2 Of The Most Popular Ways To Get Donations From Companies
Matching Gifts
Matching gifts are donations made by a company that match the charitable contributions of its employees. Employee gift matching programs are the perfect opportunity for your organization to secure more funding from companies with little additional work.
Volunteer Grants
Volunteer grant programs are also known as “Dollars for Doers” programs, and through these programs, employers offer monetary grants to the organizations that their employees regularly volunteer for. It’s the ideal way to combine fundraising, volunteerism, and corporate giving.
Match More Gifts With Double the Donation
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution, 360MatchPro.
How to Cultivate Relationships with Companies
Thank Them Regularly
Companies give back for a multitude of reasons, and exemplifying corporate social responsibility is a big one. As a result, your corporate partners are some of the most valuable relationships you have. Express your appreciation by regularly thanking them. Otherwise, they may feel as if their support is going unnoticed.
Go above and beyond a generic email or a quick phone call by creating personalized thank-you eCards and letters. Backed by eCard recognition tools, you can create visually engaging digital thank-you cards that eliminate the need to mail paper cards and spend extra money on postage.
You’ll simply design your charity eCards using built-in tools, helping to communicate your appreciation. Depending on your provider, you can add the cards directly to your site on a private page for your leadership to access. Then, when a team member wants to thank a company, they can select the card they want, enter the company point-of-contact’s detail, and add a personalized message.
Whether a company contributes a good bit through matching gifts or regularly sponsors your events, cranking your appreciation up a notch might inspire them to stick around.
Invite Them To Events
In many cases, your company partners provide in-kind donations and financial support to fund your events, helping cover essential logistical costs. Invite these companies to attend and mingle with attendees and your staff. Even if they’re not sponsoring the event, company leadership might enjoy attending and interacting with your team.
Best of all, eCards lend themselves well to this approach, too. Use your eCard software to create invitations to invite companies to your next event.
Reach Out During The Holidays
The year-end season is a time to express gratitude and reflect on the year behind us. Reach out to your corporate sponsors by giving them a quick call, sending an email, or sharing a festive card. For your particularly generous partners, you might send a gift basket.
If you take the digital card approach, create a few designs for different holidays, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanza, and New Year’s. Also, design a general holiday card to cover all your bases. Then, you can select the one that the recipient will appreciate the most.
Letting them know you’re thinking about them during the holiday season is a fantastic way to cultivate your relationship and kick the new year off on the right foot. It may even encourage them to submit any last-minute donations for the year. After all, the holiday season is the most generous time of year. December alone accounts for 30% of all charitable fundraising.
Technology Companies That Donate
Google’s Donation Program
Google’s Matching Gift Program
Google matches donations (up to $10,000) per employee each year and provides disaster relief/international relief donations for the same amount.
Google also matches funds employees personally raise for charitable events, like walks, marathons, bike rides, and any other events where employees are actively participating.
Google’s Volunteer Grant Program
To submit a volunteer grant, employees just need to volunteer at a qualifying nonprofit for at least an hour. For every hour they spend volunteering, Google will donate $10 to the nonprofit they volunteered with.
Google Ad Grants
Google Ad Grants is Google’s way of empowering nonprofits to raise awareness for their causes by providing them with up to $10,000 in grant monies to spend on Google search results ads.
Google ads appear on the top of search results for various terms relevant to your nonprofit, helping your organization drive traffic to your website and reach new supporters. Craft ads focused around your most important pages, such as the donation page for an ongoing campaign, your volunteer opportunities page, information about how to access your services, or articles spreading awareness about important issues related to your cause.
Then, when supporters search a keyword related to your cause, they’ll be shown one of your ads right at the top of their search results.
The Google Ad Grant is open to nearly all nonprofits, exempting government organizations and educational institutions. Learn how to apply, create ads that’ll get clicked on, and maintain compliance with Google’s regulations by getting help from a Google Ad Grant consulting firm like Getting Attention. They’ll manage every step of the application process, conduct comprehensive keyword research, and help you get your account back if it’s every deactivated.
Apple’s Donation Program
Apple’s Matching Gift Program
Apple has an extremely generous employee matching gift program.
They match donations as small as $1 all the way up to $10,000 per employee per year to nearly all 501(c)(3) organizations.
Full- and part-time employees are eligible.
Apple’s Volunteer Grant Program
Apple offers a volunteer grant program that provides grants to nonprofits where employees volunteer on a regular basis.
For every hour an Apple employee volunteers with a nonprofit organization, Apple donates $25 to that organization. There is no minimum threshold, but Apple employees should log their volunteer hours and request grants in the company’s online giving portal.
Best Buy’s Donation Program
Best Buy’s Volunteer Grant Program
In addition to each store handling donation requests from the greater community, Best Buy offers a team volunteer grant program.
When groups of employees volunteer together, the team is eligible to request grants for the local organization.
Each grant ranges from between $250-$500, plus you get the benefit of a team of Best Buy employees volunteering with your organization.
Best Buy Donation Requests
Best Buy focuses its philanthropic giving on causes that promote technological literacy.
Best Buy is dedicated to supporting nonprofit organizations and programs that provide teens with opportunities to develop technology skills.
Nonprofits must first complete the online grant eligibility quiz. If they qualify, applications may be completed during specific times of each year.
General Electric’s Donation Program
General Electric’s Matching Gift Program
Believe it or not, GE was actually the first company to introduce a matching gift program. The company came up with the program in 1954 and paved the road for many other companies to institute their own matching gift programs for their employees.
GE matches at a 1:1 ratio with a minimum required donation of $25 and a maximum donation of $5,000 per year. Employees (both part and full-time), spouses, and retirees are all eligible for their matching gift program.
General Electric Donation Requests
GE is one of the world’s largest companies by revenue, and their foundation has programs designed to help organizations focused on health, education, skills, and public policy.
The GE foundation works with hundreds of nonprofits worldwide, sometimes through company grants. Unfortunately, GE does not encourage unsolicited grant proposals. The company invites specific organizations to apply within the targeted initiatives it has developed.
HP’s Donation Program
HP’s Matching Gift Program
HP’s matching gift program is unique in that it will match at up to a 3:1 ratio depending on how the donation is made.
The company provides a 1:1 match on cash donations with ranging from $25 to $1,000 or a 3:1 match on up to $15,000 in HP technology when employees support organizations with product donations.
HP’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through HP’s employee volunteer rewards program, HP provides $50 Good Cards to every US employee who volunteers for at least 10 hours per quarter.
Good Cards are issued through HP’s relationship with Network for Good and allows employees to donate $50 to a charity of their choice.
HP Donation Requests
HP gives laptops and equipment to schools, sponsors local events, and provides funding for nonprofits and schools in needs.
Because HP receives hundreds of grant requests each year, it will not accept unsolicited requests. It focuses its grants on strategically chosen projects and nonprofits.
Microsoft’s Donation Program
Microsoft’s Matching Gift Program
Microsoft offers one of the most generous matching gift programs to date.
Through the company’s matching gift program, donations from employees of between $25 and $15,000 annually will be matched at a 1:1 ratio.
Microsoft’s Volunteer Grant Program
Microsoft employees who volunteer can request a grant of $25 per every hour volunteered.
There is no minimum threshold, and employees can request grants for a wide variety of nonprofits.
Microsoft’s Software Donation Program
Microsoft donates $2 million dollars in software per day.
The company believes that technology can increase productivity, boost collaborative effectiveness, and extend nonprofit services to new communities and individuals in need.
Eligible organizations can access Microsoft Cloud offers for free or at a significant discount through their Cloud Services Program.
Office 365 for Nonprofits
Last year, over 86,000 nonprofits received Microsoft technology donations, and over 11,000 nonprofits received Office 365 donations. Qualified nonprofits can receive Office 365 free or at a significant discount.
This program is designed to reduce software expenses while increasing organizational capacity and fostering better team collaboration, so you can do more and make a bigger impact.
Verizon’s Donation Program
Verizon’s Matching Gift Program
Verizon has a solid matching gift program in place for its full-time and part time employees and for its retirees.
Most U.S. based organizations, U.S. public and private schools, and U.S. accredited colleges and universities are eligible.
Verizon matches donations at a 1:1 ratio, with a minimum gift requirement of $25 and a maximum gift requirement of $1,000 per year, per donor.
The company will match a maximum of $5,000 per year, per donor for donations to higher education.
Verizon’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through Verizon’s Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP), the company provides grants to nonprofits where employees volunteer on a regular basis.
After an employee volunteers for 50 hours with an organization in one year, Verizon provides a volunteer grant of $750 to that organization.
Each Verizon employee can request up to two separate $750 grants each year as long as 50 hours have been volunteered with each organization.
The volunteer grant program is only available to current employees.
Verizon Donation Requests
Verizon focuses its philanthropic efforts primarily on healthcare, STEM education, energy management, and domestic violence education & prevention.
A grant application to the Verizon Foundation should abide by the following guidelines:
- Grant funds may not be used for real property or plant capital purchases.
- At least 85% of the total grant funds must be comprised of direct costs.
- IT-infrastructure related purchases should total no more than 20 percent of the grant’s total direct costs.
Cisco’s Donation Program
Cisco’s Matching Gift Program
Cisco’s matching gift program is open to all employees, but retirees are not eligible.
Cisco matches donations to all kinds of nonprofit organizations at a 1:1 ratio.
Donations must be at least $50, and employees can only have $1,000 matched annually.
Cisco Donation Requests
Cisco and its foundation provide grants, volunteer time, and in-kind donations to nonprofits.
Cisco specifically supports organizations invested in reducing hunger and increasing access to education and technology.
The grant programs accept applications year-round.
IBM’s Donation Program
IBM’s Matching Gift Program
IBM (International Business Machines) matches donations that part-time, full-time, and retired employees make to educational institutions, health and human service organizations, arts and culture nonprofits, and environmental organizations.
IBM offers a 1:1 cash match and a 2:1 equipment match for donations made by current employees. They also offer a .50:1 cash match and a 1:1 equipment match for donations made by retirees.
Donations ranging from $25 to $5,000 are eligible to be matched.
IBM Donation Requests
The main focus of IBM’s grant program is on societal problems, the environment, economic development, education, health, and literacy.
They make donations of cash, technology, and volunteer time to support nonprofits whose focus aligns with IBM’s.
They do not make donations for fundraising events, capital campaigns, endowments, or political groups.
Secure Corporate Donations from Matching Gifts
Products and Services Companies That Donate
Boeing’s Donation Program
Boeing’s Matching Gift Program
Employee donations between $25 and $6,000 will be matched at a 1:1 ratio.
Full-time employees, board members, part-time employees, and retirees are all eligible to request matching gifts, although retirees receive a 0.5:1 match rather than a 1:1 match.
Boeing’s Volunteer Grant Program
Boeing offers two types of volunteer grants for employees:
- Individual volunteer grants: Employees who volunteer with nonprofits can submit requests for a $250 for every 25 hours of volunteering (max of $6,000).
- Cause-related walk grants: Boeing provides a $100 grant for every fundraising walk, run, or bike event that an employee participates in.
Boeing Donation Requests
Boeing encourages its employees to pool their donations together into a single gift. Boeing takes care of all administrative costs, so 100% of the given money goes towards strengthening local communities.
ECF grants have helped projects such as:
- Fighting homelessness
- Stocking food banks
- Helping at-risk children succeed in school
- Job training for the unemployed
- Funding critical health services
- Supporting veterans programs
BP’s Donation Program
BP’s Matching Gift Program
BP will match gifts between $25 and $5,000 at a 1:1 ratio.
BP’s matching gift program is open to a wide range of nonprofits. The annual maximum grant total is $5,000 per employee.
BP’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through BP’s volunteer grant program, when BP employees volunteer a minimum of 25 hours with a nonprofit, that organization will receive a grant worth $10 per hour.
The annual maximum grant total is $5,000 per employee.
BP Donation Requests
As one of the largest companies in the world, BP’s community grant programs are primarily local initiatives. The company supports local nonprofits in the communities where its employees live and work. As a result, there isn’t a single grant form, but rather grant requests are handled by region.
Disney’s Donation Program
Disney’s Matching Gift Program
Disney allows full-time and part-time employees to double their donations to all kinds of nonprofits with their generous matching gift program.
Disney will match a minimum of $25 and will double donations all the way up to $15,000.
Employees must register their donations online and then email the matching gift certificate to the nonprofit. This certificate includes a Gift ID which the nonprofit then uses to claim the matching donation.
Disney’s Volunteer Grant Program
Disney’s VoluntEARS are encouraged to apply for an “EARS to You” grant of up to $2,000, payable to an eligible nonprofit of their choice.
The amount of the contribution is based on the number of hours the Disney Cast Member volunteers in a calendar year.
Additionally, Disney also offers “VoluntEARS of the Year” grants (usually awarded at $2,500) which recognize exceptional individual volunteers.
Disney Donation Requests
Disney offers financial and in-kind donations to the following groups, organizations, and causes:
- Children’s hospitals
- Disaster preparedness and relief
- Military families
- Organizations that promote healthy lifestyles
- Environmental organizations
Disney also offers park tickets that are used for fundraising efforts. Ticket requests must be received a minimum of 60 days and no more than six months prior to the event date.
Home Depot’s Donation Program
Home Depot’s Community Impact Grants
Through Home Depot’s Community Impact Grants, the company provides grants in the form of The Home Depot gift cards for the purchase of tools, materials, or services.
Community Impact Grants of up to $5,000 are available to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and tax-exempt public service agencies in the United States that are using the power of volunteers to improve the physical health of their community.
Home Depot’s Matching Gift Program
Employees who donate to a nonprofit organization of their choosing can request that their donation be matched by The Home Depot Foundation.
The Home Depot Foundation will match donations between $25 and $1,000 from each full-time or part-time employee to a U.S. organization or Revenue Canada organization.
While there’s a $1,000 limit per employee per nonprofit, each employee can request up to a total of $3,000 per year as long as matches go to multiple nonprofits.
Johnson & Johnson’s Donation Program
Johnson & Johnson’s Matching Gift Program
Johnson & Johnson will match employee donation between $25 and $20,000.
The company matches 2:1 for current employees and gives up to $20,000, while it matches 1:1 for retirees and gives up to $10,000.
Johnson & Johnson Donation Requests
Each year Johnson & Johnson gives close to $1 billion in cash and non-cash donations.
Their pillars of giving entail a commitment to saving and improving the lives of women and children, preventing disease among vulnerable populations, and strengthening the healthcare workforce. While J&J supports a wide range of nonprofits with their product donations, the company does not accept unsolicited requests for funding.
Coinstar’s Donation Program
Coinstar’s Matching Gift Program
Coinstar offers a matching gift program through which employees’ donations (between $50 and $5,000) are matched at a 1:1 ratio
The program is available to full- and part-time employees. Coinstar will match donations to most nonprofits as long as the request is sent before January 31st of the year following the donation date.
Coinstar’s Volunteer Grant Program
After Coinstar employees volunteer for at least 10 hours in a year with an organization, the company will provide a grant to the organization.
Coinstar grants $150 for every 10 hours volunteered (up to $600 per employee).
State Farm’s Donation Program
State Farm’s Matching Gift Program
State Farm’s matching gift program focuses primarily on 2-year and 4- year colleges and universities.
State Farm employees and retirees are eligible to request matching gifts, as long as their donations are a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $3,000 per calendar year.
State Farm’s Volunteer Grant Program
State Farm provides grants to nonprofits where employees, agents, and retirees volunteer on a regular basis.
Once an employee, agent, or retiree volunteers for 40 hours in a calendar year, State Farm will donate $500 to the organization through their Good Neighbor Grant Program.
State Farm volunteers must submit their grant applications by March 31st of the following year.
State Farm Donation Requests
Every year, State Farm awards $5 million to youth-led service learning projects to solve issues important to the company and communities across the United States.
Educational institutions and nonprofits are both welcome to apply for these grants.
Grant requests must range between $25,000 and $100,000 can can be made solely through the Youth Advisory Board website.
SONY’s Donation Program
SONY’s Matching Gift Program
SONY offers a matching gift program to full-time and part-time employees as well as retirees.
They will match donations ranging from $50 to $2,000 at a 1:1 ratio.
Matching gift requests must be submitted within 90 days of the initial donation date. SONY will only match donations made to arts and cultural institutions, educational organizations, or hospitals.
Each type of organization must also submit different types of paperwork and forms in order to be considered eligible for the matching donations.
SONY Donation Requests
SONY focuses its social responsibility efforts on helping local communities, investing in education, supporting the arts, helping underserved youths, and protecting the environment.
And although SONY doesn’t have a volunteer grant program, they do place a heavy emphasis on volunteerism across all of the different areas they support.
SONY also has a grant program that helps fund organizations that focus on creative, artistic, technical, and scientific skills.
There is no application, but interested organizations can submit a request in writing to the company.
Samsung’s Donation Program
Samsung Donation Requests
Samsung focuses its corporate philanthropy efforts on three areas: health, education, and sustainability.
Samsung has started programs such as the Children’s Health Fund, “Ready, Set, Gold!”, the Solve for Tomorrow Contest, the Mobile App Academy, the Samsung Summer Science Program, Techbridge, and more!
All of their programs are under the umbrella “Samsung: Hope for Children” program.
Samsung Foundation
The Samsung Foundation, a separate but related entity to the company, helps fund culture and arts projects as well as social welfare projects around the world.
The Samsung Foundation of Culture runs several museums, including the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, the Ho-Am Art Museum, and PLATEAU, the renamed Rodin Gallery.
The Samsung Foundation also offers scholarships, childcare centers, and educations and cultural centers.
Build out Your School’s or Nonprofit’s Matching Gift Strategy
Food and Grocery Companies That Donate
Coca-Cola’s Donation Program
Coca-Cola’s Matching Gift Program
Coca-Cola offers a matching gift program for employees through which the company triples donations to educational organizations, arts & cultural organizations and environmental groups.
If you have donors who work for Coke, then make sure they’re submitting these grant requests, as the tripling of employee donations can go a long way.
Coca-Cola Donation Requests
Coca-Cola is consistently ranked as having the world’s #1 most recognized brand. As part of Coke’s commitment to ensuring that the communities where the company operates are both healthy and sustainable, it’s investment priorities focus on the following global pillars:
- Water stewardship
- Active healthy living
- Community recycling
- Education
Coke’s donation requests can be divided into the following three categories:
- Grants or Contributions
- Community Sponsorships
- Product Donations
CVS’s Donation Program
CVS’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through the CVS Caremark Charitable Trust, CVS supports nonprofits where employees volunteer by giving two types of grants ranging from $500-$3,000:
- Individual volunteer grants – Based on individual employees volunteering between 15 and 100 hours in a year. Worth up to $1,500.
- Team volunteer grants – Based on teams of employee volunteers who get together for either a charitable event (ex. run, walk, or ride), or ongoing volunteerism throughout the year. Worth up to $3,000.
CVS Donation Requests
CVS Caremark offers a number of philanthropic programs.
For nonprofits in cities where CVS operates, the company has a grant program. Qualifying community-based organizations can apply for a CVS pharmacy gift card of up to $100 that can be used for items such as:
- School supplies
- Personal care items
- Water
- Sunscreen
General Mills’ Donation Program
General Mills’ Matching Gift Program
General Mills matches donations from employees, board members, and retirees to many nonprofits including:
- Educational institutions (K-12 included)
- Arts and cultural organizations
- And select other organizations
Annual match maximums per employee, board member, and retiree range from $5,000-$15,000. The company offers an easy to use electronic matching gift submission process.
General Mills Donation Requests
Last year along, General Mills distributed over $27 million in grants and matching gifts in areas related to:
- Hunger
- Nutrition wellness
- Education
Additionally, General Mills gave nearly $50 million in in kind food donations last year.
Although grant programs are invitation only, they help nonprofits improve nutrition education and communities across the country.
Kroger’s Donation Program
Kroger Donation Requests
Kroger and its subsidiaries make charitable efforts each year in order to support their local communities. Much of these charitable efforts come in the form of donations to nonprofits who have made donation requests to the company.
Some of Kroger’s larger subsidiaries that also accept donation requests include:
- Harris Teeter
- Ralph’s
- Fred Meyer
- Fry’s
- Smith’s
- Foods and Co.
Kroger and its subsidiaries accept donation requests from schools, churches, public entities, and 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Organizations requesting donations must be located in the geographic area in which the Kroger or its subsidiaries are based, and they must serve a community where their employees and customers live and work.
Kroger Community Rewards
Kroger is committed to helping their communities prosper and grow.
Part of that commitment is shown through the Kroger Community Rewards program.
Year after year, local schools, churches, and other nonprofits earn millions of dollars through this program that makes fundraising easy.
All individuals have to do is shop and Kroger and swipe their Plus Card.
McDonald’s Donation Program
McDonald’s Matching Gift Program
McDonald’s matching gift program allows corporate full-time employees and part-time employees to have their donations matched at a 1:1 ratio. The minimum amount required for a donation to be matched is $50 and the maximum amount matched is $5,000 per employee (and $10,000 per year per employee at or above the level of the Vice President.)
McDonald’s Donation Requests
McDonald’s is known for being a supporter of children through its own charities. Unfortunately, it does not have a nationally active donation request service.
Many local restaurants do, however, offer their own charitable giving programs. For example, McDonald’s locations in Wisconsin have a program called Courtesy Corporation that supports nonprofits by donating funds for charities focused on children’s well being.
Another charitable giving program provided through Courtesy Corporation is McDonalds’ Scrip fundraising. McDonalds’ scrip fundraising allows nonprofits to purchase Arch Cards at a discount and then sell them to supporters at face value. The nonprofits can keep the difference.
Pepsi’s Donation Program
Pepsi’s Matching Gift Program
Pepsi allows part-time and full-time employees to double their donations with a 1:1 matching ratio.
Gifts are matched from $25 to $10,000, but if an employee volunteers for more than 50 hours in a year with an organization, Pepsi provides a 2:1 matching gift ratio.
Employees must submit their matching gift deadlines online and within six months of the donation date.
Pepsi Donation Requests
Pepsi has donated more than $800 million over the past decade in cash and in kind donations to nonprofits whose missions focus on:
- The environment
- Education
- Civic progress
- Arts and culture
- Health and human services
These grants have gone toward various projects and programs like Diplomas Now and the Earth Institute’s Columbia Water Center.
Starbucks’ Donation Program
Starbucks’ Matching Gift Program
Through Starbucks’ Partner Match Program, the company will match up to $1,500 in donations annually per employee.
Most nonprofits are included in this philanthropic outreach.
Starbucks employees have a year from the donation date to request a matching gift.
Starbucks’ Volunteer Grant Program
Starbucks employees are eligible for a volunteer grant after volunteering for at least 25 hours with an organization.
The amounts vary based on the number of hours volunteers, and employees have twelve months after the volunteer dates to submit requests for volunteer grants.
Starbucks will donate up to $1,000 per employee after a request is submitted.
Starbucks Donation Requests
The Starbucks Foundation is interested in supporting organizations that equip young people ages 15 to 24 years old in the following three areas:
- Business Savvy
- Social Conscience
- Collaborative Communication
If your organization falls into one of the above categories, then make sure you’ve marked November 1st – December 15th down on your calendar, as this is when Starbucks accepts grant requests.
Walmart’s Donation Program
Walmart’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through Walmart’s Volunteerism Always Pays (VAP) program, the company offers grants for Walmart and Sam’s Club employees who volunteer with nonprofit organizations.
Each Walmart associate can request two volunteer grants per organization per year. Associates can request grants for up to two organizations for a maximum of four total volunteer grants annually.
Additionally, groups of Walmart employees who volunteer together or participate in fundraising runs or walks are eligible to request VAP grants for $500-$5,000.
Walmart Donation Requests
Walmart accepts applications for community grants ranging from $250-$2,500.
While Walmart doesn’t restrict community grants to any specific organizations, those that align with the Walmart Foundation’s focus areas of giving are given primary consideration. Focus areas include:
- Hunger relief and healthy eating
- Sustainability
- Women’s economic empowerment
- Career opportunities
Publix’s Donation Program
Publix’s Matching Gift Program
Publix offers a matching gift program to its part-time and full-time employees as well as its retirees.
Donations between $25 and $5,000 are eligible to be matched at a 1:1 ratio.
Publix only matches donations to a public or accredited private school or university. Employees must have worked at Publix for at least one year before they’re eligible to participate in the program.
Publix Donation Requests
Publix offers different programs for nonprofits and schools looking for donations, gift cards, sponsorships, and program ads.
Each nonprofit has to send in a request to their local media and community relations office.
All requests from 501(c)(3) organizations must include a copy of their “letter of determination” from the IRS. All requests must include details about the activity and what specific donation or assistance is needed.
Darden Restaurant Group’s Donation Program
Darden Restaurant Group’s Matching Gift Program
The Darden Restaurant Group, which includes restaurants such as Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, and The Capital Grille, matches donations to K-12 schools and colleges and universities.
Donations ranging from $100 to $10,000 are eligible to be matched at a 1:1 ratio. Full- and part-time employees are eligible, but retirees are not.
Darden Restaurant Group’s Corporate Philanthropy
Darden describes its philanthropic commitment as “People, Planet, and Plate.” They seek to protect the natural environment, give back to communities, and support and develop their employees.
Additionally, the Darden Foundation regularly awards grants to organizations like the Boys & Girls Club of America. Since 1995, they have donated more than $75 million in grants.
Start Bringing in Volunteer Grants
Apparel Companies That Donate
American Eagle’s Donation Program
American Eagle’s Matching Gift Program
If your nonprofit has supporters who work for American Eagle, then the company’s matching gift program could help you take American Eagle’s support a step further.
Through American Eagle’s employee matching gift program the company will match up to $500 in donations from employees to eligible nonprofits each year.
American Eagle’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through American Eagle’s “Our Eagles Team of Ten” program the company provides grants to nonprofits where groups of employees volunteer.
When at least 10 associates volunteer together with a nonprofit or fundraising project, the company provides a $500 donation to the organization.
American Eagle Donation Requests
American Eagle is one of the most popular clothing and accessory retailers that caters to individuals in high school and college. Given its appeal among teens and young adults, donation requests, specifically gift cards, are in high demand.
Through American Eagle’s Foundation, the company offers $25 gift cards to eligible high school and college sponsored events, including fundraisers for charity.
eBay’s Donation Program
eBay’s Matching Gift Program
eBay offers a matching gift program for employees who wish to donate to their favorite nonprofits.
eBay matches at a 1:1 ratio for all donations made by full-time and part-time employees.
While retirees aren’t eligible for the program, the minimum amount that is matched is $25 and goes up to $10,000.
Matching gift requests must be submitted within six months of the date of the initial donation.
eBay’s Volunteer Grant Program
eBay employees must volunteer for a minimum of eight hours. Match amounts increase the more an employee volunteers.
For instance:
- For employees who volunteer for 8-24 hours, eBay awards $100 grants.
- For employees who volunteer for 25-49 hours, eBay awards $250 grants.
- For employees who volunteer for 50 or more hours, eBay awards $500 grants.
eBay for Charity Program
eBay for Charity is the online auction website’s philanthropic initiative to help nonprofits raise more money for their causes.
Since 2003, eBay for Charity has helped raise over $600 million for various nonprofits. Over 35,000 charities actively use eBay for Charity as a way to boost fundraising efforts.
eBay waives the fees for nonprofits who sell directly on the site.
Individuals can also give back by purchasing items with a blue and gold ribbon next to them.
Gap’s Donation Program
Gap’s Matching Gift Program
Gifts between $25 and $10,000 will be matched at a 1:1 ratio for full- and part-time employees as well as retirees.
Gap employees must register their match requests within 120 days of the donation date.
Gap spaces out its overall corporate match limit in order to match donations throughout the year.
Gap’s Team Volunteer Grant Program
For every 25 hours that a team of Gap employees volunteers with a nonprofit that serves youth or women, Gap gives the nonprofit a $250 grant.
If a Gap employee is on a nonprofit board, then the nonprofits for which he or she volunteers can receive grants between $1,000 and $10,000.
Gap also offers grants for single volunteers. A $150 grant is awarded for every 15 volunteer hours.
Kohl’s Donation Program
Kohl’s Volunteer Grant Program
For nonprofits seeking donations from Kohl’s, the primary program is Kohl’s Associates in Action program.
Through Associates in Action, Kohl’s provides $500 grants to nonprofits where its employees volunteer as a team.
Specifically, when a minimum of five Kohl’s Associates volunteer for a minimum of three consecutive hours in one day, the organization is eligible for a $500 Kohl’s grant.
Kohl’s Fundraising Gift Card Program
Kohl’s Cares Fundraising Gift Cards are a fun and easy way for organizations to raise money.
Schools and youth-serving organizations can purchase discounted fundraising cards from Kohl’s.
Those cards are then sold at face value, with profits going directly to the organization.
Fundraising Gift Cards are available in amounts of $10, $25, $50, and $100.
Macy’s Donation Program
Macy’s Matching Gift Program
The Macy’s matching gift program supports nonprofits to which employees donate.
Each Macy’s employee is able to request up to $1,000 in matching donations per year.
Matches are made at a 1:1 ratio for full- and part-time employees as well as retirees. Employees must be at the company for a year to be eligible.
Macy’s Volunteer Grant Program
Through the “Earning for Learning” program, Macy’s provides grants to nonprofits where its employees volunteer on a regular basis.
The company offers $250 grants to educational institutions (K-12 included) where employees volunteer 15 hours in a calendar year.
The program is open to Macy’s employees, retirees, spouses, and children over 14.
Macy’s Donation Requests
Macy’s recommends that organizations only request donations if they are within their focus areas:
- Arts and culture
- Education
- The environment
- HIV/AIDS
- Women’s issues
Macy’s District Grants program is designed to support local 501(c)(3) organizations in markets where a Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s operates.
Nike’s Donation Program
Nike’s Matching Gift Program
Nike matches up to $2,500 annually for each full-time employee and $1,000 annually for part-time employees.
The minimum donation amount is $25, and Nike matches at a 1:1 ratio to most nonprofits.
Nike Donation Requests
Each year, Nike donates products to nonprofits that are focused on creating social change through sport.
If you’re a nonprofit looking to request a product donation from Nike, you’ll need to fill out a product donation request online.
Nordstrom’s Donation Program
Nordstrom’s Matching Gift Program
Part-time and full-time employees can double their donations ($25-$5,000) to their favorite nonprofits with Nordstrom’s matching gift program.
Although retirees are not eligible for matching gift programs, Nordstrom matches donations for a wide variety of nonprofits.
Nordstrom Donation Requests
Nordstrom offers direct cash grants to eligible nonprofits.
In order to be considered, a nonprofit must fill out an application that includes:
- Dollar amount requested
- Proof of nonprofit status
- Organizational history
- Most recent annual report
Nordstrom’s Gift Cards That Give Back Program
Nordstrom donates 1% of all gift card sales to organizations in the communities they serve. The funds from gift card sales are used to fund Nordstrom-directed grants and support the employee charitable match program.
Funds from the Gift Card program support the company’s new Employee Charitable Match program.
Levi Strauss’s Donation Program
Levi Strauss’s Matching Gift Program
Part-time, full-time, and retired employees of Levi Strauss are eligible to have their donations matched at a 1:1 ratio.
Donations ranging from $25 to $1,200 are eligible to be matched. Most nonprofits are eligible to receive a matching gift from Levi Strauss.
Levi Strauss’s Volunteer Grant Program
Levi Strauss also offers a volunteer grant program for employees who volunteer on a regular basis.
Employees must volunteer for a minimum of 10 hours with a single organization. Grants range from $200 to $2,400 depending on the number of hours that were volunteered.
Neiman Marcus’s Donation Program
Neiman Marcus’s Matching Gift Program
Donations made by part-time and full-time Neiman Marcus employees are eligible to be matched at a 2:1 ratio, tripling the initial donation!
Donations ranging from $25 to $2,000 are eligible to be matched.
Neiman Marcus matches employee donations to educational institutions, health and human services organizations, and arts and cultural nonprofits.
Neiman Marcus Donation Requests
Neiman Marcus has supported local communities since they formed in 1907.
In 2013, they started targeting their social investments toward education, youth, and the arts.
By next year, 70% of their charitable giving will go toward nonprofits that specifically provide youth art education. The remaining 30% will fund other programs and services.
Secure Corporate Donations from Matching Gifts
Additional Fundraising Resources
Guide to Matching Gifts
Matching gifts are the “two-for-one” deal of the nonprofit fundraising world.
Learn how you can make the most of this amazing corporate giving program by reading our ultimate guide.
Guide to Volunteer Grants
Volunteer grants combine the power of volunteer with the generosity of companies.
You could be bringing in donations just by reminding your volunteers about these programs. Learn more!
Donation Request Templates
Letters are a core component of fundraising for all donors, including corporate sponsors.
Check out these best practices and templates to start writing high-quality fundraising appeals. Then, get creative and start sending well-crafted, personalized letters to your donors!
Event Donation Tips
The end goal of your fundraising is to raise as much money as you can to further your cause.
With these 6 easy tips, your nonprofit can raise more money at your next event! Check them out to help improve your fundraising strategy!