As a nonprofit fundraising professional, you likely understand the importance of maximizing retention among supporters. But do you have a plan in place to go above and beyond, implementing the right strategies for effectively retaining matching gift donors?
After all, this segment has already proven to be some of your most dedicated supporters. Not only have they furthered your cause with their own generous donations, but they’ve gone the extra mile to amplify impact with corporate matching.
Communicating your appreciation for this group is a must. In doing so, you can increase the likelihood that they’ll remain involved with your organization over time.
Ask yourself this: What is your organization doing to thank individuals who submit matching gift requests? How do you ensure these match-eligible supporters will do so the following year and the year after that? Is your staff effectively trained to pursue this opportunity?
It’s time to change that! Let’s dive in to discuss effective matching gift donor retention and more.
What Are Matching Gift Donors?
Matching gift donors are individuals who not only contribute their own dollars but also amplify their support by requesting matching gifts on your organization’s behalf.
Result in completed matching gifts being provided to your nonprofit.
These are some of your mission’s most valuable assets, and they’ve shown repeated dedication to your organization. Ultimately, matching gift donors can make a significant impact on a nonprofit’s fundraising efforts, corporate partnerships, and more.
And a large portion of your existing supporters likely qualify for these programs! In fact, an analysis of our matching gift database reports that over 26 million individuals are employed by companies with matching gift programs. That’s a significant opportunity that you don’t want to overlook.
Why Does Matching Gift Retention Matter?
Retaining matching gift donors matters for a lot of the same reasons that retaining traditional donors does. For one thing, it’s significantly easier—and more cost-effective—to obtain repeat funding from existing donors than it is to continuously try to make up revenue from new, one-time supporters.
This is especially true when it comes to matching gifts, as many donors will hear about the opportunity for the first time from your organization. Starting out, most donors will not be aware of their employer’s matching gift programs—even if they qualify to participate. Therefore, you don’t want your efforts used to educate them to only make a one-time impact. When engaging with existing matching gift donors, however, you’ll be able to draw from their knowledge through experience rather than beginning at square one with the basics.
Not to mention, donors love participating in their employers’ matching initiatives. Research even indicates that 84% of individuals are more likely to donate if a match is available, with 1 in 3 stating they’d even increase the size of their gift if so.
Retaining matching gift donors is also a powerful way to build long-term relationships that go beyond the initial transaction, demonstrate impactful financial stewardship efforts, and aid the organization in pursuing its mission more effectively.
Key Strategies for Retaining Matching Gift Donors
Now you should understand the value of retaining matching gift donors over time. But how exactly can you plan to do so?
Here are some of our top-recommended matching gift retention strategies!
1. Make matching easy.
One of the most significant roadblocks to completing matching gifts is a critical knowledge gap surrounding the programs. In other words, eligible donors have no idea that they qualify for corporate matching. And those that have been informed about the programs often remain unaware of how to actually get involved.
In order to drive more matching gifts to completion—the first, second, third times, and beyond—it’s a good idea to make the process quick and easy. With a particularly complicated matching experience, a donor might complete their submission request. But they’re not likely to do so again the following year.
The best way to streamline matching? Employing the right software to do so!
When you leverage Double the Donation’s matching gift tool in your website and fundraising channels, you can pinpoint qualifying donors and maximize potential revenue. It will even provide match-eligible individuals with direct links to company-specific matching forms that can typically be completed in five minutes or less.
Not to mention, new auto-submission capabilities empower qualifying donors to complete their matches right from their favorite organizations’ giving pages. When all it takes is a few clicks of a button to submit a matching gift request, donors will be increasingly likely to do so each time they give.
2. Prioritize two-way communication throughout the process.
You’ve surely heard the phrase, “Communication is key.” When it comes to matching gifts, this is more true than ever!
After all, the process involves a few key stakeholders who each play a critical role in the success of a match—namely, the donor, their employer, and the nonprofit to which they give. By tracking your supporters’ program eligibility and matching gift completions, you can most effectively ensure that everyone is on the same page.
That’s why we recommend asking donors to keep your team up to date on the status of their match requests. In your matching gift emails sent to encourage submissions, offer an easy way for individuals to mark their matches as being requested.
And once their match goes through and your organization receives the corresponding check, your team can properly thank them—closing the loop and confirming with the individual that their match was successful.
The easiest way to do so is with matching gift software! Not only can you easily incorporate an easy “Click here when you’ve submitted your match” button in your communications, but the tool will update responses by donors, enabling your organization to better track matches throughout the gift lifecycle.
3. Track matching gifts by donor.
Keeping track of matching gifts can be challenging without the right tools, but doing so can have a tremendous impact on how you recognize and follow up with matching gift donors. By effectively managing incoming matches, you can provide proper acknowledgment and stewardship to these donors. Ultimately, this helps strengthen your relationships and increase their likelihood of continued support in the future.
Once the matching gift lifecycle is complete, an organization typically receives a matching donation corresponding to the request previously submitted by their donor. Depending on the employer’s disbursement process, the match may show up as a check from the company itself or its CSR management vendor.
However, ensuring you’re able to attribute the match to the individual who requested it is essential for optimizing your matching donor relations. After all, you want to thank the individual donor rather than the employer or the CSR vendor. (Note: You can acknowledge the matching gift company for the donation if you’d like to, though it’s not necessary.)
More than likely, your nonprofit CRM offers the ability to make a note in a donor record or to link together associated donation listings. Make sure to do so in your donor management system and in your matching gift dashboard to maintain a complete picture of your successful matching gifts.
4. Thoroughly demonstrate gratitude.
Matching gifts are a key component of an effective fundraising strategy, and so is thanking the donors who complete the process. Otherwise, you’ll face the possibility of losing valuable supporters. Or, at the very least, they’ll be less likely to submit matching gifts in the future.
A little acknowledgment can go a long way when it comes to retaining your donors—matching gift-specific and otherwise. Personal messages of thanks can be sent using just about any channel but likely include:
Email
Text message
Phone calls
Direct mail
eCards
With the right automation system (like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro), you can even use customizable templates and brand the outreach to your organization. Plus, your team will save time and effort while ensuring no matching gift donors slip through the cracks.
Regardless of the medium you select, your thank-you note doesn’t have to be long or complicated. All it takes is a few sentences thanking an individual for submitting a matching gift! Not only do donors want to know that their form is being processed, but you’ll also stay fresh on their minds without asking for another donation.
Then, we recommend also employing messages of gratitude upon receiving the completed match. Remember—though the matching gift did not come from the donor’s own wallet, it would not have been possible without their efforts. Oftentimes, these kinds of acknowledgments are sent once the check is actually processed, many months after match forms are initially submitted.
5. Enlist public recognition.
Beyond private efforts of thanksgiving, another way to deepen relationships with matching gift donors involves publicly acknowledging their above-and-beyond support of your cause.
Doing so allows your team to reinforce the impact of matching donors’ actions and stay fresh on their minds by outwardly thanking them.
And going further, it also helps promote these invaluable revenue opportunities to other donors who may not otherwise know about them. So not only is this a great retention strategy, but it can start the matching gift conversation with other supporters, too!
A few recommended ideas include:
Mentioning matching gift donors by name in a supporter newsletter
Sharing matching gift donor highlights on your social media pages
Adding matching gift donors to a (physical or virtual) donor wall
Acknowledging recent matching gift donors in a fundraising event speech
Keep in mind that if you’d rather not mention all of your matching gift donors publicly by name, you might opt for a running count of matching gifts (or total revenue) received on your organization’s website! You might even call out a few of your company’s top matching gift providers, or the companies that are actively matching gifts to your cause.
6. Highlight amplified giving impact.
As you discuss the importance of matching gifts on your cause—both in public and private communications—it’s a good idea to continuously return the focus to the amplified giving impact made possible by corporate matching.
For example, begin highlighting specific projects or programs that have benefited from matching gift funding. Donors will better understand how the value of their dollars (and continued support through corporate matching participation) is vital to the success of your organization.
Consider this:
“Connie, thank you for your recent matching gift submission. We’ve received a corporate donation from your employer, thus doubling the impact of your initial gift.
Thanks to your contribution and the matching gift you requested on our behalf, we are now able to feed and house TWICE AS MANY furry friends here a the Cat Rescue Club. That’s two times the amount of kittens we’re able to get off the streets this month.”
After all, you know your donors have some sort of connection with your cause. Emphasizing the vitality of matching gifts through tangible mission impact is a great way to deepen your relationships and tug on their heartstrings to drive continuous matching gift involvement.
7. Make a note of matching gift program guidelines.
Each company that offers a matching gift program is able to establish its own eligibility criteria and program guidelines. Most often, this includes a combination of minimum and maximum donation amounts, matching gift ratios, qualifying nonprofit causes and employee types, and submission deadlines.
When it comes to retaining matching gift donors, two of the primary criteria you’ll likely consider are program maximums and submission deadlines. After all, the number of matches an individual can request may be limited by a program maximum. And the submission deadline is typically associated with the resetting of the annual cap. Thus, becoming familiar with this information can ensure your team is able to send targeted messages that adhere to their companies’ requirements.
Here’s an example:
Suzie works for Carl’s Computer Company, which offers a $5,000 match limit annually. She contributes $5,000 to your organization, which is then matched at a 1:1 rate—and puts Suzie at the top of her match cap for the year. You don’t want to bombard Suzie with matching gift appeals she won’t qualify for, so you mark her temporarily ineligible for matching in your software system.
However, you know that Carl’s Computer Company resets its matching program on June 1st, in line with the business’s fiscal year. When Suzie donates to your organization again the following June, you take the opportunity to send a personalized matching gift letter that reminds her of her renewed eligibility through her employer.
Having a solid understanding of your donors’ matching gift guidelines can help your organization tailor its strategy and better appeal to qualifying donors. (Again, a matching gift database tool can be a huge help here!)
8. Calculate year-over-year matching gift rates.
In order to measure your organization’s matching gift success and determine whether you’re effectively retaining matching gift donors over time, tracking and analyzing the right metrics is essential.
To calculate your matching gift donor retention rate, you’ll want to first establish the number of individuals whose gifts resulted in corporate matches during a year-long period. Then, determine the number of individuals whose gifts resulted in corporate matches again the following year. Divide the number of returning matching gift donors by the total number of matching gift donors from the most recent period and multiply the figure by 100.
Here’s an example:
The Cat Rescue Club receives 1,000 matching gifts in 2021. The next year, 400 of those matching gift donors submit matching gift requests again for their most recent gifts.
400 divided by 1,000 equals 0.4, which, multiplied by 100, produces an annual matching gift retention rate of 40%.
From there, you’ll want to continue calculating and tracking this figure over time. The hope is that with the right tips and strategies driving your donor communications, you’ll ultimately see substantial growth in your matching gift retention levels year over year.
Without generous supporters, your nonprofit would lack the resources necessary to continue working toward its goals. And matching gift donors, in particular, allow you to stretch your funding even further toward your cause.
Thus, make sure these supporters receive the gratitude and recognition they deserve—while also working to simplify the process however you can. By implementing the above-mentioned strategies, you’ll boost your revenue and retain vital support for your cause.
Dive deeper into matching gift strategies for success! Check out the additional recommended resources below:
14 Types of Matching Gift Letters Every Nonprofit Should Send. Drive more matching gifts with the recommended matching gift letters and examples in this guide. This includes matching gift appeals, submission acknowledgments, and fulfilled match thank-you messages!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DTD_What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Retaining-Matching-Gift-Donors_Feature-600x215-1.png215600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-05-05 17:00:002024-01-24 21:19:09What You Need to Know About Retaining Matching Gift Donors
Corporate matching gifts have significant nonprofit fundraising potential, and one of the easiest, most effective ways to raise awareness for these programs is through personalized donor outreach. Whether through traditional or digital channels, smart matching gift letters can inform donors about the opportunities and encourage them to get involved.
And there are a wide variety of letters you can send to boost results.
To elevate your matching gift potential, we recommend incorporating these types of letters in your team’s donation-matching communications:
In this guide, we’ll walk through the above kinds of matching gift letters, explaining how each can benefit your organization and its audience. Plus, we’ll share sample copy and inspiring examples that can bring your team’s messaging to the next level.
By providing donors with detailed information on how easy and important it is to submit matching gift requests to their employers, you can drive more matches to completion. Incorporating messaging that emphasizes these points can be particularly effective in your outreach.
Ready to maximize corporate and individual donations with well-crafted matching gift fundraising letters and use cases? Let’s get started!
Letter #1 – Fundraising Appeal Matching Gift Letters
As a nonprofit fundraiser, you surely understand the need to make your gift appeals stand out in your supporters’ mailboxes—whether physical or virtual.
Luckily, incorporating matching gift information in your fundraising requests can go a long way! In fact, our research indicates that 84% of supporters are more likely to donate if a match is being offered. And 1 in 3 would give a larger gift if matching is to be applied.
The result? A 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average donation amount when matching is mentioned in fundraising appeals.
Check out this example to see it in action:
This type of matching gift letter should:
Highlight the substantial impact that matching gifts can offer;
Frame matching opportunities in terms of tangible mission-related programming when possible;
Encourage donors to take part by contributing to your organization’s fundraising.
Get started with this free matching gift appeal letter template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. As a valued supporter of [Nonprofit], we wanted to share an exciting opportunity that can magnify the impact of your generosity – matching gifts.
Did you know that many companies have matching gift programs in place to amplify their employees’ charitable contributions? It’s true! Through these programs, your giving has the potential to be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled. This means that the gift you make today could have twice the impact, producing an even greater difference in the lives of those we serve.
To explore the potential of matching gifts and find out if your employer participates, please visit our donation page at [link] and use our embedded company search tool to receive step-by-step instructions after submitting your gift. We are committed to making the process as seamless as possible, ensuring that every dollar you contribute has the maximum impact.
Thank you for your continued generosity, advocacy, and belief in our mission. Together, let’s create a brighter tomorrow.
With heartfelt appreciation,
[Name]
[Title]
[Nonprofit]
Remember: your donors want to make a difference for the cause your nonprofit is pursuing. When presented with the opportunity to make their dollars go even further, supporters are often eager to get involved.
When to send: Whenever you organize a fundraising campaign that involves soliciting donations from supporters Who to send to: All existing supporters and prospective donors Why send: To increase awareness of matching gifts, elevate response rates, and make your appeals stand out
Letter #2 – Donation Acknowledgment Matching Gift Letters
Your communications after an individual supports your cause should help demonstrate your gratefulness for their giving. But did you know that your acknowledgment letters can also function as one of your first post-donation opportunities to promote matching gifts?
Donor thank-you letters (or emails!) can be written with customizable templates in which you insert a donor’s name, brand it to your organization, and provide a few other details in order to deliver a personal touch. For example, we recommend calling out specific gifts. Instead of a general “Thanks for the donation!” you can say, “We so appreciate your generous $100 contribution on May 5th, 2023.”
From there, consider plugging in a bit of information pertaining to matching gifts. It can be as simple as this: “Keep an eye out for ways to make your support go even further. We’ll send a separate email in the next few days regarding matching gifts.” In the meantime, you could even direct them to your dedicated matching gift web page to learn more!
Here’s a sample acknowledgment email complete with matching gift information:
This type of matching gift letter should:
Thank the donor for their initial support of your organization;
Inform the recipient that additional matching gift-related outreach will be sent soon;
Encourage the individual to learn more about matching gift opportunities by exploring the nonprofit’s matching gift page.
Get started with this free matching gift donation acknowledgment letter template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
On behalf of [Nonprofit], I want to express our sincerest gratitude for your recent donation of $[gift]. Your generous support enables us to continue [describe the impact of their contribution or the work your organization does].
But did you know that your donation has the potential to go even further? Many companies have matching gift programs in place, which means they can match their employees’ charitable contributions. By taking a few moments to seek a match from your employer, you have the power to double or even triple the impact of your recent gift.
To find out if your company participates, click here [link] to use our company search tool, and be on the lookout for more matching gift insights soon.
Warm regards,
[Name]
[Title]
[Nonprofit]
[Contact Information]
Thanking supporters is one of the major keys to maximizing donor retention. When you thank your donors in this way, you’re also extending a courtesy by giving them the chance to contribute more without reaching back into their own pockets.
Your donors want to help as much as possible, and you don’t want to leave easy money on the table. It’s a win-win!
When to send: Immediately after receiving a new donation Who to send to: Recent donors Why send: To thank individuals for their recent donations and provide information as to how they can amplify their giving impact
Keep in mind that this should not be a primary form of matching gift communication that you rely on to get the word out about the opportunity. Donation acknowledgments are often discarded without a thorough look, so you’ll want to incorporate other types of letters in your strategy as well.
Letter #3 – Matching Gift Emails
Nowadays, email is a popular outreach method for nonprofits looking to engage their supporters in the virtual realm. Thus, you’ll want to make the most of the channel by using it to promote matching gift opportunities.
Note: this section covers general matching gift emails that can be sent to all of your organization’s donors at various points year-round. Keep reading to learn about more targeted messaging that you might opt to trigger with donor- and company-specific insights below.
Take a look at this matching gift email you might send:
This type of matching gift letter should:
Inspire interest from the start with an engaging subject line;
Direct readers to the organization’s dedicated matching gift web page;
Leverage specific and prominent calls to action that encourages donors to seek the opportunity;
Emphasize the increased donation impact made possible through matching gift programs.
Get started with this free matching gift email template:
Subject: Double Your Impact with Matching Gifts!
Dear [Donor’s Name],
Did you know that many companies have matching gift programs in place to support their employees’ charitable giving? Through these programs, your donation can be matched dollar for dollar, doubling the impact of your generosity. Some companies even offer a 2:1 or 3:1 match, meaning your gift could have an even greater effect.
Seeking a matching gift is easy! Here’s how you can get started:
Check if your employer offers a matching gift program. You can do this by searching our matching gift database here [link] or by reaching out to your HR department.
Then, obtain and complete the necessary forms or information required by your employer. Be sure to follow any specific instructions provided by your company.
By taking a few moments to seek a match from your employer, you can double the impact of your donation, making an even greater difference in [Nonprofit]’s mission of [describe the specific impact of their contribution].
We are here to assist you throughout the matching gift process. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our matching gift coordinator at [contact information].
Thank you once again for your support and dedication to our cause. Together, we can create positive change and make a lasting impact.
With gratitude,
[Name]
[Title]
[Nonprofit]
To further streamline the matching process, consider equipping your nonprofit with a comprehensive matching gift database search tool. In that case, you can send supporters to the tool from your matching gift outreach and inspire them to see if their employer offers a program!
When to send: A few times throughout the year Who to send to: All donors who have yet to submit match requests Why send: To increase matching gift awareness and inspire donors to uncover their own eligibility
Letter #4 – Matching Gift Inserts
Direct mailings can go a long way toward enhancing donor engagement and getting your fundraising message in front of supporters. Since snail mail is on the pricier end of communications, you’ll likely want to do what you can to get your money’s worth out of the channel. And that means using your mail packages to promote matching gift opportunities.
However, you shouldn’t have to re-work your existing printed resources. Instead, we recommend creating new materials that can be included alongside your established fundraising letters. These inserts can simply be printed and slipped into your envelopes prior to sending. Then, you’re ready to go!
Here’s an example:
This type of matching gift letter should:
Incorporate an eye-catching graphic to grab your recipients’ attention;
Provide an easy way for donors to request additional information—such as an easy-to-type URL or scannable QR code;
Be short, sweet, and to the point. Just a quick matching gift blurb will do!
Get started with this free matching gift insert template:
Double Your Impact with Matching Gifts!
Did you know that your donation to [Nonprofit] could be matched by your employer? Many companies have matching gift programs that can double or even triple your contribution.
It’s a simple process – scan the QR code (or go to the URL here: [link]) to learn more. By taking a few minutes to seek a match, you can multiply the value of your gift and help us continue our important work.
Thank you for considering a matching gift – together, we can make an even greater difference!
The good news is that paper inserts can be mailed along with almost any direct mail outreach. Consider sending them in newsletters, gift acknowledgments, event invitations, volunteer information, and more. Each communication will remind donors of the possibility of matching gifts, thus inspiring generosity and driving action.
When to send: Any time you send direct mail communications Who to send to: All donors and prospects receiving direct mail outreach Why send: To break through the digital clutter and drive matching gift awareness
Letter #5 – Matching Gift Postcards
If you’re looking to promote matching gifts via direct mail but want to take a more unique approach than a typical fundraising letter, consider sending a postcard instead.
To start, postcards have a friendly feel—like a note from a loved one who’s thinking of you. Consider incorporating them into your direct mail fundraising strategy to make your efforts stand out; specifically as a matching gift marketing tactic.
You’re sure to keep your organization (and its additional giving opportunities) at the forefront of the donor’s mind for a longer period of time. It might even end up on the recipient’s fridge!
Here’s what a matching gift postcard might look like:
This type of matching gift letter should:
Grab your audience’s attention with a visually appealing design that is strategically branded to match your organization’s style;
Include a clear and specific call to action for the recipient, such as determining their matching gift eligibility or submitting a request, if applicable;
Keep any URLs short, sweet, and easy to type—or incorporate a scannable QR code.
Get started with this free matching gift postcard template:
Front
[Nonprofit logo]
Double Your Impact on [Nonprofit] with Matching Gifts!
Back
Dear [Donor’s Name],
Thank you for your recent support of [Nonprofit]. Did you know that your donation could go twice as far? Scan the QR code below to find out how. [link to matching gifts page]
Thank you for considering a matching gift – your support makes a difference!
Plus, you’ll always want to consider personalization. While you likely won’t have the time to handwrite every postcard, merely signing your name at the bottom can do wonders to let donors know that you took time out of your day to engage them.
Nowadays, we often refer to direct mail as ‘snail mail.’ But what it lacks in speed, it often makes up for in emotional impact!
When to send: A few days to a week after an individual has made a donation Who to send to: High-value supporters who you’ve determined are likely to be eligible for a matching gift Why send: To cut through the unnecessary obstacle of getting your fundraising letters opened in the first place
Top tip!If you’re looking to save on shipping costs, a digital postcard can make your efforts stand out as well. Consider sending a fundraising eCard that highlights matching gift opportunities and directs donors to your matching gift web page to learn more.
Letter #6 – Matching Gift Newsletters
Without a promotional strategy in place, more often than not, potential and current donors won’t know about matching gift opportunities–let alone what they entail. A good remedy for this is to include it in one of your most valuable marketing resources: your newsletter.
A nonprofit newsletter is a popular way for supporters to stay up to date on current happenings at an organization they support. This regular publication may be a physical resource sent through the mail or a digital one that makes its way to your audience’s email inboxes. Regardless, it likely provides details on upcoming events, ways to get involved, and more. And it’s perfect for matching gift information!
Check out this sample matching gift newsletter:
This type of matching gift letter should:
Make matching gifts a regular feature in newsletters sent to donors and prospects;
Incorporate an overview of the fundamentals of matching gift programs;
Provide step-by-step instructions for donors interested in getting involved in the initiatives;
Share real examples of ways your organization has benefited from matching gifts in the past.
Get started with this free matching gift newsletter template:
Double Your Fundraising Power With Matching Gifts
Many companies have matching gift programs that can double or even triple your donations, allowing you to make an even greater difference in the causes you care about.
Here’s how it works: When you donate to [Nonprofit], you can easily check if your employer offers a matching gift program. With a few additional steps, you can unlock new sources of funds that directly benefit our organization.
For example, a $100 contribution can produce over $200 worth of value, thanks to your employer’s workplace giving initiative. This additional funding allows us to expand our programs, reach more individuals in need, and create lasting positive change in our community.
We encourage you to explore the matching gift opportunities available to you. Together, we can make an even greater impact on our mission.
Depending on your needs, you may decide to include a section about matching gifts within a larger publication or devote an entire edition just to corporate gift-matching. Other enticing topics to cover may include a list of popular matching gift companies, facts and figures relating to your nonprofit’s prior matching success, research demonstrating the prevalence of such programs, and more.
When to send: Once or twice throughout the year Who to send to: Donors, volunteers, prospects, and others on your nonprofit’s newsletter mailing list Why send: To inform donors about the prevalence of matching gift opportunities and how they can get involved
Letter #7 – Eligible Donor Matching Gift Letters
An eligible donor matching gift letter is a specific type of outreach sent only to supporters who you’ve identified as being likely eligible for a corporate match through their employer. This targeted messaging typically aims to inform donors about not only the existence of matching gift programs in a general sense but also to provide company-specific details pertaining to their own employer.
Plus, it will often include personalized instructions on how the recipient can initiate the request process now that they’ve been deemed eligible.
If you’ve determined that a donor works for a matching gift company, you’ll want to send a matching gift letter like this:
This matching gift letter should:
Address the donor by name and acknowledge their initial gift amount;
Encourage the reader to submit their matching gift request;
Provide direct links to match submission forms or online portals for the individual’s employing company;
Ask the supporter to notify the organization once they’ve completed their request.
Get started with this free matching gift eligible donor letter template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
We are pleased to inform you that your recent donation of $[gift] qualifies for a matching gift from your employer, [Company]. Requesting your match is easy, and we’ve provided you with the forms and instructions you need to complete the process.
Step 1: Click here to access [Company]’s matching gift forms. Fill out the online form and submit it to your employer!
Step 2: After completing your request, please click this link to let us know that it’s been submitted.
On behalf of the whole team at [Nonprofit], we are SO grateful for your continued support of our mission. We hope you take the opportunity to amplify your giving impact with a corporate match!
If you have any questions throughout the process, feel free to reach out to our matching gift coordinator at [contact information].
Best regards,
[Name]
[Title]
[Nonprofit]
If you’re looking for a more efficient way to uncover match-eligible donors and trigger personalized matching gift letters like these, consider investing in an automation tool like 360MatchPro.
The 360MatchPro platform scans information donors provide during the giving process to determine likely eligibility, sending personalized and actionable email streams that drive more qualifying matches to completion.
When to send: Within 24 hours of an individual making a donation to your nonprofit Who to send to: Donors who you’ve identified as likely eligible for a matching gift program through available employment information Why send: To provide company-specific matching gift program guidelines and links to submission forms
Letter #8 – Ineligible Donor Matching Gift Letters
On the other hand, an ineligible donor matching gift letter is a type of outreach that informs the recipient that, according to the nonprofit’s records, they likely do not qualify for a matching gift from their employer. However, it’s vital to keep a positive approach, encouraging donors to consider amplifying their support for the organization in other ways.
Check out this sample matching gift letter you might send to a donor you’ve marked as likely ineligible for a match:
This matching gift letter should:
Thank the donor for their initial support of the organization;
Encourage the reader to confirm with their employer the existence (or lack thereof) of a corporate matching gift program;
Inspire the individual to consider advocating for their employer regarding the establishment of a new matching gift program;
Include or link to additional resources that can aid an employee in championing a matching gift program.
Get started with this free matching gift ineligible donor template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
We really appreciate your recent donation to our organization.
One way that you can amplify your giving impact for [Nonprofit] is with matching gifts. Does your employer match?
We don’t have a record of your employer in our database. But they may have a program nonetheless! Consider reaching out to your company’s HR Department to discuss the possibility of a matching program.
If your employer does match, please add your company to our matching gift database or email a copy of your form to data@doublethedonation.com.
If your company does not currently offer a matching program, they might be willing to start! Check out this guide to see how you can advocate for a new matching gift program to your employer.
Thank you again for your support.
Best regards,
Matching Gift Team
[Nonprofit]
You never know–an ineligible donor may be just the person to influence a brand-new matching initiative. And your communications to these individuals can go a long way toward providing updated data points, deepening engagement opportunities, corporate partnership potential, and more.
When to send: Within 24 hours of an individual making a donation to your nonprofit Who to send to: Donors who have indicated that they work for a company that does not offer a matching gift program Why send: To encourage such supporters to double-check for the existence of a matching program and provide resources to aid in new program advocacy
Letter #9 – Unknown Donor Matching Gift Letters
After giving, there’s a third category in which donors may be placed–and that is unknown eligibility. Unknown donor matching gift letters are those sent to that segment.
A donor may be sorted into this category based on a few reasons. First, an individual may have simply completed their initial gift without providing their employment details. In this case, you can’t know if a donor will qualify for a matching gift if you don’t know where they work.
On the other hand, another donor may be marked as “unknown eligibility” if they did provide their current employer, but your organization lacks information regarding the availability of the company’s matching gift programs.
If a donor’s eligibility is unknown, consider sending a letter like this one:
This matching gift letter should:
Thank the donor for their initial contribution;
Encourage the individual to look up their employer using the provided company search tool;
Inspire the reader to take the applicable next steps depending on their determined eligibility status;
Ask the supporter to let the sender know whether their employer offers a matching program and/or when they’ve submitted their match request.
Get started with this free matching gift unknown donor template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
Warm greetings from [Nonprofit]! We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. We are writing to express our deepest gratitude for your recent donation to support our cause. Your generosity is making a significant impact on the lives of those we serve.
We wanted to take this opportunity to inform you about an incredible opportunity to increase the impact of your contribution – matching gifts. Many companies offer matching gift programs that can double or even triple the value of your donation.
To find out if you qualify for such a match, please click here to search for your employer in our matching gift database lookup tool! It’s quick and easy, and can even provide you with the forms you need to complete your match in seconds.
Then, once you’ve submitted your matching gift request, click here to let us know.
Thank you again for your ongoing support of [Nonprofit] and our mission.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Nonprofit]
Overall, this type of outreach should be used to drive donors further down the funnel. Whether they do or do not ultimately qualify for matching gifts, following the instructions provided in the letter allows them to provide the sending organization with additional information that can help guide further efforts.
When to send: Within 24 hours of an individual making a donation to your nonprofit Who to send to: Donors for which you do not have current employment information to determine eligibility or those whose employers lack updated matching gift guidelines Why send: To encourage donors to provide up-to-date employment data and uncover their matching gift eligibility
Letter #10 – Board Member Matching Gift Letters
You know your board members are some of your most valuable supporters. And they often come with lucrative matching opportunities, as well!
Board member matching gift letters are a type of communication sent exclusively to your nonprofit’s board of directors. Most often, these messages will be sent following a recent donation, encouraging the recipient to pursue a matching gift from their employer. This allows board members to take a more active role in fundraising for your nonprofit, which is a common challenge identified in board assessments.
After all, many companies offer exceptionally generous matching gift programs (which often incorporate higher donation ratios and maximums) for even greater corporate matching impact when an employee serves on a nonprofit board.
Here’s an example of a board member matching gift letter:
This matching gift letter should:
Address the donor/board member by name and thank them for their recent contribution to the organization;
Explicitly acknowledge the individual’s status as a member of the nonprofit’s board of directors;
Encourage the reader to submit a board member match request to their company;
Provide direct links to match submission forms or online portals for the individual’s employing company;
Ask the individual to notify the organization once they’ve completed their request.
Get started with this free matching gift board letter template:
Get on Board With Matching Gifts!
Dear [Donor’s Name],
We are eternally grateful for your generous support of [Nonprofit] – both regarding your recent donation of $1,000 as well as your ongoing dedication in serving on our nonprofit board.
Did you know that your employer, [Company], offers a special matching gifts program for employees who serve on a nonprofits’ Board of Directors? Thus, your $[gift] donation qualifies for a [matching gift ratio] match from your company – multiplying the value of your initial gift!
Requesting your match is easy, and we’ve provided you with the forms and instructions you need to complete the process.
Step 1: Click here to access [Company]’s matching gift forms. Fill out the online form and submit it to your employer!
Step 2: After completing your request, please click this link to let us know that it’s been submitted.
On behalf of the whole team at [Nonprofit], we are SO grateful for your continued support of our mission. We hope you take the opportunity to amplify your giving impact with a corporate match!
If you have any questions throughout the process, feel free to reach out to our matching gift coordinator at [contact information].
Warmly,
[Name]
[Nonprofit]
Keep in mind that your board members have already shown great dedication toward your cause. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be on the board in the first place. Take the opportunity to promote matching gift programs for qualifying board members–especially if you know that their employer is one that provides a special match initiative.
When to send: Soon after receiving a donation from a board member Who to send to: Donors who currently serve on your organization’s board of directors or board members who aren’t currently giving Why send: To inform board members that many companies offer unique matching gift programs when their employees serve on a nonprofit’s board
Letter #11 – Peer-to-Peer Fundraiser Matching Gift Letters
Even among those who’ve been informed about traditional donation match programs, many are still unaware that other companies offer fundraising match programs. The difference? Donation matching involves an individual requesting that their employer matches a gift they personally contributed to a nonprofit. Fundraising matches, on the other hand, encompass a company matching all the funds an employee raises on a nonprofit’s behalf—even those not made by the company’s employees themselves.
So if you’ve recently hosted a peer-based fundraising event (such as a run/walk/ride), a peer-to-peer matching gift letter can be an excellent follow-up for eligible individuals.
Here’s a sample matching gift letter you might send to a recent peer-to-peer fundraiser:
This matching gift letter should:
Acknowledge the volunteer fundraiser by name and recognize their total amount of fulfilled pledges from the P2P campaign;
Encourage the reader to submit a fundraising match request to their employer;
Provide direct links to match submission forms or online portals for the individual’s employing company;
Ask the supporter to notify the organization once they’ve completed their request.
Get started with this free matching gift peer-to-peer fundraiser template:
Your Pledges Could Be DOUBLED!
Dear [Donor’s Name],
We are so grateful that you’ve supported [Nonprofit] by taking on a peer fundraising role in our recent campaign.
Did you know that your employer, [Company], offers a special matching gift program in which it offers to match the fulfilled pledges an employee collects on behalf of a nonprofit cause? That means the $[total collected pledges] you raised for our [campaign name] is eligible to be multiplied!
Requesting your match is easy, and we’ve provided you with the forms and instructions you need to complete the process.
Step 1: Click here to access [Company]’s matching gift forms. Fill out the online form and submit it to your employer!
Step 2: After completing your request, please click this link to let us know that it’s been submitted.
On behalf of the whole team at [Nonprofit], we are SO grateful for your continued support of our mission. We hope you take the opportunity to amplify your giving impact with a corporate match!
If you have any questions throughout the process, feel free to reach out to our matching gift coordinator at [contact information].
Best wishes,
Matching Gift Team
[Nonprofit]
Peer fundraising initiatives often produce significantly higher funding amounts than a single donation. Fundraising match letters can help bring that success to the next level!
When to send: In the days or weeks following the conclusion of a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign Who to send to: Peer-to-peer fundraising volunteers who have recently collected donations on your organization’s behalf Why send: To inform peer-to-peer fundraisers that many companies offer unique matching gift programs that allow employees to request corporate matching for their total fundraising amounts
Letter #12 – Giving Season or End-of-Year Matching Gift Letters
Donors often increase their charitable giving at the end of the year. This is when individuals are most aware of their finances and how much they have left to give. Plus, the holiday season tends to bring out an increase in generosity.
Because of this, many nonprofits make their big pushes for donations during this end-of-the-year giving season, such as through matching donation challenges. This is also an excellent time to pursue corporate matching gifts.
And an automation platform like 360MatchPro by Double the Donation can help! That’s why Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro offers a dedicated year-end email stream that you can use to contact donors about the donations they’ve already made during the year.
Here’s what a year-end matching gift email can look like:
This matching gift letter should:
Be personalized to the donor;
Include the donation amount and date;
Provide pertinent information about the donor’s employer and their matching gift eligibility;
Establish urgency by reminding the donor that many companies close their request windows at the end of the year in which the donation was made;
Leverage clear calls-to-action that encourage donors to kickstart the matching gift process.
Get started with this free matching gift end-of-year fundraising letter template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
It’s not too late! Did you know that you can still request a matching gift for your donation of $[gift] made on [donation date]?
Thousands of companies have matching gift programs in place that can significantly increase the value of employees’ donations. However, it’s important to note that many employers close their matching gift request windows at the end of the calendar year in which a gift is made.
So that means the time is now to complete the matching gift process and amplify your support of [Nonprofit] and its mission. Luckily, a submission is easy, and we’ve provided you with the forms and instructions you need to finalize your match.
Step 1: Click here to access [Company]’s matching gift forms. Fill out the online form and submit it to your employer!
Step 2: After completing your request, please click this link to let us know that it’s been submitted.
If you have any questions throughout the process, feel free to reach out to our matching gift coordinator at [contact information].
Season’s greetings,
Matching Gift Team
[Nonprofit]
Many people have already donated for the year, and the giving season is an ideal opportunity to remind supporters how they can do more to help your cause.
When to send: The end of the calendar year Who to send to: Match-eligible donors who have not indicated that they’ve submitted their matching gift request Why send: To remind donors about matching gifts and encourage submissions while their gifts still qualify
Letter #13 – Matching Gift Request Thank You Letters
We’ve previously recommended that organizations employing matching gift letters to drive match submissions should encourage eligible donors to let them know when they’ve completed their requests. This enables easier tracking through the matching gift lifecycle and better forecasting (and, thus, budgeting) for incoming matches.
However, it also provides an additional opportunity to engage with your matching gift donors. And that’s where matching gift request acknowledgment (or thank-you) letters come in!
Upon being notified of a recent matching gift submission, consider sending a matching gift thank you note like this:
This matching gift letter should:
Let the recipient know that they’ve been notified of the individual’s recent matching gift request;
Thank the matching gift donor for their above-and-beyond support of the organization;
Reiterate the vast benefits of matching gifts on the nonprofit’s overarching mission.
Get started with this free matching gift request thank-you letter template:
Dear [Donor’s Name],
We are writing to let you know that we so appreciate your recent matching gift submission on behalf of [Nonprofit].
Donors like you going the extra mile to support our cause allow us to make an even greater difference for our mission.
Thanks again! We’ll be in touch throughout the completion of the [Company] matching gift process. Feel free to let us know if you have any additional questions.
Best,
Matching Gift Team
[Nonprofit]
Depending on the employing company’s submission requirements, you might choose to inform the donor that you’ll begin your part of the matching gift process (such as filling out a separate form or confirming that the initial gift was made).
When to send: Within 24 hours of a matching gift submission notification Who to send to: Donors who have recently indicated that they completed their employer’s matching gift request process Why send: To confirm that your organization was notified of a submitted matching gift request by a donor
Letter #14 – Completed Matching Gift Thank You Letters
Our last recommended matching gift letter is another thank-you. But this time, it’s sent after a matching gift is completed by the company.
This letter allows your organization to reiterate your gratitude for the individual going the extra mile, which has resulted in double (or perhaps triple!) the funding for your cause. Plus, it allows you to close the loop, ensuring the donor understands their match was successful.
After you’ve received a completed match from a donor’s employer, send a final acknowledgment like this one:
This matching gift letter should:
Thank the donor once again for their willingness to pursue a matching gift on your nonprofit’s behalf;
Acknowledge that the company match has been successfully received and processed.
Get started with this free completed matching gift thank-you letter template:
[Donor],
We’re SO excited to let you know that we recently received the matching gift funds from your employer, [Company]. Once again, we thank you for all your support.
And please consider requesting a match again if you decide to make another gift in the future!
Much appreciation,
[Name]
Matching Gift Team
[Nonprofit]
You can also use this matching gift letter to encourage donors to keep their employer’s matching program in mind in regard to future engagement opportunities. After all, you now know for certain that the individual qualifies for corporate matching. Make sure to set your team up for ongoing match success but encourage future participation as well!
When to send: In the days after you receive a completed matching donation from an individual’s employer Who to send to: Donors whose matching gifts were recently fulfilled by their employing companies Why send: To wrap up the matching gift process and reiterate gratitude for the individual who requested the match
Bonus! How a Matching Gift Database Can Help
As you now know, nonprofits can boost their revenue by promoting matching gifts to their audiences. When eligible, donors can double (and sometimes triple!) their contributions with the help of employer matches. The key is to make them aware of the available opportunities and to simplify the processes involved.
Luckily, the right technology can make a big difference.
Identify Matching Gifts with Double the Donation
Double the Donation offers the #1 matching gifts database, with thousands of the sector’s largest organizations using it in their efforts. The searchable database includes records for more than 24,000 companies and subsidiaries, representing 26+ million individuals.
More specifically, 360MatchPro by Double the Donation recognizes match-eligible donors with giving form integrations, donation follow-ups, email domain screening, and more. From there, it encourages donors to complete the matching gift process through a series of personalized and automated outreach.
As the most comprehensive source of matching gift forms and instructions, corporate employees can quickly uncover their eligibility and submit requests to their employers.
The end result? More funding for your mission.
Your staff will save time while still providing donors with the necessary guidance for completing their matching gift requests promptly, too.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Final Thoughts
There you have it: fourteen types of matching gift letters for all of your workplace giving needs. By incorporating these recommendations in your organization’s outreach strategy, you can boost your fundraising revenue by increasing awareness among and encouraging matches from your generous donors.
And matching gift software will empower you to scale your efforts beyond the possibilities of manual sending and tracking, too! This allows your team to make the most of their time and effort, reinvesting more of your resources into your highest-value tasks and opportunities.
Learn more—Explore other educational resources to drive fundraising impact from the Double the Donation team below:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/DTD_Types-of-Matching-Gift-Letters-Every-Nonprofit-Should-Send_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-05-04 19:00:142024-03-05 13:31:1214 Types of Matching Gift Letters Every Nonprofit Should Send
As with any type of outreach, the wording in your matching gift appeals is vital. Thus, it should be carefully considered when revamping your nonprofit’s matching gift strategy. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing matching gift blurbs that drive results.
Matching gifts can produce a great source of additional revenue for nonprofits. In fact, an estimated $2 to $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs every year. That means that lackluster appeals could cause your organization to miss out on a lot of potential revenue.
After all, choosing the right message when promoting matching gifts can be the determining factor in whether or not a donor participates in their employer’s match program. Considering this, be sure to take the time needed to craft and integrate dedicated matching gift blurbs throughout your donor outreach.
To make sure you send the most effective message possible, first familiarize yourself with the following topics:
By learning and implementing the specific language of effective appeals, your nonprofit will be one step closer to maximizing its revenue potential. And your donors will be that much more likely to take the intended action in your appeals.
Ready to revamp your matching gift outreach? Let’s dive in with the basics.
What Are Matching Gift Blurbs?
The first step in boosting revenue through matching gifts is to produce effective copy promoting the programs. In other words, you need to create well-written resources for donors and prospects to learn about matching gifts.
One of the most impactful (and easiest) ways to do so? Implement matching gift blurbs throughout your messaging.
[Note: If you’re not sure what a blurb is—don’t worry. More than likely, you’ve come across the idea in action already, even if you’re not familiar with the terminology.]
A blurb is essentially a short piece of writing, typically a brief and attention-grabbing description or promotional statement. Regarding corporate matching, a matching gift burb is a quick explanation (think: 1-3 sentences) of the opportunity that aims to inspire participation among donors.
Examples may include:
Advertisements about matching gifts appearing alongside your online resources;
Printed inserts included in physical communications;
Notes incorporated beneath team members’ email signatures;
And more.
While wording and placement can vary, the ultimate goal is for your messaging to entice readers to get involved in their companies’ initiatives—even if they’d never been made aware of the initiative prior.
Best Practices for Impactful Matching Gift Blurbs
The text you use in your matching gift appeals—specifically, your matching gift blurbs—is an essential component of your fundraising. It should be straightforward and to the point, aiming to persuade your audience and drive action.
We’ve compiled a list of tried-and-true tips for drafting matching gift messaging. Read through these suggested practices and see which ideas you can implement in your own outreach!
Employ donor-focused language.
When discussing matching gifts, your chosen wording can mean the difference between a supporter clicking the link or moving on without any further thought.
For example, let’s say you’re planning to link your dedicated match page from your website’s main navigation. What should you name that tab on the menu? We suggest something along the lines of “Matching Gifts,” “Double your Donation,” or “Matching Gift Company Search.”
What we recommend against is wording such as “Corporate Matching” or “Corporate Giving” since these phrases often don’t resonate with individual donors. You don’t want users skipping over the page due to an assumption that the resource is targeting companies rather than individual supporters!
Keep this in mind as you frame matching gift language in all of your donor-facing blurbs—but especially regarding headings, titles, and other elements designed to grab your audiences’ attention.
Keep your copy short and sweet.
Your matching gift blurb doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, brevity is crucial—you want to get the message across before the reader loses interest.
The perfect length can vary based on placement, purpose, and audience. Still, most matching gift blurbs can and should be short, sweet, and to the point. We recommend no longer than a single paragraph unless you’re dedicating a larger piece of communication (e.g., an entire email blast) to the topic.
Make the most of action-driven verbiage.
When making a fundraising appeal, the wording in your message is important. More specifically, your choice of verbs can directly affect the success of a campaign.
For example, people—even dedicated supporters—often need a direct call to action in order to get involved. The key is to ask your donors to do something, to take a particular action.
In other words, matching gift appeals need action verbs. Otherwise, donors won’t be entirely sure what their next steps should be.
In an email or web page, phrases like “Get Started” or “Read More” tell your audience what you’re asking them to do. But more specific calls to action can drive even greater results. Instead of “Click Here,” try “Search Your Employer Here” if you utilize a matching gift search tool like Double the Donation. This way, donors know exactly what’s being asked of them in order to support your cause.
Why? Donors care about your mission—and they want to help. Too often, however, they’re held back by a lack of information and no clear directions for how they can be of service. Using clear and concise verbiage can help inform and clarify the steps your donors need to take next.
The result? More matches!
Prioritize impact in communications.
Donors like to see that their hard-earned dollars are making a difference for the causes they care about. Thus, it’s important to emphasize amplified mission impact as a key benefit of employee matching opportunities in the associated messaging.
As you craft your matching gift blurbs, be sure to emphasize the potential of a donor’s contribution to stretch beyond the amount of their initial gift.
When possible, try using tangible examples pertaining to your organization’s mission. If you run a food pantry, for instance, that might mean informing supporters that, with matching gifts, you can feed twice as many individuals and families with the same initial donation amount.
Locate and follow up on match opportunities with Double the Donation.
When revamping your corporate fundraising appeals strategy, a matching gift database can help pinpoint these opportunities with ease. This way, you can employ automated and targeted outreach—in addition to broader matching gift blurbs—throughout your messaging.
Specifically, Double the Donation’s platform is designed to assist nonprofits in increasing awareness among donors. From there, it also simplifies the process for individuals to submit subsequent match requests.
Once you integrate it across your online fundraising channels, here’s what the tool does:
Exposes supporters to matching gift information at multiple points throughout the giving experience;
Enables donors to search for more than 24,000 companies and subsidiaries, empowering them to quickly locate their employers and eligibility criteria;
Allows your nonprofit to identify match opportunities through email domain screening, an intuitive search tool, and more;
Provides direct links to updated forms and guidelines for each company, thus streamlining the submission tasks for supporters;
Follows up with match-eligible donors via personalized emails to drive more matches to completion;
Tracks donors throughout the process to easily assist with stuck matches and more accurately forecast incoming revenue.
Now that you understand what matching gift blurbs are—and which strategies will empower you to write the best copy possible—you’ll need to consider optimal placement. In other words…where should you insert your newly crafted or finetuned matching gift promotional blurbs?
The short answer is this: wherever you see the opportunity to promote corporate giving opportunities, do it. The more, the merrier! The more familiar donors are with the concept of corporate gift-matching, the more likely they are to participate.
The longer answer involves just about any place where you interact with donors—before, during, and after giving. Check out this list of some of the most popular blurb locations for organizations like yours.
A Dedicated Matching Gifts Page
If you want to create high-traffic matching gift outreach, a good place to begin is where the most supporters are: online! Your website is likely the first impression most people have of your organization, so you want to make it count.
An easy way to increase the visibility of your matching gift promotion is to create a dedicated page for matching gifts. On the page, you’ll want to highlight the basics of employee match initiatives and provide instructions for typical programs within your matching gift blurbs.
(Tip: If you employ matching gift software like Double the Donation, don’t forget to embed the search tool on this page alongside your blurb. That way, users won’t have to go out of their way to research their companies’ programs on their own after discovering the opportunity!)
Your “Ways to Give” Page
Similarly, your organization may already have a “Ways to Give” page on its website that is designed to provide ample opportunities for supporters to get involved with your cause. This might include planned giving, donations of stock and other gifts-in-kind, monthly recurring giving programs, and more.
And one thing you don’t want to forget on this page is matching gifts.
Include a quick blurb about the impact of getting a donation matched and how a donor can uncover their own eligibility. You can even embed your matching gift company search tool here, as well!
Fundraising Appeals
Did you know that recent studies on matching gifts and donor behavior report that 84% of individuals are more likely to donate to a nonprofit if a matching gift is being offered? This finding results in a 71% increase in donation response rate when matching gifts are mentioned in fundraising appeals.
This ultimately means including a matching gift blurb in a donation ask can produce significantly more revenue for your giving campaign. Not only can you expect funding from corporate matches that ultimately come through, but you’ll also benefit from elevated giving rates in the meantime.
Email Communications
As an established nonprofit, your team is likely already using email to maintain contact with donors. But do you utilize email to effectively promote matching gifts? You should!
Incorporating matching gift blurbs within email marketing can bring awareness of the opportunity to a wide range of nonprofit supporters. And your entire message doesn’t have to be dedicated to matching gifts, either. Consider adding a quick blurb on the topic to broader email communications such as newsletters, campaign or project updates, end-of-year reports, and more.
The text you use in your outreach should be persuasive but to the point. Consider emphasizing key points with bolding to increase skimmability and convey the importance of matching gifts for your organization.
Email Signatures
One of the easiest places to incorporate a matching gift blurb is within your organization’s staff email signatures. All it takes is a few seconds for each team member to adjust their automatic sign-off (hint: simplify the process by providing individuals with the text they should add), and you’ll be all set to promote matching gifts in every email you send year-round.
Keep in mind that you’ll want this blurb to be as succinct as possible. A quick sentence with a link to your matching gift page will typically do!
Donation Page
Another key location for matching gift blurbs is your online donation form. At this point in the process, the user is already ready to donate. Why wouldn’t they want to double the impact of their gift without having to part with any additional dollars?
In fact, donors might even be willing to give more after learning about the matching gift opportunity. The aforementioned studies indicate that 1 in 3 donors would contribute a larger gift if a match is applied to their donation—ultimately resulting in a 51% increase in the average donation amount.
We recommend using your giving form to collect employment data from your supporters (made easy with our embedded company search tool!). And when you add context to the request in the form of a matching gift blurb, donors will be increasingly likely to provide the information.
Keep in mind that this should likely be the briefest blurb of all to ensure that you don’t slow the donor down as they make their way through the giving experience.
Confirmation Screen
After a donor clicks “submit” on their completed giving form, they’re typically redirected to a confirmation page. This resource often thanks them for their contribution and provides them with details as to suggested next steps to further their impact. For example, a supporter may be encouraged to share their recent gift on social media, become a recurring donor, or even take on a peer-to-peer fundraising role.
And your confirmation screen is also the perfect location for a matching gift blurb!
Plus, when you utilize matching gift software, you can even provide employer-specific program insights and submission forms based on the company an individual selected within the giving form. This allows you to personalize your blurbs, providing relevant details in real time.
Donor Acknowledgements
Soon after a donor makes their initial contribution is the best time to remind them about matching gift opportunities. That said, mentioning matching gifts in your gift acknowledgments (regardless of channel) can go a long way.
Your donors are typically passionate about your mission. Most would jump at the chance to make their recent gifts stretch even farther without having to reach back into their wallets. All you have to do is make them aware of the chance to do so and guide them in the right direction.
You can even take your acknowledgments—and, thus, your matching gift blurbs—to the next level with unique and engaging eCards! When you ensure your messaging stands out in a supporter’s inbox, you can increase the likelihood that they’ll engage with your content and ultimately take the action you’re driving them toward.
Social Media
In today’s digital age, your organization’s social media profiles are likely some of your most valuable marketing assets. Of course you’ll want to share matching gift blurbs using this channel!
Doing so can encourage existing donors to complete unclaimed matching gift requests, inspire on-the-fence supporters to give in the first place, and more. By leveraging the power of social media, nonprofits like yours can reach a wider audience and engage with their communities in a meaningful way.
Keep in mind that when it comes to social media, your matching gift blurbs can take the form of shareable content (e.g., graphics or videos), post captions, or both!
Direct Mailings
If you utilize direct mail in your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, consider including a matching gift blurb that accompanies your other materials.
This can include:
Inserts
Envelopes
Postcards
Letters
And more
Regardless of the types of mailings you send, make sure it’s quick and easy for recipients to learn more about matching gifts. We recommend directing readers to your online matching gift page using an easy-to-type URL or a scannable QR code!
Bonus! Free Matching Gift Blurb Templates to Use
Ready to get started with impactful matching gift blurbs? These copy-and-pasteable templates can serve as an excellent jumping-off point.
Fill in the blanks with details about your organization and its mission, then plug in the finalized messaging throughout your donor outreach.
Thanks for the gift, [DONOR]! Did you know you may be able to double your donation with a match from your employer? See if you qualify for a matching gift by searching our employer database here.
[NONPROFIT] receives thousands of dollars each year through corporate matching gift programs. Does your company participate? Find out if you can do more for our mission with a match.
Matching gifts allow generous donations to go twice as far for our goal of [MISSION STATEMENT]. And it’s easy to request a match—locate your employer’s program guidelines and request forms here!
Double your impact! Many employers offer matching gift programs that can double or even triple your donation to [NONPROFIT]. Explore our matching gifts page or check with your HR department to see if your employer participates.
Many companies offer to match their employees’ charitable contributions, which means your gift to [NONPROFIT] could go twice as far. Contact your HR department—or click here to use our matching gift search tool—to learn more.
Don’t miss the chance to amplify your impact! Many employers offer matching gift programs, which means your donation to [NONPROFIT] could be matched dollar-for-dollar. Contact your employer or use our search tool to see if they participate.
Did you know that your employer could help you make an even bigger impact on [MISSION]? Check with your HR department to see if your company offers a matching gift program and take advantage of this opportunity to support [NONPROFIT] even more.
Your recent gift to [NONPROFIT] could be doubled… Many employers offer matching gift programs, so be sure to check if your company participates. Contact your HR department or explore our dedicated matching gifts page for more information.
Wrapping Up
To drive awareness of the matching gift opportunity, integrating well-crafted matching gift blurbs throughout your communications is essential.
Implement the above tips for wording and verbiage—or jump in with one of our sample messages. Then, insert your blurbs in the recommended locations for optimal exposure to donors.
Paired with a dedicated matching gift service, you’ll be all set to boost your organization’s matching gift revenue (and subsequent impact!) going forward.
Interested in learning more about matching gifts—and how to promote them with effective messaging? Check out these suggested resources for further reading:
How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization. Stay up to date on current matching gift and overall marketing trends to ensure your messaging is as impactful as possible. See which strategies we recommend in this guide.
5 Fundraisers with Standout Matching Gift Success. See some powerful matching gift blurbs in action! Read up on several nonprofit organizations that have employed successful matching gift strategies to raise more for their missions.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DTD_Matching-Gift-Blurbs-Sample-Wording-Best-Practices_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-04-19 16:00:322024-09-30 20:59:08Matching Gift Blurbs | Sample Wording & Best Practices
Billions of dollars are contributed to nonprofits and schools each year through corporate matching gift programs. But these initiatives can do more than offer funding for your institution. If you’re wondering how matching gift appeals can fuel alumni engagement, you’ve come to the right place.
Alumni engagement is critical for colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, so much so that there are entire conferences dedicated to it. After all, most schools seek to build a strong community and foster lifelong relationships with their graduates. Not to mention, a school’s alumni can also be some of its most valuable assets in terms of fundraising and overall financial support.
However, it can sometimes be a challenge to keep alumni connected to your school in the long run.
In order to inspire alumni giving, strengthen relationships with your institution’s former student base, and deepen connections to your overall cause, we recommend incorporating matching gift appeals into your strategy.
In this guide, we’ll provide ample insights that can be used to integrate employee gift-matching and alumni relations for optimal results. And we’ll do so by exploring the following topics:
Benefits of Matching Gift Appeals for Alumni Engagement
Matching gift appeals are an excellent way to connect (and reconnect) with alumni and drive engagement with your school. Tens of thousands of companies agree to match employee donations to their favorite charitable causes—often including educational institutions.
However, the opportunity is often underutilized, with only a fraction of qualifying donors going on to submit their matching gift requests. That’s where well-written appeals can come in, promoting matching gift information and ultimately leading to increased philanthropic support for institutions like yours.
Let’s take a look at a few of the most valuable benefits of matching gift appeals on your alumni engagement strategy.
Elevated gift conversion rates
One significant (yet often overlooked) advantage of matching gift appeals is their ability to drive elevated gift conversion rates. In fact, recent studies show that over 84% of individuals indicated that they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered. As a result, incorporating matching gifts in an organization’s fundraising appeals results in an average 71% increase in response rate.
Increased donation amounts
Moreover, matching gift appeals have been shown to also increase the average donation amounts an organization receives, as supporters are typically motivated to give more when they know their gifts will be doubled. 1 in 3 donors indicates they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied, and highlighting the opportunity in matching gift appeals before a donation is made leads to 51% growth in average gift size.
This can also be an effective way to push alumni donors into the next giving tier. For example, an alumnus who typically gives $100 may be inspired to give $200 in response to a matching gift appeal—thereby increasing their giving level and the impact of their contribution. And that’s before their employee even makes their match!
Heightened likelihood of match eligibility
Another reason why you want to incorporate matching gift appeals in your overall engagement strategy is that your alumni may be increasingly likely to qualify for such programs in the first place.
After all, young alumni, in particular, often work for companies that match employee gifts. Tens of thousands of businesses (including 65% of the Fortune 500) agree to match donations to nonprofits and educational institutions, with tech companies being one of the most involved sectors overall.
This presents a unique opportunity for institutions to engage with this demographic and inspire them to give by highlighting this additional incentive.
Matching gifts effectively double individual contributions, empowering alumni donors to make twice the impact on their alma mater. When this group sees their gifts being matched, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that their contribution is making an even greater, tangible difference. This can lead to increased loyalty to the institution and a greater willingness to give in the future.
Expanded corporate giving revenue
One of the most apparent benefits of matching gift appeals is the additional corporate revenue contributed as a result. Impactful and actionable match appeals drive more matching gift requests to completion, ultimately leading to a significant increase in match revenue overall.
Not to mention, a well-built-out matching gift strategy can also open doors for broader corporate partnership opportunities. Companies that match gifts have already proven to be charitable-minded in nature. And targeting your donors’ employers is a great way to communicate shared values and audiences in your next sponsorship pitch.
How to Drive Alumni Engagement with Matching Gift Appeals
Whether you’re looking to launch an alumni matching gift campaign for the first time or are seeking to improve your existing efforts, we’re here to help. These fundamental steps will provide valuable insights and strategies to help your team maximize alumni engagement, giving, and more.
Identify potential match-eligible alumni.
One of the first things you’ll need to drive alumni engagement with matching gift appeals involves identifying those of your alumni that qualify for the corporate giving programs. And to do so, you’ll need to know which companies your alumni are working for.
Your school may already track this information in your CRM. But if not (or for those who you don’t have post-education employment records for), there are a few ways you can uncover this detail. Not to mention, employment data can go out of date fairly quickly, so it’s important to continually refresh this information for your alumni and other supporters.
Adding an optional employment field to your online donation form.
Scanning contact information for corporate email domains.
Leveraging a matching gift company search tool in post-transaction messaging (i.e., confirmation screens, follow-up emails, etc.).
Keep in mind that the benefits of alumni employment data go far beyond that of matching gift appeals, too! Understanding where graduates end up after leaving your school can also aid in personalizing communications, estimating wealth levels, and more.
Educate your audience about matching gifts.
Another important step is to educate your audience about matching gifts. Without incorporating strategic methods for increasing awareness of the programs, there’s a significant knowledge gap regarding matching gifts. In fact, the aforementioned studies indicate that over 78% of individuals have never been informed about their companies’ matching gift programs.
The solution? Crafting a comprehensive plan for promoting the opportunity yourself.
Specifically, we recommend…
Mentioning matching gifts in all of your school’s fundraising appeals.
Establishing a dedicated matching gift web page on your school website (if you don’t already have one), complete with matching gift details, your company search tool, and helpful contact information for your institution.
Incorporating matching gift information directly within your donation experience (within your online giving forms, on the confirmation screens, etc.).
Highlighting matching gift information (and relevant imagery) on your school’s social media pages.
Producing and sharing educational matching gift videos that overview the programs and how to get involved.
Considering direct mail materials such as postcards, inserts, printed envelopes, and more for your most lucrative donors and prospects.
In all of your favorite channels, be sure to provide clear and concise information about how matching gifts work—and how they can increase the impact of donations to your school. Once aware of the programs, alumni will be increasingly inspired to participate in their employers’ giving initiatives on your institution’s behalf, ultimately driving completed matches through the roof.
Incorporate various matching gift appeals in your messaging.
There’s no one way to integrate matching gift appeals into your institution’s fundraising strategy. The possibilities are endless, and we recommend exploring matching gifts as a key tenet of all essential engagement activities.
For example, you may decide to implement matching gift promotions throughout the donor journey year-round. This can come in handy when looking to drive support for your general operating fund at any point, using matching gift appeals to encourage growth in individual giving and corporate funding alike.
However, many schools also choose to host a dedicated matching gifts campaign alongside their academic giving days to collect even more during that limited time span. (Note: several institutions have reported raising multiple times the cost of their matching gift software on their Giving Days alone—allowing them to see a return on their investment almost immediately.)
The good news is that it’s not an either/or question; in fact, the recommended answer is both. You can market matching gifts to your alumni and other donors 365 days a year—made easy with the right technology—and institute an elevated push for matching at the time of a specific campaign. When it comes to matching gift outreach, the more, the merrier!
Best Practices for Effective Alumni-Centric Matching Gift Appeals
Bring your matching gift appeals to the next level! We recommend the following tried-and-true practices for streamlining the process while also amplifying alumni matching gift results.
Start with a well-crafted appeal template.
Your matching gift appeals should be well-written, concise, and compelling to grab—and retain—the attention of your alumni audience. Make sure to clearly explain what matching gifts are, the impact of employee donation-matching opportunities, and how corporate funding will be used to benefit your school.
You can jump right into it with the free matching gift templates found here. Just be sure to finetune and personalize these sample appeals to best fit your institution’s needs, goals, and audiences.
Set clear and attainable goals.
Before launching your matching gift campaign, establish clear goals regarding matched gifts, total corporate funding, and more. We always recommend defining your objectives using the SMART framework—or setting goals that are…
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound
For example, you might state that you aim to collect $5,000 worth of corporate matching gifts from alumni donors by the end of the fiscal year.
Be sure your development team is aware of and on board with your goals, and begin taking steps toward achieving them!
Make it easy for alumni to donate and request matches.
In order to drive the most gifts and matches to completion, it’s crucial that the associated processes are as quick and easy as possible.
Our recommendation? Make the most of intuitive donation tools—such as these top education-focused platforms—that seamlessly integrate with powerful matching gift software.
This way, you can…
Collect employment details within your online giving forms;
Automatically screen for match-eligible donations;
Provide company-specific guidelines, instructions, and links to digital submission forms.
By guiding alumni donors through the matching gift process, you’ll reduce critical roadblocks and ultimately receive more fulfilled matches.
On the other hand, an experience that is primarily donor-led (i.e., asking alumni to get in touch with their HR department to locate their matching gift instructions) is likely to result in a ton of matches going unclaimed and corporate funding being left on the table.
Follow up and show appreciation.
Your matching gift donors are likely some of your school’s most dedicated supporters. When alumni participate in these programs, it’s essential that you promptly acknowledge their above-and-beyond efforts for your institution.
Throughout the donor journey, there are a few fundamental phases in which gratitude should be incorporated. These include:
After receiving an initial donation — “Thanks, [Donor]! We’ve received your recent gift—and it’s because of dedicated alumni like yourself that our school is able to be what it is today. Did you know that you might be able to double your impact with a corporate matching gift? Click here to learn more and submit your match request [link to matching gift page].”
After a match has been submitted — “Our records indicate that you requested a corporate matching gift from [company]. Thank you greatly for taking this next step to amplify your giving impact on our institution. Feel free to reach out if there’s anything we can do to help complete the matching process with your employer.”
After a match has been received — “[Donor], we are writing today to inform you that we’ve received the completed match from your employer. Once again, we thank you for taking the extra steps to submit your matching gift. We truly appreciate your ongoing support to [school]. We couldn’t do it without you!”
Effectively communicating your gratitude throughout the process is a surefire way to reiterate the importance of donation-matching. And ultimately, it increases the likelihood that match-eligible alumni ultimately give and get their gifts matched time and time again.
Though corporate matches do not come directly from an individual donor’s wallet, remember that the additional funding would not be possible without their involvement.
Idea: send an eCard to thank alumni for partaking in matching gift programs on your behalf!
Employ automation to increase efficiency.
Our final tip is one that can help boost the results of our other recommended practices as well—from increasing awareness of the programs to following up on eligible matches. And that is equipping your fundraising team with smart automation technology.
After all, launching a matching gifts campaign on your own can be overwhelming. But when you employ automation, you can do more for your school with less time and resources. Not to mention, leveraging a matching gift automation tool (like 360MatchPro) grows matching gift revenue for nonprofits by an average of 61%!
And the time you save triggering automated matching gift appeals—with just a click of a button—can be reallocated to other critical projects that benefit your school.
Example Schools with Successful Alumni Matching Gift Appeals
Establishing an effective matching gift appeal strategy that resonates with your alumni doesn’t have to be difficult. Let’s take a look at a few schools that implemented matching gift appeals and produced significant results.
Get inspired by these institutions’ fundraising efforts—and take note of any tactics you’d like to employ in your own.
Marietta College
Marietta College is an excellent example of a higher education institution that employs matching gift appeals successfully throughout its efforts.
To begin, check out this college’s dedicated matching gifts page:
You’ll note that this page incorporates a brief summary of corporate matching gift programs, has embedded an easy-to-use company search tool for individuals to uncover eligibility information, and is easily accessible from the site’s Giving Opportunities menu.
Marietta College has also crafted an alumni-specific web page designed to target previous students looking to give back to the school. And the site mentions matching gift opportunities here, as well!
Throughout their range of matching gift appeals, which included online giving forms, post-transaction emails, and more, in addition to the website content seen above, Marietta College produced standout results to be inspired by.
University of Georgia
Next, we have the University of Georgia, which also offers a robust matching gift strategy that aims to engage alumni donors and other school supporters alike.
This school’s matching gift page employs Double the Donation’s matching gift tool, allowing interested donors to quickly research their companies’ program guidelines. The University of Georgia also uses this page to promote a unique incentive for donors to get their gifts matched—driving individual giving levels to qualify for the exclusive Presidents Club!
Additionally, the UGA team has consistently leveraged its social media platforms to raise awareness of matching gift opportunities. Check out these posts they’ve shared on Twitter, Facebook, and more.
And, all in all, the university has seen some pretty substantial results!
Syracuse University
Similarly, Syracuse University also incorporates matching gift appeals in its alumni and overall donor engagement strategies. From its dedicated match page pictured below to its personalized and automated matching gift email communications, the Syracuse team works hard to ensure all supporters are exposed to information about matching gift programs—and are encouraged to take the next steps.
In addition to its matching gifts page, Syracuse University has also created a free giving toolkit for alumni and other university donors interested in getting involved. This toolkit provides detailed information about online giving, contributing from donor-advised funds, beneficiary designations, and, of course, corporate matching gifts.
The bottom line is that Syracuse University has seen a lot of success with its matching gift appeals—inspiring alumni and donor engagement, driving awareness of matching opportunities, and more.
Wrapping Up
Matching gift appeals can be a powerful tool for educational institutions seeking to increase alumni engagement and philanthropic support. By leveraging your alumni’s generosity alongside that of companies matching contributions to your school, institutions like yours can encourage more significant levels of giving while also fostering a sense of community among graduates.
This type of strategic outreach can also serve as a smart way to reconnect with alumni who may have lost touch with their alma mater, providing them with a compelling reason to get involved once again. By making it easy for alumni to give back and amplify their support, academic fundraisers can help ensure continued success and maximized impact for years to come.
And there’s no better time to incorporate matching gift appeals in your alumni engagement strategy than the present. Best of luck!
Looking to continue your education on matching gift topics to best position your school for corporate fundraising success? Check out these recommended resources:
Matching Gifts & Higher Education: Companies That Match [+Tips]. Identify matching gift opportunities for your college or university. Explore this list of well-known companies that match gifts to higher ed, along with a few insightful practices to consider.
110+ Incredible School Fundraising Ideas to Raise Money Now. Amplify your broader fundraising strategies with this compilation of unique and impactful fundraisers. Plus, a lot of these tried-and-true ideas pair well with matching gifts to double your impact!
Increase Matching Gift Awareness | Get Your Donors on Board. To get alumni on board with matching gift participation, they need to know that the opportunities exist. Check out these suggested methods to launch a matching gift awareness campaign at your school.
Interested in learning more about matching gift appeals? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/DTD_How-Matching-Gift-Appeals-Can-Fuel-Alumni-Engagement_Feature-1.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-04-17 15:43:572024-10-01 14:44:09How Matching Gift Appeals Can Fuel Alumni Engagement
Corporate social responsibility (often referred to as CSR) is a practice followed by many companies where they work to improve society in some form as a part of corporate citizenship. CSR is often seen in terms of philanthropy, environmental leadership, ethical labor practices, and economic responsibility.
If you’re wondering what the impact of CSR is—particularly for the businesses that enact these practices in the first place—the advantages are expansive.
In this guide, we’ll dive into the benefits of corporate social responsibility and everything your company needs to know to maximize its effectiveness. We’ll explore the following topics:
Ready to get up to speed on socially responsible efforts and see what you can do to take your business to the next level? Let’s begin!
FAQs about the Impact of CSR
Does your company have an existing CSR plan in place that you’d like to improve, or are you looking to dive into strategic corporate social responsibility for the first time? Either way, you’ll likely have some questions regarding the practice and its effectiveness. Let’s walk through five common questions and their answers.
What are the types of corporate social responsibility?
Corporate social responsibility is an overarching term used to describe a wide range of corporate efforts that are designed to make the world a better place. Most CSR initiatives will encompass these key values:
Environmental: Historically, corporations have been responsible for the vast majority of global emissions and other causes of climate change. Now, many businesses are working to reverse the damage through environmentally friendly initiatives in the way they manage their operations.
Social: The “social” component of corporate social responsibility refers to a company’s impact on its community and the individuals within. Businesses following this practice should work to bring a positive net impact to people as a whole.
Economic: CSR also incorporates responsible economic business practices where companies give generously to their communities through nonprofit donations, fair wages, and more. The idea behind economic responsibility is that companies should bring economic benefit to all stakeholders—including employees, customers, suppliers, and overall communities.
Some CSR efforts may incorporate elements from multiple categories. For example, a company financially contributing to an environmentally-focused nonprofit (whether through grants, matching gifts, etc.) can fall under both environmental and economic responsibilities. Matching gift programs often fall under multiple categories, boosting the impact of CSR on your business in each of these key areas.
How does a company become more socially responsible?
There are tons of practices that businesses of all shapes, sizes, and sectors can adopt to increase their level of corporate social responsibility. Here are a few things a company might do:
Offer competitive wages and benefits packages to employees.
Provide generous parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.
Support philanthropic causes in the form of monetary and in-kind donations.
Use recycled materials while producing goods that are also recyclable.
Reduce carbon emissions from business operations.
Keep up with and pay corporate taxes dutifully.
The tactics you choose to employ at your business can also play a role in the benefits you see overall. For example, prioritizing staff wages and employee benefits can have a significant effect on the company’s internal culture and team member engagement. While this will likely also result in improved consumer relations (i.e., shoppers like to buy from businesses they know treat employees well), the impact seen might be lesser as compared to the effect on the employees.
And the same is true the other way around! Producing ethical goods with sustainable practices can bring positive results to both consumers and employees, though consumer relations may see a larger, more tangible impact in terms of sales.
What is ESG and how does it compare to CSR?
ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance, and it’s a measure of the extent to which a business makes a positive impact on society beyond its own shareholders.
While ESG goes hand in hand with CSR, they’re not entirely synonymous. CSR is a business model used to hold a company accountable for its actions to society, while ESG is a quantifiable measurement of a company’s social impact outcome.
How do employees participate in CSR?
Positive employee relations are a major benefit for companies that prioritize CSR. But did you know that the employees themselves can participate (and benefit) as well? Employee-driven programs can even drive positive results for your workplace!
For example, employees who participate in a company’s matching gifts or volunteer grant programs benefit from knowing their own nonprofit donations or volunteer hours are making even more significant impacts on charitable causes that they care about. Plus, they know their employers are making an effort to support their favorite charities as well. Consequently, employees can feel more satisfied in their jobs.
Try the following ideas to drive participation in CSR at your company:
Promote new and existing CSR initiatives to employees, including specific instructions on how to get involved.
Highlight your company’s social impact efforts during conversations with candidates and new hires.
Gamify CSR with interactive elements such as badges, rewards, trophies, and more for top participants.
Encourage friendly competition among employees to see which teams or individuals are the most CSR-involved.
Set company-wide goals for participation, along with rewards or benefits for reaching those goals.
Empower employees to suggest new ideas and feedback for existing efforts in order to continually refine your CSR strategy.
Consider using CSR software to encourage employees to get involved in your philanthropic efforts and track their engagement. CSR software provides a centralized platform for employees to access information and opportunities related to your initiatives. Plus, it can facilitate collaboration among employees, fostering a sense of community and purpose around your CSR activities.
What CSR trends are businesses adopting?
As new social, environmental, and economic needs arise, the CSR movement will continue to evolve. Here are a few CSR trends you can expect to see in the near future!
Many companies are transitioning to more employee-driven CSR programs—especially when it comes to philanthropy. In fact, our research reports that 39% of companies aim to expand their workplace giving initiatives in the next two years!
Companies are doing this by starting new matching gift programs, as well as expanding existing ones and making it easier for employees to participate by simplifying the matching gift request process. For example, this video explains how companies can use CSR platforms that integrate with Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro to fully automate the submission process:
Additionally, more and more companies are taking a stand on social issues and other current events. A 2020 study reported that nearly 60% of consumers expect the brands they support to have a position on topics such as racial discrimination, social justice, climate change, income inequality, and more. About 50% of survey respondents even reported conducting online research to see how a business reacts to social issues before making a buying decision!
4 Top Benefits of CSR for Businesses
Corporate social responsibility tactics provide participating companies with powerful business benefits. Consumers, employees, and other essential shareholders will be more inclined to support your efforts, and you’ll see impactful results such as these!
1. Increased employee engagement
People want to work for companies that they feel good about contributing to. When an individual knows that their efforts at a business help drive social good, they’ll be motivated to produce elevated results in their roles. And for that reason, there’s a significant positive correlation between employee engagement and corporate giving.
Pride in the company, along with belief in senior leadership, are some of the most essential drivers of employee engagement levels—and luckily, both components see benefits from social responsibility as well.
When employees are particularly engaged, the company will also see high levels of productivity, increased retention rates, and more.
2. New talent attracted to your team
Just like effective CSR efforts drive existing employees to want to do more in their roles at your company, the same efforts can also be used to attract new employees to the team.
As a result, many HR representatives are prioritizing corporate social responsibility in their recruiting efforts and within conversations with prospective candidates. Individuals looking to join a company that participates in CSR will be drawn to your business, and you’ll have a competitive advantage against other potential employers.
3. Improved company culture
Companies often see positive impacts of CSR on their internal company cultures, which, of course, helps drive increased levels of engagement and retention. For example, the following types of CSR initiatives can bring about a more positive business culture:
Matching gifts. By matching your employees’ donations to the causes they care about most, you’ll show them that you support their personal charitable interests and want to help them make a difference.
Group volunteer opportunities. Volunteer outings work well as team-building activities that boost morale and get staff members better acquainted with one another. Employees get to spend time with their colleagues in an informal setting while making a positive impact on their community.
Annual giving campaigns. Encourage employees to come together once a year to give to a good cause. You can even turn it into a competition between departments and give out a prize. This sense of friendly competition brings team members closer together.
Utilizing philanthropic initiatives as a way to build a positive company culture is a common practice for many businesses. But remember, the most successful efforts involve hands-on involvement by leadership as well. When employees see their managers and company leaders participating, they’ll be more inclined to do so themselves!
4. Unique marketing opportunities
Cause marketing (or cause-related marketing) is a form of CSR in which a business supports a charitable cause while receiving strategic marketing benefits from the relationship. These types of CSR campaigns often involve a company offering to give a certain amount of money to a nonprofit in response to increased sales results (for example, 10% of a company’s profits may be donated to charity, or a business may donate $1,000 for every 100 products sold).
When done well, cause marketing enables consumers to feel good about their purchases from socially responsible companies. As a result, the consumers are willing to pay a higher price, switch brand loyalties, or increase quantities of their purchases due to it benefiting a good cause.
For your business, not only will you have the opportunity to participate in charitable efforts, but you can also gain more customers and more dollars toward your bottom line.
Key Statistics That Demonstrate the Impact of CSR
The facts about the impact of CSR speak for themselves. Take a look at these facts and figures that demonstrate the effects of CSR on employees and consumers alike:
72% of consumers believe companies should have a legal responsibility to society.
77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world a better place.
Over 90% of consumers worldwide are likely to switch to brands supporting a good cause.
More than 66% of consumers would pay more to buy from socially and environmentally responsible businesses.
Creating value for the customer, positively impacting society, and inspiring innovation and positive change are the three highest-ranking components of a company’s purpose.
88% of people want to know about a company’s CSR efforts when considering making a purchase.
5 Examples of Businesses Doing CSR Right
Looking to get started with CSR efforts but not sure how to begin? Get inspired by these popular companies that have exemplified what it looks like to be socially responsible and philanthropic.
When it comes to philanthropic corporations, Gilead Sciences has led the pack for several years in a row. This biotechnology company contributes an average of $400 million each year to nonprofit causes, which comes out to nearly 3% of their pre-tax profits. Plus, they offer a matching gift program for current full-time employees, agreeing to match donations of up to $2,000 per year to most nonprofit organizations!
They’ve also published a number of lofty goals to further elevate their CSR by 2030—including achieving net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring 100% of their packaging is recyclable, eliminating all unnecessary plastics, and significantly increasing Black, Hispanic, and female representation in the company.
Johnson & Johnson has prioritized reducing their company’s impact on the planet over the last three decades by highlighting the importance of sustainable business practices. One key pillar of this effort was accomplished by harnessing wind power to significantly reduce pollution from their operations and ultimately offering up a renewable (and economically friendly) alternative to traditional electricity.
In addition to the company’s environmental efforts, Johnson & Johnson also donates generously to many nonprofit organizations, including schools, health and human services, civic and community organizations, and more. Much of this funding is contributed through workplace giving programs as well, matching team member donations at a 2:1 rate up to $20,000 per employee per year!
Google is another example of a highly regarded business with multiple effective CSR efforts in place. As a result, the company has earned the Reputation Institute’s highest CSR score, due in part to its philanthropic initiatives, renewable energy projects, and environmental impact reduction.
Not only do their data centers use 50% less energy than other comparable institutions, but they’ve also committed more than $1 billion to develop environmental efforts in the future. Plus, they have a generous donation-matching program, offering up to a $10,000 gift match for full- and part-time employees. They even offer additional nonprofit grants through the Google Ad Grants program, which gives eligible organizations $10,000 in free monthly ad credits per month to promote their work.
One example of a business hosting a successful cause marketing campaign as a component of an overall CSR strategy is Lyft. Through their partnership with organizations like Bread of Life, United Way, and the National Council on Aging, Lyft offered free rides to essential workers and vulnerable populations through an initiative called LyftUp during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With this model in place, Lyft has elevated its brand reputation as one that cares about the underserved in its communities, thus driving popularity and sales.
Since 1988, Ben & Jerry’s has been known for being a particularly outspoken advocate for all sorts of social causes. The company has partnered with nonprofit organizations such as 1% for Peace, Farm Aid, Children’s Defense Fund, Rock the Vote, Alaska Wilderness League, MyClimate, NativeEnergy, and many more to provide aid for social, environmental, economic, and scientific causes.
They’ve also launched more than one ice cream flavor dedicated to their favorite social causes, which include “Save Our Swirled,” “Empower Mint,” “Justice ReMix’d,” and “Peace Pop.”
Final Note on the Impact of CSR
Corporate social responsibility is often framed as a win-win-win situation because companies, nonprofits, and the greater community all benefit greatly from its existence. As you consider how CSR impacts businesses like yours, think about all the good you can do for your employees, your business, and your community!
Want to learn more about the impact of CSR and philanthropy on businesses like yours? Check out these other guides:
Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies. Workplace giving brings the advantages of CSR to the next level by prioritizing employee participation in philanthropy. Not to mention, nonprofits benefit from increased funding as well!
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics. These powerful facts and figures about corporate philanthropy, matching gifts, and other giving programs will inspire your team to make an even more significant impact.
Corporate Philanthropy: The Ultimate Guide to Giving. Interested in diving deeper into corporate philanthropy for your company? This complete guide to corporate giving shares key details about types of programs, business impact, and more.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Impact-of-CSR_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-03-23 20:03:512024-10-02 18:56:25What’s the Impact of CSR? FAQ & Key Benefits for Businesses
Note: This guide contains an analysis of Double the Donation’s Legacy Plan vs. 360MatchPro intended for existing users of Double the Donation’s Legacy Plan.
If you’re interested in getting started with 360MatchPro and do not already have an account, click here to get a demo of our best-in-class matching gift automation platform.
Our Legacy Plan users are some of Double the Donation’s most loyal and dedicated customers. At one point, our embedded plugin tool was considered groundbreaking technology. Over the years, we’ve worked to develop and finetune our software, and 360MatchPro was born.
As our focus continues to move exclusively toward developing the best automation solution we can within 360MatchPro, however, we don’t want our existing Legacy Plan accounts to get left behind.
That’s why we recommend that all Legacy Plan users make the switch to 360MatchPro.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the transition as we go through the following topics:
Ready to learn more about the widespread advantages of Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro—and how your team can benefit from a subscription upgrade?
Let’s dive in with the basics.
Does Double the Donation still offer the Legacy Plan?
Previously known as the “Premium Plan,” Double the Donation’s Legacy Plan was discontinued in October 2021. Though no new subscriptions were sold after this date, organizations already using the tool are still able to leverage the plugin in their fundraising efforts for the time being.
A lot went into the decision to sunset the Legacy Plan offering. Key reasonings included a widening gap between the results produced by the Legacy Plan and 360MatchPro, as well as a desire to shift our focus to innovative automation through the latter platform.
This brings us to the next question…
What is 360MatchPro?
360MatchPro is Double the Donation’s flagship product—a complete matching gift automation solution. This platform incorporates the matching gift plugin tool commonly associated with the Legacy Plan but goes several steps further to identify and pursue matching gifts.
Specifically, 360MatchPro incorporates:
A multi-faceted approach to uncovering match-eligible donors;
Timely and personalized follow-up email cadences;
Complete branding and personalization options;
Optimized data reporting and synchronization.
With 360MatchPro, more matching gifts are driven to completion, resulting in substantial corporate and overall fundraising revenue growth for its users. And the entire process is automated for nonprofits and their donors, producing an optimized matching gift experience for everyone involved.
This provides organizations with more time to devote to the most lucrative opportunities without worrying about potential matches slipping through the cracks.
Key Differences | Legacy Plan vs. 360MatchPro
360MatchPro includes everything offered by Double the Donation’s Legacy Plan, plus innovative new features that bring nonprofit and educational fundraising to new heights.
Key Feature
Legacy Plan
360MatchPro
Hosted Matching Gift Page
✓
✓
Matching Gift Plugin
✓
✓
High-Level Summary Statistics
✓
✓
Fundraising Platform Integrations
✗
✓
Automated Email Streams
✗
✓
Detailed Analytics Dashboard
✗
✓
CSV Data Import
✗
✓
Company Exclusions
✗
✓
Advanced Customization Settings
✗
✓
Additional differences between the two subscription plans include…
Matching Gifts Within the Donation Process
Instead of taking a passive approach to matching gift promotions, such as with the Legacy Plan, 360MatchPro integrates gift-matching directly within the donation experience itself.
Specifically, the automation system empowers fundraisers to —
1. Collect donor employment information within the donation form with an embedded company search tool.
Bonus: Donors who know their gifts will be matched are more likely to increase the size of their contribution—resulting in a 51% increase in average gift amount when matching gifts are mentioned.
2. Provide employer-specific matching gift guidelines and forms from our comprehensive matching gift database directly on the donation thank-you screen.
This catches donors at their highest level of engagement where they’re most likely to pursue actionable next steps outlined on the page.
This strategy makes the most of donor engagement at its highest level—while individuals are actively giving to support your cause—essentially incorporating matching gifts as a direct extension of the initial donation experience.
Automated and Customized Follow-Up Emails
Based on the information collected during the giving process, 360MatchPro automatically triages donors based on likely match eligibility and triggers targeted follow-ups accordingly.
These post-transaction email communications provide personalized program details and next steps. This often includes minimum and maximum donation amounts, qualifying nonprofits and employees, submission deadlines, direct links to online request forms, and more.
Here’s an example of what an organization’s match emails might look like:
Automated matching gift outreach is a great way to remind donors of their match eligibility, encourage them to take the next steps, and guide them through the process. Not to mention, it provides an easy way for donors to update their request status so your team can better track matches to completion and more accurately forecast incoming revenue.
70+ Fundraising Software Integrations
Another fundamental advantage of 360MatchPro is that it integrates directly with nearly all of the most popular donation tools, CRMs, and peer-to-peer fundraising platforms out there. This makes it easier than ever for nonprofits and educational institutions to incorporate matching gifts in every phase of the fundraising process.
And if we don’t already integrate with your favorite giving solution? Don’t worry—we’re developing new partnerships every day. Not to mention, there’s still a lot you can do with 360MatchPro, even without a native integration with your fundraising software.
Elevated Matching Gift Conversion Rates
More corporate matches are submitted and received by donors and organizations utilizing 360MatchPro than any other matching gift solution—including Double the Donation’s Legacy Plan.
As supporters walk through the initial donation and subsequent matching gift processes, 360MatchPro is known for driving individuals further down the respective funnels. All in all, users see more individual donation revenue in addition to elevated matching gift success.
Check out the detailed findings below in a visual depiction of Double the Donation’s Legacy Plan vs. 360MatchPro:
More In-Depth Data Reporting
Though the Legacy Plan provides access to birds-eye view statistics, such as the top companies searched in an organization’s matching gift plugin, 360MatchPro brings the scope of matching gift data reporting to a new, comprehensive level.
Pictured in a sample dashboard below, 360MatchPro empowers fundraisers with smart insights into their current matching gift efforts as well as lucrative opportunities for expanding initiatives.
This 360-degree view includes analytics such as:
Total revenue, number, and percentage of donations marked as match-eligible
Total revenue, number, and percentage of matching gifts submitted
Total revenue, number, and percentage of verified matches received
Email delivery, open, and click rates
Plus, you can sync your data—donation records, employing companies, match statuses, etc.—back to your donor management system to get the most out of the information you’ve uncovered.
Insights From Orgs That Upgraded From Legacy Plan to 360MatchPro
Don’t just take our word for it! Check out these findings from a recent analysis of fundraising organizations that made the switch:
Over 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs—and 5-15% of individual contributions are marked as match-eligible.
Without automation, more than 78% of donors are unaware if their company offers a matching gift program. An additional 16% know their company has a program but lack knowledge regarding eligibility criteria and submission processes.
Moving from the Legacy Plan to 360MatchPro allows users to proactively promote matching gifts, resulting in nearly 10% of an organization’s gifts being matched annually.
Clients that upgrade from the Legacy Plan to 360MatchPro identify 4-5x more match-eligible donors by streamlining matching gifts into the donation flow.
Upgrading to 360MatchPro from the Legacy Plan results in an average of 35-50% growth in match revenue in the first year.
360MatchPro’s automated matching gift emails boast a 51% open rate, which is approximately 2x the average nonprofit email open rate.
Email domain screening, which is one component of 360MatchPro’s identification process for match-eligible donations, can result in a 1% increase in total revenue for nonprofits.
360MatchPro brings matching gift opportunities directly to your donors, funneling in corporate revenue that had previously been slipping through your fingertips. And more than 70% of the largest nonprofits are already employing the solution!
How to Upgrade Your Account to 360MatchPro
Ready to upgrade your account? It’s easy!
To upgrade your subscription from the Legacy Plan to 360MatchPro, please submit a support ticket. You’ll want to include the following information to streamline the process:
The username or primary email address on file. (If you don’t have this information, please provide the name of your organization so we can locate your account)
A request stating, “Please upgrade my account from the Legacy Plan to 360MatchPro.”
An indication that you understand there will be a prorated charge to upgrade.
From there, we’ll process the request, following up via email and connecting you with an Account Executive. Our team will work to fit your organization with the right plan for your needs. Then, we’ll get you up and running with 360MatchPro as soon as possible.
You’ll be matching more gifts than ever in no time. And you can sit back and watch it happen—while attending to more pressing mission matters. That’s thanks to the magic of automation!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/DTD_Legacy-Plan-vs.-360MatchPro-Why-Your-Team-Should-Upgrade_Feature-2.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-03-10 14:32:582024-02-08 20:23:26Legacy Plan vs. 360MatchPro [Why Your Team Should Upgrade]
Nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising groups are always on the lookout for new and improved ways to fund their missions. Corporate matching gifts offer an excellent fundraising lift, but many organizations have an underdeveloped strategy for pursuing this funding source. That’s why we recommend taking a look at matching gift practices from nonprofits that are already seeing high levels of success.
Recent findings have analyzed the highest revenue-generating peer-to-peer-based fundraisers and compiled a number of top strategies followed by each. Based on the report, we’ve created our own list of matching gift best practices that we suggest nonprofits employ:
Over the course of this guide, we’ll provide actionable insights and real-world examples of fundraisers having successfully implemented these practices. In the end, we hope that these exemplary organizations and practices will inspire you to take your matching gift program to the next level.
1. Understand the importance of matching gifts in overall fundraising.
The first step in optimizing your matching gift fundraising plan has to do with understanding its value. After all, when you (and your team) know why you’re doing what you’re doing to pursue matching gift opportunities, you’ll tend to be more motivated to see results.
So here’s why. The benefits of matching gifts for nonprofits are generally threefold —
Increased corporate philanthropy funding. One of the most apparent advantages of matching gift programs is the corporate match donations that an organization receives. Think of it like the “free” part of a “buy one, get one free” promotion. When donors participate, they funnel additional corporate revenue from their employing companies to your organization. And doing so produces substantial results!
Increased individual giving revenue. Not only do matching gift programs increase nonprofit fundraising by making more corporate funds available, but they also elevate individual giving in a few key ways. In fact, Double the Donation research reports that over 84% of survey participants are more likely to donate, and 1 in 3 donors would contribute a larger amount if matching is applied to their donation.
Increased donor engagement. Nonprofits that employed strategic matching gift follow-ups saw up to 6x more post-donation engagement opportunities. Each outreach message is another chance to keep your cause at the top of donors’ minds for longer. This encourages supporters to get further involved with (and make a larger impact on) your organization without reaching back into their own wallets.
All in all, fundraising research demonstrates a positive correlation between matching gift practices and overall fundraising success.
Check out this graph from the Top Nonprofits report that illustrates the finding, with each point representing a top P2P event according to its total revenue and matching gift score:
This shows us that the more developed an organization’s matching strategy, the higher fundraising revenue they can expect. And at the same time, the higher the fundraising revenue an organization sees, the more developed its matching gift strategy likely is.
In other words, exploring matching gift practices like the ones outlined below typically produces multi-faceted fundraising success.
2. Appoint a dedicated Matching Gift Specialist.
In the ideal situation, everyone on your organization’s team will be well-versed in matching gift programs. However, by appointing an expert to lead your team, you’ll have the time and resources to implement matching gifts into your overall fundraising strategy.
Your nonprofit will be more prepared after hiring a matching gift specialist than it would be having your whole staff know just a few basic facts about matching gifts. The coordinator is the expert, but the rest of your employees should know enough to field the questions that they can and pass along the rest as needed.
The specialist is the designated point person for all matching gift queries and problems and the staff member in charge of ensuring the donations are received.
Your coordinator will be able to keep your various departments in the loop about what’s going on and need-to-know information. All staff members should be promoting matching gifts when relevant, but the matching gift coordinator is the coach leading your team to victory.
If the matching gift specialist position is new territory for your organization, why not consider hiring an executive search firm? Consultants can help you craft the perfect job description and lead you through the entire hiring process, ensuring that everything runs smoothly!
3. Establish a plan to drive matching gift participation in fundraising efforts.
Once you understand the value of matching gifts, it’s time to begin developing (and/or finetuning) your plan to maximize the funding source. Why?
Another key finding from the Top Nonprofits report saw that 100% of the P2P Top 30 fundraisers have some sort of dedicated matching gift strategy in place. While the extent of their efforts varies from one organization or event to the next, the fact that every nonprofit that made the list incorporated matching gifts in their fundraising plan in one way or another remains significant.
Follow these leading organizations’ examples and be sure that your team takes the time and effort to establish a well-thought-out plan regarding corporate matching. For the best results, we recommend training your team in the basics of matching gifts and incorporating the rest of these impactful matching gift practices pursued by the top fundraising organizations in your overall strategy.
4. Create a detailed and easily accessible matching gift page.
As a nonprofit fundraiser, you likely understand that your organization’s website is one of your most valuable assets for marketing, donor engagement, and more. It makes sense that you’d want to use that resource to promote matching gifts to your audience.
Hosting a dedicated matching gift web page is one of the best ways to do so—and 93.3% of the P2P Top 30 agree!
Let’s take a look at an inspirational example from one of the Top 30 fundraisers included in the study.
Here’s what this organization did well in its matching gift web page:
Shared a brief explanation of matching gift programs and their value for donors and nonprofits;
Embedded an auto-completing matching gift database search tool, providing access to tens of thousands of companies’ matching gift program guidelines with a few clicks;
Overviewed the process involved for donors to get their gifts matched on behalf of the organization;
Provided contact information often required in donors’ submission forms, ensuring everything they need is all in one, readily available hub;
Ensured the page was easily accessible from the website’s main “Get Involved” tab.
The organization even provided an additional tab on its workplace giving page that targets potential corporate sponsors, highlighting details such as the number of companies involved, matching donations made, and total revenue raised through such programs.
5. Incorporate matching gifts within the donation form.
We’ve long stated that including matching gifts directly within the donation experience itself is one of the best ways to get the ball rolling for donors. And if the fundraisers whose practices were analyzed during the research report are any indication, many top nonprofits agree.
For one, a donation page provides an excellent opportunity to collect much-needed employment information from donors. Once you have this data, your team can then trigger targeted communications to drive more matches to completion.
Plus, simply mentioning matching gift opportunities within your online form allows your donors to begin familiarizing themselves with the idea of the programs as early as possible.
Here’s one organization that made the most of its online giving page to promote matching gifts.
Here’s what this organization did well on its donation page, specifically in regard to matching gifts:
Established a dedicated section within the form, clearly labeled “Matching Gifts,” to grab supporters’ attention as they give;
Provided a brief overview of matching gift programs and how to use the embedded search tool to locate company information;
Shared next steps in the matching gift process, ensuring donors can expect additional information pertaining to their gifts and matches on the confirmation page.
By implementing these matching gift practices and more, the nonprofit was able to see standout match success through key peer-to-peer programs and additional fundraising efforts. Not to mention similar donation form tactics were also employed by many other high-ranking organizations included in the matching gift report.
6. Provide company-specific program details on the confirmation screen.
The next recommended practice has to do with the step directly after an individual completes an online donation form. In nearly all cases, the user then automatically reroutes to a gift confirmation screen. This page acknowledges that the donation was submitted, thanks the supporter for their contribution, and provides additional opportunities for involvement.
And throughout the matching gift research report, we saw that the vast majority of top nonprofits (~83.3%) also use this valuable piece of real estate to further promote matching gift participation.
Let’s take a look at one example of this practice.
Here’s what this organization did well on its confirmation page, specifically regarding matching gifts:
Provided detailed information about an individual’s contribution, enabling them to easily compare against their company’s established matching gift eligibility criteria;
Embedded an auto-populating matching gift widget, complete with specific program information for the company they selected on the previous page;
Inspired immediate action with links straight to company guidelines and online submission forms.
Offering a simpler matching gift experience following an initial donation increases the likelihood of donor participation. That said, fundraisers like this team aim to streamline the process while making the most of still-high levels of supporter engagement. And when done so effectively, many donors choose to initiate their matches right from the confirmation screen.
7. Send personalized matching gift emails post-transaction.
For donors who ultimately don’t choose to get their gifts matched directly from the confirmation screen, we know that sending follow-up emails can be the next best step. That’s why 86.6% of the P2P Top 30 are pursuing matching gift opportunities with post-transaction messaging.
Let’s take a look at one leading organization’s post-donation communications—and how they highlight matching gifts.
First, here’s the donation receipt an individual receives in the minutes after submitting their gift:
And this is what the follow-up matching gift email looks like:
Here’s what this organization did well in its post-donation matching gift communications:
Thanked donors for their initial support, acknowledging their gift impact and the opportunity for amplified results from corporate matching;
Leveraged customizable messaging, using the nonprofit’s own consistent branding (fonts, images, colors) and email domain;
Included matching gift information in both the gift confirmation email/donation receipt;
Sent messages in a timely manner, with the donation receipt and initial matching email coming in within the first hour after the gift being made;
Let donors know within the gift receipt that they will receive additional email correspondence with next steps for matching gifts;
Referenced personalized details, such as the donor’s name, acknowledgment of a recent gift, and the company they work for;
Shared company-specific matching gift eligibility criteria, including minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, request deadlines, and more;
Provided direct links to the online submission portal for the donor’s employer, empowering them to initiate a match with ease.
The matching gift email also encourages supporters to follow up with the organization for a quick matching gift status update after submitting their request. This enables the nonprofit’s development team to better track and forecast incoming match revenue.
8. Strive for ease and accessibility.
For a donor, securing a matching gift is an easy process that has the misfortune of sounding complicated. To remedy this, brand it better by simplifying the process.
Clear and concise language with straightforward directions will encourage your donors to seek out matching gifts. Donors who have already been generous enough to donate should not have to follow up with a lot of paperwork.
To better explain matching gifts, you can:
List the typical steps involved in the process on your matching gifts explainer page.
Insert a matching gift widget that can help the donor search for their company’s program.
Mail out informational materials about corporate philanthropy.
Highlight key matching gift statistics in your educational resources.
Point out a few of the companies that commonly match gifts for your nonprofit.
Ensure that your nonprofit is a one-stop shop for all things matching gifts! That way, donors won’t have to seek out this information themselves. Get ahead of the game and give your supporters all the information they need to fully understand their opportunities.
9. Keep a record of individuals’ matching gift statuses.
Maintaining ongoing records of donors’ matching gift statuses falls under the matching gift coordinator’s jurisdiction. Essentially, you’ll want to know what requests have been made, when they are processed, and when they have been fulfilled.
Keeping accurate records will guarantee that no revenue opportunities slip through the cracks. There can be a lot of moving parts in the process among the donor, donor’s employer, and the nonprofit, and there will be some level of back-and-forth. A clear trail of what has happened and what needs to happen will make interactions a lot easier and a lot more efficient.
Regardless of what you choose, the more standardized and systematic the process you use is, the better the results will be. And the right software can help, too—complete with trackable email buttons and all!
10. Thank donors for their matching gift participation.
Donors involved with matching gifts have gone the extra mile for your cause, so your appreciation should match that level of energy.
Just like matching gifts have doubled your donations, matching gift thank yous should be doubled as well. Thank them once for the initial donation and a second time when the matched gift goes through.
In fact, you may even want to put together a special event to honor matching gift donors. The goal is to show genuine gratitude towards what they’ve done to help, and something like a special event will also promote the program to those who are unaware of it.
If you don’t have the resources for an entire event, try publicly thanking those involved on social media. This is a great place to promote matching gifts and is also a top outlet for acknowledgment. For instance, a strategic Facebook post can kill two birds with one stone by thanking a matching gift donor while getting the idea of matching gifts into the heads of your Facebook community.
11. Cultivate relationships with donors’ employing companies.
You should also consider thanking your donors’ companies as well. The donor has brought the company to you, so go ahead and cover all your bases. That’s why it’s so important to collect employment data!
After all, matching gifts can provide a much-desired introduction to major corporations with top-notch corporate giving.
When an employee asks their company to match their gift, by nature of the process, the company will be exposed to your nonprofit. If you want to foster a new relationship, your nonprofit is going to have to impress the company. In some cases, you’ll even develop long-term partnerships with them.
By having all of your matching gifts ducks in a row, your staff can focus on building those corporate relationships instead of troubleshooting submission issues.
Plus, whenever you need an extra helping hand at one of your events, these companies will likely be more than happy to help out through their corporate volunteer program since you’ll already be on their radar.
12. Leverage innovative matching gift software.
While it’s technically possible to develop a matching gift strategy without the aid of dedicated technology to power your efforts, doing so is likely to require substantial investments of time, effort, and resources. On the other hand, matching gift software can go a long way toward streamlining and automating the process.
As you consider the possibilities, it’s worth noting that, of the organizations’ practices analyzed in the Top Nonprofits report, those that use matching gift software saw average matching gift scores more than twice as high as those that did not appear to use matching gift software.
Still, choosing the right software provider is essential, as well. The study reports that 73.3% of the P2P Top 30 fundraisers—and 90% of the 10 highest-earning events—leveraged Double the Donation’s match software.
Not to mention, employing a best-in-class technology solution like Double the Donation can also help your team incorporate the above best practices into your matching gift strategy—from hosting a dedicated matching gift page (complete with an embedded company search tool) to highlighting matching gifts throughout the giving experience and beyond.
If you’re interested in exploring Double the Donation’s automation platform, 360MatchPro, you can request a demo here to get started.
Plus, keep in mind that your more general fundraising technology can play a significant role here, as well. For example, Top Nonprofits indicates that organizations using tools without sufficient matching gift integration and customization options saw significantly lower matching gift scores overall—compared to fundraisers whose giving tools integrated seamlessly with a matching gift solution.
Whether your team is just getting started with matching gifts or you’re looking to optimize an existing strategy, taking a look at tips and tricks followed by organizations with impactful matching gift efforts can go a long way.
Integrating the above matching gift practices in your nonprofit’s fundraising has the potential to bring your overall giving to previously unimaginable heights. And now’s the best time to get started!
Keep up the learning—explore additional resources from Double the Donation and other matching gift industry experts below:
Double the Donation works with thousands of clients in the nonprofit and educational fundraising spaces. And just about all of our clients have seen significant matching gift success when employing our tools!
In this post, we wanted to spotlight a few standout examples of impactful matching gift strategies from top fundraisers. These include:
As we explore tried-and-true practices exemplified by these notable organizations, make a note of the strategies you can leverage in your own team’s matching gift fundraising efforts.
Matching Gift Success Story #1: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Founded in 1949, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is one of the largest medical research organizations in the world. With a specific dedication to blood cancer treatment, the nonprofit averages over $285 million in annual contributions and has funded more than $1.6 billion in groundbreaking advancements.
LLS also hosts a few of the largest peer-to-peer-focused nonprofit fundraising events. This includes its Light the Night Walk, which collects more than $70,000,000 from over 1 million participants each year.
And a significant portion of their workplace giving fundraising has been made available through corporate matching gifts programs!
Matching Gift Facts and Figures
LLS began leveraging Double the Donation’s matching gift automation platform, 360MatchPro, in June 2017.
Since getting started with Double the Donation, the organization increased its matching gift revenue year-over-year by more than 48%, bringing in an additional $3.4 million through corporate matching for the cause.
More than 1,500,000+ LLS donors interact with 360MatchPro tools throughout and following the donation process itself.
Let’s take a look at some of the main functionality leveraged by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in regard to their matching gift growth:
Email domain screening and streamlined search tool on donation forms to identify match-eligible gifts;
Detailed matching gift program results and forms on donation confirmation/thank-you page;
Automated messaging to match-eligible and unknown donors with customized email sending logic, branding, sending domain (from @lls.org), subject lines, graphics, and more;
Matching gift plugin across multiple websites and forms;
Outbound calling to top match prospect opportunities;
Custom sending limits for major and recurring gifts;
Top-notch data security measures, including data encryption, intrusion detection software, intrusion penetration software, multi-factor logins, malware detection, and vulnerability scanning;
Full CRM sync to make the most of donor data collected through matching gift strategies.
Matching Gift Success Story #2: The Greater Boston Food Bank
The Greater Boston Food Bank was founded in 1981 and has since grown into the largest hunger relief organization in all of New England. Through free mobile markets, SNAP assistance, forward-thinking research, and more, GBFB empowers those struggling with food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts.
With over 80,000 donors annually supporting their efforts, the Greater Boston Food Bank brings in more than $175 million in total revenue each year.
Matching Gift Facts and Figures
The GBFB saw a 56% increase in its annual matching gift revenue after getting started with Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro.
In their first year using the tools, GBFB matching gift revenue grew from $1,188,585 to over $1,853,036—a difference of more than $660,000.
Over $790,000 worth of match-eligible dollars were identified by 360MatchPro in a twelve-month period.
Here are the primary components of our matching gift solution employed by the Greater Boston Food Bank:
Email domain screening and streamlined search tool on donation forms, which enables the organization to quickly and easily uncover match opportunities;
Full, company-specific matching gift program guidelines and links to request forms automatically populating on donation confirmation pages;
Custom restrictions and email logic, and organization-specific sending domain, providing a targeted outreach experience for each donor;
Automated donor segmentation by match eligibility (likely match-eligible, likely match-ineligible, unknown eligibility) with personalized next steps for each type.
Matching Gift Success Story #3: Southern California Public Radio
Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public media network operating multiple radio stations in the Southern California region. Its primary station (formerly known as KPCC and since re-branded as LAist 89.3) is a non-commercial educational radio provider.
Together, the network of stations reaches more than 800,000 listeners, with a goal to provide high-quality news and other informational content to its audiences. SCPR has a total annual revenue of over $40 million through individual and corporate contributions alike.
Matching Gift Facts and Figures
Southern California Public Radio saw a 55% increase in matching gift revenue after employing Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro to increase awareness of match opportunities among donors.
More than 75,000 SCPR donors interact with 360MatchPro technology, from the company search tool and program guideline plugin to follow-up emails and submission portal links.
Here’s how SCPR is using Double the Donation to drive more matching gifts to completion:
Multiple donor screening methods to identify and follow up on available matches—including email domain screening and our matching gift database search tool;
Full matching gift company guidelines available on gift confirmation screens, providing details such as minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, qualifying nonprofit and employee types, submission deadlines, and links to request forms;
Automated and custom-branded email messaging for match-eligible and unknown donors;
Personalized donor experiences, encouraging supporters to take outlined next steps and pursue matching gifts using custom email sending logic;
Access to matching gift search tool plugin across multiple website domains and online giving forms, ensuring donors have easy access to the information they need;
Custom sending limits for recurring and major gift donors, complete with email blocklist and unsubscribe functionality;
High levels of data security, including data encryption, IDS, IPS, multi-factor login, and malware and vulnerability scanning to keep donor information safe and secure.
Matching Gift Success Story #4: Humane Society International
Since 1991, Humane Society International (also known as HSI) has served in the animal welfare space to promote positive relations between humans and animals across the globe. With an annual revenue nearly totaling $24 million, HSI leverages individual donors, corporate support, and more to make a difference in the lives of creatures everywhere.
Matching Gift Facts and Figures
HSI saw an increase of more than 17% in its matching gift revenue year-over-year by employing Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro solution.
$234,000+ match-eligible donations were identified in the first year using matching gift automation.
Over 68,000 matching gift emails were sent in a twelve-month period—including matching gift program guidelines, submission reminders, and more.
Specifically, Humane Society International leveraged Double the Donation to enable:
Established in 1835 in Marietta, Ohio, Marietta College is a private liberal arts school. Offering more than 50 undergraduate and graduate majors, Marietta College provides focus areas across arts, sciences, humanities, and more.
All in all, the college receives over $70 million in annual revenue per year, with nearly $46 million coming from tuition and fees and more than $22 million from donor funding and grants—including corporate matching.
Matching Gift Facts and Figures
Marietta College identified more than $40,000 in match-eligible donations in the first year of using 360MatchPro.
The school boasts an open rate of 60% for their automated matching gift emails, which is approximately three times the industry average open rate of 20%.
Here’s how Marietta College and Double the Donation teamed up to maximize matching gifts with these key features:
Corporate email domain screening and donation form search fields to collect employment information;
Complete match results auto-populating through confirmation screens, email follow-ups, and match page searches;
Customization of email sending logic, company restrictions, message sending limits, email domains, subject lines, and more.
Automated email follow-ups for donors identifies as match-eligible, match-ineligible, and unknown employment status, providing detailed next steps and actionable insights to drive matching gifts.
Most nonprofits receive some amount of matching gift revenue even without a dedicated plan in place. However, a much smaller percentage of organizations have a well-thought-out strategy with the tools to implement it. Ultimately, the latter group comprises those that are making the most of the opportunity at hand.
When you take a long look at these groups (such as those highlighted above), you can uncover the practices that produce standout matching gift success. Then, begin emulating such tips and tricks in your own team’s efforts with strategic matching gift training and access to innovative technology. And Double the Donation is here to help!
Interested in learning more about matching gift fundraising and how your nonprofit can maximize revenue through the source? Check out our other educational resources below:
There are many different funding types at the disposal of nonprofit causes. These sources empower organizations like yours to bankroll mission programming and behind-the-scenes operations alike. Still, most fundraisers end up relying on a few primary channels to power the brunt of their operations.
So what happens when one of those key sources becomes unavailable? Oftentimes, that means it’s time to begin searching for alternative fundraising avenues.
And we’re here to help! In this guide, we’ll cover:
The loss of a nonprofit funding source can be jarring, and you might not always see it coming. However, understanding common causes behind lost fundraising avenues can make a big difference in preparing to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown your way.
Some scenarios in which your organization finds itself without a key funding source might include losses of major donors (whether due to passing, changing financial circumstances, or other reasoning), specific grants not coming through, and more.
One of the most prominent—and widespread—examples of this occurred at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. Still, the lingering effects remained for years after the fact. And that’s when organizations across the globe that had been previously dependent on revenue generated through in-person fundraising events were now without access to the source.
Luckily, all was not lost! Instead, organizations went to work rapidly transitioning events to the virtual realm in order to maintain donor engagement and giving.
Another, more recent instance? The cessation of Amazon’s philanthropic initiative, AmazonSmile, in February 2023. This program had been a fairly effortless source of income for over one million local and national causes, producing more than $365 million for participating organizations. Once the closing of the program was announced, tons of nonprofits began scrambling to locate new ways to make up the income they’d been depending on.
And that brings us to our next section!
Next steps after losing a funding source
If your nonprofit has just lost a key source of funding, you may be tempted to enter panic mode. But first, we recommend taking a few easy steps to get your organization back on track for financial success.
Determine how much was lost from the source.
First and foremost, start by gauging exactly how much was lost from the source.
If you were expecting a particular grant payout or a donor had been contributing a static amount year after year, you could fairly simply determine the amount you were accounting for. On the other hand, more variable sources—e.g., fundraising events or programs like AmazonSmile—can be estimated by calculating the average dollar amounts received over a period of time, such as the last months or years.
For example, many organizations are (understandably) fretting about the AmazonSmile program shutting down. However, reports indicate that the average annual payout for the program was a mere $230.
Looking at it this way can help contextualize the loss and make an actionable plan to compensate for the lack of funding.
Pursue new fundraising avenues.
Now, begin brainstorming ways to make up for the lost funding. When one door closes, another one may be opening. That means it might be time to pursue a brand new funding avenue.
A few examples may include:
Launching an online store (such as selling branded merchandise for your cause!)
Keep in mind that this idea can look vastly different from one organization to the next. After all, there’s a world of opportunities readily available.
Ramp up existing (yet often underutilized) funding types.
What about those revenue streams that produce some funding for your cause, but you don’t have a particularly built-out strategy for making the most of the resource? It’s a great chance to optimize your efforts regarding those funding types, as well!
For many organizations, this is where corporate giving programs fall. Perhaps you’ve received a number of matching donations, maybe even a few volunteer grants. However, you might generally rely on individual supporters to pursue those avenues on their own. In that case, now might be the best opportunity to ramp up your efforts to help ensure no matches are ultimately going unclaimed.
Diversifying funds with 10+ alternative revenue streams
When you rely too heavily on any one type of funding, you run the risk of financial instability should something happen to that source. Thus, one of the best ways to prepare your organization prior to losing potential revenue streams is to ensure a well-rounded and sustainable funding model.
Let’s take a look at some of the most popular—and impactful—kinds of nonprofit funding to consider. Keep in mind that a versatile fundraising strategy likely incorporates many, if not all, of these earning types.
1. Corporate Giving
According to corporate giving research, corporations contribute, on average, over $21 billion each year. Much of this funding is donated through generous programs, such as:
Matching gifts
Volunteer grants
Corporate sponsorships
However, billions of dollars in workplace giving revenue is left on the table each year, largely due to a lack of knowledge surrounding the programs.
Want to increase participation in corporate philanthropy and drive additional corporate funding to your cause? Raise awareness among donors—and encourage them to get their employers involved. (Don’t worry: we’ll share more on matching gifts later.)
2. Individual Gifts
Many nonprofits make up the majority of their annual fundraising revenue through individual donor giving. This typically includes a number of specific giving types, such as:
Small-dollar gifts
Mid-size gifts
Major gifts
Planned gifts
In order to maximize individual giving, be sure to send personalized and targeted fundraising appeals. You’ll also want to emphasize the tangible impact of generous donations on your nonprofit’s mission.
Plus, the above-cited research shows that simply highlighting matching gifts in donation asks results in a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average gift amount.
3. Grants
Nonprofit (or fundraising) grants are a specific type of monetary contribution made to a charitable cause. They are typically larger than the average donation amount and are often restricted to funding a particular project or program.
Grants can be made by a range of different institutions but generally fall into one of the following categories:
Foundation grants
Government grants (federal, state, and local)
Corporate grants
Most grants require some sort of application process and may include a dedicated proposal to be submitted. In order to secure more grant funding for your organization, it’s a good idea to spend some time researching opportunities and creating optimized proposal materials.
4. Event Revenue
Nonprofit fundraising events can certainly be fan-favorite experiences—and can range from informal run/walk/ride competitions to elegant gala affairs. And each event typically encompasses multiple opportunities for generating revenue.
For example, your event may collect funding from:
Ticket sales or entrance fees
Auction bids
Merchandise sales
Individual donations
Event sponsorships
When you choose to host a fundraising event for your organization, be sure to invest time and resources into marketing the opportunity effectively beforehand. After all, your audience would love to participate to support your cause, but they need to know the event is happening in order to attend.
5. Online Giving
In line with the digital revolution, online giving has increased steadily, seeing consistent year-over-year growth throughout the past decade and beyond.
Remember: donors want an easy digital giving experience, so the tools you use to power online donations are a critical component of your strategy.
Though many assume that direct mail is an outdated fundraising strategy, the truth is that it remains an excellent way to engage with your donors in an offline manner.
In fact, recent fundraising statistics report that direct mail is the second-highest reported giving preference among Baby Boomer donors worldwide. At the same time, it’s one of the top four most inspirational channels to drive action among supporters in Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations alike.
One way to modernize the giving avenue, however, is to provide an online option for giving—even when an individual is being prompted through a direct mail ask. For example, you might include a scannable QR code or an easy-to-type digital giving page URL.
7. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
Also known as social or P2P fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraising is an impactful way for nonprofits to raise substantial levels of funding while also expanding their campaign reach to new heights.
In these initiatives, organizations equip dedicated supporters with the tools they need to raise money on behalf of their favorite causes. Volunteer fundraisers then solicit donations from their own networks of friends, family members, and more.
In the end, P2P campaigns often culminate in an engaging event experience, such as a walk-a-thon!
8. Membership Fees
Some nonprofits take a membership-based approach to supplement their other existing funding sources. This is a particularly popular model among school PTAs, community programming organizations, and more. And it can be a great way to incentivize giving and foster a sense of camaraderie among members!
Organizations that choose to enact membership fees (sometimes referred to as dues) typically provide exclusive perks for those who join and aim to set their prices at an affordable monthly or yearly rate.
9. Recurring Gifts
Recurring donations offer a wide range of benefits for the nonprofits receiving them. Not only do individual supporters typically end up giving more through these programs, but it also aids organizations in estimating incoming revenue.
And leveling up your recurring gifts can be as easy as incorporating a button on your online donation pages! You may be pleasantly surprised as to how many donors opt to become regular supporters of your cause when presented with the easy opportunity to do so. In fact, average online monthly giving grew by over 40% as recurring donation options became an increasingly popular choice among online supporters.
10. In-Kind Donations
While not a direct source of funding, in-kind donations (i.e., any non-cash gifts of goods, services, or time) are an essential component of nonprofit fundraising. After all, these types of contributions empower organizations to stretch their budgets further than otherwise possible. And that allows them to allocate revenue to other areas of their operations.
To drive more in-kind donations, make sure to market the opportunity to your donors! Many individuals love supporting nonprofits by providing gifts-in-kind and seeing the impact that their tangible purchases can have on their favorite causes. Plus, Amazon still offers an easy way for charities to create and share online wishlists from which their supporters can purchase and send items directly to the organization.
While all of the above funding sources can provide significant benefits for the nonprofits who choose to establish the initiatives, our #1 favorite method is employee matching gifts. After all, this top alternative fundraising avenue has huge potential—though it’s still going largely underutilized.
In fact, Double the Donation research indicates that an estimated $2 – $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs each year. However, an additional $4 – $7 billion goes unclaimed on an annual basis.
Not to mention, corporate matching gifts are an opportunity that nearly all nonprofit organizations qualify to participate in. Over 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs, including over 65% of the Fortune 500. More than likely, a key segment of your existing and prospective donors falls into that matching-gift-eligible group.
When you highlight the widespread availability of these programs, your organization can benefit not only from increased corporate funding but from elevated donor giving, as well. The above-mentioned studies also show that individual supporters are more likely to give (71% growth in gift conversion rates) and to give more (51% higher average transaction amount) when matching gifts are promoted. Thus, in the end, your organization receives additional revenue streams and new opportunities for communication and engagement. Talk about a win-win!
Plus, if you’re looking for a particularly impactful source of fundraising revenue that doesn’t require a ton of staff time and resources, dedicated matching gift technology is the way to go. Leveraging a matching gift automation tool (like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro) increases matching gift funds for nonprofits by over 61%, with innovative new auto-submission functionality projected to yield more than an 80% increase in match revenue.
And in the face of adversity, you generally won’t have to worry about a negative impact on matching gifts. In reality, many companies were reported to have developed new and improved employee matching initiatives in the wake of COVID-19 and other economic downturns. Besides, should one company roll back its programming, you’ll likely have a number of additional matching opportunities to pursue—making it a particularly sustainable fundraising practice over time.
Final Thoughts
Preparing your team with a range of diversified revenue can go a long way toward continuous operational success. Even in the midst of lost funding avenues, you’ll have a number of alternative fundraising streams supporting your organization.
And when you have a plan in place for optimizing passive income opportunities (such as employer matching gifts and more), you can continue driving forward mission impact despite losing access to other sources.
Ready to dive deeper into some of our favorite alternative fundraising avenues for nonprofits and schools? Check out these additional resources below:
Winning Workplace Giving Strategies For Nonprofits. Matching gifts aren’t the only type of workplace giving funding stream to pursue! Learn about volunteer grants, charitable giving stipends, corporate fundraising campaigns, and more.
215+ Amazing Fundraising Ideas for Your Organization. Provide new and exciting ways for donors to support your cause with this compilation of top fundraising ideas. Explore events, virtual efforts, product sales, and other impactful campaigns.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/DTD_Alternative-Fundraising-Avenues-Recouping-After-Lost-Funding-Sources_Feature.jpg6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-02-15 17:40:142023-02-15 17:40:14Alternative Fundraising Avenues: Recouping After Lost Funding Sources
If your nonprofit is serious about driving more matching gift revenue, it’s time to step up and get creative with your outreach. As one of the most innovative outreach channels, Google Ads might just be the missing piece to your matching gift marketing strategy.
For those who are paid marketing rookies, Google Ads is an online advertising platform where advertisers can display short ads that promote their web content to users on Google Search. Nonprofits that use the platform typically promote content related to fundraising, volunteering, and services.
Pay-per-click marketing can add up, though. Luckily, Google realizes this! That’s why they offer eligible nonprofits free access to Google Ads, making it the perfect opportunity to strengthen your organization’s digital presence. Crafting a high-performing ad campaign for matching gifts takes a bit more than writing a few sentences, directing people to your website, and calling it a day, though.
To help supercharge your marketing, we’ll share everything we know about promoting matching gifts with Google Ads. Here’s what we’ll cover:
A lot of work goes into managing a Google Ad Grants account and creating winning ads for your fundraising initiatives. That’s why we recommend working with a professional Google Grants manager! From pinpointing the right keywords to creating inspiring ads for matching gifts, our friends at Getting Attention know what it takes to stand out using Google Ads.
While waiting to discuss your Google Ad needs with their team, explore our suggestions below. That way, you can come prepared with some ideas for your Google Ad Grants marketing strategy!
An Overview of Promoting Matching Gifts with Google Ads
Before diving headfirst into specific marketing strategies, take some time to learn the basics of the Google Ad Grant program. You’ll find that a carefully-crafted Ad Grants strategy can amplify several parts of your mission, including everything from corporate giving to volunteer registrations.
What Are Google Ad Grants?
Created in 2003, Google Ad Grants has transformed into a popular corporate giving program that provides eligible nonprofits with $10,000 in free advertising credits every month. Organizations can spend these credits to bid on different mission-related keywords and promote their web content.
Nonprofits most often promote donation pages, service pages, and educational content, depending on the keywords they’re bidding on. Then, ads are placed strategically on the search engine results pages for those keywords, such as at the very top above the organic results.
Getting Attention’s Google Ad Grants guide explains that you should “think of it as your secret weapon for spreading awareness for your cause, expanding your donor and volunteer network, sharing essential updates with your supporters, and ranking higher on Google.”
The bottom line: The Ad Grants program makes it easy to fold Google Ads into your matching gift marketing strategy without blowing your marketing budget.
Corporate giving makes up a sizeable portion of any nonprofit’s revenue. In fact, fundraising research estimates that corporations donate roughly $3 billion through matching gifts alone each year. Even with these incredible contributions, around 78% of match-eligible donors are unaware that their companies offer matching gift programs. That’s why effective marketing is vital!
If your donors aren’t aware of their match eligibility, they won’t follow through with submitting their requests. While matching gift automation will deliver automated email reminders to donors, using other avenues to promote matching gifts will help you reach prospects who haven’t donated yet.
From emails to Google Ads, there’s a lot you can do to spread awareness to donors and prospects who need an extra push to donate.
Why Nonprofits Promote Matching Gifts With Google Ad Grants
One of the reasons that the Google Ad Grant is a game-changer is that you can create highly-customized ads that showcase your cause.
Using a feature called sitelink extensions, you can build out your ads with additional landing pages, providing users with a variety of ways to engage with your cause. In other words, you can share several touchpoints all within the same ad.
Not to mention, you have complete control over the keywords you target. That means you can make sure you’re only targeting search queries that connect you with qualified leads. Plus, you can use Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) to test out different versions of your ads to drive more clicks.
Above all, Google Search empowers you to connect with donors from all over the world. Available to organizations in 51 countries, the Google Ad Grant breaks down geographical barriers, so you can connect with motivated supporters wherever they are.
Google processes about 3.7 billion search queries every day and owns over 84% of the desktop search engine market.
With an average ROI of $4.78, search ads have the highest ROI for nonprofits using paid advertising.
View-through revenue (revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad) accounts for 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads.
In other words, the Google Ad Grants program gives you the power to supercharge your digital marketing and increase matching gift awareness more than ever before. By carefully selecting keywords and creating persuasive ads, you can connect with donors who are ready to donate and submit their matching gift requests to employers.
Types of Matching Gift Website Content to Promote with Google Ads
So you’re convinced that Google Ads is a viable way to grow matching gift awareness. Great! We wholeheartedly agree. Now, it’s time to take the next step: determining what content to promote with Google Ads. Or, if you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to create matching gift content on your website to attach to your ads.
One of the rules of the Google Ad Grant program is that your nonprofit must have high-quality website content. After all, that content is what you’ll be promoting with your ads. Let’s explore a few pages related to matching gifts you’ll want to create on your site.
Your Donation Form
A donation form is one of the most popular pages that nonprofits promote using the Google Ad Grant. Luckily, the donation process is the perfect time to encourage users to check their matching gift eligibility! Anyone visiting this page is clearly already thinking about donating, and they might even increase their donation if they know their employer will match it.
Using one of 360MatchPro’s donation form integrations, simply embed your employer search tool into this page. This will empower donors to take action immediately after clicking one of your Google Ads.
While creating brand-new matching gift content takes some time, updating your existing donation page with an employer search tool is a quick way to incorporate Google Ads into your matching gift promotion.
A Matching Gifts Page
While the concept of matching gifts is simple, companies’ programs can be tricky to navigate. They each have their own requirements and processes donors must follow to qualify. That’s why you’ll want to create a landing page that guides users through the process and allows them to determine their eligibility.
Your page should feature:
Basic information regarding what matching gift programs are
How the process of requesting a matching gift works
Your employer search tool so that users can research their companies’ programs
A dedicated matching gifts page will play a vital role in your Google Ads strategy. Your goal with this page should be to teach donors about matching gifts and spur them into action to submit the necessary forms. Then, when they click through to your site from your ad, they’ll know exactly what next step to take.
A Ways to Give Page
A Ways to Give page covers every way a prospect can support your work, from monthly giving to volunteering to matching gifts. Best of all, you probably already have this type of page published on your site.
Easily update your Ways to Give page with matching gift content. At a minimum, we recommend that you:
Direct donors to your dedicated matching gift page to learn more.
As an added bonus, this page is great to include in other ads! You can expand your other ad campaigns using the sitelink extension feature. Then, link to your Ways to Give page, directing all types of prospects to it to learn more about supporting your work.
Blog Articles
Occasionally, you’ll encounter donors who are confused about matching gifts, the process, and how to determine their eligibility. Clear up any confusion by publishing blog articles about matching gifts. This is also a great opportunity to share stories about how corporate giving has impacted your cause.
As you brainstorm your approach, here are a few other ways to create motivational blog articles about matching gifts:
Post insightful stories about matching gifts and the effects these programs can have on your organization’s mission.
Incorporate a graphic that advertises matching gifts on the side of all blog posts to help increase awareness.
Review the basics of matching gifts and give donors clear steps for checking their eligibility and submitting requests to their employers.
Like we mentioned, you can promote all sorts of content with the Google Ad Grant, including educational content about matching gifts! Dedicate some of your marketing team’s time to creating these articles. Then, when you create a particularly captivating article, you can promote it using Google Ads.
Choosing Keywords for Your Matching Gift Google Ads
One of the main components of your Google Ads is your keywords. Your keywords can make or break your Google Ads. Picking the right search terms will help you connect with motivated prospects who are likely to donate and submit matching gift requests to their employers.
Through Google for Nonprofits, you’ll gain access to helpful keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner. Use these tools to pinpoint the terms your donors are searching on Google. Or, if you’re feeling wary about picking your keywords, a Google Grants manager can step in to do the research for you.
Think like your donors. Ask, “What would a donor search to find out more about supporting our organization?” Then, think about how to promote matching gifts through those terms.
Select general keywords to expand your reach. As we mentioned, a lot of donors don’t know about matching gifts. To reach a large audience, target generic keywords that relate to supporting your cause. Then, you can direct users to specific pages that promote matching gifts.
Narrow your audience with specific keywords. To reach donors who already know about matching gifts, you might bid on more specific terms. Know that specific keywords tend to be less competitive, meaning your ads are more likely to be shown to users. However, keep in mind that keywords that are too specific will limit who you’re able to reach with your Google Ads since not many people will search these terms.
Know that you don’t have to add every variant of every keyword. Your keywords can capture traffic from closely related variations of whichever ones you choose. In other words, you don’t need to add every search query you come up with.
Let’s give a quick example so that you can see how this might look in practice. Let’s say you work for a heart disease prevention organization. Your donors might be looking to learn more about supporting heart disease research.
In this case, you might target search queries like “ways to give to heart disease research” and “donate to fight heart disease.” Then, you can direct traffic to your donation form and expand your ad with additional links to your Ways to Give page and dedicated matching gift page.
More specific matching gift keywords, like “matching donations to heart disease research” won’t receive much traffic. Targeting terms like this means you’ll severely limit your audience and likely won’t increase matching gift awareness very much.
So considering that your goal is to promote matching gifts with the Google Ad Grant, we suggest leaning into the first strategy of choosing more generic keywords. Then, you can use more specific keywords to spread awareness among knowledgeable donors.
Examples Showing How to Promote Matching Gifts with Google Ads
You can read all day about how to promote matching gifts with the Google Ad Grant. However, it’s much more useful to see some examples from real organizations! Here are a few of the ways we’ve seen nonprofits increase matching gift awareness through well-written Google Ads.
ASPCA
For this Google Ad, ASPCA targets focused keywords like “matching gifts for ASPCA.” The intent for this keyword shows that the user is knowledgeable about matching gifts and is likely wondering if they can have their donation to the organization matched.
That’s why the Google Ad directs the user to their dedicated matching gifts page. Then, it showcases the nonprofit’s Ways to Give page by using a sitelink extension, giving the user an additional way to engage with the organization.
Muslim American Society
In this Google Ad example, the Muslim American Society promotes matching gifts to users who are ready to donate. Someone who searches “give to Muslim American Society” is clearly on the verge of donating, making it the perfect time to promote matching gifts!
The landing page for this Google Ad is the organization’s donation form which prominently features matching gifts. There’s information about common guidelines and the process for submitting a match request alongside the form. Then, donors can research their eligibility using an embedded employer search tool.
Getting Started Promoting Matching Gifts with Google Ads
Now that you know the basics of promoting matching gifts with Google Ads, it’s time to dive in and create your campaigns!
If you need some additional help, you don’t have to go into it alone! We suggest turning to the Google Grant managers at Getting Attention. These experts know everything there is to know about the Google Ad Grant. They devote their time to learning the intricacies of the program, empowering their nonprofit partners to connect with new prospects on Google Search.
Ongoing account management to comply with Google’s rules
Landing page relaunch (including design work)
Account reactivation for lapsed or deactivated accounts
So, if promoting matching gifts with Google Ads sounds out of your wheelhouse, trust these experts to handle it for you! They’ll help you create compelling ads that drive real results for your cause. Plus, you can chat with their team about how the Google Ad Grant falls into your marketing strategy as a whole.
When you get creative, the Google Ad Grant can transform your digital marketing and increase visibility for corporate giving opportunities. Whether you’re advertising your donation form or a dedicated matching gifts page, there’s a lot you can do to make donors aware of their matching gift potential through the program.
For the quickest results, we highly recommend working with a Google Grants manager. These experts know the ins and outs of the program, so you can focus on other aspects of your mission while they design compelling ads.
As you get up and running, check out these resources to learn more about Google Ad Grants and how to promote matching gifts:
Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Digital Communications. Want to expand beyond Google Ads and promote matching gifts across all your digital communications? This guide will walk you through some key platforms to include in your outreach.
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Matching gift donors are individuals who not only contribute their own dollars but also amplify their support by requesting matching gifts on your organization’s behalf.
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