How Datasite Meets Employees Where They Are with Percent Pledge

Datasite

Financial Technology / SaaS

Key Offerings

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We're a small team managing big, global programs. But with Percent Pledge, we’re able to do more for our people. If you’re looking for easy ways to do more for your people, Percent Pledge is amazing._‍
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

Datasite is the global SaaS provider of Al-powered workflow collaboration and automation solutions for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), investment, and strategic projects. Its social impact program, Datasite Cares, reflects its global footprint.

In 2023, Datasite partnered with Percent Pledge to scale its global corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to better support its global employee base. The program is led by a small but impactful team: Annie Smith, VP of Culture & HR Strategy, and Vanessa Gravina, ESG & Employer Branding Sr. Specialist.

This case study explores how Datasite used Percent Pledge to transform a manual, fragmented volunteer process into a scalable, data-driven program. One that strengthens employee engagement, brand reputation, and operational efficiency for Datasite globally.

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Challenges

Small Team Responsible for Many Large, Global Programs

Datasite Cares CSR program is one of many programs the Datasite Human Resources team runs. It includes:

Paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO)
Global Volunteering Month
Disaster Relief Campaigns

To scale and manage the program the Datasite team needed a solution that was flexible and adaptable, allowing each of its offices to access personalized philanthropic opportunities more efficiently.

Different Teams and Countries Give Back In Different Ways

“Each country has its own way of volunteering. Our Costa Rica teams love spending a day outside in nature, while our London and New York teams need shorter, indoor options they can fit between meetings. All our remote employees need different options too,” said Vanessa Gravina, ESG & Employer Branding Sr. Specialist at Datasite.

With limited bandwidth, personalizing opportunities for each office like a philanthropic concierge wasn’t very sustainable or scalable.

Volunteer Hours Were “Trapped in Our HRIS System”

Datasite offers employees one paid day each year to volunteer (VTO), and participation was strong. But because VTO was tracked inside their HRIS, the hours were essentially siloed. Datasite couldn’t see the story behind the service—only that time off had been used.

The VTO hours were trapped in our HRIS system. We wanted to understand where people volunteered and which organizations or causes they supported.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

As a result, they couldn’t answer key questions like:

Where did employees volunteer?
What organizations did they support?
What kind of service was it?
What causes did it help?

With no way to capture these details, Datasite couldn’t share meaningful impact stories with leadership, employees, or candidates.

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Solutions

Enter Percent Pledge, which not only met Datasite's needs but was simple to use and provided continuous innovation. Now, over time, Datasite has come to leverage all of Percent Pledge’s core offerings:

Innovation That Stays Ahead

We're entering our third year using Percent Pledge and I’m really impressed by the evolution of the platform. As we keep doing more, the platform stays ahead of us. Honestly, there’s a new feature most times I log in.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

Gravina added: “I also really like that it's user-friendly and that you are open to feedback."

Percent Pledge launches new features every two weeks, most of which are driven directly by client feedback. New tools like AI-powered communications toolkits and event cloning are saving the Datasite team hours weekly. More innovations, like Grow Your Impact and the Passion Assessment, are on their radar next.

Volunteer Management Software for a Global Workforce

With Percent Pledge, employees can log VTO hours while the Datasite team can track it all in one place.

“Percent Pledge has allowed us to get much more information on what causes employees care about and what they're giving back to,” said Smith.

Employees also use Percent Pledge to find new volunteer opportunities.

“Percent Pledge’s database is based on zip code or postcode, so it’s easy to browse new causes or charities to support,” said Gravina. “And it provides accredited charities that you can just trust.”

The nonprofit vetting embedded within the volunteer software gives employees confidence—and gives the company peace of mind. Reducing brand risk is critical, and usually a large time investment for global enterprises like Datasite.

Monthly, Remote-Friendly Virtual Volunteer Opportunities

Another huge win for Datasite – Percent Pledge’s virtual Community Volunteer Events (CVEs).

One of my favorite things about Percent Pledge is those Community Volunteer Events. They're great for meeting employees where they are and making volunteering accessible.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

These virtual events are one hour, globally accessible, and fully hosted every month.

“There is no work on our part, and being able to promote them every month enhances other programs we’re doing,” Smith added.

The CVEs really shine in providing remote employees with opportunities to participate year-round, not just during Global Volunteering Month.

Community Volunteer Events will be expanding in 2026—including new events for EMEA and APAC time zones—further increasing global inclusion.

‍Explore Community Volunteer Events.

Disaster Relief That’s Timely, Trusted, and Turnkey

Disaster relief is one of the core pillars of the Datasite Cares program. When urgent events happen, employees want to act fast—and now, the company can support them just as quickly.

"Percent Pledge’s Disaster Relief Cause Portfolios are up the same day or next day, so we're able to be really responsive for employees," said Smith. "It takes the work off our plate."

Before Percent Pledge, we coordinated activities separately. Now we have a single place where employees can go and give back. The company too. It’s really helpful.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

Beyond speed and simplicity, there’s also trust. Every organization in the Disaster Relief Cause Portfolios is fully vetted, which gives employees and leadership peace of mind.

“All the organizations are vetted so we know that whatever Cause Portfolio we're sharing, those organizations have already been reviewed as supporting what's happening in that area,” said Smith.

With Percent Pledge, Datasite can launch global disaster relief campaigns within hours—confidently, efficiently, and with zero lift from their team.

See our Corporate Giving Platform.

Support From Domain Experts That Are Proactive & Responsive

Percent Pledge doesn’t just offer tech support. Every client is paired with a Social Impact Manager—an expert in employee engagement, philanthropy, and workplace giving.

These domain experts are like the Geek Squad for Good. They know what success looks like—and help clients get there faster.

Datasite’s Social Impact Manager is Brianna (Bri). She proactively shares new tools, keeps the team informed, and removes friction before it starts.

Bri is really proactive in making sure we’re enabled to be successful on the platform. Anytime we reach out, Bri is very responsive.
_{Vanessa Gravina, ESG & Employer Branding Sr. Specialist}

She often reaches out before the Datasite team even knows they need something—saving time and reducing stress.

“Sometimes I reach out during a disaster, literally as it’s happening, and Bri responds right away,” said Smith. "I’m sure she’s also helping others and vetting the Disaster Relief Cause Portfolio, but it’s really helpful and appreciated.”

It’s not typical support. It’s strategic, human, and high-touch. Exactly what teams need.

Real-Time Dashboards and Impact Reporting

The last shoutout about Percent Pledge solutions was focused on reporting:

The reporting is really nice. Our business keeps evolving and the reporting keeps evolving to meet our needs at the same pace, which is really helpful.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

Datasite uses all of Percent Pledge’s reporting tools:

Live, real-time dashboards
Filterable, exportable reports
Annual Impact Reports delivered ready-made

As Percent Pledge continues to expand its reporting capabilities, clients' needs and reporting-related Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) remain the primary focus.

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Results

In 2025, Datasite surpassed all 2024 participation totals—by September. They still have a full quarter and the entire Holiday Giving Season to set new watermarks for Datasite Cares.

Percent Pledge Supports Recruiting, Onboarding, and Awards

At Datasite, social impact isn’t just part of the culture—it’s a key selling point for attracting and onboarding top talent.

Smith shared that they often get questions from job candidates about how Datasite gives back. And Gravina added: “Giving back is something new hires are really curious about, so Percent Pledge is something we highlight all the time.”

Datasite Cares, which Percent Pledge powers, is in all our recruiting and onboarding. We also highlight Percent Pledge in all our best employer award submissions. Not just that we have it, but what we are able to do with Percent Pledge facilitating all of our programs.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

The partnership has helped Datasite earn employer awards such as:

Newsweek’s America’s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Wellbeing
TrustRadius Tech Cares Award

Why Datasite Recommends Percent Pledge

When we asked Datasite if they’d recommend Percent Pledge, Smith didn’t hesitate:

Definitely. Investing in Percent Pledge has been really meaningful to our employees.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}

And when we asked why, she came back to three themes:

1. Efficiency

Percent Pledge improves our efficiency, makes our programs more globally accessible, and enhances our employee experience.

2. Scalability

We’ve been able to build and grow our programming with Percent Pledge. The solution is very customizable and supports us at every stage.

3. Versatility

Percent Pledge just offers a lot of versatility for what you need. For example, a leader wanted to do a volunteer event during an off-site. We connected them with Percent Pledge. Your team came in and did everything.

These full-service events are unique to Percent Pledge—a value-add service on top of the user-friendly enterprise software.

‍Learn more about Full-Service Volunteer Events.

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What’s Next: Expanding Globally, Empowering ERGs

Looking ahead, Datasite is:

Growing global giving alongside volunteering
Exploring ways to connect ERGs to social impact programming
Using Percent Pledge’s new tools to drive even more engagement

Their program is already strong, and with Percent Pledge, it’s just getting started.

I’m really looking forward to our continued global expansion and to continuing to leverage Percent Pledge to match our global footprint.
_{Annie Smith, VP Culture & HR Strategy at Datasite}