9 Top Strategies to Maximize Workplace Giving at Your Org

Employee giving programs present a valuable opportunity for nonprofits to build sustainable funding, engage new supporters, and deepen relationships with corporate partners. However, to fully benefit from these programs and maximize workplace giving success, nonprofits must take an active role in promoting and optimizing their participation.

Taking a passive approach is no longer enough. Instead, strategic engagement is key to maximizing donations and long-term support.

In this blog, we’ll explore nine top strategies to help your nonprofit unlock the full potential of workplace giving and increase its impact overall. These include:

1. Forming a dedicated workplace giving committee.
2. Raising awareness of workplace giving programs.
3. Collecting employment data as supporters engage.
4. Investing in software to identify workplace giving opportunities.
5. Establishing one-off workplace giving partnerships.
6. Reminding donors to request matching gifts.
7. Encouraging volunteers to request volunteer grants.
8. Educating supporters about payroll giving.
9. Recognizing and appreciating workplace giving participants.

By implementing these expert strategies, your nonprofit can take a more active approach to workplace giving, ensuring that no opportunity for support goes unnoticed. Let’s begin!

1. Form a dedicated workplace giving committee.

A strong workplace giving program requires intentional effort and ongoing engagement, which is why forming a dedicated workplace giving committee can be a game-changer for your nonprofit. Once established, this committee can help drive participation, build relationships with corporate partners, and ensure that workplace giving remains a strategic priority for your organization.

In other words, having a dedicated team focused on workplace giving ensures that efforts don’t become an afterthought.

To ensure long-term success, your workplace giving committee should meet regularly to discuss goals, review progress, and adapt your strategies as needed. Additionally, providing committee members with resources and training on workplace giving and related trends will help them stay informed and effective in their roles to seize emerging opportunities.

2. Raise awareness of workplace giving programs.

Even if a workplace giving program exists, many of the company’s employees may not know about it or fully understand how to participate. Raising awareness is crucial to increasing engagement and ensuring that more individuals take advantage of these giving opportunities.

Here are some effective strategies to ensure workplace giving stays top-of-mind for your supporters:

• Integrate Workplace Giving into Your Communication Channels. Add a dedicated section about workplace giving to your nonprofit’s website, include information in donor newsletters, email campaigns, and social media posts, and share testimonials and success stories from donors who have participated in workplace giving in the past.
• Leverage Corporate Partners for Promotion. Work with companies’ HR and corporate social responsibility teams to promote workplace giving internally. Ask companies to highlight your nonprofit as a giving option in their employee communications and provide businesses with promotional materials, such as flyers and email templates, to distribute to employees.
• Educate Supporters During the Engagement Process. Include a reminder about workplace giving on your donation pages, event registration forms, and gift thank-you screens. Then, use automated emails to prompt supporters to check if their employer offers a workplace giving program.

Raising awareness isn’t a one-time effort. The best results require ongoing promotion to keep workplace giving at the top of people’s minds.

The more frequently and clearly you communicate these opportunities, the more likely employees will participate. After all, a well-informed donor is more likely to take advantage of these programs, helping your organization maximize its impact.

3. Collect employment data as supporters engage.

One of the most effective ways to maximize workplace giving is to collect employment data from your supporters. After all, many of your donors are likely eligible for workplace giving programs, such as matching gifts and volunteer grants. However, your nonprofit may never know unless you ask.

Here are some simple yet effective ways to gather employment information from your supporters:

• Include an Employment Field on Donation Forms. Add a field asking for employer details on your online and offline donation forms. For better conversion results, let users know why you’re collecting the information: to unlock workplace giving potential!
• Gather Employment Data in Volunteer Sign-ups. Volunteers can qualify for workplace giving programs, too! Make it easy to uncover opportunities by collecting employment information as volunteers sign up to support your cause.
• Ask for Employer Information During Event Registrations. Whether it’s a fundraising gala, walkathon, or charity auction, collect employment data when supporters register.
• Implement Post-Engagement Touchpoints. After an individual gives or registers for an event, send a follow-up letting them know that workplace giving participation can multiply their impact and providing another chance to share their employer’s name.

Once you’ve collected employment data, be sure to put it to good use.

By making employment data collection a routine part of donor engagement, your nonprofit can unlock hidden workplace giving potential and increase revenue with minimal additional effort. The more you know about where your supporters work, the better positioned you’ll be to help them amplify their impact.

4. Invest in software to identify workplace giving opportunities.

Workplace giving programs offer a significant fundraising opportunity, but manually identifying and managing these programs can be overwhelming. Investing in the right software can streamline the process, helping your nonprofit uncover opportunities, track donor eligibility, and increase workplace giving participation with minimal administrative effort.

More specifically, workplace giving software like Double the Donation can do the following:

• Automatically identify donors who work for companies with matching gift or volunteer incentive programs.
• Provide donors with easy access to their employer’s giving policies and submission forms.
• Streamline tracking and reporting, ensuring no opportunity is missed.
• Reduce administrative burden, allowing staff to focus on donor engagement rather than manual research.

By leveraging software to identify and pursue workplace giving opportunities, your organization can significantly increase incoming revenue, reduce administrative burdens, and make it easier for supporters to maximize their impact.

5. Establish one-off workplace giving partnerships.

Not all companies have formal workplace giving programs in place, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t open to supporting their employees’ charitable interests. If your nonprofit identifies a business where multiple employees are already donating or volunteering, this presents a perfect opportunity to establish a one-off workplace giving partnership.

To find the best companies to approach for a workplace giving partnership, start by reviewing donor and volunteer data to identify businesses where employees are actively involved. You might even ask supporters if they’d be willing to advocate for such a program on your behalf⁠—or, at the very least, make a warm introduction for your cause.

Once you’ve identified a company with interested staff, craft a compelling proposal that highlights the benefits of a one-off initiative. Your pitch should include:

• Proof of employee interest — Provide data showing that a sizable group of employees has already donated or volunteered with your nonprofit.
• A simple way to get involved — Suggest an easy-to-implement initiative, such as a limited-time matching gift campaign, volunteer support program, or company-sponsored fundraising challenge.
• The business benefits — Explain how the partnership enhances employee engagement, strengthens corporate social responsibility (CSR), and aligns with the company’s values.
• A timeline and clear next steps — Make it as easy as possible for the company to say yes by offering a structured plan and direct point of contact.

By proactively establishing exclusive workplace giving partnerships, your nonprofit can tap into new corporate funding sources, deepen relationships with supporters’ employers, and even convert temporary giving initiatives into long-term corporate partnerships. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!

6. Remind donors to request matching gifts.

One of the most effective ways to maximize workplace giving is by reminding donors to request matching gifts from their employers. Thousands of companies offer matching gift programs, but a large number of donors fail to take full advantage of these opportunities.

By proactively reminding donors about matching gifts, your nonprofit can significantly increase the impact of each donation and cultivate a stronger culture of giving.

To ensure that donors remember to request matching gifts, your nonprofit must actively remind them about the process. Here are several effective strategies to maximize matching gift participation:

• Include Matching Gift Information on Thank-You Pages. As soon as a donor completes a transaction on your website, direct them to a confirmation or thank-you page that includes a reminder about matching gifts as a recommended next step. You can even offer a link to a search tool where donors can quickly check if their employer offers matching gifts.
• Send Dedicated Reminder Emails. After a donor makes a gift, send an email specifically asking them to check if their employer offers matching gifts⁠—and to complete a request if so. For the best results, include clear, easy-to-follow instructions for submitting the matching gift request and provide links to the appropriate matching gift portal.
• Leverage Social Media. Post regular reminders on your social media channels about the impact of matching gifts and how easy it is for supporters to take part. You can even share stories of donors whose gifts were matched, showcasing the enhanced impact of their contributions.

As donors submit their matching gift requests, track their progress and follow up with additional reminders if necessary. By actively reminding donors to request matching gifts, your nonprofit can maximize the value of each donation.

7. Encourage volunteers to request volunteer grants.

Many companies offer volunteer grant programs, where they donate a set amount of money to a charitable organization based on the number of hours an employee volunteers. For example, if an employee serves 10 hours at your nonprofit, their employer might donate $100 (or more) to your cause.

Unfortunately, these grants are often overlooked. But by reminding and encouraging volunteers to request the funding, your nonprofit can unlock additional revenue with little effort. After all, it’s a simple and effective way to maximize the impact of your volunteers’ contributions while strengthening relationships with corporate partners.

Here are some effective ways to remind volunteers about volunteer grants⁠—and ensure they request them:

• Highlight Volunteer Grant Opportunities During Sign-Up. When volunteers register for events or shifts, include a reminder about volunteer grants. You can even add an employer search tool for easy access to company-specific volunteer grant information!
• Send a Post-Event Volunteer Grant Reminder. After a volunteer event or activity, send an email or text message reminding volunteers to submit their hours for volunteer grants.
• Provide Clear Instructions. Include a simple guide or step-by-step instructions on how volunteers can apply for volunteer grants from their employers. This could be on your website, in email follow-ups, or on social media.

By actively encouraging volunteers to request volunteer grants, your nonprofit can generate additional funding and better engage with supporters. Helping volunteers access this benefit is an easy way to make their time with your organization even more impactful.

8. Educate supporters about payroll giving.

Payroll giving is an easy, consistent, and effective way for employees to donate to their favorite causes directly from their paychecks. By educating supporters about the opportunity, you can provide them with a simple method to contribute regularly to your nonprofit. This ultimately leads to increasingly steady and reliable funding while building a more engaged donor base.

However, many supporters may not realize how easy it is to set up payroll giving⁠—or even that it’s available to them. This is where education comes in.

To help your supporters take full advantage of payroll giving opportunities, your nonprofit must provide clear and accessible information about the process and how they can get started. Here’s how you can do so:

• Promote Payroll Giving as a Consistent Giving Option: In addition to one-time donations, encourage supporters to set up payroll giving as a reliable and ongoing way to contribute.
• Combine Payroll Giving with Other Campaigns: If you’re running a special fundraising campaign, like a year-end appeal or giving day, remind your supporters that they can also donate through payroll giving, which can be just as impactful over time.
• Offer Incentives: Reward supporters who sign up for payroll giving with recognition or exclusive updates about the impact of their ongoing contributions. For example, donors who commit to a certain level of payroll giving could receive special recognition on your website or in your newsletters⁠—or a free branded t-shirt.

Plus, don’t forget to remind your supporters about employer matching opportunities here, too. Many companies will match donations made through payroll giving, doubling (or more) the value of each gift.

9. Recognize and appreciate workplace giving participants.

One of the most effective ways to encourage continued support through workplace giving programs is to show appreciation for those who contribute.

When supporters feel valued and seen, they are more likely to continue their involvement, inspire others to join, and even increase their contributions over time.

Luckily, there are many ways to recognize and show appreciation to those who support your cause through workplace giving. Here are a few ideas to make them feel truly appreciated:

• Personalized Thank-You Notes ⁠— Send personalized thank-you notes to each workplace giving participant. Express the impact their contribution has made, whether it’s supporting a program, reaching a fundraising goal, or furthering your nonprofit’s mission.
• Feature Donors in Communications ⁠— Recognize donors in newsletters, social media posts, or on your website. A simple shout-out can not only make the donor feel special but also inspire others to get involved.
• Share Impact Reports ⁠— Provide updates on how workplace giving contributions are being used to further your mission. Donors love to know how their support is making a difference. Provide tangible examples—such as success stories, photos, or financial reports—to demonstrate the real-world impact of their contributions.
• Incorporate Employer Recognition ⁠— Recognize the companies that support your nonprofit through workplace giving programs, too. You can publicly thank these businesses in your communications or acknowledge their efforts in annual reports, newsletters, or social media.

All in all, recognizing workplace giving participants helps create a lasting connection between donors, companies, and your nonprofit. By consistently showing appreciation and making donors feel part of your organization’s success, you’re building a community of supporters who are more likely to remain loyal to your cause for years to come.

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Final thoughts & additional workplace giving resources

By leveraging these strategies, your nonprofit can strengthen workplace giving partnerships, increase supporter participation, and secure more sustainable funding for your cause. Engaging employees, building relationships with corporate partners, and making it easy for donors to participate are all essential steps toward long-term success.

Keep in mind that with a proactive approach like this, your organization can transform workplace giving into a powerful tool for growth and impact. Start implementing these strategies today to maximize support for your mission!

Interested in learning more about maximizing workplace giving for your cause? Check out these additional resources:

• Free Download: Guide to Developing a Workplace Giving Plan. Get started with workplace giving by developing a well-thought-out plan for your efforts. This free downloadable resource will walk you through it step by step!
• Tips for Tracking & Pursuing Corporate Giving Opportunities. Uncover our top tips and tricks for tracking and pursuing corporate giving with ease. This blog outlines leading strategies for raising more through corporate giving.
• Get to Know the Basics of Corporate Matching Gift Programs. Matching gifts are one of the most popular forms of workplace giving. Learn everything there is to know about these programs in our complete guide!