How Cencora increased frontline volunteer engagement by 566% through scalable, on-site experiences

At a glance Cencora (formerly AmerisourceBergen), a Fortune 10 company with 46,000+ global employees, set out to include distribution center employees, often overlooked in traditional volunteer programs due to the mobile and tightly scheduled nature of their roles, in its volunteer efforts. Partnering with Visit.org, the company launched scalable, hybrid experiences tailored for frontline teams. The result: employee participation surged by 566%, and program reach grew 900% nationwide.

The problem: Reaching frontline workers at scale Cencora’s distribution center teams play a critical role in fulfilling pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chain operations. Their work is fast-paced, physically demanding, and highly structured, leaving little flexibility for traditional volunteer models like community clean-ups or supply drives.

“These team members are on their feet all day, working in a fast-paced environment,” said Kate Laepple Hertzog, Manager of Community Engagement at Cencora. “They’re not sitting in front of a computer, so traditional engagement models didn’t work.”

Past ad hoc events had proved difficult to scale, and participation remained low. “We knew the volunteer opportunity needed to be on-site,” Kate explained. “But we also knew it had to resonate and be something they could do together because that team-building element was crucial.”

Frontline teams, dispersed across large distribution floors, rarely had the opportunity to convene, let alone participate in shared volunteering experiences. Kate saw that creating a scalable solution would require rethinking what volunteering could look like for this essential workforce.

The breakthrough: On-site, hybrid experiences that fit the workflow In early 2023, Cencora piloted a new approach during MLK Day. In partnership with Visit.org, they launched on-site, hybrid volunteer experiences at four distribution centers. These hands-on events were designed to meet teams where they were, physically and logistically, while integrating virtual facilitation to minimize the lift on site leadership.

“The feedback was very positive from team members and the leaders who were able to participate,” Kate said. “That’s when we realized it could work at scale.”

After the pilot, Cencora committed to expanding access and building a repeatable framework that could grow with the company.

“Partnering with Visit.org made sense because it really was an extension of our team,” Kate added. “It allowed us to scale these efforts and bring purpose to people’s day-to-day in a way we hadn’t been able to before.”

The outcome: 566% participation growth and 900% program expansion With a structured partnership in place, the program rapidly expanded. What began at just four locations grew to 40 distribution centers nationwide. Participation rose from 120 to 800 employees, a 566% increase.

“Because we're scaling it and having 10 sites participate at once, we can engage a larger number of people than ever before,” Kate said.

What once seemed impossible became a model for success: “Employees embraced the experience, shared photos, told their families, and immediately asked, ‘When’s the next one?’”

“We went from ‘this is not a doable scenario’ to ‘this is a shining star of our volunteer program.’”

One moment stood out to Kate: “I had team members ask for copies of the photos I took during the project so they could share them with their kids,” she said. “That tells you how meaningful it was to them.”

Leadership buy-in evolved alongside the program. What began as a Community Impact-funded initiative is now fully backed by the business group. “The 2025 hybrid initiative is fully funded through the business group budget, with my support alongside Visit.org,” Kate said. “It’s a different model entirely.”

Looking ahead: Continued growth and global expansion Cencora is now on track to reach its 2025 goal of engaging 35-40 of its 55 U.S. distribution centers, with each volunteer event engaging 10-12 sites at a time.

The team is also exploring global expansion. Office-based teams in Costa Rica and Lithuania have already participated, and more regions are being considered. “It’s a different population, but it’s still an important area for growth,” Kate said.

For Kate, the program represents a broader shift in how volunteer is delivered. “We’re incredibly proud of this. It really is a shining star of our volunteer engagement work, and finding ways to continue growing it is a top priority.”

A scalable model for purpose at work Through a purpose-driven approach and a strong partnership with Visit.org, Cencora has built a scalable solution that connects even the most operational teams to volunteering efforts. The result is a more inclusive, more energized workforce. And a model ready for global growth.

Ready to engage your frontline teams through volunteering? Talk to our team at Visit.org to design a scalable social impact program tailored to your workforce, wherever they are. Contact us to get started → impact@visit.org