Small Acts, Big Impact: The Power of Micro-Volunteering

A 2024 report by Benevity highlights a 57% year-over-year increase in corporate volunteering participation. The same report notes a 41% rise in total volunteer hours and a 65% influx of first-time volunteers which is thanks in large part to flexible formats like remote and micro-volunteering.

Corporate volunteering is changing and at the center of this shift is micro-volunteering: bite-sized, accessible acts of service that can be done anywhere, anytime, by anyone.

In this blog article, we’ll explore what micro-volunteering is, why it’s gaining momentum, and how companies can unlock its power to create meaningful impact.

Contents

• What is Micro-Volunteering?
• The Key Benefits of Micro-Volunteering
• How to Get Started with Micro-Volunteering
• Small Moments, Lasting Change

What is Micro-Volunteering?

Micro-volunteering is a modern approach to community service and one that fits into the rhythm of a busy day. It gained traction during the Covid pandemic, when remote work and social distancing made traditional volunteering harder to coordinate.

Unlike in-person service days that take employees away from their workstations, micro-volunteering typically involves short, skill-light tasks that can be completed remotely in just a few minutes.

One of the clearest examples is Be My Eyes, a platform that connects a global community of 900,000+ blind and low-vision users with almost 10 million sighted volunteers around the world. When a volunteer receives a notification, they can accept a call from someone seeking visual assistance, whether that’s reading a label, identifying a gift, or navigating a touchscreen interface. The connection happens through a one-way video, two-way audio call via smartphone, enabling instant and impactful support.

This is micro-volunteering in action – no prep, no travel, just helping someone in the moment they need it.

The Key Benefits of Micro-Volunteering

Micro-volunteering offers tangible advantages to both organizations and their people. Some of the most impactful include:

• Accessible and inclusive: Remote, short-form tasks lower the barrier to entry. Everyone can participate, regardless of location, mobility, or time constraints.
• Minimal disruption: Because activities are brief and flexible, employees can give back without sacrificing productivity or needing to “block off a full day.”
• Boosted well-being: Volunteering has well-documented mental health benefits. According to Mayo Clinic, it reduces stress and boosts mood via the release of dopamine. Another study from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that volunteers have a 76% lower risk of feeling isolated.
• Stronger team morale: A survey by VolunteerHub found that 70% of employees who engage in corporate volunteering say it improves morale.
• Tangible social impact: When programs like Be My Eyes are integrated into employee engagement strategies, companies can support meaningful micro-interactions that make life more accessible.

How to Get Started with Micro-Volunteering

If you’re ready to introduce or expand micro-volunteering in your workplace, here’s a simple roadmap to get started:

1. Choose the Right Partner(s)

Look for platforms with built-in accessibility, global reach, and easy onboarding. Be My Eyes, for example, supports over 900,000 blind and low-vision users and operates in 180+ languages across 150 countries.

2. Make It Easy to Join

Prioritize opportunities that integrate seamlessly into the workday with no special skills, long training sessions, or complex sign-up hurdles required. Accessibility and simplicity will drive participation.

3. Embed in Culture

Integrate micro-volunteering into your existing CSR and DEI strategies. Use employee newsletters, ERG programming, or all-hands meetings to share stories and encourage sign-ups.

4. Celebrate the Impact

Track participation and share the stories that come from these interactions. Consider creating an internal impact dashboard, recognizing top contributors, or inviting volunteers to share experiences during team meetings.

Small Moments, Lasting Change

Micro-volunteering is a reflection of how the workplace is changing. Today’s employees want purpose, not just perks. And, they want opportunities to make a difference in ways that feel real, personal, and immediate.

By offering micro volunteering opportunities through partners like Be My Eyes, businesses can activate this desire for impact, one small act at a time. And in doing so, they’ll create a culture of compassion, connection, and community.

Learn more about our corporate volunteering opportunities here.