If You Had to Have Pillars...

Let me start with this: I hesitate to even use the word “pillars.”

Why?

Because the second we label something a “pillar,” folks start mistaking it for strategy. And that’s a much longer conversation we’ll save for another time. But for the sake of this article, let’s say you’re in a situation where you need to bucket or categorize your ERG programming into types. You’ve been told you need “pillars.” Fine. Let’s talk about what they should be—and why the default frameworks aren’t cutting it.

Right now, many ERG teams are still using the 4Cs. Oftentimes, this results in programming getting backfilled into pillars, instead of being designed around member intent. And when you structure your program around that kind of logic, you’re building for checkboxes—not people.

So let me offer an alternative.

From Corporate Buckets to Member Goals

Most companies have a value that resembles customer-centricity. The idea that the customer’s needs, behaviors, and motivations should drive product design, communication, and service delivery.

We need to treat ERG Programs the same way.

ERGs are community containers. Which means the members are the customers. And your programming? That’s the product.

If we take that idea seriously, then our programming needs to be mapped to the actual reasons members join—not the internal frameworks companies find easiest to present in a slide deck.

And when you actually ask people why they join ERGs (as I’ve done many times in live keynote presentations), the top three reasons are always the same:

1. To meet people (a.k.a. community and networking)

2. To learn something new (a.k.a. learning and development)

3. To give back (a.k.a. volunteerism)

So instead of the 4Cs, I propose we organize programming around Member Goals—a human-centered framework that actually makes sense to the people we’re designing for.

CGG: The Three Member Goals

Connect

→ Meet people. Network. Build community.

This speaks to the primary reason people show up in the first place. It’s not always about the event itself—it’s about who they’ll meet, how they’ll feel, and whether they’ll walk away more connected than they were before.

Grow

→ Learn new skills. Expand your perspective.

This is the learning lane—but it doesn’t have to be limited to traditional L&D. Growth might look like better understanding your identity, deepening your knowledge of company operations, or building transferable skills.

Give

→ Give back. Pay it forward.

This pillar is about purpose and impact. Whether that’s mentoring others (giving advice), participating in shared collective work with nonprofits (giving time / a hand), or even donations (giving money) —people want to feel useful and activated to causes they care about.

Why This Framework Works

✔️ It helps ERG Leads design programming with clear intent

✔️ It speaks directly to member motivations, not company jargon

✔️ It promotes consistency without prescribing sameness

And perhaps most importantly: it gives ERG leaders a better filter for decision-making. Instead of asking, “Which pillar does this fit under?”, they’re asking, “What need does this program meet?”

A Note on Strategy vs Structure and Governance

To be clear: this isn’t your ERG strategy. This is just a structure to organize programming. A useful one, yes—but still just structure. Strategy is a different beast. That’s where The ERG Movement Model comes in—helping you think through how your ERG ecosystem evolves over time, how capacity builds, and how you scale without burning out. But if you had to pick a new programming framework, this is the one I’d recommend.

Quick note before you get too comfy with these pillars: I’m giving you these because, yes, I know people love a good framework. But let me be crystal clear—THIS IS NOT a framework for how to structure your ERG leadership team. I’m actually very against pillar-based roles. I’ve written about it elsewhere, but just know that while these can be helpful lenses for thinking about programming or purpose, they should not become silos on your team. Structure should serve clarity, not create chaos.

It’s about member logic. And when you build from that place, your programs don’t just sound better.

They work better.

One last note: Yes, members may join ERGs for different reasons. But the clearest, most aligned goals for any ERG are to:

1. Connect – Build authentic community.

2. Grow – Develop professionally and personally.

3. Give – Contribute meaningfully.

If your program focuses on these three—and does them well—your ERGs become undeniably valuable to both members and the business.

At the end of the day, everyone’s entitled to their approach. But The ERG Movement is for people who want to get ERGs right—and yes, we do believe there’s a right way. A way that drives real impact for both members and the business without burning out volunteers, becoming a legal headache, or requiring constant micromanagement from the ERG Program Manager. If that’s what you’re building toward, you’re in the right place.