In April, legal tech company Clio hosted one of its most successful Giving Week campaigns to date, with a 94% average signup rate and enthusiastic feedback from employees. We sat down with Eric Franzo (CEO of Purposely), and Rachel Kasujja, one of the leads behind the initiative, to break down what made it work, and how other companies can apply the same strategies to build a culture of meaningful employee engagement through volunteering.

1. Make It Easy for Employees to Join – Clio gives employees 2.5 volunteer days a year, but many struggle to use them. “We knew giving back mattered to our team, but bandwidth was a real barrier. Giving Week removes that friction.” Giving Week solved that by bundling opportunities into one focused, well-communicated week, making it easier for everyone to participate. 

2. Time It Right– They chose April because it avoided busy business periods and internal conferences. This made it easier to get leadership support and cut through noise in employee calendars and inboxes.

3. Leadership Buy-In Matters– Getting senior leaders involved early helped reinforce that volunteering is a company priority. Their visibility encouraged others to sign up too. As Rachel said “We make sure we’ve done everything on our part for leadership to be able to attend.”

4. Strong Communication Is Key– Clio used Slack and All Hands meetings to build awareness, sending out comms four weeks ahead and ramping up messages closer to the week. They also targeted different office hubs with specific reminders.

5. Include Remote Employees Thoughtfully– Clio made sure remote employees weren’t left behind by offering structured virtual opportunities. Not just links, but fully facilitated experiences with clear context and purpose.

7. Focus on Culture, Not Just Metrics– While participation and impact numbers were important, Rachel emphasized how Giving Week brought employees together across teams, building relationships and strengthening culture.

8. Don’t Let the Momentum Fade– After the week ended, Clio captured feedback, shared highlights, and launched new initiatives like their volunteer committee. Capitalizing on that post-event energy helped keep the impact going.

9. Let Employees Shape the Experience– Feedback showed that employees wanted more say in which nonprofits were featured. Involving staff in planning can deepen engagement and buy-in.

10. Keep It Going– Clio currently runs two Giving Weeks a year but sees potential to embed volunteering into other team touchpoints, like offsites or quarterly events.

As Rachel put it, “Clio’s Giving Week is a time of building culture and releasing good hormones.” For companies looking to launch their own, the takeaway is clear: plan intentionally, communicate early, involve leadership, and create space for connection. Done right, Giving Week becomes more than just volunteering, it becomes a cornerstone of company culture.