Double the Donation, the leader in corporate matching gifts automation for nonprofits, is proud to expand its horizons with the new 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub, designed to help organizations connect their volunteers with volunteer grant and volunteer PTO opportunities provided by their employers.
Taking advantage of corporate volunteering benefits has never been easier with the 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub by Double the Donation.
The Volunteer Hub, now available to existing 360MatchPro clients, gives organizations the opportunity to use a plugin specifically designed to surface information about volunteer grants, a.k.a. “dollars for doers”, and volunteer time off programs from Double the Donation’s extensive database. Now, donors, volunteers, and other supporters can easily find out if their employer offers special incentives for volunteerism.
“Double the Donation has led the charge helping nonprofits and schools raise more from matching gifts for over a decade now,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “We felt it was a natural next step for us to help organizations pursue corporate volunteering initiatives for their supporters in the same way.”
Read on to learn more about how your organization can use Volunteer Hub to raise more in volunteer grants or get more supporters through volunteer PTO!
What’s Available within 360MatchPro’s Volunteer Hub?
Double the Donation clients can easily access the 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub through the 360MatchPro top navigation. A new dashboard highlights top volunteer grant programs as well as top volunteer PTO programs. Organizations can also see available resources and templates to help their push for volunteer grants, and can also stay up to date on upcoming events hosted by Double the Donation.
Additionally in Volunteer Hub, organizations have access to a new plugin that puts volunteer grant and volunteer time off information front and center. Nonprofits can both use the plugin directly from within Volunteer Hub, as well as embed the plugin on their website or integrated volunteer registration forms for visitors to use and search from.
Keep an eye out for updates as Double the Donation adds more features very soon!
Get Started with 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub
360MatchPro Volunteer Hub by Double the Donation empowers fundraisers and corporate philanthropy coordinators to deepen their relationships with supporters by exposing them to the benefits companies make available to them.
Ready to learn more about both Volunteer Hub and Matching Hub by Double the Donation? Access both with 360MatchPro! Request a demo today to learn more about how both can help your organization raise more with every supporter interaction.
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/.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Volunteer-Hub-image-1.png290775Erin Lavenderhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgErin Lavender2024-07-10 09:00:192024-10-01 18:45:25Double the Donation Releases 360MatchPro Volunteer Hub for Corporate Volunteer Benefits
The nonprofit landscape is continuously changing, and our team at Double the Donation is constantly making improvements to our matching gift solution, 360MatchPro, to evolve along with it. To provide users with the best possible software for their fundraising needs, we’re proud to add the latest cutting-edge technology in matching gifts to our platform: auto-submission.
This revolutionary feature makes it easier than ever for donors to complete and submit their matching gift requests to employers by turning a multi-step process into a single click.
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.
We’re excited to be the leading provider of matching gift technology, and if you or your team has any questions about auto-submission not answered by this guide, our team is more than happy to help.
Traditionally, for donors to participate in their employers’ matching gift programs, they have to take the following steps:
Make a donation. Employees interested in matching gifts start by donating like normal. If the donor uses their workplace email address for their contact information and the nonprofit uses matching gift software like 360MatchPro, they’ll automatically be provided with their employer’s matching gift information. If not, they can still complete a matching gift by moving on to step two.
Look up matching gift eligibility guidelines. If donors use a personal email address, they can still participate in a matching gift program by using the nonprofit’s matching gift database to look up their employer. For nonprofits that lack matching gift software, the donor will need to be aware of matching gifts and look up their employer’s information on their own.
Navigate to their employer’s matching gift management portal. To access the matching gift application, many companies direct their employees to submit a match request form through their CSR software.
Search for the organization they contributed to. Employees will use their company’s CSR software provider to look up the nonprofit they donated to. This is typically done by entering the nonprofit’s name, mailing address, and tax ID number.
Select the correct organization. Upon entering the nonprofit’s name, donors must choose the right organization to give to, which can be especially important for enterprise-size nonprofits that have multiple branches.
Complete a matching gift application form. 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, and date of the gift. They might even be asked to upload a copy of their donation receipt.
Confirm the details on the form. To ensure their match request is approved, donors should review the application to double-check that all information is correct.
Submit the matching gift request. Finally, the form is sent to the employer for review. If approved, the nonprofit will receive the match donation.
When developing a matching gift program, companies should eliminate as many barriers to participation as possible. If a company has a laborious and complex matching gift application submission system, employees might not participate in the program.
In contrast to this lengthy process, when donors can automatically submit their match requests, the process looks like this:
The supporter makes a donation. Supporters who give to nonprofits that use 360MatchPro can complete the donation process as normal.
The donor enters 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 match request process is complete. Double the Donation gathers data relevant to the donation and nonprofit organization and transfers the information to the donor’s employer’s matching gift management platform to process the request.
With a user-friendly matching gift process, companies can do more good for their communities, better engage employees, and build strong relationships with nonprofits.
Key benefits of matching gift auto-submission
Streamlining the matching gift process with auto-submission benefits every party involved in the process. Let’s take a look at how auto-submission improves matching gifts for each stakeholder.
Benefits for Donors
Donors appreciate knowing their gifts will go further with matching gifts, but complicated request processes can discourage even the most dedicated supporters. Double the Donation has long worked to streamline the matching gift submissions by:
Helping supporters check their eligibility during the donation process
Directing donors to their employers’ matching gift request forms
Giving nonprofits the tools to follow up with matching gift eligible donors to drive their matches through to completion
Now auto-submission functionality brings simplicity to the next level. With auto-submission, corporate employees can give directly to a nonprofit through their website, a peer-to-peer fundraising page, or other donation tool. From there, submitting their match requests to their company is so quick and easy that participating is practically a no-brainer.
Benefits for Nonprofits
The link between an easy matching gift process and greater nonprofit revenue is clear; when more donors successfully submit their matches, more matching gift funds get sent your way.
This means nonprofits can tap into additional income streams to pursue their missions. Plus, since matching gift funds are likely to be unrestricted revenue, nonprofits are free to spend these extra donations on important but underfunded overhead costs. When the process is automated from start to finish, your team can focus on programming rather than chasing down donors.
Benefits for Companies
Companies offer employee programs like matching gifts to increase employee engagement and better appeal to existing and prospective consumers. The more their employees participate in matching initiatives, the more the companies give to nonprofit causes and the better their reputation becomes. When employees see the ease of matching gift auto-submission, their participation in employee giving programs goes up.
Benefits for Corporate Giving Vendors
Corporate giving vendors design software for companies that streamlines and improves workplace giving programs like matching gifts. When vendors offer matching gift auto-submission functionality, they make it easier for companies, employees, and nonprofits to tap into a widespread employee giving program, matching gifts. As a result, these CSR platforms see increased usage and satisfaction among corporate clients who want to optimize their employees’ giving experiences. In the end, this improves these software vendors’ SaaS renewal rates, attracts new corporate clients, and drives up long-term revenue.
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, nonprofits and companies alike can expect significantly more match-eligible donations driven to completion, which is a win-win for everybody!
How new auto-submission functionality works
Auto-submission sounds great, but how does it actually work?
We’ve already gone over the basic process, but let’s hone in on a few key steps. Particularly, we’ll look at steps two through four in the following infographic which explains just what the software does with a donor’s employment information.
During the donation process, the individual supplies the name of their employer. This allows the nonprofit to determine whether the individual qualifies for a corporate match. By embedding Double the Donation’s auto-complete company search tool into the donation form, supporters can provide this information straightaway during the giving process.
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. With a donor’s corporate email address and permission to submit their matching gift application on their behalf, Double the Donation utilizes data collected during the donation process to provide the donor’s employer’s corporate giving partner platform with the information it needs to process the request. Data transferred will typically include the donation amount, organization given to, payment date, and more.
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. To learn more about how this technology works, check out this video exploring 360MatchPro’s auto-submission functionality:
Auto-submission is on the rise, and we’re happy to show off three CSR vendors who have partnered with Double the Donation to bring this cutting-edge technology to donors:
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 Millie is 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 with donation matching, volunteer programming, fundraising campaigns, gifting, ERG tools, and more.
Employees of companies that utilize Milie’s software can leverage matching gift auto-submission to submit match requests to their employers more easily. For nonprofits using 360MatchPro, donors will be asked on the gift confirmation page to enter their corporate email address. From there, an email will be sent requesting the donor verify their recently submitted donation and subsequent matching gift request, which will then be completed and processed by Millie.
POINT is known for being a robust yet user-friendly volunteer management app for nonprofits, volunteers, and companies. POINT aims to be an all-in-one solution for corporate social responsibility needs, including volunteering, giving, matching, and partnering.
To leverage matching gift auto-submission through POINT, qualifying donors enter their email address into the POINT app. The email address is automatically verified with POINT, providing the user with a list of nonprofits associated with their app profile to choose from. They will then be asked to select the organization the donation match should be sent to. From there, the submission is processed behind the scenes.
Selflessly helps HR and company culture leaders increase employee engagement through its corporate giving and volunteering software solution. Selflessly makes it easy to make a social impact by providing companies with all the tools they need in one platform. Employees can donate to nonprofits, coordinate volunteer opportunities, create team campaigns, receive matching gifts, and more. They prioritize inclusive workplaces to support all employees and the causes they care about.
Individuals working for companies that use Selflessly to manage their matching gift programs can 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 auto-submission technology, the request process is as easy as entering their corporate email address when giving. Double the Donation and Selflessly will handle the rest!
Discover even more about matching gift auto-submission
Matching gift auto-submission goes a long way toward increasing the number of completed match donation requests. For organizations like yours, that will mean more corporate revenue and 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.
Marketing 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!
Volunteer grants, also known as “dollars for doers” programs, are a form of corporate giving that rewards employees’ volunteerism by providing monetary donations to the organizations they support.
These programs supply an invaluable source of funding for nonprofits and schools—however, identifying, pursuing, and managing funding through the programs can be challenging without the right tools and strategies in place. So, if you’re looking for new insights to help track volunteer grants effectively for your team, you’ve come to the right place.
In this guide, we’ll explore the essential tools and metrics needed to track and report on volunteer grant opportunities—from identification through completion. Empowering your organization with the following information will ensure your team maximizes its potential from the programs with ease:
Corporate volunteer grants offer immense potential for nonprofits, but few organizations are making the most of the opportunities before them. Why? A lack of an established volunteer grant tracking process can certainly play a role. Meanwhile, tracking volunteer grants effectively allows fundraisers to supercharge their corporate giving and volunteer engagement efforts alike.
If you’re wondering why your team should invest in revamping its volunteer grant tracking system, our leading reasons include:
Increasing Financial Support: Volunteer grants provide additional funding, which can be significant for nonprofits relying on external support. Tracking volunteer grants through completion allows organizations to increase revenue ultimately collected through the programs. More money = more beneficiaries receiving value from your services!
Enhancing Volunteer Engagement: Encouraging volunteers to apply for grants increases their commitment and engagement with your organization. By tracking volunteer grants—and your volunteers’ involvement in the programs—you can grow stronger relationships with supporters who participate.
Building Corporate Relationships: Strengthening ties with corporations that offer dollars for doers programs can lead to further partnership opportunities as well. Source tailored insights from tracking volunteer grants to demonstrate employees’ devotion to their causes. For example, you can let a company that has already contributed volunteer grant funding to your organization know that you appreciate their existing support—and that of their staff—and recommend additional ways they can get involved.
Powering Tangible Impact Measurement: Tracking volunteer grants helps measure the financial impact of volunteer efforts, ultimately showcasing the value of each contribution. When volunteers see that their efforts are being appreciated and converted into nonprofit funding, they’ll be more likely to remain dedicated to the cause.
Key Volunteer Grant Metrics & KPIs to Monitor
The best way to determine the success of your organization’s volunteer grant marketing efforts is to track select KPIs (or key performance indicators). The metrics you choose to measure can help your team assess its overall impact, improve outreach efforts, demonstrate value to stakeholders, and more.
Here are a few metrics we recommend tracking within your volunteer grant strategy.
Recommended KPI: Volunteer Grant Eligibility Rate
Why it Matters: This metric represents the portion of your volunteer network identified as eligible for a volunteer grant program through their employers. The figure allows your team to better understand and pursue the volunteer grant opportunity.
How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Use a volunteer grant database tool to triage volunteers based on whether their employers offer volunteer grant programs. Then, divide the number of volunteers who work for participating companies by the total number of volunteers in your community.
Recommended KPI: Volunteer Grant Completion Rate
Why it Matters: This metric represents the portion of your volunteer-eligible supporter base that ultimately submit in a volunteer grant. Understanding this figure allows you to measure the efficiency of the full volunteer grant process and identifies areas for improvement in your strategy.
How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Divide the number of volunteer-grant eligible individuals who ultimately produce a volunteer grant for your organization by the total number of volunteer-grant eligible individuals.
Recommended KPI: Total Volunteer Grant Funding Received
Why it Matters: This metric represents the direct financial benefit from companies through volunteer grant programs, indicating the overall level of support.
How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Add the sum of each volunteer grant you receive in a given time period.
Recommended KPI: Grant Amount per Volunteer
Why it Matters: This metric represents the average value a volunteer grant brings. It also allows you to more accurately forecast incoming grant revenue and aids in tailoring realistic targets and expectations for the results of your implemented strategies.
How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Add the sum of each volunteer grant you receive in a given time period, then divide the total amount of funds by the number of volunteer grants received.
Recommended KPI: Number of Companies Providing Volunteer Grants
Why it Matters: This metric represents the extent of your organization’s current corporate volunteer grant contributor network, and demonstrates your potential for future growth.
How to Track This Volunteer Grant Metric: Count each company that contributes one or more volunteer grants to your organization in a given time period. See if these top volunteer grant companies are supporting your efforts!
Top Tools to Track Volunteer Grants Accurately & Efficiently
Equipping your team with the right tools to track volunteer grants is an essential component of the process. After all, doing so allows for increasingly accurate and efficient management of volunteer data. Plus, innovative technology allows you to enhance reporting capabilities and strengthen relationships with individual volunteers and corporate partners alike.
Effective tracking tools will help your organization streamline volunteer grant identification and promotional efforts, too, ultimately leading to increased funding, improved engagement, and better, more-informed decision-making.
Here’s what we suggest:
A specialized volunteer grant database
For example, Double the Donation can provide exclusive access to forms and guidelines for thousands of companies that provide volunteer grants (and matching gifts, VTO, etc.). This ultimately simplifies the process of securing volunteer grants, making it easier for volunteers to do their part in the request and driving more volunteer grants to completion.
Comprehensive volunteer time-tracking tools
For volunteers to submit grant requests to their employers, they’ll generally need to supply some sort of record of their activities.
For that purpose, you’ll want to ensure you’re making it easy for volunteers by equipping them with tools to track and verify the hours they spend with your organization.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) portals
Many companies facilitate volunteer grants through their CSR platforms. In that case, your team will need to log in to the portals to verify volunteer hours. (Don’t worry—we have a handy guide here on navigating those platforms.)
These portals will also allow you to see how many volunteer grants have made it to this step!
Remember: the right tools can go a long way. Effective tracking tools will help streamline your identification and promotional efforts, too. In the end, it ultimately leads to increased funding, improved engagement, and better, more-informed decision-making.
Next Steps for Tracking More Volunteer Grants
Tracking and reporting on volunteer grant opportunities is a vital component of a successful corporate engagement strategy. With the right tools and key metrics, your team can track volunteer grants more seamlessly than ever before.
As a result, your organization can boost its financial resources, strengthen relationships with corporate partners, and encourage greater volunteer involvement.
Interested in learning more about how you can track volunteer grants and other forms of corporate giving? Check out these recommended resources:
Volunteer grants (also known as dollars for doers programs) present a lucrative opportunity for nonprofits to maximize their available resources and bolster their impact. However, navigating the complex world of research, engagement, eligibility guidelines, and submissions can be daunting. Lucky for you, that’s where our complete guide to volunteer grant research comes into play.
Designed to demystify volunteer grant research and more, this resource equips nonprofits with the knowledge and tools they need to identify, pursue, and secure more dollars for doers revenue than ever before.
In order to build much-needed familiarity with the programs, we’ll walk you through each step of the volunteer grant research process here. These phases include:
Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer manager or new to the corporate volunteerism sector, our guide will help you uncover more funding opportunities, allowing your organization to thrive.
Let’s begin!
Understanding the Volunteer Grant Opportunity 🧠
Volunteer grants are financial contributions provided by corporations to nonprofits where their employees volunteer. These programs are offered by thousands of businesses of all shapes, sizes, and sectors—including IBM, Google, Home Depot, Starbucks, Microsoft, Disney, and 40% of the Fortune 500.
However, a lack of volunteer grant awareness among teams and supporters alike has resulted in a significant gap in the programs being utilized and funding being secured. Therefore, for the best results, it’s crucial that a nonprofit’s team has a solid understanding of the volunteer grant opportunity before it can maximize its funding potential. After all, a well-informed team can more effectively communicate the benefits to volunteers, encouraging greater participation and maximizing the organization’s grant earnings.
Familiarity with companies offering these programs—and the specific eligibility criteria for each—is also essential for effectively targeting the right opportunities. Since each volunteer grant program is unique, having extensive knowledge of the programs allows nonprofits to tailor their outreach and engagement strategies according to each supporter’s eligibility.
Recommended resource to take your corporate volunteer knowledge to the next level: Double the Donation’s free downloadable Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants
Identifying Your Organization’s Needs & Goals 🎯
For a nonprofit to effectively pursue volunteer grants, it should first identify the unique needs and goals related to these grants. What, specifically, is holding your organization back from reaching its volunteer grant potential?
Perhaps you need better data on where your supporters work.
Or, if you do have accurate and up-to-date employment information for your volunteers, perhaps the roadblock is determining which individuals qualify for volunteer grant programs.
Or maybe you experience drop-off getting supporters to complete the request process on your behalf.
Regardless of the reason, once you’ve determined what’s stopping you from fully leveraging the opportunity, make a plan for overcoming the challenge. Clearly defined goals provide a roadmap for targeting volunteer grants in a way that will have the most significant impact on your cause. We recommend establishing goals that are SMART—or Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example: “To secure $1,000 in volunteer grant funding by the end of the fiscal year.”
A detailed understanding of your objectives allows your team to craft compelling narratives for volunteer grant-related content. As a result, you can better demonstrate how a volunteer’s participation enables your organization to achieve tangible outcomes, thus making a stronger case for engagement.
It also ensures that everyone—staff, volunteers, and beyond—is working toward a common objective: maximizing the potential for volunteer grant success.
Collecting Employment Information from Supporters 💼
Collecting employment information from supporters is a strategic approach for nonprofits to identify and leverage volunteer grant opportunities to their greatest potential. By understanding which companies their supporters work for, organizations can pinpoint potential sources of volunteer grants.
Fortunately, there are a few ways for fundraisers to source this information. For the best results, we recommend implementing a combination of the following methods:
Ask volunteers to share their employers’ names on volunteer sign-up forms
Conduct email domain screening (or enlist a tool that does!) to scan for corporate email addresses
Once you have this employment information on hand, you can use it to tailor your outreach and engagement efforts. For instance, knowing that a significant number of volunteers are employed by a company with a grant program might lead you to focus on building relationships with the business.
Uncovering Eligible Volunteers in Your Network 🔎
Volunteer grants are a specific type of grant generally tied to an employee engagement program offered by the company. As a result, an employer donates money to the nonprofit based on the number of volunteer hours contributed by their employees.
Recognizing which volunteers work for participating companies allows nonprofits to strategically identify and pursue the opportunities available to them.
Ultimately, this targeted strategy leverages existing volunteer efforts to generate more substantial funding, enabling the nonprofit to further its mission and enhance its programs and services.
You might want to scan your entire database for opportunities, too—including existing volunteers, donors, and prospects. From there, you can alert current volunteers of their eligibility while informing donors and other non-volunteers about how they can provide more comprehensive support for your cause, empowering them to get involved in a new way.
Encouraging Volunteers to Pursue Corporate Grants ✍️
Once you know who qualifies for volunteer grants from your network, it’s important to take time to encourage them to actually participate. By motivating eligible supporters to apply for said grant opportunities, nonprofits can unlock significant funding and supercharge their volunteer engagement.
Many volunteers are unaware that their employers offer such programs, so simply providing information on eligibility and involvement can inspire volunteers to take action. Help supporters navigate the submission process and remind them to take advantage of their eligibility before it expires. By encouraging volunteers to pursue corporate grants, your organization can significantly increase its funding, thereby enhancing its ability to fulfill its mission and expand its reach in the community.
Encouraging volunteers to log their hours and apply for grants can lead to substantial financial contributions from their employers. This approach not only boosts the organization’s funding but also strengthens volunteer engagement, as volunteers see a direct impact of their work being amplified through additional resources.
Bonus: Enlisting a Volunteer Grant Database Tool 🦾
Our final recommendation is one that is powered by innovative technology: a corporate giving or volunteer grant database.
Enlisting a volunteer grant solution like 360MatchPro in your nonprofit’s engagement strategy is an excellent way to efficiently manage and maximize volunteer grants. A database tool can centralize information, provide direct links to online submission forms and eligibility criteria, and streamline the grant application process for volunteers.
By aggregating all the information you need in one place, the tool saves time and effort for both the nonprofit team and its supporters. Volunteers can easily access up-to-date information about available grants, application deadlines, and eligibility requirements, and being equipped with the right information makes them more inclined to complete the process.
Next Steps & More Volunteer Grant Resources
Securing funding through volunteer grants can be transformative for mission-focused organizations. Not only do the programs provide access to new streams of corporate philanthropy revenue, but they also incentivize greater levels of engagement among volunteers in the first place.
By leveraging this guide, nonprofits like yours can systematically approach the grant research and application process with greater confidence and efficiency. Remember, the key to success lies in thorough preparation, a clear understanding of the opportunity before you, and a compelling narrative that resonates with your audience.
Let this guide be your roadmap to making a greater difference in the communities you serve. Good luck!
Interested in learning more about volunteer grant research and other workplace giving programs? Check out these recommended resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DTD_The-Volunteer-Grant-Research-Guide-Finding-More-Funding_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-06-24 22:20:482024-10-01 15:36:07The Volunteer Grant Research Guide | Finding More Funding
In the dynamic landscape of nonprofit operations, organizations constantly face the challenges of recruiting and retaining dedicated volunteers, sourcing sufficient funds, and maintaining high levels of engagement. Various strategies have been devised to overcome these challenges, but one opportunity stands out as a potent yet often underutilized resource: corporate volunteer grants.
What are Volunteer Grants?
Volunteer grants, which are also known as “Dollars for Doers” or employer-sponsored volunteer programs, are corporate giving initiatives in which companies provide monetary donations to nonprofits where their employees volunteer. These grants can significantly enhance a nonprofit’s funding while also fostering a culture of collaboration between corporations, nonprofits, and their shared teams.
As a result, the approach you take to marketing volunteer grants to supporters is crucial. In order to drive the best results, the marketing process generally includes the following steps:
In this guide, we’ll walk you through each item so you can ensure your team is marketing volunteer grants effectively. Plus, create the greatest positive impact for your cause.
Let’s begin!
Segmenting your volunteer grant marketing approach
In the realm of nonprofit fundraising, a one-size-fits-all approach to marketing rarely yields optimal results. Marketing volunteer grants is no different.
Therefore, understanding your nonprofit’s audience is crucial for effectively promoting the opportunities to your supporter base. By tailoring your communications with a data-driven strategy, you can increase engagement, awareness, and participation in the revenue-generating programs.
For example, existing volunteers could receive one piece of content asking them to see if their employer will match their time. Meanwhile, volunteer prospects might receive another message informing them about the opportunity and encouraging them to sign up for a volunteer shift to get started.
If you know the supporter’s company, you can also segment your marketing based on a recipient’s likely eligibility for a grant. And, if there’s a history of eligibility for—or participation in—other forms of workplace giving programs (such as matching gifts or volunteer time off), this can also be helpful information to note.
Creating and sharing useful volunteer grant marketing content
Creating and sharing volunteer grant-related content through your marketing efforts is pivotal for nonprofits aiming to promote the opportunity to their supporters. By providing clear, informative, and engaging materials, you can educate volunteers about the programs, demystify the process, and invite supporters to get involved.
When done well, your content should strengthen the connection with volunteers by highlighting the dual value of their time alongside financial support from their employers. This targeted approach not only raises awareness but also empowers volunteers to take action, leading to increased participation in the programs.
Check out the following content topics and ideas for marketing volunteer grants to your audience:
Highlight examples of top companies with volunteer grant programs, including Microsoft, Disney, Allstate, Dell, Aetna, and more. Then, encourage supporters to look into their employers’ participation.
Offer an interactive volunteer grant database like 360MatchPro on your nonprofit website, and direct your audience to engage with the tool to locate their volunteer grant eligibility. This allows supporters to access company-specific program criteria to get started!
Share testimonials that demonstrate the positive impact volunteer grants have had on your cause in the past. Invite real volunteers to share their experiences with the programs, too!
Supplement text with multimedia content such as photos, videos, infographics, and more to attract and retain your audience’s attention.
💡 Top tip: Looking to up your workplace giving marketing? Double the Donation supplies its users with pre-made, customizable graphic templates within 360MatchPro.
Just log into the platform → navigate to the Resources tab → select Marketing Assets → browse our library of free materials for clients to utilize → personalize your selected template to match your organization’s unique branding style, objectives, and more.
Here’s an example of an email header graphic we edited to promote volunteer grants:
Not yet a 360MatchPro client? Get started with a demo of our complete volunteer grant and matching gift automation tool here.
Marketing volunteer grants with multi-channel promotions
There’s no one perfect platform through which your organization can market volunteer grants to reach 100% of your audience. That’s why we recommend taking a multichannel approach, ensuring your message has a broader reach, and you expose a greater percentage of your audience to the opportunity.
While the specific means you use will vary according to your existing promotional plans and resources, we recommend marketing volunteer grants across the following channels:
1) Your website
Your website can serve as a central hub for providing detailed information about volunteer grants to your supporters. We recommend establishing a dedicated page to explain what these are, how supporters can apply for them, and the impact they have on your mission. You’ll also want to embed a volunteer grant database in the page to ensure users have easy access to program guidelines and next steps.
Plus, add a section about the opportunity on your website’s Ways to Give hub. However, you may decide to combine your Match Page and Volunteer Grants Page, creating a complete workplace giving resource instead.
2) Social media
Social media platforms are excellent for raising awareness and driving traffic to your website. Regular posts, stories, and updates about grant opportunities, testimonials, and submission tips can reach a wide audience and encourage eligible volunteers to get involved. Meanwhile, interactive content like polls and Q&A sessions can also boost engagement and get supporters excited about the opportunity. Then, link back to your dedicated volunteer grants page so you can supply hyper-personalized information even from your broader marketing efforts.
3) Email
Email campaigns can deliver personalized and targeted information directly to your supporters’ inboxes. Digital newsletters can feature detailed step-by-step walkthroughs, reminders about submission deadlines, and success stories to encourage participation.
At the same time, more segmented emails can ensure each volunteer receives targeted content relevant to them, their engagement history, and their employing company.
4) Text messages
Text marketing offers a powerful opportunity for sharing short, sweet, and to-the-point messages with your audience. When it comes to marketing volunteer grants, it’s a direct, quick, and easy way to remind supporters about volunteer grant opportunities.
For the best results, we recommend prioritizing brief, concise messages linking out to additional information to prompt quick and tangible next steps from supporters.
5) Volunteer sign-up forms
Integrating information about volunteer grants into your organization’s volunteer sign-up forms ensures that new and existing volunteers are exposed to the programs.
Even better, volunteers expect to share a good amount of information about themselves when they sign up to donate their time to your cause. As each volunteer completes an online sign-up form, your team has a unique opportunity to promote volunteer grant opportunities and source employment data that can help uncover funding in your network.
💡 Top tip: Embed a company database tool in your sign-up forms by integrating your volunteer registration platform with 360MatchPro! Make it easy for supporters to learn about the opportunity and provide invaluable employment insights.
6) Paid advertising
Our final recommendation is what is often referred to as paid advertising. However, don’t let the “paid” part hold you back. Sites like Google and Microsoft each offer registered nonprofits free access to their platforms, meaning you’ll benefit from sponsored search listings at no cost.
In doing so, you can effectively target specific demographics likely to be interested in volunteer grants. Plus, drive new qualified traffic to your website, raise awareness among a broader audience, and attract new supporters to your cause.
💡 Top tip:Request a free consultation with our recommended paid advertising consultant, Getting Attention, to initiate the Google Grant application process today.
Marketing volunteer grants with one-off corporate partnerships
More than likely, a lot of your supporters already work for companies with volunteer grant programs. For those who don’t, however, custom or “one-off” partnerships can offer an excellent way to begin facilitating relationships with employers in your network.
This targeted approach allows nonprofits to build a strong, mutually beneficial relationship with a specific company, fostering a sense of exclusivity and dedicated support. It can even lead to increased volunteer engagement from the company’s employees, who may feel more connected and committed to the cause due to their employer’s direct involvement.
Check out this example of marketing a custom volunteer grant partnership in action:
The Central Texas Food Bank is the Largest hunger relief agency in the region, serving nearly 46,000 individuals across 21 counties each week. In order to meet the immense needs of its communities, tech giant Oracle has supported the organization for nearly three decades, encouraging its employees to support the cause since 2007.
Recently, the company awarded the Food Bank a $35,000 grant in response to nearly 3,000 volunteer hours its employees contributed toward the inspection, packing, and distribution of food items. An article regarding the partnership even describes the company’s team as a common and welcome sight at the organization, further demonstrating the deep and ongoing impact it has on the cause.
💡 Top tip: Reach out to existing supporters’ employers to pitch a volunteer grant partnership. You may even be able to source a warm introduction from a donor or volunteer to help break the ice!
Sourcing inspiration from real-world examples of marketing volunteer grants
Sourcing inspiration from real-world examples of volunteer grant marketing efforts can help nonprofits promote the opportunities to their own audiences more effectively than ever before. Examining case studies, testimonials, and best practices in action from fundraising peers allows nonprofits to identify innovative approaches and avoid common pitfalls.
By adapting and implementing these tested methods, nonprofits can enhance their outreach efforts, increase awareness of volunteer grant programs, and ultimately boost their results.
Check out the following examples of nonprofits marketing volunteer grants well:
Organization A 🐶
In our first example of standout volunteer grant marketing, one animal welfare nonprofit has effectively harnessed the potential of volunteer grants through a multi-faceted and user-friendly online approach. Specifically, this team created a dedicated employee giving page and embedded Double the Donation’s database tool. This way, they can provide real-time information on thousands of companies’ volunteer grant programs with just a few clicks.
But the nonprofit didn’t stop there, either! Instead, this team also integrated employment-related questions directly within their volunteer application forms. As an individual completes the sign-up process, they are prompted to supply details such as their company name, role, and knowledge of workplace giving (matching gift) program availability. Thus, by gathering this information upfront, the organization can identify potential grant opportunities and proactively assist volunteers in applying for them.
Organization B 🩺
Our next example is an organization that focuses on health and medical support. This nonprofit’s strategy for marketing volunteer grants is built around detailed guidance and robust information. The organization has built out a dedicated volunteer grants page with an embedded company search tool, making it easy for volunteers to find out if their employers offer grant programs.
The online resource also features a step-by-step walkthrough of the process for requesting a volunteer grant, ensuring that volunteers understand each stage and what is required. Plus, to further underscore the value of volunteer grants, this team highlights statistics that showcase the prevalence of these programs with concrete data.
Organization C 🩺
Another health and medical nonprofit has also developed a multi-channel approach to promoting volunteer grants. This organization’s dedicated employee giving page includes everything an individual would need to know to get involved—from an embedded company search tool with a detailed FAQ section to information about the nonprofit and more.
Additionally, the organization prominently mentions volunteer grants on its “Ways to Give” page, ensuring potential donors and volunteers are aware of this opportunity and encouraged to participate.
Organization D 🥫
For this food bank, promoting volunteer grants begins with visibility on crucial web pages—including a prominent mention on the organization’s “Ways to Give” page. This ensures visitors are made aware of this opportunity and encouraged to get involved. They’ve even embedded 360MatchPro’s search tool right within the page, providing information on thousands of companies’ programs and making it easy for volunteers to see if their employers participate.
Organization E 🧪
This research foundation leverages a combined approach to marketing volunteer grants with informational content, practical tools, and more. In a detailed blog post, the team illustrates the power of volunteer grants and matching gifts, explaining the process and encouraging supporters to get involved.
From there, the blog links to the organization’s workplace giving page, which provides extensive information on various companies’ volunteer grant programs and is complete with a company search widget.
Organization F 🌳
Organization F, an environmental nonprofit, has used a digital newsletter to educate and motivate its supporters about volunteer grant opportunities amongst other content. This sample newsletter included a section dedicated to the impact of workplace giving and other unique fundraising opportunities and encouraged readers to look into their volunteer grant eligibility to strengthen their impact even further.
Organization G 🧒
This organization, which is focused on youth mentorship opportunities, ensures that information about volunteer grants and other workplace giving opportunities is easily accessible by mentioning them directly on its donation page. This strategic placement means that anyone considering a financial contribution is also made aware of the potential for additional support through volunteer grants.
By integrating this information into a key page, the nonprofit increases the likelihood that visitors will explore and take advantage of volunteer grant opportunities, enhancing their overall fundraising efforts.
Organization H 🐶
Another animal welfare nonprofit designed a “pawsitively” adorable employee giving page that overviews the top types of workplace philanthropy. Of course, this includes volunteer grants!
By offering a comprehensive overview complete with eye-catching facts and figures, the team is able to educate its supporters about various ways to contribute through their workplace. This increases participation in volunteer grant programs and maximizes funding potential overall.
Organization I 🧒
This youth-focused organization’s workplace giving page prominently highlights Dollars for Doers as a key opportunity for corporate involvement. In order to foster a complete understanding of the programs, the nonprofit’s online resource includes alternative names for these programs and details how participation can benefit both the organization and its supporters on a personal level.
Organization J 🧒
Social media can also be a great tool for marketing volunteer grants, as demonstrated by this youth and community organization. To increase awareness of the opportunity and inspire participation through social proof, the nonprofit took to Facebook to celebrate a successful volunteer grant received. The post thanks the grant-giving institution, thus fostering greater engagement, and outlines the intended use for the funding. It’s a great way to inspire others to seek volunteer grant funds on your behalf, too!
Organization K 🧒
Another Facebook post, this youth and community organization utilizes social media to raise awareness and share informational content regarding volunteer grants. Specifically, the post highlights the growing trend of such grants, details how supporters can get involved, and provides specific next steps to encourage participation.
By using social media to educate and motivate their audience, the fundraiser increases volunteer grant visibility and drives more supporters to take the intended action.
Wrapping up & additional volunteer grant marketing resources
Volunteer grants represent a tremendous opportunity for nonprofits to enhance their funding and engagement simultaneously. By educating supporters, partnering with companies in your network, and powering your promotional efforts with the right tools, your organization can optimize its volunteer grant marketing efforts with ease.
Now, it’s time to embrace the potential of volunteer grants for your cause. Incorporate the above tips and tricks in your strategy, then sit back and watch it thrive as you harness the power of corporate partnerships for your nonprofit’s mission.
Interested in learning more about leading employee philanthropy opportunities? We recommend the following resources:
Free Download: The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts. It’s just as crucial to market matching gifts as it is for volunteer grants! Get our free comprehensive guide to see how your team can promote donation-matching opportunities to supporters.
Volunteer Time Off | The Ultimate VTO Guide For Nonprofits. Another way to incentivize volunteers is with paid volunteer time off. Tons of companies offer these programs, and this guide shares how you can increase participation among your supporter base.
Volunteer grants are a vital source of funding for nonprofits, enabling them to maximize their impact and encourage their supporters to do the same. However, navigating the various programs available to your organization can be challenging. That’s where volunteer grant databases come in!
If you’re looking to expand your organization’s fundraising toolkit with a volunteer grant database, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll cover everything you need to know about top volunteer grant databases and how they can benefit your mission.
By incorporating a database tool into your tech stack, your nonprofit can streamline its fundraising, better engage its volunteer base, and support its mission more effectively than ever before.
A volunteer grant database is a specialized tool designed to help nonprofits identify and manage volunteer grant opportunities. These grants, which are also known as “dollars for doers,” are offered by businesses as a way to provide monetary donations to nonprofits based on the volunteer hours their employees contribute.
Tons of companies offer the programs, but keeping track of each one’s criteria and submissions can quickly become an overwhelming task for nonprofit teams. Supporters often lack knowledge of their companies’ programs, too, so it often falls on the organization to uncover qualifying opportunities.
Fortunately, volunteer grant databases do it for you!
How? A volunteer grant database tool compiles comprehensive information on thousands of corporate giving programs (including volunteer grants, matching gifts, and volunteer time off). Each listing supplies company-specific eligibility criteria (e.g., qualifying employees, minimum number of hours, grant thresholds, etc.), links to online submission forms, and more.
How Does a Volunteer Grant Database Impact Fundraising?
Incorporating a volunteer grant database into your fundraising strategy can significantly enhance your supporter engagement, financial health, and more.
Here’s how it can do so.
More Identified Dollars for Doers Opportunities 🔍
By providing access to a centralized repository of grant opportunities, a volunteer grant database can help your team quickly screen for eligible volunteers. Even if supporters are unaware of their grant potential, your team can flag eligible individuals to pursue a more personalized approach and encourage their submissions.
Simplified Request Process for Volunteers ✍️
Speaking of submissions, each volunteer is generally required to complete a request form for their employer in order to secure grant funding on your organization’s behalf. Providing access to a volunteer grant database is one of the best ways to streamline submissions and reduce unnecessary friction in the process. All an individual has to do is enter their employer’s name and navigate to the provided request form.
Enhanced Operational Efficiency ⚡
Manually identifying and researching volunteer grant opportunities requires a lot of organizational bandwidth. By automating the process with a volunteer grant database tool, you can free up your team’s time for other high-value activities.
Improved Grant Tracking 📌
Volunteer grants follow a multi-step process from identification to submission and through the disbursement of funds. A volunteer grant tool like 360MatchPro offers tracking functionality that helps monitor the status of available grants and address any issues that may arise.
Increased Funding through Corporate Giving Opportunities 🏢
The easier it is for volunteers to request funding from their employers, the more likely they are to do so. That means more corporate giving revenue making its way to your organization.
But it’s not just volunteer grants, either. A volunteer grant database will often supply resources on matching gifts and other corporate giving programs, too!
Our Volunteer Grant Database Recommendation: 360MatchPro
When selecting a volunteer grant database for your nonprofit, it’s important to consider several key factors. After all, you want to ensure the tool effectively supports your fundraising efforts and organizational needs—both now and in the time to come.
Lucky for you, we’ve explored potential database options and would like to supply you with our top recommendation: 360MatchPro by Double the Donation.
Now, let’s see why this tool stands apart as the leading solution:
Comprehensive Database: Double the Donation maintains the industry’s most extensive collection of corporate volunteer grant programs, making it easy to locate accurate and up-to-date information about your supporters’ companies.
User-Friendly Interface: The platform is designed with ease of use in mind, allowing users to quickly search for and access the right information. For this reason, the tool includes auto-completing search functionality and automatically accounts for subsidiaries and spelling variations, too!
Integration Capabilities: Double the Donation integrates seamlessly with a wide array of CRM systems, fundraising tools, and volunteer management platforms. When you add the tool to your website, donation forms, and more, you can also determine an individual’s eligibility for a match as they give!
Support and Resources: The platform provides a wealth of resources and support to get your nonprofit up and running. This includes personalized onboarding experiences, educational webinars, and more to help your team maximize its use of the database.
Other Top Tools & Resources For Growing Volunteer Grants
In addition to volunteer grant databases, there are a number of other handy tools and resources that can help supercharge your organization’s volunteer grant strategy.
These include:
Volunteer grant compilations
If your team has yet to make the leap to a volunteer grant database—which we highly recommend doing—free online resources (such as those offered by Double the Donation) can help identify select opportunities in your database.
For example, this compilation of top volunteer grant programs highlights several generous companies’ initiatives. It provides an excellent chance to cross-reference your supporter data and see if any existing or prospective volunteers work for these well-known examples.
Volunteer time-trackers
Time-tracking tools are generally software applications that help nonprofits record and manage the hours contributed by their team members. When volunteers are encouraged (or required) to track the time they spend with your cause, you’ll find it’s easier than ever to streamline volunteer grant requests.
Keep in mind that these tools can also vary greatly in their level of sophistication. Some organizations manage hour-tracking efforts with paper forms, others employ spreadsheets, and others still invest in dedicated solutions.
Volunteer management tools
You may already have a Volunteer Management System, or VMS, in your nonprofit toolkit. This type of tool is designed to help nonprofits organize, recruit, and manage their volunteer workforce, typically offering features for scheduling, communication, task assignments, and more. When it’s easy for supporters to sign up and partake in volunteer activities, you’ll have more eligible individuals to pursue volunteer grants in the first place!
Not to mention, a well-managed volunteer program can typically provide the necessary documentation and proof of volunteer hours needed for grant applications.
CSR platforms
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platforms are comprehensive solutions that assist companies in managing their employee giving and volunteer programs. These platforms also facilitate collaboration between companies and nonprofits, making it easier to coordinate philanthropic efforts for both teams.
As a result, most CSR platforms incorporate a nonprofit-facing portal that organizations can access for free. From there, they can manage their side of the programs (i.e., reviewing and verifying volunteer requests).
Final Thoughts on Volunteer Grant Databases & More
Investing in a volunteer grant database can significantly boost your nonprofit’s fundraising capabilities. By streamlining the volunteer grant discovery and submission processes, dedicated tools like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro can help maximize the value of volunteer grants for your cause.
Integrating these tools into your tech stack allows you to ensure your nonprofit is well-equipped to leverage the full potential of volunteer grants, ultimately powering organizational growth.
Continue growing your corporate giving knowledge. Read up on these recommended resources to learn more:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DTD_Top-Volunteer-Grant-Databases-to-Grow-Your-Tech-Stack_Feature2.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-06-19 20:52:372024-09-27 19:15:51Top Volunteer Grant Databases to Grow Your Tech Stack
Did you know that the value of a single volunteer hour (according to the benefit it produces for an organization) is estimated to be $29.95? Or that thousands of companies offer generous volunteer grant programs to encourage staff to support philanthropic efforts? Volunteerism trends like these can shed significant light on an invaluable opportunity for your team.
To help your nonprofit understand your volunteers a bit more, this guide will conduct a deep dive into the following essential volunteer trends and patterns:
Volunteers play an integral role in your nonprofit, handling responsibilities from behind-the-scenes bookkeeping to on-the-ground work at your program sites. When solidifying your volunteer program’s recruitment strategies, understanding the nonprofit landscape allows you to source powerful insights from broader trends in volunteer behavior and motivations. Then, you can use the insights to adjust your strategy and better attract and retain a solid group of volunteers.
Ready? Let’s begin with the first trend!
One-third of the nonprofit workforce is made up of volunteers.
For U.S.-based nonprofits, volunteers are everywhere. In fact, recent reports indicate that an estimated 63 million Americans volunteer their time and energy with organizations like yours.
That said, your nonprofit’s staff is instrumental in providing beneficiaries with the services they need. However, most nonprofits have tight budgets and often rely on volunteer labor to get work done. This is so much the case that an astounding one-third of all nonprofit workers are volunteers.
Of course, the ratio of paid employees to volunteers will vary from one nonprofit to the next. For example, many small organizations do incredibly important work but are entirely made up of volunteers. In contrast, enterprise-size nonprofits often have entire departments of paid employees.
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
Because so much labor at charitable organizations goes unpaid, calculations of the nonprofit sector’s economic value will always be off. Don’t let this impact how your nonprofit values your volunteers. Instead, show your appreciation and ensure your volunteer staff feel like they’re a real part of your team. Ultimately, they are!
This also means that, by sourcing new volunteers, organizations can often expand their capabilities and do even more for their missions.
Most U.S.-based volunteers are between the ages of 35 and 44.
Reports show that the average U.S. volunteer is a woman between the ages of 35 and 44, usually with a child less than 18 years of age.
It’s important to recognize that non-women, along with people of other age groups, certainly volunteer, as well. However, there are a few key assumptions we can draw from the average organization’s volunteer profile.
For example, middle-aged mothers are likely to volunteer at their children’s school, church, and neighborhood activities. This assessment also holds true for reports of informal volunteering—such as cooking for neighbors, taking care of children, and improving the state of their communities.
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
Assess your current supporter base to see if your nonprofit’s average volunteer fits this profile. Then, use the information to tap into audiences your nonprofit may have previously neglected.
For example, how can you reach more families? Do you offer volunteer positions that are convenient for working professionals? Be sure to assess not just your volunteer marketing but the overall accessibility of your volunteer program for individuals with differing circumstances, needs, and opportunities.
Regular volunteerism offers numerous benefits for individuals.
Partaking in volunteerism provides numerous and widespread benefits for volunteers, the organizations with which they devote their time, and their communities as a whole. For volunteers themselves, the value includes personal fulfillment, a deepened sense of purpose, and professional skill development.
When asked why they volunteer, 35% of individuals indicated their primary reason was to socialize. However, the majority of volunteers (83%) say their main motivator is helping a cause they care about.
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
It’s easy to focus solely on how volunteering helps the nonprofit recruit supporters. However, while volunteers do want to help causes they care about, it never hurts to mention the benefits they can receive in addition to making a positive impact.
Be upfront about the skills and experience supporters can gain from volunteering. This can include anything from customer service experience, data management, specific labor and technical skills, or anything else related to your programs that’s also applicable in the workplace.
Formal volunteerism rates are declining in most states.
Nonprofits need volunteers to staff events, help during fundraisers, and complete tasks that keep their programs running. However, finding enough people to fill all available volunteer positions isn’t always easy, and 62% of nonprofit CEOs state that recruiting enough volunteers is an issue. This goes hand-in-hand with additional data reporting that the demand for many nonprofit services is up.
If your nonprofit has had trouble filling volunteer positions, know that you’re not alone. The majority of U.S. states have seen a decrease in the percentage of their population that formally volunteers. How much volunteering has declined varies from state to state, with some following routine ebbs and flows, while others have experienced as much as a 10% drop. For example, in Florida, already a state with low volunteering rates, 22.8% of the population volunteered in 2017. Four years later, it’s just 15.9%.
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
While volunteer rates can shift for a number of reasons, there are several factors your nonprofit can control. For example, consider what roles you have open for volunteers. How do you promote these opportunities? Are these roles volunteers would be interested in, or are they positions that are mostly rote work? Is your team sourcing support through corporate volunteer initiatives?
Additionally, if you’re constantly having to find new volunteers, that might be a sign to take a step back and assess your volunteer retention strategy. Talk with these volunteers about improvements to your program they’d like to see and show your appreciation. Even if you’re low on staff, make sure not to overwork them to avoid volunteer burnout, too.
Companies are increasingly encouraging their staff to partake in volunteerism.
More and more, companies are actively encouraging their employees to engage in volunteerism, recognizing the benefits of such initiatives for team building, employee satisfaction, corporate social responsibility, and more.
For example, 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grants, where they encourage their employees to volunteer by donating to the nonprofits their employees support. It generally works like this:
An employee volunteers at an eligible nonprofit.
The employee reports their volunteer hours and other needed information. Most employee volunteer grant programs are based on the hours an employee volunteers. Some provide a per-hour rate, while others require a certain number of hours to be met before donating a flat amount. Additionally, employers often require the nonprofit’s name, tax ID, and mailing address.
The company donates to the nonprofit. Once a volunteer grant application is submitted, the company reviews it. If the nonprofit and hours requirements have been met, the grant application is improved, and the nonprofit receives a donation.
While the amount offered will vary from one company to another, 80% of employers report offering grants worth $8 to $15 per hour a team member volunteers.
Another way companies incentivize volunteerism is through volunteer time off (VTO), generally offering between 8 and 40 hours each year. Around 60% of companies currently provide employees with paid VTO, with an additional 21% planning to implement a VTO policy in the coming months.
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
Your supporters’ time is already an invaluable resource for your organization. When you consider that your nonprofit may qualify for grant funding in addition to the hours volunteers donate, you’re presented with an excellent opportunity to maximize this group’s support. Every hour a volunteer spends with your organization not only contributes their time and skills (which is currently worth an estimated $29.95), but also translates into direct financial support.
Therefore, start educating your volunteers about the power of volunteer grants and other incentives. Keep careful track of their hours, and help them discover if they’re eligible for employer-sponsored programming. Most companies will have the relevant information accessible through their CSR portal or in their office handbook. If you can’t find any information there, it also never hurts to ask!
Meanwhile, Volunteer Time Off programs provide employees with the opportunity to volunteer during work hours without sacrificing their income. And 67% of survey respondents say having paid time off to volunteer would make for a positive engagement experience! Take a look at the supporters in your network, and see if any work for companies that offer these programs.
There’s a significant overlap between companies offering matching gifts and ones offering volunteer incentives.
You may have heard that more than 24,000 companies offer matching gifts for their employees. But did you know that companies contributing matching gifts often overlap significantly with those offering volunteer grant programs? In fact, recent studies indicate that over 85% of the top matching gift companies also offer volunteer grants.
In other words, philanthropic-minded employers generally offer more than one opportunity for staff to get involved. If you know a company matches monetary donations, the chances are good that it’ll match volunteer time as well—and vice versa!
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
If you’re looking for volunteer grant opportunities to pursue, identifying well-known matching gift companies can give your organization the boost you need. This can also provide an excellent chance to pitch volunteer activities to matching gift donors and matching gift opportunities to “Dollars for Doers” volunteers.
This also means that a dual approach to marketing can further amplify fundraising efforts. When engaging with donors, it’s beneficial to educate them about both matching gift and volunteer grant opportunities. You don’t want to let either program fall by the wayside!
Many corporate volunteer incentives continue to be underutilized.
Despite the rise in corporate encouragement for volunteerism, many corporate volunteer incentives remain underutilized. Why? Unfortunately, awareness rates are often low, suggesting a need for better promotion around the program to maximize the opportunities.
Today, the average employee participation level for volunteer grants, or Dollars for Doers, is a mere 3%. Like matching gifts, there’s a significant knowledge gap when it comes to eligible volunteers being aware of the opportunities.
Meanwhile, the average corporate volunteer participation rate stands at 33%. Although not all employees participate in existing volunteer incentive programs, it’s worth noting that companies with fewer than 10,000 employees achieved a higher-than-average participation rate of 39%. At the same time, those with more than 50,000 employees had a participation rate of 24%.
What does this volunteerism trend mean for your nonprofit?
For nonprofits, a steadily low participation rate represents an opportunity to increase awareness and, subsequently, engagement in the programs. Volunteers who don’t know about their companies’ existing programming won’t know to request volunteer grant funding on your organization’s behalf, thus leaving dollars on the table.
By actively promoting the benefits of volunteer grants and other corporate incentives to volunteers, donors, and partners alike, your nonprofit can encourage higher participation and secure more employee giving revenue than before.
Wrapping Up & Additional Philanthropy Resources
As the volunteer landscape continues to evolve, nonprofits like yours face a unique opportunity to make the most of your supporter base. Companies are recognizing the dual benefits of volunteer programs: enhancing corporate social responsibility while fostering employee engagement. Meanwhile, innovations in technology are making it easier than ever for individuals to find and participate in volunteer activities that align with their passions and skills.
Incorporating these trends into your organization’s volunteer strategy can lead to more robust and effective programs. By staying ahead of these developments, businesses and nonprofits alike can maximize their impact, build stronger communities, and create a more engaged and fulfilled workforce.
Interested in learning more about volunteerism trends and other philanthropy opportunities? Check out these recommended resources:
Essential Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics. Dive into the world of corporate giving and employee matching gifts with a look at our key research. Uncover must-know statistics and see how these findings can impact your team.
Free Download: The Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants. Make the most of volunteerism for your organization by leveraging corporate volunteer grants. Learn everything you need to know about Dollars for Doers programs, and how your cause can benefit.
Winning Workplace Giving Strategies & How to Leverage Them. Explore top workplace giving strategies offered by companies across the globe. From volunteer incentives to matching gifts and more, these programs can significantly elevate your fundraising.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DTD_Volunteerism-Trends-in-2024-Corporate-Incentives-and-More.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-06-19 02:10:082024-07-23 12:43:24Volunteerism Trends in 2024 | Corporate Incentives and More
Colleges and universities often rely on generous donors to fund their academic programming, extracurricular activities, research and development, and more. In the realm of educational fundraising, understanding your supporters—and their professional journeys—can significantly enhance engagement and boost giving across the board. One of the best ways to do so involves making the most of employment data for higher ed fundraising.
That said, we urge you to consider the following questions:
Do you have comprehensive and up-to-date employment information for your donors, alumni, and other supporters?
And do you understand the vitality of these insights for your school’s overall fundraising?
By effectively sourcing and utilizing employment data, colleges and universities can create more personalized and compelling fundraising campaigns—not to mention, target invaluable workplace giving opportunities.
In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of employment data, recommended methods for sourcing the information, and strategies for leveraging the insights in your fundraising.
If you’re looking for a way to bring your institution’s fundraising and engagement to new heights, comprehensive donor employment information is the tool you need.
Ready to get started? Let’s begin.
Why Does Employment Data Matter in Higher Ed Fundraising?
The more you know about your donors, the better you can engage them in your fundraising. Employment data in particular plays a crucial role in maximizing support for higher education. By providing insights into the professional networks and financial capacities of alumni and other supporters, you can significantly enhance targeted fundraising strategies, identify lucrative company giving opportunities, and more.
In essence, employment data equips higher education institutions like yours with the information needed to establish and grow stronger relationships with supporters—individual and corporate alike. However, it’s important to take a proactive approach to continuously source new data rather than relying on stale or outdated insights. To uncover the most lucrative opportunities available to your team, you’ll want to ensure employment data accuracy as you gather the information.
6 Ways for Colleges and Universities to Uncover Employment Data
Do you lack complete or updated employment data for your donors? No worries! There are a number of ways for colleges and universities to gain access to this information.
To get the most complete picture of your school’s supporters, we recommend enlisting multiple of the following methods.
1) Donation form fields
Incorporating employment-related fields into donation forms allows colleges to directly collect information about a donor’s employer at the point of donation.
While a simple, optional form field encouraging users to supply their company name will suffice, we recommend embedding an employer search tool in your giving page instead. This way, users are prompted to enter their company name in an embedded form widget connected to a comprehensive database with information on thousands of companies’ giving programs.
Fun fact:73% of donors will use a matching gift search field on a donation form when presented with the opportunity.
2) Confirmation screens
Confirmation screen search tools can also be used to collect employment data after an individual hits “submit” on their gift. This approach ensures each donor is met with multiple opportunities to provide the information, making the process a seamless and efficient one.
3) Data appends
Even after implementing the above methods to uncover employment information, a number of contacts in your database are likely to have some gaps. For this, a third-party data enhancement service might be the exact answer you’re looking for to help clean up your historical data.
All your team has to do is select an employer appends provider, supply the company with the information you do have on your donors, and they’ll fill in as much of the data as possible using a combination of public and privately held data sources.
4) Email domain screening
Donors giving online are generally prompted to supply an email address so your institution can keep in touch. When an individual provides their corporate or work email address, it can offer powerful clues about their employers.
For example, you can determine that a gift made using an email ending in “@company.com” likely comes from an employee within the company.
5) Donor outreach
If, at this point, you’re still missing employer data, we recommend going straight to the source. Engaging donors directly through automated outreach is an easy, low-lift way to uncover additional employment insights—especially using 360MatchPro’s prewritten email cadences.
Soon after a donor gives, simply follow up and encourage them to share the name of their employer and look into any available giving programs they may offer.
6) Online research
While more time-consuming, utilizing online resources such as LinkedIn, other networking platforms, or company websites is another way to gather employment information about donors.
Top tip: Due to the manual approach it requires, we recommend retaining online research for your highest-value donors and prospects.
How to Use Donor Employment Info to Boost Higher Ed Fundraising
Once you’ve built out your donor profiles with accurate and up-to-date employment information, you have what you need to initiate a data-driven fundraising plan. Check out the following tips to maximize your potential and empower your college or university with a stronger, more well-informed strategy.
Data-Driven Tip #1: Personalize communications.
Personalized engagements strengthen donor relations by facilitating a more meaningful connection. Customizing fundraising outreach with details specific to each recipient is a great way to make your communications stand out in supporters’ minds.
This can be as simple as addressing an individual by name in your greeting. However, it can also involve more advanced fields, such as referring to a donor’s employing company in relevant messaging.
Check out these examples: “More than 20 of your colleagues at Carl’s Computer Company support our school through your employer’s giving program. Will you consider joining them to give back to your alma mater?”
“Did you know your employing company offers a generous VTO program? That means you and your colleagues can receive paid time off work to volunteer with our institution!”
Data-Driven Tip #2: Estimate wealth data and capacity to give.
Donors’ employment data can also provide powerful insights into an individual’s potential wealth level—and, therefore, their approximate capacity to give. Not to mention, data append services often supply information about an individual’s job title or status, providing additional details to inform your fundraising strategy. This information allows institutions to identify major gift prospects, craft tailored appeals, and encourage larger gift amounts.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you determine that an existing donor holds an executive-level position at a lucrative and rapidly growing tech company. From that data, you glean insights into their expected salary range, and adjust your recommended donation ask accordingly.
Data-Driven Tip #3: Identify and pursue matching gift opportunities.
Matching gifts are a leading form of corporate giving. Yet despite their potential, more than $4 to $7 billion worth of matching gift funds go unclaimed each year. Your school likely qualifies for a significant amount of match revenue, and if you want to maximize these programs’ potential, knowing where your donors work is a must.
Donor employment data helps fundraising institutions identify employers that offer matching gift programs. This allows them to promote these opportunities effectively, encouraging donors to double or even triple their contributions.
Here’s an example: “Your employer, Pat’s Pet Supply Co., offers a generous matching gift program—and your most recent donation likely qualifies for a match. By completing a brief online form, you can double the impact of your gift for our school to help us achieve [goal or project]!”
Data-Driven Tip #4: Encourage corporate volunteerism.
Tons of companies offer generous volunteer incentives—such as Dollars for Doers or paid volunteer time off—as a way to encourage their staff to give back of their time. Understanding donors’ corporate affiliations can enable schools like yours to uncover such opportunities and ensure supporters are well-informed.
By offering specialized volunteer opportunities that align with a company’s culture and values, your college or university can encourage volunteers to contribute their time and expertise through their company-sponsored program.
Here’s an example: “Businesses like Really Great Company offer generous grant funding to the organizations their employees volunteer with. Make your volunteer efforts count twice for our school and get involved with [upcoming event or program]!”
Data-Driven Tip #5: Facilitate prospective sponsor conversations.
Beyond existing employee-led giving programs, donor employment data can also help identify opportunities for new, broader corporate partnerships. How? The best partnerships are built around shared audiences—so knowing where supporters work can be instrumental.
You can even encourage donors or alumni to facilitate a warm introduction between your team and their employer to break the ice!
Here’s an example: “In the past year, your company has matched more than 30 employee donations to our school. We are so grateful for the support, and we see an opportunity to expand our mutually beneficial partnership. Will you consider sponsoring our upcoming fundraising event?”
Top Employers with Workplace Giving Programs for Higher Education
Once you know which companies your donors work for, you can use the information to uncover the most valuable workplace giving opportunities in your network. But, in order to do so, you’ll need to be familiar with the companies that offer these programs.
We recommend investing in a corporate giving database (like Double the Donation) to gain access to thousands of companies’ program materials. In the meantime, we’ve compiled a list of ten employers with standout matching gift, volunteer grant, and VTO programs your team should know.
Wrapping Up & Additional Data-Driven Fundraising Resources
Employment data is a strategic tool for powering higher education fundraising—from personalized engagement efforts to tailored workplace giving initiatives. When sourced and leveraged effectively, this information can shed light on groundbreaking opportunities, guiding your efforts as you enlist support from existing donors and their employers alike.
Interested in learning more about workplace giving opportunities for your college or university? Check out our recommended further reading below:
Matching Gifts & Higher Education: Companies That Match [+Tips]. Enhance your fundraising by exploring matching gifts for colleges and universities. This resource overviews top companies with higher ed-specific matching programs, allowing you to identify the best opportunities for your school.
Employer Append Services: Grow Individual and Corporate Giving. Your donors’ employment data is essential. An employer append service can help fill in gaps in donor records to identify matching gifts and tailor your engagement strategies. Find out how your team can get started here!
Free Download: The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Volunteer Grants. Unlock the full potential of corporate volunteer programs with our comprehensive guide. Find out everything you need to know about volunteer grants, top companies offering these programs, and strategies to encourage participation.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DTD_Sourcing-Utilizing-Employment-Data-for-Higher-Ed-Fundraising_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-06-06 21:49:262024-07-08 20:36:51Sourcing & Utilizing Employment Data for Higher Ed Fundraising
Double the Donation and Funraisin are proud to announce a new partnership that answers the call for advanced integrated matching technology. With the new integration between 360MatchPro by Double the Donation and Funraisin’s innovative giving experiences, guiding eligible donors to completing their match is easier than ever.
“Matching gifts is one of those rare elements that makes sense for organizations of any size. It has earned a rightful place as a permanent fixture in any nonprofit tech stack,” said Lance Melton, General Manager of North America at Funraisin. “We’re excited to continue our support of our U.S. based nonprofit partners through a powerful integration with Double the Donation’s tools.”
The integration allows donors to discover their match eligibility while they’re in the process of giving. Instead of entering plain text in a field for nonprofits to manage manually and chase after later, donors can find their company name from the Double the Donation database with 360MatchPro’s autocomplete search field.
“We’re excited to see how Funraisin and 360MatchPro users will grow their matching gift revenue with a direct integration,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Powerful fundraising tools plus advanced matching gift software always equals success for our nonprofit clients.”
The Funraisin and 360MatchPro integration is now accessible for mutual client use. Follow our integration guide for information on how to get connected.
Ready to get started with Double the Donation to add matching gifts to the donation experience? Request a demo with us and make sure to share you’re a Funraisin user!Want additional resources to help you take your matching gifts strategy to the next level? Enroll today in our Matching Gift Academy for in-depth content about growing your matching gift revenue.
About Funraisin: Funraisin powers innovative fundraising for thousands of charities worldwide and is known for its highly flexible web platform empowering customers to deliver personalized fundraising experiences at scale across P2P, DIY, Giving Days, Appeals, Shop sales, Raffles, and more. Organizations can create beautiful web pages and fundraiser dashboards that reward and recognize fundraising achievements. Built-in behavioral messaging drives conversion rates, which ties back to deep integrations with CRM and marketing automation tools you already use, supported with free 24hr weekday access to Funraisin’s in-house team of passionate fundraising software experts.
About Double the Donation: Automate your matching gift fundraising with the industry-leading solution from Double the Donation. The 360MatchPro platform provides nonprofits and educational institutions 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, and even partners with select CSR platforms to further streamline matching gifts for donors. Through 360MatchPro by Double the Donation, the matching gift process has never been simpler.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Funraisin-Launch-Annnouncement-Feature-Image.png290775Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-06-06 16:00:172024-06-06 16:00:17Funraisin Chooses 360MatchPro by Double the Donation for Advanced Matching Gifts Automation
Fundraising conferences can offer transformative experiences for higher education advancement professionals, supplying opportunities for networking, skill development, and exclusive insights into industry trends. However, securing approval and funding for such trips often requires a well-crafted justification. And, if you’re interested in attending Double the Donation’s upcoming Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit (hint: you should!), we’ve provided a handy template to help convince your boss of the value your trip would supply.
First things first…What is the Matching Gift Summit?
Matching gifts can be an incredible yet often untapped source of fundraising support for nonprofits, universities, and other fundraising organizations. In matching gift programs, corporations match donations that their employees make to charitable organizations. According to recent matching gift statistics, $2-3 billion is donated annually through matching gift programs, but an estimated $4-$7 billion is left unclaimed.
Double the Donation’s goal is to assist organizations in securing the matching gift revenue available to them. This includes resources provided in our Matching Gift Summit, matching gift automation platform, and more.
Specifically, the Summit is dedicated to sharing matching gift best practices, resources, success stories, and more to help higher education institutions manage this fundraising channel more effectively. Attendees will learn about forming strong business partnerships and earning valuable corporate sponsorships to support their projects, events, programs, and more.
And why should I represent my school at the event?
“Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Summit is invaluable for corporate philanthropy professionals. I would recommend this event to anyone who is interested in growing their matching gift fundraising. The Summit has served as an incredibly helpful resource for our team as we have implemented insights and learnings from the event into our matching gift fundraising strategy.”
— Ariana Romanelli, Lead Associate, Corporate Partnerships at Save the Children
If that’s not enough of a reason, attending Double the Donation’s Fall 2024 Matching Gift Summit is hands down the best way for your team to gain insights into emerging industry trends, identify and adapt to shared challenges in workplace giving, source insights from fundraising peers, and more.
The summit will offer uniquely insightful discussions focusing on enhancing corporate giving strategies, providing advanced techniques to optimize your programs and engage corporate partners more effectively. Plus, networking events provide opportunities to build meaningful connections with nonprofit leaders, CSR professionals, and industry experts alike.
Now, email your boss! Free template to justify your trip
Subject: Matching Gift Summit – Great opportunity for our team
Dear [insert manager’s name],
I’d like to get your approval to attend the Matching Gift Summit, Double the Donation’s premier matching gift event, in Atlanta, GA from October 1st – 3rd.
The event would be a win-win: my goal in attending is to make sure we’re getting the maximum dollars possible from matching gifts, plus attending would be a great professional development opportunity for me personally.
Here are some ways [your institution] would benefit from my attendance:
[If relevant] Making the most of our Double the Donation: since all sessions are dedicated to workplace giving and matching gifts I’ll learn more about how to use 360MatchPro to its full capacity.
Increasing our matching gift revenue: the event is designed to send professionals home with actionable next steps to raise more money via matching gifts.
Avoiding challenges: the summit brings together professionals from similar schools, I’ll be able to hear how others have managed the challenges we currently face.
Growing our network: This is one of the largest, if not the largest, gathering of professionals who specifically work on Matching Gifts, so I’ll have the opportunity to build our network with peers from other organizations.
Here’s an approximate breakdown of the costs:
Registration:$650
Airfare: [insert]
Hotel: $195 per night (if we secure the room block provided by Double the Donation at the Georgian Terrace- the conference location)
Any meals, not covered in conference pass: $50 (most meals are covered)
Total: [insert]
After the Matching Gift Summit, I’ll submit a post-conference report with major takeaways and learnings so I can share everything I absorbed at the conference with other team members, and potentially the larger organization.
Thank you for considering my request. Looking forward to your reply.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Justify-Your-Trip-to-the-Matching-Gift-Summit-Free-Template-1.png300800Colleenhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgColleen2024-05-31 14:39:042024-10-14 17:19:17Justify Your Trip to the Matching Gift Summit [Template for Higher Ed]
![The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Volunteer Grants [For Nonprofits]](https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/DTD_The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Marketing-Volunteer-Grants-For-Nonprofits-1-1536x576.png)
![Justify Your Trip to the Matching Gift Summit [Free Template for Higher Education]](https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Justify-Your-Trip-to-the-Matching-Gift-Summit-Free-Template-1.png)
