In 2025, ERG Programs have become a mainstay at companies around the world. Companies with over 500 employees tend to have anywhere from 6-15 (or sometimes even more) Employee Communities that go by many names (ERGs, BRGs, CRGs, TMRGs, affinity groups, employee networks...the list goes on). For the sake of clarity, we'll refer to these groups as ERGs. Each of these programs has some core principles around connecting and supporting employees by fostering a deep sense of shared identity, experience and understanding.

While many companies are clear on why they have ERGs (connection, purpose, engagement, sustainability and more), it's not always clear how best to support them and increase their resilience. How do we future-proof ERG efforts? How much time and money should we allocate to them? When should we launch new ERGs and how do we resource them? How do other companies allocate resources for their ERGs?

If these are questions you have, keep reading to hear the latest insights and best practices.

Who wrote this?

I'm Anisha Nandi, the CEO & co-founder of Verbate. At Verbate, we work with ERG Leaders around the world, giving them the community and best practices they need to thrive. You can check out our ERG Leadership Community which connects leaders across the space, trains & certifies them, and gives them year-round resources. We also have helped plan and facilitate ERG Summits and workshops for companies like DoorDash, Strava, Intel, Match Group, and many more. Finally, we host our annual ERG-Land Conference in NYC.

If you want to set up some time with me to chat ERG Strategy, you can grab time on my calendar here. You can also sign up for our free monthly meet up built specifically for ERG Program Managers.

Now let's get to  ERG Resourcing Insights:

Defining Resourcing for ERGs

First let's define what we mean by "Resources." ERG work is often work on top of our "day jobs," which means that resourcing is a combination of factors.

ERG Resources are a combination of:

• Budget: The monetary allotment ERGs and HR teams are given to plan efforts and support the ERGs throughout the year.
• Time: The bandwidth and recognized time that ERGs are given to plan and execute their efforts. ‍
• Team Support: The champions and team members that support ERG Leaders in their efforts (i.e. HR team support, executive sponsors, etc.)

The State of ERG Resourcing in 2025

Now that we've defined those what "ERG resources," are, let's talk about what trends we're witnessing in 2025.

We surveyed over 100 DEI and ERG Program Managers from companies around the world by asking them:

How is your organization’s investment to ERGs changing in 2025 (if at all)? When we say resources, we mean a combination of time, budget, and team support.

• We're increasing our resources allocated to ERGs compared to 2024
• Our resources allocated to ERGs are staying about the same as 2024
• We're reducing our resources allocated to ERGs compared to 2024
• We no longer plan to support ERGs in 2025

84% of ERG Program Managers said their organization is increasing or keeping their ERG resources the same in 2025.

Here's a deeper dive on the results:

60%: Our resources allocated to ERGs are staying about the same as 2024

24%: We're increasing our resources allocated to ERGs compared to 2024

14%: We're reducing our resources allocated to ERGs compared to 2024

0%: We no longer plan to support ERGs in 2025

FAQ's & Best Practices

How do I get cross-functional buy-in from different levels of the organization for our ERGs?

‍Contextualizing ERG work by using the same language and goals as key stakeholders in the organization is key to broadening support for these efforts. For example, when speaking with executives or company leaders, be ready to speak to the goals, OKRs, or core values of the organization and how your ERG work ties to them. Of course, we want to stay authentic to our ERGs missions and visions, but often, there's alignment we might not even realize with other team's goals. Finding the balance between authenticity and alignment is key. Lastly, pair quantitive data with qualitative data. Alongside metrics of participation and engagement, be ready to share stories and anecdotes about the impact your ERGs have had on employees and their ability to feel supported and seen.
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What types of teams or departments do ERGs typically influence directly? These could be a good place to build partnership.

‍ERGs influence many parts of the organization from Talent, Retention, Recruiting, Learning & Development, Employee Experience, Inclusion, Engagement, Corporate Social Responsibility - to name a few!
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How do we show the ROI or "Return on Investment," of investing in our ERGs?

‍This ties back to setting really effective goals. Sit down with those senior stakeholders and champions at least once a year to understand their priorities. Are they looking to see the ERGs foster a greater sense of inclusion among hybrid / remote workers? Are they hoping that your ERGs attract new talent? Retain current talent? Are they interested in seeing if your ERGs can foster meaningful connections with your external community / CSR efforts? There are so many reasons companies invest in ERGs, but we can't measure their success unless we set clear goals, track against them (qualitatively and qualitatively) and communicate clearly with our cross-functional stakeholders. Once you align on these goals, then you can start to track the most effective way to measure their impact.
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Is there a "right" amount of budget or time to allocate to ERGs?

‍I always like to come back to a story from our ERG Leadership Community when I get this question. In a breakout room in a Community meet up, two ERG leaders were chatting about their budgets. One was lamenting how small their budgets were, while the other was proudly sharing how much they were able to accomplish thanks to their big budgets. Throughout the conversation, they got comfortable enough to share tactical tips and ideas with each other, regardless of budget-size. By the end of the conversation, they were comfortable enough to share the actual amount of their budgets. They had the exact same budget.

Why do I share this story? I think it encapsulates perfectly the point that there are no easy answers when it comes to the size of your budget or the resources in general you allocate to ERGs. It will depend on some alchemy of fiscal priorities, equitable allocation, number of employees, maturity of your program, executive buy-in, and a whole host of other factors that make this both an art and a science. Choose a starting point and iterate from there.
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How do we make the most of our resources (time, money and bandwidth)?

‍One of the top ways to see your resources go farther is by encouraging intersectionality and cross-collaboration. Opportunities where ERGs can work together mean that not only will your resources go farther, but you'll also likely reach new audiences. At a time when we're all busy and bandwidth-constrained, this is super valuable. So, find ways to foster that intersectional magic between ERGs.

Key Takeaways

• ERG Resources are a combination of Budget, Time & Team Support
• Over 80% of ERG Programs are increasing or holding steady their resources allocated to ERG program efforts
• Tying your ERG Program to organizational priorities can help justify increased investment into the groups

Join Our Community!

To discuss topics like this and learn how to run an amazing program, join us at our free Monthly ERG/DEIB Program Manager Meet Up. Share insights, network with peers, and enhance your ERG leadership strategies. Sign up here.

Verbate is a company that supports hundreds of ERG Leaders and Program Managers. They gather insights and data from these leaders across the space, and share it to increase knowledge about what makes ERGs resilient over time.

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