At the recent Virtual Workplace Fundraising Summit, Anne Marie Dillon, Director of Workplace Giving and Matching Gifts at the American Cancer Society, shared a compelling presentation on how her team transformed their approach to workplace fundraising initiatives.

With billions of dollars raised annually through workplace giving—via payroll donations, company fundraising pages, and matching gift programs—Dillon emphasized the enormous potential of this revenue stream when supported by intentional strategy, internal buy-in, and scalable resources.

In her session, our speaker outlined how ACS:

• Collaborated across departments to produce high-impact resources;
• Created scalable training and communication strategies;
• Leveraged tools like Double the Donation to automate matching gift outreach;
• Used donor data to inform and deepen corporate relationships;
• And more!

The result? ACS reversed a declining trend in workplace giving and achieved year-over-year revenue growth, while also making life easier for staff on the front lines of fundraising.

Interested in viewing the whole presentation? Check out the replay here!

Otherwise, we’ll break down the most powerful takeaways from this session below, including practical insights for any nonprofit looking to unlock more from their workplace giving and matching gift efforts. Let’s begin.

Key Takeaway #1: Understand the value of a workplace giving strategy.

A clear and intentional workplace giving strategy is essential for maximizing an often-overlooked revenue stream. While Dillon recognizes that some staff may question the impact of workplace fundraising initiatives, she reiterates that small recurring donations and matching gifts can add up to significant funds over time.

Moreover, workplace giving offers value beyond financial contributions—it aligns with broader employee and consumer trends. Companies benefit from showcasing social responsibility, especially as Gen Z and other employees increasingly seek workplaces that reflect their personal values. Donors are also more likely to give when matching gifts are available, with 84% saying a match makes them more likely to donate.

In short, investing in a workplace giving strategy isn’t just good for nonprofit revenue—it also deepens relationships with corporate partners and supports employee engagement goals, too.

Key Takeaway #2: Explore your current state & opportunities.

Before launching or refining your workplace fundraising strategy, it’s essential to assess your organization’s current landscape. Start by analyzing existing workplace giving revenue to understand where you’re starting from⁠—and where strategic efforts could have the most impact.

This foundational data will not only guide your next steps but also help build a case for internal buy-in by demonstrating potential ROI (or return on investment). And a data-driven approach enables you to identify key opportunities, such as specific programs or partners worth prioritizing, and ensures your strategy remains focused, realistic, and scalable.

To gather this information, consider how your organization currently tracks workplace donations. You may need to collaborate with your finance or data teams to establish baseline reporting and determine how you’ll continue to track metrics going forward.

Key Takeaway #3: Gather your stakeholders.

Building an effective workplace giving strategy requires collaboration across multiple departments and stakeholder groups. To do so, start by identifying both internal and external “customers”—all those who are already involved or could be impacted by your workplace fundraising initiatives.

This could include:

• Peer-to-peer fundraising and event staff;
• Corporate relations or account management staff;
• Marketing staff members;
• IT department members;
• Legal team members;
• Digital team members;
• Volunteers;
• And more, depending on the makeup of your organization!

Once you’ve identified your “customers,” you can pinpoint who should be part of the planning and implementation process for workplace fundraising initiatives.

Depending on the scope of your strategy, you may also need support from any or all of these teams to create, vet, and distribute outreach materials. By bringing all relevant stakeholders to the table, you can build a stronger, more coordinated workplace giving strategy that’s set up for success.

Key Takeaway #4: Establish workgroups and feedback mechanisms.

Once stakeholders are identified, the next step in building a successful workplace giving strategy is to gather targeted feedback through workgroups. While it’s helpful to approach the process with ideas, the most effective strategies are shaped by input from the people who will use and benefit from them—your internal and external “customers.”

Forming workgroups enables you to ask your customers directly what tools and resources they need and when they need them. By aligning your planning with stakeholders’ timelines, such as when fundraisers are building campaigns or when company partners are mapping budgets, you ensure your materials and support are well-timed and impactful.

Key Takeaway #5: Map out your strategy.

After gathering stakeholder feedback and identifying resource needs and timelines, the next step is to map out your workplace fundraising strategy. This involves organizing internal planning sessions to clearly define your goals, assign responsibilities, and determine who needs to be involved for input and approvals.

While it may be tempting to work independently, involving others early in the process fosters collaboration and helps avoid delays down the line. This structured approach ensures your workplace fundraising initiatives are well-coordinated, realistic, and more likely to succeed.

Key Takeaway #6: Develop internal and external-facing resources.

A successful workplace fundraising strategy hinges on equipping its internal team with the right tools and resources. At the American Cancer Society, this initiative began with creating staff-facing resources, such as internal sell sheets, step-by-step guides, FAQs, and designating subject matter experts (SMEs), to help staff understand and promote workplace giving and serve as a frontline for questions.

Once internal resources were in place, the focus shifted to external materials tailored for donors and volunteers. Based on direct feedback, the team produced flyers, email templates, social media posts, and a short promotional video for matching gifts.

Together, these resources—built with collaboration, timing, and audience needs in mind—empowered frontline fundraisers to confidently promote workplace fundraising initiatives and matching gift opportunities, ultimately driving stronger donor engagement and increased revenue.

Key Takeaway #7: Maximize your efforts with the right tools and resources.

To get the most value from workplace fundraising efforts and resources, the American Cancer Society emphasized the importance of strategic implementation with a focus on thoughtful training, accessibility, and automation.

Training began with broad, high-level reminders during department and regional calls, then transitioned to more detailed, team-specific sessions. To further engage staff, the team introduced “office hours,” allowing for real-time Q&A and providing staff with a space to ask specific questions and learn from one another. Workplace giving was also introduced to new staff during onboarding and regularly reinforced through newsletters and internal resource libraries, ensuring that everyone could access and utilize the tools as needed.

On the donor side, the organization optimized its matching gift experience with smart integrations. By partnering with Double the Donation, they embedded a search widget on both their main site and online donation forms, allowing donors to check their eligibility for workplace fundraising initiatives in real time.

Finally, they automated donor follow-up emails, also with the aid of Double the Donation, reducing the burden on fundraising staff and ensuring consistent, timely outreach. This approach freed up staff time and helped boost follow-through on matching gifts, improving donor engagement and increasing revenue without requiring extra effort from frontline teams.

Key Takeaway #8: Explore opportunities for company partnership growth.

By analyzing data from matching gifts, organizations can identify companies where strong donor activity already exists. These trends can open the door to meaningful conversations with employers—whether it’s thanking them for their support, sharing impact data, or exploring deeper partnership opportunities.

This insight also helps nonprofits engage companies that may not yet have formal workplace fundraising initiatives or matching gift programs. For example, companies can be encouraged to support a limited-time campaign—such as pledging to match employee donations up to a certain amount within a set timeframe. These types of initiatives, known as one-off matching gift programs, not only increase revenue but also help companies demonstrate their commitment to employee interests and community impact.

Key Takeaway #9: Review, revise, and re-share your resources.

As you continue to build and refine your workplace giving strategy, it’s essential to keep communication channels open and welcome ongoing feedback.

Regularly reviewing and updating your resources ensures they stay relevant, incorporating new messaging, formats, processes, and technologies, which increases the likelihood that staff will use them effectively. Resharing information periodically is equally important, as staff juggling multiple fundraising priorities may not recall previous communications. This repeated sharing, coupled with openness to feedback and support, builds trust and reinforces buy-in.

Ultimately, maintaining this continuous cycle of engagement and resource refinement empowers frontline staff—who may not directly manage workplace giving—to confidently promote this vital fundraising stream.

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Wrapping Up & Additional Workplace Fundraising Resources

After revamping the workplace giving strategy and resources at the American Cancer Society, the team successfully reversed a declining revenue trend and has seen consistent year-over-year growth in both matching gifts and workplace giving over the past three years. Anne Marie Dillon’s session at the Virtual Workplace Fundraising Summit provided a real-world case study on how thoughtful planning, cross-team collaboration, and data-driven decision-making can revitalize a fundraising strategy.

From streamlining matching gift outreach to creating evergreen resources and empowering staff with practical tools, the American Cancer Society’s approach demonstrates that internal alignment is just as critical as external engagement.

Looking to take the next step? Start by evaluating your current resources, identifying internal champions, and opening the door to feedback. After all, small, strategic changes today can lead to long-term growth tomorrow.

If you’re interested in learning more about strategic workplace fundraising efforts, we recommend checking out the following resources:

• Matching Gifts in Practice: Tips, Strategies From Your Peers. This session recap brings together real-world insights from nonprofit professionals who are actively driving matching gift success. Learn how nonprofit peers are increasing participation, refining donor outreach, and integrating matching gifts into their broader fundraising strategy.
• Key Workplace Donor Trends for Nonprofits to Know. Discover the latest research on workplace donors—what motivates them, how they prefer to give, and what nonprofits can do to build lasting connections. This data-driven session highlights evolving donor expectations and how nonprofits can respond with relevance and empathy.
• Understanding Companies’ Expectations for Nonprofits. Wondering what companies are looking for in partnerships? This session overview explores what today’s companies are really looking for from their nonprofit partners, including reporting, collaboration, and communication best practices to help your organization stand out and succeed.