Solidarity action in the workplace: 20 ideas + concrete examples (and implementation guide)

Why solidarity actions matter (and what they cover)

Corporate social action refers to any initiative that mobilizes employees to serve the general interest (social, environmental, educational, health, etc.), often as part of a CSR approach.

According to ISO 26000, social responsibility aims to contribute to the sustainable development, health and well-being of society by taking into account stakeholder expectations and integrating them throughout the organization.

In concrete terms, a solidarity action can take the form of :

  • a collection of (financial) donations or a fund-raising operation (charity race, tombola, solidarity sales, salary rounding);
  • in-kind donations (Service-public definition): computer equipment, hygiene products, furniture, foodstuffs, skills - in France, in-kind donations are recognized and, under certain conditions, may be eligible for tax benefits; they are valued according to specific rules;
  • a skills sponsorship (making employees available to non-profit organizations during their working hours, within a clear legal framework);
  • professional integration initiatives (IAE - Ministry of Labor website): mentoring, simulated interviews, introductory internships, etc;
  • environmental initiatives linked to ( responsible purchasing, local partnerships), recognized for their economic, social and local benefits.

Good to know: payroll rounding is a simple way of setting up a voluntary, recurring financial donation to an association - the micro-donation is deducted directly from the pay slip.

20 ideas for solidarity actions (with examples of actions and formats)

Solidarity action

A. Donations & collections (quick start)

  1. Collect donations for a local charity (health, food, children).
  2. Rounding up campaign + company matching contribution (1:1).
  3. Sale of team-made items, baked goods and books to raise funds.
  4. In-kind donations: reconditioning equipment (PCs, chairs, smartphones) for a social economy organization.
  5. Kilometer = €1" challenge (walking, cycling) transforming points into donations (useful for raising awareness of a cause internally).

B. Inclusion & combating social exclusion

  1. Marauding with an association helping the homeless.
  2. Intergenerational workshops (reading, digital, games) in nursing homes.
  3. Support for refugees: conversation tandem + shared sport.
  4. Access to the law" day with specialized associations.

INSEE benchmark: at the beginning of 2022, 14% of the population was in a situation of material and social deprivation; anchoring your solidarity actions in this context reinforces their meaning. Source INSEE

C. Job placement & education

  1. Mentoring for high school and university students (career paths, CVs, LinkedIn).
  2. Interview simulations + "transferable skills" workshops.
  3. Career discovery day at the company.
  4. Short-term internships for young people far from employment/IAE.

D. Environment & short circuits

  1. Clean-up (neighborhood, riverbanks, parks) + sorting & weighing.
  2. Climate Fresco" workshop and thematic variations.
  3. Internal market with short-distance producers (AMAP, artisans) - implement responsible purchasing (canteen, events).
  4. Compost & biowaste: partnership with an urban farm.

E. Awareness & advocacy (communication)

  1. Theme week (disability, gender equality, digital responsibility) with micro-conferences.
  2. Social networking campaign to publicize the partner association (LinkedIn threads, Instagram stories) + landing page for donations.
  3. Call for solidarity projects: teams submit a project idea; an internal vote finances the winners.

Solidarity action - concrete example :

"Talents & Territoires": a 6-week solidarity project combining mentoring (2 h/week), a donation drive (rounding + matching), a job fair, and a "short circuit market" day with local producers in the company hall.

Step-by-step guide: setting up in 8 steps

  1. Frame the objective: link the initiative to a CSR issue (education, inclusion, environment), an HR KPI (cohesion, QWL) or a business KPI (employer brand, local roots). Refer to ISO 26000 guidelines to identify relevant issues.
  2. Choose the right format: short (1 day/1 week), medium (1 to 6 weeks), long (several months, skills sponsorship/IAE partnership).
  3. Select the partner association: proven impact, traceability of donations, volunteer capacity, insurance, proximity to your business/values.
  4. Plan logistics: HR authorization, time management, team coordinators, safety checklist, equipment (gloves, skips, tablets, etc.), transport, partnership agreement.
  5. Set up communications: internal teasing (e-mail, intranet), posters, visual kit, social networks (posts, short videos), mini-site to publicize the cause and track progress.
  6. Incentives & recognition: badges, rankings, fair draws, symbolic trophies, team recognition, association feedback.
  7. Measure impact: participation rates, volunteer hours, € and in-kind donations collected, number of workshops, people reached, content published, engagement. For professional integration, track actual job and internship placements with your IAE partners.
  8. Capitalize: tell us what worked (and what didn't), standardize an example of a solidarity project that can be replicated, propose an annual calendar (2 highlights/year).

Action solidaire association: 4 "turnkey" formats

  • Express skills sponsorship (1 to 5 days): CV/interview workshops, design sprint for a non-profit organization, RGPD/digital responsibility audit.
  • Operation "rounding + donation in kind" (2 weeks): salary rounding coupled with a donation drive (hygiene products) and a computer "repair day" (wipe + donation).
  • Semaine "circuits courts & anti-gaspillage": anti-gasppi cooking workshops, farmers' market, soft mobility challenge, company compost.
  • Premiers pas pro" program (6 weeks): mentoring + observation internships with an IAE partner (worksites, intermediary associations).
Solidarity action

How OuiLive speeds up your solidarity initiatives

Business in game mode. 

OuiLive is a mobile platform that transforms your HR, CSR and business challenges into stimulating mobile games: quizzes, photo/video challenges, rankings, badges and rewards tailored to your teams.

  • Quick, turnkey launch: intuitive interface, +200 templates, dedicated support to set up a mobile game in just a few minutes.
  • 100% mobile format: simple participation, notifications, storytelling and internal social networks.
  • Measurable & sustainable results: detailed analytics (participation, points → donations, volunteer hours, content generated).

3 ready-to-use scenarios :

  • Challenge "1 point = 1 cent": each challenge completed automatically feeds the donation collection (top-up possible).
  • 48-hour "Donations in kind" challenge: hunt for dormant equipment (photos + proof of deposit), team rankings, quantity tracking.
  • Challenge "Circuits courts": quiz + mini-challenges (visit to producers, local basket), scoring by site, impact storytelling.

Useful sources & resources

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