At Pledge 1%, we work to inspire, empower, and amplify the social impact efforts of companies and individuals around the world. And over the last 10 years, over 18,000 members joined us in taking the pledge and evangelizing the idea that leveraging corporate assets for good is good for the world and good for business.
Of course, taking the pledge is just the first step. And real impact comes when these pledges come to life.
This year we launched what will become a regular Pledge 1% Member Survey to better understand how we are doing as a movement, what our members value, and how Pledge 1% can better support their journey toward creating positive change.
I’m excited to be able to share a few key takeaways from the survey and outline a few actionable steps we’re taking to enhance our alignment with member needs.
Key Takeaways
Most companies are actively fulfilling their pledge - with a focus on volunteering.
- 82% companies say they are actively working to fulfill their pledge
Taking a pledge is an important first step, but the real challenge lies in turning that commitment into action. Remarkably, 82% of companies that have joined Pledge 1% are actively fulfilling their pledges, channeling their efforts into a variety of impactful social programs. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the time pledge is the most popular pledge type with most companies supporting activities related to volunteering. This trend mirrors the broader corporate social responsibility (CSR) landscape, where employee engagement programs are highly accessible for companies of all sizes and stages.
Most companies report strong support for social impact
Despite recent headlines suggesting companies are pulling back from social impact, our survey found that members actually have strong support from their leadership and employees for integrating impact into their business:
- 66% companies report that senior leadership is highly committed to social impact programs
- 75% companies have social impact goals
- 75% companies align their social impact and business goals
- 68% companies say Leadership + Employees are aware of their social impact goals
- 68% companies say that employees know they have taken the pledge
Most companies are helping to grow the movement
Pledge 1% members aren’t just embracing social impact—they’re actively spreading the word.
- 60% of respondents said that they had discussed the value of taking the pledge in the last 6 months.
Pledge 1% members are seeing the value in embedding impact into their companies and they are evangelizing their success with peers. This is how exponential change happens!
While overall satisfaction with Pledge 1% programs is good, the survey revealed a few areas of potential growth.
In the survey, we included a few questions to help us better understand members' needs and how well Pledge 1% is meeting them. And while our Net Promoter and CSAT scores were high, we also discovered that less than half of our members were actively accessing our resources and community. While many expressed interest in joining communities of practice or accessing community, few had actually done so.
Our call to action: Ensure Pledge 1% resources and programs are more accessible and easier to find and share. Provide enablement and advice on how to add additional pledge types as your impact programs mature.
Our call to action: Strengthen advocacy resources for members to help expand our audience and grow the movement.
Most companies agreed that seeing influential brands and CEOs advocating for the integration of impact into business was most helpful in growing the movement.
Our call to action: Lean into highlighting stories of impact and thought leadership from our leading companies and CEOs.
Thank You for Your Feedback
We are deeply grateful to every member who participated in this survey. Your insights not only highlight the strengths of our movement but also guide us toward meaningful improvements.
Together, we’re building a future where giving back is a fundamental part of every business. Stay tuned for updates as we implement your suggestions and continue to innovate to support your journey toward creating positive change.
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Respondent Demographics
The survey reached over 8,000 members through email, newsletters, and social channels. We received 228 unique responses representing 226 distinct companies, offering a diverse snapshot of our membership:
- Company Size: 79% of respondents were from companies with fewer than 250 employees.
- Business Type: 56% represented private companies.
- Roles: 46% of respondents were CEOs or founders, while 14% were dedicated social impact practitioners.
- Industry: Responses skewed heavily toward tech and tech-adjacent sectors, reflecting the broader makeup of our membership.
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