From Purpose to Presence: Reimagining Corporate Impact Through Participation and Connection
Corporate philanthropy has increasingly shifted from fragmented and peripheral activities toward more strategic approaches that align business capabilities with stakeholder needs, enabling organizations to generate both social impact and organizational value.
Leon Boey, founder of the Livingseas Foundation, observes that this shift is driven by a convergence of motivations. “Some founders seek to channel personal success into meaningful causes. Others respond to growing expectations from consumers who prefer to engage with brands that demonstrate responsibility,” he says. Internally, he adds, employees are placing greater emphasis on working for organizations that reflect their values, with impact playing a critical role in recruitment, engagement, and retention.
Boey notes that while organizations are giving more, the experience of giving often remains abstract for employees. Donations, partnerships, and sustainability reports deliver measurable outcomes, but they rarely translate into a lived experience for the people within the organization.
“The act of giving has become more visible at the organizational level,” Boey explains. “However, for many employees, it remains distant. It appears as a number on a report or a logo on a website. The connection to impact is often missing.”
According to Boey, this disconnect carries implications for culture and engagement. He says, “Employees who feel connected to a company’s purpose could demonstrate higher levels of motivation, loyalty, and productivity. When impact is experienced directly, it strengthens that connection and transforms purpose from a message into a shared reality.”
Boey emphasizes that his work with Livingseas is built on addressing this gap. The organization has developed coral restoration workshops that move beyond financial contribution into active participation. These experiences, he notes, could help organizations to integrate giving into the fabric of team engagement.
Participants begin with an educational component that introduces the science of coral ecosystems, climate change, and ocean sustainability, establishing context and relevance. The experience then shifts into hands-on action, where each participant contributes directly to reef restoration, with their own personal coral structure.
“We design the experience around three elements,” Boey says. “Understanding, action, and immersion. Each person plants their own coral structure, which is personalized and becomes part of a living reef. That physical act creates a lasting connection, for them and for nature.”
For Boey, the tangible nature of the experience is central to its impact.
“Employees do not observe change from a distance. They contribute to it in a measurable and visible way. Each coral structure represents a direct contribution to ecosystem restoration, creating a sense of ownership that extends beyond the moment,” he explains.
Boey emphasizes that this form of participation creates a multiplier effect. He says, “Planting coral is deeply tangible. When one structure grows, it creates habitat. When thousands grow, entire ecosystems begin to recover. Marine life returns, biodiversity increases, and the impact compounds over time.”
Participants also have the opportunity to enter the deep waters and witness the ecosystem firsthand. This immersion, Boey notes, reinforces the connection between action and outcome, transforming the experience into something memorable and personal.
Coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean floor, yet they support more than 25 percent of all marine species. As the most biodiverse ecosystems in the ocean, they are fundamental to food security, coastal protection, and the health of marine ecosystems worldwide. Despite their importance, reefs remain largely invisible to the broader public.
Boey notes that this lack of visibility contributes to their decline. “When people look at the ocean, they see the surface. What lies beneath is often overlooked. That disconnect has allowed degradation to happen without widespread awareness.”
For Boey, creating visibility through experience is essential. He believes that when individuals witness the impact of their actions firsthand, it reshapes their understanding of environmental responsibility and strengthens long-term commitment.
The long-term dimension of these experiences is equally important. Participants are encouraged to revisit the sites they helped build, reinforcing the continuity of their contribution.
“We hope people remember the moment they planted their coral,” Boey reflects. “What matters even more is when they return years later and see how it has grown. They see the fish that have come back. They see the ecosystem they helped create. That is when the impact becomes real.”
According to him, this approach offers organizations a powerful opportunity to align giving with engagement. By embedding employees within the act of contribution, he believes companies could transform philanthropy into a shared experience that strengthens culture and reinforces purpose.
Boey is clear that the intention is not to redefine why organizations give, but to enhance how they give. “Organizations will always have different motivations for contributing,” he says. “What matters is creating a pathway for people within those organizations to participate meaningfully in that contribution.”
As corporate giving evolves, leading organizations are moving beyond financial contributions alone, combining funding with employee expertise, networks, and active engagement to amplify impact.
“The future of contributing lies in participation,” Leon Boey says. “When people are part of the change they are supporting, the impact extends beyond the cause. It shapes how they think, how they work, and how they see their role in the world.”
