The latest quarterly Donor Pulse report found employees had already been finding it difficult to get involved in charity campaigns pre-pandemic.
A quarter (26%) said they were too busy at work to participate, while 16% said they weren’t there on the day the fundraising activity took place.
A further 13% said the activity taking place outside of work hours stopped them taking part.
Half (50%) of people said they will be working from the office three days a week or less once lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Chester Mojay-Sinclare, founder and CEO of fundraising platform Enthuse, said flexible working will have knock-on effects for workplace fundraising.
He said: “Workplace fundraising will not be business as usual as people return to their workplaces.
“To tap into the enthusiasm for helping raise more, charities will need to add new engaging virtual elements to their campaign, so they work as both virtual and physical events."
Companies will also need to create environments where people feel comfortable taking time to switch off their laptops in order to start fundraising for good causes.
With fewer people in the office every day to take part in activities, and staggered working days for companies that have small office spaces, Mojay-Sinclare said it will be harder to coordinate campaigns and appeals that run or launch on a particular day.
“It also means there will be much less opportunity for cash donations,” he added.
However there are plenty of options open to charities, thanks to technology which offers flexible fundraising options to help businesses looking to run inclusive fundraising activities.
He said: “A few examples of how to do this could include having team or office based leaderboards to encourage competition, companies matching the amount raised to boost employee engagement and morale, and making sure donations are digital friendly and not cash reliant.”
