Learning Center Archives - Page 19 of 37

Matching Gift Blurbs | Sample Wording & Best Practices

April 19, 2023/in Learning Center, Learning Center, Marketing Strategies /by Adam Weinger

As with any type of outreach, the wording in your matching gift appeals is vital. Thus, it should be carefully considered when revamping your nonprofit’s matching gift strategy. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing matching gift blurbs that drive results.

Matching gifts can produce a great source of additional revenue for nonprofits. In fact, an estimated $2 to $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs every year. That means that lackluster appeals could cause your organization to miss out on a lot of potential revenue.

After all, choosing the right message when promoting matching gifts can be the determining factor in whether or not a donor participates in their employer’s match program. Considering this, be sure to take the time needed to craft and integrate dedicated matching gift blurbs throughout your donor outreach.

To make sure you send the most effective message possible, first familiarize yourself with the following topics:

What Are Matching Gift Blurbs?
Best Practices for Impactful Matching Gift Blurbs
Where to Include Matching Gift Blurbs
Bonus! Free Matching Gift Blurb Templates to Use

By learning and implementing the specific language of effective appeals, your nonprofit will be one step closer to maximizing its revenue potential. And your donors will be that much more likely to take the intended action in your appeals.

Ready to revamp your matching gift outreach? Let’s dive in with the basics.

What Are Matching Gift Blurbs?

The first step in boosting revenue through matching gifts is to produce effective copy promoting the programs. In other words, you need to create well-written resources for donors and prospects to learn about matching gifts.

One of the most impactful (and easiest) ways to do so? Implement matching gift blurbs throughout your messaging.

[Note: If you’re not sure what a blurb is⁠—don’t worry. More than likely, you’ve come across the idea in action already, even if you’re not familiar with the terminology.]

A blurb is essentially a short piece of writing, typically a brief and attention-grabbing description or promotional statement. Regarding corporate matching, a matching gift burb is a quick explanation (think: 1-3 sentences) of the opportunity that aims to inspire participation among donors.

Examples may include:

Advertisements about matching gifts appearing alongside your online resources;
Printed inserts included in physical communications;
Notes incorporated beneath team members’ email signatures;
And more.

While wording and placement can vary, the ultimate goal is for your messaging to entice readers to get involved in their companies’ initiatives—even if they’d never been made aware of the initiative prior.

Best Practices for Impactful Matching Gift Blurbs

The text you use in your matching gift appeals⁠—specifically, your matching gift blurbs⁠—is an essential component of your fundraising. It should be straightforward and to the point, aiming to persuade your audience and drive action.

We’ve compiled a list of tried-and-true tips for drafting matching gift messaging. Read through these suggested practices and see which ideas you can implement in your own outreach!

Employ donor-focused language.

When discussing matching gifts, your chosen wording can mean the difference between a supporter clicking the link or moving on without any further thought.

For example, let’s say you’re planning to link your dedicated match page from your website’s main navigation. What should you name that tab on the menu? We suggest something along the lines of “Matching Gifts,” “Double your Donation,” or “Matching Gift Company Search.”

What we recommend against is wording such as “Corporate Matching” or “Corporate Giving” since these phrases often don’t resonate with individual donors. You don’t want users skipping over the page due to an assumption that the resource is targeting companies rather than individual supporters!

Keep this in mind as you frame matching gift language in all of your donor-facing blurbs⁠—but especially regarding headings, titles, and other elements designed to grab your audiences’ attention.

Keep your copy short and sweet.

Your matching gift blurb doesn’t have to be complicated. In fact, brevity is crucial⁠—you want to get the message across before the reader loses interest.

The perfect length can vary based on placement, purpose, and audience. Still, most matching gift blurbs can and should be short, sweet, and to the point. We recommend no longer than a single paragraph unless you’re dedicating a larger piece of communication (e.g., an entire email blast) to the topic.

Make the most of action-driven verbiage.

When making a fundraising appeal, the wording in your message is important. More specifically, your choice of verbs can directly affect the success of a campaign.

For example, people⁠—even dedicated supporters⁠—often need a direct call to action in order to get involved. The key is to ask your donors to do something, to take a particular action.

In other words, matching gift appeals need action verbs. Otherwise, donors won’t be entirely sure what their next steps should be.

In an email or web page, phrases like “Get Started” or “Read More” tell your audience what you’re asking them to do. But more specific calls to action can drive even greater results. Instead of “Click Here,” try “Search Your Employer Here” if you utilize a matching gift search tool like Double the Donation. This way, donors know exactly what’s being asked of them in order to support your cause.

Why? Donors care about your mission⁠—and they want to help. Too often, however, they’re held back by a lack of information and no clear directions for how they can be of service. Using clear and concise verbiage can help inform and clarify the steps your donors need to take next.

The result? More matches!

Prioritize impact in communications.

Donors like to see that their hard-earned dollars are making a difference for the causes they care about. Thus, it’s important to emphasize amplified mission impact as a key benefit of employee matching opportunities in the associated messaging.

As you craft your matching gift blurbs, be sure to emphasize the potential of a donor’s contribution to stretch beyond the amount of their initial gift.

When possible, try using tangible examples pertaining to your organization’s mission. If you run a food pantry, for instance, that might mean informing supporters that, with matching gifts, you can feed twice as many individuals and families with the same initial donation amount.

Locate and follow up on match opportunities with Double the Donation.

When revamping your corporate fundraising appeals strategy, a matching gift database can help pinpoint these opportunities with ease. This way, you can employ automated and targeted outreach⁠—in addition to broader matching gift blurbs⁠—throughout your messaging.

Specifically, Double the Donation’s platform is designed to assist nonprofits in increasing awareness among donors. From there, it also simplifies the process for individuals to submit subsequent match requests.

Once you integrate it across your online fundraising channels, here’s what the tool does:

Exposes supporters to matching gift information at multiple points throughout the giving experience;
Enables donors to search for more than 24,000 companies and subsidiaries, empowering them to quickly locate their employers and eligibility criteria;
Allows your nonprofit to identify match opportunities through email domain screening, an intuitive search tool, and more;
Provides direct links to updated forms and guidelines for each company, thus streamlining the submission tasks for supporters;
Follows up with match-eligible donors via personalized emails to drive more matches to completion;
Tracks donors throughout the process to easily assist with stuck matches and more accurately forecast incoming revenue.

Think your organization could benefit? Request a demo here!

Where to Include Matching Gift Blurbs

Now that you understand what matching gift blurbs are⁠—and which strategies will empower you to write the best copy possible⁠—you’ll need to consider optimal placement. In other words…where should you insert your newly crafted or finetuned matching gift promotional blurbs?

The short answer is this: wherever you see the opportunity to promote corporate giving opportunities, do it. The more, the merrier! The more familiar donors are with the concept of corporate gift-matching, the more likely they are to participate.

The longer answer involves just about any place where you interact with donors⁠—before, during, and after giving. Check out this list of some of the most popular blurb locations for organizations like yours.

A Dedicated Matching Gifts Page

If you want to create high-traffic matching gift outreach, a good place to begin is where the most supporters are: online! Your website is likely the first impression most people have of your organization, so you want to make it count.

An easy way to increase the visibility of your matching gift promotion is to create a dedicated page for matching gifts. On the page, you’ll want to highlight the basics of employee match initiatives and provide instructions for typical programs within your matching gift blurbs.

(Tip: If you employ matching gift software like Double the Donation, don’t forget to embed the search tool on this page alongside your blurb. That way, users won’t have to go out of their way to research their companies’ programs on their own after discovering the opportunity!)

Your “Ways to Give” Page

Similarly, your organization may already have a “Ways to Give” page on its website that is designed to provide ample opportunities for supporters to get involved with your cause. This might include planned giving, donations of stock and other gifts-in-kind, monthly recurring giving programs, and more.

And one thing you don’t want to forget on this page is matching gifts.

Include a quick blurb about the impact of getting a donation matched and how a donor can uncover their own eligibility. You can even embed your matching gift company search tool here, as well!

Fundraising Appeals

Did you know that recent studies on matching gifts and donor behavior report that 84% of individuals are more likely to donate to a nonprofit if a matching gift is being offered? This finding results in a 71% increase in donation response rate when matching gifts are mentioned in fundraising appeals.

This ultimately means including a matching gift blurb in a donation ask can produce significantly more revenue for your giving campaign. Not only can you expect funding from corporate matches that ultimately come through, but you’ll also benefit⁠ from elevated giving rates in the meantime.

Email Communications

As an established nonprofit, your team is likely already using email to maintain contact with donors. But do you utilize email to effectively promote matching gifts? You should!

Incorporating matching gift blurbs within email marketing can bring awareness of the opportunity to a wide range of nonprofit supporters. And your entire message doesn’t have to be dedicated to matching gifts, either. Consider adding a quick blurb on the topic to broader email communications such as newsletters, campaign or project updates, end-of-year reports, and more.

The text you use in your outreach should be persuasive but to the point. Consider emphasizing key points with bolding to increase skimmability and convey the importance of matching gifts for your organization.

Email Signatures

One of the easiest places to incorporate a matching gift blurb is within your organization’s staff email signatures. All it takes is a few seconds for each team member to adjust their automatic sign-off (hint: simplify the process by providing individuals with the text they should add), and you’ll be all set to promote matching gifts in every email you send year-round.

Keep in mind that you’ll want this blurb to be as succinct as possible. A quick sentence with a link to your matching gift page will typically do!

Donation Page

Another key location for matching gift blurbs is your online donation form. At this point in the process, the user is already ready to donate. Why wouldn’t they want to double the impact of their gift without having to part with any additional dollars?

In fact, donors might even be willing to give more after learning about the matching gift opportunity. The aforementioned studies indicate that 1 in 3 donors would contribute a larger gift if a match is applied to their donation⁠—ultimately resulting in a 51% increase in the average donation amount.

We recommend using your giving form to collect employment data from your supporters (made easy with our embedded company search tool!). And when you add context to the request in the form of a matching gift blurb, donors will be increasingly likely to provide the information.

Keep in mind that this should likely be the briefest blurb of all to ensure that you don’t slow the donor down as they make their way through the giving experience.

Confirmation Screen

After a donor clicks “submit” on their completed giving form, they’re typically redirected to a confirmation page. This resource often thanks them for their contribution and provides them with details as to suggested next steps to further their impact⁠. For example, a supporter may be encouraged to share their recent gift on social media, become a recurring donor, or even take on a peer-to-peer fundraising role.

And your confirmation screen is also the perfect location for a matching gift blurb!

Plus, when you utilize matching gift software, you can even provide employer-specific program insights and submission forms based on the company an individual selected within the giving form. This allows you to personalize your blurbs, providing relevant details in real time.

Donor Acknowledgements

Soon after a donor makes their initial contribution is the best time to remind them about matching gift opportunities. That said, mentioning matching gifts in your gift acknowledgments (regardless of channel) can go a long way.

Your donors are typically passionate about your mission. Most would jump at the chance to make their recent gifts stretch even farther without having to reach back into their wallets. All you have to do is make them aware of the chance to do so and guide them in the right direction.

You can even take your acknowledgments⁠—and, thus, your matching gift blurbs⁠—to the next level with unique and engaging eCards! When you ensure your messaging stands out in a supporter’s inbox, you can increase the likelihood that they’ll engage with your content and ultimately take the action you’re driving them toward.

Social Media

In today’s digital age, your organization’s social media profiles are likely some of your most valuable marketing assets. Of course you’ll want to share matching gift blurbs using this channel!

Doing so can encourage existing donors to complete unclaimed matching gift requests, inspire on-the-fence supporters to give in the first place, and more. By leveraging the power of social media, nonprofits like yours can reach a wider audience and engage with their communities in a meaningful way.

Keep in mind that when it comes to social media, your matching gift blurbs can take the form of shareable content (e.g., graphics or videos), post captions, or both!

Direct Mailings

If you utilize direct mail in your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, consider including a matching gift blurb that accompanies your other materials.

This can include:

Inserts
Envelopes
Postcards
Letters
And more

Regardless of the types of mailings you send, make sure it’s quick and easy for recipients to learn more about matching gifts. We recommend directing readers to your online matching gift page using an easy-to-type URL or a scannable QR code!

Bonus! Free Matching Gift Blurb Templates to Use

Ready to get started with impactful matching gift blurbs? These copy-and-pasteable templates can serve as an excellent jumping-off point.

Fill in the blanks with details about your organization and its mission, then plug in the finalized messaging throughout your donor outreach.

Thanks for the gift, [DONOR]! Did you know you may be able to double your donation with a match from your employer? See if you qualify for a matching gift by searching our employer database here.

[NONPROFIT] receives thousands of dollars each year through corporate matching gift programs. Does your company participate? Find out if you can do more for our mission with a match.

Matching gifts allow generous donations to go twice as far for our goal of [MISSION STATEMENT]. And it’s easy to request a match⁠—locate your employer’s program guidelines and request forms here!

Double your impact! Many employers offer matching gift programs that can double or even triple your donation to [NONPROFIT]. Explore our matching gifts page or check with your HR department to see if your employer participates.

Many companies offer to match their employees’ charitable contributions, which means your gift to [NONPROFIT] could go twice as far. Contact your HR department⁠—or click here to use our matching gift search tool⁠—to learn more.

Don’t miss the chance to amplify your impact! Many employers offer matching gift programs, which means your donation to [NONPROFIT] could be matched dollar-for-dollar. Contact your employer or use our search tool to see if they participate.

Did you know that your employer could help you make an even bigger impact on [MISSION]? Check with your HR department to see if your company offers a matching gift program and take advantage of this opportunity to support [NONPROFIT] even more.

Your recent gift to [NONPROFIT] could be doubled… Many employers offer matching gift programs, so be sure to check if your company participates. Contact your HR department or explore our dedicated matching gifts page for more information.

Wrapping Up

To drive awareness of the matching gift opportunity, integrating well-crafted matching gift blurbs throughout your communications is essential.

Implement the above tips for wording and verbiage⁠—or jump in with one of our sample messages. Then, insert your blurbs in the recommended locations for optimal exposure to donors.

Paired with a dedicated matching gift service, you’ll be all set to boost your organization’s matching gift revenue⁠ (and subsequent impact⁠!) going forward.

Interested in learning more about matching gifts⁠—and how to promote them with effective messaging? Check out these suggested resources for further reading:

8 Ways to Encourage Donors to Submit Employee Matching Gift Requests. Action-driven blurbs can inspire donors to take the next steps and get their gifts matched. But there are other ways to encourage matching gift submissions, too! Explore a few suggestions here.
How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization. Stay up to date on current matching gift and overall marketing trends to ensure your messaging is as impactful as possible. See which strategies we recommend in this guide.
5 Fundraisers with Standout Matching Gift Success. See some powerful matching gift blurbs in action! Read up on several nonprofit organizations that have employed successful matching gift strategies to raise more for their missions.

How Matching Gift Appeals Can Fuel Alumni Engagement

April 17, 2023/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Billions of dollars are contributed to nonprofits and schools each year through corporate matching gift programs. But these initiatives can do more than offer funding for your institution. If you’re wondering how matching gift appeals can fuel alumni engagement, you’ve come to the right place.

Alumni engagement is critical for colleges, universities, and other educational institutions, so much so that there are entire conferences dedicated to it. After all, most schools seek to build a strong community and foster lifelong relationships with their graduates. Not to mention, a school’s alumni can also be some of its most valuable assets in terms of fundraising and overall financial support.

However, it can sometimes be a challenge to keep alumni connected to your school in the long run.

In order to inspire alumni giving, strengthen relationships with your institution’s former student base, and deepen connections to your overall cause, we recommend incorporating matching gift appeals into your strategy.

In this guide, we’ll provide ample insights that can be used to integrate employee gift-matching and alumni relations for optimal results. And we’ll do so by exploring the following topics:

Benefits of Matching Gift Appeals for Alumni Engagement
How to Drive Alumni Engagement with Matching Gift Appeals
Best Practices for Effective Alumni-Centric Matching Gift Appeals
Example Schools with Successful Alumni Matching Gift Appeals

Eager to learn more? Let’s dive in!

Benefits of Matching Gift Appeals for Alumni Engagement

Matching gift appeals are an excellent way to connect (and reconnect) with alumni and drive engagement with your school. Tens of thousands of companies agree to match employee donations to their favorite charitable causes⁠—often including educational institutions.

However, the opportunity is often underutilized, with only a fraction of qualifying donors going on to submit their matching gift requests. That’s where well-written appeals can come in, promoting matching gift information and ultimately leading to increased philanthropic support for institutions like yours.

Let’s take a look at a few of the most valuable benefits of matching gift appeals on your alumni engagement strategy.

Elevated gift conversion rates

One significant (yet often overlooked) advantage of matching gift appeals is their ability to drive elevated gift conversion rates. In fact, recent studies show that over 84% of individuals indicated that they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered. As a result, incorporating matching gifts in an organization’s fundraising appeals results in an average 71% increase in response rate.

Increased donation amounts

Moreover, matching gift appeals have been shown to also increase the average donation amounts an organization receives, as supporters are typically motivated to give more when they know their gifts will be doubled. 1 in 3 donors indicates they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied, and highlighting the opportunity in matching gift appeals before a donation is made leads to 51% growth in average gift size.

This can also be an effective way to push alumni donors into the next giving tier. For example, an alumnus who typically gives $100 may be inspired to give $200 in response to a matching gift appeal⁠—thereby increasing their giving level and the impact of their contribution. And that’s before their employee even makes their match!

Heightened likelihood of match eligibility

Another reason why you want to incorporate matching gift appeals in your overall engagement strategy is that your alumni may be increasingly likely to qualify for such programs in the first place.

After all, young alumni, in particular, often work for companies that match employee gifts. Tens of thousands of businesses (including 65% of the Fortune 500) agree to match donations to nonprofits and educational institutions, with tech companies being one of the most involved sectors overall.

This presents a unique opportunity for institutions to engage with this demographic and inspire them to give by highlighting this additional incentive.

Maximized supporter impact + strengthened alumni relations

Matching gifts effectively double individual contributions, empowering alumni donors to make twice the impact on their alma mater. When this group sees their gifts being matched, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that their contribution is making an even greater, tangible difference. This can lead to increased loyalty to the institution and a greater willingness to give in the future.

Expanded corporate giving revenue

One of the most apparent benefits of matching gift appeals is the additional corporate revenue contributed as a result. Impactful and actionable match appeals drive more matching gift requests to completion, ultimately leading to a significant increase in match revenue overall.

Not to mention, a well-built-out matching gift strategy can also open doors for broader corporate partnership opportunities. Companies that match gifts have already proven to be charitable-minded in nature. And targeting your donors’ employers is a great way to communicate shared values and audiences in your next sponsorship pitch.

How to Drive Alumni Engagement with Matching Gift Appeals

Whether you’re looking to launch an alumni matching gift campaign for the first time or are seeking to improve your existing efforts, we’re here to help. These fundamental steps will provide valuable insights and strategies to help your team maximize alumni engagement, giving, and more.

Identify potential match-eligible alumni.

One of the first things you’ll need to drive alumni engagement with matching gift appeals involves identifying those of your alumni that qualify for the corporate giving programs. And to do so, you’ll need to know which companies your alumni are working for.

Your school may already track this information in your CRM. But if not (or for those who you don’t have post-education employment records for), there are a few ways you can uncover this detail. Not to mention, employment data can go out of date fairly quickly, so it’s important to continually refresh this information for your alumni and other supporters.

Adding an optional employment field to your online donation form.
Scanning contact information for corporate email domains.
Leveraging a matching gift company search tool in post-transaction messaging (i.e., confirmation screens, follow-up emails, etc.).
Employing a third-party data appends service.

Keep in mind that the benefits of alumni employment data go far beyond that of matching gift appeals, too! Understanding where graduates end up after leaving your school can also aid in personalizing communications, estimating wealth levels, and more.

Educate your audience about matching gifts.

Another important step is to educate your audience about matching gifts. Without incorporating strategic methods for increasing awareness of the programs, there’s a significant knowledge gap regarding matching gifts. In fact, the aforementioned studies indicate that over 78% of individuals have never been informed about their companies’ matching gift programs.

The solution? Crafting a comprehensive plan for promoting the opportunity yourself.

Specifically, we recommend…

Mentioning matching gifts in all of your school’s fundraising appeals.
Establishing a dedicated matching gift web page on your school website (if you don’t already have one), complete with matching gift details, your company search tool, and helpful contact information for your institution.
Incorporating matching gift information directly within your donation experience (within your online giving forms, on the confirmation screens, etc.).
Highlighting matching gift information (and relevant imagery) on your school’s social media pages.
Producing and sharing educational matching gift videos that overview the programs and how to get involved.
Considering direct mail materials such as postcards, inserts, printed envelopes, and more for your most lucrative donors and prospects.

In all of your favorite channels, be sure to provide clear and concise information about how matching gifts work⁠—and how they can increase the impact of donations to your school. Once aware of the programs, alumni will be increasingly inspired to participate in their employers’ giving initiatives on your institution’s behalf, ultimately driving completed matches through the roof.

Incorporate various matching gift appeals in your messaging.

There’s no one way to integrate matching gift appeals into your institution’s fundraising strategy. The possibilities are endless, and we recommend exploring matching gifts as a key tenet of all essential engagement activities.

For example, you may decide to implement matching gift promotions throughout the donor journey year-round. This can come in handy when looking to drive support for your general operating fund at any point, using matching gift appeals to encourage growth in individual giving and corporate funding alike.

However, many schools also choose to host a dedicated matching gifts campaign alongside their academic giving days to collect even more during that limited time span. (Note: several institutions have reported raising multiple times the cost of their matching gift software on their Giving Days alone⁠—allowing them to see a return on their investment almost immediately.)

The good news is that it’s not an either/or question; in fact, the recommended answer is both. You can market matching gifts to your alumni and other donors 365 days a year⁠—made easy with the right technology⁠—and institute an elevated push for matching at the time of a specific campaign. When it comes to matching gift outreach, the more, the merrier!

Best Practices for Effective Alumni-Centric Matching Gift Appeals

Bring your matching gift appeals to the next level! We recommend the following tried-and-true practices for streamlining the process while also amplifying alumni matching gift results.

Start with a well-crafted appeal template.

Your matching gift appeals should be well-written, concise, and compelling to grab⁠—and retain⁠—the attention of your alumni audience. Make sure to clearly explain what matching gifts are, the impact of employee donation-matching opportunities, and how corporate funding will be used to benefit your school.

You can jump right into it with the free matching gift templates found here. Just be sure to finetune and personalize these sample appeals to best fit your institution’s needs, goals, and audiences.

Set clear and attainable goals.

Before launching your matching gift campaign, establish clear goals regarding matched gifts, total corporate funding, and more. We always recommend defining your objectives using the SMART framework⁠—or setting goals that are…

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time-bound

For example, you might state that you aim to collect $5,000 worth of corporate matching gifts from alumni donors by the end of the fiscal year.

Be sure your development team is aware of and on board with your goals, and begin taking steps toward achieving them!

Make it easy for alumni to donate and request matches.

In order to drive the most gifts and matches to completion, it’s crucial that the associated processes are as quick and easy as possible.

Our recommendation? Make the most of intuitive donation tools⁠—such as these top education-focused platforms⁠—that seamlessly integrate with powerful matching gift software.

This way, you can…

Collect employment details within your online giving forms;
Automatically screen for match-eligible donations;
Provide company-specific guidelines, instructions, and links to digital submission forms.

By guiding alumni donors through the matching gift process, you’ll reduce critical roadblocks and ultimately receive more fulfilled matches.

On the other hand, an experience that is primarily donor-led (i.e., asking alumni to get in touch with their HR department to locate their matching gift instructions) is likely to result in a ton of matches going unclaimed and corporate funding being left on the table.

Follow up and show appreciation.

Your matching gift donors are likely some of your school’s most dedicated supporters. When alumni participate in these programs, it’s essential that you promptly acknowledge their above-and-beyond efforts for your institution.

Throughout the donor journey, there are a few fundamental phases in which gratitude should be incorporated. These include:

After receiving an initial donation ⁠— “Thanks, [Donor]! We’ve received your recent gift⁠—and it’s because of dedicated alumni like yourself that our school is able to be what it is today. Did you know that you might be able to double your impact with a corporate matching gift? Click here to learn more and submit your match request [link to matching gift page].”
After a match has been submitted ⁠— “Our records indicate that you requested a corporate matching gift from [company]. Thank you greatly for taking this next step to amplify your giving impact on our institution. Feel free to reach out if there’s anything we can do to help complete the matching process with your employer.”
After a match has been received ⁠— “[Donor], we are writing today to inform you that we’ve received the completed match from your employer. Once again, we thank you for taking the extra steps to submit your matching gift. We truly appreciate your ongoing support to [school]. We couldn’t do it without you!”

Effectively communicating your gratitude throughout the process is a surefire way to reiterate the importance of donation-matching. And ultimately, it increases the likelihood that match-eligible alumni ultimately give and get their gifts matched time and time again.

Though corporate matches do not come directly from an individual donor’s wallet, remember that the additional funding would not be possible without their involvement.

Idea: send an eCard to thank alumni for partaking in matching gift programs on your behalf!

Employ automation to increase efficiency.

Our final tip is one that can help boost the results of our other recommended practices as well⁠—from increasing awareness of the programs to following up on eligible matches. And that is equipping your fundraising team with smart automation technology.

After all, launching a matching gifts campaign on your own can be overwhelming. But when you employ automation, you can do more for your school with less time and resources. Not to mention, leveraging a matching gift automation tool (like Double the Donation) grows matching gift revenue for nonprofits by an average of 61%!

And the time you save triggering automated matching gift appeals⁠—with just a click of a button⁠—can be reallocated to other critical projects that benefit your school.

Example Schools with Successful Alumni Matching Gift Appeals

Establishing an effective matching gift appeal strategy that resonates with your alumni doesn’t have to be difficult. Let’s take a look at a few schools that implemented matching gift appeals and produced significant results.

Get inspired by these institutions’ fundraising efforts⁠—and take note of any tactics you’d like to employ in your own.

Marietta College

Marietta College is an excellent example of a higher education institution that employs matching gift appeals successfully throughout its efforts.

To begin, check out this college’s dedicated matching gifts page:

You’ll note that this page incorporates a brief summary of corporate matching gift programs, has embedded an easy-to-use company search tool for individuals to uncover eligibility information, and is easily accessible from the site’s Giving Opportunities menu.

Marietta College has also crafted an alumni-specific web page designed to target previous students looking to give back to the school. And the site mentions matching gift opportunities here, as well!

Throughout their range of matching gift appeals, which included online giving forms, post-transaction emails, and more, in addition to the website content seen above, Marietta College produced standout results to be inspired by.

University of Georgia

Next, we have the University of Georgia, which also offers a robust matching gift strategy that aims to engage alumni donors and other school supporters alike.

This school’s matching gift page employs Double the Donation’s matching gift tool, allowing interested donors to quickly research their companies’ program guidelines. The University of Georgia also uses this page to promote a unique incentive for donors to get their gifts matched⁠—driving individual giving levels to qualify for the exclusive Presidents Club!

Additionally, the UGA team has consistently leveraged its social media platforms to raise awareness of matching gift opportunities. Check out these posts they’ve shared on Twitter, Facebook, and more.

And, all in all, the university has seen some pretty substantial results!

Syracuse University

Similarly, Syracuse University also incorporates matching gift appeals in its alumni and overall donor engagement strategies. From its dedicated match page pictured below to its personalized and automated matching gift email communications, the Syracuse team works hard to ensure all supporters are exposed to information about matching gift programs⁠—and are encouraged to take the next steps.

In addition to its matching gifts page, Syracuse University has also created a free giving toolkit for alumni and other university donors interested in getting involved. This toolkit provides detailed information about online giving, contributing from donor-advised funds, beneficiary designations, and, of course, corporate matching gifts.

The bottom line is that Syracuse University has seen a lot of success with its matching gift appeals⁠—inspiring alumni and donor engagement, driving awareness of matching opportunities, and more.

Wrapping Up

Matching gift appeals can be a powerful tool for educational institutions seeking to increase alumni engagement and philanthropic support. By leveraging your alumni’s generosity alongside that of companies matching contributions to your school, institutions like yours can encourage more significant levels of giving while also fostering a sense of community among graduates.

This type of strategic outreach can also serve as a smart way to reconnect with alumni who may have lost touch with their alma mater, providing them with a compelling reason to get involved once again. By making it easy for alumni to give back and amplify their support, academic fundraisers can help ensure continued success and maximized impact for years to come.

And there’s no better time to incorporate matching gift appeals in your alumni engagement strategy than the present. Best of luck!

Looking to continue your education on matching gift topics to best position your school for corporate fundraising success? Check out these recommended resources:

Grow Your Matching Gift Insights With Real Double the Donation Success Stories. See even more examples of schools and organizations seeing significant matching gift fundraising success! Check out our complete collection of case studies to learn more.
Matching Gifts & Higher Education: Companies That Match [+Tips]. Identify matching gift opportunities for your college or university. Explore this list of well-known companies that match gifts to higher ed, along with a few insightful practices to consider.
110+ Incredible School Fundraising Ideas to Raise Money Now. Amplify your broader fundraising strategies with this compilation of unique and impactful fundraisers. Plus, a lot of these tried-and-true ideas pair well with matching gifts to double your impact!
Increase Matching Gift Awareness | Get Your Donors on Board. To get alumni on board with matching gift participation, they need to know that the opportunities exist. Check out these suggested methods to launch a matching gift awareness campaign at your school.
Interested in learning more about matching gift appeals? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!

This article explores the impact of CSR, frequently asked questions, and key benefits for businesses.

What’s the Impact of CSR? FAQ & Key Benefits for Businesses

March 23, 2023/in Matching Gift Companies, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Corporate social responsibility (often referred to as CSR) is a practice followed by many companies where they work to improve society in some form as a part of corporate citizenship. CSR is often seen in terms of philanthropy, environmental leadership, ethical labor practices, and economic responsibility.

If you’re wondering what the impact of CSR is⁠—particularly for the businesses that enact these practices in the first place⁠—the advantages are expansive.

In this guide, we’ll dive into the benefits of corporate social responsibility⁠ and everything your company needs to know to maximize its effectiveness. We’ll explore the following topics:

FAQs about the Impact of CSR
Top 4 CSR Benefits for Businesses
Key Statistics That Demonstrate the Impact of CSR
5 Examples of Businesses Doing CSR Right

Ready to get up to speed on socially responsible efforts and see what you can do to take your business to the next level? Let’s begin!

FAQs about the Impact of CSR

Does your company have an existing CSR plan in place that you’d like to improve, or are you looking to dive into strategic corporate social responsibility for the first time? Either way, you’ll likely have some questions regarding the practice and its effectiveness. Let’s walk through five common questions and their answers.

What are the types of corporate social responsibility?

Corporate social responsibility is an overarching term used to describe a wide range of corporate efforts that are designed to make the world a better place. Most CSR initiatives will encompass these key values:

Environmental: Historically, corporations have been responsible for the vast majority of global emissions and other causes of climate change. Now, many businesses are working to reverse the damage through environmentally friendly initiatives in the way they manage their operations.
Social: The “social” component of corporate social responsibility refers to a company’s impact on its community and the individuals within. Businesses following this practice should work to bring a positive net impact to people as a whole.
Economic: CSR also incorporates responsible economic business practices where companies give generously to their communities through nonprofit donations, fair wages, and more. The idea behind economic responsibility is that companies should bring economic benefit to all stakeholders⁠—including employees, customers, suppliers, and overall communities.

Some CSR efforts may incorporate elements from multiple categories. For example, a company financially contributing to an environmentally-focused nonprofit (whether through grants, matching gifts, etc.) can fall under both environmental and economic responsibilities. Matching gift programs often fall under multiple categories, boosting the impact of CSR on your business in each of these key areas.

How does a company become more socially responsible?

There are tons of practices that businesses of all shapes, sizes, and sectors can adopt to increase their level of corporate social responsibility. Here are a few things a company might do:

Offer competitive wages and benefits packages to employees.
Provide generous parental leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.
Participate in workplace giving programs such as matching gifts and volunteer grants.
Support philanthropic causes in the form of monetary and in-kind donations.
Use recycled materials while producing goods that are also recyclable.
Reduce carbon emissions from business operations.
Keep up with and pay corporate taxes dutifully.

The tactics you choose to employ at your business can also play a role in the benefits you see overall. For example, prioritizing staff wages and employee benefits can have a significant effect on the company’s internal culture and team member engagement. While this will likely also result in improved consumer relations (i.e., shoppers like to buy from businesses they know treat employees well), the impact seen might be lesser as compared to the effect on the employees.

And the same is true the other way around! Producing ethical goods with sustainable practices can bring positive results to both consumers and employees, though consumer relations may see a larger, more tangible impact in terms of sales.

What is ESG and how does it compare to CSR?

ESG stands for environmental, social, and governance, and it’s a measure of the extent to which a business makes a positive impact on society beyond its own shareholders.

While ESG goes hand in hand with CSR, they’re not entirely synonymous⁠. CSR is a business model used to hold a company accountable for its actions to society, while ESG is a quantifiable measurement of a company’s social impact outcome.

How do employees participate in CSR?

Positive employee relations are a major benefit for companies that prioritize CSR. But did you know that the employees themselves can participate⁠ (and benefit⁠) as well? Employee-driven programs can even drive positive results for your workplace!

For example, employees who participate in a company’s matching gifts or volunteer grant programs benefit from knowing their own nonprofit donations or volunteer hours are making even more significant impacts on charitable causes that they care about. Plus, they know their employers are making an effort to support their favorite charities as well. Consequently, employees can feel more satisfied in their jobs.

Try the following ideas to drive participation in CSR at your company:

Promote new and existing CSR initiatives to employees, including specific instructions on how to get involved.
Highlight your company’s social impact efforts during conversations with candidates and new hires.
Gamify CSR with interactive elements such as badges, rewards, trophies, and more for top participants.
Encourage friendly competition among employees to see which teams or individuals are the most CSR-involved.
Set company-wide goals for participation, along with rewards or benefits for reaching those goals.
Empower employees to suggest new ideas and feedback for existing efforts in order to continually refine your CSR strategy.

Consider using CSR software to encourage employees to get involved in your philanthropic efforts and track their engagement. CSR software provides a centralized platform for employees to access information and opportunities related to your initiatives. Plus, it can facilitate collaboration among employees, fostering a sense of community and purpose around your CSR activities.

What CSR trends are businesses adopting?

As new social, environmental, and economic needs arise, the CSR movement will continue to evolve. Here are a few CSR trends you can expect to see in the near future!

Many companies are transitioning to more employee-driven CSR programs⁠—especially when it comes to philanthropy. In fact, our research reports that 39% of companies aim to expand their workplace giving initiatives in the next two years!
Companies are doing this by starting new matching gift programs, as well as expanding existing ones and making it easier for employees to participate by simplifying the matching gift request process. For example, this video explains how companies can use CSR platforms that integrate with Double the Donation to fully automate the submission process:

Additionally, more and more companies are taking a stand on social issues and other current events. A 2020 study reported that nearly 60% of consumers expect the brands they support to have a position on topics such as racial discrimination, social justice, climate change, income inequality, and more. About 50% of survey respondents even reported conducting online research to see how a business reacts to social issues before making a buying decision!

4 Top Benefits of CSR for Businesses

Corporate social responsibility tactics provide participating companies with powerful business benefits. Consumers, employees, and other essential shareholders will be more inclined to support your efforts, and you’ll see impactful results such as these!

1. Increased employee engagement

People want to work for companies that they feel good about contributing to. When an individual knows that their efforts at a business help drive social good, they’ll be motivated to produce elevated results in their roles. And for that reason, there’s a significant positive correlation between employee engagement and corporate giving.

Pride in the company, along with belief in senior leadership, are some of the most essential drivers of employee engagement levels⁠—and luckily, both components see benefits from social responsibility as well.

When employees are particularly engaged, the company will also see high levels of productivity, increased retention rates, and more.

2. New talent attracted to your team

Just like effective CSR efforts drive existing employees to want to do more in their roles at your company, the same efforts can also be used to attract new employees to the team.

As a result, many HR representatives are prioritizing corporate social responsibility in their recruiting efforts and within conversations with prospective candidates. Individuals looking to join a company that participates in CSR will be drawn to your business, and you’ll have a competitive advantage against other potential employers.

3. Improved company culture

Companies often see positive impacts of CSR on their internal company cultures, which, of course, helps drive increased levels of engagement and retention. For example, the following types of CSR initiatives can bring about a more positive business culture:

Matching gifts. By matching your employees’ donations to the causes they care about most, you’ll show them that you support their personal charitable interests and want to help them make a difference.
Group volunteer opportunities. Volunteer outings work well as team-building activities that boost morale and get staff members better acquainted with one another. Employees get to spend time with their colleagues in an informal setting while making a positive impact on their community.
Annual giving campaigns. Encourage employees to come together once a year to give to a good cause. You can even turn it into a competition between departments and give out a prize. This sense of friendly competition brings team members closer together.

Utilizing philanthropic initiatives as a way to build a positive company culture is a common practice for many businesses. But remember, the most successful efforts involve hands-on involvement by leadership as well. When employees see their managers and company leaders participating, they’ll be more inclined to do so themselves!

4. Unique marketing opportunities

Cause marketing (or cause-related marketing) is a form of CSR in which a business supports a charitable cause while receiving strategic marketing benefits from the relationship. These types of CSR campaigns often involve a company offering to give a certain amount of money to a nonprofit in response to increased sales results (for example, 10% of a company’s profits may be donated to charity, or a business may donate $1,000 for every 100 products sold).

When done well, cause marketing enables consumers to feel good about their purchases from socially responsible companies. As a result, the consumers are willing to pay a higher price, switch brand loyalties, or increase quantities of their purchases due to it benefiting a good cause.

For your business, not only will you have the opportunity to participate in charitable efforts, but you can also gain more customers and more dollars toward your bottom line.

Key Statistics That Demonstrate the Impact of CSR

The facts about the impact of CSR speak for themselves. Take a look at these facts and figures that demonstrate the effects of CSR on employees and consumers alike:

How CSR Impacts Businesses’ Employees

(Sources: Double the Donation and re: Charity)

71% of employees state that it’s very important to work at a company that partakes in philanthropy.

77% of employees reported a sense of purpose as part of the reason they selected their current employer.

55% of employees would take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company.

Employees who participate in corporate giving have 75% longer tenures with their companies.

96% of employees who volunteer with their companies report having a positive company culture.

96% of employees want their employers to match the donations they make to nonprofits.

In one survey, 84% of respondents said they’re more likely to donate if their employer offers a match.

How CSR Impacts Businesses’ Consumers

(Sources: Harvard Business School)

72% of consumers believe companies should have a legal responsibility to society.

77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world a better place.

Over 90% of consumers worldwide are likely to switch to brands supporting a good cause.

More than 66% of consumers would pay more to buy from socially and environmentally responsible businesses.

Creating value for the customer, positively impacting society, and inspiring innovation and positive change are the three highest-ranking components of a company’s purpose.

88% of people want to know about a company’s CSR efforts when considering making a purchase.

5 Examples of Businesses Doing CSR Right

Looking to get started with CSR efforts but not sure how to begin? Get inspired by these popular companies that have exemplified what it looks like to be socially responsible and philanthropic.

Gilead Sciences

When it comes to philanthropic corporations, Gilead Sciences has led the pack for several years in a row. This biotechnology company contributes an average of $400 million each year to nonprofit causes, which comes out to nearly 3% of their pre-tax profits. Plus, they offer a matching gift program for current full-time employees, agreeing to match donations of up to $2,000 per year to most nonprofit organizations!

They’ve also published a number of lofty goals to further elevate their CSR by 2030⁠—including achieving net zero operational greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring 100% of their packaging is recyclable, eliminating all unnecessary plastics, and significantly increasing Black, Hispanic, and female representation in the company.

Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson has prioritized reducing their company’s impact on the planet over the last three decades by highlighting the importance of sustainable business practices. One key pillar of this effort was accomplished by harnessing wind power to significantly reduce pollution from their operations and ultimately offering up a renewable (and economically friendly) alternative to traditional electricity.

In addition to the company’s environmental efforts, Johnson & Johnson also donates generously to many nonprofit organizations, including schools, health and human services, civic and community organizations, and more. Much of this funding is contributed through workplace giving programs as well, matching team member donations at a 2:1 rate up to $20,000 per employee per year!

Google

Google is another example of a highly regarded business with multiple effective CSR efforts in place. As a result, the company has earned the Reputation Institute’s highest CSR score, due in part to its philanthropic initiatives, renewable energy projects, and environmental impact reduction.

Not only do their data centers use 50% less energy than other comparable institutions, but they’ve also committed more than $1 billion to develop environmental efforts in the future. Plus, they have a generous donation-matching program, offering up to a $10,000 gift match for full- and part-time employees. They even offer additional nonprofit grants through the Google Ad Grants program, which gives eligible organizations $10,000 in free monthly ad credits per month to promote their work.

Lyft

One example of a business hosting a successful cause marketing campaign as a component of an overall CSR strategy is Lyft. Through their partnership with organizations like Bread of Life, United Way, and the National Council on Aging, Lyft offered free rides to essential workers and vulnerable populations through an initiative called LyftUp during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With this model in place, Lyft has elevated its brand reputation as one that cares about the underserved in its communities, thus driving popularity and sales.

Ben & Jerry’s

Since 1988, Ben & Jerry’s has been known for being a particularly outspoken advocate for all sorts of social causes. The company has partnered with nonprofit organizations such as 1% for Peace, Farm Aid, Children’s Defense Fund, Rock the Vote, Alaska Wilderness League, MyClimate, NativeEnergy, and many more to provide aid for social, environmental, economic, and scientific causes.

They’ve also launched more than one ice cream flavor dedicated to their favorite social causes, which include “Save Our Swirled,” “Empower Mint,” “Justice ReMix’d,” and “Peace Pop.”

Final Note on the Impact of CSR

Corporate social responsibility is often framed as a win-win-win situation because companies, nonprofits, and the greater community all benefit greatly from its existence. As you consider how CSR impacts businesses like yours, think about all the good you can do for your employees, your business, and your community!

Want to learn more about the impact of CSR and philanthropy on businesses like yours? Check out these other guides:

Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies. Workplace giving brings the advantages of CSR to the next level by prioritizing employee participation in philanthropy. Not to mention, nonprofits benefit from increased funding as well!
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics. These powerful facts and figures about corporate philanthropy, matching gifts, and other giving programs will inspire your team to make an even more significant impact.
Corporate Philanthropy: The Ultimate Guide to Giving. Interested in diving deeper into corporate philanthropy for your company? This complete guide to corporate giving shares key details about types of programs, business impact, and more.

Top Matching Gift Practices | Actionable Insights & Examples

Matching Gift Best Practices | Actionable Insights & Examples

March 7, 2023/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising groups are always on the lookout for new and improved ways to fund their missions. Corporate matching gifts offer an excellent fundraising lift, but many organizations have an underdeveloped strategy for pursuing this funding source. That’s why we recommend taking a look at matching gift practices from nonprofits that are already seeing high levels of success.

Recent findings have analyzed the highest revenue-generating peer-to-peer-based fundraisers and compiled a number of top strategies followed by each. Based on the report, we’ve created our own list of matching gift best practices that we suggest nonprofits employ:

Understand the importance of matching gifts in overall fundraising.
Appoint a dedicated Matching Gift Specialist.
Establish a plan to drive matching gift participation in fundraising efforts.
Create a detailed and easily accessible matching gift page.
Incorporate matching gifts within the donation form.
Provide company-specific program details on the confirmation screen.
Send personalized matching gift emails post-transaction.
Strive for ease and accessibility.
Keep a record of individuals’ matching gift statuses.
Thank donors for their matching gift participation.
Cultivate relationships with donors’ employing companies.
Leverage innovative matching gift software.

Over the course of this guide, we’ll provide actionable insights and real-world examples of fundraisers having successfully implemented these practices. In the end, we hope that these exemplary organizations and practices will inspire you to take your matching gift program to the next level.

1. Understand the importance of matching gifts in overall fundraising.

The first step in optimizing your matching gift fundraising plan has to do with understanding its value. After all, when you (and your team) know why you’re doing what you’re doing to pursue matching gift opportunities, you’ll tend to be more motivated to see results.

So here’s why. The benefits of matching gifts for nonprofits are generally threefold ⁠—

Increased corporate philanthropy funding. One of the most apparent advantages of matching gift programs is the corporate match donations that an organization receives. Think of it like the “free” part of a “buy one, get one free” promotion. When donors participate, they funnel additional corporate revenue from their employing companies to your organization. And doing so produces substantial results!
Increased individual giving revenue. Not only do matching gift programs increase nonprofit fundraising by making more corporate funds available, but they also elevate individual giving in a few key ways. In fact, Double the Donation research reports that over 84% of survey participants are more likely to donate, and 1 in 3 donors would contribute a larger amount if matching is applied to their donation.
Increased donor engagement. Nonprofits that employed strategic matching gift follow-ups saw up to 6x more post-donation engagement opportunities. Each outreach message is another chance to keep your cause at the top of donors’ minds for longer. This encourages supporters to get further involved with (and make a larger impact on) your organization without reaching back into their own wallets.

All in all, fundraising research demonstrates a positive correlation between matching gift practices and overall fundraising success.

Check out this graph from the Top Nonprofits report that illustrates the finding, with each point representing a top P2P event according to its total revenue and matching gift score:

This shows us that the more developed an organization’s matching strategy, the higher fundraising revenue they can expect. And at the same time, the higher the fundraising revenue an organization sees, the more developed its matching gift strategy likely is.

In other words, exploring matching gift practices like the ones outlined below typically produces multi-faceted fundraising success.

2. Appoint a dedicated Matching Gift Specialist.

In the ideal situation, everyone on your organization’s team will be well-versed in matching gift programs. However, by appointing an expert to lead your team, you’ll have the time and resources to implement matching gifts into your overall fundraising strategy.

Your nonprofit will be more prepared after hiring a matching gift specialist than it would be having your whole staff know just a few basic facts about matching gifts. The coordinator is the expert, but the rest of your employees should know enough to field the questions that they can and pass along the rest as needed.

The specialist is the designated point person for all matching gift queries and problems and the staff member in charge of ensuring the donations are received.

Your coordinator will be able to keep your various departments in the loop about what’s going on and need-to-know information. All staff members should be promoting matching gifts when relevant, but the matching gift coordinator is the coach leading your team to victory.

If the matching gift specialist position is new territory for your organization, why not consider hiring an executive search firm? Consultants can help you craft the perfect job description and lead you through the entire hiring process, ensuring that everything runs smoothly!

3. Establish a plan to drive matching gift participation in fundraising efforts.

Once you understand the value of matching gifts⁠, it’s time to begin developing (and/or finetuning) your plan to maximize the funding source. Why?

Another key finding from the Top Nonprofits report saw that 100% of the P2P Top 30 fundraisers have some sort of dedicated matching gift strategy in place. While the extent of their efforts varies from one organization or event to the next, the fact that every nonprofit that made the list incorporated matching gifts in their fundraising plan in one way or another remains significant.

Follow these leading organizations’ examples and be sure that your team takes the time and effort to establish a well-thought-out plan regarding corporate matching. For the best results, we recommend training your team in the basics of matching gifts and incorporating the rest of these impactful matching gift practices pursued by the top fundraising organizations in your overall strategy.

4. Create a detailed and easily accessible matching gift page.

As a nonprofit fundraiser, you likely understand that your organization’s website is one of your most valuable assets for marketing, donor engagement, and more. It makes sense that you’d want to use that resource to promote matching gifts to your audience⁠.

Hosting a dedicated matching gift web page is one of the best ways to do so⁠—and 93.3% of the P2P Top 30 agree!

Let’s take a look at an inspirational example from one of the Top 30 fundraisers included in the study⁠.

Here’s what this organization did well in its matching gift web page:

Shared a brief explanation of matching gift programs and their value for donors and nonprofits;
Embedded an auto-completing matching gift database search tool, providing access to tens of thousands of companies’ matching gift program guidelines with a few clicks;
Overviewed the process involved for donors to get their gifts matched on behalf of the organization;
Provided contact information often required in donors’ submission forms, ensuring everything they need is all in one, readily available hub;
Ensured the page was easily accessible from the website’s main “Get Involved” tab.

The organization even provided an additional tab on its workplace giving page that targets potential corporate sponsors, highlighting details such as the number of companies involved, matching donations made, and total revenue raised through such programs.

5. Incorporate matching gifts within the donation form.

We’ve long stated that including matching gifts directly within the donation experience itself is one of the best ways to get the ball rolling for donors. And if the fundraisers whose practices were analyzed during the research report are any indication, many top nonprofits agree.

For one, a donation page provides an excellent opportunity to collect much-needed employment information from donors. Once you have this data, your team can then trigger targeted communications to drive more matches to completion.

Plus, simply mentioning matching gift opportunities within your online form allows your donors to begin familiarizing themselves with the idea of the programs as early as possible.

Here’s one organization that made the most of its online giving page to promote matching gifts.

Here’s what this organization did well on its donation page, specifically in regard to matching gifts:

Established a dedicated section within the form, clearly labeled “Matching Gifts,” to grab supporters’ attention as they give;
Provided a brief overview of matching gift programs and how to use the embedded search tool to locate company information;
Shared next steps in the matching gift process, ensuring donors can expect additional information pertaining to their gifts and matches on the confirmation page.

By implementing these matching gift practices and more, the nonprofit was able to see standout match success through key peer-to-peer programs and additional fundraising efforts. Not to mention similar donation form tactics were also employed by many other high-ranking organizations included in the matching gift report.

6. Provide company-specific program details on the confirmation screen.

The next recommended practice has to do with the step directly after an individual completes an online donation form. In nearly all cases, the user then automatically reroutes to a gift confirmation screen. This page acknowledges that the donation was submitted, thanks the supporter for their contribution, and provides additional opportunities for involvement.

And throughout the matching gift research report, we saw that the vast majority of top nonprofits (~83.3%) also use this valuable piece of real estate to further promote matching gift participation.

Let’s take a look at one example of this practice.

Here’s what this organization did well on its confirmation page, specifically regarding matching gifts:

Provided detailed information about an individual’s contribution, enabling them to easily compare against their company’s established matching gift eligibility criteria;
Embedded an auto-populating matching gift widget, complete with specific program information for the company they selected on the previous page;
Inspired immediate action with links straight to company guidelines and online submission forms.

Offering a simpler matching gift experience following an initial donation increases the likelihood of donor participation. That said, fundraisers like this team aim to streamline the process while making the most of still-high levels of supporter engagement. And when done so effectively, many donors choose to initiate their matches right from the confirmation screen.

7. Send personalized matching gift emails post-transaction.

For donors who ultimately don’t choose to get their gifts matched directly from the confirmation screen, we know that sending follow-up emails can be the next best step. That’s why 86.6% of the P2P Top 30 are pursuing matching gift opportunities with post-transaction messaging.

Let’s take a look at one leading organization’s post-donation communications⁠—and how they highlight matching gifts.

First, here’s the donation receipt an individual receives in the minutes after submitting their gift:

And this is what the follow-up matching gift email looks like:

Here’s what this organization did well in its post-donation matching gift communications:

Thanked donors for their initial support, acknowledging their gift impact and the opportunity for amplified results from corporate matching;
Leveraged customizable messaging, using the nonprofit’s own consistent branding (fonts, images, colors) and email domain;
Included matching gift information in both the gift confirmation email/donation receipt;
Sent messages in a timely manner, with the donation receipt and initial matching email coming in within the first hour after the gift being made;
Let donors know within the gift receipt that they will receive additional email correspondence with next steps for matching gifts;
Referenced personalized details, such as the donor’s name, acknowledgment of a recent gift, and the company they work for;
Shared company-specific matching gift eligibility criteria, including minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, request deadlines, and more;
Provided direct links to the online submission portal for the donor’s employer, empowering them to initiate a match with ease.

The matching gift email also encourages supporters to follow up with the organization for a quick matching gift status update after submitting their request. This enables the nonprofit’s development team to better track and forecast incoming match revenue.

8. Strive for ease and accessibility.

For a donor, securing a matching gift is an easy process that has the misfortune of sounding complicated. To remedy this, brand it better by simplifying the process.

Clear and concise language with straightforward directions will encourage your donors to seek out matching gifts. Donors who have already been generous enough to donate should not have to follow up with a lot of paperwork.

To better explain matching gifts, you can:

List the typical steps involved in the process on your matching gifts explainer page.
Insert a matching gift widget that can help the donor search for their company’s program.
Mail out informational materials about corporate philanthropy.
Highlight key matching gift statistics in your educational resources.
Point out a few of the companies that commonly match gifts for your nonprofit.

Ensure that your nonprofit is a one-stop shop for all things matching gifts! That way, donors won’t have to seek out this information themselves. Get ahead of the game and give your supporters all the information they need to fully understand their opportunities.

9. Keep a record of individuals’ matching gift statuses.

Maintaining ongoing records of donors’ matching gift statuses falls under the matching gift coordinator’s jurisdiction. Essentially, you’ll want to know what requests have been made, when they are processed, and when they have been fulfilled.

Keeping accurate records will guarantee that no revenue opportunities slip through the cracks. There can be a lot of moving parts in the process among the donor, donor’s employer, and the nonprofit, and there will be some level of back-and-forth. A clear trail of what has happened and what needs to happen will make interactions a lot easier and a lot more efficient.

Regardless of what you choose, the more standardized and systematic the process you use is, the better the results will be. And the right software can help, too⁠—complete with trackable email buttons and all!

10. Thank donors for their matching gift participation.

Donors involved with matching gifts have gone the extra mile for your cause, so your appreciation should match that level of energy.

Just like matching gifts have doubled your donations, matching gift thank yous should be doubled as well. Thank them once for the initial donation and a second time when the matched gift goes through.

In fact, you may even want to put together a special event to honor matching gift donors. The goal is to show genuine gratitude towards what they’ve done to help, and something like a special event will also promote the program to those who are unaware of it.

If you don’t have the resources for an entire event, try publicly thanking those involved on social media. This is a great place to promote matching gifts and is also a top outlet for acknowledgment. For instance, a strategic Facebook post can kill two birds with one stone by thanking a matching gift donor while getting the idea of matching gifts into the heads of your Facebook community.

Nonetheless, you’ll need to find an appropriate way to demonstrate your gratitude and ensure that the donors feel appreciated. Whether it’s through a full-blown appreciation event or thank-you letters, let your donors know their contributions are vital to your mission.

11. Cultivate relationships with donors’ employing companies.

You should also consider thanking your donors’ companies as well. The donor has brought the company to you, so go ahead and cover all your bases. That’s why it’s so important to collect employment data!

After all, matching gifts can provide a much-desired introduction to major corporations with top-notch corporate giving.

When an employee asks their company to match their gift, by nature of the process, the company will be exposed to your nonprofit. If you want to foster a new relationship, your nonprofit is going to have to impress the company. In some cases, you’ll even develop long-term partnerships with them.

By having all of your matching gifts ducks in a row, your staff can focus on building those corporate relationships instead of troubleshooting submission issues.

Plus, whenever you need an extra helping hand at one of your events, these companies will likely be more than happy to help out through their corporate volunteer program since you’ll already be on their radar.

12. Leverage innovative matching gift software.

While it’s technically possible to develop a matching gift strategy without the aid of dedicated technology to power your efforts, doing so is likely to require substantial investments of time, effort, and resources. On the other hand, matching gift software can go a long way toward streamlining and automating the process.

As you consider the possibilities, it’s worth noting that, of the organizations’ practices analyzed in the Top Nonprofits report, those that use matching gift software saw average matching gift scores more than twice as high as those that did not appear to use matching gift software.

Still, choosing the right software provider is essential, as well. The study reports that 73.3% of the P2P Top 30 fundraisers⁠—and ⁠90% of the 10 highest-earning events—leveraged Double the Donation’s match software.

Not to mention, employing a best-in-class technology solution like Double the Donation can also help your team incorporate the above best practices into your matching gift strategy⁠—from hosting a dedicated matching gift page (complete with an embedded company search tool) to highlighting matching gifts throughout the giving experience and beyond.

If you’re interested in exploring Double the Donation’s automation platform, you can request a demo here to get started.

Plus, keep in mind that your more general fundraising technology can play a significant role here, as well. For example, Top Nonprofits indicates that organizations using tools without sufficient matching gift integration and customization options saw significantly lower matching gift scores overall⁠⁠—compared to fundraisers whose giving tools integrated seamlessly with a matching gift solution.

That said, we recommend taking a look at Double the Donation’s wide array of technology partners if you’re in the market for a new fundraising platform that will work well with an elevated matching gift strategy.

Wrapping Up

Whether your team is just getting started with matching gifts or you’re looking to optimize an existing strategy, taking a look at tips and tricks followed by organizations with impactful matching gift efforts can go a long way.

Integrating the above matching gift practices in your nonprofit’s fundraising has the potential to bring your overall giving to previously unimaginable heights. And now’s the best time to get started!

Keep up the learning—explore additional resources from Double the Donation and other matching gift industry experts below:

Matching Gift Research Report: A Digital Strategy Analysis of the Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Top 30. Did you like the examples and insights included in this guide? Check out the full matching gift research report from Top Nonprofits to learn more!
Matching Gift Case Studies: A Look at 15+ Organizations Seeing Success with Double the Donation. Get this free download to dive deeper into the standout matching gift strategies of more nonprofits and schools utilizing Double the Donation.
8 Ways to Encourage Donors to Submit Employee Matching Gift Requests. Looking for more actionable tips and best practices? This recent blog post outlines eight impactful methods for driving matching gifts to completion with strategic donor outreach.
Interested in learning more about top matching gift fundraising practices? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!

Top Fundraisers with Standout Matching Gift Success

5 Fundraisers with Standout Matching Gift Success

February 20, 2023/in Learning Center, Learning Center, Lists and Rankings /by Adam Weinger

Double the Donation works with thousands of clients in the nonprofit and educational fundraising spaces. And just about all of our clients have seen significant matching gift success when employing our tools!

In this post, we wanted to spotlight a few standout examples of impactful matching gift strategies from top fundraisers. These include:

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
The Greater Boston Food Bank
Southern California Public Radio
Humane Society International
Marietta College

As we explore tried-and-true practices exemplified by these notable organizations, make a note of the strategies you can leverage in your own team’s matching gift fundraising efforts.

Matching Gift Success Story #1: Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Founded in 1949, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is one of the largest medical research organizations in the world. With a specific dedication to blood cancer treatment, the nonprofit averages over $285 million in annual contributions and has funded more than $1.6 billion in groundbreaking advancements.

LLS also hosts a few of the largest peer-to-peer-focused nonprofit fundraising events. This includes its Light the Night Walk, which collects more than $70,000,000 from over 1 million participants each year.

And a significant portion of their workplace giving fundraising has been made available through corporate matching gift programs!

Matching Gift Facts and Figures

LLS began leveraging Double the Donation’s matching gift automation platform in June 2017.
Since getting started with Double the Donation, the organization increased its matching gift revenue year-over-year by more than 48%, bringing in an additional $3.4 million through corporate matching for the cause.
More than 1,500,00+ LLS donors interact with Double the Donation tools throughout and following the donation process itself.

Let’s take a look at some of the main functionality leveraged by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in regard to their matching gift growth:

Email domain screening and streamlined search tool on donation forms to identify match-eligible gifts;
Detailed matching gift program results and forms on donation confirmation/thank-you page;
Automated messaging to match-eligible and unknown donors with customized email sending logic, branding, sending domain (from @lls.org), subject lines, graphics, and more;
Matching gift plugin across multiple websites and forms;
Outbound calling to top match prospect opportunities;
Custom sending limits for major and recurring gifts;
Top-notch data security measures, including data encryption, intrusion detection software, intrusion penetration software, multi-factor logins, malware detection, and vulnerability scanning;
Full CRM sync to make the most of donor data collected through matching gift strategies.

Want to see it in action? View Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s matching gifts page here:

Matching Gift Success Story #2: The Greater Boston Food Bank

The Greater Boston Food Bank was founded in 1981 and has since grown into the largest hunger relief organization in all of New England. Through free mobile markets, SNAP assistance, forward-thinking research, and more, GBFB empowers those struggling with food insecurity in Eastern Massachusetts.

With over 80,000 donors annually supporting their efforts, the Greater Boston Food Bank brings in more than $175 million in total revenue each year.

Matching Gift Facts and Figures

The GBFB saw a 56% increase in its annual matching gift revenue after getting started with Double the Donation’s automated solution.
In their first year using the tools, GBFB matching gift revenue grew from $1,188,585 to over $1,853,036⁠—a difference of more than $660,000.
Over $790,000 worth of match-eligible dollars were identified by Double the Donation’s software in a twelve-month period.

Here are the primary components of our matching gift solution employed by the Greater Boston Food Bank:

Email domain screening and streamlined search tool on donation forms, which enables the organization to quickly and easily uncover match opportunities;
Full, company-specific matching gift program guidelines and links to request forms automatically populating on donation confirmation pages;
Custom restrictions and email logic, and organization-specific sending domain, providing a targeted outreach experience for each donor;
Automated donor segmentation by match eligibility (likely match-eligible, likely match-ineligible, unknown eligibility) with personalized next steps for each type.

See what they’re doing to drive success! View The Greater Boston Food Bank’s matching gifts page here:

Matching Gift Success Story #3: Southern California Public Radio

Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) is a member-supported public media network operating multiple radio stations in the Southern California region. Its primary station (formerly known as KPCC and since re-branded as LAist 89.3) is a non-commercial educational radio provider.

Together, the network of stations reaches more than 800,000 listeners, with a goal to provide high-quality news and other informational content to its audiences. SCPR has a total annual revenue of over $40 million through individual and corporate contributions alike.

Matching Gift Facts and Figures

Southern California Public Radio saw a 55% increase in matching gift revenue after employing Double the Donation’s automated solution to increase awareness of match opportunities among donors.
More than 75,000 SCPR donors interact with Double the Donation technology, from the company search tool and program guideline plugin to follow-up emails and submission portal links.

Here’s how SCPR is using Double the Donation to drive more matching gifts to completion:

Multiple donor screening methods to identify and follow up on available matches⁠—including email domain screening and our matching gift database search tool;
Full matching gift company guidelines available on gift confirmation screens, providing details such as minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, qualifying nonprofit and employee types, submission deadlines, and links to request forms;
Automated and custom-branded email messaging for match-eligible and unknown donors;
Personalized donor experiences, encouraging supporters to take outlined next steps and pursue matching gifts using custom email sending logic;
Access to matching gift search tool plugin across multiple website domains and online giving forms, ensuring donors have easy access to the information they need;
Custom sending limits for recurring and major gift donors, complete with email blocklist and unsubscribe functionality;
High levels of data security, including data encryption, IDS, IPS, multi-factor login, and malware and vulnerability scanning to keep donor information safe and secure.

See for yourself! View Southern California Public Radio’s matching gifts page here:

Matching Gift Success Story #4: Humane Society International

Since 1991, Humane Society International (also known as HSI) has served in the animal welfare space to promote positive relations between humans and animals across the globe. With an annual revenue nearly totaling $24 million, HSI leverages individual donors, corporate support, and more to make a difference in the lives of creatures everywhere.

Matching Gift Facts and Figures

HSI saw an increase of more than 17% in its matching gift revenue year-over-year by employing Double the Donation’s fully automated solution.
$234,000+ match-eligible donations were identified in the first year using matching gift automation.
Over 68,000 matching gift emails were sent in a twelve-month period⁠—including matching gift program guidelines, submission reminders, and more.

Specifically, Humane Society International leveraged Double the Donation to enable:

Easy match-eligible donor identification (through email domain screening, donation form search tools, etc.);
Detailed matching program guidelines and next steps, providing easy access to company match criteria, deadlines, and submission instructions;
Automated matching gift messaging, such as program eligibility and reminders;
Customized email functionality (e.g., sending logic, limits and restrictions, sending domains, subject lines, image branding, and more) to ensure personalized donor communications;
High-level data security measures (including encryption, intrusion detection, and vulnerability scanning).

Take a look for yourself⁠—click here to see Humane Society International’s matching gifts page:

Matching Gift Success Story #5: Marietta College

Established in 1835 in Marietta, Ohio, Marietta College is a private liberal arts school. Offering more than 50 undergraduate and graduate majors, Marietta College provides focus areas across arts, sciences, humanities, and more.

All in all, the college receives over $70 million in annual revenue per year, with nearly $46 million coming from tuition and fees and more than $22 million from donor funding and grants⁠—including corporate matching.

Matching Gift Facts and Figures

Marietta College identified more than $40,000 in match-eligible donations in the first year of using Double the Donation.
The school boasts an open rate of 60% for their automated matching gift emails, which is approximately three times the industry average open rate of 20%.

Here’s how Marietta College and Double the Donation teamed up to maximize matching gifts with these key features:

Corporate email domain screening and donation form search fields to collect employment information;
Complete match results auto-populating through confirmation screens, email follow-ups, and match page searches;
Customization of email sending logic, company restrictions, message sending limits, email domains, subject lines, and more.
Automated email follow-ups for donors identifies as match-eligible, match-ineligible, and unknown employment status, providing detailed next steps and actionable insights to drive matching gifts.

Get schooled! View Marietta College’s matching gifts page here:

Wrapping Up

Most nonprofits receive some amount of matching gift revenue even without a dedicated plan in place. However, a much smaller percentage of organizations have a well-thought-out strategy with the tools to implement it. Ultimately, the latter group comprises those that are making the most of the opportunity at hand.

When you take a long look at these groups (such as those highlighted above), you can uncover the practices that produce standout matching gift success. Then, begin emulating such tips and tricks in your own team’s efforts with strategic matching gift training and access to innovative technology. And Double the Donation is here to help!

Interested in learning more about matching gift fundraising and how your nonprofit can maximize revenue through the source? Check out our other educational resources below:

Double the Donation’s Collection of Matching Gift Case Studies. Get this free downloadable resource to explore sixteen inspirational matching gift success stories from nonprofits and schools using Double the Donation.
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2023]. Dive deeper into the current corporate matching gift opportunity with smart industry research. These statistics showcase the widespread availability and impact of such programs.
8 Ways to Encourage Donors to Submit Employee Matching Gift Requests. A significant portion of the matching gift process is donor-led. Find out how your team can encourage supporters to get involved on your behalf.

Alternative Fundraising Avenues: Recouping After Lost Funding Sources

February 15, 2023/in Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

There are many different funding types at the disposal of nonprofit causes. These sources empower organizations like yours to bankroll mission programming and behind-the-scenes operations alike. Still, most fundraisers end up relying on a few primary channels to power the brunt of their operations.

So what happens when one of those key sources becomes unavailable? Oftentimes, that means it’s time to begin searching for alternative fundraising avenues.

And we’re here to help! In this guide, we’ll cover:

Why your nonprofit might lose a funding source
Next steps after losing a funding source
Diversifying funds with 10+ alternative revenue streams
Our favorite fundraising avenue: employee matching gifts!

Ready to dive in? Let’s start at the beginning.

Why your nonprofit might lose a funding source

The loss of a nonprofit funding source can be jarring⁠, and you might not always see it coming. However, understanding common causes behind lost fundraising avenues can make a big difference in preparing to overcome whatever obstacles are thrown your way.

Some scenarios in which your organization finds itself without a key funding source might include losses of major donors (whether due to passing, changing financial circumstances, or other reasoning), specific grants not coming through, and more.

One of the most prominent⁠—and widespread⁠—examples of this occurred at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020. Still, the lingering effects remained for years after the fact. And that’s when organizations across the globe that had been previously dependent on revenue generated through in-person fundraising events were now without access to the source.

Luckily, all was not lost! Instead, organizations went to work rapidly transitioning events to the virtual realm in order to maintain donor engagement and giving.

Another, more recent instance? The cessation of Amazon’s philanthropic initiative, AmazonSmile, in February 2023. This program had been a fairly effortless source of income for over one million local and national causes, producing more than $365 million for participating organizations. Once the closing of the program was announced, tons of nonprofits began scrambling to locate new ways to make up the income they’d been depending on.

And that brings us to our next section!

Next steps after losing a funding source

If your nonprofit has just lost a key source of funding, you may be tempted to enter panic mode. But first, we recommend taking a few easy steps to get your organization back on track for financial success.

Determine how much was lost from the source.

First and foremost, start by gauging exactly how much was lost from the source.

If you were expecting a particular grant payout or a donor had been contributing a static amount year after year, you could fairly simply determine the amount you were accounting for. On the other hand, more variable sources⁠—e.g., fundraising events or programs like AmazonSmile⁠—can be estimated by calculating the average dollar amounts received over a period of time, such as the last months or years.

For example, many organizations are (understandably) fretting about the AmazonSmile program shutting down. However, reports indicate that the average annual payout for the program was a mere $230.

Looking at it this way can help contextualize the loss and make an actionable plan to compensate for the lack of funding.

Pursue new fundraising avenues.

Now, begin brainstorming ways to make up for the lost funding. When one door closes, another one may be opening. That means it might be time to pursue a brand new funding avenue.

A few examples may include:

Launching an online store (such as selling branded merchandise for your cause!)
Exploring fee-for-service models (e.g., summer camp, youth programming, etc.)
Hosting a nonprofit crowdfunding campaign

Keep in mind that this idea can look vastly different from one organization to the next. After all, there’s a world of opportunities readily available.

Ramp up existing (yet often underutilized) funding types.

What about those revenue streams that produce some funding for your cause, but you don’t have a particularly built-out strategy for making the most of the resource? It’s a great chance to optimize your efforts regarding those funding types, as well!

For many organizations, this is where corporate giving programs fall. Perhaps you’ve received a number of matching donations, maybe even a few volunteer grants. However, you might generally rely on individual supporters to pursue those avenues on their own. In that case, now might be the best opportunity to ramp up your efforts to help ensure no matches are ultimately going unclaimed.

Diversifying funds with 10+ alternative revenue streams

When you rely too heavily on any one type of funding, you run the risk of financial instability should something happen to that source. Thus, one of the best ways to prepare your organization prior to losing potential revenue streams is to ensure a well-rounded and sustainable funding model.

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular⁠—and impactful⁠—kinds of nonprofit funding to consider. Keep in mind that a versatile fundraising strategy likely incorporates many, if not all, of these earning types.

1. Corporate Giving

According to corporate giving research, corporations contribute, on average, over $21 billion each year. Much of this funding is donated through generous programs, such as:

Matching gifts
Volunteer grants
Sponsorships
Corporate grants

However, billions of dollars in workplace giving revenue is left on the table each year, largely due to a lack of knowledge surrounding the programs.

Want to increase participation in corporate philanthropy and drive additional corporate funding to your cause? Identify the right opportunities (such as by using a database like Double the Donation) and raise awareness among supporters. You can even encourage them to get their employers involved! Don’t worry: we’ll share more on matching gifts later.)

2. Individual Gifts

Many nonprofits make up the majority of their annual fundraising revenue through individual donor giving. This typically includes a number of specific giving types, such as:

Small-dollar gifts
Mid-size gifts
Major gifts
Planned gifts

In order to maximize individual giving, be sure to send personalized and targeted fundraising appeals. You’ll also want to emphasize the tangible impact of generous donations on your nonprofit’s mission.

Plus, the above-cited research shows that simply highlighting matching gifts in donation asks results in a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average gift amount.

3. Grants

Nonprofit (or fundraising) grants are a specific type of monetary contribution made to a charitable cause. They are typically larger than the average donation amount and are often restricted to funding a particular project or program.

Grants can be made by a range of different institutions but generally fall into one of the following categories:

Foundation grants
Government grants (federal, state, and local)
Corporate grants

Most grants require some sort of application process and may include a dedicated proposal to be submitted. In order to secure more grant funding for your organization, it’s a good idea to spend some time researching opportunities and creating optimized proposal materials.

4. Event Revenue

Nonprofit fundraising events can certainly be fan-favorite experiences⁠—and can range from informal run/walk/ride competitions to elegant gala affairs. And each event typically encompasses multiple opportunities for generating revenue.

For example, your event may collect funding from:

Ticket sales or entrance fees
Auction bids
Merchandise sales
Individual donations
Event sponsorships

When you choose to host a fundraising event for your organization, be sure to invest time and resources into marketing the opportunity effectively beforehand. After all, your audience would love to participate to support your cause, but they need to know the event is happening in order to attend.

5. Online Giving

In line with the digital revolution, online giving has increased steadily, seeing consistent year-over-year growth throughout the past decade and beyond.

Remember: donors want an easy digital giving experience, so the tools you use to power online donations are a critical component of your strategy.

(Hint: Double the Donation partners with some of the greatest online donation platforms in the industry. Check out our integrations to learn more!)

6. Direct Mail Donations

Though many assume that direct mail is an outdated fundraising strategy, the truth is that it remains an excellent way to engage with your donors in an offline manner.

In fact, recent fundraising statistics report that direct mail is the second-highest reported giving preference among Baby Boomer donors worldwide. At the same time, it’s one of the top four most inspirational channels to drive action among supporters in Millennial, Gen X, and Baby Boomer generations alike.

One way to modernize the giving avenue, however, is to provide an online option for giving⁠—even when an individual is being prompted through a direct mail ask. For example, you might include a scannable QR code or an easy-to-type digital giving page URL.

7. Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Also known as social or P2P fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraising is an impactful way for nonprofits to raise substantial levels of funding while also expanding their campaign reach to new heights.

In these initiatives, organizations equip dedicated supporters with the tools they need to raise money on behalf of their favorite causes. Volunteer fundraisers then solicit donations from their own networks of friends, family members, and more.

In the end, P2P campaigns often culminate in an engaging event experience, such as a walk-a-thon!

8. Membership Fees

Some nonprofits take a membership-based approach to supplement their other existing funding sources. This is a particularly popular model among school PTAs, community programming organizations, and more. And it can be a great way to incentivize giving and foster a sense of camaraderie among members!

Organizations that choose to enact membership fees (sometimes referred to as dues) typically provide exclusive perks for those who join and aim to set their prices at an affordable monthly or yearly rate.

9. Recurring Gifts

Recurring donations offer a wide range of benefits for the nonprofits receiving them. Not only do individual supporters typically end up giving more through these programs, but it also aids organizations in estimating incoming revenue.

And leveling up your recurring gifts can be as easy as incorporating a button on your online donation pages! You may be pleasantly surprised as to how many donors opt to become regular supporters of your cause when presented with the easy opportunity to do so. In fact, average online monthly giving grew by over 40% as recurring donation options became an increasingly popular choice among online supporters.

10. In-Kind Donations

While not a direct source of funding, in-kind donations (i.e., any non-cash gifts of goods, services, or time) are an essential component of nonprofit fundraising. After all, these types of contributions empower organizations to stretch their budgets further than otherwise possible. And that allows them to allocate revenue to other areas of their operations.

To drive more in-kind donations, make sure to market the opportunity to your donors! Many individuals love supporting nonprofits by providing gifts-in-kind and seeing the impact that their tangible purchases can have on their favorite causes. Plus, Amazon still offers an easy way for charities to create and share online wishlists from which their supporters can purchase and send items directly to the organization.

Our favorite fundraising avenue: employee matching gifts!

While all of the above funding sources can provide significant benefits for the nonprofits who choose to establish the initiatives, our #1 favorite method is employee matching gifts. After all, this top alternative fundraising avenue has huge potential⁠—though it’s still going largely underutilized.

In fact, Double the Donation research indicates that an estimated $2 – $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs each year. However, an additional $4 – $7 billion goes unclaimed on an annual basis.

Not to mention, corporate matching gifts are an opportunity that nearly all nonprofit organizations qualify to participate in. Over 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs, including over 65% of the Fortune 500. More than likely, a key segment of your existing and prospective donors falls into that matching-gift-eligible group.

When you highlight the widespread availability of these programs, your organization can benefit not only from increased corporate funding but from elevated donor giving, as well. The above-mentioned studies also show that individual supporters are more likely to give (71% growth in gift conversion rates) and to give more (51% higher average transaction amount) when matching gifts are promoted. Thus, in the end, your organization receives additional revenue streams and new opportunities for communication and engagement. Talk about a win-win!

Plus, if you’re looking for a particularly impactful source of fundraising revenue that doesn’t require a ton of staff time and resources, dedicated matching gift technology is the way to go. Leveraging a matching gift automation tool (like Double the Donation’s solution) increases matching gift funds for nonprofits by over 61%, with innovative new auto-submission functionality projected to yield more than an 80% increase in match revenue.

And in the face of adversity, you generally won’t have to worry about a negative impact on matching gifts. In reality, many companies were reported to have developed new and improved employee matching initiatives in the wake of COVID-19 and other economic downturns. Besides, should one company roll back its programming, you’ll likely have a number of additional matching opportunities to pursue⁠—making it a particularly sustainable fundraising practice over time.

Final Thoughts

Preparing your team with a range of diversified revenue can go a long way toward continuous operational success⁠. Even in the midst of lost funding avenues, you’ll have a number of alternative fundraising streams supporting your organization.

And when you have a plan in place for optimizing passive income opportunities (such as employer matching gifts and more), you can continue driving forward mission impact despite losing access to other sources.

Ready to dive deeper into some of our favorite alternative fundraising avenues for nonprofits and schools? Check out these additional resources below:

Corporate Matching Gift Programs: The Definitive Guide. Interested in our #1 suggested fundraising source? Become an expert on corporate donation matching with this detailed guide to growing your organization’s revenue.
Winning Workplace Giving Strategies For Nonprofits. Matching gifts aren’t the only type of workplace giving funding stream to pursue! Learn about volunteer grants, charitable giving stipends, corporate fundraising campaigns, and more.
215+ Amazing Fundraising Ideas for Your Organization. Provide new and exciting ways for donors to support your cause with this compilation of top fundraising ideas. Explore events, virtual efforts, product sales, and other impactful campaigns.

How to Promote Matching Gifts with the Google Ad Grant

February 9, 2023/in Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

If your nonprofit is serious about driving more matching gift revenue, it’s time to step up and get creative with your outreach. As one of the most innovative outreach channels, Google Ads might just be the missing piece to your matching gift marketing strategy.

For those who are paid marketing rookies, Google Ads is an online advertising platform where advertisers can display short ads that promote their web content to users on Google Search. Nonprofits that use the platform typically promote content related to fundraising, volunteering, and services.

Pay-per-click marketing can add up, though. Luckily, Google realizes this! That’s why they offer eligible nonprofits free access to Google Ads, making it the perfect opportunity to strengthen your organization’s digital presence. Crafting a high-performing ad campaign for matching gifts takes a bit more than writing a few sentences, directing people to your website, and calling it a day, though.

To help supercharge your marketing, we’ll share everything we know about promoting matching gifts with Google Ads. Here’s what we’ll cover:

An Overview of Promoting Matching Gifts with Google Ads
Types of Matching Gift Website Content to Promote with Google Ads
Choosing Keywords for Your Matching Gift Google Ads
Examples Showing How to Promote Matching Gifts with Google Ads
Getting Started Promoting Matching Gifts with Google Ads

A lot of work goes into managing a Google Ad Grants account and creating winning ads for your fundraising initiatives. That’s why we recommend working with a professional Google Grants manager! From pinpointing the right keywords to creating inspiring ads for matching gifts, our friends at Getting Attention know what it takes to stand out using Google Ads.

While waiting to discuss your Google Ad needs with their team, explore our suggestions below. That way, you can come prepared with some ideas for your Google Ad Grants marketing strategy!

An Overview of Promoting Matching Gifts with Google Ads

Before diving headfirst into specific marketing strategies, take some time to learn the basics of the Google Ad Grant program. You’ll find that a carefully-crafted Ad Grants strategy can amplify several parts of your mission, including everything from corporate giving to volunteer registrations.

What Are Google Ad Grants?

Created in 2003, Google Ad Grants has transformed into a popular corporate giving program that provides eligible nonprofits with $10,000 in free advertising credits every month. Organizations can spend these credits to bid on different mission-related keywords and promote their web content.

Nonprofits most often promote donation pages, service pages, and educational content, depending on the keywords they’re bidding on. Then, ads are placed strategically on the search engine results pages for those keywords, such as at the very top above the organic results.

Getting Attention’s Google Ad Grants guide explains that you should “think of it as your secret weapon for spreading awareness for your cause, expanding your donor and volunteer network, sharing essential updates with your supporters, and ranking higher on Google.”

The bottom line: The Ad Grants program makes it easy to fold Google Ads into your matching gift marketing strategy without blowing your marketing budget.

Not sure if you’re eligible for the Google Ad Grants program? Before applying, check out our guide to determining your Google Grants eligibility.

The Importance of Marketing Matching Gifts

Corporate giving makes up a sizeable portion of any nonprofit’s revenue. In fact, fundraising research estimates that corporations donate roughly $3 billion through matching gifts alone each year. Even with these incredible contributions, around 78% of match-eligible donors are unaware that their companies offer matching gift programs. That’s why effective marketing is vital!

If your donors aren’t aware of their match eligibility, they won’t follow through with submitting their requests. While matching gift automation will deliver automated email reminders to donors, using other avenues to promote matching gifts will help you reach prospects who haven’t donated yet.

From emails to Google Ads, there’s a lot you can do to spread awareness to donors and prospects who need an extra push to donate.

Why Nonprofits Promote Matching Gifts With Google Ad Grants

One of the reasons that the Google Ad Grant is a game-changer is that you can create highly-customized ads that showcase your cause.

Using a feature called sitelink extensions, you can build out your ads with additional landing pages, providing users with a variety of ways to engage with your cause. In other words, you can share several touchpoints all within the same ad.

Not to mention, you have complete control over the keywords you target. That means you can make sure you’re only targeting search queries that connect you with qualified leads. Plus, you can use Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) to test out different versions of your ads to drive more clicks.

Above all, Google Search empowers you to connect with donors from all over the world. Available to organizations in 51 countries, the Google Ad Grant breaks down geographical barriers, so you can connect with motivated supporters wherever they are.

Nonprofits Source’s online giving research provides a few convincing statistics that speak to the power of Google Ads:

Google processes about 3.7 billion search queries every day and owns over 84% of the desktop search engine market.
With an average ROI of $4.78, search ads have the highest ROI for nonprofits using paid advertising.
View-through revenue (revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad) accounts for 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads.

In other words, the Google Ad Grants program gives you the power to supercharge your digital marketing and increase matching gift awareness more than ever before. By carefully selecting keywords and creating persuasive ads, you can connect with donors who are ready to donate and submit their matching gift requests to employers.

Promoting matching gifts with Google Ads is just one piece of the marketing puzzle. Explore other creative ways to market matching gifts.

Types of Matching Gift Website Content to Promote with Google Ads

So you’re convinced that Google Ads is a viable way to grow matching gift awareness. Great! We wholeheartedly agree. Now, it’s time to take the next step: determining what content to promote with Google Ads. Or, if you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to create matching gift content on your website to attach to your ads.

One of the rules of the Google Ad Grant program is that your nonprofit must have high-quality website content. After all, that content is what you’ll be promoting with your ads. Let’s explore a few pages related to matching gifts you’ll want to create on your site.

Your Donation Form

A donation form is one of the most popular pages that nonprofits promote using the Google Ad Grant. Luckily, the donation process is the perfect time to encourage users to check their matching gift eligibility! Anyone visiting this page is clearly already thinking about donating, and they might even increase their donation if they know their employer will match it.

Using one of Double the Donation’s donation form integrations, simply embed your employer search tool into this page. This will empower donors to take action immediately after clicking one of your Google Ads.

While creating brand-new matching gift content takes some time, updating your existing donation page with an employer search tool is a quick way to incorporate Google Ads into your matching gift promotion.

A Matching Gifts Page

While the concept of matching gifts is simple, companies’ programs can be tricky to navigate. They each have their own requirements and processes donors must follow to qualify. That’s why you’ll want to create a landing page that guides users through the process and allows them to determine their eligibility.

Your page should feature:

Basic information regarding what matching gift programs are
How the process of requesting a matching gift works
Corporate giving statistics that convey the impact of matching gifts
Your employer search tool so that users can research their companies’ programs

A dedicated matching gifts page will play a vital role in your Google Ads strategy. Your goal with this page should be to teach donors about matching gifts and spur them into action to submit the necessary forms. Then, when they click through to your site from your ad, they’ll know exactly what next step to take.

A Ways to Give Page

A Ways to Give page covers every way a prospect can support your work, from monthly giving to volunteering to matching gifts. Best of all, you probably already have this type of page published on your site.

Easily update your Ways to Give page with matching gift content. At a minimum, we recommend that you:

Provide donors with a tool for researching their eligibility (like our matching gift company search tool).
Direct donors to your dedicated matching gift page to learn more.

As an added bonus, this page is great to include in other ads! You can expand your other ad campaigns using the sitelink extension feature. Then, link to your Ways to Give page, directing all types of prospects to it to learn more about supporting your work.

Blog Articles

Occasionally, you’ll encounter donors who are confused about matching gifts, the process, and how to determine their eligibility. Clear up any confusion by publishing blog articles about matching gifts. This is also a great opportunity to share stories about how corporate giving has impacted your cause.

As you brainstorm your approach, here are a few other ways to create motivational blog articles about matching gifts:

Post insightful stories about matching gifts and the effects these programs can have on your organization’s mission.
Incorporate a graphic that advertises matching gifts on the side of all blog posts to help increase awareness.
Review the basics of matching gifts and give donors clear steps for checking their eligibility and submitting requests to their employers.

Like we mentioned, you can promote all sorts of content with the Google Ad Grant, including educational content about matching gifts! Dedicate some of your marketing team’s time to creating these articles. Then, when you create a particularly captivating article, you can promote it using Google Ads.

Dive into other common ways to market matching gifts to your donors across your website.

Choosing Keywords for Your Matching Gift Google Ads

One of the main components of your Google Ads is your keywords. Your keywords can make or break your Google Ads. Picking the right search terms will help you connect with motivated prospects who are likely to donate and submit matching gift requests to their employers.

Through Google for Nonprofits, you’ll gain access to helpful keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner. Use these tools to pinpoint the terms your donors are searching on Google. Or, if you’re feeling wary about picking your keywords, a Google Grants manager can step in to do the research for you.

To build effective keyword lists and optimize your Google Ad Grant account, follow these quick tips:

Think like your donors. Ask, “What would a donor search to find out more about supporting our organization?” Then, think about how to promote matching gifts through those terms.
Select general keywords to expand your reach. As we mentioned, a lot of donors don’t know about matching gifts. To reach a large audience, target generic keywords that relate to supporting your cause. Then, you can direct users to specific pages that promote matching gifts.
Narrow your audience with specific keywords. To reach donors who already know about matching gifts, you might bid on more specific terms. Know that specific keywords tend to be less competitive, meaning your ads are more likely to be shown to users. However, keep in mind that keywords that are too specific will limit who you’re able to reach with your Google Ads since not many people will search these terms.
Know that you don’t have to add every variant of every keyword. Your keywords can capture traffic from closely related variations of whichever ones you choose. In other words, you don’t need to add every search query you come up with.

Let’s give a quick example so that you can see how this might look in practice. Let’s say you work for a heart disease prevention organization. Your donors might be looking to learn more about supporting heart disease research.

In this case, you might target search queries like “ways to give to heart disease research” and “donate to fight heart disease.” Then, you can direct traffic to your donation form and expand your ad with additional links to your Ways to Give page and dedicated matching gift page.

More specific matching gift keywords, like “matching donations to heart disease research” won’t receive much traffic. Targeting terms like this means you’ll severely limit your audience and likely won’t increase matching gift awareness very much.

So considering that your goal is to promote matching gifts with the Google Ad Grant, we suggest leaning into the first strategy of choosing more generic keywords. Then, you can use more specific keywords to spread awareness among knowledgeable donors.

Examples Showing How to Promote Matching Gifts with Google Ads

You can read all day about how to promote matching gifts with the Google Ad Grant. However, it’s much more useful to see some examples from real organizations! Here are a few of the ways we’ve seen nonprofits increase matching gift awareness through well-written Google Ads.

ASPCA

For this Google Ad, ASPCA targets focused keywords like “matching gifts for ASPCA.” The intent for this keyword shows that the user is knowledgeable about matching gifts and is likely wondering if they can have their donation to the organization matched.

That’s why the Google Ad directs the user to their dedicated matching gifts page. Then, it showcases the nonprofit’s Ways to Give page by using a sitelink extension, giving the user an additional way to engage with the organization.

Muslim American Society

In this Google Ad example, the Muslim American Society promotes matching gifts to users who are ready to donate. Someone who searches “give to Muslim American Society” is clearly on the verge of donating, making it the perfect time to promote matching gifts!

The landing page for this Google Ad is the organization’s donation form which prominently features matching gifts. There’s information about common guidelines and the process for submitting a match request alongside the form. Then, donors can research their eligibility using an embedded employer search tool.

Getting Started Promoting Matching Gifts with Google Ads

Now that you know the basics of promoting matching gifts with Google Ads, it’s time to dive in and create your campaigns!

If you need some additional help, you don’t have to go into it alone! We suggest turning to the Google Grant managers at Getting Attention. These experts know everything there is to know about the Google Ad Grant. They devote their time to learning the intricacies of the program, empowering their nonprofit partners to connect with new prospects on Google Search.

Whether you want to promote matching gifts with Google Ads or drive awareness in other areas, they know what it takes to stand out. They provide services for every aspect of Google Ad Grant management, including:

Google Ad Grant eligibility check and application
Ad creation (including keyword research)
Ongoing account management to comply with Google’s rules
Landing page relaunch (including design work)
Account reactivation for lapsed or deactivated accounts

So, if promoting matching gifts with Google Ads sounds out of your wheelhouse, trust these experts to handle it for you! They’ll help you create compelling ads that drive real results for your cause. Plus, you can chat with their team about how the Google Ad Grant falls into your marketing strategy as a whole.

Get a Free Consultation!

Final Thoughts

When you get creative, the Google Ad Grant can transform your digital marketing and increase visibility for corporate giving opportunities. Whether you’re advertising your donation form or a dedicated matching gifts page, there’s a lot you can do to make donors aware of their matching gift potential through the program.

For the quickest results, we highly recommend working with a Google Grants manager. These experts know the ins and outs of the program, so you can focus on other aspects of your mission while they design compelling ads.

As you get up and running, check out these resources to learn more about Google Ad Grants and how to promote matching gifts:

Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Digital Communications. Want to expand beyond Google Ads and promote matching gifts across all your digital communications? This guide will walk you through some key platforms to include in your outreach.
How to Apply for Google Grants: 5 Easy Steps for Nonprofits. Before you can start promoting matching gifts with the Google Ad Grant, you need to apply for the program. Follow the steps featured in this guide to get started.
Nonprofit Marketing Ideas: Promote Your Cause Effectively. How well you market your mission impacts what your team can accomplish. Explore these marketing ideas from the team at Getting Attention.

This guide explains how your nonprofit can manage and optimize its Google Ad Grant account.

Google Grant Optimization: Nonprofit Grant Management Tips

January 23, 2023/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Organizations with effective nonprofit marketing strategies utilize many tools to reach their audiences. From email blasts to social media posts, these organizations leverage numerous platforms to communicate valuable information. Among all these platforms, one source of truth remains constant—your nonprofit’s website. Whether you’re promoting matching gifts or an upcoming fundraising event, most communications point back to your nonprofit’s website for more information.

If your nonprofit takes advantage of the $10,000 Ad Grant from Google, you’re taking the right steps to promote your site and your organization’s most valuable information. However, the Google Ad Grant program isn’t a single-step process.

Nonprofits are not only required to maintain their eligibility for the Google Ad Grant but also must optimize their ads and accounts to drive real results from the program. In this guide, we’ll show you how to optimize your Google Grant by covering the following topics:

What is Google Grant optimization?
How to manage your nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant compliance
How to gauge your nonprofit’s campaign performance
How to optimize your nonprofit’s Google Grant account ads
Conclusion and additional resources

Truly making the most of this grant means managing it on a regular basis. When you do, you’ll expand your outreach as you increase website traffic and consistently appeal to new internet searchers. Understand what it means to optimize your Google Grant so you can develop a strategy that will effectively reach a large audience of potential supporters.

What is Google Grant optimization?

Google Grant optimization means managing your nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant account and the advertisements you’ve created to ensure everything stays compliant with Google’s management policies and relevant to users’ search intents. Although you can optimize almost any aspect of your Google Ad Grant participation, some common areas for improvement include:

Keyword specificity: Ensure your ads target specific keywords (preferably long-tail, non-competitive terms). Look for opportunities to refine your keyword choices so that they’re more relevant to your organization’s current operations or goals. For example, an increase in the kitten population during the spring months might prompt an animal shelter to target keywords such as “spring kitten adoptions.”
Data organization: In order to keep keywords relevant to your cause, your nonprofit will have to keep hygienic keyword data. This means regularly checking the quality and relevance of your keywords so that you can adjust any keywords that aren’t performing well. An animal shelter might remove the keyword “pet adoptions as Christmas gifts” in February when it becomes irrelevant to the ad’s landing page. To determine when a keyword becomes outdated or nonvaluable, nonprofits should track keyword metrics, such as click-through rate (CTR), to understand how the keyword is performing.
Website improvements: Ensure that your website is relevant to the advertisement and provides a positive user experience for searchers who click on your ad. For starters, you can check to make sure the page is branded to your nonprofit, provides valuable information for the user, and includes the keyword targeted in the ad. Don’t stop at your landing page, though; ensure your website as a whole is valuable and easy to use for its visitors.
Account structure: Google’s guidelines for the way you use your Google Ad Grants account require nonprofits to maintain an orderly account structure. For example, you must include more than one ad per ad group and at least two ad groups per campaign. If your nonprofit doesn’t already follow this structure, you’re not only at risk of account deactivation but also missing out on valuable keyword insight.

These aspects of your Google Ad Grant participation are just a few elements that need regular maintenance. Remember, there are countless opportunities for optimization, and it’s a crucial part of leveraging Google Ads for your nonprofit’s outreach efforts. Both the account itself and the ads you create must be refreshed to meet your audience’s needs.

It’s natural for this to seem overwhelming—after all, the Google Ad Grant is free marketing funding. Shouldn’t it make nonprofit marketing easier? If you didn’t want a Google Ad Grant agency’s help during the application process, this is where their services can be especially helpful. They’ll manage your account so that all optimization tasks are completely handled while your nonprofit’s leaders focus on fulfilling your mission.

How to manage your nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant compliance

To break down optimization even further, it can be approached in two stages: account compliance and ad updates. Start with your account—make sure you’re in compliance with all the Google Ad Grant requirements. After all, optimized ads will be no good if your account is suspended!

The list of requirements is long, but there are a few crucial ones that your nonprofit should keep in mind:

Maintain regular activity within your account.
Make sure your ads are specifically targeted and relevant to your nonprofit.
Conduct monthly keyword research and optimize your list where necessary.
Maintain a minimum of a 5% click-through rate (CTR).
Track and report conversions and CTR.

Since your ads will lead users to your nonprofit’s website, Google also has specific website guidelines, including:

Your nonprofit must own the domain.
You must add any additional domains that your nonprofit owns to your Google Grants account.
Your website should host high-quality and well-maintained web pages.
Avoid commercial activity that is irrelevant to your nonprofit’s mission.

Bookmark Google’s guidelines and check regularly for updates. You’ll be notified when anything big changes, but it’s always a good idea to stay on top of the rules and make sure your account is compliant. Especially as you optimize your website and advertisements, keep the account criteria in mind so you don’t accidentally violate the guidelines amidst new changes.

How to gauge your nonprofit’s campaign performance

You may have heard the saying about not trying to fix something that isn’t broken. The implied first step in that statement is actually knowing something is broken. In the same way, your nonprofit will have to gauge its campaign performance before knowing what should be optimized. Evaluate your campaign performance by tracking:

CTR. Compare the number of people who clicked on your ad to the amount that saw it. A high click-through rate might indicate that your ad is compelling enough to prompt viewers to take action. Consider how you can adjust your other ads to match this quality or plan how your future ads will be similar.
Conversion data. Conversions, which refer to the users who take a desired action after seeing your ad, are likely the goal of your campaign. Track this data to determine if your Google Ads are producing the desired results. For example, an ad that invites users to register for a volunteer event is effective if the number of volunteer registrations has increased due to your Google Ad.
Cost-per-conversion. Consider the cost of your desired results. How much did an ad and keyword cost your nonprofit? How many conversions can you attribute to this ad? Although you won’t specifically pay for conversions, this comparison can give your nonprofit an estimate of how much of its budget is spent producing the ad’s desired results.

Most metrics can be tracked by Google Analytics when you link your accounts. However, you’ll need to compare this to your organization-specific metrics to see the tangible impact of your Google Ads performance. For example, to see the impact of a Google Ad on your matching gift program, you’ll have to combine your own data of the number of gifts matched with the ad’s CTR.

For this reason, it’s crucial that you keep your own data organized, as well. Consider using a database to host all this information in the same place, or hiring a Google Ad Grant agency to track and report your data for you.

How to optimize your nonprofit’s Google Grant account ads

As you evaluate your campaign metrics, change your perspective of underperformance. Optimization doesn’t strictly target failing elements of your Google Ad Grant efforts but makes every aspect of your advertising more successful.

As you narrow your optimization from account structure to individual ads, consider which ones produce the greatest results. Then, adjust the rest of your ads to mimic this strategy. For example, if you find that your highest-performing ad highlights a unique attribute of your organization’s work, you might incorporate that fact into the copy of your other ads. In general, to improve your ads, you can:

Rephrase your ad copy. The ad copy is the meat of your advertisement. Make it compelling but concise, and use the keyword or its variations to draw in your audience. A tempting call to action will also prompt searchers to click on your ad, especially if it’s specific and relevant to the search.
Link to targeted landing pages. You’ll have varying ads for different keywords, and specificity here is key. If your ad’s headline is misleading, users will quickly become disinterested in the content of your landing page. In contrast, a landing page that is highly specific to the purpose of the ad will retain site visitors and ultimately prompt them to get involved.
Revise your ad groups. Make sure that the associated keywords for your ad groups are still relevant to your target audience. Also, build out your ads so that you’re using 3-5 ads per group. This variety allows you to try different targeting methods to determine what tactic is most successful.
Organize your campaigns. Campaign management can also impact the way you plan and develop your ads. Assign a theme to each campaign and use those categories to target broader ideas with specific keywords. For example, an animal shelter’s campaign theme might be “adoptions” and the targeted keywords for different ad groups could be “spring kitten adoptions” and “no-fee dog adoptions.” Another theme would be “animal fosters” with keywords such as “dog foster application” and “cat foster fees.”

Although some tactics for Google Ad Grant management require technical account optimization and research, your actual ads are the component that has the potential to convert a user into a supporter. Adjust your ads based on what you know about your supporters and revisit them regularly to make changes as needed.

Conclusion and additional resources

Once you’ve identified the changes you need to make to your Google Grant account, you can proceed with optimizations to ensure you’re making the most of this free marketing funding. Remember, optimization is not a one-time update. It’s important that you frequently check your Google Grant account and advertisements and make adjustments whenever it’s necessary.

This can be a big undertaking, both initially and as optimizations become a regular part of your account maintenance. Research Google Ad Grant agencies to determine if hiring one will benefit your nonprofit. Our recommendation, Getting Attention, is a full-service agency that can manage every aspect of your grant.

If you’re interested in other types of free marketing funding or methods of donor engagement, check out these additional resources:

Microsoft Ad Grants: A Q&A Guide for Nonprofit Marketers. Interested in a different type of ad grant? Read this guide to learn more about Microsoft Ad Grants.
The Ultimate Guide to Donor Retention: 8 Strategies. Google Ads can help you attract donors, but retaining them requires different strategies. Check out this guide to learn more.
Google Grants Eligibility: Is Your Nonprofit Eligible? Our guide talked a lot about the importance of maintenance and compliance. For more information on your organization’s initial eligibility when applying for the Google Ad Grant, read this article.

What to Know About Our Standard Matching Gift Request Form

What to Know About Double the Donation’s Standard Matching Gift Form

January 13, 2023/in Learning Center, Company Updates, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Corporate matching gifts can offer a significant revenue source for charitable organizations. In order to leverage the programs, a nonprofit’s donors typically must submit a matching gift form to their employers. The form essentially allows an individual to provide details about their own qualifying donation and request an associated corporate match.

Unfortunately, this has long been a critical drop-off point for organizations looking to make the most of available matching opportunities. Many donors lack an understanding of the request process that is required of them. That’s why, for more than a decade, Double the Donation has created software aimed to simplify the process by providing company-specific details, next steps, and more.

Now, we’re taking it a step further with our easier-than-ever-before standard matching gift form. And in this guide, we’ll tell you all about it as we walk through the basics:

What is Double the Donation’s standard matching gift form?
How does the standard matching gift request form work?
Key benefits of our standard form for donors, nonprofits, and companies
Getting started with our matching gift request form

Unclaimed matches hinder the impact potential of charitable organizations, their donors, and the businesses partaking in workplace giving programs alike. By streamlining and automating the request process altogether, we can take an additional step toward maximal usage.

Let’s see how Double the Donation’s intuitive standard matching gift request form can help.

Top tip! Consider working with one of our suggested CSR platforms as your #1 choice for workplace giving program management. But if you’re not ready for that, our standard matching gift form is a great backup!

What is Double the Donation’s standard matching gift form?

There is a range of ways that a donor can submit a matching gift request to their employing company, and a lot of that depends on the company the individual works for. For example, one old-fashioned company might still accept paper forms that require employees to complete and scan or mail back to process. At the same time, a different business may have moved to a completely online system using a digital submission portal.

Regardless of the method with which documentation is completed, a matching gift form generally encapsulates the same information. Most often, these include three types of data points:

Donor Information ⁠— Details about the donors themselves; Frequently some combination of name, contact information, and perhaps an employee identification number.
Recipient Nonprofit Information ⁠— Provides an overview of the nonprofit the individual donor supported; Typically asks for the organization name, mailing address, EIN, and other contact information.
Donation Information ⁠— Pertaining to the recent transaction; Generally involves a donation amount and date.

As you might guess, a lot of the above information can be a bit redundant for the donor. Now, Double the Donation’s standard matching gift form pulls the necessary data points directly from the transaction, as well as information collected from nonprofits, to automatically fill in the document. Once completed, a PDF is immediately sent to the matching gift coordinator via email designated by the company.

It’s an easier process for donors and ultimately results in a greater matching gift program impact.

How does the standard matching gift request form work?

Perhaps you’re thinking, “sounds great⁠—but how does it actually work?” In that case, let’s see the process in action for participating companies, step by step.

1. An individual makes a donation to their favorite nonprofit cause, entering their employer’s name in Double the Donation’s company search tool.

If their employing company has enabled matching gift e-submission through our standard request form, the donor will be prompted to authorize Double the Donation to submit a match on their behalf. (Typically, all the individual is required to do is enter their corporate email address and check a box!)

2. Double the Donation automatically fills in the blanks on our standard matching gift form to provide the employing company with the information they need.

Generally, donor and transaction information is pulled from the donation record itself, while nonprofit details are made available through pre-filled organization profiles within Double the Donation.

3. The auto-filled match request form is emailed in a PDF document to the matching gift coordinator identified by the company.

From there, the employer reviews the match request, as usual, to ensure the initial donation meets the company’s predetermined match eligibility criteria. Assuming it does, the match is approved, and funding is provided to the nonprofit cause!

Key benefits of our standard form for donors, nonprofits, and companies

The more you can simplify the matching gift process, the better your overall results will be. This is true whether you’re on the corporate or the nonprofit side of things. And luckily, Double the Donation’s standard match request form is designed to do just that for both parties⁠—plus your common denominator, employee donors.

Let’s dive into a few key advantages for each perspective.

For Donors

Donors love participating in matching gift programs (in fact, 84% of individuals report being more likely to give if they know a match is being offered). But when the process involved gets too complicated or time-consuming, even dedicated and eligible donors sometimes fail to complete the task.

When all that’s asked of them is to enter their corporate email address, on the other hand, individuals will be much more likely to follow through. And in doing so, participating donors receive the benefit of knowing their support is going twice as far for a cause they care about.

For Nonprofits

According to matching gift research, only 8% of eligible donors know their employers offer a matching gift program and know how to go about submitting a match request. This significant knowledge gap plays a huge role in more than $4 to $7 billion in available match funding going unclaimed each year.

By simplifying the request process and providing an easy way for donors to submit requests to their companies, Double the Donation’s standard match form results in increased funding for nonprofit organizations.

For Companies

Companies that accept the standard matching gift form receive all the benefits of offering a matching gift program in the first place⁠—in larger quantities. After all, the more a business donates to charitable causes, the better its overall CSR. Optimal CSR leads to elevated employee engagement (productivity, longevity, recruitment, etc.), improved image (increased sales and brand loyalty), and more.

Leveraging Double the Donation’s standard match form simplifies employee participation, thus maximizing program use levels.

Getting started with our matching gift request form

We’ve designed our standard matching gift form to be as simple as possible⁠—while still accomplishing the intended task. And that includes the ease with which organizations and businesses can get set up.

Interested in taking the next steps? Here’s how you can quickly begin leveraging the benefits of the common match request form for your team.

For Nonprofits

If your nonprofit employs Double the Donation’s matching gift automation solution, there’s good news! Your donors are already set to partake in streamlined e-submission through our standard request form. When a qualifying individual makes a donation using your online giving form and selects their employer during the donation experience, they’ll be prompted to submit their match request automatically from your gift confirmation screen.

To ensure the match form is completed with accurate information, be sure to fill out your Organization Profile in Double the Donation. This also increases the likelihood that matches are approved by participating companies. And it simplifies the process for you, your donors, and their employers.

If your organization has yet to get started with Double the Donation, you can schedule a demo here to see our tools in action⁠—and learn more about the impact of the standard match form.

For Companies

Double the Donation’s matching gift form can certainly simplify the matching gift request process for employees. Still, we recommend that companies leverage a complete corporate giving platform to manage their philanthropic efforts. But if you’re looking for a temporary solution to streamline matching gifts from the donor’s perspective or would like to accept our standard matching gift form in addition to your more built-out process, getting started is quick and easy.

Here’s how:

If your company has developed an employee matching program for the first time, click here to add your initiative to our comprehensive database. As you provide information about your company’s submission process, be sure to select that you’d like to use Double the Donation’s standard form.

On the other hand, if your company’s existing program is already listed in Double the Donation’s database, click here to suggest updates to your program guidelines. Then, indicate that you’d like to accept the standard match form. You’ll be prompted to enter the name, phone number, and email of the person who manages the company’s giving initiatives.

And that’s it! From there, the specified contact person will receive completed match request forms each time an employee makes a donation to a qualifying nonprofit and selects the automated e-submission choice.

Final Thoughts

The future of matching gifts is here, and it’s increasingly reliant on innovative technology to streamline and simplify the process. Double the Donation’s standard matching gift form is one example of this. As corporate philanthropy continues to become a higher priority by companies across the globe, the demand for matching gifts⁠—and standardized processes with them⁠—will continue to grow.

Ready to learn more about corporate matching gift programs and the tools that power them? Check out our other recommended resources:

Matching Gift Auto-Submission + CSR Platforms | What to Know. Taking our standard matching gift form a few steps further is innovative matching gift auto-submission. Browse this guide to see how auto-submission functionality, in partnership with key CSR providers, can help.
Top 24 Matching Gift Companies: Leaders in Philanthropy. Find out how many standout businesses are already partaking in corporate philanthropy! Explore these top matching gift companies to see what makes them shine and get inspired to increase your own impact.
Corporate Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. The better you understand the matching gift process, the more your team can participate in it to drive maximum results. Walk through our detailed, step-by-step guide to learn more and see matching gifts in action.

New and Improved Functionality: Matching Gift Form E-Sign

January 5, 2023/in Learning Center, Company Updates, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Matching gift programs have been revolutionized in the last several years, with companies of all shapes and sizes getting involved. And with this transformation is also that of matching gift forms. Ideally, employers want to offer a request process that is quick and easy for team members to participate and reduces administrative workload behind the scenes. So where does matching gift form e-sign come in?

Dive in to explore key trends and current happenings regarding employee match fundraising, particularly in terms of matching gift e-sign. We’ll walk through:

Historical significance of matching gift form e-sign functionality
The move away from paper-matching gift forms
Discontinuation of Double the Donation’s prior matching gift form e-sign feature
The future of matching gift fundraising
Breakthrough auto-submission with CSR partners
E-submission with our standard matching gift form

Double the Donation has long been at the forefront of corporate giving innovation. That’s why we’re here to provide your team with the context you need to understand matching gift technology, functionality, and more.

The historical significance of matching gifts form e-sign functionality

Historically, many companies required donors to submit matching gift request forms on paper. After all, General Electric launched the very first matching gift program in 1954, when electronic mail was still the stuff of science fiction. Over the next few decades, many matching gift programs used the paper form model for their original program launches as they were created.

Now, let’s fast forward to 2011 when Double the Donation was established. Some forward-thinking companies have already begun offering online submissions to simplify the matching gift process for their employees. As a result, Double the Donation was perfectly positioned to help these donors submit their matching gift requests by linking directly to those online portals. However, some companies were dragging their feet and still requiring paper-matching gift forms.

How could Double the Donation support donors whose companies required paper forms? Our solution was to develop cutting-edge matching gift form e-sign functionality. With Double the Donation e-sign, donors could simply complete a pre-filled online PDF and send it to their company’s matching gift program managers that way.

And it worked! We saw an immediate increase in the percentage of these paper-only donors who submitted matching gift requests. But at the same time, the transition to electronic-only submission in the industry was already accelerating.

The move away from paper-matching gift forms

As online submissions are increasing, the inverse is true for historic paper forms⁠—in the past few years, we’ve seen paper forms becoming significantly less popular.

For context, when Double the Donation got its start, about 70% of match-eligible employees had a paper or PDF option for submitting their matching gift requests. But by 2017, the percentage of match-eligible employees eligible to submit a paper form dropped all the way to 7.1%. And the number who actually chose to use the forms was even lower.

That’s because online portal submission is easier, faster, more secure, and all-around better for donors, the companies they work for, and the organizations they support. It’s been proven time and time again: When both an electronic submission option and a paper one are offered to the same employee group, more matching gift submissions are completed through the online process.

In fact, some of the most well-known philanthropic companies have adapted to an online-only submission process over the past few years. Check out these quotes from the following employers:

IBM: “New process for 2017. Next year, we will introduce an online process for matching grants and eliminate the use of printed applications.”
Merck: “Please discontinue the use of all paper request forms. Matching gift funds should be submitted via the Merck website.”
Alliant Energy: “We moved to an online request process only in 2015. This will provide a more efficient method for our Foundation.”
Prudential: “We will no longer offer paper forms for the Matching Gifts Program.”

And that was just the tip of the iceberg!

Discontinuation of Double the Donation’s prior matching gift form e-sign feature

So what did this mean for us?

With these process changes occurring, the percentage of donors submitting paper match requests continued to fall. By the end of 2018, only an estimated 4% of donors ⁠used the historical paper-only approach—and that figure has decreased steadily since then.

All these factors led us to the easy decision to shift our focus away from the e-signing of paper forms and toward the future of matching gifts.

Now, you might ask⁠—But haven’t you heard the statistic that 50% of companies use paper-matching gift forms?

We certainly have! But it’s important to remember that in a changing industry, statistics and assumptions have to be continually re-assessed. Double the Donation commits to always looking into the data to recognize when we need to re-evaluate. This is one of those situations.

It may have been true years ago that 50% (or so) of companies required paper-matching gift form submission. However, more recent analysis has shown that this statistic is not just outdated⁠—it doesn’t tell the full story.

Think about the different companies that have matching gift programs. Businesses of all shapes and sizes come to mind, from Home Depot with half a million employees to the local pizzeria that employs five individuals. Home Depot requires electronic form submission, while the local pizza joint requires paper forms. You can see that Home Depot’s program affects significantly more donors than the pizzeria.

In other words, ask yourself this:

What is more useful for your organization to know in this scenario: that 50%—or at this point, likely less⁠—of companies require paper forms or that a tiny percentage of match-eligible donors use paper forms? Which statistic should you base your fundraising decisions on?

Our answer to the previous question is exactly why we’ve started weighing our analysis by employee count⁠. And the resulting statistics tell a compelling story. The biggest matching gift programs affecting the largest percentages of donors have already moved away from paper matching gift forms. And we’re seeing smaller programs following suit, as well!

Therefore, at Double the Donation, we’re doing the same with our own development priorities.

The future of matching gift fundraising

The move to online matching isn’t the only trend we’re seeing in corporate social responsibility. In the past decade, we’ve also kept our fingers on the pulse of another trend: the increasing consolidation of workplace-giving solutions.

More and more often, companies are turning to workplace-giving platforms like Benevity, CyberGrants, YourCause, and more to help facilitate their matching gift programs. And it’s not just the Fortune 500 companies that are doing so! In fact, many breakthrough solutions⁠—such as Millie, Selflessly, Givinga, and POINT—have been designed specifically to aid small and mid-sized businesses in offering powerful matching gift programs.

Leveraging this type of software empowers charitable companies to do more with their philanthropic initiatives while minimizing the administrative workload. Meanwhile, we’ve also noticed that companies that outsource the facilitation of their giving process can offer more streamlined and optimized processes for employees wanting to get involved. This tends to result in elevated program usage, highly engaged team members, and more dollars funneling into nonprofit causes overall.

Breakthrough auto-submission with CSR partners

In the spirit of continuous improvement when it comes to matching gift technology and the match request process, Double the Donation has recently released a new game-changing feature⁠—auto-submission.

This innovative functionality, made possible through strategic integrations with forward-thinking corporate giving platforms, enables employees to request matches directly from an organization’s gift confirmation screen. This allows them to bypass the request process almost entirely. All they typically have to do is provide their email address and authorize Double the Donation to submit their match.

We’ve certainly come a long way since paper forms; now, some donors don’t have to complete a form at all! And this benefits every party involved. Employee donors can request their matches in less time and with fewer roadblocks. Nonprofit organizations receive increased match funding and more highly engaged supporters. Companies see elevated program usage, satisfied employees, and better public images.

E-submission with our standard matching gift form

And that’s not all! The Double the Donation team has also developed a standard online matching gift form that employers can use to authorize automated electronic submissions themselves.

We recommend that all companies participating in workplace giving enlist the aid of a dedicated CSR platform. But for companies that may not be ready to take that next step but are interested in simplifying the matching gift request process, it’s now quick and easy to get started with our new standard submission form.

This basic form collects all the data an employer would need to review and approve a match request. This includes:

Donor information ⁠such as their name, corporate email address, and/or employee ID number;
Donation information ⁠such as donation amount and transaction date;
Nonprofit information ⁠such as name, website, mailing address, EIN, and more.

And it’s all automated so that donors can submit their matches quickly and easily, ultimately removing common roadblocks and driving more matching gifts to completion.

Top tip! Nonprofits looking to make the most of matching gift auto-submission and Double the Donation’s standard matching gift form should be sure to fill out their Organization Profile in Double the Donation. This allows the right information to be incorporated into the automated submission form, making it more likely that the match is ultimately approved and paid out.

Final thoughts

Matching gift submission processes are becoming increasingly standardized, centralized, and digitized. So how can we support nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising organizations in this shifting environment? The answer lies in guiding donors through the electronic portal submission process.

At Double the Donation, we focus on giving donors confidence, speed, and accuracy when submitting their matching gift requests. That means prioritizing personalized automation flows and database accuracy.

We’re heading into the future, and we hope you’ll join us!

Interested in learning more about Double the Donation’s innovative matching gift tips and tools? Check out these other educational resources:

Matching Gift Auto-Submission + CSR Platforms | What to Know. Dive deeper into Double the Donation’s standout auto-submission process and the corporate giving partners that make this offering possible. Here’s what you should know!
Corporate Matching Gift Programs: The Definitive Guide for Growing Your Revenue. Read up on matching gift basics⁠—such as guidelines, top programs, best practices, and more⁠—with our most comprehensive resource on the topic.
Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Walkthrough. Understand the ins and outs of matching gift programs from start to finish. The more you know, the better you can position your team to collect available funds!