Virtual Volunteering Case Study: One Hour. 3,000+ Buildings!

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One hundred and fifteen employee volunteers from companies across the country recently came together for a unique one-hour event: our virtual Map-a-Thon for Disaster Relief.

Opening their laptops from home offices and conference rooms, they collectively mapped 3,037 buildings to support disaster relief teams and save lives in under-resourced communities—all in just one hour.

Here’s what happened—and how your team can be part of the next one.

Why This Matters

Natural disasters strike vulnerable communities hardest. Many of these areas aren’t fully mapped, making it difficult for first responders to find people during hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and fires. In some regions, entire neighborhoods may be missing from the map.

The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT) is on a mission to change that by training everyday people to use open-source tools that put these areas on the map—literally.

And that’s what this Map-a-Thon was all about: bringing purpose-driven employees together in a fast, easy, powerful way to support global aid and emergency response.

Additionally, this event matters because there is a huge, and growing, demand for virtual volunteering. We’ve continue to hear from HR and CSR leaders that it’s hard to build real team culture right now—especially with remote teams. We help with that by making it easy to run team volunteer events that bring people together. And we continue to provide resources, like these events or like these articles, to help companies meet the demand for virtual volunteer opportunities.

What Are Virtual Volunteer Opportunities? Guide and Examples

Best Remote Volunteer Opportunities for Teams in 2025

Inside the Event: A Closer Look at the Map-a-Thon

The session began on Zoom with a warm welcome from the Percent Pledge team—Mick, Lenna, and Joel—as well as our expert partners from HOT.

Volunteers were given a clear mission: map buildings in vulnerable areas to support real-world humanitarian aid efforts.

The specific project focused on identifying unmapped structures in regions prone to climate disasters, where mapping data is urgently needed to support first responders on the ground.

Here’s how the event unfolded:

Easy onboarding for all employee volunteers

The event was fully guided—no experience required. Volunteers received a short, engaging walkthrough of the mapping tools and project goals. Our nonprofit partner shared why this work matters and how the maps are used in real disaster zones.

Real, active volunteer experience for employees

Participants then jumped into the mapping platform using satellite images and simple drawing tools. Some joined solo, others with ERGs or teams—but all were united by purpose.

A real sense of community between teams from 50+ companies

The chat buzzed with positivity throughout:

• “Thanks for this cool event!”
• ‍“Thank you Mick, Lenna, Joel (and any Percent Pledge team I'm not seeing)!!! 🙏🌞”
• “This was great, thank you so much!”

People encouraged each other, dropped emojis, and expressed gratitude. One volunteer even shared that this was their favorite way to use VTO hours so far.

Big results in one hour

By the end of the event, the numbers were in:

• 🏠 3,037 buildings mapped
  
  
• 👥 115 volunteers across multiple companies
  
  
• ⏳ 1 hour, start to finish
  

These weren’t just digital drawings—they were real homes, real neighborhoods, real people who are now visible to rescue teams when disaster strikes.

What Makes This Different from Other Virtual Volunteer Events?

The Map-a-Thon is part of our Community Volunteer Events series—one-of-a-kind, themed volunteer events that run every 6 weeks. They’re free and included for any team using our volunteer software.

These events are built for:

• Remote & global teams
  
  
• ERGs (especially environmental, climate, and international-focused ones)
  
  
• Companies that want quick, impactful volunteer experiences—without the planning burden
  

Because they’re pre-built, fully guided, and easy to join, they’re the perfect “plug-and-play” volunteer opportunity for modern workplaces.

Explore all upcoming events →

💜 Join our next virtual volunteer event for free 💜

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with us in October!

Join our next virtual volunteer event—no planning needed.

Easy, impactful, fully guided.‍

→ Hispanic Heritage Month Virtual Volunteer Opportunity

Why Companies Love Events Like This

These virtual volunteer opportunities drive real value for employee engagement programs. Here's what makes them work:

• Built-in facilitation and logistics
  
  
• Fast setup—just one hour
  
  
• Scalable across teams and time zones
  
  
• Feel-good experience with real impact
  
  
• Easy to tie to ERGs and VTO programs
  

Whether you’re in HR, DEI, ESG, or People Ops, events like this are a low-lift way to offer high-impact engagement across your team.

Learn how our software simplifies remote volunteering →

Testimonials from the Event

• “Thanks for the opportunity.”
• “Thanks Mick and Lenna 👋”
• “This was great, thank you so much.”
• “Thank you, have a great afternoon everyone.”
• “Thank you Mick, Lenna, Joel (and all the Percent Pledge team)!! 🙏”
• “Thank you, this was fun!”
• “Thanks for hosting this event!”
• “Thanks for this cool event!”

Volunteers left feeling energized, fulfilled, and inspired. Many didn’t expect a one-hour Zoom to feel this impactful—but it did.

Let’s Put Your Team on the Map

In just one hour, employee volunteers helped over 3,000 people become visible to rescue teams. Your team could be part of the next story.

Whether you're looking for virtual volunteering, ways to activate ERGs, or tools to improve employee engagement—Percent Pledge makes it easy.

Book a demo with our team →

Sign up for the next event →