When it comes to making a positive impact, the possibilities are almost endless. There’s a lot of good to be done in the world –but planning, tracking, promoting, and measuring the success of these pursuits isn’t always easy. An effective social impact platform can elevate and optimize corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, giving team members and employees the tools they need to take action.
So, what can this software do for you? And how do you choose the right one? Here’s what you need to know about the essential features and functions of the best social impact platforms so that you can find the perfect system for doing your most meaningful work.
A social impact software or platform is where CSR functions, purposes, aspirations, and actions unite. It’s software built to help organizations and companies organize, execute, and track social impact initiatives.
Social impact platforms like Groundswell connect companies with nonprofits, charities, and causes that are working to make the world a better place. They help employees activate CSR efforts that drive engagement, such as employee-led grant programs. They can also streamline common CSR efforts like employee donation matching, volunteering, and more, all while generating insightful analytics to help you grow.
Your program data tells an important story. Collecting, tracking, organizing, and sharing impact measures can help you identify objective outcomes. When you can go beyond the big picture and zoom in on the crucial details of your processes, you can develop exciting, actionable plans for program improvement.
A dedicated platform allows you to manage your social impact initiatives from start to finish, all in one place. The right platform should help you build and launch campaigns, measure participation and engagement, and get access to data and insights that demonstrate the value of your efforts.
Plus, with dedicated social impact measurement software, your CSR team can demonstrate the tangible benefits of your purpose-driven initiatives. You can also side-step the time-sink of crunching numbers, analyzing spreadsheets, and compiling reports.
No more hopping between different software solutions or sifting through mountains of data on your own; with a platform like Groundswell, everything you need to make an impact is only a click away.
An effective, purposeful social impact platform should be more than a one-trick pony. One minute, you’re hunting for the perfect software to achieve your social responsibility goals, and before you know it, you’ve been cast in the role of Goldilocks.
Here are some key features that will help you find that “just right” solution for your CSR.
Organized efforts and streamlined systems are key to making the biggest impact. Disjointed, decentralized CSR elements can complicate your work and make it hard to connect the dots. With Groundswell, you can get everything you need in one powerful platform designed to help you do it all.
Collecting and sharing essential impact data is about more than validating your efforts—it can help you gain a holistic understanding of your impact, inform your future projects, and boost employee morale.
Share your success stories and bring your data to life with engaging visual tools that present the key features of your campaigns. With comprehensive tools for tracking progress, volunteer hours, employee contributions, and more, you can realize the full potential of effective social impact reporting.
Organizing, managing, tracking, and analyzing your impact campaigns can be complicated, but your software shouldn’t be. A strategic social impact platform should make it easy for users to navigate, discover, give, and engage with your social responsibility goals. Simplify your digital space with an intuitive layout and user-friendly features.
Lighten your administrative load with a platform that reduces time-consuming busywork and bulk. Use pre-set rules for admin-free payroll giving, configure automatic, instant donation matching, and take advantage of smart features designed to simplify your CSR workflows so you can spend more time on what matters most.
Simple, straightforward, scaleable software features can expand and evolve as your impact programs grow. Clunky tools and digital bulk can make it hard to maximize your reach, but platforms like Groundswell are designed to empower your CSR team as you build, adapt, and grow your projects.
Real-world impact requires real, workable solutions. By choosing a platform with powerful web and mobile applications, you can access the entirety of your social impact toolbox from anywhere.
From the desktop to the device in your pocket, engage employees in your mission with practical, easy-to-use features. Team members on the go can stay connected with a fully functional and intuitive app. With Groundswell, employees have the power to give on the go, track their volunteer hours, and RSVP to events no matter where they are.
There’s no room for compromise when it comes to protecting your personal and professional information. The benefits of an effective CSR platform go out the window if cybersecurity measures aren’t up to snuff.
Groundswell goes above and beyond in protecting your data with industry-leading security practices. The platform maintains SOC 2 compliance with annual audits, so you can rest easy knowing your information is safe.
There are plenty of CSR platforms out there to choose from, but if you’re not careful, you can wind up with an expensive, inefficient, headache-inducing “solution” to your problems.
High price tags make it hard to actualize your social impact goals, especially when you’re billed almost as much as you give. Philanthropy shouldn’t have to be exclusively reserved for those with the deepest pockets. Regardless of your budget, it’s smart to avoid providers who charge extra for features and functionality, especially customer support. Adopting your new platform and ensuring that everyone on your team can use it confidently will be a key part of bringing its benefits to life. The last thing you need is a platform that’s too complex to understand without forking over additional dollars – or one that frustrates employees and discourages them from getting involved.
In this same vein, bigger doesn’t always mean better when it comes to a platform for social impact. In fact, overcomplicated, convoluted software platforms can drag you down. Prioritize platforms with user-friendly features that can reduce your workload, not add to it.
With Groundswell’s CSR platform, you don’t need to be a big team to make a big impact. Consolidate grantmaking, giving, volunteering, and employee assistance programs on one easy-to-use platform. Harness the reporting power of a social impact measuring software that makes it easy to make a change in the world. Book a demo today to get started
