10 Best CSR Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 19 tools reviewed.
Navigating the world of corporate social responsibility can be daunting. As an HR professional, you're tasked with aligning your team's efforts with the company's values and societal impact. That's where CSR software comes in—it helps you manage these initiatives effectively.
In my experience, finding the right tool can make a difference. I've independently tested and reviewed various options to give you the best picks. You’ll find practical insights tailored to your needs, alleviating the common challenges you face.
Expect a straightforward, unbiased review of the top CSR software solutions. Whether you're new to CSR or looking to upgrade, this listicle is your guide to making informed decisions.
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Best CSR Software Summary
This comparison chart summarizes pricing details for my top CSR software selections to help you find the best one for your budget and business needs.
| Tool | Best For | Trial Info | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best for workplace giving | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 2 | Best for donation matching | Free demo + free plan available | From $195/month | Website | |
| 3 | Best for supply chain risk management | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 4 | Best for micro actions | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 5 | Best for multilingual organizations | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 6 | Best for social impact campaigns | Free demo + free plan available | From $99/month | Website | |
| 7 | Best for sustainability management | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 8 | Best for social challenges | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 9 | Best for local volunteering | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website | |
| 10 | Best for volunteer management | Free demo available | Pricing upon request | Website |
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Kudoboard
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8 -
Awardco
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
ChartHop
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.3
Best CSR Software Reviews
Here’s my assessment of the best CSR software available, with short descriptions of their top features and explanations of why I’ve included them in this list:
Submittable is an all-in-one CSR platform that helps you create, run, and manage philanthropy programs. The software helps you increase employee engagement with workplace giving initiatives.
Why I picked Submittable: I selected Submittable for my top 10 list because its giving and matching module makes it easy for administrators to create, share, and monitor employee donation programs. The solution enables you to create programs with a drag-and-drop builder, and you can set up automations to match your team’s donations within certain rules and thresholds.
Submittable creates dashboards for your employees so they can track their donations and volunteering efforts over time, and administrators can pull reports to see their team’s participation and impact.
Submittable Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include branded organization portals, permission levels, and eligibility screening. I like Submittable’s form-building feature because it enables you to create eye-catching forms for participant data collection without creating friction.
Integrations include CRMs and communication tools, such as Asana, monday.com, Salesforce, MailChimp, Gmail, Slack, Airtable, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, QuickBooks, Stripe, and FreshBooks. Submittable also offers a RESTful API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good variety of report templates
- Proactive customer support department
- Rich library of online tutorials
Cons:
- The platform could be more intuitive
- Translation options come with a fee
Millie is a CSR platform that enables you to build a culture of giving with flexible donation matching programs. The tool enables you to boost employee engagement by accelerating their fundraising efforts.
Why I picked Millie: I picked Millie because it centralizes your employee giving activities in one dashboard. You can create donation matching programs for adjustable amounts and with flexible matching ratios.
Once you set up the programs, you can approve donation matches with a single click and receive notifications about new employee activity you might be interested in. The platform also enables you to reward employees with charitable gift cards.
Millie Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include corporate giving programs, employee volunteering programs, and volunteer event planning. I love Millie’s gamification feature because it enables you to create a bracket of your team’s favorite NGOs and go through four rounds of voting to decide how to split the money from your company’s pool based on the NGOs’ position in the bracket.
Integrations include communication tools and SSO providers, such as Slack, Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Okta, OneLogin, and Microsoft Azure.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Powerful reporting features
- Helps you engage with a variety of NGOs
- Keeps employees engaged with gamification
Cons:
- Global organizations may struggle to find local nonprofit organizations in some regions
- Can be difficult to sync volunteer hours into payroll reporting
Ecovadis is a CSR software that helps you determine your organization’s sustainability. The platform evaluates your entire supply chain in order to determine its environmental impact.
Why I picked Ecovadis: I chose Ecovadis because it enables you to uncover how sustainable your organization really is with your current suppliers. The platform helps you understand if your current setup respects international human rights standards and labor laws, ethics, and procurement best practices.
Ecovadis is exceptional at helping you manage your organization’s ESG risk and compliance and allows you to set realistic sustainability goals to work towards.
Ecovadis Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include sustainability ratings, sustainability finance, and risk and opportunity mapping. I’m a fan of the platform’s risk and opportunity mapping feature because it provides a risk classification of your supply base. This enables you to take preemptive measures in order to meet your long-term sustainability goals.
Integrations include risk and performance management solutions and payment platforms, such as Aravo, Celonis, GEP, GRMS, Ivalua, Per Angusta, ProcessUnity, and RapidRatings. Ecovadis also offers a RESTful API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Makes it easy to upload your documents in order to get your assessment
- You can plan actions and receive notifications when to start them
- Standardized scorecards help you understand what affects your sustainability
Cons:
- Limited translations for international companies
- Document library can feel clunky at times
Benevity is a corporate social responsibility software that helps you create small CSR activities for your employees to join. This helps you encourage your team to get involved in social impact programs with minimal effort.
Why I picked Benevity: Benevity made it into my top 10 list thanks to its ability to create small, seemingly inconsequential actions that can lead to big social and business changes. The platform enables you to create actions that don’t require a lot of effort or money to join, such as supporting local businesses or lowering your carbon footprint.
Then, the platform allows you to gamify these activities by showing how many of your employees have started them, and tracking the progress they’ve made. Plus, you can also reward top participants with points.
Benevity Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include affinity groups, volunteer opportunities, and corporate giving. I like Benevity’s employee giving feature because it allows your team members to personalize their donations, schedule one-time or recurring payments, and make charitable donations in multiple currencies.
Integrations include payment solutions and security providers, such as Apple Pay, PayPal, Okta, VolunteerMatch, and Workday. Benevity also offers a RESTful API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Smooth learning curve
- Nice-looking, customizable reports you can present to stakeholders
- Employees can track their yearly donations and receive tax receipts
Cons:
- Can be difficult to set up complex donation matching programs
- Creating volunteer programs that span over long periods of time could be easier
Deed is a CSR platform that helps multilingual organizations create volunteering and fundraising campaigns in 20+ languages. The solution supports 130+ currencies, allowing your remote workers to donate in their local currency.
Why I picked Deed: I selected Deed because it’s available in 100+ countries and translated into 20+ languages. This makes the platform ideal for multilingual organizations, as administrators can create volunteering and fundraising events for all their employees worldwide.
Deed has a nice, colorful interface. The software enables you to collaborate with team members in Slack, making it easier to gain your team’s interest and celebrate your accomplishment.
Deed Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include employee volunteering, gamification, and employee engagement. I like Deed’s employee engagement features because they enable you to motivate your team with collective initiatives, virtual or onsite events, and leaderboards.
Integrations include payment processing tools, volunteering apps, and authentication solutions, such as OneLogin, OpenID, Better Place, Microsoft Azure, Okta, Workday, Paylocity, ADP, Volunteer Match, Network for Good, and Stripe.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Rich library of training resources
- Transforms your CSR initiatives into collaborative efforts
- App has a clean, straightforward interface
Cons:
- The admin dashboard can seem overwhelming to novice users
- Data communication between the desktop and mobile apps may delay from time to time
Goodworld is a CSR software that enables you to increase employee engagement through social features. The platform allows you to raise money for charitable causes on social media with branded fundraising campaigns.
Why I picked Goodworld: Goodworld made it into my top 10 list thanks to its social sharing features. The platform allows you to share your charitable programs on social media so you can boost your community’s engagement.
Goodworld offers dedicated features to help you promote the social causes you stand behind, and allows you to collect donations directly from Facebook and Twitter users.
Goodworld Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include branded campaign pages, automated email sequences, and event planning. I like Goodworld’s spare change feature because it helps you raise money with recurring microtransactions that are easy to set up.
Integrations include social media platforms and CRMs, such as Facebook, Twitter, Salesforce, Google Analytics, and Stripe.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Makes it easy to set up recurring donations
- Drag-and-drop campaign builder
- Smooth learning curve
Cons:
- Reports could be more detailed
- Creating designs that look good on all devices can be challenging
Metrio is a CSR solution that enables you to monitor your organization’s sustainability with dedicated dashboards and analytics. The tool helps you identify environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks with forecasting.
Why I picked Metrio: I picked Metrio because it helps you integrate sustainability into your day-to-day activities with custom dashboards and reports. The administrative dashboard allows you to track the KPIs of all your initiatives in one place, and you can dive deep into the data to see the activities and suppliers that are driving your environmental impact.
Metrio’s helps you increase your transparency with stakeholders. The platform enables you to publish auditable, investor-grade reports, so you can give stakeholders and auditors secure access to your data.
Metrio Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include data collection, benchmarking, automated workflows, and KPI tracking. I like Metrio’s automated data collection campaigns because they enable you to assign tasks to collectors and approvers, set up custom reminders, and track their progress.
Integrations are available using their RESTful API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Reports look great and can be presented to auditors or stakeholders
- Helpful support team
- Easy implementation and onboarding
Cons:
- Creating complex reports can be time-consuming
- Interface can look dated at times
GoodUp is a CSR software that enables you to boost your team’s involvement in CSR initiatives by creating social challenges. The solution helps you build a positive workplace culture with action-oriented programs.
Why I picked GoodUp: I chose GoodUp because it encourages your team to build new habits with social challenges. The platform allows you to build challenges around sustainability, diversity and inclusion, or employee well-being, and makes it easy for your team members to participate.
GoodUp allows you to share your team’s achievements via internal newsletters or collaboration tools, so you can increase employee engagement. You can create leaderboards to highlight top participants and track the impact of your initiatives over time.
GoodUp Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include skill-based volunteering, crowdfunding campaigns, and custom branding. I like GoodUp’s crowdfunding feature because it enables you to incentivize participants with rewards, making it more likely to gain support for your programs.
Integrations include communication tools and social media platforms, such as Microsoft Yammer, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Helps you increase user engagement with micro actions
- Great onboarding experience
- Makes it easy to create and share programs
Cons:
- Limited customization options
- Administrators face a learning curve
OnHand is a CSR software solution that enables you to manage and track your team’s volunteering activity. The tool uses gamification to make your CSR projects more engaging.
Why I picked OnHand: I chose OnHand because it makes it fun for your employees to have a positive impact on their communities. The software’s mobile app enables your team members to choose the causes they want to help with based on proximity and other criteria, and you can assign points to each activity.
With OnHand, you can reward volunteers with custom badges and you can create leaderboards to showcase which team members do the most social good.
OnHand Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include employee engagement, payroll giving, and donations. I like OnHand’s sustainability module because it enables you to track your CO2 emissions and make pledges that have a global impact.
Integrations are available using their RESTful API.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Smooth learning curve
- Offers a wide variety of social causes
- Helpful mobile app
Cons:
- No search function for programs
- Some default causes don’t have a clear goal
Selflessly is a CSR software that enables you to track and manage your team’s charitable initiatives. The platform helps you find local and national volunteering opportunities for your employees and monitor your team’s involvement.
Why I picked Selflessly: I selected Selflessly because it helps you manage how and where your company is volunteering. You can choose from over 60,000 verified volunteering opportunities and create groups for your team members to share their charitable experience.
Selflessly offers a strong reporting feature that enables you to gain a deeper understanding of how your organization is volunteering. You can find out what charitable programs your employees cared about and seek similar opportunities to raise their interest in future volunteering initiatives.
Selflessly Standout Features and Integrations:
Standout features include impact assessment, corporate giving, and reports and analytics. I like Selflessly’s employee engagement features because they enable you to set individual or group participation goals and collaborate with your team on Slack to achieve them.
Integrations include access management, communication, and volunteering management solutions, such as Okta, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Slack, Microsoft 365, and VolunteerMatch.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy to navigate and use
- Makes it easy to set up automated donation matching campaigns
- Great at tracking your team’s impact
Cons:
- Some charities are listed under different names, making them difficult to find
- Search filters could be more granular
Other CSR Software
Here are some other great CSR tools I examined for this review. Even though they didn’t make it into my main list, you should check them out:
- Chezuba
For global organizations
- Pachama
For forest conservation programs
- Goodera
For extensive volunteering programs
- Salesforce Philanthropy Cloud
For location-based recommendations
- FuturePlus
For UK-based small and medium businesses
- Carbon and More
For carbon footprint estimations
- CSRConnect
For seasonal campaigns
- Ethos Tracking
For impact measurement
- Bright Funds
For sponsorship programs
CSR Software Selection Criterion
When selecting the best CSR software to include in this list, I considered common buyer needs and pain points like measuring social impact and aligning with sustainability goals. I also used the following framework to keep my evaluation structured and fair:
Core Functionality (25% of total score)
To be considered for inclusion in this list, each solution had to fulfill these common use cases:
- Track social impact
- Manage sustainability initiatives
- Report on CSR activities
- Engage stakeholders
- Align with company values
Additional Standout Features (25% of total score)
To help further narrow down the competition, I also looked for unique features, such as:
- Customizable reporting dashboards
- Integration with social media platforms
- Real-time impact analytics
- Automated compliance tracking
- Multi-language support
Usability (10% of total score)
To get a sense of the usability of each system, I considered the following:
- Intuitive user interface
- Easy navigation
- Minimal learning curve
- Clear visual design
- Responsive design
Onboarding (10% of total score)
To evaluate the onboarding experience for each platform, I considered the following:
- Availability of training videos
- Access to interactive product tours
- Use of chatbots for guidance
- Provision of templates
- Access to live webinars
Customer Support (10% of total score)
To assess each software provider’s customer support services, I considered the following:
- Availability of 24/7 support
- Access to live chat assistance
- Comprehensive help center
- Availability of email support
- Response time for queries
Value For Money (10% of total score)
To evaluate the value for money of each platform, I considered the following:
- Competitive pricing
- Transparent pricing structure
- Availability of free trials
- Cost against feature set
- Discounts for non-profits
Customer Reviews (10% of total score)
To get a sense of overall customer satisfaction, I considered the following when reading customer reviews:
- Overall satisfaction ratings
- Feedback on user experience
- Comments on customer service
- Insights on feature usefulness
- User recommendations
How to Choose CSR Software
It’s easy to get bogged down in long feature lists and complex pricing structures. To help you stay focused as you work through your unique software selection process, here’s a checklist of factors to keep in mind:
| Factor | What to Consider |
|---|---|
| Scalability | Can the software grow with your company? Ensure it handles increased data and users as your CSR initiatives expand. |
| Integrations | Does it integrate with your existing systems like HR, finance, and project management tools? Check for seamless data flow. |
| Customizability | Can you tailor the software to fit your specific CSR needs? Look for flexibility in reporting and workflows. |
| Ease of use | Is the software intuitive for your team? Test the user interface with potential users to ensure it's straightforward and efficient. |
| Implementation and onboarding | How long will it take to get up and running? Consider the resources needed for training and the availability of support during setup. |
| Cost | Is the pricing structure transparent? Compare against your budget and consider total cost of ownership, including hidden fees or long-term contracts. |
| Security safeguards | Does the software comply with data protection regulations? Verify encryption standards and access controls to protect sensitive information. |
| Support availability | What kind of support does the vendor offer? Ensure there's timely assistance available through channels like chat, phone, or email when you need help. |
What Is CSR Software?
CSR software is a tool designed to help organizations manage their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Professionals in HR, sustainability, and compliance typically use these tools to align business practices with social and environmental goals. Tracking social impact, managing sustainability initiatives, and engaging stakeholders help with aligning company values and reporting on CSR activities. Overall, these tools simplify the management of CSR efforts, making it easier to achieve and demonstrate positive social impact.
Features
When selecting CSR software, keep an eye out for the following key features:
- Social impact tracking: Allows you to measure and report on your company's social contributions and outcomes.
- Sustainability management: Helps organize and monitor sustainability goals and initiatives effectively.
- Stakeholder engagement: Facilitates communication and collaboration with stakeholders to align on CSR objectives.
- Customizable reporting: Offers flexibility in creating reports tailored to specific CSR metrics and goals.
- Integration capabilities: Ensures seamless data flow between CSR software and other business systems like HR and finance.
- Real-time analytics: Provides up-to-date insights into CSR performance, enabling timely decision-making.
- Compliance tracking: Automates compliance with relevant regulations, reducing risk and administrative burden.
- User-friendly interface: Ensures ease of use, minimizing the learning curve for new users.
- Training resources: Includes access to tutorials, webinars, and support to assist with onboarding and ongoing use.
- Security safeguards: Protects sensitive data with encryption and access controls, ensuring compliance with data protection standards.
Benefits
Implementing CSR software provides several benefits for your team and your business. Here are a few you can look forward to:
- Improved social impact: Tracks and measures your company's social contributions, helping you enhance your positive footprint.
- Efficient sustainability management: Organizes and monitors sustainability goals, making it easier to achieve them.
- Enhanced stakeholder collaboration: Facilitates communication with stakeholders, ensuring everyone is aligned on CSR objectives.
- Customizable reporting: Allows you to create tailored reports, providing insights specific to your CSR efforts.
- Data integration: Ensures smooth data flow between CSR and other business systems, reducing manual data entry.
- Timely decision-making: Real-time analytics provide up-to-date insights, helping you make informed decisions quickly.
- Regulatory compliance: Automates tracking of compliance requirements, reducing risk and ensuring adherence to standards.
Costs & Pricing
Selecting CSR software requires an understanding of the various pricing models and plans available. Costs vary based on features, team size, add-ons, and more. The table below summarizes common plans, their average prices, and typical features included in CSR software solutions:
Plan Comparison Table for CSR Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan | $0 | Basic reporting, limited user access, and basic support. |
| Personal Plan | $5-$25/user/month | Enhanced reporting, user-friendly interface, and integration with other tools. |
| Business Plan | $30-$75/user/month | Customizable dashboards, advanced analytics, and priority customer support. |
| Enterprise Plan | $100+/user/month | Full feature access, dedicated account manager, and customizable compliance tracking. |
People Also Ask
Want to learn more about corporate social responsibility? Here are some popular questions on this topic:
Can CSR software integrate with existing business systems?
Yes, most CSR software can integrate with existing business systems like HR, finance, and project management tools. Integration capabilities are crucial for ensuring data flows smoothly between systems, reducing manual data entry, and enhancing overall efficiency. When evaluating software, check if it supports the specific integrations your company requires to maximize its effectiveness.
How often should you update your CSR software?
You should update your CSR software regularly to ensure it remains effective and secure. Many providers release updates periodically, addressing bugs, adding new features, and enhancing security. Staying up-to-date with these updates helps you maintain smooth operations and take advantage of the latest improvements. Regular updates also ensure compliance with any new regulations or standards in the CSR field.
What’s Next:
If you're in the process of researching CSR software, connect with a SoftwareSelect advisor for free recommendations.
You fill out a form and have a quick chat where they get into the specifics of your needs. Then you'll get a shortlist of software to review. They'll even support you through the entire buying process, including price negotiations.
