Double Donations With Canadian Companies That Match Gifts

Matching gifts play a large role in many nonprofits’ fundraising strategies. These opportunities aren’t just limited to the United States, either. Organizations in Canada⁠—and worldwide⁠—can benefit from corporate philanthropy, too. Specifically, Canadian companies that match gifts supply a powerful opportunity for Canadian charities to maximize funds and engagement alike.

In this guide, we’ve selected a few standout programs that your team should be aware of. Plus, we’ll share expert-proven tips and tricks for making the most of the initiatives. This includes:

• The Basics of Matching Gifts Across Any Market
• Top Canadian Matching Gift Companies
• Identifying Other Canadian Companies That Match Gifts
  • How Double the Donation Can Help!

To learn more about Canadian companies that match gifts and matching gift databases that cover the Canadian matching gift market, read on!

But before we jump in, let’s cover the basics of matching gifts.

The Basics of Matching Gifts Across Any Market

What are matching gifts?

Matching gifts are a unique and widespread form of corporate philanthropy in which companies match donations their employees make to eligible nonprofits. Matching donations are typically made at a 1:1 ratio, but some companies match at a higher rate, such as 2:1, 3:1, or even 4:1.

This type of giving is particularly valuable because it essentially supplies free money for your nonprofit. However, they’re often overlooked by donors due to a lack of program awareness and by nonprofits lacking the necessary staff, resources, or time to pursue the opportunity.

Who qualifies for matching gifts?

Companies that match gifts typically implement a program policy with specific eligibility guidelines. In order for a donor to qualify, their donation and the organization to which they gave must adhere to the pre-determined criteria.

While the criteria will vary from one company to the next, one overarching stipulation is that receiving organizations are generally required to be registered charities in the region in which they operate. In Canada, that means a nonprofit registered under the nation’s Income Tax Act by the Charities Directorate of the Canada Revenue Agency.

Meanwhile, American nonprofits should be registered with the Internal Revenue Service and have received 501(c)(3) status.

Top Canadian Matching Gift Companies

With the 9th largest economy in the world, Canada headquarters many well-known companies with generous employee giving benefits. In fact, Canadian corporations have a long history of philanthropy⁠—which is great news for the nonprofits that call Canada home.
Take a look at the following Canadian companies that match gifts, and find out if your donors work for the generous employers below:

1. BCE Inc.

• Minimum donation amount: $1
• Maximum donation amount: $1,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Select organizations, including United Way, Canadian higher education institutions, and the Canadian Mental Health Association

BCE Inc., formerly known as Bell Canada Enterprises, offers a focused matching gift program benefitting a few specific organizations as well as colleges and universities within the country. The company also offers individual and team volunteer grants, where employees or retirees donate their time throughout the year to earn substantial grants for their favorite nonprofits.

Specifically, employees who volunteer at least 50 hours in a year can acquire a grant amount of $500. Meanwhile, teams are required to volunteer a combined 500 hours within a year-long period to qualify for a $2,500 grant!

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

2. Gildan Activewear

• Minimum donation amount: $25
• Maximum donation amount: $2,500
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Charitable organizations in Canada, the U.S., and Honduras

Headquartered in Montreal, Gildan Activewear matches nonprofit donations from both full- and part-time employees. The matching gift program is open to organizations in Canada, the United States, and Honduras.

In addition to matching donations, the Canada-based company also supplies volunteer grants and multiplies select fundraising collections by employees, too!

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

3. Green Shield Canada

• Minimum donation amount: $25
• Maximum donation amount: $2,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, health and human services, and more

Green Shield Canada matches gifts of up to $1,000 per full-time employee on an annual basis. The company’s matching gift program is inclusive of most schools and nonprofit organizations, including a variety of institutions ranging from K-12 schools to arts and cultural organizations.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

4. Royal Bank of Canada

• Minimum donation amount: $10
• Maximum donation amount: $1,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

The Royal Bank of Canada, also known as RBC, matches employee donations to nonprofit causes, and is inclusive of gifts made between $100 and $5,000 per year. A key perk of RBC’s matching gift program is that part-time employees and retirees alike are encouraged to participate with the standard 1:1 ratio.

Like many of these other organizations, RBC also offers dollars for doers grants for active volunteers! After volunteering for a minimum of 40 volunteer hours, the company will provide up to a $500 grant.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

5. TC Energy

• Minimum donation amount: $25
• Maximum donation amount: $1,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

TC Energy offers two main types of employee giving programs. The first is its standard matching gift program, where the company will match up to $1,000 annually to most nonprofits. The program is open to all employees and retirees.

The second program is TC Energy’s Dollars for Doers program. Through this initiative, the company matches its employees’ volunteer hours with monetary grants. It’s easy for employees to get involved in the program, too, as there is only a one-hour minimum for volunteer hours in a calendar year!

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

6. AstraZeneca Canada

• Minimum donation amount: $50
• Maximum donation amount: $500
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Any CRA-registered charities

AstraZeneca is an international Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical company with a large corporate presence in Canada. The company, which participates generously in corporate philanthropy, also offers different employee giving programs across various markets.

In Canada, active AstraZeneca employees are encouraged to donate between $50 and $500 to the CRA-registered charity of their choice. After doing so, the company matches the gift to stretch its impact even further for the nonprofit cause!

AstraZeneca Canada offers multiple volunteer grant programs, too. Canadian employees or retirees who volunteer 40 hours with an organization can request a corresponding grant of $500. At the same time, the company provides $250 grants to organizations where employees serve as board members or coaches.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

7. Enbridge Inc.

• Minimum donation amount: $50
• Maximum donation amount: $10,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, retired
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Enbridge Inc., a Canadian multinational pipeline and energy company, is renowned for its robust and multi-faceted CSR initiatives. This includes a generous matching gift program and a volunteer grant program designed to empower its employees to make a difference in the communities they serve.

These programs and more not only foster a culture of philanthropy within the company but also strengthen Enbridge’s commitment to social impact across Canada and beyond.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

8. Suncor Energy Inc.

• Minimum donation amount: $25
• Maximum donation amount: $2,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time, retired
• Nonprofit eligibility: Eligible Canadian and international post-secondary educational institutions

Suncor Energy is dedicated to making meaningful contributions to society through its corporate philanthropy efforts. Through a targeted and impactful matching gift program, the company encourages its employees to give generously by matching their donations to eligible charitable causes and higher education institutions.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

9. Sun Life Financial Inc.

• Minimum donation amount: N/A
• Maximum donation amount: $1,200
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Sun Life Financial is committed to giving back through a generous matching gift initiative, in which it empowers its employees to demonstrate their own philanthropy as well. When eligible full-time employees support nonprofit organizations of their choice, the company doubles their giving to produce an even greater impact.

One of the best things about this specific program? With no minimum donation amount required, employees can get involved with matching gifts to their favorite organizations with ease.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

10. Canadian Pacific Railway

• Minimum donation amount: N/A
• Maximum donation amount: $1,500
• Match ratio: 0.5:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Canadian Pacific Railway (or CP) is deeply committed to corporate citizenship and community engagement, as evidenced by its matching gift program. Through the program, the company encourages its employees to support charitable organizations by matching their donations at a rate of 50 cents to every dollar.

By fostering a culture of philanthropy and supporting causes that matter to its employees, the Canadian Pacific Railway demonstrates its ongoing commitment to social responsibility.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

11. Cenovus Energy

• Minimum donation amount: $25
• Maximum donation amount: $25,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Cenovus Energy, a Calgary, Alberta-based oil and natural gas company, aims to enact positive change in the communities in which it operates through its generous corporate philanthropy initiatives. Currently, these include a comprehensive matching gift program that empowers individual employees to request up to $25,000 per year for their favorite causes.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

12. Scotia Bank Canada

• Minimum donation amount: N/A
• Maximum donation amount: Up to $15,000
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Scotiabank Canada offers a robust matching gift program, through which the company empowers its employees to support charitable organizations by matching their donations. With no minimum donation amount required and a lofty maximum threshold, individual team members have the chance to make an even greater difference for the nonprofit missions they care about.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

13. Magna International

• Minimum donation amount: $500
• Maximum donation amount: $2,500
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Magna International offers a unique matching gift program through which groups of employees are encouraged to support nonprofit organizations in their communities. Specifically, teams of 10 or more employees should contribute a collective minimum donation of $500. Then, the company contributes its match up to $2,500!

By encouraging team-focused employee engagement in philanthropy and supporting causes aligned with its values, Magna builds its workplace culture and gives back at the same time.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

14. Brookfield Properties

• Minimum donation amount: $20
• Maximum donation amount: $2,500
• Match ratio: 1:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Brookfield Properties is a multinational corporation with a substantial Canadian employee base. Through its generous matching gift program, Brookfield Properties encourages its employees to donate time and funds to eligible nonprofit causes by supplying matching funds to the organizations they support.

Currently, full-time Canadian and U.S.-based employees (excluding the Chicago office) with a one-year minimum service are invited to take part in the program.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

15. Nutrien

• Minimum donation amount: N/A
• Maximum donation amount: Varies
• Match ratio: Up to 1.5:1
• Employee eligibility: Full-time, part-time
• Nonprofit eligibility: Educational institutions (K-12 included), health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more

Canadian fertilizer company Nutrien is dedicated to making a positive impact in communities through its comprehensive matching gift program and more. Through the match program, Nutrien empowers its employees to support charitable organizations with matching gifts worth up to $1.50 for every $1 initially donated.

Learn more about this Canadian company’s matching gift program here.

Identifying Other Canadian Companies That Match Gifts

We covered fifteen standout Canadian matching gift companies above. But there are a ton of additional programs available from companies everywhere. In fact, there are so many companies that match gifts⁠—based in Canada and otherwise⁠—that it’s nearly impossible to keep track of each program’s guidelines on your own.

And that’s where a database solution comes in handy! With a matching gift database like Double the Donation, donors are automatically supplied with direct links to their companies’ match request portals along with program guidelines (minimums and maximums, eligible nonprofits and employees, match ratios, submission deadlines, etc.).

Alternatively, if a donor works for an unknown company (or your organization lacks a database tool), your team can encourage the individual to reach out to their HR department to learn more about any available giving programs.

How Double the Donation Can Help

360MatchPro by Double the Donation is a complete automation system that screens match-eligible donors and triggers tailored outreach accordingly. As a result, your staff saves time and maximizes its revenue.

With over 24,000 company listings, Double the Donation represents 26+ million match-eligible individuals worldwide. When it comes to Canadian companies that match gifts, recent analyses indicate that the tool remains the country’s most accurate and up-to-date source of matching gift information.

Check out these findings:

• 93-99% of individuals who work for Canadian companies that match gifts will find their employer in Double the Donation’s database.
• $99,000 of $102,000 in matching gifts received by a global organization’s market in Canada were covered by Double the Donation’s database.
• 483,760 match-eligible Canadians were covered by Double the Donation’s database, while 4,124 were not.

All in all, Double the Donation’s database offers substantial coverage of the market⁠, making it a great fit for Canadian-based organizations and their donors.

Meanwhile, additional benefits of 360MatchPro include:

• More matching gift opportunities. By automatically flagging match-eligible gifts using emails, donation forms, and more, your organization increases the number of potential matches identified.
• More matches driven to completion. Donors are presented with matching gift information or encouraged to supply employment data after giving. Then, automated outreach guides donors through the request process and ultimately drives more submissions to increase overall revenue.
• More time to focus on top opportunities. Your team can primarily focus its efforts on tailoring follow-ups to your most valuable match-eligible donations. With everything else automated, you’ll have time to take an increasingly personalized approach with top-dollar donors.

360MatchPro essentially serves as your own matching gift team. Where you don’t have the staff, time, or resources necessary to perform matching gift outreach, the platform can step in and handle the rest!

Integrations & Customizations

If you’re thinking about investing in a matching gift database to supercharge your organization’s fundraising efforts, there are a few things to consider in your selection. As a Canadian-based organization, you’ll want to look for a solution that adequately covers the Canadian market and integrates with your existing tech stack for easy implementation and data management.

Fortunately, Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro does just that! Offering 100+ integrations with the leading Canadian and global fundraising tools, the software provides users with direct access to the industry’s most comprehensive database. These ready-built and simple-to-use integrations include:

• CRMs
• Peer-to-peer fundraising solutions
• Online donation tools
• CSR platforms

To get started, all you typically need to do is subscribe to Double the Donation’s tools⁠. Then, activate 360MatchPro by entering your API keys into your fundraising platform.

Additionally, Double the Donation is designed to accommodate nonprofits operating in one or more geographic markets. For Canadian-based organizations, this means you can customize the database search results by adjusting the geographic regions that apply to your nonprofit.

360MatchPro will then tailor the matching gift search results and information your donors receive based on your selections.

Top tip: If your nonprofit’s tax status is based in Canada and you primarily have Canadian donors, it’s recommended that you only select Canada. However, if you’re registered as a nonprofit in multiple markets, such as the U.S. and Canada, or have a large number of donors in those markets, it’s recommended that you select both the U.S. and Canada.

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Wrapping Up

Choosing the right matching gift database is essential. Make sure to look for a solution that’s designed to enhance your organization’s fundraising. That means seeking tools that specifically cater to Canadian organizations⁠—and Canadian matching gift companies.

While we’ve listed some of the largest Canada-based employers and overviewed their matching gift opportunities, they aren’t the only businesses that offer such initiatives. Be sure to constantly research your donors’ employers and stay up-to-date on companies in your area. And remember: the right matching gift database can help!
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Keep learning! Check out these additional resources to continue exploring matching gifts for your organization: