lot different—probably with fewer racial minorities and a lower percentage of women. 

When young people see high-performing employees who share their traits, it instills the belief that they belong anywhere in corporate America. Certain ERGs, like those that consist of first-generation college graduates, can provide these positive role models by mentoring youth in underserved communities. 

6. School Supply Drives

Speaking of lifting up children in your community, many students and families struggle with hefty back-to-school expenses. Ask any member of a single-parent ERG, and they’ll tell you that classrooms ask more from parents every year.

A simple back-to-school supply drive equips students with the tools they need to excel in the classroom. 

7. Virtual Volunteering for Racial Justice

Virtual volunteering that employees can do from any location is one of the best ways to engage deskless workers and those who work irregular hours. Modern, intuitive websites aren’t cheap, yet many nonprofits can’t survive without online donation options. 

Your company’s marketing and IT departments could provide technical support for charities and nonprofit organizations, such as the local branch of the NAACP.

8. Career Readiness Initiatives for Veterans

Last (but certainly not least), veteran-led ERGs could volunteer their time helping service members make the transition from active duty to civilian life. Veteran ERGs often help prepare military personnel for job interviews by reviewing resumes.

Why Do ERGs Need Purpose-Built Software?

An all-in-one CSR platform like Groundswell can boost ERG participation and expand their impact inside and outside the workplace. How? For starters, by improving organization and communication.

Groundswell’s new ERG capabilities allow ERG leaders to invite new members, organize meetings and events, and view their impact through actionable data. Our software is conducive to all types of one-off and ongoing events, and we let event organizers track attendance in real time.

At the end of every event, admins can easily discover vulnerabilities for optimizing future endeavors.

Equip Your ERGs with a Modern, Mobile-First Platform

Groundswell exists to help employers and employees manage impactful CSR initiatives. Your company may have outgrown manual event tracking, spreadsheets, and other ad hoc organization methods, not to mention the mountains of administrative paperwork that come with CSR programs.

Besides ERG organization, our software supports:

• Employee volunteerism
• Corporate grants
• Employee-matched donations
• Donor-advised funds (DAFs)
• Employee assistance funds (EAFs)

We serve companies of all sizes and industries. Our guiding principle is that no organization is too small to make a big impact. If you’d like more information about our product, please schedule a personalized consultation at your convenience.

‍