Volume 5. Issue 2. 2025.
Editorial Preface
The main topic of the second issue of the fifth volume of the online journal Volunteering Review is corporate volunteering and its status from an international and Hungarian perspective, as well as its general and specific manifestations. New trends in corporate governance require that the topic be interpreted and presented within a complex framework corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). The first literature review study discusses how, according to the analyses, the emergence of ESG has challenged corporate governance thinking about CSR and how the relationship between the two concepts can be interpreted in this new situation. The next theoretical study is essentially a continuation of this topic, specifically addressing these dilemmas and examining the practices of large Hungarian companies based on a non representative empirical study, with a particular focus on corporate volunteering. The third article, which takes a theoretical approach, analyzes the conceptual, historical, and organizational development of a specific form of volunteering that is mainly seen in corporate settings: pro bono volunteering, which is based on professional skills or expertise. The case studies published on the subject are very colorful. The first one provides insight into the state of corporate social responsibility in Romania, as well as the specific implementation of a company's CSR activities and the related practices of a civil fundraising "movement." We know very little in Hungary about the practice and specific manifestations of social responsibility among small and medium-sized enterprises. The second case study outlines, through the example of three companies in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, how corporate donations and volunteerism contribute to assisting those in need. Particularly noteworthy and exemplary is the methodological case study that presents step by step the process by which a civil-nonprofit organization starts the 'procedure' for measuring the social impact of its activities. The theoretical study on pro bono can be viewed as the case study counterpart that reveals the three-year process of a corporate professional volunteer program aimed at the capacity development of civil-nonprofit organizations. One specific 'market' segment of the relationships formed between the corporate and civil-nonprofit sectors represents those civil-nonprofit organizations that build a bridge between the corporate sector and civil-nonprofit organizations. The review discusses the establishment of a newly created network aimed at developing corporate volunteering in this market segment.
The death of CSR and the rise of ESG?! - From CSR to ESG
Petra Putzer - Andrea Béla-Csovcsics
In times of dilemmas – Characteristics of corporate social responsibility of large hungarian companies. Result of a survey (2025)
Anna Mária Bartal - Klára Molnár - Vivien Vida
"The combined application of CSR and ESG can yield truly excellent results. CSR provides the goals and values, emphasizing ethical operations and decisions, while ESG provides the framework for measurement and reporting. Thus, ESG does not replace CSR, but rather expands it with a stricter dimension of data and accountability."
Interpretation and practical framework of pro bono, as a professional volunteerism
Márta Nárai
"Many companies incorporate it into their CSR or ESG activities, but outside of corporate frameworks, individuals can also provide free services based on their expertise to disadvantaged people or, typically, civil/nonprofit organizations that cannot afford the market price, or provide organizations with knowledge that is not present in their operations."
"We have seen the strengthening of the ESG impact in that large companies – primarily in the management of CSR and in support decisions – approached responsibility with a strategic approach and a more complex toolkit, as well as an increased emphasis on supporting environmental and economic areas compared to previous times."
Social responsibility: The network of corporate and non-governmental organisations of the Gheorgheni Basin
Botond Dániel - István Elekes - Péter Gál-Pál
"The study revealed points of intersection where the civil and corporate worlds connect – these could serve as a starting point for the development of a more conscious, institutionalized CSR ecosystem in the Gyergyói Basin and other similar regions."
Measure the immeasurable – presentation of the methods, results, and usability of a social impact assessment project
Kriszta Marton
"Over the past fifteen years, we have constantly faced the challenge of how to demonstrate the results of our work and express our successes in numbers to our supporters and those who want to learn about our activities. "
Corporate volunteering to help the economically disadvantaged in an underdeveloped region – case study of three companies
Eszter Sipos Nándori
"In the social responsibility of the three companies, philanthropic donations and cooperation with local civil organizations play a prominent role in providing assistance to those in need; and successful corporate volunteering is characterized by initiatives from both the bottom up and the top down complementing each other."
Corporate volunteer programs with professional expertise on new paths – introduction of the SIMPACT model
Csaba Bakó
"We present the experiences of the past three years, from the pilot program to specific program implementations, with a special focus on the basic model and the topics of each program area, as well as the benefits available to professional volunteers and civil society organizations. "
