Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Matching Gift Process | A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

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As one of the most popular forms of corporate philanthropy, matching gifts are on the rise. This CSR tactic provides an easy way for organizations like yours to double incoming donations. However, many organizations are not taking full advantage of matching gifts⁠—largely due to a lack of understanding (among donors and staff alike) about the prevalence of the offering and the simplicity of the matching gift process.

Though it can vary based on specific companies and organizations, the basic matching gift process follows these key steps:

Here's what the matching gift process looks like.

Note: In this guide, we’ll dive deep into the traditional matching gift fundraising process. Keep in mind, though, that if a company was not prepared to launch a broadly accessible matching gift program or an organization sought a more personalized partnership with a business in its network, there’s another opportunity: custom matching gifts.

In the case of a custom matching gift program (also referred to as “one-off” or “unique” matching gift initiatives), a corporation commits to matching employee gifts to a single nonprofit cause. However, it’s important to note that the processes involved in establishing, marketing, and disbursing funding through these alternative programs tend to differ. If you’re looking to pursue a custom matching gift partnership, we recommend checking out our complete guide to custom matching gift programs here.

*While 360MatchPro offers custom matching gift management functionality, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—360MatchPro does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.

Now, without further ado, let’s start at the beginning of the standard matching gift process.

Step 1 in the matching gift process

Step 1: An individual donates to a nonprofit.

The first step in the matching gift process occurs when an individual makes a personal donation to an organization. This is a prerequisite for the gift-matching initiative, and it’s essentially what kicks off the rest of the procedure. After all, you can’t match a gift without a gift to match!

Luckily, there are tons of ways for individual donors to support their favorite causes. Depending on the companies the donors work for, different giving types may be eligible for matching gift program participation.

For example, an individual may give via a cash donation, online giving page, peer-to-peer campaign, direct mail, event contribution, and more. Meanwhile, some companies enable employees to give matchable donations through their CSR platform. And others will even match gifts of securities, such as stocks and mutual funds!

 

Here's what making a donation can look like in the matching gift process.

Here’s how the matching gift process can begin using an online donation form.

According to matching gift research on the topic, “The more options an employee has to give and to get their gift matched, the more likely they are to utilize available company matching opportunities.”

Step 2 of the matching gift process

Step 2: Their matching gift eligibility is determined.

Unfortunately, not every donation made to a charitable organization is going to be match-eligible. Not only do donors need to work for participating companies to qualify for corporate gift matches, but the donations themselves must also meet certain criteria in order to be approved. Thus, after a donor submits their personal donation, it’s time to determine whether that gift will be matchable.

In order to do so, you’ll need to compare the recently contributed gift against the donor’s employer’s matching gift guidelines. These should include:

  • Types of qualifying employees
  • Types of qualifying nonprofit causes
  • Minimum and maximum match amounts
  • Match submission deadlines
  • Matching gift ratios

Though some donors may go into the process fully aware of their matching gift eligibility status (for example, if their employer had previously promoted the opportunity to its staff), many will not know whether their company even offers such a program. That’s why more and more organizations are choosing to incorporate matching gift promotions immediately following the giving experience⁠—including on the donation confirmation page, follow-up emails, and more.

Luckily, top matching gift tools (that include access to a comprehensive matching gift database) should provide your donors with access to employers’ matching gift guidelines as well as links to company-specific match request forms. This will enable users to determine matching gift eligibility in just a few clicks.

Here's what determining eligibility can look like in the matching gift process.

A quick search using a matching gift database tool can provide detailed eligibility data.

Step 3 of the matching gift process

Step 3: The individual submits a matching gift request.

Each matching gift an organization receives is the direct result of a matching gift request from a donor to their employer. And though the online submission process can vary by company, the traditional request process typically involves the following steps:

1. An employee logs into the company’s matching gift submission website.

While some employers develop their own matching gift submission process internally, most contract behind-the-scenes facilitation of the program to a matching gift program provider designed specifically for the purpose. Those companies are typically provided with an online portal through which they manage their employer matching gifts programming.

Matching gift submission process step 1 - screenshot

For donors looking to submit their matching gift requests, the first step is to log into their employers’ online portal with their unique username and password. (Hint: Those with difficulty logging in may have access to support assistance through the management provider!)

2. The employee searches for the nonprofit they donated to.

Once logged into their employers’ giving portal, the employer/donor should be prompted to locate the organization to which they gave from within an online database. For example, an individual may be asked to provide the nonprofit’s:

  • City
  • State
  • Country
  • Zip code
  • Name (or keywords)
  • Tax ID number (EIN)

Matching gift submission process step 2 - screenshot

While a donor may not have all of the above information, entering as much of the data as possible will increase the likelihood that they’re able to select the correct organization in the following step.

Top tip! For this reason, we recommend providing your donors with easy access to your organization’s contact information and other essential details, so they have everything they need to submit their matching gift requests.

3. The employee selects the correct nonprofit from the search results.

After an employee provides the requested information about the organization they donated to, the matching gift management platform compares data against thousands of nonprofits in the system. Typically, a number of organizations meeting the search criteria are then compiled, and the employee is encouraged to select the correct listing with which to complete their request.

Matching gift submission process step 3 - screenshot

If the organization is not found, the individual is typically able to add a new organization by manually entering the nonprofit’s information—such as their mailing address and tax ID number⁠—to submit their match request.

4. The employee registers their donation.

After selecting the correct organization from the provided list, the employee donor is then able to provide details about their most recent donation to the nonprofit. Information requested will typically include:

  • Payment type
  • Donation amount
  • Donation currency
  • Date of payment
  • Match amount requested (as calculated using the company’s predetermined matching ratio and maximum match amount)
  • Optional anonymity or memorial status
  • Optional donation program designation

Matching gift submission process step 4 - screenshot

Ultimately, this data will be reviewed by the donor’s employer (or matching gift management provider) to ensure the donation meets the company’s matching gift eligibility criteria.

5. The employee submits their matching gift request.

This final step is the simplest of them all!

After providing detailed information about their nonprofit donation, the donor is asked to review the information for accuracy and submit their gift request to the company for processing and review.

Matching gift submission process step 5 - screenshot

However, Double the Donation has recently rolled out an all-new streamlined way for donors to submit their matching gift requests with matching gift auto-submission.

NEW! Matching Gift Auto-Submission with Double the Donation

With newly out-of-beta auto-submission functionality, Double the Donation enables donors to bypass steps 1-5 highlighted above and complete their matching gift request more quickly than ever before. And it can all be done directly from an organization’s gift confirmation page!

Matching gift request process with auto-submission

Here’s how it works: During the giving process, donors are prompted to enter their employers’ names as usual. If an individual works for a company that has auto-submission enabled through their corporate giving platform, they are flagged as auto-submission-eligible.

Once they are redirected to their thank-you screen, the individual is prompted to enter their corporate email address (or potentially another piece of information to verify their identity) and authorize Double the Donation to submit the match request on their behalf.

From there, Double the Donation processes the matching gift request behind the scenes, passing data pertaining to the initial gift along to the CSR platform used by the individual’s employer to review the submission.

Step 4 of the matching gift process

Step 4: The employer reviews and verifies the match request.

At this point, the donor will have completed their portion of the matching gift process⁠—and the rest will fall on the nonprofit receiving funds and the company contributing funds, respectively.

Now, the employer will typically review the employee’s matching gift request and ultimately determine whether to approve the matching donation. One of the key stages in this process involves the matching company ensuring that the initial donation was actually made. Otherwise, they won’t want to match a nonexistent donation!

While some companies manually verify each donation, many utilize gift receipts as proof of an individual’s personal contribution. In this scenario, the company will simply analyze the provided donation receipt and matching gift request to ensure the donation meets the company’s matching gift standards. If so, the donation match will be approved.

Here's what donation verification can look like in the matching gift process.

A gift receipt, like this, may function as proof of an individual’s personal contribution.

In other cases, however, the organization’s team will be responsible for verifying that the original donation was made as reported to the donor’s employer. When this occurs, the nonprofit will be required to attest to the validity of the original donation in order for the company to issue its matching gift.

(Tip: if you do get a request for donation verification, see to it as quickly as possible to avoid unnecessary delays in the matching gift disbursement process!)

Step 5 of the matching gift process

Step 5: The employer matches the donation.

Once the original donation is verified and approved, the actual disbursement process is triggered. As a result, the company offering the matching gift will issue its corporate donation in the amount offered by its matching program (typically at a dollar-for-dollar rate of the employee’s initial gift, but depending on the preset matching gift ratio).

Here are a few things for organizations to consider when it comes to this step in the matching gift process:

Disbursement schedules

Different companies have different disbursement schedules, so it may take a while for companies to process the verification and issue the check. Many businesses opt for a monthly distribution, but more information about a specific company’s timeline can often be found online or by using a matching gift program database.

Grouped donation matches

If a company receives multiple matching gift requests from multiple employees to the same nonprofit, they may decide to combine the matches together in a single donation.

For example, let’s say Ashley requested a donation match for $100 and John requested a match for $500, both to the Cat Rescue Club. Ashley and John’s employer, the Home Depot, may provide the Cat Rescue Club with one check worth $600 rather than two separate donations.

Here's what match disbursement can look like in the matching gift process.

Here’s what a corporate matching gift may look like, once disbursed.

Step 6 of the matching gift process

Bonus Step: The nonprofit thanks its donors!

Though this final step is not technically required for organizations looking to increase corporate revenue with donation-matching, recognizing donors for their participation is a critical component of an optimized matching gift process.

Consider this sample recognition message, which reads:

“Dear Jenny,

Thank you for your generous support of Cat Rescue Club.

We are pleased to inform you that we have just received a corporate matching gift as a result of your recent contribution. We appreciate the time you took to initiate the matching gift process.

Cat Rescue Club greatly appreciates your continuous support.

Sincerely,

Matching Gifts Manager
Cat Rescue Club”

Here's what match recognition can look like in the matching gift process.

Here’s an example of an effective matching gift recognition.

Following up after receiving a match enables your team to close the loop that may otherwise be left open. If a donor is never made aware that their match request was successful, they’re not likely to participate in a matching program again in the future. When you confirm the completion of the match, however, you leave a positive impression of both your organization and the matching gift process for donors to hold onto.

Not to mention, sending out a thank-you message after collecting a matching donation allows you to communicate your appreciation of the donor and their support. Once again, feel free to remind the individual of the increased impact that their matching gift has brought to your cause.

Matching gifts can seem like an immense task for nonprofits and donors who are unfamiliar with the programs and all they entail. When you take a closer look at what’s really involved, however, getting your donations matched is entirely doable⁠—some might even say easy!

Just remember, equipping your team with the right tools for the job is essential, especially for those looking to further streamline and simplify the matching gift process from start to finish.

Interested in learning more about the matching gift process and other strategic corporate fundraising opportunities? Check out our other educational resources:

Learn more about optimizing the matching gift process with Double the Donation.

Marketing matching gifts to your internal team

Marketing Matching Gifts To Your Internal Team

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Employees (or volunteers, for that matter) of any nonprofit should believe in their mission wholeheartedly. At the same time, team members across all roles and departments should be encouraged to further their good work in any way they can.

Why else would a person dedicate their life to any profession? Sure, some people might work for money alone, but in the nonprofit sector, the ultimate goal is often not a personal or financial one.

Rather, key objectives include delivering a positive effect on the world by helping solve problems and overcoming community roadblocks. This often involves providing a solution via goods or services where there once was a gap. The problem is that these solutions typically require a decent amount of funding to establish.

If you’re looking for new methods that your organization can use to collect increased funds, matching gifts are one of the best ways to go. And the first logical step in driving matching revenue is beginning with your nonprofit itself⁠—by marketing matching gifts to your internal team.

By incorporating the following matching gift marketing strategies into your overall nonprofit fundraising plan, you can ensure your team is doing the best job possible in acquiring matching gift funds. This should include prioritizing your:

Remember, internal outreach encompasses all areas of your nonprofit’s “behind the scenes” efforts⁠—including paid staff members, volunteer teams, dedicated fundraisers, and so on.

Let’s dive in with key ways to market matching gifts to these critical teams!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Internal Awareness

One of the first steps you’ll want to take in order to market matching gifts to your nonprofit’s internal team is to increase awareness of the opportunities within your organization. Make sure that every team member is familiar with the concepts involved with employee gift-matching so that they can be better prepared to pass on the information to interested supporters.

When your team has a solid foundation of knowledge about matching gifts, your staff and supporters will naturally spread the word about the opportunities. Informing your internal staff about matching gifts reminds them to prioritize and elevate matching gifts every chance they get.

Here are a few best practices to consider when marketing matching gifts by increasing internal awareness:

  • Host dedicated training sessions where you inform your nonprofit team about matching gift fundraising.
  • Clarify where team members should turn to seek more information about donation-matching⁠—whether that’s a matching gift team leader, additional resources, etc.
  • Incorporate matching gift training into your organization’s future onboarding initiatives to ensure new team members are being informed about the opportunities as well.

Internal promotion may be the most essential strategy for promoting matching gifts. Of course, you’ll want your fundraising team to understand and communicate the value of matching gifts. But don’t stop there! Make sure every person within your organization is trained on matching gift fundraising strategies⁠—from the board president to your custodial staff!

This can be as simple as informing your staff about matching gifts at your next organization-wide meeting. Then, implore your team to be mindful of these programs when speaking to both donors and prospects. Once the word about matching gifts is out, it can spread like wildfire from one trusted voice to another.

Marketing matching gifts to your internal team with matching gift awareness

Marketing Matching Gifts With Matching Gift Teams

Strategies for marketing matching gifts to your internal team typically begins with establishing a dedicated matching gift coordinator and team. Once ready and equipped, these individuals will work to spread the word and prioritize the opportunity for everyone else involved with your nonprofit.

Sure, everyone should have basic knowledge when it comes to corporate gift-matching. But in order to fully implement the funding source in your overall nonprofit fundraising strategy, it’s important to form a dedicated matching gift team that goes above and beyond in pursuit of matching gifts.

Here are a few best practices to consider when marketing matching gifts by forming a matching gifts team:

  • Identify a leader of your matching gift fundraising team to ensure matching gifts are promoted to donors and be there to answer questions about matching gifts.
  • Pull individuals from your marketing, fundraising, volunteer coordinating, and other relevant departments.
  • Make an effort to streamline your matching gift processes and implement a culture of matching gifts.

For the greatest results, a matching gift fundraising team should address specific roles in the matching gift process. This group of dedicated individuals is designed to get all of your matching gift efforts streamlined and bring in more corporate-matched donations than ever before.

Specifically, hiring a matching gift expert (or forming a team of matching gift fundraisers) will ensure that you have a point of contact for everything matching-gift-related. This can lead to better outreach and marketing strategies for matching gifts. There’s a real science to maximizing matching gifts, and it takes foundation in proper execution from a dedicated matching gift team.

Marketing Matching Gifts With A Matching Gift Fundraising Plan

With your matching gift team in place, it’s time to execute your efforts with a detailed fundraising plan. With determination and proper strategy on your side, your organization as a whole can benefit from a substantial increase in doubled donations.

To do so, be sure to first identify to whom you plan on marketing matching gifts⁠—and how you aim to do so. This step also involves determining exactly what information you’d like to share with donors. Consider the following questions:

Do you simply want to inform donors that matching gift programs exist? Shall you educate them on how to get involved? Would you like donors to know how matching gifts provide necessary additional funds for specific mission initiatives? Are you aiming to direct eligible donors directly to their companies’ matching gift program guidelines and instructions?

More than likely, your answer will involve a combination of each key topic. But don’t forget⁠—before you can craft your plan to communicate the above information to donors, you’ll need to ensure your nonprofit team is up to speed as well.

Here are a few best practices to consider when marketing matching gifts to your internal team by developing a detailed matching gift fundraising plan:

  • Establish specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals for increasing matching gift awareness and revenue.
  • Discuss matching gift opportunities with the tangible mission impacts in mind. Your team members care about your cause and will be increasingly motivated to seek donation matches when they can better visualize what’s at stake.
  • Evaluate the most effective marketing opportunities for promoting matching gifts. Prioritize the outreach channels that will best serve your nonprofit (such as direct mail, social media, email, etc.) while keeping in mind that a multi-channel plan is typically the most ideal choice.

When you inform your staff about matching gifts, it essentially launches the domino effect, and, before you know it, soon, word has spread throughout your entire network about the power of matching gifts.

Be sure to articulate that submitting a matching gift will allow people to go the extra mile and do even more for your mission⁠—all without having to reach back into their own wallets. That should be the foundation of your matching gift fundraising plan!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Key Metrics

As you dive into marketing matching gifts to your nonprofit’s team by forming a marketing plan, sharing corporate giving content with donors, and incorporating matching gift training into ongoing staff management, don’t forget to also measure your results.

Here are a few best practices to consider when marketing matching gifts by tracking and recording key fundraising metrics:

  • Keep track of the number and value of match-eligible gifts identified.
  • Record the number and value of matching gifts received in a certain time period.
  • Calculate your organization’s matching gift rate (i.e., the number of matching gifts received divided by the total number of individual donations).
  • Make a note of the percentage increase on individual donations (matching gift value divided by the total value of individual donations).

By tracking, recording, and analyzing key fundraising metrics, you can easily evaluate your data. From there, you’ll be able to continuously improve your matching gift promotion strategies both internally and beyond your own team.

Remember⁠—there’s always room for improvement when it comes to optimizing your fundraising efforts. As you learn from past initiatives and aim for increasingly improved results, keep in mind that key updates can be made to better engage with your audience (not to mention your own internal team) at any time.

Marketing matching gifts to your internal team with key metrics

Getting your nonprofit’s team on board with matching gifts is an essential prerequisite for effective matching gifts fundraising. Before you can market the opportunity to external supporters, it’s vital that your fundraisers are up to speed with all things matching gifts and ready to communicate the impact and importance of these programs to donors and supporters.

It all starts with marketing matching gifts to your internal team! Be sure to increase awareness of the programs, form a dedicated department devoted to amplifying matching gifts, and track and report key fundraising metrics throughout the process.

Ready to learn more about matching gift opportunities? Read up on these additional resources⁠—and be sure to share your findings with the rest of your internal team:

Learn more about marketing matching gifts to your internal team with Double the Donation.

Marketing matching gifts on your website with direct mail outreach

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail Outreach

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While electronic communication is a speedy and efficient outreach strategy, some donors prefer communication via direct mail. That’s why we recommend taking a multi-channel approach to marketing matching gifts with direct mail outreach and online engagement efforts.

This way, you’re able to reach a significantly wider audience while offering additional touchpoints to make your materials stand out. And in the end, that means more matching gifts for your cause.

Now, you might be asking yourself (or your team): “Is paper marketing out of date?” The simple answer is that no, it’s not. In fact, there are a number of donors who still prefer the personal touch of tangible mail.

When people read direct mail, as opposed to email or other online communications, the interaction between ink and paper does something to help people better remember what they’re reading. Common sense would advise that you don’t just want people to read about matching gift programs; you want people to remember them.

Though digital giving methods are en vogue as of late, some donors don’t respond to internet-based outreach. Whether your donors are less technologically savvy or simply prefer a good, old-fashioned letter, some donors are best contacted through the (still lively) snail mail process.

This may include a combination of:

The debate between paper communication and technological communication has raged on for years. Nonetheless, employing both types of marketing works best.

Every type of direct mail has its place in the matching gift donation cycle, and each one will help you better reach that vital segment of donors who prefer to interact via direct mail communications.

In this guide, we’ll learn more about marketing matching gifts with direct mail using each of these strategies. Let’s begin!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Letters

Use letters to remind donors to check if their employers offer matching gifts. Make sure the wording doesn’t read like a sale but rather feels like a personal communication between your nonprofit and the donor.

You want people to know that, by applying for a matching gift, they’re doing a great service to your nonprofit⁠—above and beyond their initial contribution. If you have the time and resources, consider writing your letters by hand. If not, you may decide to opt for printed matching gift letters.

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with direct mail letters:

  • Target your direct mailings to active donors who have recently contributed a gift to your organization.
  • Research your donors (and their matching gift eligibility) before sending your letters to ensure you’re not throwing away any postage.
  • Incorporate an easily scannable QR code that directs readers to your matching gifts page for more information.
  • Take a multi-channel approach to communicating with donors, reminding them about matching gift programs via mail, and following up with digital communications.

Just be sure to write to your donors like they’re human beings and share personal stories to get them increasingly invested in your cause. This will encourage individuals to want to go the extra mile to seek out and participate in their employers’ matching gift programs.

And when you receive a matching gift, remember to say “thank you!” Even if you communicate with a donor primarily via email, a paper thank you in the mail can be a great way to show how much you appreciate the additional dollars (and the steps the donor took to secure the funding).

Example Content:

  • “Many employers offer matching gift programs that could double or even triple your contribution. We invite you to seek out matching gifts so that Atlanta University can continue to educate the next generation of changemakers.”
  • “Many corporations offer programs that match employee donations to the Cat Rescue Club. The tax-deductible portion of your membership contribution is often eligible to be matched as well⁠—find out more on our website!”
  • “Visit catrescueclub.org/employer-matching/ or visit https://doublethedonation.com/CRC to find out if your company will match your donation.”

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail_Letter

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail Inserts

If you don’t want to edit all of your existing marketing materials to mention matching gifts, or if you want to call added attention to such programs, paper mailing inserts may be the offline marketing technique for you.

Paper inserts are typically slips of paper included in additional donor mailings that call special attention to matching gifts. And they come in a variety of forms, as well. Sometimes they’re as simple as small pieces of paper, though you could even get creative and turn your paper insert into a bookmark or another longer-lasting material.

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with direct mail inserts:

  • To reduce costs, design direct mail inserts smaller than a full page or use a postcard.
  • Rather than creating an additional direct mail insert, incorporate donation-matching information on the back of an existing paper insert material.
  • Consider retaining direct mail marketing strategies for donors or members at higher giving levels (and prioritize digital outreach for small and mid-level donors).
  • Stick to a limited amount of text that gets straight to the point⁠—typically an overview of matching gifts and a call to action to participate.
  • Incorporate eye-catching graphics that elevate the brief message rather than take away from the content at hand.
  • Encourage recipients to visit your website (and, specifically, your dedicated matching gift page) at the provided link. If the URL for your match page is long or complicated to type, consider including a shortened version that automatically redirects to your matching gift page.

Direct mail is more likely to be noticed by less tech-savvy donors and members who aren’t exploring your website on a regular basis. Including a matching gift insert in new members’ or donors’ welcome packets, membership renewal materials, or annual update communications can bring additional attention to matching gifts.

Example Content:

  • “Matching gifts can double your support for our organization. Many corporations offer programs that will match employee donations to our organization. Is your employer one of them? Learn more about available matching gift programs on our website!”
  • “Matching gifts and volunteer grants are important sources of revenue for our organization. Visit our matching gift page to find out if your company will match your donation and to access the appropriate forms and guidelines.”

Marketing matching gifts with direct mail outreach using a direct mail insert

Marketing Matching Gifts With Postcards

People love receiving personalized mail, and postcards can be a great way to make your materials stand out. After all, you get to immediately surpass the issue of donors who never get past the first obstacle⁠—the envelope.

As a result, postcards can be an especially effective way to encourage donors to submit matching gifts.

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with postcards:

  • Summarize what matching gifts are and what the financial impact is.
  • Remind donors to submit their matching gift requests to their employers.
  • Directs recipients to a site (or individual’s contact information) where they can access additional information.
  • Determine which segments of donors to which you’ll send postcards⁠—including all recent donors, recent donors above a certain threshold, donors identified as match-eligible, or donors who’ve submitted matching gifts for past donations but haven’t yet for their most recent contributions.

Just as with the solicitation letters, the more personalized you can make your postcards, the better. Handwritten cards are great, but at the very least, you’ll want to have your postcards signed by hand. Knowing that a real person cared enough to write (or sign) your mailing can go a long way toward connecting with recipients on an individual level.

Example Content:

  • “Get your donation matched! Scan this QR code to visit our page on corporate matching gifts and find out if your employer will match your generous donation to our cause.”
  • “Do you match? Visit www.lls.org/matching-gifts/ to search our matching gift database and quickly access your company’s matching gift program guidelines.”

Marketing matching gifts with direct mail outreach using a postcard - front

Marketing matching gifts with direct mail outreach using a postcard - back

Marketing Matching Gifts With Thank-You Notes

It’s likely that your nonprofit is receiving matching gift checks several months after the original donations. Sending thank-you notes is a great way to notify your donors that the matching contributions were received.

Thanking donors is not only the right thing to do, but it also instills a positive impression in donors’ minds and ultimately closes the loop. As a result, donors will be more likely to make future contributions with matching gifts.

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with thank-you notes:

  • Utilize a “thank-you” card that is both easy to read and eye-appealing while also staying true to your brand’s color scheme.
  • Ask donors to keep your organization in the loop throughout their matching gift request process (i.e., indicating when they’ve submitted their match), which allows you to better track and record incoming matching donations.
  • Provide insights into the tangible impact the individual’s donation match can offer your organization and its beneficiaries.
  • Share gratitude for both the donation match and the individual’s initial donation.

For large institutions, the chances are that you’ll be sending notes to more people than hand cramps you care to endure. Printed materials are a speedy and efficient alternative to handwritten letters, but if you want that personal touch, pick up a pen and scribble a quick message. Even just signing at the bottom can show an extra level of dedication that donors will respond to!

Example Content:

  • “We recently received a matching donation from the Home Depot as a result of your generous donation and subsequent match request on our behalf. Thank you for your constant support of our cause!”
  • “Thank you for submitting your matching donation! Your support goes above and beyond to help us fulfill our mission. Our team, and the beneficiaries we serve, will forever be grateful for your contributions to the campaign.”

Marketing matching gifts with direct mail outreach using a thank you note

Marketing Matching Gifts With Physical Newsletters

Physical newsletters as a marketing medium offer a unique opportunity for organizations to share content that goes in-depth about the details of matching gifts. After all, this method typically encompasses an increased amount of space to articulate why matching gifts are important⁠—and their specific benefits to your nonprofit⁠—as compared to some other direct mail or even online marketing tactics.

This, in turn, brings them closer to your nonprofit in a way that makes them feel more in touch with (and thus more included) in your community.

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with physical newsletters:

  • Share compelling statistics about matching gift availability and potential (hint: we’ve compiled a list of impactful corporate giving research here to help).
  • Communicate the value of matching gifts using examples of tangible benefits that increased funding can bring your organization and its mission.
  • Direct readers to additional online resources where donors can navigate to learn more about getting involved with donation-matching.
  • Consider creating a matching gift-specific edition of your nonprofit newsletter, chockfull of information about the giving opportunity.

Chances are, you have an online newsletter to share current events and updates surrounding your nonprofit organization and its mission. But have you noticed that some people still prefer the physical newspaper to the digital edition?

As a result, a physical newsletter gives you a better chance of reaching donors who you might otherwise miss.

Example Content:

  • Matching gifts occur when socially responsible companies agree to financially match donations that their employees make to eligible causes. However, millions of eligible donors have no idea whether their companies offer such a program! As a result, more than $4 to $7 billion in available matching gift funding goes unclaimed every year. Are you missing out on potential matches from your employer? Check out our website to learn more about these opportunities and determine whether your most recent donation is eligible for a corporate match.”
  • “In the last year, more than $100,000 worth of donations made to our charity were identified as eligible for corporate matching through donors’ employing companies. However, only a fraction of that amount was actually processed and contributed via corporate matches. Imagine what we could do if every match-eligible donor secures a corporate donation from their employer⁠. Think of all the families in our community who won’t go hungry, thanks to adequate funding for our food pantry! Find out if your employer offers a matching program by visiting www.henrypantry.com/matching.”

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail_Newsletter

Marketing Matching Gifts With Return Envelopes

If your nonprofit is like other organizations using direct mail to solicit donations, you probably include a pre-addressed, pre-paid return envelope. This is a common practice, the purpose of which is to make it easy for donors to send in their donations.

But did you know that the return envelope is also a prime spot to remind donors to look into their employers’ matching gift programs?

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with return envelopes:

  • Keep your text short and sweet⁠—you’re not going to have a ton of space on the outside of an envelope.
  • Direct recipients to additional resources where they can learn more about matching gift opportunities.

If a donor is submitting a gift to your organization via return envelope, there’s no better time to inform them of the power of matching gifts.

Why?

These already-philanthropic donors can increase the impact of their donations to your organization without spending any more on their initial donation. Right when they’re already in the giving spirit is the perfect opportunity to inform them about the opportunity!

Example Content:

  • “Thanks for donating! Don’t forget to see if your company offers a matching gift program. Visit atlantauniversity.edu/matching-gifts/ to access your company’s matching gift form, guidelines, and instructions.”
  • “Next steps: find out if your donation is matchable! Search your employer’s name in our online matching gift database at www.catrescue.org/employee-matching.”

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail_Envelope

A lot of the time, scoring matching gifts is about increasing awareness about these programs. Marketing matching gift with direct mail outreach offers a bevy of ways to connect to donors⁠—and some donors even respond better to paper mail than they do digital methods.

From letters to postcards to newsletters, you have a ton of options to raise more fundraising revenue than ever (both matching gift and otherwise).

And remember⁠—the question is hardly ever whether to market matching gifts with direct mail or with digital outreach. Instead, a multi-channel approach is nearly always the best solution for communicating with donors, sharing information in effective and memorable ways, and ultimately driving more donation matches to completion.

Interested in increasing matching gift marketing for your cause? Check out our other educational resources to raise more:

  • Improving the Donor Journey with Matching Gifts. Incorporating matching gift outreach⁠—whether direct mail, digital, or a combination of the two⁠—is one of the best ways to improve the donor journey and provide excellent supporter experiences. Find out how with this guide!
  • Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2022]. These corporate philanthropy, workplace giving, and matching gift statistics are unbelievable but true. Learn more about the current state of corporate giving, the potential that these programs offer for nonprofit causes like yours, and how to close the gap.
  • Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs: Learn the Basics. Thousands of companies provide organizations with which their employees volunteer generous grants corresponding to the number of hours spent with the cause. Like matching gifts, volunteer grants enable supporters to do more for their favorite charities!

Learn more about marketing matching gifts with direct mail outreach with Double the Donation.

Marketing matching gifts on your website

Marketing Matching Gifts On Your Website

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Your website is likely the number one place where donors come to learn about your mission and, ultimately, make a contribution to the cause. Marketing matching gifts on your website is a great way to promote the opportunity while encouraging donors to give more⁠—and make a matching gift request.

While many of your site’s visitors may start out as strangers, the goal is to impress every user⁠—and to make sure that all parties leave feeling satisfied and looking forward to their next visit. Matching gifts are a great way to do that.

With donors going the online giving route more and more often, an organization’s website encompasses endless opportunities to educate supporters about matching gifts and drive them further down the donation-matching funnel.

Because a nonprofit’s website is such a multifaceted tool, there are a ton of ways to market matching gifts effectively within the online resource. In this guide, we’ll dive into a few of the most common and impactful methods for doing so:

As with any modern organization, your website is often the first impression someone has of your nonprofit. It’s essential that you make it count by sharing about matching gifts every chance you get. The more familiar donors are with gift-matching initiatives, the more likely they ultimately are to participate!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Dedicated Match Pages

As you learn more about corporate giving, be sure to share this knowledge with your supporters. When you inform donors about corporate philanthropy (and specifically employee or workplace giving opportunities), they’ll know their impact can be multiplied without reaching back into their own pockets. All they need to do is request a matching gift!

One of the best ways to ensure each donor has access to a wide range of matching gift information (and knows how to locate more), we recommend hosting a dedicated corporate matching gift web page on your website. This way, donors will have easy access to a landing page where they can learn about matching gift programs and discover if their employers participate.

This page can communicate relevant facts, such as matching gift statistics or annual donation numbers, as well as allow donors to search for information with an embedded company search tool. It could even be as simple as stating what matching gifts are!

Make sure to incorporate the following best practices for matching gifts on your dedicated match page:

  • Begin with a brief overview of corporate matching gift programs (and where users can locate additional information on the topic).
  • Explain the benefits of matching gifts programs, both for your nonprofit and for the donors themselves.
  • Embed Double the Donation’s autocomplete search box in a highly visible location on the page.
  • Include your organization’s contact information, including mailing address and EIN/tax ID number.

The goal of your matching gift page is to provide donors with a place to both learn about matching gifts and be spurred into action on the spot. With Double the Donation’s matching gift services, for example, you can empower donors to participate with year-round access to the forms, guidelines, and instructions they need to submit matching gift requests in minutes.

Example Content:

  • “Did you know that more than 26 million people work for companies with employee matching gift programs? You might too! Learn more about your employer’s matching gift programs by entering the company’s name in the below search box.”
  • “Matching gifts enable our organization to do more for the children in our community. When you request a donation match for your gift to the Children’s Play and Learning Center, you can provide much-needed resources for twice as many kids we serve. Find out more about the programs with our FAQ section, or find your company’s guidelines here.”

Marketing matching gifts on your website with a dedicated match page

Marketing Matching Gifts With Prewritten Articles

Organizations often use online blogs to keep supporters updated on their efforts and tell the nonprofit’s story. Why not also utilize your blog to share ways for donors to double their donations, enabling your team to keep telling that story?

Blog articles are a great way to start the conversation about corporate philanthropy, specifically the role that individual donors can play. Consider telling in-depth stories about the importance of matching gifts while educating people on how to submit the necessary forms.

Best practices for marketing matching gifts with your prewritten articles include:

  • Posting insightful stories about matching gifts and the effects the programs can bring your organization’s mission.
  • Incorporating a graphic that advertises matching gifts on the side of a blog post to help increase awareness.

Many donors have never heard of matching gift and volunteer grant programs, so it’s important to inform your supporters about the opportunities. And in order to evoke emotion and drive more donors to participate, we recommend carefully demonstrating the increased impact that corporate giving can have.

Example Content:

  • “Corporate Employee Matching Gift Programs: What Are They and How Do They Benefit Atlanta University?”
    • Use this article topic to inform donors about matching gift basics, from what matching gifts are to how they benefit your organization to how easy it is to submit a matching gift request. Sometimes people just need to know that such programs exist!
  • “Cat Rescue Club raises $200,000 from Matching Gifts and Saves 10,000 Additional Furry Friends!”
    • Use this article topic to detail how matching gifts provide additional resources that can create opportunities that would otherwise not be possible. Make the story personal and relatable so donors realize the importance of taking a mere five minutes to submit a matching gift request.

Marketing matching gifts in your digital communications with prewritten articles

Marketing Matching Gifts With Images and Buttons

Images and buttons are each highly effective ways to draw attention to matching gifts within your organization’s website. Well-crafted visuals are significantly more eye-catching than plain text links (which are often overlooked) and can be a great resource for driving website visitors to take an intended call to action.

Make sure to incorporate the following best practices for matching gifts using images and buttons:

  • Brand your images and buttons to your organization and its website by using your existing color scheme, font choices, etc.
  • Use imagery to help donors visualize the tangible impact that matching gifts can bring your organization and its mission.
  • Produce high-quality and visually appealing images and buttons⁠—avoid blurriness, overcrowding, and imbalance⁠—that also add value to your site.
  • Choose and communicate a clear action that you’d like website visitors to take (such as visiting your matching gifts page or searching their employer in your company database).

Once you have your images and buttons created and ready to go, consider incorporating one or more of these resources into your website, along with other digital communications⁠—such as social media marketing and matching gift emails⁠—as well.

Example Content:

  • “Get your gift matched ⁠— request a matching donation from your employer here!”
  • “Learn more about matching gifts! Click here to locate your company’s matching gift guidelines.”

Marketing matching gifts on your website with images

Marketing matching gifts on your website with buttons

Marketing Matching Gifts With Navigation Bars

A website’s navigation bar is used to provide visitors with an easily accessible resource with which they can travel throughout the site from page to page. For many nonprofits, this navigation bar (also known as a “navigation menu”) incorporates the most highly-trafficked pages.

Depending on the organization in question, this might include items related to the organization’s mission and vision, an “about us” page, contact information for users to get in touch with the team, and a number of ways to support the cause.

By including a link to your organization’s dedicated matching gift web page (described above) within your navigation bar, you can allow users to access that information from anywhere on your website.

Make sure to incorporate the following best practices for matching gifts on your website navigation:

  • Provide easy access to matching gift information directly from your site’s navigation bar by linking to your dedicated matching gift page.
  • Choose phrasing that is straight to the point and easily understood by your donors and other website viewers (for example, “Double your Donation” or “Matching Gifts”).
  • Place your link as prominently within your navigation bar as possible. Avoid too many subfolders, which can defeat the purpose of including it in the website menu at all.

Incorporating a matching gifts link in your navigation bar allows donors to intuitively discover matching gifts. Once a user clicks the link or button, they are able to dive into all the nitty-gritty details about matching gift programs. But all it takes to spark that interest and get the user involved is typically just a few words within the navigation menu!

Marketing matching gifts on your website with a navigation bar

Marketing Matching Gifts With Ways to Give Pages

A functional website is a necessity for every organization. Not only is it a valuable resource for sharing information about your cause and operations, but it also offers an invaluable source of real estate for promoting revenue opportunities⁠—both matching gifts and otherwise.

For many organizations, that’s where their Ways to Give page comes in!

A “ways to give” page is an area on a nonprofit’s website where people learn about a wide range of support options for the organization. This often includes online giving, upcoming events, direct mail donations, peer-to-peer fundraising opportunities, volunteer initiatives, and, of course, workplace giving programs such as donation matches and volunteer grants.

Make sure to incorporate the following best practices for matching gifts on your “ways to give” page:

  • Provide donors with direct access to the tools they need to research their own matching gift eligibility (like a matching gift company search tool).
  • Direct donors to a page with more information (e.g., your dedicated matching gift page).

There are typically a ton of ways for supporters to contribute to your organization, and you’ll want to advertise them all on your “ways to give” page. Then, as donors are looking for impactful opportunities to support your cause, remind them that having their employers double their donations is a simple way to make their gift go further.

Example Content:

  • “Looking for more ways to support your favorite charities? See if your employer offers matching gifts!”
  • “Did you know that thousands of companies match employee donations? Find out if your support is eligible for matching to double the impact of your gift.”

Marketing matching gifts on your website with a ways to give page

Marketing Matching Gifts With Custom Matching Gift Program Pages

Some companies may not yet have the resources or the bandwidth to launch a comprehensive matching gift program for their staff. One approach that’s becoming increasingly popular among such businesses is the establishment of custom matching gift programs as a way for employers to get a taste of the employee giving opportunity. In this scenario, a company would agree to match team members’ donations to a single nonprofit, often during a limited-time campaign.

And by marketing this unique (or “one-off”) matching gift opportunity, your nonprofit can pursue corporate partnerships more effectively. We recommend hosting a dedicated Custom Matching Gift Programs page on your website, keeping in mind that this resource will primarily target the companies themselves⁠—rather than a company’s individual employees.

Make sure to incorporate the following best practices for matching gifts using custom matching gift pages:

  • Host the page and the embedded interest form on your nonprofit website, and maintain consistent branding throughout your organizational materials.
  • Clearly define the partnership opportunity. Many companies will be unaware that custom matching gift programs are an option, so you’ll want to overview exactly what is being asked and offered.
  • Provide a summary of your nonprofit’s mission and vision! Interested companies may be familiar with your purpose already, but a refresher can reiterate the impact the partner would make by supporting your cause.

Custom matching gift programs provide nonprofits with an excellent opportunity to deepen their relationships with philanthropic-minded companies wanting to get involved in giving back. But they take a bit of a different marketing approach to pursue, so it’s a good idea to determine where these initiatives fit into your overall corporate fundraising strategy and go from there.

Example Content:

  • “Interested in supporting our organization with a custom matching gift program? Fill out the following form, and we’ll be in touch to discuss the next steps for developing a mutually beneficial partnership!”
  • “By organizing a custom matching gift initiative, which is a unique type of employee giving program, your company would commit to matching donations made by your employees to our nonprofit organization.”

Here's an example of how LLS markets custom matching gift programs and partnerships on its website.

*While 360MatchPro offers custom matching gift management functionality, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—360MatchPro does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.

Implementing matching gift promotions across your website is a major step in boosting your revenue. Don’t overlook it!

Individuals looking to get involved in your giving in the first place will be more inclined to contribute while existing donors will be able to easily locate the information they need to get their gifts matched by their employers.

As your organization’s #1 marketing tool, marketing matching gifts on your website is essential.

Interested in learning more about effective matching gift fundraising practices? Check out our other educational resources on the topic:

  • A Complete Guide to Fundraising Automation for Nonprofits. Raise more for your organization with less time, money, and resources by leveraging automation strategies. Find out how to fundraise better across your online giving pages, donor management system, matching gift tools, and more with this guide.
  • How Donor Employer Information Can Boost Your Fundraising. Sharing company-specific matching gift information with donors is a great practice to follow. But in order to do so, you’ll need to know where they work! Learn more about collecting donor employment data and what to do with it here.
  • Matching Gift Databases: Our Comprehensive Guide for 2022. Marketing matching gifts across your website and more is made easier with a matching gift database. Explore this 360MatchPro guide to uncovering everything you need to know about the leading matching gift software solution.

Learn more about marketing matching gifts on your website with Double the Donation.

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process

Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Donation Process

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Matching gifts empower donors to make a larger impact on a cause that they care about⁠. This is often done by enabling them to contribute greater donation value than they would or could have been able to give on their own. Not to mention, Double the Donation research reports that 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if they know a matching gift is being offered.

That’s why marketing matching gifts in your donation process is becoming an increasingly popular choice. In this guide, we’ll cover four of the most impactful ways that nonprofits like yours are choosing to do so, including:

At most companies, submitting a matching gift takes only a few minutes⁠—and marketing matching gifts doesn’t have to be difficult, either. It makes sense to begin with the point at which donors are most highly engaged in the organizations they’re giving to. And because this typically occurs while donors are actively making their donations, marketing matching gifts directly within the giving process is one of the most effective strategies you can incorporate.

Let’s begin!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Donation Pages

To determine matching gift eligibility, you’ll need to know where your donors work. Luckily, one of the most effective ways to collect donor employment data is by including an optional field directly within an organization’s donation page.

Donors are already providing your team with a lot of valuable information⁠—such as their name, email, phone number, and perhaps even mailing address. Many individuals will be inclined to enter their employer’s name when prompted, as well. This is especially true when you provide a bit of context as to why you’re seeking the information in the first place⁠—which is to identify matching gift eligibility to get their donation doubled.

These are some best practices for marketing matching gifts within your donation page:

  • Embed Double the Donation’s autocomplete search tool directly into the online giving forms.
  • Highlight the benefits of participating in matching gift programs, essentially increasing impact on the cause.

Not to mention, the above studies show that 1 in 3 donors are likely to give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation. This means that incorporating matching gifts in your donation process can even result in significantly increased donation sizes to begin with.

Example Content:

  • “Please enter your employing company’s name to determine your eligibility for a corporate matching gift.”
  • “Does your employer offer a matching gift program? Enter your company name below⁠—if your company does match, you’ll receive specific information on program guidelines and request instructions on the confirmation page after submitting your donation.”

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process on the donation page

Marketing Matching Gifts With Donation Confirmation Screens

Your donors are clearly passionate about your organization⁠—and they’re at a significantly high level of engagement upon completing an online donation. Be sure to highlight just how easy it can be for donors to double their donations by taking a single additional step beyond their initial gifts.

These are some best practices for marketing matching gifts within your confirmation screen:

  • Utilize relevant visuals to grab supporters’ attention.
  • Inform donors that most companies’ matching gift submission processes can be completed in less than five minutes.
  • Embed Double the Donation’s matching gift plugin directly on your donation confirmation screen to provide donors with easy access to company guidelines and forms.

By featuring matching gifts directly on the donation confirmation page, you can aim to leverage donors’ giving momentum while your organization and its cause are still fresh on their minds. It’s effective and simple, and many supporters will be happy to take this next step⁠—perhaps even immediately!

Example Content:

  • “Thanks for giving to support your local Cat Rescue Club. Your donation of $200 was successful. See if your employer will double that amount with a matching gift!”
  • “Donation complete! Search our matching gift database to find out if your contribution is eligible for a corporate match.”

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process on the donation confirmation page

Marketing Matching Gifts With Donation Confirmation Emails

When your nonprofit receives a gift, you should always be sure to thank the giver⁠—which is often done through donation follow-up (confirmation, acknowledgment, etc.) emails. This email is also a great opportunity to promote matching gifts to your donors. Their donations likely remain fresh on donors’ minds, and a little nudge saying that they can double their donations⁠—without shelling out another cent⁠—can go a long way.

These are some best practices for marketing matching gifts within your acknowledgment emails:

  • Incorporate links to your dedicated matching gift fundraising page where donors can easily locate additional information.
  • Use graphics or text links to catch your reader’s eye and quickly engage with them on the topic.
  • Automate your follow-up emails to ensure every donor receives your message in a timely manner and without worrying about any gifts slipping through the cracks.
  • Provide links to recipients’ company guidelines and forms, or encourage donors to conduct a quick search of your easy-to-use online company search tool.

An individual who has already made a donation to your organization has demonstrated that they’re clearly passionate about your cause. Make sure to highlight matching gifts in the acknowledgment letters and emails that get sent out, emphasizing the increased impact that matching gifts can have on your mission.

Example Content:

  • “Thank you for your generous donation to Atlanta University. Please click the button below to determine whether your gift is eligible for a corporate match from your employer!”
  • “Your donation of $100 likely qualifies for a matching gift from the Walt Disney Company. Submit a matching gift request to your employer by completing the following steps. Then, let us know when you’ve submitted your match by clicking the link below!”
  • “Did you know that many corporations offer employee giving programs where they match donations to the Cat Rescue Club? The tax-deductible component of your membership is normally eligible to be matched as well!”

Download a full-length sample matching gift acknowledgment email for nonprofits.

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process on the confirmation email

Marketing Matching Gifts With Matching Gift Recognition

At this point in the process, you’ve likely already thanked your donors for their initial contributions to your cause⁠—probably even within the first 24 hours or so. But for your matching gift donors, the appreciation shouldn’t stop there!

Recognizing your matching gift all-stars after you receive their corporate match is a great way to continue promoting matching gifts to your supporters. At the same time, you can increase the likelihood that donors will participate in the matching gift process for the years and donations to come.

These are some best practices for marketing matching gifts with matching gift recognition:

  • Request that donors keep you in the loop throughout their match request process, which enables you to better track incoming company matches with the associated donor.
  • Thank your matching gift donors privately to express your gratitude on behalf of the organization and its beneficiaries.
  • Consider recognizing completed matching gifts publicly as well⁠—such as within a newsletter or social media post⁠—to thank donors and inspire others to participate.
  • Acknowledge that matching gift donors went above and beyond their typical donation to request a corporate match on behalf of your nonprofit.

It can also be a great idea at this point to reiterate the doubled impact made possible by corporate matching gifts.

In many scenarios, your matching gift recognition efforts will be the last touchpoint you have with a supporter regarding a particular donation. You’ll want to leave donors with a positive impression of your engagements to ensure they’ll continue in the relationship they have with your cause!

Example Content:

  • “Thank you for your generous support of the Cat Rescue Club. We are happy to inform you that we just received a corporate match as a result of your recent donation, and we greatly appreciate the time and effort you took to request the match on behalf of our organization.”
  • “Did you know that thousands of companies match donations made by employees? Our donor, Jennifer, just secured a 2:1 match on her most recent gift, enabling her generous $500 contribution to bring $1,500 worth of impact on our mission. Find out if your gift may be eligible, too!”

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process on the matching gift recognition

When promoted effectively, requesting a matching gift can be seen as the next logical step that a donor takes upon submitting their initial gift. Thus, when you incorporate matching gift marketing efforts into your overall donation process, you can help guide donors seamlessly from one task to the other.

If you’re interested in learning more about matching gifts, read up on our other comprehensive corporate fundraising guides:

Learn more about marketing matching gifts in your donation process with Double the Donation.

Learn more about ActBlue and Double the Donation.

Matching Gifts With ActBlue + Double the Donation

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Imagine you run an organization working to promote social good in your community. You’ve been tasked with planning an upcoming fundraising campaign for your group, and you’ll need to collect as much revenue as you can in a short amount of time.

But there’s one problem⁠—the majority of your organization’s support network are low and mid-size donors who often don’t have the capacity to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars for your cause. And that’s where matching gifts come in!

Corporate matching gift programs enable donors to double the impact of their donations by requesting gift matches from participating employers. As a result, donations go twice as far, and these donors see their support being stretched to do even greater things.

So, how do you get started leveraging this widely available yet continually underutilized form of funding? For this example, let’s say your team is already equipped with ActBlue’s online donation platform. All you need to do to get the ball rolling with matching gifts is integrate Double the Donation’s workplace giving software into your existing ActBlue donation process!

This guide will provide you with an overview of the ActBlue + Double the Donation integration, what that means for organizations like yours, and how to make the most of matching gifts with the right tools. Then, we’ll share a quick story of an organization that leverages ActBlue and Double the Donation to successfully raise more with matching gifts.

Let’s dive in!

What is ActBlue?

ActBlue is a leading nonprofit technology provider that works to equip left-leaning organizations, Democratic candidates, and more with the tools they need to fund their efforts. Founded in 2004, ActBlue has helped progressive groups raise nearly $10 billion with their free online fundraising solution.

ActBlue and Double the Donation work together to provide top nonprofit technology.

As a nonprofit itself, ActBlue targets “small-dollar” donors in order to make big changes⁠—including its own supporters!

ActBlue + Double the Donation: What Does the Integration Offer?

With an integration between ActBlue and Double the Donation, both platforms aim to empower more donors to make a greater impact on their favorite causes. Here’s what they have to offer:

  • For embeddable forms: Organizations utilizing ActBlue’s embeddable donation forms can easily configure Double the Donation’s autocomplete employer search tool within their donation confirmation pages. Once the tool is embedded, data is collected through the donation process and within the search tool, which automatically flows into their 360MatchPro account.
  • For non-embeddable forms: Non-embeddable or hosted forms are able to use webhooks to enable data flow from the donation process to Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro portal. However, the autocomplete search tool is unable to be embedded within the confirmation page.
  • Match-eligible gift identification: The more information you have on donors, the better. ActBlue and Double the Donation provide multiple solutions for matching gift-eligible donation identification, enabling your organization to target and prioritize high-value potential matches. Identification tactics include your confirmation page tool, email domain screening, and more.
  • Automated follow-ups: After each donor gives to your organization, Double the Donation’s automated email streams enable you to trigger personalized follow-up messaging. This allows fundraisers to easily inform donors about available matching gift programs and provide eligibility information through the matching gift company database.

And if you’re not sure how to get set up or are looking to troubleshoot a concern, ActBlue and Double the Donation each prioritizes friendly, responsive, and trustworthy client support teams to help guide your way. You’ll receive timely and effective solutions that empower you to utilize your software to the greatest extent.

Client Case Study: How Rideshare2Vote Aware Matches Gifts With ActBlue + Double the Donation

Rideshare2Vote Aware is a nonprofit organization dedicated to training mission-driven leaders, transporting voters to get to the polls during elections, and elevating community and civic engagement overall.

In order to fund their efforts, R2V Aware relies on generous donations from like-minded supporters. Now, the organization has partnered with ActBlue and Double the Donation to raise more through matching gifts by leveraging the comprehensive fundraising solution (and incorporating many of the tips shared above).

Since getting up and running with their software integration, Rideshare2Vote Aware has established a fantastic matching gifts page on their website, as you can see here.

Here's an example of a web page with ActBlue + Double the Donation tools.

These are some things that R2V Aware’s matching gift web page does well:

  • Incorporated a detailed FAQ section to equip donors with the answers to common and expected questions about matching gifts.
  • Provided information about volunteer grants as well (another top source of workplace giving revenue!).
  • Prominently displayed their contact information and EIN to simplify the match request process for donors.
  • Embedded Double the Donation’s easy-to-use matching gift search tool within the page for donors to quickly determine their matching gift eligibility through their employer.

With these matching gift best practices in place, the Rideshare2Vote Aware team is able to inform their donors about available matching gift opportunities and encourage individuals to pursue matches through their employers. Increased exposure to matching gifts through online promotion and targeted email follow-ups leads to increased matches submitted, which ultimately leads to increased matching funding for their cause.

3 Tips for Driving More Matches with ActBlue and Double the Donation

Matching gifts enable small-dollar donors to make a larger impact on the organizations and campaigns they support and to do so at a level they might have been unable to reach on their own.

If you’re looking to leverage the software integration between ActBlue and Double the Donation as described above, consider implementing these best practices in your strategy:

1. Create a dedicated matching gift web page.

Your website is one of your organization’s most valuable marketing assets for all sorts of purposes⁠—from sharing information about your services to the funds you need to power your mission. It makes sense that matching gifts should be promoted heavily across your website! This should include a mention in your navigation menu, a brief overview on your “ways to give” page, and a solid description on a dedicated matching gift web page.

This page should be quick to locate from any other area on your website, incorporate the information donors need to be inspired by the impact of matching gifts and provide easy ways for users to determine their next steps for getting involved.

2. Highlight matching gifts on your donation confirmation page.

When a donor clicks “submit” on their donation, they’re typically redirected to the organization’s confirmation page, where the organization provides a brief thank-you message. However, your donation confirmation screens offer one of the best and most impactful ways to promote matching gifts to your donors.

At this stage in the giving experience, many donors are still riding their post-donation high. Make the most of this giving momentum by encouraging individuals to take the next step in order to acquire a matching gift for your cause.

To do so, we recommend embedding a matching gift search tool directly into your confirmation screen! Donors are prompted to complete a quick search of their employer’s name, which provides ample information about the company’s matching gift process (and what to do next).

Bonus tip: This practice is really simple to incorporate if your organization utilizes ActBlue’s embeddable donation forms alongside Double the Donation’s tools!

3. Incorporate personalized matching gift donation follow-ups.

Not everyone will complete their matching gift request from your confirmation screen. And for those individuals, sending customized reminder messaging after the fact can be a great way to get supporters back in the giving mood⁠—especially when it doesn’t require them to reach back into their own pockets.

If you have donor employer data on record, you can even provide company-specific matching gift program guidelines and submission forms without lifting a finger. Armed with this information, donors are more likely to complete their matching gift request process.

Your organization receives additional funding, and your donor knows they were able to impact your cause in an even greater way!

ActBlue and Double the Donation each function to provide organizations like yours with best-in-class technology for raising more. When you utilize the two solutions together, the results can show significantly elevated matching gifts and overall fundraising efforts.

Interested in getting started with ActBlue and Double the Donation? Learn more about the partnership with our detailed integration guide or request a personalized demo of Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro here!

Boost your matching gifts with ActBlue + Double the Donation.

Corporate Philanthropy + Employee Retention: The Connection

Corporate Philanthropy + Employee Retention: The Connection

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Did you know that 71% of surveyed employees stated that it’s very important to work at a company that supports giving to and volunteering with nonprofit causes?

Or that 77% of millennials reported a sense of purpose as part of the reason they selected their current employer?

Or that employees who engage with corporate giving programs tend to have 75% longer tenures with the company?

Or that 55% of employees would even take a lower salary in order to work for a socially responsible company?

These facts⁠—and more⁠—help demonstrate the powerful internal benefits that corporate philanthropy and CSR can have on a business. And when it comes to corporate philanthropy and employee retention, the impact is substantial.

In this guide, we’ll provide companies with everything there is to know about corporate giving, staff retention, and the overlap of the two key concepts. If you’re looking to better engage your employees and keep them around for as long as possible, let’s dive in with the following topics:

Effective corporate philanthropy initiatives and high levels of employee retention year over year can each play significant roles in a company’s overall success. But many business owners fail to realize that the two ideas actually go hand in hand!

Let’s see how it works.

An Overview of Corporate Philanthropy

Corporate philanthropy is a key component of CSR (or corporate social responsibility), in which businesses dedicate time, money, and resources to promote the welfare of others. This often occurs through charitable donations to nonprofit organizations looking to drive a particular mission forward. Some of the most common examples of corporate philanthropy offerings are community grants, matching gifts, team volunteerism, event sponsorships, and more.

Thousands of businesses opt to partake in corporate philanthropy in one form or another, in no small part due to the substantial benefits that participating companies see. These advantages include⁠—but are not limited to⁠—an improved brand image, increased marketing opportunities and sales, heightened levels of team member engagement, attraction of new candidates, and (of course) elevated rates of employee retention.

What To Know About Employee Retention

Every company wants to have high levels of employee retention. Not only is it more cost-effective to maintain the same high-performing team members year after year, but it also demonstrates a positive work environment that will be attractive to new potential employees as well. This will enable your business to onboard more top team members who will, ideally, also stay at the job for years to come.

And it all comes down to this: employees who are highly engaged in their roles are more likely to be retained at a business for longer periods. Not to mention, you’ll require less time and energy devoted to hiring and onboarding new individuals, develop an inviting employee culture, and see higher levels of productivity among team members.

The Overlap Between Philanthropy + Staff Retention

Companies tend to see a significant positive correlation between investments in corporate philanthropy and employee retention results.

But why? It’s simple: corporate philanthropy initiatives lead to higher levels of employee engagement. High levels of engagement lead to lengthened employee tenures at the business.

This is because people (especially those of younger generations) like working for companies that promote social good. In fact, 54% of employees who are proud of their company’s contributions to society report being engaged in the workplace. As a result, these individuals are significantly less likely to leave their employers.

Tips for Driving Corporate Philanthropy + Employee Retention

Ready to see these benefits for your own team? Check out our top three tried-and-true practices for companies looking to increase philanthropy and retention:

1. Enable employees to play a significant role in your company’s giving.

Giving to any nonprofit will have a number of benefits to your business and its team. But when you allow employees to play a hands-on role in your corporate philanthropy initiatives and decisions, you’ll receive multiple times the impact on your engagement and retention strategies.

And that’s where workplace giving comes in!

Workplace giving is a particular form of corporate philanthropy where individual employees are encouraged to take the driver’s seat in their employers’ philanthropic initiatives. In these programs, team members are able to direct the company’s dollars toward their favorite nonprofit causes. For example, matching gifts and volunteer grants are offered when a company provides additional support to organizations that their employees are already supporting, whether through time or dollars.

With workplace giving and other employee-led programs, employees have a larger say in the businesses’ overall CSR and can feel the impacts of their employers’ giving on a more personal scale.

2. Provide many ways for employees to participate in philanthropic efforts.

Corporate philanthropy⁠—and even workplace giving⁠—is not a one-size-fits-all solution for employee retention or overall CSR. There are tons of powerful ideas for companies and their employees to get involved.

A few of our favorite ways for companies and their employees to participate in philanthropy include:

  • Matching gifts
  • Individual volunteer grants
  • Team volunteer grants
  • Group volunteer opportunities
  • Payroll deductions
  • Cause marketing campaigns
  • Employee giving stipends

In addition, the more you simplify involvement with your company’s giving programs, the higher levels of participation, engagement, and retention you’ll likely see. For example, one of the most important factors for providing employees with an optimized giving experience is the requirements of eligible contributions.

If you’re matching employee donations, it’s a good idea to match all kinds of donations⁠—such as website, in-person, direct mail, text, and peer-to-peer gifts. The more involvement options you provide, the more likely an individual is to get their gift matched.

Keep in mind that not every employee will want to engage with nonprofit causes in the same way. For some, matching gifts are an amazing opportunity⁠—especially if an individual already gives to a qualifying organization.

On the other hand, some employees will prefer to assist nonprofits with their time instead. For these team members, volunteerism-based initiatives such as group volunteer events and dollars for doers grants will have a larger impact on their likelihood of participating and overall engagement levels.

3. Effectively communicate the impact of your philanthropy to employees.

Beyond simplifying the process, one of the best ways to drive employee participation (and increase the benefits of your efforts) is to focus on the positive impact that your philanthropy has on the world.

Here are a few common ways that companies can do so:

  • Previous Giving Statistics: Picture this⁠—Company A is looking to utilize its philanthropic success in the previous year in order to drive the current year’s giving initiatives. In 2021, Company A donated more than $2 million to mission-driven nonprofits between individual contributions and company matches. This included donations to over 150 nonprofit causes, serving organizations in education, arts and culture, health and human services, environmental sectors, and more. The company decides to highlight these facts and communicate to employees that their participation in the program can make a difference toward total success.
  • Mission Impact: Partaking in a workplace giving program enables individuals to make a larger impact on a cause that they care about. Companies looking to drive participation in matching gift programs, for example, can highlight that an employee’s gift has the potential to do twice as much for the organization’s mission. For example, instead of feeding 10 families for a month with their generous contribution, a donor is able to leverage their company match to feed 20 families or more.

And these don’t have to be solely internal strategies, either. Prioritizing your company’s philanthropic impact can be a great way to drive team-wide engagement in the programs and, thus, increase retention rates. But these same ideas can also be used to elevate your brand in the public eye as well.

Without an effective strategy in place to communicate the value of your company’s giving initiatives, on the other hand, your team is not likely to receive the greatest benefits possible. Your philanthropy won’t keep employees at your company if nobody⁠—team members included⁠—know about the efforts.

The more a company participates in corporate giving initiatives, the higher the level of pride employees have in the business, and the more its employees will be engaged in their role. Each of these ultimately leads to significantly higher rates of retention, which, in turn, enables the corporation to invest more into its philanthropic efforts.

So if you’ve been looking for new ways to keep your high-performing employees with the business for longer, getting started with corporate philanthropy might be just what you’re looking for. Good luck!

Learn more about the benefits of corporate philanthropy and how to get involved with these other company-specific educational resources:

Find out how to drive corporate philanthropy at your company!

EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs: A Basic Guide

EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs: A Basic Guide

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As a nonprofit fundraiser, you should hopefully know all about the enormous impact that corporate matching gifts bring to strategic fundraising efforts.

(If you’d like a matching gifts refresher before diving into what you should know about EIN numbers for matching gifts, we recommend checking out our comprehensive guide on matching gift fundamentals.)

Here’s a brief recap: matching gifts enable organizations to double existing donations when qualifying donors request corporate matches from their employers on your behalf. Yet unfortunately, millions of dollars of available matching gift revenue are left on the table each year. Two significant roadblocks to matching gift success are a lack of awareness of these programs and a lack of understanding of how eligible donors request their company matches.

And there’s one little piece of information that plays a huge role in just about any donor’s matching gift employer submission: the nonprofit’s EIN or employer identification number.

In this resource, we’ll dive deep into the world of EINs by covering the following key topics:

  1. EIN Numbers: The Definition
  2. Where Should a Nonprofit’s EIN Number Be?
  3. The Importance of EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs
  4. The Role of EIN Numbers With CSR Platforms
  5. How to Simplify EIN Numbers for Donors

Ready to learn more about nonprofit EIN numbers⁠—including what they are and their critical role in maximizing matching gifts? Let’s jump in with the basics.

1. EIN Numbers: The Definition

According to the Internal Revenue Service (commonly referred to as the IRS),

“An Employer Identification Number [EIN] is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, and is used to identify a business entity.”

But don’t think that’s referring to for-profit businesses only⁠!

In regards to nonprofits, an EIN is critical for identifying the organization as being an officially registered 501(c)(3) cause. By extension, this nine-digit number (formatted as XX-XXXXXXX) verifies an institution as a tax-exempt nonprofit, to which charitable donations are considered tax-deductible by the U.S. government.

You might even think of an organization’s EIN as the nonprofit (or business) version of a social security number.

This is the unique identifier belonging solely to the entity in question⁠. No two groups share the same tax ID number, which allows the figure to pinpoint a particular organization and track all sorts of critical financial data. For nonprofits, this includes donations, tax receipts, and more.

2. Where Should a Nonprofit’s EIN Number Be?

Whether you’re a donor attempting to locate your favorite charity’s EIN number for a matching gift program or a nonprofit aiming to ensure your EIN is easily accessible to your audience, understanding the prime location for this information is essential.

So, where should an organization’s EIN number be found?

On the organization’s website

A nonprofit’s website is one of its most valuable assets for driving fundraising, improving donor engagement, and providing educational resources to viewers. As such, it’s critical that an organization incorporates its EIN number in multiple prominent locations across its site.

That’s why we recommend nonprofits include this information on their:

  • About Us page
  • Ways to Give page
  • Frequently Asked Questions page
  • Dedicated matching gift page

Keep in mind that if donors have to search particularly hard or click through a whole trail of breadcrumbs to locate your tax ID, they’re likely to call it quits before reaching the intended destination⁠.

And if they need your EIN to submit their matching gift request, you might just miss out on that possible match⁠. That’s why it’s essential to keep this information as openly accessible as possible.

Within donor communication materials

Beyond your nonprofit website, it’s also a good idea to include your EIN within a number of donor-facing communications. This typically includes:

  • Donor acknowledgments
  • Tax-exempt donation receipts
  • Matching gift follow-up emails

Not only does providing your tax ID number in communication materials ensure donors have access to the information they need for their matching gift requests, but it can also help when it comes time to report their charitable contributions as tax-deductible!

Through third-party resources

There’s also a good chance that an organization’s tax ID number is available online through a third-party resource such as Charity Navigator, GuideStar, or the IRS itself. These sites can be useful for donors and prospects looking to learn more about nonprofit causes they support.

As a nonprofit, however, you should not rely on this being the case⁠—let alone the available resources providing accurate and up-to-date information. Thus, make sure to prioritize getting your organization’s EIN number out via your own website and communication materials.

3. The Importance of EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs

Most companies that offer matching gift programs will require the receiving organization’s EIN number to successfully process the matching gift request and ultimately disburse the funding.

The EIN requirement will typically be in addition to other information about their employee’s donation, such as:

  • Donation amount
  • Date of donation
  • Nonprofit name
  • Nonprofit address
  • Copy of the donation receipt (which should also include the EIN)

Without the organization’s ID number, the donor will likely be unable to submit their online match request⁠—or if they do submit it without an EIN included, the request may be denied.

The purpose of the above information is so that the matching gift company can verify that the initial donation was made, along with it having been contributed to a qualifying nonprofit cause. Not to mention, having access to the organization’s official tax ID number also ensures that the employer is able to give to the same organization its employee did.

4. The Role of EIN Numbers With CSR Platforms

Thousands of companies with workplace giving programs utilize CSR platforms (sometimes referred to as corporate giving platforms, matching gift software vendors, etc.). These solutions were developed to help businesses manage their philanthropic initiatives. For many, that means matching gifts.

If your donors work for those companies (which it’s fairly likely that they do), participating individuals are often required to submit corporate matching gift requests through their employer’s CSR software portal.

And to complete their request, they’ll need the EIN number of the organization to which they gave.

Many companies even choose to automate their matching gift facilitation through the use of corporate giving software. When this occurs, donors simply fill out an online form provided by the CSR platform. The donation information entered (including EIN) is then quickly scanned against the business’s pre-determined matching gift criteria. This typically includes minimum and maximum donation amounts, types of qualifying nonprofits, and more.

The request is then approved or denied, and, if approved, the funding moves toward the distribution process. So as you work to drive as many matching gifts as possible⁠—with as few roadblocks as possible⁠—it’s essential that you provide individuals with the information they require.

5. How to Simplify EIN Numbers for Donors

So you understand why your organization’s EIN is essential to matching gift fundraising. But what can you do to make this information easily accessible and simplify the process of obtaining the figure for donors?

Leveraging matching gift automation software like Double the Donation can help in two keys ways:

  • Providing a dedicated matching gift web page with an explanation of matching gifts and an embedded search tool, alongside an organization’s EIN and other contact information
  • Offering customizable and automatically triggered post-donation follow-up emails to inform and remind donors about matching gifts

For example, check out how two leading nonprofit organizations display their EINs on their dedicated matching gifts pages for supporters:

American Heart Association

Here's how AHA uses EIN numbers for matching gift programs.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Here's how LLS uses EIN numbers for matching gift programs.

Sometimes the process of identifying the right EIN number can be particularly difficult for nonprofit supporters. For example, some large schools, universities, and multi-chapter organizations may have multiple tax ID numbers⁠—often a different EIN for each component of the overall cause.

In that case, you might want to include brief instructions within your matching gift follow-up emails that direct donors to the correct information. This can be as simple as incorporating a note near your matching gift company instructions. For example: “Kindly visit our dedicated matching gift page and look for the correct EIN for your matching gift request.”

If your organization has a single EIN number, you might still choose to include a reminder that the information is available on your matching gift web page. Alternatively, you could insert the number directly into your matching gift follow-up email for even easier access.

The more your organization simplifies the matching gift process for its donors, the more individuals are likely to participate⁠—namely, following their matching gift request from beginning to end.

By highlighting EIN numbers for matching gift programs, your team can ensure your match-eligible supporters have the information they need to complete their employer’s submission process. You’ll receive additional corporate funding, and your donors are able to make an even more significant impact on a cause they care about. That’s what we like to call a win-win!

Want to learn more? Make the most of matching gifts with our other top fundraising and corporate giving resources here:

Double the Donation can help optimize your organization's EIN numbers for matching gift programs.

Learn more about matching gift disbursement with this guide.

Matching Gift Disbursement FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered

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Matching gift disbursement plays a considerable role in nonprofits’ matching gift fundraising success. This is essentially the go-between for companies that offer matching gift programs and the organizations that receive their matching gift funds.

Yet the matching gift disbursement process remains a mystery for many nonprofits and their donors (and even some companies, too). Unfortunately, groups that don’t understand what goes into corporate matching gifts are unlikely to use these programs to their greatest advantage⁠—which is where this comprehensive Q&A guide comes in!

In the next eight sections, we’ll answer some of the most common questions asked about matching gift fundraising⁠—particularly the behind-the-scenes processes that go into these corporate giving programs.

1. What is matching gift disbursement?

Matching gift disbursement is the process that takes place between corporations and nonprofits in which matching donation funding is requested, approved, and transferred from a matching gift company to its nonprofit recipient. The process is sparked by an individual donor, having been identified as matching gift eligible, who submits a matching gift request through their employer.

The particular steps can vary from company to company, with the basic premise being the same. Employers want to verify that their employees are making charitable donations to legitimate causes. After doing so, they authorize the match request and submit their matching donation to the nonprofit cause.

Once matching gift disbursement is complete, nonprofits have two donations.

2. What are CSR vendors?

CSR vendors are known by many names, such as corporate social responsibility software, corporate giving software, matching gift management software, and more. This type of tool is used by thousands of companies with matching gift programs to manage their corporate philanthropy initiatives.

CSR software providers equip companies with powerful resources to manage and automate their workplace giving programs. Overall, they create a better user experience for the businesses, their employees, and the nonprofits they partner with.

Some of the most common examples of these providers include:

  • Benevity
  • YourCause
  • Cybergrants
  • Selflessly
  • Millie
  • Point
  • Bright Funds
  • America’s Charities

Each of the above-listed CSR platforms works with different companies, small and large, to facilitate matching gifts and manage the matching gift disbursement process from beginning to end. The software typically utilizes automation practices in order to speed things up and require less on the part of the donors, nonprofits, and companies alike.

A CSR giving provider such as these will likely provide their corporate clients with an online portal from which employees can complete their match requests. From there, the platform may screen requested donations according to predetermined matching criteria (such as minimums, maximums, nonprofit types, etc.) and approve or deny submissions accordingly.

Some of these CSR vendors even facilitate employee donations themselves, functioning as an online giving tool where individual donations are then passed along to the receiving organization, along with the qualifying corporate match.

3. What’s the difference between CSR and matching gift software?

See also: If CSR platforms manage and automate matching gifts, how does that compare to nonprofit matching gift software (like 360MatchPro by Double the Donation)?

There are two overarching categories of matching gift software. These are matching gift software for companies and matching gift software for nonprofits. And the main difference is just that: the primary buyer and user of the platform, which then dictates the functionality of the software. Here’s a brief overview:

  • Corporate giving software for companies: Socially responsible companies typically purchase matching gift management software to facilitate their end of the matching gift disbursement process⁠—namely, the submission, review, and approval of employee requests.
  • Corporate giving software for nonprofits: Nonprofit organizations, on the other hand, often utilize matching gift software to increase donor awareness about these programs, screen for match-eligible donations, and track matching gift disbursement efforts throughout.

As donors walk through the giving process with their favorite charities, they are often first met with the nonprofit’s matching gift software. This may be while browsing the organization’s “ways to give” page, directly within their online giving form, or through a post-transaction follow-up email.

The majority of match-eligible donors remain unaware of their employers’ programs, so the nonprofit’s matching gift software aims to inform each individual about the widespread availability of company gift-matching and provide a simple way for donors to determine their own eligibility status. For many companies, this includes incorporating direct links to matching gift request forms⁠—which, again, are often managed by a CSR platform.

When a donor clicks to navigate to their employer’s online matching gift portal, this is typically where they cross over into the territory of matching gift software for companies. Now, the donor is prompted to complete their match request by providing donation information through the online portal.

Here's what the matching gift disbursement looks like.

4. How are matching gifts disbursed with a CSR platform?

Although each CSR vendor has its own matching gift disbursement process, these four essential steps are typically involved:

Step #1: A donor submits a request through their company’s CSR platform.

Once a nonprofit supporter makes their donation, they should (hopefully) be directed to their employer’s online match request portal. Oftentimes, the instructions and links for doing so will be made available through the organization’s matching gift widget, which pulls information from thousands of companies listed in a comprehensive matching gift database. In other scenarios, the donor will not be automatically provided with their employer’s giving program information but is encouraged to seek it out and begin the process on their own.

Upon landing at their company’s corporate giving portal, the employee donor is ready to make their request. This typically involves completing an online form with basic information about the initial donation. The details required in the form can vary from one business to the next. However, these often include the name and contact information of the nonprofit (including their tax ID number), along with a copy of the donor’s charitable gift receipt.

The donor then clicks “submit” and pats themself on the back for completing their portion of the matching gift process.

Step #2: The employing companies review the request.

Next, the company reviews employees’ matching gift requests and makes a decision as to whether the initial donation is matching gift eligible. Most companies will choose to go either the automatic or the manual approval routes:

  • Automatic approval: Many businesses—particularly those utilizing a CSR platform to manage their matching gift disbursements⁠—enact an automated approval process for employee match requests. This typically involves the software screening the provided employee donation information against the company’s predetermined matching eligibility criteria.
  • Manual donation confirmation: On the other hand, some companies will opt for a more involved process regarding their matching gift review process. For example, Company A may decide to reach out to the nonprofit an employee submits a match request for in order to personally verify the initial donation that was made. Company B might accept a valid gift receipt as proof of donation but choose to manually screen the match request for any potential red flags.

Step #3: The company authorizes match funds to be sent through the CSR platform.

Once the donation match request is approved (either through automated or manual review processes), the matching gift funding is ready to be transferred from the contributing business to the receiving organization. When a company utilizes a CSR platform, this step involves authorizing the corporate giving vendor to disperse the funds on the company’s behalf.

Keep in mind that if an employer sees multiple donors giving to the same fundraising organization, the employer might end up batching multiple matching donations together within their CSR platform before releasing the funds.

Step #4: The organization receives a donation from the CSR platform.

At this last stage in the matching gift disbursement process, the nonprofit simply sits back and waits for the match funding to come through. Unfortunately, fundraisers should not be holding their breath, as it can take a while for matching gifts to travel throughout each step along the way.

Eventually, the nonprofit will receive a matching donation from a donor’s employing company, which should be entered in the CRM alongside the initial gift. Keep in mind, though, that a matching gift from the Home Depot may be unknowingly processed and recorded under the name of the CSR platform rather than the company itself⁠—so keep an eye out for incoming checks from those service providers as well.

If a company does not work with a CSR management platform, the match request process may look a bit different, while the matching gift disbursement should be largely the same. For example, some companies still collect paper submissions, while others utilize downloadable PDF documents or simple online forms (which can still be made available through a nonprofit’s matching gift solution).

From there, the company will manually review the request to compare against their matching criteria, determine an outcome, and make their matching gift.

5. How do I know if a donation is from a matching gift?

Because matching gifts are often processed through a company’s CSR platform, the donation record in an organization’s database may not contain the contributing company’s name, let alone the donor who had initially requested the match. As such, it can be difficult for organizations to locate matching gifts in their CRM and track them effectively.

To better track your nonprofit’s matches, the first thing you can do is keep an eye out for any corporate donations flowing into your donor database.

Now, these might come in a few ways⁠. Take a look at these examples, based on the way a company manages its gift-matching initiatives:

  • Here's how to tell if a donation is the result of a matching gift disbursement.In-house matching gift management: A company that manually manages its matching gift program internally may disburse a matching donation in its own name. So if you see a donation from “Larry’s Law Firm,” you may want to flag that gift as a corporate gift. Then, scan your donor information for any recent donors who are marked as being employed by the company. Compare against that individual’s personal donation and matching gift status⁠—and with any luck, you’ve found your matching donor.
  • Outsourced matching gift management: Companies that outsource their matching gift disbursement to third-party CSR vendors, on the other hand, can be even more difficult. For these, look out for names of common corporate giving companies (e.g., Benevity, YourCause, CyberGrants, etc.), and make a note if any gifts flow into your CRM from these companies. Then again, you can work to narrow down your recent matching gift donors and determine who and where the match came from.

Identifying incoming matches is critical for effective tracking and reporting purposes. And without correctly associating matching gifts with the donors who requested them, an organization can hardly optimize its engagement and follow-up strategies.

Yet Neon One fundraising data reports that in 2020 alone, 10.8% of nonprofits had incorrectly attributed a gift to either Benevity or YourCause, rather than mark the donations from these platforms as corporate matches. And of nonprofits falling into this category, nearly 87% tracked more Benevity and YourCause revenue than they did matching gifts⁠—meaning they have significantly more untracked matches than tracked.

When a nonprofit lacks this information, they likely won’t be able to close the loop with the donor and mark their matching gift disbursement cycle as completed. Additionally, they can’t communicate their appreciation for the individual going above and beyond to submit a company match, which can lead to a missing piece of the donor engagement puzzle. Not to mention, unorganized corporate matches can clutter your donor database without proper maintenance.

6. What happens after a match is received?

What an organization does after receiving a matching donation has a significant impact on its matching gift fundraising success overall. But unfortunately, many nonprofits’ honest answers to the above question would be ⁠— nothing.

So let’s rephrase: “What should happen after a match is received?”

When you determine that an individual has secured a matching gift for your organization, we recommend including a note on their donor profile. The donor tag should list the matching gift and initial donation amount, along with the employing company. This enables your nonprofit to optimize your communications with the donor as well as keep their matching gift eligibility status in mind for future fundraising efforts.

Then, be sure to follow up with the individual after receiving their employer’s donation as well. Although the matching funds didn’t come directly from their wallet, it’s important to recognize that the individual’s initial gift and follow-up participation is what made the corporate match possible. Doing so will construct a positive impression of the matching gift process for donors and increase the likelihood that they request a matching gift for the next donation they contribute to your organization.

Here's what happens after the matching gift disbursement process.

7. What data results from matching gift disbursement?

The most effectively and efficiently run nonprofits are being driven by the power of fundraising data. Knowing how your organization’s existing fundraising strategies are operating, as well as your current and historical measurements of success, can provide you with the insights you need to move forward into greater results.

Luckily, strategic matching gift fundraising can result in loads of valuable data points for any nonprofit. We recommend prioritizing the following key matching metrics:

  • Total match revenue
  • Number of match-eligible donations
  • Percentage of match-eligible to total donations
  • Number of matches requested
  • Percentage of match-eligible gifts submitted
  • Number of matches secured
  • Percentage of match-eligible gifts secured
  • Average matching gift size

And on a more personal scale, the #1 most important detail to know is the companies your donors work for. Having a record of (at least the majority of) your donors’ employment information will allow you to adjust your matching gift promotion strategies accordingly, providing each individual with company-specific program information to their employer. This enables your team to drive more matching gifts to completion with targeted communication, tracking, and forecasting.

8. What role do nonprofit CRMs play in matching gift disbursement?

Based on the above suggested key performance indicators, you can probably tell there’s a lot to track when it comes to matching gift fundraising⁠. This is especially true if you’re looking to maximize your efforts and scale up your matching gift initiatives (which, if you don’t want to miss out on free and unrestricted funding for your cause, you should be).

And the best tool for tracking fundraising data is your nonprofit’s CRM.

But how exactly does your donor database fit into the matching gift disbursement procedure? It essentially comes into play at the very end of the process. As your organization receives matching gift funding⁠—whether through the company itself or via a secondary CSR platform⁠—those donations flow into your CRM as any other contribution would. The way your team organizes the gifts and to whom the donations are attributed can impact the effectiveness of the matching gift follow-up steps highlighted above.

For example, we recommend asking match-eligible donors to keep you informed throughout the match request process with their employer. Have they submitted their match? Determined their gift did not qualify for a corporate match? Verified the donation with the company?

The easiest way to do this is by automating donor messaging while leveraging your CRM’s communication tracking functionality. And this can be an especially seamless procedure if your database integrates with top matching gift software⁠ such as Double the Donation.

If you’re looking to locate previously made matching gifts, you may want to take the time to comb through your nonprofit CRM. As you do so, keep an eye out for CSR platforms that may have disbursed company matches yet flown under your organization’s radar.

Conclusion

Matching gift revenue can make a significant impact on your nonprofit. Having the knowledge surrounding every step of the matching gift disbursement process will allow you to better manage, track, and improve your organization’s efforts.

It all comes down to effectively enacting your team’s role in the disbursement procedure while simultaneously understanding the tasks being carried out by the other parties involved (i.e., your donors and their employers) to get from start to finish.

Once you’ve established this foundation of strengthened know-how, it will result in powerful matching gift benefits for your organization and its beneficiaries, your donors, and the corporations you’ve partnered with.

Feeling Blessed Offers Matching Gift Automation to Nonprofits with Double the Donation

Feeling Blessed Offers Matching Gifts Automation to Nonprofits with Double the Donation

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Double the Donation and Feeling Blessed are now partners, providing an integration between Feeling Blessed online donation forms and 360MatchPro, the most advanced matching gifts automation tool from Double the Donation. 

“Feeling Blessed allows organizations to raise more from their supporters via an intuitive online and mobile experience,” shares Muhammed Tauseef Rab, Founder and CEO at Feeling Blessed. “We’re proud to now offer our clients the ability to maximize their fundraising with Double the Donation.”

The new integrated solution helps organizations raise more by helping donors identify their match eligibility and take their next steps to fulfill their matching gift requests from their employer. The partnership aims to close the gap of 78% of donors unaware of their employers’ matching gift program policies.

“We’re excited to offer nonprofits using Feeling Blessed the opportunity to streamline their matching gifts outreach and marketing to their donor and supporter bases,” says Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “We’re looking forward to the value corporate philanthropy will provide to donors and nonprofits alike.”

Nonprofits who are mutual clients of Feeling Blessed and Double the Donation can identify match-eligible donors, automate timely outreach, and deliver back actionable analytics.

Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!

No IT or custom development work is needed for organizations to activate their 360MatchPro and Feeling Blessed integration! All a client needs to do is enter their API keys from their 360MatchPro account into their Feeling Blessed account, and 360MatchPro’s search tool and thank-you page plugin will appear across their donation forms.

Easily connect your 360MatchPro portal to your Feeling Blessed portal in just a few steps.

For donors, the process is seamless and intuitive. When a donor gives a gift to an organization with an active integration on a Feeling Blessed donation form, they’ll be asked to provide their employer name during the giving process.

Donors can search their employer name to discover their match eligibility.

If the donor is eligible for a matching gift from their employer, 360MatchPro will surface information about the company’s program on the Feeling Blessed Thank-you page. From here, donors can start their matching gift submission process with the click of a button – and organizations can manage automated follow ups from their own 360MatchPro accounts.

Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with 360MatchPro!

Feeling Blessed and Double the Donation’s new partnership brings the ease and value of corporate matching gift automation to a whole new population of nonprofit organizations looking to raise more each year. Clients of Double the Donation can take advantage of a number of features to leverage their matching gift strategy. 

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

Ready to start raising more with matching gifts? Schedule a personalized demo today. 

About Feeling Blessed: Feeling Blessed is a donation platform with a mission to empower Muslims to become consistent givers. We use technology to create a community of donors and charities who together have embarked on a journey to reinvent giving. Organizations reach their financial goals quicker by joining the platform seamlessly and presenting their causes to all the donors on the platform. For more information please check out our website nonprofits.feelingblessed.org/

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