About Double the Donation Archives

Double the Donation and Fundmetric Answer the Call for Advanced Matching Gifts Integration

November 23, 2022/in About Double the Donation /by Erin Oquindo

Double the Donation is proud to unveil a new partnership with the fundraising AI ecosystem Fundmetric to provide integrated matching gifts functionality to schools, universities, and nonprofits. Fundmetric and Double the Donation’s integration combines the power of 360MatchPro, the world’s leading matching gift automation platform, with the modern flow Fundmetric’s fundraising environment.

“Fundmetric and Double the Donation’s partnership opens up opportunities for schools and charitable organizations to get the most from their advanced fundraising strategy,” said Mark Hobbs, CEO at Fundmetric. “Integrating DTD’s tools into our donation pages help donors get their donations matched with more speed and ease than ever.”

If organizations’ donors have trouble navigating the world of matching gifts, or maybe don’t even know about matching gifts in the first place, this could mean thousands upon thousands of dollars of lost revenue for the nonprofits these donors support. Fundmetric and 360MatchPro disrupt the status quo by introducing donors to their matching gift potentials.

“Schools and nonprofits miss out on billions of dollars each year in matching gift revenue, and we’re here to change that,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “We’re proud to offer our mutual clients an answer to their request for functionality that shakes up the matching gifts process for the better.”

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts

The activation process for organizations looking to activate their integration between Fundmetric and 360MatchPro is quick and easy. All a verified user has to do is retrieve their public and private API keys from their 360MatchPro account, plug them into their Fundmetric integration settings, and add Double the Donation’s tools anywhere they’d like within their desired Fundmetric donation forms.

Enter your public and private API keys to activate the integration.

Once this is complete, donors will be able to discover their match eligibility during their giving flow and take their next actions directly from the confirmation page.

Donors can discover details on their chosen company’s matching gift program.

Actionable analytics and real-time data flow into the organizations’ connected accounts so they can continue their matching gift strategy with personalized follow ups and more.

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro!

Double the Donation and Fundmetric set out to complete an integration that utilized smart data, helped orgs get set up easily, and took donor impact to the next level. See more value from the integration with the following features:

Identify more matching gift revenue opportunities: 360MatchPro enables you to automatically collect matching gift eligibility from donors using email domains, within donation forms, on confirmation screens, or by email. The more matching gift opportunities 360MatchPro discovers and shares with donors, the more matching gift requests your donors will successfully submit.
Drive more matches to completion, from form submission to corporate payment: Direct donors immediately to their matching gift forms after the donation process is complete. Then, provide the right information to the right donors at the right time with custom emails based on match eligibility. Target follow-ups drive more completed submissions than ever before, bringing exponentially more matching gift checks from companies through your door.
Reallocate your time from routine follow-up to your top opportunities: Your time is valuable, so why spend it chasing small dollar-value matching gifts? Let 360MatchPro automate your matching gift outreach while flagging your highest-value opportunities, allowing your team to personalize follow-ups to the most valuable match-eligible donations. Rest easy knowing that 360MatchPro can handle the rest.

Interested in increasing your fundraising revenue with matching gifts? Request a demo today to get started with corporate gift matching through Fundmetric and 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.

About Fundmetric: Fundmetric is an AI data ecosystem that connects siloed data, enabling teams to maximize lifetime giving and increase predictability of revenue. Build your highest-converting lists and cultivate constituent interests using behavioral data and machine learning. Fundmetric’s flexible infrastructure leverages the ability to execute optimized campaigns and capture the attention of your donors in a noisy world. To learn more about Fundmetric visit https://www.fundmetric.com/ and request a demo at https://www.fundmetric.com/demoform.

About Double the Donation: Automate your matching gift fundraising with the industry-leading solution from Double the Donation. The 360MatchPro platform provides nonprofits with tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. 360MatchPro integrates directly into donation forms, CRMs, social fundraising software, and other nonprofit technology solutions to capture employment information and follow up appropriately with donors about matching gifts. To learn more about Double the Donation, visit https://doublethedonation.com and request a demo at https://360matchpro.com/demo-request/.

Double the Donation and Givecloud Debut Matching Gifts Integration for Nonprofits

November 16, 2022/in About Double the Donation /by Erin Oquindo

Double the Donation is proud to announce our new integration in partnership with Givecloud, making the matching gift process easier for nonprofits and donors alike.

“In a world where so many vendors make empty promises about increasing fundraising, it’s great to have a partner like Double the Donation, ” says Josh Bloomfield, CEO at GiveCloud. “360MatchPro moves the needle for our nonprofits in a very practical way.”

The integrated solution offers an answer to nonprofits asking for a solution to streamline their matching gifts strategy for their online donors, closing the awareness gap that normally prevents nonprofit organizations from seeing matching gift success.

“Far too many donors are unaware of their matching gift potential when they make a gift to a nonprofit organization,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Our integration with Givecloud will help donors deepen their impact by enabling them to pursue a match with confidence.”

Read on to learn more about the new integrated solution!

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!

The activation process for mutual users of 360MatchPro by Double the Donation and Givecloud is simple. All nonprofit organizations need to do is retrieve their API keys from their 360MatchPro account, plug them into their Givecloud settings page, and start raising more from matching gifts right away!

Simply enter your public and private API keys to activate your integration.

For donors who give on a Givecloud Fundraising Form, they’ll be presented with the opportunity to search their company name directly after making a payment. Then, they’ll receive automated emails from 360MatchPro prompting them to take their next steps and drive their match to completion.

Allow your donors to search their employer to find their eligibility.

The process is seamless from start to finish, making matching gifts as easy as making the initial donation. From here, nonprofits can track and manage their matching gifts strategy from their 360MatchPro platform.

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro!

The integration between Givecloud forms and 360MatchPro and Double the Donation unlock the door for nonprofit organizations to claim more matching gift revenue made available to them by their donors’ employers. Check out these additional features:

Identify more matching gift revenue opportunities: 360MatchPro enables you to automatically collect matching gift eligibility from donors using email domains, within donation forms, on confirmation screens, or by email. The more matching gift opportunities 360MatchPro discovers and shares with donors, the more matching gift requests your donors will successfully submit.
Drive more matches to completion, from form submission to corporate payment: Direct donors immediately to their matching gift forms after the donation process is complete. Then, provide the right information to the right donors at the right time with custom emails based on match eligibility. Target follow-ups drive more completed submissions than ever before, bringing exponentially more matching gift checks from companies through your door.
Reallocate your time from routine follow-up to your top opportunities: Your time is valuable, so why spend it chasing small dollar-value matching gifts? Let 360MatchPro automate your matching gift outreach while flagging your highest-value opportunities, allowing your team to personalize follow-ups to the most valuable match-eligible donations. Rest easy knowing that 360MatchPro can handle the rest.

Interested in increasing your fundraising revenue with matching gifts? Request a demo today to get started with corporate gift matching through Givecloud and 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.

About Givecloud: Nonprofits use Givecloud’s innovative Trustraising™ platform to create digital fundraising experiences that excite donors and increase donations, advocacy and loyalty so they can spend more time and money on their mission and less on administration. Established nonprofits can easily integrate Givecloud with their existing donor management systems.

The Ultimate Guide to Employer Appends for Fundraisers

You likely gather many details about your donors⁠—those who support your cause with their funds, time, or resources. Perhaps you collect names, contact information, engagement history, interests, and hobbies. The more comprehensive an understanding you have of each supporter, the better you can tailor your fundraising strategy to effectively reach your target audience.

However, one critical piece of the puzzle that’s often overlooked is employment data. Knowing where your donors work can play a significant role in how you relate to them in terms of fundraising, corporate giving opportunities, and more. And if you don’t already have this data point on file? That’s where employer appends come in.

In this guide, we’ll provide a walkthrough of all things employer appends⁠—including:

The Basics of Data Appends
What Are Employer Appends?
How Employer Appends Work for Fundraisers
Benefits of Employer Appends for Nonprofits and Universities
Employer Appends Services | What to Look For

Understanding your donors’ employment status can elevate your fundraising efforts in huge ways. You won’t want to discard the wealth of information gathered through employer appends, nor the amplified impact it brings.

Let’s get started!

The Basics of Data Appends

Data appends are a particular type of data enhancement strategy that allows nonprofits and other fundraising groups to learn more about the individuals in their networks. These efforts aim to provide organizations with more comprehensive and up-to-date information, often concerning their donors and other supporters. This empowers fundraisers to adjust their messaging and overall engagement strategies by better discerning who a donor is and what makes them tick.

Organizations typically provide the information they do have to a company dedicated to data enhancement services. The company then compares donor information against a mega-database of individual data, filling in the details the organization lacks as they go.

Employer appends, in particular, empower organizations to collect new and optimized data regarding the companies their supporters work for. Beyond employer information, other common types of data appends include mailing addresses, email addresses, birth dates, and phone numbers.

What Are Employer Appends?

Employer appends are one of the most common types of data appends for nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising organizations. In this case, the unknown information an organization seeks is that of a donor’s employer.

By providing other data points⁠—such as the person’s name, location, phone number, education experience, etc.—the intended result is to locate the company that the individual works for (and sometimes even their job title!). In the end, the organization receives invaluable insights that can help uncover matching gift and other workplace giving opportunities, estimate wealth data, and more.

How Employer Appends Work for Fundraisers

The employer appends process is simple. After locating a data appending service (we’ll cover what to look for below), you’ll want to collect as much existing data about your donors as possible. This should include:

Name
Unique ID number
Mailing address (home, business, or both)
Region (state, city, and country)
Email address(es)
Phone number(s)
College or university (along with class year and major/degree, if available)
Last gift amount
Date of last donation
Date the entry was last updated

You will likely not have every data point available for each donor. And that’s okay! However, starting with as much information as possible increases the likelihood that the appending service provider can locate and match supporter records to the right employer information.

From there, the appending service will conduct its own research, typically scanning a number of public and privately held databases, which may include government records, SEC filings, social media profiles, business registrations, and more.

When the service provider is able to match a donor record with an employing company, they make a note of the identified information, check the newly collected data for accuracy, and share their findings with the organization. Ultimately, the organization is able to utilize the information to its best advantage in terms of optimal fundraising and donor relations.

Benefits of Employer Appends for Nonprofits and Universities

Employer appends can bring big results to nonprofit fundraising. Knowing where your donors and other key supporters work plays a significant role in overall engagement strategies, not to mention enabling targeted efforts regarding available workplace giving opportunities.

Specifically, employer appending can help your team:

Determine matching gift eligibility ⁠—

Thousands of companies offer matching gift programs where they agree to match employee donations to charitable organizations.

However, you likely won’t know which donors are eligible for (and, as a result, which to follow up with about) matching opportunities if you don’t know where they work. In fact, this knowledge gap even results in over $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funding going unclaimed each year!

Once you have the information you need, however, you’ll be able to prompt qualifying donors to complete the match process and secure additional funding on your organization’s behalf⁠. This is true not only in the form of corporate match revenue but in elevated individual giving (and donor engagement), as well.

Keep in mind that matching gift services⁠—like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro⁠—can help nonprofits target and follow up with matching gift opportunities as well. However, employer appends are often able to provide additional data points with which to guide an organization’s strategy, allowing fundraisers to capture supporter information even if the individual is not currently in the donation pipeline.

Here’s an example: “Jody, did you know that your employer, the Home Depot, matches full- and part-time employee donations up to $3,000 per person each year? Click here to request your matching gift!”

Uncover volunteer grant opportunities ⁠—

Similarly, if your organization has a supporter base of dedicated volunteers, corporate volunteer grants can help stretch their donated time even further. These are additional giving programs offered by philanthropic-minded businesses, the difference being that employers contribute monetary funds to the organizations with which their employees volunteer their time. Volunteer grants, which are also referred to as “dollars for doers,” can be an excellent way to multiply the impact of volunteer time for your organization, and supporters love being able to get involved in that way as well.

But again, you’ll need to know which companies your volunteers work for, which is where your employer appends come in. That way, you can be sure to inform them about the opportunities, encourage participation, and direct them to their employers’ request processes to get involved.

Here’s an example: “Thanks for all of your help at the shelter this weekend and over the past several months, Sam! As a Verizon employee, your volunteer hours likely qualify you to request a corporate volunteer grant on our behalf. Click here to learn more about how to request your grant!”

Identify potential corporate sponsorships ⁠—

Corporate sponsors can bring your nonprofit’s next fundraising event to the next level, and knowing which companies your supporters work for can aid in determining top prospective sponsors and help get your foot in the door! Once you know where your donors work, leverage the information as an in with a potential sponsor or encourage donors to advocate for a partnership on your behalf.

Here’s an example: “Ashley, it’s great to connect with the Microsoft team. More than 100 of our nonprofit’s donors work for Microsoft, and we’ve received thousands of dollars in matching gifts from your company in the past. As it’s clear that we already have a lot in common, would you be interested in sponsoring our upcoming event?”

Estimate wealth data ⁠—

Your donors’ wealth levels can play a significant role in their ability to give charitably, and understanding their limits can help organizations determine ideal fundraising asks. Knowing which companies your donors work for, their roles in the businesses, and more can help shed light on their estimated incomes and, by extension, giving abilities.

Here’s an example: “Sarah, we thank you for your continued support of our nonprofit cause. Will you consider making a $10,000 donation to help us reach our year-end giving goal?”

Tailor donor communications ⁠—

You want your donor outreach to be as personal and targeted as possible. Including direct references to donor-specific information helps develop relationships and shows that you’re not sending the same copied-and-pasted message to each person in your contacts. And, as you likely know, targeted messaging can be one of the best ways to develop strengthened, beyond-surface-level donor relationships, build connections with the cause, and ultimately drive more nonprofit involvement among supporters.

Highlighting an individual’s employing company can be a great way to do so, especially regarding getting involved with workplace giving programs. And if you don’t already have your donors’ employment information, that’s where employer appends can help.

Here’s an example: “Jeffrey, the Walt Disney Corporation offers a range of corporate giving opportunities that can benefit our organization in big ways. As a member of the Disney team, you have the chance to participate in matching gifts, volunteer grants, and more.”

Learn more about your supporters ⁠—

The more you know about your supporters⁠—donors, volunteers, and prospects alike⁠—the better you can connect with the individuals who make your mission possible. Since most people’s careers are a key component of their lives and what makes them who they are, understanding where they work and what they do can be a key piece of the “getting to know your donors” puzzle. Plus, it can even help shine a light on their own interests and hobbies.

Here’s an example: “As a Petco employee, you likely care about the wellbeing of the little, furry friends in our community. That’s exactly what our organization, the Atlanta Animal Shelter, is dedicated to, as well. Learn more about how you can get involved with the cause here!”

Overall, employer records are an extremely beneficial tool for designing targeted and effective outreach⁠. However, you likely don’t have that information on file for all of your supporters. By leveraging employer appends, you can collect the information you need to guide your organization’s engagement efforts toward success.

Employer Appends Services | What to Look For

It’s possible to conduct donor research on your own; however, your organization is significantly more likely to uncover accurate and up-to-date information about more donors more quickly when you outsource the efforts to a third-party provider. And employer appends services are dedicated to doing just that in the most effective and efficient ways possible.

So how can you select the right employer (or other donor data) appends provider for your needs? Be sure to do your research beforehand.

For example, here’s how it works with Double the Donation:

Organizations typically see successful appends rates between 20% and 50% of the records they provide to the appending service (which is significantly higher than the industry average).
Employer appends are typically completed and provided within a few days of the organization submitting their inputs.
Appends records are assigned an accuracy rating. This takes into account the uniqueness of a donor’s name and the level of detailed inputs initially provided, as well as the comprehensiveness and recency of the data source used.
As an added bonus, previously unknown corporate executives are often identified and flagged as potential major donors.
Multiple appending options are available, including real-time employer appends for Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro users, as well as one-time bulk appends services for any organization.
Employer appends can then be uploaded into an organization’s 360MatchPro account in order to trigger matching gift emails and other automated donor outreach.

If you’re interested in exploring Double the Donation’s employer appends service, fill out the contact form here to request a quote!

Concluding Thoughts

The more you know about your donors, the more effectively you can target and attract them to your cause. Not to mention, having employment data on file empowers organizations to seek workplace giving opportunities as well.

You may have a solid base of information pertaining to donors’ employing companies already. However, employer appends can go a long way toward filling in the blanks and connecting the dots⁠. This is especially true in terms of matching gift programs, volunteer grants, and more.

Interested in further developing your organization’s donor data strategy? Dive into these other forms of data appends services⁠—and how they can benefit your team⁠—below:

What Is an Email Append? All Your Questions Answered. Learn more to better reach your nonprofit’s audience with accurate and up-to-date email addresses. And comprehensive email appends can help!
What Is Phone Number Appending? How the Process Works. Planning a phonathon fundraiser or looking for new ways to get in touch with key donors? Consider phone number appending.
What Is an Address Append? Ultimate Guide for Nonprofits. Knowing where your donors live can have a big impact on geographic-based engagement and direct mail strategies. Find out more with this guide.
What Is a Date of Birth Append? A Comprehensive Guide. Uncover more about your organization’s supporters with date of birth appending. Find out donors’ ages for strategic segmentation, send birthday outreach, and more.

Haku Integrates with 360MatchPro by Double the Donation for Advanced Matching Gifts Functionality

October 28, 2022/in About Double the Donation /by Erin Oquindo

Double the Donation and haku have joined in collaboration to bring the power of matching gifts to nonprofit organizations by implementing an integration between haku donation forms and 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.

“We are thrilled to launch our partnership with Double the Donation. This innovative platform is one of the most advanced ways of helping nonprofit organizations increase their impact by deepening their corporate matching programs,” said Jaclyn Levi, Chief Strategy Officer at haku. “As a company dedicated to helping our customers drive their impact in seamless and efficient ways, haku’s partnership with Double the Donation is an ideal fit.”

The new integration allows nonprofits to interact with their donors directly after a gift is made, presenting them with information about their company’s matching gift program and encouraging them to take their next steps toward matching gift request submission.

“Double the Donation has been the leader in matching gifts automation software for years now, and we’ve found that the most effective way to get more from matching gifts is by meeting donors where they are,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Our integration with haku allows nonprofits to engage with new donors and raise awareness about matching gifts in an exciting way.”

The integration is now available for all mutual clients of haku and Double the Donation to activate on their various donation forms.

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts

The activation process is incredibly easy thanks to the native integration between 360MatchPro and haku. Organizations who have a 360MatchPro account can enter their haku account and enter their API keys into whichever donation form builder they’d like and toggle the integration to active.

Once this step is complete, orgs are ready to go with their matching gift outreach! Directly after the giving process, donors will be able to easily find if they are match eligible through the auto-complete search field on the 360MatchPro matching gifts plugin.

From here, donors can immediately take their next steps toward getting their gift matched, and the nonprofit is apprised of updates along the way in real time!

Looking to learn more? Check out our in-depth integration guide to get started!

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro

haku and Double the Donation’s integrated solution aims to provide nonprofits with an easy-to-use and intuitive solution to their matching gift outreach needs. Some more features allow organizations to:

Identify more matching gift revenue opportunities: 360MatchPro enables you to automatically collect matching gift eligibility from donors using email domains, within donation forms, on confirmation screens, or by email. The more matching gift opportunities 360MatchPro discovers and shares with donors, the more matching gift requests your donors will successfully submit.
Drive more matches to completion, from form submission to corporate payment: Direct donors immediately to their matching gift forms after the donation process is complete. Then, provide the right information to the right donors at the right time with custom emails based on match eligibility. Target follow-ups drive more completed submissions than ever before, bringing exponentially more matching gift checks from companies through your door.
Reallocate your time from routine follow-up to your top opportunities: Your time is valuable, so why spend it chasing small dollar-value matching gifts? Let 360MatchPro automate your matching gift outreach while flagging your highest-value opportunities, allowing your team to personalize follow-ups to the most valuable match-eligible donations. Rest easy knowing that 360MatchPro can handle the rest.

Interested in increasing your fundraising revenue with matching gifts? Request a demo today to get started with corporate gift matching through haku and 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.

About haku: haku is a technology platform enabling non-profits to more effectively and efficiently grow their impact. Through our innovative all-in-one platform and unwavering customer service, non-profits have an easy, effective, and customizable way to engage supporters through a myriad of fundraising channels with haku.

How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal [For Smart Nonprofits]

September 12, 2022/in Learning Center, Learning Center, About Double the Donation /by Adam Weinger

Corporate matching gifts are one of the best ways for nonprofits to maximize their fundraising with bonus donations and increased donor engagement. And how exactly do nonprofit organizations receive funding through these matching programs? It all starts with a request from the initial donor and typically is processed through a corporate giving or CSR platform.

In terms of CSR platforms, one key platform to keep in mind is CyberGrants.

Corporate giving platforms like CyberGrants are sold to corporations looking to manage their philanthropy. But there’s another side of the platform that is designed specifically for nonprofits⁠—a portal with which fundraisers can manage their incoming matches, verify initial donations, facilitate volunteer grant requests, and more. And best of all? It’s free!

If you’re interested in learning more about CyberGrants for nonprofits and how to best manage your CyberGrants portal for maximal success, you’ve certainly come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the following:

What to Know About CyberGrants
Benefits of CyberGrants for Nonprofits
CyberGrants’ Matching Gift Verification Process Overview
FAQ | How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal
Best Practices for Nonprofits Using CyberGrants

In the end, you should have a solid foundation of knowledge surrounding CyberGrants and its nonprofit-specific tools that can lead your organization in the right direction.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started with the basics.

What to Know About CyberGrants

With over 400 corporate customers, CyberGrants is one of the largest providers of matching gift and corporate giving software for companies⁠, and it’s known for allowing the most customization of any CSR platform. In summary, each company that organizes a matching gift program through CyberGrants can adjust its donation verification process, types of gifts to match, email notifications, number of subaccounts, and more.

From the perspective of the organizations receiving the matches, this can sometimes lead to an overwhelming process. That’s why we recommend nonprofits setting themselves up for CyberGrants success by documenting and keeping up with the information they need to complete their end of the matching gift process. And we’re here to provide you with tips and tricks on how to do so!

Benefits of CyberGrants for Nonprofits

Some of the largest matching gift companies in the world⁠—including Verizon, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, American Express, and many more⁠—use CyberGrants to manage their corporate giving. The more companies that utilize any particular platform, the more likely your organization is to qualify for matching gifts made available through said platform. Thus, CyberGrants is a particularly beneficial portal to get started with.

From there, registering your organization with the nonprofit portal will allow you to increase the visibility of your cause among charitable givers, elevate your matching gift eligibility, and simplify matching gift requests for your donors⁠—all of which elevate the likelihood of matches being driven to completion.

Not to mention, pre-registering your cause with platforms like CyberGrants will streamline the process for you and your team when matching gifts do become available. You’ll already have the legwork down, meaning you’re ready to verify gifts and accept matches with ease.

CyberGrants’ Matching Gift Verification Process Overview

The exact matching gift process⁠—from initial donation and employer match request to nonprofit verification and corporate match disbursement⁠—can vary greatly from one company to the next. On the nonprofit end, one of the biggest priorities has to do with verifying with the company that an employee donor’s contribution was actually made.

Today, the majority of companies that use CyberGrants require the NPO in question to verify that the organization received the employee’s initial donation. However, other employers do not require manual verification at all, instead opting to authenticate donations through gift receipts or rely on the goodwill of their employees.

For each matching gift request from CyberGrants, the NPO will receive a unique Gift ID to identify that donation via automated email. From there, the Gift ID and donor’s last name will be used to verify the donation in the CyberGrants portal. Depending on the company’s settings, a donation amount, contribution date, and access code may be provided as well.

Take a look at this example of a matching gift request;

Meanwhile, here’s a sample matching gift request with different information, including an access code;

In each sample email, the organization is prompted to follow the instructions provided by CyberGrants on behalf of the donor’s employer. In both cases, the matching gift recipient is asked to navigate to the CyberGrants website, enter the supplied information, and verify the donor’s gift.

From there, the company can approve the match and disburse the appropriate funding to the organization.

FAQ | How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal

Still have questions? Many organizations do⁠. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most-asked questions (and answers) from nonprofits looking to manage their CyberGrants portals to produce the greatest results.

What is FrontDoor?

FrontDoor is CyberGrants’ consolidated portal with which nonprofits can register to manage and verify gifts across employers and programs with ease.

Currently, companies that utilize CyberGrants for matching gift management have the choice to opt into participating via FrontDoor’s portal. At this time, CyberGrants is actively advocating for more companies to get started with FrontDoor⁠ and make the most of innovative features, such as the Donations Tab. This allows nonprofit users to verify donations in a single window, rather than requiring that they manually log into each company or subaccount’s portal through a separate URL.

Here’s what it looks like for nonprofit users;

Overall, FrontDoor makes the verification process faster and easier for users and enables nonprofits like yours to get more out of available matching programs.

What are subaccounts?

Subaccounts are essentially additional accounts nested within an organization’s main account and can be created by the nonprofit itself or by a donor, depending on a company’s subaccount creation and management settings.

Let’s take a look at a company with a few subaccounts nested in their main portal;

And here’s a company that chose to create a central portal with no subaccounts;

Generally, subaccounts can reflect an organization’s multiple chapters, branches, or locations within the organization, or they can be nominated by a donor who didn’t see an account that reflected their desired organization. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the more subaccounts in a portal, the greater the likelihood that there will be matching gift requests that end up “hiding” from them.

Most companies have subaccounts within their company portal. The number of subaccounts able to be created is dictated by the company (for example, there might be an unlimited number of subaccounts that can be created or this ability may not even be available to their employees). Some have over 70, while others have only a central portal or 2-3 subaccounts.

Why do we receive grants from companies for which we have not confirmed any matching gift requests?

Not all companies require verification from the organization for matching gifts and volunteer grant requests. Typically, if a company doesn’t ask the nonprofit to verify a gift or volunteer hours, it is because the employee has already verified the gift by attaching a donation receipt or proof of hours volunteered with their submission request.

Some, but not all, of these companies will send email notices of approved requests that let the nonprofit know when a payment is on the way. Companies may also utilize CyberGrants to allow their employees to make payroll deductions to an organization, which may or may not result in an email notification being triggered through the system.

What happens if we receive a request we don’t qualify for?

Occasionally, your organization may receive a gift verification request from a company even though your cause doesn’t qualify for the company’s matching program. For example, this may occur in cases where a company matches solely to educational institutions or won’t match to religious or politically affiliated organizations, and your organization falls into an excluded category.

However, regardless of the company’s requirements, employees can still submit match requests, which is why your team may see ineligible verification requests flowing in. Even if your organization verifies the initial gift in your portal, it’s likely that the company will reject the match request and no payment will be sent.

Will all pending matching gift and volunteer grant requests show up on the Donations Tab?

Unfortunately, not all requests will show up in FrontDoor’s Donations Tab. Some companies have opted out of using the tab entirely, whereas others have opted in only partially. In these cases, some requests may not populate in your organization’s Donations Tab.

To know if a particular company has opted in, you can submit a support request to the company via CyberGrants. From there, we recommend recording and organizing their response so your organization can develop the proper verification process in the future.

Why is there a gift under the Donations Tab that is from a company not listed under the Company Portals Tab?

If a gift is listed under the Donations Tab and not under the Company Portals Tab, the company might be new to CyberGrants and is still being configured. Or alternatively, this is your organization’s first gift request from the company.

The gift can be confirmed in the Donations Tab, but you will likely want to add the company to your sidebar for easier access to future gifts. To do so, input the donor’s last name and the gift ID into the Add Company section at the bottom of the portal’s sidebar. Submit and confirm access, and the company should be visible immediately after refreshing the page. If not, you can send a support ticket, and CyberGrants should be able to add the company from their end.

Best Practices for Nonprofits Using CyberGrants

Now that you understand the basics of CyberGrants, let’s go over a few tried-and-true tips for making the most of the platform.

To simplify the process as much as possible and minimize the amount of overhead required, we recommend the following;

1. Create a login sheet.

Companies that have yet to fully transition to CyberGrants’ FrontDoor have a different link to their company portal that cannot be accessed through the main FrontDoor link.
As such, it’s a good idea for organizations to identify those that don’t use FrontDoor and establish and maintain detailed documentation for these companies⁠—including the URL and login information for each.

Additionally, it’s ideal that an organization uses the same contact information for each company portal beyond FrontDoor. Most essentially, be sure to utilize a single email address for your CyberGrants logins as the main notification channel for gift verifications. This will establish that all emails requesting confirmation of gifts will be sent to the correct inbox that your staff will have access to and know to check on a regular basis.

2. Establish a process for locating “hidden” gifts.

Each company that uses CyberGrants can configure if and how they want to notify organizations about new matching gift requests⁠—and some companies opt not to enable notifications at all.

As a result, nonprofits should have an established system in place to regularly check for matching gift requests that either ⁠—

Don’t show up in the Donations Tab;
Haven’t been automatically emailed to the organization.

Fortunately, these “hidden” gift requests should make up a small percentage of the total gift requests that the nonprofit receives, so these checks could be infrequent⁠—such as a few times a year.

Keep in mind that although many companies allow twelve or more months for submitted requests to be approved by the organization, some offer as little as 90 days from the date of submission. Thus, teams should factor each company’s deadlines into their decision-making process regarding exactly how frequently to check that company’s portal for gifts.

3. Make a plan for subaccounts.

Sometimes, an organization will receive an email from CyberGrants informing them that a company’s employee has nominated the nonprofit for inclusion in their Employee Giving Program. When this occurs, the organization has a few options regarding how it can respond.

For example, the nonprofit can choose to follow the instructions provided in the email to review and edit the information in the nomination request. Then, they can later confirm it, which will create a new subaccount in that company’s portal.

Alternatively, the organization can respond to the request and ask that CyberGrants associate the nominated account with one of the existing subaccounts for that company. This option can be helpful when the organization has several existing subaccounts and does not want any more to manage and follow up with. (Hint: Nonprofits should especially monitor and limit the number of subaccounts created in portals that utilize hidden gifts.)

4. Produce a “Portal Information” document.

To simplify gift verification, we recommend that nonprofits have a dedicated document they can reference while confirming initial donations. This document should host basic details about your organization (such as mailing address, contact information, EIN, and more) and ACH information, if applicable.

Each company requires different data for its verification process. Some ask for little to no information, while others may request a list of current board members, race/ethnicity breakdowns of the population served, and even the nonprofit’s annual budget. Having a unified location from which to derive all these particulars will make it significantly easier for the organization to confirm its pending gift requests.

CyberGrants is an invaluable tool for nonprofits looking to make the most of matching gifts. By managing your organization’s portal well and taking steps to streamline and standardize matching gift requests, you can set your team up for ongoing success using all the resources at your disposal.

Interested in learning more about matching gift programs and best practices to maximize your organization’s success? Check out our other educational resources:

Registering Your Org with CSR Platforms + Key Steps For Each. CyberGrants isn’t the only CSR portal with which you’ll want to register your nonprofit. Explore other top platforms and additional tips for getting started with the right tools for your nonprofit’s matching gift strategy.
Corporate Matching Gift Guidelines | Ratios, Minimums, Maximums & More. Get a better understanding of matching gift programs and typical criteria to keep an eye out for. Dive in with ratios, minimums and maximums, eligible employees and nonprofits, deadlines, and forms.
Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. A solid foundation of knowledge surrounding the matching gift process can enable organizations to better prepare for the steps they’ll need to take. Plus, see how CSR platforms like CyberGrants can fit into the process!

Announcing New Matching Gift Auto-Submission Functionality

August 25, 2022/in Learning Center, Learning Center, About Double the Donation, Company Updates, Press Releases /by Adam Weinger

The Double the Donation team is constantly improving our matching gift solution to provide users with the best possible technology for their fundraising needs. Today, we’re announcing innovative matching gift auto-submission, now built into our software platform.

This revolutionary feature will make it easier than ever before for donors to complete and submit their matching gift requests to employers. Looking to learn more about the functionality? You’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to make the most of matching gift auto-submission with Double the Donation’s flagship product, 360MatchPro⁠—including:

What is matching gift auto-submission?
Key benefits of matching gift auto-submission
How new auto-submission functionality works
Our trailblazing auto-submission partners

Let’s begin with the basics.

What is matching gift auto-submission?

Matching gift auto-submission is essentially the automation of the corporate matching gift request process.

Traditionally, donors looking to participate in their employers’ matching gift programs have been required to navigate to the company’s matching gift management portal. From there, they’ll be asked to search for and locate the organization to which they contributed. This is typically done by entering the nonprofit’s name, mailing address, and tax ID number.

Once the individual has selected the correct listing from the organization search tool, they’ll be prompted to provide information about their donation⁠—such as payment type, donation amount, currency, date of the gift, and more. They might even be asked to upload a copy of their donation receipt.

When donors are able to automatically submit their match request, however, all they’re typically asked for is their corporate email address! Then, Double the Donation gathers data relevant to the donation and organization and transfers the information to the matching gift management platform to process the request.

Key benefits of matching gift auto-submission

Streamlining the matching gift process with auto-submission offers huge benefits to each party involved in the process. Specifically, these are some of the most significant advantages seen by all the key stakeholders of the initiative:

Benefits for Donors

Simplicity and elevated donation impact ⁠— Donors love getting their gifts matched (who wouldn’t want to see their dollars stretch further for an organization they care about?), but even the most dedicated supporters can be distracted and discouraged by complicated request processes. Double the Donation has long worked to streamline match submissions when possible by directing donors to their online forms, but auto-submission functionality brings simplicity to the next level. We can almost hear the donors saying, “All I have to do is enter my email address for my gift to be matched and bring my impact to the next level? I’m in!”

Benefits for Nonprofits

Increased matching gift revenue ⁠— When more donors successfully submit their matches, more matching gift funds are ultimately sent your way. That means additional streams of revenue that can be used to pursue mission programming and even help cover overhead costs. And it’s all without having to dedicate a ton of team member time and resources to pursuing matches, thanks to automation from start to finish.

Benefits for Employees

Decreased submission roadblocks ⁠— When employees find out that they’re eligible to participate in their companies’ workplace giving programs, they’re typically excited about the opportunity to give back in big ways—not to mention get their employers involved in the causes they personally care about. However, time-consuming submission processes can take some of the joy out of partaking and even lead to eligible employees not getting involved. But with auto-submission, corporate employees are able to give directly to a nonprofit, whether through their site or the peer-to-peer fundraising events that their friends and family are participating in. And from there, submitting their match requests to the companies they work for is so quick and easy that there’s nothing to get in their way.

Benefits for Companies

Increased participation rates among employees⁠ — Companies benefit from matching employee gifts by increasing their levels of social responsibility, and consequently better appealing to existing and prospective consumers and team members. The more their employees participate in matching initiatives, the more the companies give to nonprofit causes, and the more their CSR is elevated. When employees see the benefits of matching gift auto-submission, they tend to increase participation in their employers’ programming. As a result, the companies offering the programs reap increased benefits of maximal usage of their initiatives that they invested the time and resources into developing in the first place.

Benefits for Corporate Giving Vendors

Higher usage and satisfaction among clients ⁠— Corporate giving vendors (or CSR platforms) design software with the intention to streamline and improve companies’ workplace giving programs like matching gifts. Offering auto-submission makes each key initiative easier⁠—not to mention, it leads to increased usage and satisfaction among corporate clients who are aiming to make their end users’ experiences as optimal as possible. In the end, this improves these software vendors’ SaaS renewal rates, aids in attracting new corporate clients, and overall drives up long-term revenue.

Not to mention, there’s the key benefit of better supporting nonprofit causes (including 75% of the largest peer-to-peer focused nonprofits who have it enabled) by elevating corporate giving revenue while reducing administrative burden with a more streamlined approach.

Keep in mind that the quicker and simpler it is to participate in corporate matching gift programs, the more likely individuals are to take the required steps. As a result, organizations and companies alike can expect to see significantly more match-eligible donations being driven to completion⁠—which is a win-win for everybody!

How new auto-submission functionality works

Sounds great, right⁠—but how does it actually work?

Let’s take a look at a basic overview of the processes involved:

An individual makes a donation to a nonprofit organization. This step is typically business as usual. A nonprofit supporter fills out an online donation form, complete with basic contact information and payment details. Before you can get a gift matched, there has to be a gift made in the first place!
During the donation process, the individual supplies the name of their employer. This will allow your organization to determine and communicate whether the individual qualifies for a donation match and can be done quickly and easily by embedding Double the Donation’s auto-complete company search tool.
Matching gift program guidelines are provided. As soon as the donor is redirected to the gift confirmation screen, they’ll be met with matching gift criteria specific to their employer’s matching gift program. This should include minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, qualifying employee and nonprofit types, submission deadlines, and more. This way, they can easily determine whether their donation is eligible for a corporate match.
The individual is asked to enter their corporate email address. If eligible, the donor is asked to provide their corporate email address for the match request. Then, before clicking to submit their email address⁠ on the confirmation screen—and, by extension, their matching gift request⁠—the individual is asked to confirm that they give Double the Donation permission to submit a match request to their company on their behalf.
The donor’s matching gift request is automatically processed. Double the Donation utilizes data collected during the individual’s donation process to provide the corporate giving partner platform with information to process the request. Data transferred will typically include the donation amount, organization given to, date of payment, and more.
Finally, the match request is verified and approved. As a result, the employing company (often by way of its corporate giving platform) disburses match funding to your organization.

In the end, corporate matching gifts are paid out to your organization the same way as if an individual had manually submitted their matching gift request on their own. The steps running in the background to make matching gifts possible, however, are significantly simpler when automated⁠—especially when it comes to your donors’ side of the process.

Our trailblazing auto-submission partners

Double the Donation relies on partnerships with other innovative technology providers in order to expand its services and functionality. Matching gift auto-submission is no different.

Recently, we collaborated with these three companies to launch the new auto-submission component of our matching gift platform:

Millie

Millie is a social impact platform designed to make workplace giving and volunteering accessible, fun, and impactful. They are big believers that change comes from everyone and are on a mission to empower businesses of all sizes to start and grow social impact programs. Whether a company has 100 employees, 5,000 employees, or anything in between, Millie helps engage teams around impact with donation matching, volunteer programming, fundraising campaigns, gifting, ERG tools, and more.

Employees of companies that utilize Milie’s software are now able to leverage matching gift auto-submission to more easily submit their requests for their companies’ approval. On the confirmation screen of their nonprofit donation (for organizations using 360MatchPro), the individual will be asked to enter their corporate email address. From there, an email is sent requesting that the donor verifies their recently submitted donation and subsequent matching gift request⁠—which will then be completed and processed by Millie.

Learn more about Millie and Double the Donation!

POINT

POINT is known for being a robust yet user-friendly volunteer management app for nonprofits, volunteers, and companies. Now, they’re expanding into an all-in-one solution with corporate social responsibility⁠—including volunteering, giving, matching, and partnering⁠—at the forefront of their strategy.

In order to make use of Double the Donation’s matching gift auto-submission with POINT, a qualifying donor is encouraged to enter their email address previously registered with the POINT app. The email address is automatically verified with POINT, providing the user with a list of organizations associated with their app profile to choose from. They are then asked to select the organization from which the donation match should be requested, with the submission being processed behind the scenes.

Learn more about POINT and Double the Donation!

Selflessly

Selflessly helps HR & Culture leaders increase employee engagement through its corporate giving and volunteering software solution. Selflessly simplifies social impact by providing all the tools a company may need. Employees can donate to nonprofits, coordinate volunteer opportunities, create team campaigns, receive matching gifts, and more. They prioritize inclusive workplaces to support all employees in the causes they care most about.

Individuals working for companies that use Selflessly to manage their matching gift programs are able to log into their employer’s Selflessly portal and request a donation match to their favorite organizations. Now, when those organizations utilize Double the Donation’s matching gift technology, the request process itself is as easy as entering their corporate email address. Double the Donation and Selflessly will handle the rest!

Learn more about Selflessly and Double the Donation!

Offering matching gift auto-submission is going to go a long way toward increasing the number of match donation requests submitted to employers. For organizations like yours, that will mean more corporate revenue and more engagement opportunities, with fewer eligible gifts slipping through the cracks. And best of all⁠—your donors are going to love it!

Interested in learning more about matching gifts and best practices your organization can take to increase corporate revenue? Check out these other educational resources:

Corporate Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. Take a deep dive into the matching gift process for your organization and its supporters with this detailed resource. The more you know, the better you can guide donors through the experience.
4 Top Ways to Market Matching Gifts In Your Donation Process. Tons of individuals have no idea their employers offer matching gifts, which is why it’s important to market opportunities to your donors. Here’s how to do so directly within the donation process!
Matching Gift Disbursement FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered. Wondering exactly how the matching gift disbursement process works? We answered many frequently asked in this guide to provide insights into what really happens behind the scenes.

How to Advocate for a Matching Gift Program to Your Employer

August 2, 2022/in Learning Center, About Double the Donation, Corporate Consulting /by Adam Weinger

Matching gifts are one of the simplest and most impactful ways for nonprofit donors to amplify their support for their favorite causes. Unfortunately, not all companies offer these initiatives⁠—which is why you’re searching for best practices on how to advocate for a matching gift program.

You’ve come to the right place! Double the Donation is full of experts on matching gift programs, and we’ve compiled a list of easy tips for individual employees to take in order to effectively communicate the value of matching gift programs to the corporate leaders at their company.

Specifically, we recommend taking the following steps:

Cover the basics of matching gift programs.
Explain the benefits of matching employee gifts.
Highlight similar businesses with matching gift programs.
Share resources to simplify program development.
Use a template to communicate your request.

In this guide, we’ll walk through each practice in detail. Ready to learn more about how to convince your boss to build a matching gift program?

Let’s begin!

1. Cover the basics of matching gift programs.

First things first, it’s a good idea to begin with a solid foundation of knowledge regarding corporate matching gift programs. Not only will this help you to understand the value of the constantly growing opportunity, but it can also enable you to better advocate for the programs to your employer.

Matching gifts are one of the most popular forms of corporate philanthropy⁠—both in terms of the number of programs available and the high regard for the initiatives among companies, employees, and nonprofits alike.

This is typically an ongoing opportunity where a company agrees to match monetary donations their team members make to qualifying nonprofit causes. For example, Employee A decides to contribute $100 to Nonprofit B. Employee A then submits a match request to their employer, Company C. Company C reviews the submission, verifies the initial gift, and makes their own corporate donation to Nonprofit B. In the end, Nonprofit B receives double the funding, while Employee A is able to see their dollars make a larger impact and their employer support the causes that they care about.

You may also want to take the opportunity to highlight typical matching gift parameters. Each company that builds a matching gift program has the chance to set its own matching gift ratio, minimum and maximum match amounts, submission deadline, and more. They can even determine which types of employees and nonprofits are eligible to participate, thus tailoring the program to meet the company’s specific needs and abilities.

In order to provide some more context into what existing companies are doing, we also have key statistics and benchmarks that can be shared. For example, 93% of companies have a minimum match requirement of less than or equal to $50, with the average landing at $34. On the other end of the spectrum, 80% of companies’ matching gift maximums fall between $500 and $10,000 annually per employee, for a mean of $3,728. And when it comes to ratios, 91% of companies match at a 1:1 rate, while 4% match at a lower rate (such as .5:1) and 5% match at a higher rate (such as 2:1, 3:1, or even 4:1).

2. Explain the benefits of matching employee gifts.

Once you have the basics of matching gift programs down, it’ll be essential to understand and communicate the range of ways in which a company can benefit from offering employee matching gifts. As your employer considers developing a matching program, it’s important to continuously highlight the value that will be derived from it.

Specifically, we can break things down into both internal and external advantages.

Internal

People want to work for companies that support the greater good. That’s why businesses that give back to the community tend to see:

Increased levels of employee engagement. When employees feel good about the companies they work for, they’ll be more likely to be highly engaged in their jobs. By matching employee donations, a company can elevate engagement levels while simultaneously giving back to their communities and society as a whole.
Higher rates of team member productivity. This piggybacks off of employee engagement. Highly engaged employees are more likely to see high levels of productivity in their roles, having been increasingly inspired to drive forward the company and its success with their own efforts.
Longer staff tenures overall. More and more, individuals are looking for companies to work for that make a difference. When businesses offer socially responsible benefits such as matching gift programs, employees will have fewer reasons to seek employment elsewhere.
Opportunities to attract new talent to the workforce. Individuals looking for employment with companies that benefit nonprofits, and specifically the causes their employees care about, will be more likely to apply and accept positions with CSR-focused businesses.

In fact, research shows that over 77% of surveyed individuals report a sense of purpose as part of the reason they selected their current employer, while more than 54% of employees who are proud of their company’s contributions to society report being fully engaged in their job. Even more, 55% reported being willing to take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company.

Corporate leaders know that a positive work environment is essential to running a successful business. Thus, philanthropy is key⁠—and giving directly to employees’ favorite causes through matching gifts can produce even greater results than supporting nonprofits in a more general sense.

External

The reasons to launch a matching gift program don’t stop at internal benefits, either. Companies can also see substantial advantages when it comes to their consumers.

Research into CSR, and specifically matching gifts, reports that 77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world a better place and that over 90% of consumers are likely to switch to brands supporting good causes. Plus, 66% of consumers would pay more to socially and environmentally responsible businesses.

Thus, if businesses are looking to best appeal to their buyers, they know to contribute to nonprofit causes and that matching gifts are an effective way to do it. Because consumers are now expecting⁠—and even demanding⁠—social responsibility from their favorite brands, not participating in such programs can even cause businesses to lose out on a major competitive advantage.

3. Highlight similar businesses with matching gift programs.

One of the most impactful ways to persuade your employer to launch a matching gift initiative is to show them a number of well-known businesses that are already doing so. It’s its own kind of social proof! They’ll see other companies, perhaps even their competitors, benefiting from matching employee donations and be increasingly inspired to get involved.

You can even provide examples based on the industry in which you’re employed. For instance, let’s say you work for a bank. You may consider the following companies’ match programs as a model:

Truist Bank ⁠— matches full-time employees’ donations of between $50 and $2,500 at a 1:1 ratio to most nonprofit organizations
PNC Financial Services Group ⁠— matches full-time employees’ donations of between $50 and $2,500 at up to a 4:1 ratio to many nonprofit organizations
Bank of America ⁠— matches current employees’ donations of between $24 and $5,000 at a 1:1 ratio to nearly all nonprofit organizations

Meanwhile, if you work for a retailer, you might highlight programs from companies like these:

The Home Depot ⁠— matches current employees’ donations of between $25 and $3,000 at a 1:1 ratio to most nonprofit organizations
Gap Corporation ⁠— matches current and retired employees’ donations of between $10 and $10,000 at a 1:1 ratio to most nonprofit organizations
Macy’s ⁠— matches current and retired employees’ donations of between $25 and $500 at a 1:1 ratio to most nonprofit organizations

Perhaps you’re employed by an airline. In that case, get inspired by Alaska Airlines’ matching gift program. Work for a hotel? Check out Choice Hotels’ standout program!

Or, if you want to provide a few matching gift companies in the same area as your employer, we’ve produced several geographic-based lists to help. Encourage your company to look at examples of powerful matching gift programs in Boston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Miami, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and so on. Just search “matching gift companies in [the city of your choice]” to locate even more inspirational programs.

The bottom line is that there are tons of existing matching gift companies to aspire to. By sharing sample programs with your employer, you can help inspire them to take steps to develop their own initiative.

4. Share resources to simplify program development.

One of the most significant roadblocks for many companies interested in matching gifts is that they simply don’t know where to start. You can help remove obstacles before they occur by sharing useful resources from the beginning.

For example, we created a step-by-step guide on how to establish a matching gift program for companies in situations just like this. This resource covers key undertakings, which include setting a budget and objectives, determining eligibility criteria, promoting the program to employees, tracking data and making improvements, and more. Or we’ve also created a free downloadable template that companies can use to customize their program policies.

If you’re interested in other corporate-facing assets, we have these resources as well:

Feel free to forward the guides to your employer to help kick things into action.

5. Use a template to communicate your request.

Now, it’s time to put everything together and begin actively advocating for a matching gift program at your company. During this stage, you want to ensure your matching gift program request is as well-thought-out and well-written as possible. You also want to make sure you can hit all the points discussed above.

Get a headstart on drafting a message to your employer by utilizing a customizable template like this:

Subject line: Request for a corporate matching gift program

Hi [manager or HR representative name],

I am writing to request the addition of a corporate matching gift program at [company name].

If you weren’t aware, thousands of companies across the globe have begun establishing employee matching gift programs as a way to support their staffs and the nonprofit causes they contribute to. Companies that offer these programs essentially agree to match gifts made by their employees to qualifying nonprofit causes with their own corporate donations.

This is an extremely beneficial program to host for every party involved⁠—including the company, its employees, and the nonprofits they support. For the companies specifically, matching gift programs tend to result in substantial advantages in terms of employee engagement and retention, opportunities to attract competitive candidates, improved brand image, and even increasing sales.

And on the employee’s end, team members love knowing that their employer is willing to contribute to their favorite causes; hence, why they end up having longer tenures in the business and seeing higher levels of engagement than ever before.

In order to best understand the impact that matching gifts can have on [company name], I recommend checking out matching programs from well-known businesses such as General Electric, Gap Corporation, Coca-Cola Company, and the Home Depot.

If you’d like to take steps to establish a matching gift program for the company, Double the Donation has provided a detailed guide that walks corporate leaders through the process. You can access this resource here in hopes that it will help simplify the creation of such a beneficial program and use this free template to kickstart your policy creation.

Thank you for your consideration,

[Your name]
[Job position]
[Contact information]

If you choose to go with a face-to-face meeting with management, feel free to use the above template as conversation talking points or a presentation follow-up message instead. Overall, a combination of verbal and written communication touch-points is likely going to produce the greatest results.

More and more companies are developing matching gift programs, and your employer just might be one of them. By promoting the opportunity to the decision-makers at the company you work for, you can help communicate the increasing demand for this type of socially responsible corporate initiative.

Best of luck!

Interested in diving deeper into matching gifts and other corporate philanthropy initiatives to help prepare your company for success? Explore our other educational resources here:

Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies. Matching gifts are just one form of workplace giving. Learn more about why workplace giving programs matter and how your company can benefit while also supporting nonprofit causes.
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2022]. Check out these matching gift and corporate philanthropy statistics to learn more about industry trends and current availability. See how your company can play a role!
The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Giving Programs. Beyond matching gifts, corporate giving can include volunteer grants, community donations, in-kind support, co-hosted fundraising events, and more. Dive into the opportunities in this complete guide.

Matching Gift Videos for Universities | Tips and Examples

July 27, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Corporate matching gifts can significantly benefit any institution’s fundraising efforts. Raising awareness of the programs is essential, however, as available opportunities are often overlooked. For colleges, universities, and other schools, matching gift videos may be just the answer you were looking for.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of matching gift videos (and how to create the most impactful content for your audience), as well as share high-performing examples from colleges and universities to be inspired by. Feel free to explore the following topics:

5 Best Practices for Producing Impactful Matching Gift Videos
Sample Matching Gift Videos Created for Higher Education
Other Unique Ideas for Matching Gift Videos by Schools

In the age of YouTube, TikTok, social media reels, and more, video is a favorite channel for content creators to share important information and engage with their audiences. And, when done well, viewers love to watch them⁠ (on average, for a total of 100+ minutes a day).

When it comes to matching gifts, you may already have a good amount of content on your website⁠—perhaps a dedicated match page, informative blog posts, and even a matching gift widget on your donation forms.

But did you know that viewers retain significantly more of a message when they watch it in video format (95%) compared to written text (10%)? Thus, matching gift videos can be a powerful tool for effectively marketing matching gift opportunities to your institution’s supporters.

Let’s dive in with a few tried-and-true tips and tricks for creating optimized matching gift video content.

5 Best Practices for Producing Impactful Matching Gift Videos

A well-made video has the ability to engage its audience from beginning to end, share vital information that is processed and retained, and remain at the top of the viewers’ minds for long after the last second is up.

Follow these tips to create a video for your school that elevates your matching gift strategy and meets the above standards and more.

1. Embed the video on your school’s matching gift web page.

In order for your matching gift video to produce the greatest results, you’ll want to ensure it reaches the widest audience. One of the best ways to do so is by embedding the video directly into your school’s matching gift page. After all, this is where supporters will navigate to learn more about matching gift program opportunities, so it makes sense that it’s the key location in which your video will live. Then, be sure to share your matching gift page with supporters and potential donors alike!

2. Highlight how quick and simple the matching process is.

Most companies with matching gift programs offer a simple request process that can be kicked off online in less than five minutes. However, donors who don’t understand what’s involved in matching gift programs may assume that it’s a significant undertaking.

Be sure to emphasize the speed and simplicity of the donor’s end of the process! Typically, all it takes is some basic information about the donor, their initial donation, and the organization they supported.

3. Keep your content short, sweet, and to the point.

There’s a ton you could say about matching gifts if you were, for example, giving a multi-hour lecture on workplace giving programs. In your matching gift video, however, it’s best to keep it short and sweet.

You’ll want to cover the basics of matching gifts and provide enough of a foundation to draw donors in and inspire them to participate. But you don’t want to lose your audience’s attention, so you’ll want to stick with an overview (with a call to action to dive in).

4. Incorporate closed captioning for increased accessibility.

If your matching gift video will include a voiceover or other speaking parts, it’s important to add closed captioning for the text. This will allow for optimal accessibility, enabling individuals who are hard of hearing and those watching without volume to get the most out of your video content.

5. Direct viewers to additional resources.

Your matching gift video is great for providing an overview of matching gift programs quickly and effectively. But it’s not the only source of information on matching gifts you should make available to your supporters. Thus, in your video, we recommend directing viewers to additional resources as well. This may include your dedicated matching gift web page, company search tool, or even resources on Double the Donation’s website.

Sample Matching Gift Videos Created for Higher Education

See our best practices in action by exploring existing matching gift videos created and utilized by colleges and universities like yours. As you watch these videos, consider which elements can be brought into your own video production strategy to drive success.

Virginia Commonwealth University ⁠— You could double your donation! | Matching Gifts

Virginia Commonwealth University produced this video in early 2020 to educate donors about the impact and availability of matching gifts. Get inspired by their matching gift video here:

Summary of the Matching Gift Video

Virginia Commonwealth University’s matching gift video stars two sets of look-alikes, each donning VCU apparel to represent matching gift opportunities to their audience.

The video shows the pairs walking through three key steps that a viewer can take to get their donation matched to VCU⁠. These include navigating to the school’s matching gift page with its embedded company search tool, making an individual donation at the provided giving page URL, and following the instructions provided to request a match.

Here are a few standout screengrabs:

1 2 3 4

What this Matching Gift Video Does Well

Virginia Commonwealth University’s matching gift video stands out for its:

Creative utilization of look-alike individuals to represent corporate gift-matching;
Communication of school spirit through the incorporation of branded apparel;
Step-by-step overview of the donation and matching gift processes;

Case Western Reserve University ⁠— CRWU Annual Giving Matching Gifts

Case Western Reserve University is another example of a higher education institution that uses a top-notch matching gift video to communicate the importance of corporate matching opportunities. Take a look at their video here:

Summary of the Matching Gift Video

CWRU’s matching gift video utilizes animated elements to highlight matching gift opportunities to viewers. The video begins by likening matching gifts to more common “deals” such as BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales, instant rebates, and more to establish the value of these programs.

From there, they continue to convey that matching gifts are widely available and allow donors to create a greater impact with their gifts while directing the audience to their dedicated matching gift web page to learn more. Finally, they concluded with a powerful data point that states that the school collected nearly $300,000 in matching gift funds the previous year, encouraging viewers to follow suit.

Here are a few standout screengrabs:

1 2 3 4 5

What this Matching Gift Video Does Well

Case Western Reserve University’s matching gift video stands out for its:

Engaging use of animation to tell the story of matching gifts;
Incorporation into CWRU’s dedicated matching gift page, in addition to being posted on the institution’s YouTube page;
Symbolism regarding 2-for-1 and BOGO sales as a way to reiterate the impact of corporate gift matches for donors and organizations;
Utilization of statistics to effectively communicate the power of matching gifts the school has seen in the past.

7 Steps to Design Your Nonprofit Logo

July 22, 2022/in About Double the Donation /by Adam Weinger

At the end of the day, people expect logos from every business, organization, and nonprofit. Having a good logo is integral to your nonprofit’s branding, just like your organization’s name. A good logo is one that stands out, sticks in your supporters’ minds, and represents your mission.

In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of designing a nonprofit logo, including:

How to Design a Nonprofit Logo
Nonprofit Logo Design Best Practices
Additional Resources

A strong logo design strengthens your organization’s branding and makes a strong first impression on prospective supporters. Along with other promotional materials, your logo should be incorporated into your nonprofit’s graphic design strategy. Your organization should strive to deliver a high-quality logo that represents your mission without having to say a thing.

How to Design a Nonprofit Logo

Step 1: Finalize your name.

Ideally, your nonprofit should already have a compelling name before you embark on your logo design journey. If you don’t have a finalized name or aren’t happy with your current one, focus on ironing out any kinks before you start designing.

One reason to develop a strong name for your nonprofit before designing a logo is that names inform the visual elements of your logo. For example, you might be able to create a clever logo that uses text from your nonprofit’s name to create a symbol that represents your cause. In this logo from Handicap International, the name’s initials (HI) are worked into the hand illustration for an innovative graphic.

Your name also conveys information about your mission and the overall tone your organization carries. The name should cultivate an accurate and engaging first impression of your nonprofit to boost brand recognition. Remember to finalize any spelling and formatting preferences before you design your logo.

Step 2: Develop your core message.

Your organization’s name makes it identifiable to your supporters. Your core message, on the other hand, is influenced by your mission statement and slogan to identify what kind of impact your organization is making.

The values in your core message should guide every decision your nonprofit makes. Whether you’re choosing the right fundraising idea or developing your organization’s marketing strategy, come back to the principles outlined in your core message. Your logo serves as a visual, public-facing way to communicate these principles.

Finalizing your mission statement and creating a strong slogan gives you a solid jumping-off point for developing your logo. A slogan condenses the most important parts of what you do into a few key words. If you get stuck or off track while designing, refer back to your slogan to zero in on key concepts from your mission.

Step 3: Build branded elements.

The best way to develop a strong visual brand for your nonprofit is to create a brand guide. A brand guide is a set of instructions on how to properly communicate your branding across various media channels. Brand guides are the best way to keep your branding consistent, especially if multiple team members create content for your organization.

Your brand guide should inform graphic design decisions across all platforms and channels. Include details like hexadecimal (hex) color codes and typeface names in the guide to encourage consistency down to the smallest details. With a thorough brand guide, any designer can reference it and replicate your nonprofit’s branding in their work.

Keep in mind that visual elements like color can signal things about your nonprofit. For example, this logo from Harlem Children’s Zone uses bold, bright colors. Colors like these communicate the nonprofit’s focus on helping children in the Harlem community with visual cues viewers pick up on at a glance.

Another example of the meaning of color in a logo is Greenpeace’s logo. Green is often associated with nature, environmental causes, and health. By using green in their logo, Greenpeace visually signals that their organization is concerned with creating a greener world.

Step 4: Choose a symbol.

Your organization’s name and core message can be translated into a visual symbol to quickly communicate your mission to supporters. The symbol you choose should represent what your organization does and be as unique as possible.

One way to develop a symbol for your logo is to narrow down your mission statement to just two or three main words. If you have a slogan, use it to inform what you create. Then, brainstorm other word associations and visual elements that communicate your mission.

Sometimes it’s difficult to think of symbols that truly represent your mission, especially if your cause is complex or abstract. If you feel stuck, try looking at some examples from other nonprofits with a similar mission to see what they used. Use these examples to inspire other ideas for your organization, but avoid outright copying.

We’ve all heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words.” The Girl Scouts of America logo is a great example of how symbols can convey a powerful visual message that might require lines and lines of text. This logo shows a lucky four-leaf clover and layers the silhouettes of three girls looking forward to the future, indicating the organization’s dedication to progress.

For some nonprofits, simpler is better. Organizations like The Water Trust choose to use only text in their logo. Even if you create a more text-heavy logo, there are still clever ways to include symbols that go the extra mile to convey your mission. In its logo, The Water Trust uses text, color, and clever symbols to convey that its mission involves helping people get water.

Step 5: Create the logo.

Use a nonprofit graphic design service like Kwala.

The best way to get a logo for your nonprofit is to use a graphic design service. While creating the logo yourself can save money, it’s best to invest in professional services when dealing with something as central to your brand as your logo. Professional designers have the skills and expertise to ensure your logo is visually and technically sound.

However, working with traditional graphic design agencies can be stressful for nonprofits. A subscription graphic design service like Kwala takes the stress out of the equation. With this service, your nonprofit will be paired with a graphic design team that specializes in creating graphic design materials for nonprofits.

If your organization chooses to work with Kwala, the process will look something like this:

Contact the Kwala team and meet your team of professional designers.
Describe what you’re looking for to the designers. Kwala’s flat rate pricing and unlimited designs allow you to get as many high-quality designs as you need each month.
Review your designs and submit as much feedback as you’d like with Kwala’s unlimited revisions.
Use your new designs to market your nonprofit across all marketing and advertising channels.

After receiving your design from Kwala’s team, your nonprofit can continue using the service for other graphic design materials. Because Kwala focuses on understanding the unique nonprofit landscape, its designs are tailored to address the challenges of nonprofit marketing.

Build the logo yourself.

If you’re unable to work with a professional designer, there are other ways to create a strong logo. To ensure your logo accurately reflects the best parts of your organization, follow these tips:

Avoid logo makers. Try not to use logo generators or makers. While some of these tools might yield high-quality logos, most of them look a bit cookie cutter. It’s hard to have a memorable logo if it looks like everyone else’s.
Create the logo from scratch. It’s best to create the logo from scratch on a reputable program like Adobe Illustrator. Your logo should be the centerpiece of your branding efforts, and it will be your nonprofit’s chief identifying factor for years to come. Make sure it’s created with care and attention to detail.
Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your network of supporters for assistance. One of your volunteers could be a professional designer willing to create a logo for free. Even if your supporters with expertise are unable to design a logo for you, you can use them as a knowledgeable resource for questions and concerns.

If you create your own logo, be sure it’s one of a kind. It’s easy to cut corners to save time and money, but your logo is something you should invest in.

Step 6: Review and revise your nonprofit logo.

Look over your finished logo for any problems, large or small. Ideally, you should get as many eyes on your logo as possible, including your employees and volunteers. The more people you have to look over your logo, the more likely you are to catch mistakes.

First, make sure the logo is what you want. If you used a designer, make sure they incorporated each element you requested and that it effectively represents your organization. One way to test this is to show the logo to people who aren’t familiar with your organization and ask what their impression of your nonprofit is.

Next, try to envision the logo across the various media channels it will be used on. Picture it in email signatures, on the corner of social media posts, and front and center on t-shirts. Ask yourself if it will look good and represent your mission in all of these scenarios.

Last, do a sweep for any basic mistakes. This could be spelling errors or the use of fonts and colors outside of what is detailed in the brand guide. It’s best to catch these mistakes at this stage rather than after you’ve printed logos with typos on 100 copies of a brochure.

Step 7: Develop variations.

Once you have a complete, finalized version of your logo, consider creating variations. Using your parent logo, tweak the design so the logo will work no matter when, where, how, or why it’s used. Your logo will be used on everything from social media infographics to thank-you letters, so it’s crucial that the style of the logo matches the occasion.

For example, the American Heart Association’s full logo includes their symbol and name, and it’s usually used in more formal settings like on their website. However, the organization uses a simplified version for informal content like Instagram posts.

Nonprofit Logo Design Best Practices

Keep your design simple.

Knowing when to stop is one of the most challenging parts of graphic design. It’s easy to get carried away attempting to fit everything you love about your organization into your logo. But fitting everything in your mission statement into a tiny logo is next to impossible.

As you work on creating a clean and simple logo, keep these tips in mind:

Only use one trick. Not every element of your logo needs to be revolutionary. Choose one unique or special feature that will help your logo stand out from the crowd and limit everything else to the background.
Don’t be afraid to trim. You’ll likely need to cut some of the elements in your logo after the first draft is complete. Take a hard look at the logo and remove anything that isn’t absolutely necessary. Anything that can be qualified as simply “decorative” should be removed.
Consider choosing between text and graphics. Text and graphics both have their merits, but sometimes using both of them weighs down logos with unnecessary information. If your symbol seems like it’s repeating your nonprofit’s name or vice versa, consider removing the weaker element from the logo.

Remember that most viewers won’t take much time to study your logo. Social media viewers in particular will likely glance at the logo for one or two seconds before scrolling on. A simple logo is the best way to communicate your message to as many people as you can.

Make sure your logo can stand alone.

Your logo will end up featured across many different websites, pieces of merchandise, social media posts, and other media. You shouldn’t have to explain what your logo means for it to make sense to whoever views it. Make sure it can stand alone in any scenario.

As you design your logo, consider where it will show up. For example, if your logo will be posted on a social media platform like Instagram most frequently, tailor the logo to align with social media users’ preferences. In this case, the logo should be extremely simple so anyone quickly scrolling through their feed on a small smartphone screen can still register and make sense of your logo.

This logo from the World Wildlife Fund is a great example of a logo that can stand alone, particularly on social media. It doesn’t need a long name or written description to explain what it means. However, the United H.O.P.E. Foundation’s logo might be difficult for viewers to understand without reading five lines of text below the symbol.

Additional Resources

Designing a logo for your nonprofit is a serious undertaking that requires significant amounts of planning. Deep knowledge of your organization’s branding and mission statements is critical, especially for young nonprofit organizations. A strong logo design will help your organization stand out from the competition and show your supporters what you care about.

If you’re looking for more information to help guide your organization’s graphic design journey, check out these resources:

12 Best Nonprofit Graphic Design Tools. Looking to learn more about nonprofit graphic design tools? This guide features the 12 best tools so you can choose which ones are right for your nonprofit.
5 Types of Nonprofit Graphic Design Your Organization Needs. It’s easy to forget to create some graphic design materials, especially when there are so many different kinds. This guide highlight the five most important types of graphic design your nonprofit should have.
Essential Guide for Choosing a Graphic Design Company. Is your nonprofit considering using a graphic design service? Check out this guide for choosing the right company to meet your nonprofit’s unique needs.

Learn about how you can create your best fundraising flyer with these 8 frequently asked questions.

Creating Your Best Fundraising Flyer: 8 FAQs

July 19, 2022/in About Double the Donation /by Adam Weinger

As a nonprofit professional, you’re familiar with the important role fundraising plays in keeping your organization up and running. However, not every nonprofit recognizes the importance of marketing fundraisers with graphic design. Fundraising flyers are one of the easiest, most effective ways to promote your fundraiser.

Flyers are great nonprofit marketing tools to promote your fundraiser and maximize revenue. They also communicate important logistical details such as date and time in a succinct, readable format.

As you explore creating fundraising flyers, these topics will help you get started:

What is subscription graphic design?
Most-Asked Questions About Fundraising Flyers
Additional Resources

Flyers also clearly lay out how and why you are raising money. Adding context as to why your organization needs to raise money and the ways you will be collecting it could motivate more people to participate. Let’s get started by learning how subscription graphic design can help you create effective flyers.

What is subscription graphic design?

Choosing good graphic design software is just as important as choosing strong fundraising software, but making these important decisions can feel overwhelming. For many organizations, staff members simply don’t have the time to craft the perfect flyer in a design program. That’s where subscription-based graphic design services come into play.

Subscription graphic design services like Kwala offer a solution to nonprofit organizations that are pressed for time. This service connects your team with designers who understand the unique needs of nonprofits. Their deep understanding of the nonprofit landscape lends itself to custom graphic design products that address the challenges associated with the nonprofit sector.

With Kwala, you can create promotional materials and gear such as:

Flyers
T-shirt graphics
Yard signs
Stickers
Table runners
Postcards

Each of these items is fully customizable, and designers are committed to aligning designs with your mission and branding. The service offers unlimited requests and revisions to ensure you receive exactly what you want.

Most-Asked Questions About Fundraising Flyers

Why create fundraising flyers?

While many people might assume flyers are a thing of the past, this is far from reality. There are many reasons why fundraising flyers should be included in your marketing strategy, such as:

Flyers are a low-cost marketing tool.
They are a high-impact way to market.
They are easy to create.
Updating flyers in the event of changes is simple.

Flyers are a versatile and functional type of graphic design. They inform your supporters about important upcoming events and are easy to distribute, whether sent via email, posted in public areas, or distributed to your supporters.

What is the best way to make fundraising flyers?

Simply put, the best way to create flyers varies for each organization. Depending on factors like team size, time availability, and budget, there is an approach to making flyers that works best for you. For example, a team with busy nonprofit professionals who still want quality graphic design materials can find success with a service like Kwala.

What graphic design tools should I use?

There are many different kinds of graphic design tools for nonprofits, but some are better and more affordable than others. When you’re looking for graphic design tools, keep in mind that flyers are simple and only require basic tools. You probably won’t need software with the longest list of capabilities but one that meets your unique

Canva

Canva is a graphic design program that is available online, so you won’t need to download any software. This platform has pre-made templates for just about any graphic design material you’ll need to create, whether that’s a social media post or a fundraising flyer. Canva’s software allows you to customize its templates so you can adjust fonts, colors, and images to match your branding.

As a nonprofit organization, you’re probably eligible for a free Canva Pro membership. You’ll have access to all of the templates, graphics, and project management tools the platform has to offer. You can also add other team members to the account for a collaborative graphic design process.

Pexels

Pexels is a service that features royalty-free media. While it is primarily a source for stock photos, the website also has royalty-free videos available. With images from Pexels, you can edit them as much as you like so that they match your branding and the theme of your fundraiser.

High-quality photos make your fundraising flyers shine. Pexels is a convenient source for images, especially if you don’t have the time or budget to take them yourself.

BeFunky

BeFunky has everything you need in a photo editor, including the ability to crop, recolor, and resize your photos. This tool is known for its one-click collage generator which creates cohesive collages from the photos you upload.

If you’re planning to integrate photos into your flyer designs, it’s best to work with an editing tool like BeFunky. While other design tools often have built-in photo editing tools, they tend to have limited capabilities. BeFunky, on the other hand, houses every common editing tool on one easy-to-use platform.

Should I try using templates?

Templates can work for any nonprofit, regardless of their design experience, because they streamline the entire process. For nonprofits with small teams, a limited budget, and a packed schedule, drag-and-drop templates are the best option. Templates give your organization the ability to make attractive templates without needing to spend time and money you don’t have on creating them.

While templates are a quick and affordable way to create flyers, they won’t be tailored to your organization and its branding. If you choose a popular free template, chances are other organizations have used the exact same one. Choosing templates you can customize sets your organization apart without demanding too much time from your busy schedule.

If you want unique templates but don’t have the time to create new flyers every time you have a fundraiser or event, consider creating your own templates. Set aside a chunk of time to develop a flyer template that’s consistent with your branding, complete with fields for important details like the fundraiser name, date, and time. Then, the next time you launch a fundraiser, all you’ll need to do is update the fields in the template!

What should I include in my fundraising flyer?

The main purpose of a fundraising flyer is to promote an event to your supporters. To ensure supporters have all the necessary information to attend, you’ll need to add some specific details to your flyers.

As you create your flyer, be sure to include the following information:

Fundraiser name
Location
Date and time
Organization name
Fundraiser purpose or name of the cause
How supporters can participate
Entry fee or donation amount

Once you start building out flyers for various fundraisers, there may be additional information you need to include. For example, if your nonprofit hosts a picnic fundraiser, you should add a line noting that participants will need to bring their own blankets or chairs.

Flyers should contain the most important information your supporters need to participate in your fundraiser. Your goal should be to create a comprehensive source that covers all of your fundraiser’s bases. To maximize the marketing potential of your flyer and increase brand recognition, include your nonprofit’s logo on the page..

While you should strive to make a flyer that contains all relevant information, avoid bogging it down with too much text. Adding paragraphs of detailed information will make the flyer difficult to skim through, especially on social media. Ensure your supporters will actually read your flyers by sticking to short, bullet-point style lines of text rather than blocks of it.

What design strategies work in a fundraising flyer?

If you feel lost when it comes to graphic design, learning about basic graphic design strategies can help steer you in the right direction. These common strategies can help you leverage the full power of nonprofit graphic design in your communications. Generally, graphic design tips make for a clearer, more readable final product.

Create a plan.

Before you even open your graphic design software, plan out the flyer. Many designers prefer to use pen and paper to jot down or sketch their ideas quickly. Having a solid plan before you start designing prevents you from staring at a blank document until you feel inspired.

Start with a list of the information you’ll need to include in your flyer. Then, you can allow enough space for important fundraiser details. At this stage, it might help to note any ideas you have regarding images or graphics.

Next, begin to sketch a rough layout of your fundraising flyer. If drawing isn’t your strong suit, don’t panic — this step is just a tool for you to organize the basic elements of your flyer before you begin designing it. Once you feel satisfied with your sketch, start drafting the flyer in your graphic design software.

Establish a visual hierarchy.

Simply put, this strategy uses visual elements to signal what is most important about your design. For example, the name of the fundraiser should be the largest, followed by date and time, with less notable details being the smallest. Visual hierarchy directs the viewer’s eye to the most important piece of information first, subtly moving their gaze across the flyer.

It also ensures that viewers who give your flyer a cursory glance see the most important information. If they take anything away from the flyer, it will be whatever you’ve signaled is most important in your design.

There are many different ways to establish a visual hierarchy — namely through creating size differences, using contrasting colors, and organizing typography. Keep in mind that images and graphics catch the eye before any text will, so make these elements count!

Choose a color palette.

Design a color scheme that is effective, whether it is for a single flyer or your entire brand. Effective color pairings should contrast against each other and convey something about your brand. For example, green is associated with nature which makes it perfect for environmental organizations.

If you don’t know where to start when it comes to choosing a color scheme, try a color picker website to generate some combinations that will get you started.

What are some graphic design mistakes should I avoid?

Novice designers are bound to make some missteps at the beginning of their design journey. Unfortunately, mistakes aren’t always harmless, and they can sometimes lead to miscommunications between you and your supporters. Learning about common graphic design mistakes can keep you from making them yourself.

When creating your flyer, try to avoid:

Using too many words: Keep your flyers as visual as possible. This means using photos, illustrations, and other graphics in place of large blocks of text. Limit text usage to bullet points or one-line phrases.
Using several different fonts: Stick to one or two fonts per design. It’s easy to get excited and throw in three or four fonts that you love, but mismatched fonts are distracting for viewers. To build your branding, consider choosing a default font to use across all graphic design materials.
Filling the entire page: Avoid filling every inch of the flyer with text, graphics, or images. Intentionally incorporate negative space, the blank space between graphic elements, into your design. Negative space directs viewers’ focus to the important parts of the flyer.

Some graphic design errors are tell-tale signs of an amateur designer. Keeping these mistakes in mind prevents you from creating flyers that aren’t useful for communicating information to your audience.

How can I save money on fundraising flyers?

While flyers are a low-cost option relative to other promotional materials, creating them on a tight budget can be difficult. One way to make a tight budget go further is to capitalize on matching gift programs and other corporate philanthropy initiatives. However, there are a few ways to cut down costs if you need a quicker solution.

Before you commit to purchasing graphic design software or registering for a paid membership, check for special deals extended to nonprofits. Many graphic design platforms offer free or reduced costs for their product as long as your organization meets their criteria. As you learn to navigate the software, browse the internet for free tutorials or courses so you can design more efficiently.

Printing costs can be high depending on the style of your flyers and how many copies you need. However, the world of social media marketing is growing faster than ever. If needed, your flyers can live totally online so you can cut out printing costs entirely.

Additional Resources

Flyers are an integral part of promoting fundraisers through nonprofit graphic design. With the dozens of graphic design tools available with just a few clicks, there is a way for every nonprofit to create stunning fundraising flyers. If graphic design is something you’re still mystified by, turning to a professional graphic design service is a great alternative to creating them yourself.

5 Steps to Create a Great Graphic Design Strategy. If you’ve researched graphic design strategy, chances are you got lost in jargon and technical language. These five steps clearly outline how you can improve your organization’s graphic design strategy.
5 Nonprofit Graphic Design FAQs to Help You Stand Out. Are you just dipping your toe into the world of nonprofit graphic design? Take a look at some of the common questions beginners ask to understand the basics, best practices, and how to find a graphic designer.
15 Best Nonprofit Graphic Design Examples. Feeling uninspired in your graphic design efforts? Check out these 15 top nonprofit graphic design examples to get some ideas for your next infographic or brochure.

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro!

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro!

The Basics of Data Appends

What Are Employer Appends?

How Employer Appends Work for Fundraisers

Benefits of Employer Appends for Nonprofits and Universities

Determine matching gift eligibility ⁠—

Uncover volunteer grant opportunities ⁠—

Identify potential corporate sponsorships ⁠—

Estimate wealth data ⁠—

Tailor donor communications ⁠—

Learn more about your supporters ⁠—

Employer Appends Services | What to Look For

Concluding Thoughts

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro

What to Know About CyberGrants

Benefits of CyberGrants for Nonprofits

CyberGrants’ Matching Gift Verification Process Overview

FAQ | How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal

What is FrontDoor?

What are subaccounts?

Why do we receive grants from companies for which we have not confirmed any matching gift requests?

What happens if we receive a request we don’t qualify for?

Will all pending matching gift and volunteer grant requests show up on the Donations Tab?

Why is there a gift under the Donations Tab that is from a company not listed under the Company Portals Tab?

Best Practices for Nonprofits Using CyberGrants

1. Create a login sheet.

2. Establish a process for locating “hidden” gifts.

3. Make a plan for subaccounts.

4. Produce a “Portal Information” document.

What is matching gift auto-submission?

Key benefits of matching gift auto-submission

Benefits for Donors

Benefits for Nonprofits

Benefits for Employees

Benefits for Companies

Benefits for Corporate Giving Vendors

How new auto-submission functionality works

Our trailblazing auto-submission partners

1. Cover the basics of matching gift programs.

2. Explain the benefits of matching employee gifts.

Internal

External

3. Highlight similar businesses with matching gift programs.

4. Share resources to simplify program development.

5. Use a template to communicate your request.

5 Best Practices for Producing Impactful Matching Gift Videos

1. Embed the video on your school’s matching gift web page.

2. Highlight how quick and simple the matching process is.

3. Keep your content short, sweet, and to the point.

4. Incorporate closed captioning for increased accessibility.

5. Direct viewers to additional resources.

Sample Matching Gift Videos Created for Higher Education

Virginia Commonwealth University ⁠— You could double your donation! | Matching Gifts

Summary of the Matching Gift Video

What this Matching Gift Video Does Well

Case Western Reserve University ⁠— CRWU Annual Giving Matching Gifts

Summary of the Matching Gift Video

What this Matching Gift Video Does Well

Other Unique Ideas for Matching Gift Videos by Schools

Share a constituent story.

Use relevant imagery to help visualize matching.

Conduct a brief matching gift FAQ.

Highlight matching gift fundraising statistics.

Emphasize local businesses with matching gift programs.

How to Design a Nonprofit Logo

Step 1: Finalize your name.

Step 2: Develop your core message.

Step 3: Build branded elements.

Step 4: Choose a symbol.

Step 5: Create the logo.

Use a nonprofit graphic design service like Kwala.

Build the logo yourself.

Step 6: Review and revise your nonprofit logo.

Step 7: Develop variations.

Nonprofit Logo Design Best Practices

Keep your design simple.