Matching Wednesday Drive Matching Gifts Post #GivingTuesday

Matching Wednesday: Drive Matching Gifts Post #GivingTuesday

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After the whirlwind of #GivingTuesday, many nonprofits find themselves wondering how to maintain the momentum of generosity⁠—and make the most of corporate matching gifts in their efforts. While donations tend to surge on Giving Tuesday, organizations can amplify their impact by making the following day just as powerful. And that’s why we’re introducing the idea of Matching Wednesday.

By strategically focusing on matching gifts the day after Giving Tuesday, nonprofits like yours can create an additional wave of support that builds on the previous day’s success.

In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to get started with this unique and impactful campaign idea. This includes:

Matching Wednesday can help nonprofits capitalize on donors’ enthusiasm, encourage more employees to seek corporate matches, and double (or even triple) the support for their causes.

Ready to find out how? Let’s get started with the basics.

Check out our other leading workplace giving strategies for end-of-year fundraising! Access the free, downloadable guide: What to Know About Workplace Giving & the Year-End Fundraising Season.

What is Matching Wednesday?

Matching Wednesday is a strategic fundraising initiative in which nonprofits can participate immediately following #GivingTuesday.

While Giving Tuesday sparks a boost in donations from individuals eager to support their favorite causes, Matching Wednesday aims to keep this momentum going by encouraging donors to double (or even triple) the impact of their contributions through corporate matching gift programs.

After Giving Tuesday comes Matching Wednesday

Here’s how it works: on Matching Wednesday, nonprofits reach out to donors who gave on Giving Tuesday (or even before) and remind them to submit their gifts for matching through their employers. They can also highlight matching gift opportunities to new donors, underscoring the added impact their support can have.

The idea behind Matching Wednesday is simple yet powerful⁠—leveraging the enthusiasm generated on Giving Tuesday to unlock even more funding for the cause. By making matching gifts easy and front-of-mind, nonprofits can turn a single day of generosity into an extended period of amplified giving, helping them reach their goals and maximize their mission impact.

Following Up With #GivingTuesday Donors

Giving Tuesday sees some of the highest rates of charitable giving each year. In 2023, 34 million adults in the U.S. alone participated in Giving Tuesday festivities, contributing a total of more than $3.1 billion. And while a lot of those gifts were matched by donors’ employers, the truth is that a lot of match-eligible gifts went unclaimed. And that’s where Matching Wednesday steps in!

Following up with Giving Tuesday donors come Matching Wednesday is essential to capture the full potential of corporate matching gifts. Many donors may not realize that their contributions can be matched by their employers, effectively doubling or even tripling their impact on the cause. But when they do know, they’ll be eager to get involved.

Here are a few things your team can do to engage these donors and make the most of Matching Wednesday:

1. Send a Personalized Matching Gift Reminder Follow-Up.

The day after Giving Tuesday, send a follow-up message reminding donors who gave about the chance to make an even bigger difference with a matching gift.

Start with a heartfelt thank-you for their Giving Tuesday support, expressing gratitude for their contribution and sharing the impact it will make. Then, (re)introduce the concept of matching gifts, highlighting that many employers will match their donations at no additional cost to them. This gentle reminder can spark interest and motivate donors to check if their employer participates in a matching gift program.

2. Educate Donors About the Ease and Benefits of Matching Gifts.

Many donors may be unfamiliar with how matching gifts work. Use Matching Wednesday as an opportunity to educate them on the process. Provide clear, easy-to-follow, and company-specific instructions on how they can request a matching gift from their employer, and offer assistance for any questions or concerns donors might have about matching gift submissions.

3. Establish a Sense of Doubled Impact.

Use Matching Wednesday to create a sense of amplified donation impact by highlighting how beneficial matched gifts can be. Let donors know how their contributions, when doubled, can address specific needs, such as providing additional meals, funding critical programs, or expanding highly demanded services. This approach makes the matching gift feel like an extension of their Giving Tuesday contribution, deepening their connection to your cause.

Engaging Supporters Who Gave Earlier in the Year

While the idea is centered around the better-known global giving day, it’s important to note that Matching Wednesday doesn’t have to be exclusive to Giving Tuesday donors, either. In fact, it’s also an ideal time to engage supporters who donated earlier in the year but, as far as you know, haven’t submitted their gifts for matching.

By reaching out with a timely reminder to submit their matches, nonprofits can turn previous contributions into a new wave of support on Matching Wednesday.

Here’s how to maximize engagement with these past donors:

1. Segment and Personalize Your Outreach.

Identify donors who gave earlier in the year but may not have submitted their gifts for matching. Send a personalized email acknowledging their previous support and sharing how impactful it would be if they submitted their gift for a match⁠—and how Matching Wednesday is the perfect time to do it. After all, a tailored message makes supporters feel valued and motivates them to take the extra step, knowing that their contributions are still on the nonprofit’s radar.

2. Create a “Last Call for Matching Gifts” Campaign.

Use Matching Wednesday as a final push for matching gift submissions, presenting it as a time-sensitive opportunity. Explain that this is a last chance to double or triple their support this year, especially for those who might have forgotten or overlooked the option earlier. A sense of urgency can inspire action, as donors may be more likely to submit a match if they know it’s the final opportunity for the year. Many companies establish year-end request deadlines, too, meaning time is of the essence.

3. Provide a Simple, Step-by-Step Guide for Matching Gifts.

Many supporters might hesitate to submit their gifts for matching due to uncertainty around the process. Include a quick guide in your Matching Wednesday email to help simplify it. A “Check Your Eligibility” button leading to a matching gift search tool can be particularly effective, allowing donors to quickly confirm if their company offers matching and access any necessary forms.

Re-engaging past supporters for Matching Wednesday allows nonprofits to revive donations from throughout the year and turn them into even greater impact. This last-call reminder serves as an easy and effective way to connect with donors, ensuring their gifts stretch further and help end the year on a high note for the cause.

Increase matching gift revenue by leveraging Double the Donation

Best Practices for Matching Wednesday Success

To maximize the impact of Matching Wednesday, nonprofits can implement several best practices to ensure their outreach is compelling and effective. From targeted follow-ups to clear messaging, here are strategies that can help nonprofits make the most of this post-Giving Tuesday initiative:

Mention matching gifts leading up to and on Giving Tuesday, too.

Matching Wednesday is all about matching gifts. But it shouldn’t be the first time your audience hears about the opportunity. In fact, it’s best to begin highlighting matching gifts alongside Giving Tuesday promotions leading up to and on the big day.

By promoting matching gift opportunities early and often, nonprofits can begin building familiarity with the programs. This can substantially boost the day’s revenue, motivating more donors to give⁠—and encouraging them to make their contributions go further when the time comes.

Not to mention, knowing that their donation could be matched can even inspire donors to contribute in larger amounts. Matching gifts allows donors to double or triple their contributions, which is a compelling reason to increase their initial support. Research shows that fundraising appeals⁠—such as those for Giving Tuesday⁠—see a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average gift size when matching gifts are mentioned.

Take a multi-channel approach to engaging donors.

When it comes to marketing matching gifts, you want to make sure your message is getting across far and wide. Luckily, a multi-channel approach engages donors on multiple platforms, making it easier for them to take action and get involved.

Not to mention, each donor has preferred ways of receiving information. Some may respond best to email reminders, while others are more likely to engage on social media or through text. By reaching out across multiple channels, you can ensure you’re meeting donors where they already are.

Leveraging a combination of email, social media, SMS, and even phone calls empowers nonprofits to create comprehensive, engaging Matching Wednesday experiences that keep matching gifts at the top of donors’ minds.

Highlight matching gift success stories.

Social proof is a powerful tool. On a big giving day like Giving Tuesday (or the subsequent Matching Wednesday), incorporating success stories regarding corporate matching gifts can go a long way toward inspiring action.

For the best results, we recommend supplying specific examples to illustrate the power of matching gifts. Try sharing stories or metrics that showcase what matching funds have previously achieved for your organization. For instance, you might say, “Last year, matching gifts helped us provide meals for 500 additional families.” Impact-driven messaging like this can inspire donors to act, as they can directly see how their matched gifts contribute to the mission.

Alternatively, consider sharing a brief story or example of a past donor whose gift was matched. You can even source a quote from a previous matching gift donor to act as a testimonial! After all, real-world examples can serve as powerful motivation, helping donors see the tangible outcomes of submitting a matching gift.

Invest in matching gift software before Matching Wednesday.

Leading up to Matching Wednesday (or Giving Tuesday, for that matter), you’ll want to conduct an analysis of your existing tech stack and decide if you have what you need for success. If you’re currently missing a matching gift software, we highly recommend getting up and running with such a solution prior to the start of the giving season.

After all, this kind of tool simplifies the matching process by enabling donors to quickly find their employer’s matching gift policy, forms, and submission instructions. The easier it is for donors to confirm eligibility and access forms, the more likely they’ll be to follow through⁠—so this is not something you want to overlook. Not to mention, an automation platform like Double the Donation’s can streamline the entire process from start to finish, so your team doesn’t have to lift a finger!

Ready to get started? Request a personalized demo or uncover your expected ROI with matching gifts!

Share Matching Wednesday results and outcomes.

After Matching Wednesday concludes, maintain the matching gift momentum by sharing the campaign results with your supporters. For example, highlight the total number of submitted matches and the impact they’ll have on your programs. This kind of transparency fosters trust and shows donors that their efforts to secure a match made a concrete difference, setting the stage for continued engagement.

From there, you’ll want to track key metrics, such as the number of matching gifts secured, total matched revenue, and engagement rates, so you can adjust and improve your efforts for the next year. After all, a successful Matching Wednesday can become an ongoing part of your end-of-year fundraising efforts, extending Giving Tuesday’s impact well beyond a single day in the years to come.

6 Sample #MatchingWednesday Promotions

Ready to get started promoting Matching Wednesday but not sure where to begin? We’ve created a few sample promotions your team can use to engage its donors leading up to and on to the big day.

Matching Wednesday Text Message

Matching Wednesday text message

Text message copy: Thank you for supporting us on #GivingTuesday! 🎉 Did you know your donation could go twice as far? Today is #MatchingWednesday—click here to see if your employer matches: [Matching Gift Page URL]

Matching Wednesday Email Template

Subject line: Have you given to [nonprofit] this year? Double your impact today⁠—on #MatchingWednesday!

Matching Wednesday email header

Body:

Dear [donor’s first name],

Thank you for being part of the [nonprofit] family! Your support means the world to us, and today, on #MatchingWednesday, there’s an exciting opportunity to make your impact go even further.

If you’ve donated to [nonprofit] this year, you might be able to double or even triple your gift through your employer’s matching gift program! Many companies offer to match their employees’ charitable donations, but these matches often go unclaimed. Submitting a matching gift request is a simple way to amplify your impact and ensure your generosity reaches even more people in need.

Here’s how you can participate in #MatchingWednesday:

  1. Check if your employer matches donations – Use our matching gift search tool here [Matching Gift Page URL] to see if your company offers matching gifts.
  2. Follow the provided steps – If your employer participates, complete a matching gift request through their system by following the instructions our tool provides.
  3. Watch your impact grow! Every matched dollar helps us bring hope and resources to even more individuals and families.

Why submit your gift for a match today? Matching Wednesday is a limited opportunity to help us close out the year strong and make a difference for the communities we serve. Your support matters, and by taking just a few minutes to check your match eligibility, you can double the power of your donation at no extra cost!

Thank you for your continued generosity. Together, we can make an even greater impact.

Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Nonprofit Name]
[Nonprofit Contact Information]

Matching Wednesday Facebook Post

Matching Wednesday Facebook post

Caption: Many employers match donations to [nonprofit], doubling (or even tripling!) your impact at no extra cost to you. Take a moment today to check if your gift qualifies for a match by visiting the Matching Gifts page on our website: [Matching Gift Page URL] #DoubleYourImpact #MatchingGifts

Matching Wednesday Instagram Post

Matching Wednesday Instagram post

Caption: It’s #MatchingWednesday! 🎉 Did you know that thousands of companies match employee donations? That means your gift could go twice as far—just by submitting a matching request!

Don’t miss this chance to maximize your support and make an even bigger impact. Visit our Matching Gifts page to learn more. #GiveMore #AmplifyYourImpact #MatchingGifts

Matching Wednesday LinkedIn Post

Matching Wednesday LinkedIn post

Caption: #GivingTuesday was just the beginning! 🌟 Did you know that your donation could go even further? Many companies offer matching gift programs, meaning your contribution can be doubled or even tripled at no extra cost to you.

Now, Matching Wednesday is the perfect time to take advantage of this opportunity! If you gave to [nonprofit] yesterday or at any point this year, check to see if your employer will match your donation. It’s an easy way to maximize your impact and support the causes that matter most to you.

Not sure if your company participates? Don’t worry⁠—just use our matching gift search tool to find out: [Matching Gift Page URL]

This #MatchingWednesday, let’s make every dollar count for even more. Thanks again for helping us create lasting change. #DoubleYourImpact #EmployerMatching #CorporateGiving #SocialGood #GivingTuesday

Matching Wednesday Twitter Post

Matching Wednesday Twitter post

Caption: #MatchingWednesday is here! 🎉 It’s the perfect chance to make your #GivingTuesday gift go even further. Check to see if your employer will match your donation and double your impact today! [URL]

Next Steps & Additional Giving Season Resources

Establishing a Matching Wednesday campaign following Giving Tuesday is a smart way for nonprofits to extend their outreach⁠—and make every gift count twice. By promoting matching gift opportunities immediately after a major giving day, organizations can reinforce their message, reach new donors, and deepen their impact overall.

This strategic timing leverages the global popularity and extensive goodwill of Giving Tuesday and engages donors further, reminding them that their support can do more. Embracing the idea of Matching Wednesday can ensure the season of giving extends beyond a single day, unlocking new possibilities for funding and growth in the year-end season and beyond. Just don’t forget to equip your team with the right software going into it!

Interested in learning more about matching gifts heading into a period of holiday giving? Check out these additional resources:

Get up and running with Double the Donation in no time

7 Strategies for Marketing Payroll Giving to Your Supporters

7 Strategies for Marketing Payroll Giving to Your Supporters

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According to recent payroll giving statistics, 59% of survey respondents have no familiarity with payroll giving initiatives. Fortunately, however, marketing payroll giving opportunities to your nonprofit supporters can significantly boost participation in the programs⁠—and enhance your overall fundraising efforts.

After all, payroll giving programs allow donors to contribute a portion of their salary to your organization automatically, providing a steady stream of income with minimal effort. However, many potential donors remain unaware of this giving method or how easy it is to participate.

In this post, we’ll explore seven practical strategies to help you market payroll giving and make it a core component of your fundraising plan.

  1. Create a Payroll Giving page on your nonprofit website.
  2. Incorporate payroll giving in your email marketing.
  3. Promote payroll giving initiatives on social media.
  4. Collect and leverage employment information in your outreach.
  5. Consider donors already eligible for other workplace giving programs.
  6. Collaborate with corporate partners to highlight the opportunity.
  7. Offer exclusive incentives for payroll giving donors.

By implementing the right marketing strategies, you can educate your supporters, promote the convenience of payroll giving, and inspire long-term donor engagement. Not to mention, increase revenue through the programs.

Let’s begin!

1. Create a Payroll Giving page on your nonprofit website.

Starting off, you’re going to want to market payroll giving programs prominently throughout your nonprofit or school’s website. A dedicated payroll giving page on your nonprofit’s website is a powerful tool for educating potential donors about this giving option, serving as a centralized hub where supporters can easily learn about the benefits, process, and impact of payroll giving.

Marketing payroll giving via your website

Start by explaining what payroll giving is, highlighting how it allows employees to contribute to your cause directly from their paycheck on a recurring basis. Ensure the page features clear instructions on how to enroll in payroll giving, too, such as through their employer’s CSR platform or by contacting their HR department.

You’ll also want to emphasize the convenience of payroll giving. Once donors sign up, they don’t have to worry about making regular donations manually. It’s a simple, consistent, and tax-efficient way to support the cause they care about.

2. Incorporate payroll giving in your email marketing.

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your nonprofit’s supporters, and incorporating payroll giving into your email campaigns can significantly boost participation.

Start by crafting a compelling email that educates your audience on the advantages of payroll giving, emphasizing its ease, convenience, and long-term impact. Highlight the benefit of steady, recurring donations for your organization, personalizing the message to show supporters how their payroll donations can drive meaningful change in the community or cause they care about.

Marketing payroll giving via email

Include clear calls-to-action in the email, encouraging recipients to enroll in payroll giving through their employer. You can link directly to your nonprofit’s payroll giving webpage or provide detailed steps for contacting their HR department to inquire about the program. It’s also helpful to include examples of companies that offer payroll giving or suggestions for how donors can advocate for the program if their employer doesn’t currently provide it.

For the best results, we recommend regularly mentioning payroll giving in different types of email communications⁠—such as newsletters, thank-you emails, or special campaign updates. This keeps the option top of mind for donors while reinforcing the importance of their continued support.

3. Promote payroll giving initiatives on social media.

Social media is a powerful channel for engaging with your nonprofit’s audience, and it can be a highly effective tool for promoting payroll giving programs, too.

Marketing payroll giving via social media

Use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to share posts that explain what payroll giving is and how supporters can participate. Share success stories, testimonials, or case studies from current payroll donors to demonstrate the program’s real-world impact. Not to mention, visual content like infographics or short videos can be particularly effective in grabbing attention and communicating key messages.

Regularly include payroll giving in your content rotation, using relevant hashtags to increase visibility when appropriate. Remember: the goal is to ensure supporters are consistently reminded about this giving option and can easily find the information they need to get started.

4. Collect and leverage employment information in your outreach.

The more you know about your donors, the better you can engage them in workplace giving programs like payroll deductions and more. Specifically, having access to accurate and up-to-date employment data can go a long way.

But how can you collect this information? Start by incorporating questions about employment during the registration or donation process. Ask supporters to share the name of their employer, as well as whether they are aware of any workplace giving programs like payroll giving, matching gifts, or volunteer grants.

Marketing payroll giving with employment information

Once you’ve collected employment data, segment your donor list by company and customize your communications based on the giving opportunities available at those businesses. For example, if you know that a particular company offers payroll giving, you can send targeted emails to employees at that company, providing detailed instructions on how they can enroll in the program. If their company doesn’t currently offer payroll giving, encourage those donors to advocate for it within their workplace.

Top tip: If you lack quality employment information about your donors, consider utilizing a data enhancement service. This will allow you to fill in some gaps and provide the information you need to identify the best workplace giving programs in your network!

5. Consider donors already eligible for other workplace giving programs.

When it comes to workplace giving, most participating companies offer more than one way for employees to get involved. For example, statistics indicate that nearly two-thirds of companies report matching employee payroll contributions, and many of the top matching gift companies offer volunteer grants, too.

But what does that mean for your team?

Supporters who already participate in other workplace giving programs, such as matching gifts or volunteer grants, may be ideal candidates for payroll giving initiatives. To target this segment, begin by identifying donors who have previously submitted matching gift requests or applied for volunteer grants. These individuals already have a relationship with their company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, which makes them a strong target audience for payroll giving.

Marketing payroll giving with text message

In your outreach, emphasize the complementary nature of payroll giving to other workplace programs. You’ll want to acknowledge their previous participation in workplace giving programs and thank them for their ongoing support. Then, introduce payroll giving as a way to streamline their contributions and make an even greater difference. You can even highlight how their regular contributions through payroll giving can be further amplified through matching gift programs, doubling, or even tripling their impact.

6. Collaborate with corporate partners to highlight the opportunity.

Nowadays, more and more organizations are beginning to take an increasingly proactive approach to marketing payroll giving programs to their supporters. Still, many companies choose to promote the opportunity to their employees, too. And for that reason, collaborating with the businesses offering the programs can go a long way in heightening visibility and participation.

Marketing payroll giving via company partnerships

Start by reaching out to companies that already support your nonprofit through donations, sponsorships, or volunteer programs. Ask if they have a payroll giving program in place and discuss ways to promote the initiative to their employees. This could even involve co-branded marketing materials, such as email templates, flyers, or social media posts that both the company and your nonprofit can share with their audiences.

7. Offer exclusive incentives for payroll giving donors.

To encourage supporters to participate in payroll giving, consider offering exclusive incentives that reward their commitment to ongoing contributions. This can make the process more appealing and demonstrate your nonprofit’s appreciation for their support.

While it will likely vary based on the wants and needs of your particular audience, potential incentives may include…

  • Public recognition, such as listing names on a dedicated “payroll giving wall” on your website or donor newsletters. (Top tip: Public recognition can foster a sense of pride and community among payroll donors, motivating others to join, too!)
  • Access to exclusive events, such as virtual meet-and-greets with your organization’s leadership or tours of your facilities.
  • Branded merchandise, like T-shirts, tote bags, or water bottles, as a thank-you for committing to payroll giving.

Marketing payroll giving with unique incentives

Consider tying incentives to donation milestones, such as offering a special gift to donors who have contributed for a certain number of months or reached a specific donation amount. This not only encourages initial sign-ups but also helps retain donors over the long term.

Wrapping Up & Additional Resources

Effectively marketing payroll giving can transform the opportunity into a powerful, recurring revenue stream for your organization. By leveraging digital and other marketing tactics to educate supporters and partner with companies in your network, you can unlock the full potential of workplace giving and build stronger, more consistent donor relationships.

As you implement the seven strategies above, you’ll not only raise awareness of payroll giving but also encourage long-term contributions that help sustain your nonprofit’s mission. Don’t let the opportunity go to waste!

For more information about effectively marketing payroll and other employee giving opportunities, check out the following resources:

  • The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts. Discover the most effective strategies for promoting corporate matching gift programs to your nonprofit’s supporters. This comprehensive guide walks you through the key tactics to increase donor engagement, raise awareness of matching opportunities, and maximize the impact of employer-matched donations.
  • Tracking Payroll Giving: A Nonprofit’s Step-by-Step Guide. Payroll giving can be a valuable and consistent source of funding, but tracking those donations is essential for success. This guide outlines the process nonprofits should follow to track payroll giving contributions efficiently, from registering with payroll platforms to monitoring and reporting on giving patterns.
  • Free Download: The Ultimate Guide to Payroll Giving. Interested in taking a deep dive into all things payroll giving? Get our free downloadable resource to explore how your organization can earn more through payroll donation revenue. Discover how to get started with the programs, best practices for optimizing your strategy, and recommended ways to incentivize participation in the programs.

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10 Tips to Boost Corporate Matching Gift Participation

10 Tips to Boost Corporate Matching Gift Participation

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Corporate matching gifts are a powerful yet often underutilized resource for nonprofits. In essence, matching gifts are donations that companies make to match the contributions of their employees, effectively doubling (or even tripling!) the original amount given. Imagine a donor gives $100 to your organization. With corporate matching gift participation, that $100 donation could quickly become $200 or more—without the donor needing to give anything extra.

For nonprofits, matching gifts can be a game-changer. Not only do they increase total donations, but they also deepen the impact of individual contributions, helping nonprofits reach their fundraising goals faster. Despite this potential, many nonprofits miss out on corporate matching gift opportunities simply because donors are unaware of the process or how to participate. That’s where strategic marketing comes in.

This article will explore 10 effective marketing practices specifically tailored to nonprofits looking to boost participation in corporate matching gift programs. From educating your donors to leveraging digital marketing and building corporate partnerships, these insights will help you maximize every donation’s potential—ultimately bringing in more funds to fuel your mission. Let’s dive into how you can unlock the power of corporate matching gifts!

1. Educate Your Donors on Matching Gift Programs

The first step in increasing corporate matching gift participation is ensuring your donors understand what matching gifts are and how they work. Surprisingly, many donors may not be aware that their contributions can be matched by their employers, leaving valuable funds on the table. Educating your supporters transforms their understanding and engagement with matching gifts, empowering them to amplify their impact without spending a dollar more.

Tips to Educate Your Donors:

  • Newsletters: Include a section in your newsletters dedicated to matching gifts. Explain the process, eligibility criteria, and how donors can participate. Highlight success stories to illustrate the impact of matching gifts.
  • FAQ Pages: Create an FAQ section on your website to address common questions like, “What is a matching gift?” or “How can I submit a matching gift request?” This serves as a go-to resource for donors.
  • Informational Packets: Design downloadable guides that explain the process step-by-step. Include details about companies offering matching programs and tips for submitting requests.

2. Utilize Targeted Email Campaigns

Email marketing is a highly effective way to raise awareness about corporate matching gifts. Well-targeted campaigns allow you to deliver relevant information to donors at the right time, encouraging them to double their contributions.

Tips for Effective Email Campaigns:

  • Segment Your Audience: Start by segmenting your email list to focus on donors who are most likely to be eligible for matching gifts. For example, you might create separate email lists for new donors, major donors, and recurring donors. Tailoring your message based on donor type makes it more relevant and increases the likelihood that recipients will take action.
  • Compelling Templates: Use email templates that make the matching gift process clear and accessible. A well-designed template could include a brief explanation of matching gifts, a call to action, and a link to a matching gift search tool. Simple, visually appealing templates can make your message more engaging and easier to follow.
  • Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Your email should have a clear, concise CTA, such as “Check if Your Gift Can Be Matched” or “Double Your Impact Today.” The CTA should link directly to information on how to submit a matching gift request.
  • Timing is Key: Sending matching gift emails at key moments—like right after a donation, during year-end giving seasons, or around significant campaign milestones—can increase donor responsiveness. When donors are already in a giving mindset, they’re more likely to take advantage of opportunities to amplify their contribution.

3. Highlight Matching Gifts on Your Donation Page

Your donation page is where the magic happens—it’s where supporters take that meaningful step to give. So, why not use this key moment to inform them about matching gift opportunities? Adding information about matching gifts on your donation page is a simple yet effective way to boost awareness and encourage donors to maximize their contributions.

Tips for Featuring Matching Gifts on Your Donation Page:

  • Add a Matching Gift Widget: A matching gift widget is an easy way to let donors check if their employer offers a matching gift program. By simply entering their employer’s name, donors can quickly find out if their gift is eligible for a match, making the process convenient and accessible. Widgets can streamline the journey from “Can I match my gift?” to “Yes, I’ll match it!”
  • Create a Dedicated Section: Include a dedicated section near your donation form with a short description of matching gifts and how they work. A clear call-to-action (like “Double Your Donation!”), along with a brief explanation of the benefits, can make it easy for donors to understand the impact of participating in a matching program.
  • Use Simple, Encouraging Language: Remember, not all donors are familiar with matching gifts, so keep the language friendly and straightforward. Phrases like “Did you know you could double your donation at no extra cost?” or “Check if your employer offers matching gifts” are inviting and clear, encouraging donors to explore this option.
  • Include Visual Cues: Adding a small icon or graphic that highlights matching gifts can draw the donor’s attention. A small badge, logo, or button in your nonprofit’s branding can subtly guide visitors to take action.

4. Leverage Social Media Outreach

Social media is one of the most effective ways to get the word out about matching gifts. By meeting your supporters where they already spend time, you can amplify awareness, build excitement, and encourage more people to take advantage of these opportunities to maximize their impact.

Tips for Promoting Matching Gifts on Social Media:

  • Create Visual Content: Eye-catching graphics can make your posts stand out in busy feeds. Design visuals that explain the basics of matching gifts or show donors how their contributions could double with just a few clicks. Infographics, charts, or even short videos can be great tools to illustrate the potential impact of matching gifts.
  • Share Success Stories: People connect with stories, so use social media to highlight real-life examples of matching gifts in action. Share a story of a donor whose contribution was matched, demonstrating the impact it had on a specific project or campaign. This not only shows supporters the power of matching gifts but also brings a personal, human element to your messaging.
  • Encourage Sharing: Don’t hesitate to ask followers to share your posts. By encouraging sharing, you expand your reach to friends, family, and colleagues who might not yet know about matching gift opportunities. A simple call to action like “Share this post to help us reach more people!” can go a long way in increasing visibility.
  • Live Q&A Sessions: Platforms like Instagram and Facebook offer Stories and Live features, which are great for quick, interactive updates. Use Stories to post fun, bite-sized info about matching gifts, or go live to answer questions about the matching gift process. This type of content is engaging, easily digestible, and perfect for boosting awareness.

5. Engage Corporate Partners

Engaging with corporate partners who offer matching gift programs can greatly enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts. By building strong, mutually beneficial relationships with these companies, you’re not only supporting your cause but also giving businesses a meaningful way to engage with their employees and the community.

Tips for Engaging Corporate Partners:

  • Reach Out and Educate: Start by reaching out to local companies, especially those that already offer matching gift programs, and introduce them to your nonprofit’s mission. Many companies are open to partnering with nonprofits that align with their values but may not fully understand the impact of matching gifts. Hosting an informational session or sharing a presentation can go a long way in fostering a connection.
  • Show Appreciation: Let companies know you value their partnership. Simple gestures like thank-you emails, social media shout-outs, or featuring them in your newsletters can demonstrate your gratitude. Consider holding an annual appreciation event for corporate partners, where you can recognize their support and strengthen these relationships.
  • Collaborate on Joint Campaigns: Collaborate with companies to create campaigns that encourage their employees to participate in matching gift programs. For example, you could organize a “matching gift drive” where the company promotes matching gifts internally, and your nonprofit shares stories on social media about the impact of employee-matched donations.
  • Offer Co-Branding Opportunities: Let your corporate partners showcase their involvement in community initiatives by co-branding specific events or donation campaigns. When employees and the community see a company actively supporting your cause, it builds goodwill and boosts the likelihood of higher participation in matching gift programs.
  • Maintain Open Communication: Keep an open line of communication with your corporate partners. Regular updates on the impact of their matching gifts, along with information on upcoming initiatives, can keep your partnership active and rewarding for both sides. This ongoing dialogue shows the business that their involvement makes a real difference.

6. Create a Dedicated Matching Gifts Page on Your Website

A dedicated matching gifts page on your website can be a valuable resource for donors, helping them understand and take advantage of matching gift opportunities. By providing clear, easy-to-access information, you’re empowering donors to maximize their contributions—boosting support for your mission without any extra cost to them.

Tips for Creating an Effective Matching Gifts Page:

  • Add a Company Search Tool: Integrate a tool that allows donors to quickly search for their employer’s matching gift program.
  • Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Use compelling CTAs like “Double Your Impact!” to encourage visitors to explore matching gift opportunities.
  • Step-by-Step Guide: Include a simple guide outlining how donors can verify eligibility and submit requests.
  • FAQs: Add a section answering common questions like “What is a matching gift?” or “How do I get started?” to address any doubts.
  • Inspiring Stories: Share real-life examples of matched donations to highlight the tangible impact of these programs.

7. Simplify the Matching Gift Process

When it comes to encouraging donors to participate in corporate matching gift programs, simplicity is key. If the process seems complicated or time-consuming, donors might feel discouraged from taking that extra step—even if they’re eager to amplify their impact. By removing barriers and making the matching gift process as straightforward as possible, you can significantly increase participation rates.

Tips to Simplify the Matching Gift Process:

  • Step-by-Step Guides: Offer visual or written guides that clearly break down the process, such as checking eligibility, submitting requests, and receiving confirmation.
  • Direct Links: Provide links to employers’ matching gift portals or forms to save donors time.
  • Visual Aids: Use infographics or flowcharts to make the process more accessible.
  • Automation: Use automation tools to identify eligible donors and send personalized instructions.
  • Friendly Reminders: Notify donors of submission deadlines to ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities to match their contributions.

8. Use Data to Target High-Value Donors

Data is one of the most powerful tools for nonprofits aiming to make the most of corporate matching gift programs. By using data-driven strategies, you can identify high-value donors, segment them effectively, and encourage more impactful contributions through matching gifts. This approach allows you to focus your resources where they’ll have the greatest return.

Data-driven strategies help optimize efforts by identifying donors whose employers offer matching gift programs, allowing targeted outreach to maximize contributions. By segmenting donors based on matching gift eligibility, organizations can streamline marketing, ensuring the right message reaches the right audience. This targeted approach enhances the donor experience, making communication more relevant, personal, and impactful.

Tips for Identifying and Targeting High-Value Donors:

  • Leverage Your CRM: Many nonprofit CRM platforms allow you to track donor information, including employment details, donation history, and engagement patterns. Use this data to identify donors who might work for companies with strong matching gift programs. You can then segment these donors for tailored matching gift outreach.
  • Use Email Domain Matching: One quick way to identify potential matching gift eligibility is by looking at email domains. Some matching gift tools can flag donors using corporate email addresses, helping you pinpoint which supporters might be eligible for a match.
  • Conduct Predictive Analytics: For larger nonprofits, predictive analytics tools can help identify patterns in donor behavior. By analyzing past giving data, these tools can predict which donors are likely to make large contributions or have the capacity to donate more. This insight helps you focus on those who may benefit most from matching gift encouragement.
  • Survey Your Donors: Sometimes, the easiest way to gather information is to ask directly. Sending a short survey asking donors to share their employer details (while explaining the potential for matching gifts) can be an effective way to update your records and identify high-value donors.

9. Thank Donors and Acknowledge Their Impact

Expressing gratitude is essential for maintaining donor relationships and encouraging future engagement. When donors take the extra step to submit a matching gift request, recognizing their effort can go a long way.

Tips for Thanking Donors:

  • Personalized Messages: Send personalized thank-you emails or letters that highlight the donor’s impact.
  • Public Acknowledgments: With consent, recognize donors on social media or newsletters to celebrate their generosity.
  • Share Impact Stories: Show donors how their matched gifts have contributed to your nonprofit’s mission.
  • Exclusive Content: Provide matched donors with exclusive updates or invites to donor appreciation events.

10. Regularly Review and Improve Your Strategy

As donor behavior and corporate policies evolve, it’s important to regularly review and refine your marketing strategies for corporate matching gifts. Continuous improvement ensures that your efforts remain relevant and effective.

Tips for Reviewing Your Strategy:

  • Track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Monitor metrics such as total funds raised, the number of matched gifts, and email engagement rates.
  • Donor Feedback: Collect feedback through surveys to identify challenges and opportunities for improvement.
  • A/B Testing: Test different elements, like email subject lines or website layouts, to determine what resonates best with your audience.
  • Industry Trends: Stay informed about corporate philanthropy trends and incorporate new strategies into your approach.
  • Quarterly Check-Ins: Schedule regular reviews of your strategy to ensure alignment with your nonprofit’s goals.

Final Thoughts

Corporate matching gifts present a unique opportunity for nonprofits to double—or even triple—their impact. However, many organizations fail to fully capitalize on these programs due to a lack of awareness or effective strategy. By implementing the best practices outlined above, you can turn matching gifts into a reliable source of funding while deepening donor engagement.

Key Takeaways:

  • Educate donors on matching gift programs to increase awareness.
  • Use targeted email campaigns and donation page enhancements to drive participation.
  • Leverage social media outreach and corporate partnerships to expand your reach.
  • Simplify the process, thank donors, and regularly review your strategy to ensure success.

By following these steps, your nonprofit can unlock the full potential of corporate matching gifts, amplifying every donor’s contribution and making a greater impact.

Boost corporate matching gift participation with Double the Donation.

How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization

How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization

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Employee matching gifts are one of the most popular forms of corporate philanthropy. Still, the source is widely untapped, largely due to a lack of knowledge surrounding the programs. If you’re looking to drive participation at your organization (in order to maximize funding and elevate donor engagement), it’s time to get matching gifts trending among supporters.

But how can you go about doing so? Start a buzz around matching gifts at your nonprofit with these helpful tips:

  1. Share a blog post.
  2. Use hashtags on social media.
  3. Prioritize video content.
  4. Explore artificial intelligence and tech for content creation.
  5. Host a real-time Q&A online.
  6. Consider influencers and peer advocates.
  7. Make the most of free advertising with Google Grants.
  8. Keep up with shifting trends.

Our hope is that, by incorporating our recommended practices, matching gifts will become a well-known and fully utilized source of support among you and your supporters.

Let’s jump in with our first trick.

1. Share a blog post.

Blog articles are an effective medium for marketing matching gifts and other employee giving forms to your
supporters. A well-written post provides an opportunity to share an in-depth explanation of the philanthropy programs, along with showing donors that your organization is focused on maximizing fundraising from every source.

Not sure where to get started? We’ve written the following article that your team can use to kick off your matching gift blogging strategy. From there, you can send a link to the newly published resource in your newsletters and other communications to ensure donors know about this opportunity to increase their impact.

Corporate Employee Matching Gift Programs: The Secret to Boosting Revenue

For nonprofit organizations, every dollar counts. Corporate employee matching gifts offer the opportunity to turn one dollar donated by a match-eligible employee into two, three, or even four dollars!

Did you know that more than 26 million employees work for companies with matching gift programs? You might be one of them!

In this article, we’re going to explore exactly what to expect when working with matching gifts and how to make the most of this incredible fundraising opportunity.

What are corporate matching gift programs?

Employee matching gift programs are a type of corporate philanthropy set up to encourage employees to give back to their communities. These companies encourage community outreach by making donations to the same nonprofits that their employees have donated to.

These programs have become quite widespread, but many donors have not heard of them or aren’t aware of their own match-eligibility. $4-7 billion in matching gift revenue is left on the table each year, and we want to work with our donors to claim as much of it as possible.

While the specifics of these programs vary from company to company, the elements that shape these guidelines are generally the same:

  • Match ratio: This defines what kind of donation the company will make in relation to the employee’s initial contribution. A 1:1 ratio indicates that the company will donate the exact same amount, doubling the contribution to the employee’s chosen nonprofit.
  • Minimum and maximum: The minimum refers to the amount an employee must donate to qualify for a matching gift. The maximum is the total amount that a company will donate in matching contributions per employee annually.
  • Employee status: Sometimes, the employee’s role at the company can affect the match that they qualify for. For example, Gap Inc. offers a $1,000 maximum to part-time employees and a $10,000 maximum to Senior VP’s.
  • Nonprofit eligibility: Some programs offer different matches based on the mission of the organization being donated to. However, most companies offer “unrestricted” programs where any registered nonprofit can receive funds.
  • Submission deadline: Every program identifies a deadline when the matching gift request must be submitted by the employee. This deadline can be either a firm date (December 31st is common) or a threshold based on the date of the initial donation (90 days after donation is made).

Here are a few examples:

  • Johnson & Johnson — Triples donations with a 2:1 match up to $20,000 for current employees, while also doubling donations (1:1 match) for retirees
  • Bank of America — Matches donations 1:1 between $24 and $5,000 annually per employee
  • Home Depot — Matches donations 1:1 up to $3,000 annually per employee

The impact of these programs can be substantial! In fact, Microsoft has been known to match over $48 million worth of employee donations to schools and 501(c)(3) nonprofits in a single year.

Want to help [your organization’s name]?

Increasing revenue with matching gifts isn’t too tricky, but we need our donors’ help. Last year we received [insert number] matching gifts, which helped us raise [insert dollar amount]. We’ve set a goal of raising [insert dollar amount] from these programs.

If we meet our goal, we’ll be able to better [insert organization’s mission and how the organization would use the additional funding].

You can help us reach these goals by searching for your own match-eligibility. Immediately assess your eligibility and gain access to detailed information about your employer’s corporate giving program by searching our database of companies with matching gift programs [link to your dedicated matching gifts page or Double the Donation hosted URL].

We’ll provide you with as much of the following as possible:

  • Up-to-date, company-specific program guidelines for your employer
  • Links to the correct online matching gift request forms or downloadable PDFs
  • Our contact information (Tax ID, address, fundraising contact), which you may need for your matching gift request

If your company isn’t listed, make sure to check with your company’s HR department. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to double the impact of your donation!

Meanwhile, if you choose to write a blog post from scratch, we recommend:

  • Providing an overview of employee matching gift and/or volunteer grant programs
  • Sharing examples of companies that offer employee giving programs
  • Explaining the positive impact these additional funds will have on your organization’s work
  • Requesting that donors and volunteers search for their employer’s matching gift information using your matching gift search tool from Double the Donationa

2. Use hashtags on social media.

Your organization likely relies on social media as a core tenet of your digital marketing strategy. But do you have a plan in place to maximize your reach and engagement on key networking platforms?

Research indicates that incorporating hashtags in your posts goes a long way in terms of visibility, audience engagement, and more. A hashtag, which is essentially an octothorpe symbol followed by a key word or phrase, is a social media tool used to organize posts based on content topic. And including one or more in your postings can drive engagement by up to 100% compared to posts without hashtags.

In your next social media post about matching gifts for your organization, consider utilizing a few related hashtags and see how your audience responds. Here are a few examples you can use:

  • #match
  • #matchinggifts
  • #doubleyourdonation
  • #donationmatch
  • #amplifyingimpact
  • #[nonprofit name]matchinggifts
  • #getyourgiftmatched
  • #nonprofitmatching
  • #matchingdonations
  • #corporatematching
  • #doyoumatch
  • #doublethelove
  • #corporatephilanthropy
  • #employeegiving
  • #makeyourmatch

It’s also important to note that the way you use hashtags can and should vary depending on the social platforms you use. For example, studies show that Tweets with 1-2 hashtags see more than twice as much engagement as those without hashtags. But Tweets with more than two hashtags actually see a drop in engagement.

Meanwhile, the most-interacted-with Instagram posts typically include 11+ hashtags!

3. Prioritize video content.

According to content marketing research for nonprofits, video content is one of the most essential components of an optimized engagement plan. In fact, 66% of individuals find short-form videos to be the most engaging type of material published on social media.

Not to mention, of an organization’s audience…

  • Over 75% find videos useful when determining whether to give;
  • 57% then go on to donate;
  • 39% purposefully research the nonprofit within 24 hours of watching a video.

In the age of YouTube, Vimeo, TikTok, Snapchat, and more, video-sharing is becoming an increasingly integral part of nonprofit marketing. And when it comes to matching gifts, producing video content can play a critical role in informing and inspiring action among donors.

For example, check out this exemplary matching gift video that demonstrates the ease with which a donor can complete the process to amplify their impact on behalf of a cause they care about:

Once they had the video created, the organization opted to share the content on both its website and social media channels to further its reach.

Take a look at the Facebook post here:

Get matching gifts trending by sharing video content on social media

Want to make your own video? Here’s a sample script you can use to get started:

“Increasing revenue with matching gifts isn’t too tricky, but we need our donors’ help. Last year we collected $[total revenue] worth of matching gifts. This year, we’d like to receive even more. We’ve set a goal to raise over $[revenue goal] from these programs by the end of the year. If we meet our goal, we’ll be able to [summary of your nonprofit mission and/or specific project or programming].

You can help us reach these goals by searching for your own match eligibility. Immediately assess your eligibility and gain access to detailed information about your employer’s corporate giving program. All you have to do is search our database of companies with matching gift programs. Click the link in the caption [to your organization’s dedicated matching gift page] to learn more.”

4. Explore artificial intelligence and technology for content creation.

A significant roadblock facing all sorts of nonprofits is a lack of time and effort dedicated to their marketing strategies⁠—especially when it comes to matching gifts. In fact, Nonprofits Source finds that over 80% of nonprofits report difficulty building strong workplace giving strategies due to limited staff and resources.

One unique and innovative solution? Artificial intelligence and smart technology.

AI-powered tools are currently sweeping the nation, particularly in regard to brands streamlining content creation while putting more time back into the hands of staff members. To provide some examples of how this can impact matching gifts, we tested a few artificial intelligence tools to see what they could come up with.

Here’s a sample social media caption written by one AI chatbot tool, ChatGPT (from the emojis to the hashtags and everything in between):

“Did you know that matching gifts can double or even triple your impact as a donor? 💰💸 Not only does this benefit your favorite nonprofit, but it also shows your employer’s commitment to supporting causes that matter to their employees. 🤝 Learn more about the power of matching gifts and how you can get involved to make a difference today!

#MatchingGifts #DoubleYourImpact #NonprofitImpact”

Not to mention, our very own matching gift solution can help streamline donor communications while maintaining targeted and personalized efforts. With this tool, you can easily collect and track donor employment data, identify match-eligible donations, and trigger automated email follow-ups that drive more matching gifts to completion. And it can all take place without your fundraising team having to lift a finger!

5. Host a real-time Q&A online.

From the perspective of a donor who has never requested a matching gift, the entire process can seem a bit overwhelming. What your team can do, as the nonprofit they’re supporting, is make an effort to answer any questions your supporters may have.

And what better way to do so than with a real-time Q&A session? According to recent live-streaming research, real-time content generates 27% more watch time per viewer than on-demand video. Users like interacting with their favorite organizations, and doing so as a nonprofit can help facilitate deeper relationships with donors. In fact, 79% of marketers indicate that a more authentic interaction with their audience is a top benefit of live-streamed video.

While you’ll likely aim to answer a number of questions in any pre-recorded content you share, it can be hard to predict what exactly your donors will want to know. So let them tell you in real time. We recommend:

  • Sharing the date and time beforehand so supporters can plan accordingly;
  • Accepting matching gift Q&A submissions ahead of time through email or an online form on your site;
  • Encouraging live viewers to ask questions in real-time using the streaming site’s chat or comment functions;
  • Preparing your team with a number of in-depth resources on corporate matching gift programs (hint: check out our webinars, blog posts, and free eBooks in our resources hub here);
  • Posting your live-stream recording to your website and/or social media pages, so those who missed the real-time engagement can still savor the insights shared.

Today, most social media platforms offer some sort of live-streaming option⁠—including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and even Twitter. So pick your favorite platform (ideally one that already sees a lot of user engagement with your nonprofit) and go live!

6. Consider influencers and peer advocates.

Influencer marketing and peer-to-peer fundraising are based on a shared principle: social proof. Social proof revolves around the psychological finding that people are more likely to assume the actions of others when making their decisions.

Luckily, you can use this idea in your next matching gifts campaign!

The first step in leveraging social proof for matching gifts involves locating a number of individuals who you’d like to promote matching gifts to your audience. When donors see other supporters participating in matching gift initiatives, it can be the inspiration they need to get involved themselves.

These so-called “influencers” might be someone closely associated with your nonprofit cause, such as:

  • Major donors to your organization
  • Well-known board members
  • Dedicated volunteers
  • Well-connected P2P fundraisers
  • Your nonprofit’s executive director, president, or CEO

Or, you might even be able to get a popular influencer (or micro-influencer) on board! For the best results, look for individuals who share a similar target audience to your nonprofit. Plus, existing connections to your organization or its mission can go a long way toward making that connection.

Regardless of who you choose to get involved, encourage these individuals to share information about gift-matching opportunities⁠—such as your new matching gift videos⁠—on their personal social media pages. Provide them with pre-made images, suggested captions, video scripts or outlines, and more, empowering champions to advocate for matching gifts and encourage others to get involved.

From there, your nonprofit can typically re-post the content to your own pages (depending on the platform or platforms used), furthering the reach of the posts.

7. Make the most of free advertising with Google Grants.

Another marketing strategy that you won’t want to overlook is paid search engine advertising. And don’t be alarmed by the word “paid,” either. Google offers nonprofits access to a generous in-kind grant in the form of free ad space (the equivalent of up to $10,000 per month), known as the Google Ad Grant.

Now, why should you promote matching gifts to your audience with the Google Grant? First of all, it’s a free marketing opportunity. Of course you want to make the most of it! Not to mention, research indicates that search advertisements (such as Google Ads) have the highest ROI for nonprofit paid advertising⁠—with an average value of $4.78 for every dollar.

When you participate in the Google Ad Grant, you essentially choose a page (or pages) and the keywords you’d like to advertise for. Then, when a donor or prospect searches the phrase (e.g., matching gifts for Cat Rescue Club), they’ll be met with your relevant sponsored content (i.e., your donation form, dedicated match page, ways to give page, blog article) at the top of the results page.

Get matching gifts trending by leveraging Google Grants

The Google Grant is a great way to increase visibility and expand the reach of your organization’s fundraising efforts. And when done well, it can drive more match-eligible donors through the giving⁠—and matching⁠—processes.

Ready to apply for the Google Grant? Check out this step-by-step guide from the experts at Getting Attention.

8. Keep up with shifting trends.

When it comes to getting donation-matching (or just about anything else) “trending” at your organization, it’s important that you have a solid understanding of current trends. After all, trends can change fairly quickly, along with the introduction and development of new technology, changing consumer⁠—and supporter⁠—preferences, and more.

And in order to get matching gifts trending effectively, there are a few key types of trends to consider as you craft your strategy. These include…

  • Marketing and engagement trends ⁠— Things like new social media platforms emerging, communications best practices (e.g., optimal number of hashtags per post), etc.
  • Workplace giving trends ⁠— Things like which companies offer matching gift programs (so far, it keeps trending upward!), new technology enabling innovative matching processes (i.e., auto-submission), and more

It ultimately boils down to this: just because something is a key trend today doesn’t mean it will necessarily be the same five years from now. So keep an eye out, make a note of any significant shifts you see, and reconvene with your marketing team on a regular basis.

And if you’re a Double the Donation user, we’ll always keep you up to date with the latest trends that our team is seeing! Check back with our blog, attend upcoming webinars, or explore our online Matching Gift Academy to stay at the forefront of matching gift innovation.

Next Steps

You’ve heard the tips⁠. Now, get started by implementing these tried-and-true practices in your own organization’s strategy.

Just remember: the more familiar your audience is with the idea of matching gifts, the more likely they are to partake in their employers’ programming. And the more funding you’ll ultimately receive from corporate philanthropy opportunities available to your cause.

Want to learn more? Explore additional resources and discover how you can double your organization’s fundraising impact with matching gifts:

Get matching gifts trending at your nonprofit with the help of Double the Donation.

The title of the article: Corporate and foundation relations: A guide for universities next to an illustration of a graduate.

Corporate and Foundation Relations: A Guide for Universities

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From scholarships to research grants, universities need funding. Much university funding comes from individual donors, but corporations and foundations also play a key role in supporting higher education institutions.

Juggling relationships and grant proposals with multiple corporations and foundations for various university needs can quickly get complicated though. Not to mention, sourcing those funding opportunities can easily be a full-time job for multiple people!

This is where Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) offices come in. In this guide, we’ll break down what CFR is, why universities need CFR offices, and how to set their CFR office up for success.

Boost alumni engagement and fundraising by adding a matching gift tool to your alumni website. Click to get a demo and see how it works.

What are corporate and foundation relations?

Many corporations and foundations offer grants that are applicable to universities. As such, universities seek out and maintain relationships with these organizations to secure funding opportunities, such as:

  • Research grants. Ongoing research projects can take months or even years to produce results. To keep your students and faculty’s work going strong, they may need research grants. While individual researchers may need to apply for these grants themselves, their university can put them in touch with or at least point them toward grant opportunities they are likely to win.
  • Work placements. Post-graduation plans are probably top of mind for many of your students, and universities with positive relationships with businesses can help their students get their foot in the door with their corporate partners. Along with work placements, this might take the form of yearly internships, spots at job fairs, and Q&A sessions with students.
  • Partnerships. Ongoing partnerships with corporations and foundations can provide funding for your university’s major projects or long-term operations. For example, a business might agree to fund the construction and upkeep of a new football stadium and request typical sponsorship perks, such as having its logo featured on signs around the stadium, in return.

While some of these funding opportunities are awarded on a merit basis—whether on the part of an individual student, the university, or a specific department—having a positive relationship with the grantmaking organization will almost always improve the odds of receiving support.

What do Corporate and Foundation Relations Offices do?

CFR offices help keep their universities funded by finding corporations and foundations and building relationships with them. By doing so, they help students and their university as a whole by:

  • Networking. When students need grant funding, only some will know where to look for these opportunities, let alone how to cultivate a relationship with the grantmakers. CFR offices work hard to establish networks of corporate and foundation partners they can then put students and faculty in contact with.
  • Negotiating opportunities. Negotiating grants and financial partnerships requires special skills, and CFR offices act as the intermediary between their universities, businesses, and foundations. Along with helping students and faculty find worthwhile funding opportunities, CFR offices also talk with businesses about what their university can offer them, whether it’s talented new employees or the positive reputation boost of supporting a higher education institution.
  • Securing funding. Only some foundations have work opportunities for students. Instead, they typically provide valuable grants. CFR offices help manage these grants and work with individual foundations to identify specific areas at the university or create new initiatives the grantmaking organization would want to fund.

Students and faculty can focus on research, career development, and university life while CFR offices put in the work to keep these activities funded. Corporate and foundation relationship networks don’t crop up overnight, and CFR offices keep these lines of communication open to benefit their universities and partners alike.

What tools and resources do Corporate and Foundation Relations Offices need?

With a complex web of connections to track, CFR offices employ various resources and specialized software solutions to stay organized, identify opportunities, and keep lines of communication open. Here are a few top tools and resources your university’s CFR office needs.

1. Cooperation with Other University Offices

CFR offices don’t act alone. To minimize confusion and create a cohesive experience for external partners and internal university members, CFR offices work with your university’s fundraising team, campus administrators, and faculty.

For example, a foundation may be interested in providing grant funding for research related to climate change. The CFR office would then need to reach out to various academic departments at your university to find programs and specific researchers whose work aligns with the foundation’s interests.

Or, the university’s fundraising team may secure a sponsorship with a business and then turn over communication to the CFR team that can facilitate funding for specific projects.

To encourage cooperation among university offices, ensure the heads of your university’s various offices understand what corporate and foundation relationships are and what your CFR office does. Additionally, improve your CFR office’s website to make it clear what the office’s purpose is, what opportunities they have available, and how various interested parties can get in touch with them. Here’s an example of Cornell University’s foundation partnerships page that checks all of these boxes:

A screenshot of a university's corporate and foundation relations office's website.

2. A Reliable Network of Connections

CFR offices are valuable due to their extensive networks of corporate and foundation connections. These networks are built on mutually beneficial arrangements and trust agreements that can take years to cultivate. As such, your CFR office’s personnel are one of your university’s most important resources.

Some team members may bring in networks and relationships they’ve developed themselves, whereas others new to CFR work may still have extensive knowledge of grantmaking and corporate philanthropy.

Support your CFR office by finding new ways for them to connect and build stronger relationships with prospects. This might involve hosting events, having flexibility in what types of projects you’ll support, and investing in necessary prospect research tools.

3. Corporate and Foundation Research Tools

Many prospective corporate and foundation partners can be sourced through your CFR office’s network. However, to assess these prospects and discover new prospects, CFR offices can benefit from corporate and foundation research tools.

Specifically, two research tools you should consider investing in for your CFR office include:

  1. Grant research tools. Many foundations do very little, if any, promotion for their grant opportunities. To find and create relationships with these organizations, CFR offices can leverage a grant research database. Look for databases that specialize in research grants for academics.
  2. Corporate giving database. Some companies publicize their philanthropic activities, but tracking down the minute details can be a challenge. With corporate giving databases, CFR offices can discover companies’ giving histories to identify if they give to higher education institutions like your university.

Additionally, consider how other fundraising tools can help facilitate relationships with corporations and foundations. For example, your CFR office may help negotiate a matching gift challenge with a business wherein the business agrees to match all donations made within a certain period of time. To track this fundraiser and promote corporate matching gifts to your school’s donors even after the challenge, you may consider matching gift and workplace fundraising software.

More Resources for Universities

Corporations and foundations have the power to open doors for your university’s community. To connect with these partners, your CFR office needs support to pursue long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with funders. And your university can provide that help with the right tools, resources, and knowledge.

To expand your knowledge of the university fundraising space even further, explore these resources:

Learn how 360MatchPro can help your education institution tap into one of the most powerful alumni fundraising trends, corporate philanthropy.

The title of the article: Donation Levels: Creating Donation Tiers that Drive Revenue

Donation Levels: Creating Donation Tiers That Drive Revenue

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From marketing to cultivation, it’s no small effort to drive supporters to your donation page. But when they get there, are they making the impact your nonprofit needs? If your average donation amount is falling short, there are strategies you can use to maximize support right on your donation page.

Donation levels are one of the most important factors in determining gift amounts as they guide your supporters into giving an amount that’s right for them and your nonprofit. When used strategically, they frame your nonprofit’s impact and encourage donors to increase their support.

To help your nonprofit better use donation levels, this guide will explore:

Let’s clarify exactly what we mean by donation levels before jumping into tips for how to create the best donation page possible.

Double your donors' giving at no extra cost with matching gifts! Download our free matching gifts guide.

What are Donation Levels?

Donation levels, also known as donation tiers, are suggested giving amounts that appear on donation pages. For example, a nonprofit might have donation levels of $20, $50, $100, and so on.

These amounts help guide supporters in how much to give when donating by providing examples of what is considered a low donation amount, a medium amount, and a high amount. Donation levels are especially helpful for first-time donors who may be unsure how much an average donation should be.

While donation levels can contain the gift amounts and nothing else, many nonprofits seek to increase donations by characterizing their donation levels with names, impact examples, and other descriptors.

What’s the Difference Between Donation Levels and Donation Types?

While the names are similar, “donation levels” and “donation types” are different concepts. Donation levels are suggested giving amounts on a donation form, while donation types are different kinds of gifts.

For example, donation types include major gifts, recurring gifts, in-kind donations, and corporate support. There is some overlap in that the donation types of low, moderate, and major donors may correspond to donation levels.

The donor pyramid, starting with prospective donors and going up to major donors.

For example, recurring donors may give $50 monthly or $200 monthly. A donor who contributes $50 and one who donates $200 are both recurring donors but at different donation levels. However, whether this is the case depends on your nonprofit and average gift amount.

5 Strategies for Creating Effective Donation Levels

Donation levels are easy to add to your donation form, but to use them to their fullest potential, follow these strategies.

1. Calculate average donation amounts.

Donation levels are not set at random. These amounts are strategically calculated based on average gift sizes, supporters’ giving capacity, and fundraising goals.

Your first step to setting your donation levels should be calculating your nonprofit’s average donation amount. When calculating this amount, it may be appropriate to exclude some donations, like gifts from major donors. While these contributions are certainly important, it’s unlikely a supporter using donation levels to gauge their gift amount will make a major donation right off the bat.

Additionally, consider dividing your donors into two groups: one-time and recurring donors. Most donation pages that use donation levels divide suggested giving amounts along these guidelines, creating two sets of donation levels donors can consider. In general, the amounts for recurring donations will be much lower than one-time gifts but add up over time.

Once your donation data is properly curated, calculate your donation levels by dividing the total amount of donations in a year by the number of donors. With this information, you now have to decide how your average donation should impact your donation levels. A few options include setting the average donation amount as:

  • A lower donation level. To increase your average donation amount, set the median donation amount as a lower level. This may decrease your total donors but make each supporter who does give more valuable.
  • A middle donation level. Setting your average donation amount as your median donation level should be considered by nonprofits looking to maintain their current levels of support.
  • A higher donation level. This is a more unorthodox option but may be useful for nonprofits looking to increase donor acquisition by making entry-level donation amounts more accessible.

Assess your nonprofit’s donor acquisition and lifetime donor value rates to determine which of these options best fits your unique situation. Then, create subsequent donation levels that follow a logical progression. For instance, if your average donation amount is $25 and you want to set it as a low-tier amount, you might make the following levels $50, $75, and $100.

2. Link donation amounts to specific outcomes.

When a donor is choosing which donation level to give at, they may ask what the tangible difference between each option is. After all, why should a donor give $75 over $15?

Your donation levels can answer this question by briefly describing the types of outcomes that will result from each donation amount. For instance, here are some hypothetical outcomes from the example nonprofit Cat Rescue Club:

  • $25: Enrichment toys and bedding to keep our shelter cats happy and healthy.
  • $50: A week’s worth of food for our shelter cats awaiting adoption.
  • $75: Support for our network of over 100 foster families.
  • $100: Adpotions for 10 cats, helping them find their forever homes.
  • $200: Lifesaving surgery and medical treatment for cats in need.

These outcomes not only encourage supporters to move to higher donation levels but also increase their emotional investment in your nonprofit. After all, if they know they are providing essential support, donors are likely to stick around to see how their contributions helped, leading to increased retention.

3. Consider donor psychology.

Donation levels are ultimately a tool to guide donors’ giving behavior. While many supporters approach nonprofits’ donation pages with a clear idea of how much they want to give, many are also receptive to the cues and suggestions your donation levels provide.

When crafting your donation levels, try reading up on the basics of giving psychology. A few key insights to consider include:

  • Most donors will choose the second lowest donation level. Ultimately, donors are parting with their money when they give. As such, many want to donate an amount that doesn’t make them feel cheap, but they still want to be conservative about how much they spend. With this in mind, consider basing your donation amounts around the second-lowest donation level.
  • Low donation levels are encouraging to on-the-fence donors. This is useful for attracting new and first-time donors who are interested in but cautious about supporting your nonprofit.
  • High donation levels encourage loyal supporters to give more. However, this comes at the cost of driving away the on-the-fence donors.

Think of your donation levels as a general parameter of how much is acceptable to give. Donors who fall outside of that range are more likely to conform to the range (if they planned to give a higher amount than the highest donation level) or not give altogether (if they planned to give less than the lowest amount).

4. Name your donation tiers.

To help your donors develop a connection with your nonprofit, consider naming your donation levels. This can help donors to not only think of themselves as supporters of your nonprofit but as part of an exclusive group.

These names can reflect the hierarchical structure of your donation tiers. For example, you might name your levels bronze, silver, and gold. Or, instead, choose names that reflect your nonprofit’s cause. For instance, the Cat Rescue Club might name their donation levels Calico, Tuxedo, Tabby, and so on.

Nonprofits often employ this strategy during crowdfunding campaigns. These campaigns tie donation levels to specific rewards donors receive in exchange for their support. Naming these tiers not only helps donors form an identity related to your campaign but also makes organizing and distributing rewards easier since each category has a specific name rather than just a number.

You can also apply this reward strategy to your normal donation page, especially if your nonprofit has a membership program. For example, check out these tiers from Sarasota Orchestra:

Donor tiers from the Sarasota Orchestra with unique names for each level.

Names like “musician circle” and “maestro circle” not only reflect the benefits these tiers provide but also make higher-tier donors feel like a core part of the orchestra. 

5. Always provide a custom giving option.

In addition to your tailored donation levels, always add the option for supporters to write in and give any donation amount they want. While many supporters will default to using suggested giving amounts if they are provided, others will approach your donation form with a clear idea of exactly how much they want to give and they should be able to do so.

This also allows donors to give outside your donation range (on either the high or low end).

5 More Donation Page Tips

Donation levels are a key element of your nonprofit’s donation page, but they’re not the only element!

To ensure your donation tiers are as effective as possible at driving valuable gifts and acquiring donors, here are a few more donation page tips.

1. Promote matching gifts.

Envision a world where you double all of your donation levels and supporters can contribute those increased amounts with no issue. With matching gifts, this world is possible for at least some of your donors.

Matching gifts are a type of corporate giving program wherein businesses match employee donations to nonprofits, usually at a 1:1 rate. However, many supporters are unaware of these programs, let alone how to participate in them.

Use your donation page to market matching gifts by:

  • Providing a brief explanation about matching gifts. For supporters who are unfamiliar with matching gifts, a one or two-sentence explanation on your donation page can encourage them to check their eligibility and submit a match request. This explanation can be as short as something like: “You may be able to double your impact. Check if you’re eligible for matching gifts with your employer.”
  • Adding a matching gift search tool to your donation page. Consider investing in matching gift software, which allows you to embed a matching gift database search tool right into your donation page. Supporters can use this tool to check if they are eligible for a matching gift during the donation process.
  • Encouraging supporters to check their matching gift eligibility on your confirmation page. If supporters opt not to interact with your matching gift search tool while donating, give them one more chance to start the matching gift process by adding a message to (or even embedding your matching gift search tool) into your donation confirmation page. Using our hypothetical nonprofit example from above, consider what a matching gift database tool might look like on Cat Rescue Club’s page:

A donation confirmation screen with a matching gift search tool embedded.

These gifts come from donors’ employers, meaning you can earn twice your regular donation levels at no extra expense to your supporters. Be sure to emphasize this and the potential impact these additional gifts can have when promoting matching gifts to supporters.

Become a matching gift expert by downloading our free guide for nonprofits.

2. Encourage recurring giving.

Donation levels apply to both one-time and recurring gifts. All of the strategies we’ve discussed so far apply to both categories, but let’s dive deeper into tips for encouraging recurring giving now:

  • Adjust your recurring giving donation levels. Your donation levels should be less for recurring gifts than the corresponding ones for one-time gifts. For example, if your lowest donation level for one-time gifts is $25, you might make the recurring donation level $10. While this amount is less than half of the time-one gift, it will outpace it in three months’ time, and more than quadruple the amount in a year.
  • Display recurring giving and one-time donation options next to each other. Position your recurring giving and one-time donation tiers next to each other or allow supporters to easily toggle between them. This allows donors to make a direct comparison when deciding what to give. Plus, recurring gifts are less of an initial commitment, which makes them seem like a better deal to donors when placed next to high one-time donation levels.
  • Update any relevant text. Recurring gifts impact nonprofits differently than one-time gifts, and your donation levels should reflect this. If a one-time donation level promises to support a certain number of beneficiaries for a week, consider how the impact changes when it’s a smaller recurring gift.

To calculate your recurring donation levels, use the same strategies as discussed earlier, only this time, focus on just your current recurring donors. Additionally, of the strategies discussed, consider adding donation tiers below your average recurring gift amount.  Recurring donors are likely to stick around long-term and you can persuade them to increase their donation amount over time once they commit to making their first gifts.

3. Keep your donation page short.

When trying to include all of these tips in your donation page, it’s easy for your page to bloat in size. However, lengthy donation forms are likely to turn off potential donors, especially the new and on-the-fence donors we discussed earlier.

When designing your new donation page, consider how to keep each element concise and easy to understand at a glance. For example, if you want to go with a button approach to donation levels, you might try a page layout like this:

Detailed donation levels that include pictures and info about how each donation level supports the nonprofit.

Or, if you want all information to be visible for easier comparison, an approach like this maintains a minimalist design:

Button donation level for one-time and monthly giving from the Cat Rescue Club nonprofit.

4. Brand donation page to your nonprofit.

Your donation page is arguably the most important page on your website. Ensure supporters who land on it—especially those who navigate there from an external source like social media—know without a doubt that it belongs to your organization.

You can accomplish this by maintaining consistent branding across your website and ensuring your donation page specifically has a few key visual brand elements. These include:

  • Your logo
  • Brand colors
  • Key brand visuals

From the mobile version of your donation page, consider how you can ensure brand elements are present but unobtrusive. For example, you might remove key brand visuals, such as a photograph of beneficiaries, but keep your logo. This minimizes scrolling for mobile users without sacrificing branding consistency.

5. Continue adjusting your donation levels.

Your audience, donors’ giving behaviors, and economic circumstances change, and so should your donation tiers. To determine your donation levels’ effectiveness, keep an eye on key metrics, such as: 

  • Average donation amount
  • Donor acquisition
  • Donor lifetime value
  • Total number of donations

Analytics tools can help you track these metrics and specific donors’ behaviors over time. After implementing new donation levels, take note of new trends in donor engagement. Additionally, consider experimenting with different donation level amounts by creating unique donation levels for various campaigns. For example, you might set lower donation levels for a crowdfunding campaign to encourage new donor participation.

More Donation Level Tools and Tips

Your donation page is an essential tool for earning the funds that keep your nonprofit going. With donation levels, you can encourage more donors to give and increase donation amounts. To get started, calculate your average giving amounts and make strategic decisions about your donation goals.

For more information on how to attract and retain donors, explore these resources:

Learn how your monthly giving program can raise more through matched gifts by contacting Double the Donation.

The title of the article, which is “Revolutionizing Your ROI: A Guide to Monthly Giving Programs.”

Revolutionizing Your ROI: A Guide to Monthly Giving Programs

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What if you could cut the guesswork and accurately predict how much fundraising revenue you’ll have at your disposal each month? You’d be able to plan your finances effectively, allocate funds where they’re most needed, and achieve mission-critical goals.

Adopting a monthly giving program is a win-win-win for your nonprofit, beneficiaries, and donors—you get a consistent revenue stream, your beneficiaries get high-quality programs, and your donors can make budget-friendly donations at regular intervals.

In this guide, we’ll help you access this powerful revenue stream with this information:

As we review these tips, consider your nonprofit’s current donor base and how they would respond to a monthly giving program. Or, if you already offer one, think about how you could improve it to yield a higher return. Let’s dive in!

Click this graphic to learn more about how matching gifts can supplement your monthly giving program to grow your funding.

Monthly Giving Program FAQs

What is a monthly giving program?

A monthly giving program is a recurring donation program where supporters give regularly throughout the year. Most recurring giving programs are structured around a monthly schedule (which is why it’s our focus for this content), but supporters could make contributions on a biweekly, bimonthly, or even semiannual basis.

What are the benefits of a monthly giving program?

There are numerous advantages to having a monthly giving program, such as:

  • Consistent and predictable revenue. Monthly donors provide a stable and reliable source of income. This consistency helps in budget planning and ensures nonprofits can better allocate resources.
  • Increased lifetime value. Monthly donors tend to give more over the long term compared to one-time donors. Their cumulative contributions add up, increasing their lifetime value. In fact, the average recurring donor gives $287 per year while one-time donors give $192.
  • Reduced fundraising costs. Acquiring new donors can be expensive and time-consuming. Monthly giving programs often have lower acquisition costs because once a donor is signed up, they continue to give without the need for additional outreach.
  • Improved donor retention. Monthly donors tend to have higher retention rates than one-time donors. They are more invested in the organization’s mission and are less likely to lapse. Additionally, many monthly donors have their donations given automatically, limiting the chances they’ll forget to donate and increasing reliability.

Not to mention, a monthly giving program enhances donor engagement by making supporters feel a stronger connection to your organization. Because monthly donors actively support your work on an ongoing basis, they will be more inclined to participate in your organization’s other campaigns, attend events, and advocate for your cause.

How do you turn one-time donors into recurring donors?

Converting one-time donors into recurring donors requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. Here are some steps you can take to encourage donors to make ongoing contributions:

A list of ways nonprofits can turn one-time donors into recurring donors, which are listed in the text below.

  • Express gratitude. Make donors feel valued and connected to your organization. Show appreciation for their initial donation promptly with personalized thank-you emails or letters.
  • Share impact stories. Regularly communicate the impact of their donation. Use success stories, testimonials, and updates to illustrate how their support makes a difference.
  • Educate about monthly giving. Share information about your program in your communications. Explain the benefits of becoming a recurring donor, such as having a more significant and sustained impact on your cause.
  • Highlight convenience. Let donors know that monthly giving is an easy way to support your cause without making a large upfront financial commitment.
  • Market your monthly giving program. Pull all of these elements together in marketing materials for your program. Use your website, social media, email, and other digital marketing channels to spread the word about your program.

According to eCardWidget’s donor retention guide, it’s also more cost-efficient for your nonprofit to deepen relationships with existing donors than to acquire new ones.

10 Tips to Create a Monthly Giving Program

Define Clear Objectives

Start by setting clear goals for your program. Determine what you want to achieve in terms of:

  • Revenue
  • Donor retention
  • Impact on your mission

Along with these targets, consider any milestones your organization might reach along the way. Share these relevant accomplishments related to these goals with potential donors to encourage them to get involved. For example, you might share how a hundred donors have chosen to make monthly gifts, allowing your nonprofit to launch a new mission-related program.

Brand Your Monthly Giving Program

Make your program stand out by giving it a distinct identity. Encourage supporters to become invested in being monthly donors by creating a program name related to your mission. Then, design a logo and thematic elements to help promote the brand cohesively across materials.

As you develop engaging marketing materials related to your program, incorporate social proof to cultivate a sense of community. For example, testimonials and photos of current monthly donors can encourage other supporters to become part of something bigger by committing to monthly giving.

Add a Monthly Giving Option to your Donation Page

Only 14% of organizations prompt donors to make a recurring gift during the donation process, meaning there might be a missed opportunity right on your donation page to capture donors’ long-term support.

Your donation page should prominently display an easy-to-select option for recurring gifts. Here are a few ways you can highlight monthly giving on your donation page:

An example of a monthly giving program being promoted on a donation page.

  • Contextualize the option: Briefly explain the impact of monthly giving on your donation page.
  • Set it as the default gift type: Encourage donors to opt in by making monthly giving the default gift type. Just make it easy to switch to one-time giving and clear how to opt-out so donors don’t feel tricked into giving monthly.
  • Use clickable buttons: Allow users to opt in with just the click of a button right from your donation page.

To further maximize the impact of these gifts, integrate with matching gift software to add the ability to easily match gifts. Auto-submission technology by Double the Donation automatically informs donors whether they’re eligible and submits the match request for them.

Develop a Compelling Case for Support

Craft a compelling and emotionally resonant case for support. This message should clearly articulate why monthly donations are essential for your organization and how they will make a difference.

No matter the platform you share it on, you can create a compelling case for support by including:

  • Emotional and logical appeals: Balance emotional narratives with data and statistics that prove the effectiveness of your program. This approach captures your audience’s attention while reinforcing the program’s mission.
  • Answers to common objections: Be transparent about the program, acknowledging potential concerns your donors may have. For example, note that monthly giving can be a significant financial commitment, but assure donors that they can cancel or adjust the monthly contribution at any time.
  • Sense of belonging: Make donors feel like partners to your organization. Thank them for their participation, create a special name for monthly donors, and offer perks like access to blogs and webinars.

Remember to tailor your message to your audience to make it uniquely compelling to each donor. For example, short emotional appeals tend to do better on social media, while thorough research reports are better left on your blog and can be linked to in external communication.

Segment Your Donor List

Use donor data to segment your existing supporter list and identify potential monthly donors. Divide them into groups based on shared characteristics such as:

A list of donor segments that can be leveraged for recurring giving, which are detailed in the following text.

  • Interests and affinities, or their interest in your specific projects or initiatives
  • Demographics, including trends related to age, gender, or income level
  • Communication preferences, such as email, social media, or text.
  • Engagement level, which refers to the frequency at which donors interact with your nonprofit

Then, use these groups to effectively target your outreach. For example, you might ask annual donors to spread their annual gift across the year in monthly donations, instead. For donors who give occasionally, urge them to switch to a more consistent donation frequency.

Offer Multiple Giving Levels

Help donors determine how much to give by offering different giving levels or suggested monthly donation amounts. This allows donors to choose a level that fits their budget.

Suggested giving levels can motivate upgrades in giving, especially when you explain what each level achieves. For example, a $50 donation might cover the cost of a month’s worth of food for a dog at an animal shelter. The shelter could recommend $50 as a giving level, explaining that donors could feed a dog for a month simply by increasing their gift size.

Communicate Clearly

Clearly explain how your monthly giving program works from beginning to end. Remember to include instructions for:

  • The donation process
  • Payment options
  • How donors can manage their recurring gifts
  • Ways to further their impact, such as matching gifts

Also, provide regular updates about the program’s success to donors who participate in it. Strengthen relationships with your monthly donors by sharing the specific impact that was made with their gift and thanking them for their dependability.

Showcase Success Stories

Illustrate how monthly donations have positively affected your cause. Share the specific successes achieved by your program through testimonials, case studies, and other illustrative stories that showcase your work.

To make a compelling success story, be sure to include:

  • A clear problem and solution: Identify the issue that your nonprofit hopes to address and the potential consequences of ignoring it. For example, a food bank might provide the number of people affected by malnutrition every year and how many people in their community received food as a result of the organization’s fundraising efforts.
  • Relatable characters: Introduce a human element by mentioning real people that potential donors can relate to. To make your story truly resonate, highlight their dreams and emotions as they relate to the problem at hand. For example, the food bank might tell the story of a beneficiary, using quotes or a complete testimonial to communicate their struggles and hopes.
  • Measurable results: Demonstrate your nonprofit’s success by providing data and statistics to show your organization’s real, measurable results. Using our example of the food bank, the organization could include data about the number of community members served and the dollars spent on groceries for beneficiaries. To go one step further, the food bank might share before and after pictures of a beneficiary (with the individual’s consent.)

Above all, ensure your stories are authentic by using real quotes and credible statistics where possible.

Offer Incentives

Incentivize recurring giving by offering perks or benefits to motivate donors to join your monthly giving program. Incentives may include:

  • Exclusive content
  • Early access to events
  • Special recognition

Incentives not only encourage donors to engage in monthly giving but also boost donor retention by exciting donors about their continued support! For example, a nonprofit might provide donors with exclusive merchandise sales codes, or a museum might offer discounted tickets.

Promote through Various Channels

Use multiple communication channels to promote your monthly giving program in various formats. Create marketing materials for your:

  • Website: Create a landing page about your recurring giving program, ideally separate from your existing donation page and listed as one of your “Ways to Give.” This should serve as the go-to resource for all information concerning your program, and all other channels should link back to this page.
  • Email campaigns: Use compelling subject lines, such as “We urgently need your help,” and strong visual elements like pictures of beneficiaries to explain the program in your email newsletters. Educate readers about the process and direct them to your website for more information.
  • Social media channels: Capture your audience’s attention with visually appealing social media content, such as posts that include images, videos, and infographics. Consider shareability as you craft each post so your followers will spread it to their followers and so on.

A multichannel approach expands the reach of your promotional materials and allows you to leverage the strengths of each platform to convey your message.

5 Examples of Monthly Giving Programs

American Red Cross

American Red Cross’s webpage for their monthly giving program, which uses the organization’s branding to highlight the call to action.

The monthly giving page on the American Red Cross’s website uses the organization’s strong brand colors to encourage donations. Along with using brand colors, this form reinforces supporters’ connection to the Red Cross by referring to monthly donors as “Red Cross Champions” and calling out their important role in the organization’s mission.

The page also makes it easy for visitors to give by limiting form fields to just one prompt: the giving amount. After selecting a suggested giving level, donors are taken to a new page where they can opt-in to cover the donation’s processing fees, select a specific effort to support, and input their payment information.

UNICEF USA

Unicef’s recurring giving page, which explains how monthly giving works.

On their monthly giving page, Unicef gives thorough background information on how monthly giving works. The page explains the process step-by-step and even provides an email address and phone number to contact in case visitors have questions.

This page helps donors understand why their repeated support is important and how it will be used. Plus, it showcases the simplicity of recurring giving, making visitors more likely to sign up when they realize how easy the process is.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy’s monthly giving page, which details membership benefits for recurring donors.

The Nature Conservancy’s monthly giving page positions recurring donors as “Conservation Champions,” who receive membership benefits, including:

  • Monthly updates on the organization’s conservation efforts
  • A year-long subscription to the organization’s magazine
  • An annual calendar featuring photos of nature for each month

These incentives entice donors to engage in monthly giving. Beyond these tangible benefits, the page also highlights the ease and efficiency of recurring giving.

charity: water

The webpage for charity: water’s monthly giving program, which explains what can be accomplished with specific giving amounts.

Visitors get a glimpse into the impact of their donations on charity: water’s monthly giving page. The donation form offers suggested giving amounts that, when selected, display the number of people who receive clean water as a result of that donation amount. This draws a direct connection between the donation and its impact so donors know they’re truly making a difference.

The form also notes that 100% of the donation funds water projects, reinforcing donors’ confidence that their gift will be put toward the nonprofit’s mission. Coupled with strong visuals, the form entices donors to give (and give more) by emphasizing the gift’s importance.

American Heart Association

The monthly giving page for the American Heart Association, which highlights the opportunity to have gifts matched for double the impact.

The American Heart Association creates a sense of urgency on its monthly giving page by noting the opportunity to have a donation matched for double the impact. By using language like “Don’t miss out” and “Save more lives by giving now,” this page encourages donors to commit to monthly gifts immediately!

Also, the page includes a photograph of a heart disease survivor and urges visitors to “keep a family’s loved one,” like the woman pictured, alive by donating. This helps donors see the potential impact of their donation and the importance of maximizing the amount they’re able to give.

Final Thoughts on Monthly Giving

Successful monthly giving programs can mean the difference between unpredictable donations and consistent, sustainable support for your organization. Develop a monthly giving program tailored to your nonprofit’s unique supporter base and needs to increase donation amounts, strengthen relationships, and fund your work for years to come.

For more tips on securing monthly support, check out the following resources:

Learn how your monthly giving program can raise more through matched gifts by contacting Double the Donation.

The title of the article: Designing a Successful Fundraising Calendar + Free Template

Designing a Successful Fundraising Calendar + Free Template

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The end of the year is always a busy time for fundraising, and your nonprofit tries to start planning months in advance. But the planning phase may take longer than anticipated, leaving you scrambling in October and November to figure everything out in time.

If your nonprofit relates to this situation, then you need an annual fundraising calendar stat. With a fundraising calendar, your entire fundraising strategy for the year can be laid out in as much detail as you need. With this preparation tool, your team can approach your fundraising goals confidently and follow clear plans to achieve them.

To help you get started with this essential nonprofit planning tool, this guide will explore:

First, let’s answer a few questions about fundraising calendars and how they fit into any nonprofit’s organizational strategy.

Boost your fundraising all year round with matching gifts. Download our matching gifts guide.

 

Annual Fundraising Calendar FAQ

What is an annual fundraising calendar?

An annual fundraising calendar is a planning tool used by nonprofits to outline and schedule their fundraising activities and campaigns throughout the year. Fundraising calendars may include details about:

  • Donor engagement activities
  • Fundraisers communication plans
  • Key dates and deadlines
  • Fundraising goals
  • Program costs
  • Staff and volunteer hours

Fundraising calendars are highly customizable, and your nonprofit’s calendar should include the information and level of detail that helps your team. For example, your nonprofit might already have a separate content management calendar for marketing initiatives. In this case, you might just add key marketing activities to your fundraising calendar, such as campaign kick-offs, but leave off granular details, such as when social media posts go live.

What are the benefits of an annual fundraising calendar?

Ultimately, your fundraising calendar’s effectiveness depends on how your team uses it. A well-planned and executed fundraising calendar allows you to reap the following benefits:

  • Organized strategic planning
  • Better decision-making
  • Clear sense of purpose
  • Enhanced time management
  • Improved staff and board management
  • Greater ability to engage donors

Your fundraising calendar is your nonprofit’s roadmap for the year, and if you follow that map, you’ll ideally reach your fundraising goals’ destination.

If something does come up and you need to deviate from your plan, do not throw out your calendar. Instead, treat it like a living document and make necessary edits. This will allow you to consider future outcomes and successfully shift plans for how to achieve your fundraising goals.

When should nonprofits create a fundraising calendar?

Ideally, your nonprofit should have its annual fundraising calendar ready well in advance of the upcoming fiscal or calendar year, depending on how you manage your operations. For some nonprofits, this means having a calendar that outlines activities from July 30th to June 1st. For others, this means January 1st through December 31st.

Whichever way you set it up, plan to create your calendar at least a month in advance of when you will actually start using it. This way, you can avoid playing catch-up and start preparing for long-term projects right away.

How to Create an Annual Fundraising Calendar

Set Clear Goals and Objectives

We’ve discussed the types of general activities that your annual fundraising calendar can document, but the content on your calendar should be dictated by your goals for the year. Think of your calendar as not just a checklist of activities for the year but a plan for achieving specific goals.

As such, your first step in designing your fundraising calendar is to define your nonprofit’s fundraising goals for the year. These goals should:

  • Align with your overall mission and financial needs. Talk with your team, especially your executive director and program managers, to identify what your nonprofit needs to accomplish this year. For some nonprofits, this might mean planning a growth strategy, while others might seek to raise enough funding to maintain current operations.
  • Be practical based on past years’ performance. Evaluate your organization’s past fundraising activities and campaigns to identify what worked well, what needs improvement, and what should not be repeated. This ranges from social media strategies and events to sponsorships and grant applications.
  • Consider expected trends and events. Is there anything your nonprofit can predict will happen in the coming year that will impact your fundraising efforts? This might include trends in corporate funding, major political events, and seasonal activities. For example, every nonprofit should consider the heightened philanthropic activity around the end of the year.

Use these goals as guidelines for your entire fundraising calendar. When adding activities, consider how each proposed initiative helps your overall goals. If something doesn’t clearly align, consider if it’s still necessary or even if it takes resources away from other activities.

Identify Key Fundraising Activities

Next, use your goals to determine the types of fundraising activities and campaigns you plan to undertake during the year. A few campaigns you might add to your fundraising calendar include:

Matching Gift Campaigns

Fundraising calendars help nonprofits plan specific fundraising activities that need to take place at specific times, but they can also help track and coordinate ongoing fundraisers. For example, your nonprofit might add reminders to continually promote matching gifts.

Matching gifts are a passive fundraiser in that once a nonprofit has matching gift software enabled on its donation page, the fundraiser essentially runs itself. However, you can earn more from matching gifts by remembering to regularly promote it to donors, so they in turn remember to fill out and submit matching gift requests to their employers.

To learn more about matching gifts and why you should add a matching gift campaign to your annual fundraising calendar, check out this video from the Double the Donation team:

There are also events and specific time frames related to matching gifts that you may want to add to your fundraising calendar. For example, if you organize a matching gift challenge with a sponsor, you should add notes to your fundraising calendar about when this period begins and ends, as well as plans to market it to donors.

Double your donors' giving at no extra cost with matching gifts! Download our free matching gifts guide.

Major Gift Cultivation

It’s common knowledge in the nonprofit sector that approximately 80% of the average nonprofit’s funding comes from just 20% of donors. Recent reports show this trend has only been exacerbated with 90% of donation revenue coming from 10% of donors.

This means if your nonprofit does not already have a formal process for courting major donors, now is the time to start planning one. 

On your annual fundraising calendar, add directions for your major gift officers. As they develop relationships with major donors, the donation cultivation process will become highly individualized, and major gift officers will need to create their own schedules for each prospect. However, your fundraising calendar should document steps for your major giving program as a whole.

For example, you might add core activities such as:

The major gift fundraising cycle, detailed below.

  • Conduct prospect research
  • Reach out to new prospects
  • Cultivate relationships by inviting major donors to special events
  • Make asks for a major upcoming project to donors likely to convert

Putting these activities on your calendar will help you continually refresh your database of prospects, grow your major giving program, and ensure major gifts come through at key times of the year.

Events

From booking a venue to organizing a marketing campaign, events require significant planning but can also bring in significant revenue. For major events, consider breaking their planning into multiple steps, such as:

  • Initial planning. Early planning stages for events depend on the event type, such as an auction requiring an extensive item procurement period. However, for most events, major activities to add to a fundraising calendar include organizing sponsorships, booking venues, planning activities, and making necessary software and resource purchases.
  • Marketing. Event marketing should start at least several weeks before a major event and requires planning beforehand. Consider scheduling time for market research and marketing asset creation, as well as creating an outreach schedule for when promotions go live. For example, you might plan time to hire a graphic designer to create invitation eCards, then use eCard software to schedule their delivery.

An example eCard invitation, inviting supporters to an ice cream party event.

  • Marketing. Event marketing should start at least several weeks before a major event and requires planning beforehand. Consider scheduling time for market research and marketing asset creation, as well as creating an outreach schedule for when promotions go live. For example, you might plan time to hire a graphic designer to create invitation eCards, then use eCard software to schedule their delivery.
  • Hosting. Unless an unexpected emergency comes up, you should schedule a specific date to host the event early on. This enables bookings in advance for venues, entertainment, and catering.

For events, pay special attention to staff time and what types of staff you will need. Some events may be able to rely heavily on volunteers, whereas others might require a significant amount of work from staff and even external vendors.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaigns

In many ways, peer-to-peer campaigns run themselves, but they need coordination to get off the ground and make an impact. For your peer-to-peer campaign, add the following items to your fundraising calendar:

  • Software purchases. If your nonprofit does not already have peer-to-peer software, plan to begin the purchasing process in advance of your campaign. Be aware that some software purchases, such as platforms that are major investments or require significant customization, may require months-long implementation processes.
  • Volunteer recruitment. Determine how and when you will recruit participants. You may start making open calls early on and then plan to ramp up recruitment as your campaign’s start date nears.
  • Onboarding. Schedule time to create a formal onboarding process for volunteers in advance. You should have a style guide for how to present your nonprofit online and a walkthrough for how to use your peer-to-peer software.

Be aware that if you are hosting a rolling peer-to-peer campaign, you will have no set dates, and your timeline will be looser. Whether your campaign is scheduled or rolling, add reminders to regularly check in with your peer-to-peer fundraisers to provide encouragement, answer questions, and thank them for their participation.

Giving Tuesday Campaign

Giving Tuesday is one of the most important fundraising days of the year with almost $3.1 billion raised in 2022. If your nonprofit wants to participate in Giving Tuesday, start planning your campaign early.

Many nonprofits use Giving Tuesday as an opportunity to try new fundraising strategies to reach new audiences and stand out from the crowd. Whether your nonprofit is using an old strategy or trying something new, remember to pencil in research time for your campaign plan. Use the period several months in advance of Giving Tuesday to determine what fundraising strategies donors are responding to, if nonprofits in your field are using them, and if they are feasible for your organization.

Then, schedule time to assemble a team, establish your strategy, purchase and implement any needed software, and create necessary marketing materials. If you don’t have a separate content management calendar, consider adding notes about when to post announcements and send out promotional materials to your annual fundraising calendar.

Determine Timing and Scheduling

You now know what activities you want to put on your fundraising calendar, but when should those activities happen?

For every activity, assign a specific date or time frame based on:

  • Seasonality. Certain times of the year lend themselves to certain fundraisers. For example, the end-of-year holiday season is likely to be packed with marketing campaigns and events, whereas the fall may primarily be dedicated to planning those upcoming activities.
  • Donor behavior. Consider how donors are likely to respond to future activities based on previously scheduled ones. For instance, at the end of the year, you may make a major push to acquire new donors. In the following months, you would then shift gears to prioritize retention efforts to maintain as many of those donors as possible. This factor is especially important when it comes to establishing major giving practices.
  • Relevant external factors. Are there any upcoming challenges or opportunities you are currently aware of that might impact your schedule? For instance, if your marketing head is going on maternity leave, you may need to schedule a training period for the replacement to get up to speed.

Additionally, consider how much time should be dedicated to each activity. For example, while an event might only last for a few hours on a single day, you might need well over 100 hours of staff time to prepare for that event. This will help you balance schedules and avoid overwhelming any one team or person at your nonprofit.

Allocate Resources

In addition to the time activities will take, consider what other resources are needed. This may include budgeted funds, as well as which personnel is assigned to what activities to avoid double-booking or overextending resources.

Alternatively, consider what resources each activity is likely to bring in. For example, a volunteer recruitment drive will increase available volunteer time while an expected renewed grant will provide more funds for various programs.

How to Maintain an Annual Fundraising Calendar

Meet regularly with your team

Your annual fundraising calendar’s effectiveness is contingent on your team following it and adapting it as needed. Meet with your team about this year’s fundraising calendar regularly to:

  • Create your calendar. Unless your nonprofit is a one-man team, you need input from the rest of your team to determine which activities to prioritize, what resources you need for those activities, and who should be responsible for them. For instance, you might initially assume your IT team can handle your website redesign single-handedly, but after input from the rest of your nonprofit realize they need to work in tandem with your marketing team.
  • Ensure ownership. Every task on your fundraising calendar should be assigned to a specific person or group of people. Meet with various teams so they are aware of their responsibilities each month.
  • Make necessary adjustments. The people carrying out your various fundraising activities will be the first to sound the alarm if adjustments need to be made. Keep lines of communication open so team members can report delays, needed additional resources, and shortfalls. On a more positive note, team members might also report that certain activities earned more or were wrapped up in less time than expected.

By talking to various members of your staff, you will gain a broader perspective of your nonprofit’s current operations and capacity. This will improve your understanding of what your team can reasonably accomplish in a given year and help you stay on track to hit your fundraising goals.

Track Progress

As mentioned, your annual fundraising calendar is a roadmap for achieving your goals for the year, and that roadmap may need to add a few detours here and there. These hiccups should not derail your entire calendar. Instead, be ready to be flexible and make adjustments as needed.

Track fundraising activities in relation to your annual goals. For example, if you have a target amount you want to raise this year, you might focus on how much your fundraisers, events, and major donors bring in throughout the year. If a fundraising event has lower attendance than expected due to weather, consider how you can adjust other activities planned in future months to make up for that revenue shortfall.

Consistently engage donors

While your calendar likely only lists major activities, don’t forget the small everyday activities that keep your donors engaged. For instance, you can’t predict when every new donor will decide to give, so you need a flexible strategy that allows you to show appreciation and recognize donors at a moment’s notice.

Annual Fundraising Calendar Template

If you search the web for fundraising calendars, you’ll likely find results that look like a regular calendar you might hang up in your kitchen. These are not annual fundraising calendars and have limited use for nonprofits.

Rather, your fundraising calendar should take the form of a spreadsheet to be more useful to your team. Here’s an example and breakdown of the core elements of an annual fundraising calendar:

An annual fundraising calendar template.

  • Month. Annual fundraising calendars are usually broken down by month to avoid making them too unwieldy. If there are specific activities that need to happen on specific dates, such as hitting a grant submission deadline, add a note to your calendar.
  • Activities. What activities are taking place this month? Usually, these are overall activities for the month, such as “plan Giving Tuesday campaign” or “start contacting potential annual gala sponsors.”
  • Costs. To the best of your ability, estimate how much each activity is expected to cost. This includes software purchases, vendor costs, and staff time. If you haven’t already prepared it, consider crafting your nonprofit’s annual budget in tandem with your fundraising calendar. This helps you keep track of where your money is going and ensure you have enough funds allocated for the entire year.
  • Staff. Determine who at your nonprofit will be responsible for what activities. This can be names of specific individuals or groups, such as your marketing team, major gift officers, or volunteers. Additionally, estimate approximately how much time you expect staff to spend on any one activity.
  • Expected income. Ultimately, your fundraising calendar is about earning money for your nonprofit. As such, for applicable activities, do your best to estimate how much they are expected to earn. This is especially necessary if your nonprofit’s annual goal is related to hitting a specific fundraising target.
  • Notes. If there are any extra reminders you want on record about a planned activity, add them to your notes section. This might include a reminder about the staff member going on maternity leave or a note emphasizing a strict deadline for a certain task.

To keep your nonprofit on track for the entire year, consider adding an optional “Goals” section to the top of your fundraising calendar. This should be a statement of what you hope to accomplish during the year that you can always refer back to at a glance each time you look at your calendar.

Annual Fundraising Calendars: Wrap Up

With a well-thought-out plan, any nonprofit can start its fundraising year off right. Annual fundraising calendars can help your organization do just that by creating timelines, allocating resources, and helping to focus your goals. To get started with your annual fundraising calendar, use our template or create your own. Then, meet with your team and start planning.

For more fundraising and organizational resources, explore these guides:

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