The American Cancer Society (also known as ACS) is renowned for its efforts in cancer research, patient support, and advocacy. However, one of the lesser-known secrets to its fundraising success lies in its effective use of matching gifts. By doubling—and in some cases tripling—donor contributions through corporate matching gift programs, ACS has been able to significantly increase its fundraising results.
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at how the American Cancer Society harnessed the power of matching gifts to double donations—and see what other nonprofits can learn from their approach. Specifically, we’ll cover:
Double the Donation sat down with the American Cancer Society to discuss the organization’s matching gift strategy. Interested in learning more about how they brought about standout matching gift success? Feel free to watch a brief snippet from the webinar here—or skip below to access a recording of the full, on-demand event.
Let’s begin!
American Cancer Society: Organizational Overview
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem. Founded in 1913, ACS has become one of the most influential nonprofits in the fight against cancer, funding groundbreaking research, providing support for patients and survivors, and advocating for cancer prevention and early detection.
Today, the American Cancer Society’s ongoing efforts are powered by volunteers, donors, and corporate partners alike, with matching gift programs playing a critical role in increasing the impact of donations. All in all, this ensures that the organization can continue making strides toward a cancer-free future with the right resources in tow.
How the American Cancer Society Secured Internal Buy-In for Matching Gifts
In a recent conversation with key stakeholders—including volunteers and paid staff alike—the American Cancer Society discovered a gap in knowledge that’s proven to be hindering the organization’s matching gift fundraising success.
When internal teams lack awareness around the programs, they’re not taking the steps to rally individual supporters to get involved. That means matching gifts are slipping through the cracks, and teams aren’t prepared to stop it from happening.
Ensure team-wide knowledge. They got started by determining exactly how familiar their audience is with the idea of matching gifts. Once they had a baseline for knowledge, they made a plan to increase awareness across staff and volunteers.
Seek input from their stakeholders. Project leaders asked around to see what kinds of materials their team would find most valuable. As the organization’s fundraising staff are the ones who will be distributing the resources, it made sense to gather their opinions from the start.
Equip its fundraising team with matching gift materials. A nonprofit’s fundraising team plays a hands-on role in driving donor support. ACS made sure its team was ready to encourage matching gifts by providing staff and volunteers with helpful resources ahead of time.
Remember this: The more an internal team is prepared to proactively pursue matching gifts, the more effective a response it can expect.
P.S. Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Academy is free for current clients to learn from—and it contains a wealth of resources for organizations to supercharge their internal knowledge.
American Cancer Society’s External Matching Gift Resources
In order to combat the lack of matching gift awareness the organization was seeing, the ACS team took time to create donor-facing materials that provided educational context surrounding the programs.
These resources include—but are not limited to—the following:
A matching gift Q&A resource, complete with common inquiries and the appropriate responses.
An explainer doc that demonstrates how an individual will submit a matching gift to their employer.
A brief video that overviews the matching gift opportunity and visualizes how an individual will get involved.
Once the team had its matching gift materials created, it was time to share them with its network, both internally and externally. This allowed team members and supporters to grow their knowledge of the programs and ultimately participate on the organization’s behalf.
Not to mention, to further simplify the matching gift experience, the ACS features Double the Donation’s search tool in both its marketing materials and its video overview.
Get More Insights From the On-Demand Event Replay
We covered many of the most essential insights from the ACS matching gifts presentation in this overview. Still, there’s more to learn!
To hear the full conversation between our team and the American Cancer Society, get the webinar replay by filling out the form below.
Wrapping Up & Additional Resources
The American Cancer Society’s ability to double donations through matching gifts highlights the transformative power of this fundraising tool. By making it easy for donors to access matching gift opportunities, ACS has maximized the impact of each contribution.
Today, nonprofits of all shapes and sizes can learn from the American Cancer Society’s strategy to amplify their own fundraising efforts and make a greater difference. Matching gifts not only increase funds but also strengthen donor relationships, providing a win-win opportunity for the causes they serve.
Keep learning! Read our recommended resources to continue growing your knowledge on all things matching gifts:
Corporate matching gifts are an invaluable revenue opportunity for nonprofits and schools. However, many organizations struggle to capture them due to low levels of awareness among their donors. With effective promotions, you can solve the issue and benefit greatly from the funds.
In this blog, we’ll cover one standout example, familiarizing your team with the ins and outs of Save the Children’s matching gift strategy.
Double the Donation works with leading organizations to help them finetune their matching gift strategies and raise more through the programs. Save the Children is one example of a cause we support, and they joined a webinar to discuss how our tools are supporting their fundraising and matching gift efforts.
In this post, we’ll summarize the event and examine how Save the Children engages supporters in a meaningful way. Here’s a quick overview of the presentation:
Let’s begin!
What to Know About Save the Children
Save the Children is a global leader in children’s advocacy, known for its impactful programs in education, health, and emergency response. For over 100 years, Save the Children has been dedicated to literally saving the world’s children by providing education, a healthy start to life, and protection from harm.
Today, the organization operates in more than 100 countries across the world. However, its success isn’t just due to the breadth of its services. It’s also driven by a powerful approach to fundraising, including a well-crafted matching gift strategy.
Save the Children’s Matching Gift Page Overhaul
As of 2023, Save the Children had been receiving support from matching gift programs—but the team knew it could be doing more. In order to kick off its promotional strategy, Save the Children decided to revamp its Workplace Giving and Matching Gifts information page.
The Organization’s Former Matching Gifts Page
Save the Children’s matching gift strategy was doing a lot well even before its complete overhaul. Here are a few practices the organization implemented in creating the Match Page:
Clearly explain the matching gift process. Most donors lack knowledge about matching gifts. Simplify involvement by providing the basic information an individual should know.
Embed a database tool. If you invest in a tool like Double the Donation, place a database search tool on the page. Donors simply type their company name to receive employer-specific guidelines and request forms!
Answer FAQs. Be proactive about providing the information you think your donors will need right on the page. This can reduce the volume of inquiries your team will need to answer later, too.
The Organization’s New Matching Gifts Page
From there, the team also conducted the following steps to reorganize the page with the goal of bringing about better matching gift results. With a few additional tweaks and adjustments, the page is more successful than ever:
Simplified the information included. The goal was to be comprehensive and educational without overwhelming the visitor with too much text.
Incorporated clickable content section links. This assisted with navigation, making it easy to find the most relevant information for each user.
Restructured the page to focus on matching gifts first. With a goal of increasing visibility, the team placed Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro widget higher—and more prominently—on the page.
Visually demonstrated the simplicity of the matching gift process. Using diagrams and other graphic elements, the organization was able to better illustrate and communicate the matching gift experience for donors.
The results? Save the Children saw increased site traffic and page views during a four-month period as compared to the same period the year prior. And the growth was substantial, too. According to the organization, their team saw a 966% increase in site traffic and a 903% increase in page views!
This increase in site traffic has directly resulted in more donors participating in matching gifts as well. Since their matching gift page now provides simplified, engaging information, donors are more easily able to navigate their matching gift programs.
Save the Children’s Text Message Campaign Strategy
Once you’ve created a matching gift page on your website, you’ll want to take steps to direct traffic to the resource. One thing that Save the Children did to spread matching gift awareness was employ a mass marketing text campaign around the holiday giving season.
Within this campaign, a first text message went out before Giving Tuesday, with a second text message following soon after. Both texts contained brief information about matching gifts along with a direct link to the organization’s matching gifts page, where recipients were encouraged to learn more.
The first agency text message went to the entire text mailing list, which is around ~60,000 contacts who had engaged with Save the Children in the last year. This text saw an above-average click-through rate of 2.7%—with more than 1.5K unique clicks—and also brought in an estimated $2.7k in revenue even before matches were accounted for.
Meanwhile, the second message went out to a smaller segment—those who gave via a recent Giving Tuesday push—but had a significant impact as well. Deployed to ~3.2k subscribers, it saw a click-through rate of 2.6% (which is a 162% increase from other mass marketing texts).
All in all, Save the Children’s matching gift strategy encompassed a range of promotional tactics—from text messaging to paid advertising space and beyond. But one thing that all of its efforts had in common was the use of its Matching Gift page as a central linking target. Because the page provides comprehensive information that answers donors’ questions while also giving them insight into their company’s specific matching gift program guidelines, it makes getting involved easier than ever!
How Double the Donation’s Tools Helped Save the Children’s Matching Gift Strategy
As a 360MatchPro client, Save the Children utilizes Double the Donation’s automation platform to make matching gifts easier for their donors and fundraising staff alike. In discussing the organization’s matching gift page overhaul and subsequent text campaign, one thing the Save the Children team emphasizes is its use of the matching gift database tool.
“I’ll just say, from our standpoint of Save the Children, it’s been so helpful to have that 360MatchPro search tool embedded on the landing page. It makes it really easy when we go to deploy visibility tactics to let people know it’s really easy to track if your employer can match your gift or not.”
Ariana Romanelli, Save the Children US
Here’s how it works:
An individual begins typing the name of their employer in the company search tool.
As they type, the solution automatically populates suggested companies. This makes it easy to select the appropriate employer without worrying about typos or misnomers.
When the individual selects a listing, they’re met with tailored insights regarding the company’s matching gift program (as well as other workplace giving initiatives available) in real-time. This includes minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, qualifying employees and nonprofits, and submission deadlines.
The individual is encouraged to submit a matching gift by following the provided instructions and submitting the provided forms.
Save the Children has also implemented Double the Donation’s matching gift database directly within its online giving form, too. This allows users to access matching gift insights at the point of donation and even receive tailored guidelines and forms via email after contributing.
Learn More: Get the Full Webinar Replay
We’ve summarized the most essential insights from our recent presentation here. But for the full look at Save the Children’s matching gift strategy, we recommend viewing the full webinar replay.
Interested in hearing the complete conversation between a lead associate of corporate partnerships at Save the Children and Double the Donation’s own marketing team manager? Register to receive a copy of the presentation sent directly to your inbox.
Save the Children’s matching gift strategy serves as a valuable example for nonprofits looking to elevate their fundraising impact. By implementing clear communications, leveraging technology, and promoting programs at multiple opportunities, they’ve found a winning formula for multiplying donations.
Now, organizations like yours can draw inspiration from their approach to maximize your own matching gift potential. When executed well, matching gifts don’t just boost the bottom line. They deepen supporters’ connection to the cause, ensuring each contribution goes further in creating lasting change for children in need.
Begin by auditing your current matching gift marketing efforts. Do you have a dedicated matching gifts page on your site? If not, that’s likely where you’ll want to get started. If so, you’ll want to evaluate the existing resource and determine how exactly you’re sending traffic to the page. Then, see what changes you can implement to bring your strategy to new heights.
Keep learning! Read our recommended resources to continue growing your knowledge on all things matching gifts:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DTD_A-Look-at-Save-the-Childrens-Winning-Matching-Gift-Strategy_Feature-1.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-10-21 19:03:332024-10-25 12:47:00A Look at Save the Children’s Winning Matching Gift Strategy
Collecting employer information in volunteer registrations is a crucial strategy for nonprofits seeking to maximize their outreach, fundraising, and engagement potential. By understanding where their volunteers work, organizations can identify opportunities for corporate volunteer incentives and more.
In this post, we’ll explore the benefits of gathering employer details in volunteer registrations. Plus, we’ll provide practical tips for nonprofits to effectively integrate this step into their volunteer sign-up process. Specifically, we’re going to cover:
Equipping your team with accurate and up-to-date employer data not only strengthens relationships with individual volunteers but also opens doors to additional resources that can significantly enhance the impact of a nonprofit’s programming. The rewards are endless—and the best place to access this information is directly within your volunteer registrations.
Let’s begin!
The Importance of Employer Information for Nonprofits & Schools
Collecting employer information from volunteers, donors, and other supporters is a strategic practice that can significantly benefit both nonprofits and schools. After all, understanding where constituents work provides invaluable insights that can open doors to a range of opportunities.
Here’s why employer information is crucial:
Uncovering workplace giving programs. Thousands of companies offer workplace giving programs where they support the organizations their employees give to or volunteer with. Knowing where your donors and volunteers work can help your team identify opportunities for matching gifts, volunteer incentives, and more.
Establishing more well-rounded supporter profiles. The more you know about your supporters, the better you can engage them with your organization. Use employer data to customize your outreach and add a personal touch to your communications once your supporter profiles are filled in!
Accessing wealth and giving insights. Prospect research can play a significant role in understanding an individual’s likelihood of giving. If you know where they work, you can estimate wealth indicators and determine approximately how much they may be able to contribute to your cause.
Identifying potential partnerships. Companies want to support the organizations their employees are involved with. If a number of your donors or volunteers come from a single company, try reaching out to them to pitch a one-off giving program or volunteer opportunity.
In summary, employer information is a powerful asset that fundraising organizations can leverage to do more for their missions. Collecting and utilizing this data helps organizations unlock the full potential of corporate support, ultimately advancing their missions more effectively than ever before.
Benefits of Collecting Employer Information in Volunteer Registrations
With any number of opportunities to collect employer information from your supporters, what makes your volunteer registration forms an ideal location?
Let’s take a look at the benefits of this particular method:
Volunteers are likely highly engaged with your cause while actively registering for an event. When volunteers are in the process of signing up for an event, they are actively showing interest and commitment to your cause. This moment of heightened engagement makes it an ideal time to gather additional information, such as employer details.
Volunteers are already expected to provide personal information in the registration process. During the volunteer registration process, participants are usually asked to provide basic personal details, such as their name, contact information, and emergency contact details. Because they are already sharing personal information, including an additional field for employer details is a natural extension of the form—rather than an extra burden.
Volunteers love having the chance to amplify their impact through workplace giving. Many volunteers are motivated by the opportunity to make a bigger difference, and workplace giving programs, such as volunteer grants, offer a simple way to do so. When volunteers know that their employer offers opportunities to double or triple the impact of their support, they are often eager to participate.
Volunteers are often required to complete the request process ahead of engaging in their activities. When an individual wishes to use their corporate volunteer incentives (e.g., VTO), they typically need to request the time off from their employer beforehand. Promoting the opportunity from the start—i.e., in registrations—ensures that each volunteer has the time they need to get proper approval before the event arrives.
How to Collect Employer Information During the Registration Process
Now that you understand why you should incorporate employer information into your volunteer registration forms, we’ll take a look at some actionable strategies that your team can adopt in order to do so.
Here’s a step-by-step overview of the process you’ll want to follow:
Design an optimized volunteer registration form. Start by creating a registration form that is user-friendly and visually appealing, with a clear layout and minimal clutter. Make the form concise to encourage completion while ensuring it collects the necessary information.
Implement an optional field or employer search tool. Add an optional field for “Employer Name” to encourage volunteers to provide this information. For the best results, consider implementing an employer search tool with auto-suggest. This way, as volunteers type, the tool can suggest company names, reducing the chances of typos or incomplete entries.
Mention why you’re collecting the information. Provide a brief explanation about why you’re collecting this data. Explain how employer details help identify volunteer incentives that could amplify the impact of their contributions.
Direct volunteer traffic to your registration forms. Begin promoting your volunteer registration forms to ensure they reach your audience. Make the registration process easy to find and complete by providing direct links and clear calls to action, encouraging potential volunteers to sign up and provide their information.
Send employer data to your 360MatchPro platform. If you use a platform like 360MatchPro, integrate it with your registration form to automatically transfer employer information to your donor database. This streamlines the process, allowing you to identify volunteer grants, VTO, and other opportunities as efficiently as possible.
Following these steps ensures that employer information is collected efficiently during the volunteer registration process. And doing this enables your organization to leverage corporate giving programs, build partnerships, and maximize the impact of volunteer contributions.
Leveraging Employer Information for Volunteer Programs
Once you’ve collected employer data (whether in your volunteer registrations or otherwise), it’s time to put it to good use. One of the most valuable purposes of this information is locating available corporate volunteer programs.
While these programs vary from one company to the next, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the types of programs you might see. Generally, these include:
Volunteer grants — Corporate programs where companies provide monetary donations to nonprofits based on their employees’ volunteer hours. This incentivizes employees to engage in volunteer work and helps nonprofits receive additional funding.
Volunteer time off (or VTO) — Programs that allow employees to take paid time off from work to volunteer for charitable organizations. This encourages employees to give back to their communities without sacrificing their personal time or pay.
Skills-based volunteerism — Opportunities that involve employees using their professional skills and expertise to support nonprofit organizations. This type of volunteerism provides access to high-quality professional services like marketing, legal, or IT that may otherwise not fit in the organization’s budget.
Corporate volunteer days — Organized events where a company’s employees participate in volunteer activities as a group. These events may be held during work hours and are often planned around specific causes or projects, such as environmental cleanups or community service projects.
Each of these programs encourages employee involvement in the community and helps companies support charitable causes in meaningful ways. When you know where your volunteers (or donors!) work, you can identify individuals who may qualify for workplace volunteer programs like these.
Not to mention, when you utilize Double the Donation’s volunteer incentive database tool, you can even provide company-specific information on available volunteer programs directly from your registration confirmation page!
Common Challenges and Solutions for Collecting Employer Information
If you don’t currently have a strategy for collecting employer information in volunteer registrations, don’t fret. Many organizations face challenges when it comes to gathering this information, but we’ve got the solutions ready for you.
Challenge: Not collecting the information at all.
Organizations often overlook the value of employer information and may miss the opportunity to collect it during volunteer registrations. This can limit their ability to identify corporate philanthropy opportunities, such as matching gifts or volunteer grants, and hinder their efforts to maximize volunteer contributions.
Solution: Start asking for employer information in volunteer registration forms.
To overcome this challenge, organizations should add an employer information field to their volunteer registration forms. Even if it’s optional, including this field increases the chances of gathering valuable data that can help unlock corporate giving opportunities.
Challenge: Collecting the information too late.
When employer information is requested after volunteers have already signed up or participated in an event, it can be challenging to gather accurate data. This delay may reduce response rates or lead to missed opportunities for volunteer grants or volunteer time off associated with recent activities. Not to mention, VTO requests generally need to be submitted before the event takes place.
Solution: Request employer information from your initial volunteer sign-ups.
To avoid this issue, organizations should ask for employer information at the very start of the volunteer registration process. This ensures that relevant details are collected upfront, allowing the organization to identify corporate giving opportunities and engage volunteers with workplace giving programs right from the beginning. Plus, early collection sets the stage for more effective follow-up and donor engagement.
Challenge: Leveraging outdated information.
Just because you’ve accessed an individual’s employer information at one point in time doesn’t mean it will be the same for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, relying on outdated employer information can be problematic, as supporters may change jobs or employers over time. This can result in inaccurate data and missed opportunities if the organization continues to base its outreach on outdated records.
Solution: Regularly refresh supporters’ profiles with up-to-date details.
To keep employer information current, organizations should periodically prompt volunteers and donors to update their profiles. And the best way to do so is to ask them for the information each time they register for an event or complete a donation!
Regularly refreshing supporter data ensures that organizations have accurate information for pursuing volunteer incentives and broader corporate partnerships alike.
Challenge: Employer information going unused.
Even when employer data is collected, it may not be effectively leveraged by the organization. This lack of data utilization often results in missed opportunities to engage volunteers and corporate partnerships going unrealized.
Solution: Utilize the information for workplace giving incentives.
Train your staff on the importance of leveraging employer information for fundraising and corporate engagement. Teams can use this data to identify volunteer incentives, target companies with multiple supporters, or reach out about establishing new programs.
See it in Action: Organizations Collecting Employer Info in Volunteer Forms
Maybe you’re considering the addition of an employer information field—or search tool—to your volunteer registration forms. But first, you want to see what other organizations are doing.
You’re in luck! Check out the following examples of leading fundraising organizations collecting employment information directly as individuals register for volunteer activities.
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States is a leading animal welfare organization dedicated to advocating for and protecting animals through rescue, advocacy, policy change, and more. In order to work toward its mission effectively, this national nonprofit engages volunteers across the country in a number of virtual, in-person, and hybrid roles.
Plus, when an individual registers to become a volunteer for the organization, they’re prompted to provide information regarding their current employment status. This includes an entire section dedicated to fields such as employer name, job title, and even matching gift eligibility.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
As a renowned pediatric treatment and research facility, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is focused on finding cures and treating children with catastrophic diseases. To elevate its impact, the organization is continuously seeking volunteers to help out in roles related to event support, fundraising, office and administration, and more.
When an individual registers to become a volunteer with St. Jude, they’re asked to complete a number of form fields—including personal information, contact information, and employment details.
Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Susan G. Komen for the Cure is a prominent breast cancer organization committed to funding research, community health programs, and advocacy efforts to combat breast cancer.
When an individual is interested in volunteering, they’re prompted to fill out a brief online registration form. In addition to fields relating to volunteer interests, motivations, and more, the organization also asks volunteers to provide the name of their current employer—allowing the team to uncover available corporate giving opportunities and more.
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a major health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke by funding research, promoting healthy lifestyles, and supporting patient care. The leading nonprofit benefits from generous volunteer support through a number of individual and corporate volunteer opportunities alike.
In fact, the AHA even supplies a dedicated inquiry form for companies interested in organizing corporate volunteer events. This resource collects information about the business, its employees, and any current volunteer incentives—including Dollars for Doers!
It even links out to the organization’s dedicated Matching Gifts Page, which includes a company search tool for users to access their employers’ program information.
Next Steps for More Impactful Volunteer Registrations
Including employer information in volunteer registrations offers a valuable opportunity for nonprofits to expand their networks and increase fundraising potential. By connecting with volunteers’ workplaces, organizations can unlock opportunities such as volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and even corporate partnerships.
For nonprofits looking to elevate their impact, taking the time to collect and leverage this information can make a significant difference. It’s a simple step that not only enhances the volunteer experience but also fosters stronger ties between nonprofits, volunteers, and their employers.
Interested in securing additional support for your cause? Check out these additional resources to learn more:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DTD_Collecting-Employer-Information-in-Volunteer-Registrations_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-10-17 15:53:472024-10-18 15:34:10Collecting Employer Information in Volunteer Registrations
In today’s digital age, text messaging has emerged as one of the most powerful and effective ways to connect with supporters—especially when it comes to matching gifts. However, many donors remain unaware of these opportunities, resulting in missed revenue for nonprofits. Lucky for you, that’s where matching gift text marketing comes into play!
By spreading the word about matching gifts via SMS, your organization can quickly inform supporters about the potential to multiply their contributions, boost engagement, and drive more funds toward your cause.
In this post, we’ll explore the key benefits of using text messages to promote matching gifts, share best practices for crafting compelling messages, and provide examples to help you get started. Specifically, we’ll cover:
Whether you’re new to SMS marketing for matching gifts or you’re looking to optimize your existing strategies, we’ll guide you through making the most of this channel to maximize your matching gift revenue.
Let’s dive into how matching gift text marketing can help spread the word, drive action, and unlock more fundraising potential for your nonprofit.
The Importance of Marketing Matching Gifts
Corporate matching gifts offer significant fundraising potential for nonprofits and schools. Many companies offer matching gift initiatives where they match employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits, essentially doubling or even tripling the original contributions. Not to mention, donors are more likely to give—and to give in larger amounts—when they know a match is available.
However, a lack of awareness regarding the programs has ultimately led to billions of dollars in matches going unclaimed each year. So, what does this mean for your cause?
It all boils down to this: taking a proactive approach to marketing matching gifts is essential.
Promoting matching gifts effectively helps bridge the awareness gap and motivates donors to take advantage of these corporate giving programs. By educating your audience on how matching gifts work, establishing social proof, and providing easy access to information and forms, you can create a streamlined process that encourages participation.
Why Market Matching Gifts Via Text Message?
Once you’ve established the general importance of marketing matching gifts, the question to answer is this: What is the best channel, or combination of channels, to get the job done?
With high open rates and immediate reach, SMS has the potential to significantly enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising efforts—especially when it comes to promoting matching gifts.
As a result, marketing matching gifts via text message is an incredibly effective way for nonprofits to reach their supporters wherever they are, at any time. In today’s fast-paced world, people are always on the go, with their phones close at hand. Text messaging allows organizations to offer a direct and personal touch that other communication channels can’t quite match.
With just a few taps on their phone, donors can learn about matching gift opportunities and take action immediately, making the giving process simple and convenient.
The effectiveness of text marketing for matching gifts is further underscored by its exceptionally high open rates. On average, text messages boast open rates of around 98%, far surpassing those of emails or even social media viewership. This means that when a nonprofit sends a text message about matching gifts, it’s almost guaranteed to be seen by the recipient.
By leveraging text marketing, organizations can ensure that their message isn’t just delivered but actually read—significantly boosting the chances of donors following through with a matching gift request.
Additionally, text messages create a sense of urgency and immediacy, prompting donors to act without delay. This makes it a perfect tool for time-sensitive fundraising efforts, such as year-end campaigns or giving days, where matching gifts can significantly amplify the impact of donations. With mobile-friendly links and information at their fingertips, supporters can easily access resources to complete the matching gift process, leading to more submitted requests and increased funding.
Best Practices for Innovative Matching Gift Text Marketing
In the rapidly evolving landscape of nonprofit fundraising, text marketing has emerged as a powerful tool for engaging donors and maximizing the impact of matching gifts. As organizations look for innovative ways to connect with supporters, leveraging SMS to spread the word about matching gift opportunities can significantly enhance outreach efforts.
This section will cover best practices for implementing effective text marketing strategies specifically tailored to matching gifts.
Personalize your engagement.
Personalization is key in any marketing strategy, and text messaging is no exception. When communicating with supporters about matching gifts, it’s important to add a personal flair. This can mean addressing them by their name, referencing their past contributions, or providing employer-specific matching gift information.
By personalizing your messages, you show each donor that they are a valued individual rather than just part of a larger audience, increasing the likelihood that they will engage with your content and take the intended action.
Keep your messages short and sweet.
Text messages have a character limit—and are often read on the go—so brevity is crucial. Aim to convey your message in as few words as possible while still providing the essential information.
A well-structured, concise message will ensure that your audience can quickly grasp the purpose and act accordingly. A straightforward approach respects your supporters’ time and enhances the chances of them responding positively, as they won’t feel overwhelmed by lengthy texts.
Send a link to your dedicated matching gifts page.
When it comes to matching gift text marketing, establishing a clear and specific CTA (or call to action) is a must. For the best results, we recommend sending text traffic to a dedicated matching gifts page on your nonprofit’s website.
Including a direct link to a centralized resource hub simplifies the process for donors, providing clear information on how matching gifts work, program benefits and criteria, and instructions for involvement. Not to mention, your match page should have an embedded matching gift search tool, making it easier than ever for donors to uncover their matching gift eligibility and kick off the request process.
Incorporate visuals and emojis.
While SMS is primarily a text-based medium, incorporating visuals and emojis can grab your audience’s attention while enhancing your message’s appeal and clarity. A well-placed emoji can add personality and emotion to your message, making it feel more engaging and friendly. 💝 Meanwhile, branded graphics or images can be incorporated into multimedia messages (or MMS) to illustrate your matching gift campaign in a visual manner.
These small touches can make a significant impact, helping your messages stand out in an often overcrowded inbox.
💡 Top tip: Use Double the Donation’s free matching gift marketing templates (available for clients to use within the 360MatchPro platform) to create and distribute beautifully branded, professional-level graphics.
Track and analyze performance metrics.
Performance metrics are essential to any marketing campaign, allowing your team to measure its success with tangible goals and insights. When it comes to tracking and analyzing your matching gift text marketing, monitoring data such as open and click rates, matching gift conversion rates, and more is crucial.
By analyzing these matching gift marketing indicators, you can gain insights into what resonates with your audience, allowing you to evaluate, refine, and adjust your strategies over time.
Bonus: Utilize 360MatchPro’s enterprise text functionality.
In addition to hosting a dedicated matching gift awareness campaign, another way to use text marketing involves following up with donors after they give to your cause. This allows you to target individual givers with personalized messaging at the height of their engagement with your cause, increasing the likelihood that they’ll take the next step for a matching gift.
It doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking, either. In fact, eligible 360MatchPro users can enable SMS follow-ups in a few clicks, ensuring donors receive applicable messaging throughout their journey. While this feature is currently available only for Enterprise accounts, it provides a powerful opportunity for an organization to bring its automated outreach to the next level.
25 Sample Text Messages to Market Matching Gifts Well
With the convenience of mobile communication, text messages provide a direct line to your supporters. However, crafting the perfect outreach can be a challenge.
To help your nonprofit effectively promote matching gifts and make the most of this communication channel, we’ve compiled a number of sample text messages below.
Text message #1:
“Did you know your donation could be doubled? Many companies offer matching gifts for employee donations. Check if yours does and make an even bigger impact: [link].”
Text message #2:
“Double your impact today! Many employers will match your donation to [Nonprofit Name]. See if your company participates here: [link].”
Text message #3:
“You gave. Now your employer can, too! Find out if your company matches donations to [Nonprofit Name] and increase your gift’s impact: [link].”
Text message #4:
“Matching gift alert 🚨 Your employer may be able to match your recent donation to [Nonprofit Name]. Find out here: [link].”
Text message #5:
“Stretch your support further! 💪 Your donation could be matched dollar-for-dollar through your company’s matching gift program. Check eligibility: [link].”
Text message #6:
“Great news! Many companies will match employee donations to [Nonprofit Name]. Double your donation today by checking here: [link].”
Text message #7:
“Want to make an even bigger impact? 💥 Your employer might match your recent donation to [Nonprofit Name]. Learn more about matching gifts: [link].”
Text message #8:
“Thank you for your donation! Did you know it could go twice as far with a matching gift from your employer? See if you’re eligible: [link].”
Text message #9:
“Help us reach our goal! 🎯 Your donation can be doubled with a matching gift from your employer. Check your eligibility: [link].”
Text message #10:
“Double your donation without giving twice. 💸 Many employers match employee gifts. Find out if yours does here: [link].”
Text message #11:
“Don’t miss the chance to double your impact! Many companies match employee donations. See if your gift is eligible for a match: [link].”
Text message #12:
“Multiply your generosity! 🌱 Your donation could be matched by your employer. Find out if your company participates: [link].”
Text message #13:
“Did you know? Your employer might match your recent donation to [Nonprofit Name], making your gift go even further. Check now: [link].”
Text message #14:
“Double your support for [Nonprofit Name]! Many companies will match your donation. It only takes a minute to check if your employer participates: [link].”
Text message #15:
“Your impact could be twice as great! 🔍 See if your employer matches donations to [Nonprofit Name] and submit your request here: [link].”
Text message #16:
“Your generosity inspires others. Did you know your donation could be doubled by your employer? Learn more about matching gifts: [link].”
Text message #17:
“Thank you for supporting [Nonprofit Name]! 🙏 Your employer might match your donation. Double your impact here: [link].”
Text message #18:
“Matching gifts are a great way to increase your donation’s value. See if your company will match your recent contribution to [Nonprofit Name]: [link].”
Text message #19:
“Maximize your donation! 🏆 Find out if your employer will match your gift to [Nonprofit Name] and help us do even more good: [link].”
Text message #20:
“Make your donation go further this Giving Tuesday! Many companies will match your gift to [Nonprofit Name]. Check if yours does: [link].”
Text message #21:
“Matching gifts = double the impact! See if your employer matches employee donations to [Nonprofit Name] today: [link].”
Text message #22:
“You’ve already made a difference. Now, double it! See if your employer offers matching gifts to increase your donation’s impact: [link].”
Text message #23:
“Make your donation work twice as hard! 👐 Many companies will match employee gifts to [Nonprofit Name]. Check your eligibility here: [link].”
Text message #24:
“Did you know your gift could be doubled at no extra cost to you? See if your company matches employee donations to [Nonprofit Name]: [link].”
Text message #25:
“Your support means the world to us. 🌍 Take it a step further by submitting a matching gift request if your company participates: [link].”
By leveraging text marketing as a direct communication channel, your team can quickly and effectively remind donors about matching gift opportunities, keep them engaged, and inspire them to take action.
Just remember: the key is to tailor your messaging to resonate with your supporters, encourage participation, and ultimately help your organization maximize its matching gift potential.
Case Study: How One Organization Implemented Matching Gift Text Marketing
Save the Children, a large-scale, global humanitarian organization, decided to enhance its matching gift efforts by employing a text message marketing campaign. The goal was to raise awareness about matching gifts among their supporters while sending traffic to their newly renovated workplace giving page.
The text message marketing effort spanned several weeks and included targeted deployments to different segments of Save the Children’s subscriber base. The two key text messages in the campaign were sent on November 17 and December 2, the latter being just after Giving Tuesday.
Let’s take a look:
“Your donation to Save the Children may be eligible for a matching gift from your employer. Learn more: https://savetext.us/mgift?mk=61090499
Reply STOP to Quit”
The first message was sent to approximately 57,000 subscribers who had engaged with Save the Children over the past year. With no specific donation request included, the message aimed to raise awareness about matching gifts, encouraging recipients to learn more about the opportunity. Despite not featuring a direct fundraising ask, the campaign achieved an impressive click-through rate (CTR) of 2.7%, translating to about 1,500 unique clicks. As a result, the text message helped raise $2,700 in donations, demonstrating that even subtle reminders can drive meaningful engagement.
“THANK YOU for supporting children this Giving Tuesday…and always! Thanks to your generosity we’ll be able to make a significant impact in the lives of countless children. Now, do you want to see if you can make your gift go twice as far? Check if your employer offers a matching gift program: https://savetext.us/TY-mgift?mk=33219057
Save the Children
Reply STOP to Quit”
The second text message was targeted at a much smaller segment: around 3,200 subscribers who had made a donation within the four days surrounding Giving Tuesday. This message saw a strong CTR of 2.6%, well above the average of 1.6% for similar mass-market text campaigns. The success highlighted the effectiveness of targeting recent donors, especially during high giving periods such as Giving Tuesday.
Save the Children’s text message marketing efforts proved to be an effective way to increase awareness of matching gifts, achieving above-average click rates and directly raising funds through minimal outreach. This illustrates the potential of using text message campaigns for nonprofits like yours, showcasing that personalized and well-timed texts can boost engagement and revenue alike.
Looking to learn more? Access the on-demand webinar recording here to hear directly from Save the Children.
Wrapping Up & Additional Matching Gift Marketing Resources
Incorporating matching gift text marketing into your nonprofit’s outreach strategy is a game-changer for maximizing fundraising results. Given the immediacy and high open rates of text messages, this channel can help your organization capitalize on matching gift opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed—all in a timely and convenient manner.
Ultimately, matching gift text marketing can help bridge the gap between supporters and the corporate philanthropy opportunities available to them, ensuring that your nonprofit captures as much matching gift revenue as possible. Start implementing SMS into your matching gift promotion strategy today, and watch as it helps unlock more funds, increase donor engagement, and elevate your organization’s mission.
Ready to learn more about strategic matching gift marketing efforts? Check out the recommended resources below:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DTD_Matching-Gift-Text-Marketing-Spreading-the-Word-Via-SMS_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-10-16 19:13:212024-10-16 20:11:53Matching Gift Text Marketing | Spreading the Word Via SMS
Matching gifts offer an incredible opportunity for fundraising groups to double or triple donations by tapping into the generosity of their supporters’ employers. However, many organizations fail to realize their full matching gift potential, largely due to a lack of program awareness and insufficient resources for promoting the opportunity. Fortunately, a matching gift integration can eliminate barriers to entry, increasing familiarity and making it easier for donors to get involved.
In this complete, step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about matching gift integrations—from setting up the tools to optimizing the donor experience—so your nonprofit can maximize its matching gift success.
Specifically, we’ll cover the most popular methods of matching gift integration below:
When it comes to making the most of matching gifts, equipping your team with the right tools is a must. However, integrating the tools with one another will bring your success to new heights. And we’re here to show you how!
Method #1: Implementing our search tool on your donation pages.
The first method for integrating matching gifts involves implementing matching gifts directly within your donation pages. There are generally two opportunities through which this can be done, but it’s highly essential that you incorporate both in your strategy to maximize your success:
Donation Form Search Tool
One of the easiest ways to integrate matching gifts into your fundraising strategy is by adding a matching gift search widget directly to your giving forms. This donor-facing tool allows supporters to quickly search for their employer’s matching gift program while completing their donation.
By placing this feature directly within your donation forms, you streamline the process for donors, making it easier for them to take advantage of their employer’s matching gift programs while actively giving to your cause. This helps increase the likelihood of receiving matching gifts by targeting the opportunities as donors are at the height of their engagement.
Confirmation Page Widget
Once a donor submits their gift, they’re generally re-routed to a confirmation screen. For the best results, we recommend placing Double the Donation’s matching gift tool on this page to target donors while at the height of their engagement with your cause.
After a donor completes their gift, the widget provides company-specific program guidelines and forms (if an employer was selected during the previous step) or offers an additional opportunity to search for a company (if one was not previously selected). In other words, this post-donation touchpoint reinforces the opportunity to double their contribution, even if they didn’t explore matching gift options during the donation process itself.
Then, for qualifying donors, the confirmation screen widget also offers an opportunity to complete the auto-submission process. When a company enables this option—through a partnership between its CSR platform and Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro)—its employees can submit their matches in a single click. (Hint: to uncover companies with auto-submission enabled, look for CLMA-designated employers in the database search tool!)
Method #2: Integrating Double the Donation with your CRM or donor management system.
The next kind of tool you can integrate with matching gifts is your CRM or donor management system. Whereas a donation page integration involves the addition of a donor-facing widget in your giving forms, a CRM-based matching gift integration takes more of a behind-the-scenes approach. This provides more complete coverage of your donor base, enabling your team to identify matching gift eligibility and pursue those gifts for all donors.
After a donor makes a gift (regardless of whether it’s completed on- or offline, as part of an event, etc.), a record is created in your donor database. That record is then passed into 360MatchPro using a seamless and highly secure connection, and 360MatchPro triggers a series of follow-up communications designed to drive eligible matches to completion.
These communications segment donors by their likely eligibility for matching gifts, with dedicated streams for eligible, likely ineligible, and unknown recipients, ensuring each supporter receives the most relevant information possible.
Method #3: Embedding our database widget on your Matching Gifts Page.
Our final strategy involves creating a dedicated Matching Gifts page on your nonprofit’s website—then, adding a matching gift database widget to the online hub. This allows visitors to easily uncover information regarding matching gifts, including how the programs work, how to identify eligibility criteria, how to submit the appropriate forms, and more.
By having a centralized location that educates donors about matching gifts, you can drive awareness, ultimately leading to more matching gift submissions. Plus, it gives your team a place to send supporters who might have missed the opportunity during their initial donation process. When donors access your Match Page from an automated email, for example, you can identify their eligibility and track their employment data in the backend of the platform.
Bonus: Matching Gift Integration FAQ
Matching gift integration can be a game-changer for nonprofits looking to maximize their fundraising efforts. However, understanding the process and making it work seamlessly can raise a lot of questions.
Whether you’re new to matching gifts or looking to optimize your current setup, this Q-and-A section covers the most common inquiries nonprofits and schools have about integrating matching gift tools in their fundraising.
Can I receive matching gifts without a matching gift integration?
The short answer is yes, though there’s likely to be a significant disparity in terms of matching gifts you qualify for versus matching gifts you actually receive. While your organization may still receive matching gifts without a formal matching gift integration, the process is significantly more cumbersome for donors and nonprofits alike.
Without an integration, it often requires supporters to independently research whether their employer offers a matching gift program, navigate submission portals, and complete the necessary paperwork. In contrast, integrating matching gift tools streamlines the process by automatically identifying eligible donations and guiding donors through the submission process. This helps reduce friction in the process, which leads to missed opportunities, and ultimately increases the likelihood of securing matching funds. As a result, organizations that implement matching gift automation can expect to see revenue growth of between 20% and 50%!
Can my team implement multiple matching gift integration methods?
Yes, your team can implement multiple matching gift integration methods. In fact, it’s actually encouraged to ensure the fullest coverage of all matching gift donors in your network.
By integrating matching gift tools into both your main donation form and your CRM (along with any peer-to-peer software you have!), you create a comprehensive system that captures eligible matches at various stages of the donor journey.
A donation form integration allows donors to instantly see if their employer offers matching gifts during the giving process, while a CRM integration helps your team track and follow up with donors who may have given offline and, therefore, may not have been identified as such otherwise. Combining these methods ensures you maximize matching gift opportunities and reduce the likelihood of available matches slipping through the cracks.
We also offer duplicate record detection functionality, which ensures your team is not repeating any efforts!
How complicated is the matching gift integration process?
The process of setting up your matching gift integration can seem a bit intimidating at first. Fortunately for you, Double the Donation and its extensive network of integration partners have already taken care of the hard part—so getting started is actually quick and simple.
With the technology work completed, it’s never been easier to connect a matching gift tool using ready-built integrations. This eliminates the need for complex coding or technical expertise, making our tools accessible to teams of all sizes and abilities.
Once set up, the integration works seamlessly in the background, making it easy for donors to submit matching gift requests while ensuring your nonprofit can track and manage those gifts without lifting a finger.
Which fundraising platforms support matching gift integration?
Double the Donation integrates with over 100 leading fundraising platforms, including the majority of popular donation form providers, CRMs, peer-to-peer fundraising tools, and more.
This wide range of integrations allows nonprofits to easily connect matching gift tools to their existing systems, streamlining the process for both donors and staff. To learn about specific integration options or see if your platform is supported, we encourage you to visit our integrations page to search the partner directory for more detailed information.
What if Double the Donation doesn’t integrate with my fundraising tools?
If Double the Donation doesn’t currently integrate with your fundraising tools, don’t worry! Our team is constantly building out additional integrations with new fundraising platforms, CRMs, and more.
You can also contact our team to advocate for a new integration, as we’re always eager to expand our network of partnerships. Our goal is to ensure organizations like yours have access to the best tools for maximizing matching gift opportunities!
[For Fundraising Platforms] How can my platform build a matching gift integration?
If you’re a fundraising software provider looking to build a matching gift integration, we encourage you to contact the Double the Donation team to get started.
Our team is experienced in developing seamless integrations and will guide you through the process of connecting your platform to our matching gift solution. By partnering with Double the Donation, you can offer your users enhanced functionality that makes it easier for nonprofits to maximize their matching gift revenue.
Sample Matching Gift Integration: See it in Action
Now that you understand the basics of integrating matching gifts into your overall fundraising strategy, we wanted to walk you through an example of an organization doing this well.
Check out the following matching gift flow from the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society:
Step #1: Matching gifts on the organization’s peer-to-peer donation form
Donors are encouraged to provide their employment information using an intuitive, seamlessly embedded matching gift search tool within the donation form. All they need to do is begin typing the name of their company and select the appropriate listing from the drop-down menu!
Step #2: Matching gifts on the organization’s confirmation screen
Immediately after giving, donors are thanked for their support and encouraged to make their contributions go further with a match. If employment information is provided on the form, donors are presented with company-specific program insights and direct form links to complete their requests in real time.
Step #3: Matching gifts in a follow-up email
Within minutes of submitting their gifts, donors receive a personalized matching gift reminder via email as well, complete with company program guidelines and request forms to get started.
Step #4: Matching gifts on a dedicated web page
Throughout their matching gift communications, donors are continuously encouraged to learn more about the matching gift opportunity with a direct link to the organization’s Match Page. This online hub contains a step-by-step walkthrough of matching gifts along with a powerful company search tool to make uncovering matching gift programs as easy as possible.
As you can see, LLS uses every opportunity to engage its audience with matching gifts—from the initial contribution to a number of follow-up reminders. And it’s all thanks to its seamless matching gift integration setup, connecting its matching gift tool (Double the Donation) with its donation forms, peer-to-peer software, and more.
Getting Started — Next Steps for Matching Gift Integration
Integrating matching gift tools into your fundraising and donor management processes unlocks the potential to significantly boost your nonprofit’s revenue. With a seamless setup and strategic donor education, your organization can make the most of this often-overlooked revenue stream.
Take action now to leverage the full power of matching gifts. Then, watch your fundraising efforts soar while engaging both donors and their employers in meaningful ways.
Ready to learn more about matching gifts and other workplace giving opportunities? Check out the following recommended resources:
Uncover Your Expected ROI with 360MatchPro. Find out how much revenue your organization can collect through matching gifts by investing in Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro platform.
#GivingTuesday might not be until December, but because planning and preparation are key to any successful campaign, the best time to start thinking about how to take advantage of this fundraising opportunity is now. That’s why Double the Donation’s team has compiled standout Giving Tuesday advice from over 30 experts on how nonprofit organizations can make this #GivingTuesday a hit.
Let’s jump in with our first set of recommendations.
Start Planning Now!
Far and away, the most common piece of advice was to start planning as soon as possible. Getting a head start on promotions, social media trends, and marketing materials and engaging with donors (individuals, foundations, corporations, etc.) is going to be the key to a successful campaign!
Lynne D. Filderman, Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer at America’s Charities, says: “#GivingTuesday is a movement to inspire generosity, not just another website where you list your charity profile or an event that replaces your existing year-end campaign. The hype from #GivingTuesday should be used to draw attention to your organization’s story and impact. It’s an opportunity to reach new donors and find new ways to excite existing supporters. Whether you choose to integrate #GivingTuesday into your year-end fundraising campaign or as a stand-alone awareness day event, your success will be determined by how focused your message is, how clear your call to action is, how active you are in promoting your initiative, and how well you plan – starting now.”
Gretchen Barry, Director of Marketing and Communications at NonprofitEasy, says: Don’t have a #GivingTuesday plan? Don’t stress. Many organizations dread #GivingTuesday, mostly because they haven’t created a plan or set any objectives. Here are three tips to jump-start your strategy.
Tip #1: There are many ways to tap into the #GivingTuesday machine, so if you don’t already have a plan, no worries! Break out a flip chart, grab a few of your most creative thinkers, determine your #GivingTuesday objective (it’s okay to start small), and spend 30 minutes on a quick brainstorming session.
Tip #2: Communication is the key to success. Once your plan is in place, pull a short list of your most active volunteers, board members and donors and start making personal calls asking them for help in spreading the word. Then, send them a follow-up email thanking them for their help – very important!
Tip #3: Make the call to action clear and ensure that it’s easy for people to connect with your organization on #GivingTuesday. For example, hold an open house and encourage the community to drop by and learn more about your mission. If you don’t have the budget for an open house, hold a virtual open house through social media and invite community leaders and your volunteers to share stories about your mission and ways that people can help. Make a list of volunteer opportunities and post one through social media every hour or two throughout the day.
Bonus Tip: Don’t forget to review your results. Document what worked and what didn’t work, and then pat yourself on the back because you’re already on your way to a plan for next year’s #GivingTuesday.
“Create some images showing your nonprofit’s involvement with #GivingTuesday and invite your supporters to share them – with a link to your site. Don’t forget a call to action on the image.”
“Plan ahead – invite your corporate supporters to match donations made on #GivingTuesday, either in total or, more likely, up to a certain amount.”
“Invite a medium or major donor (or business donor?) to give out one hundred $10 or £10 notes to supporters who promise to use them to raise at least triple the amount in time for #GivingTuesday.”
“Stuck for ideas for #GivingTuesday? Ask your supporters now, and choose the best.”
“Change the thank you page on your online donation platform, if you can, so that it shows a #GivingTuesday message, which donors are invited to share. For example, ‘I gave to [nonprofit] to help [children, animals, the environment] on #GivingTuesday. You can, too: [link].'”
Dan Fonseca of FrontStream says: “#GivingTuesday is a growing charitable movement that takes place during the holiday season. For one day (the Tuesday after Black Friday), we’re reminded that giving back and aiding important causes is just as (if not more) important as super savings deals. Back in 2012, FirstGiving’s #GivingTuesday donation grand total was $159,102.96. In 2013, we announced that $438,018.50 was raised in a single day. In that year alone, #GivingTuesday’s momentum grew almost fourfold. And in the years following, it grew even more substantially. Of course, this is all thanks to our partnering nonprofits. We’re just here to help facilitate what these nonprofits do best. We’re excited to see what this new year brings!
If we had any word of advice, it’d be to start planning for your #GivingTuesday campaign early, we’re talking months of planning in advance. Take advantage of the buzz and momentum of this fantastic charitable movement. Learn what successful organizations did in the past and think about how you can take what you’ve learned and apply it to your organization. Think about donation incentives and how to motivate your supporters. Do you know what motivates them?”
Blue Hovatter, Founder of Community Funded, says: “The best thing you can do to make your #GivingTuesday a success is put together a solid plan of attack and pre-promote the event. Make sure you have a plan for how you are going to reach out to your network, and make sure the event has plenty of pre-promotion. Get everyone on your team ready to go and make sure your community is aware and ready to take action.”
Dan Quirk, Marketing Specialist at SalsaLabs, says: “Test and analyze several different donation landing page designs and layouts in advance so that you are using your highest performing (converting) page on #GivingTuesday.”
Julia Campbell, Founder of JC Social Marketing, says: “The key to success in a #GivingTuesday campaign is planning ahead. Plan for the day as you would a big in-person fundraising event, with tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities. Do not leave the promotion of your campaign up to one person – get a group involved and form a #GivingTuesday committee! Encourage donors, volunteers, board members, staff, and community members to spread the word about your campaign online via the social media channel they like best. Create an example Social Media Kit with graphics and sample tweets and posts to make it super easy for people to share the info. Don’t forget to thank people afterward and follow up with everyone who participates to let them know the results and create momentum for next year!”
Amy DeVita, Founder of Top Nonprofits, says: “#GivingTuesday is an ingenious way for any-sized organization to gain greater awareness by leveraging a national campaign that appeals to the growing number of people who are fundamentally turned off by “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” – basically a counter to consumerism for the sake of consumerism. Prepare and strategize…in advance!
Look at Giving Tuesday as the harvest date and plant seeds and pathways for your donors to connect with you for the months leading up to it. But first, have a plan. Will you find a matching donor? Will you solicit time donations in addition to monetary donations? Think about where you want to end up—and make a map that will get you there; don’t just spin around aimlessly.
Start now, maybe with regular posts on Facebook that give a look at the difference your group is making, and include the hashtag #GivingTuesday. Use the hashtag in your Tweets—start making your organization discoverable to those searching for #GivingTuesday—now or months from now.”
Craig Van Korlaar, Founder of Top Nonprofits, says: “As Benjamin Franklin said, ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’
I think that it’s important to remember that any successful #GivingTuesday campaign is, first and foremost, a campaign. All great campaigns require advanced planning and strategy. Stating objectives, determining an audience, and identifying campaign success KPIs are all important. While a nonprofit organization that works with an agency can certainly call on its team to create a campaign, to the hundreds of thousands of nonprofits relying on their own in-house staff, creating a campaign may seem daunting.
Fortunately, there are free tools that one can utilize to produce a robust and documented strategy, including robust campaign planning documents and editorial calendars.”
Hesha Patel, Director of Marketing for JK Group, says: “The key to a successful giving campaign is proper planning and communications. Non-profits should work with their corporate partners in devising a multi-touch communication plan that not only talks about the logistics of the campaign but also what the cause aims to achieve. That will drive employee participation.”
Don’t Treat #GivingTuesday as a One-Day Event
Several experts agree that while #GivingTuesday IS a one-day event, you shouldn’t treat it as such. This is a great opportunity to work on donor cultivation for the long-term.
Ken Berger, President and CEO of Charity Navigator, says: “We are a strong supporter of #GivingTuesday and its ability to inspire new acts of generosity. But December 2nd should just be the stepping stone on the path of cultivating new donors. Charities that have excelled at leveraging #GivingTuesday are the ones that feed their donors’ demand for data on their impact. These charities engage in ongoing communications with their new #GivingTuesday supporters to inform them about the results of their charitable programs and services. We believe and have seen that the more transparent charities are about their performance, the more donors will respect, value, and support their efforts.”
Sarah Ford, Associate Marketing Manager for America’s Charities, says: “While #GivingTuesday culminates in a single, 24-hour period, it is by no means a one-day event. It is a movement to encourage giving and celebrate philanthropy. Whether it’s through workplace giving, volunteering, cause marketing, matching gifts, charity fairs, donating items to charity, or simply telling the world about your company’s cause work and impact, there are several ways to leverage your company’s social responsibility initiatives with #GivingTuesday. Be creative, and don’t be afraid to reach out to industry experts for advice.”
Megan Keane, Membership Director at NTEN, says: “Remember, #GivingTuesday goes beyond a single day of giving – a successful campaign is part of a larger donor cultivation and fundraising strategy. At NTEN, our #GivingTuesday participation was one piece of our annual giving campaign that followed our month-long Member Appreciation Month. We encouraged supporters to extend the spirit of thanks by giving back to the NTEN community, and #GivingTuesday was a way of showcasing our community through being a part of a larger movement.”
Partner Up with Corporations and Foundations
An important part of nonprofit success is the partnerships an organization can forge with both local and national businesses. These experts advise building relationships around #GivingTuesday can make for a successful campaign, and even beyond!
Donna Callejon, Chief Business Officer of Global Giving, says: “Nonprofits should be in touch with their corporate and foundation funders to see if there is a campaign or program they can join as part of #GivingTuesday.”
Mark Feinberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Uruut, says: “#GivingTuesday provides an incredible opportunity for businesses and foundations of all sizes, individuals of all age groups and backgrounds to come together to support causes they care deeply about. I hope we can use the energy and success of #GivingTuesday and move us even closer to a “Giving Everyday” framework. We continue to make great progress in this regard, but there is even more we can do.”
Lori Forte Harnick, General Manager of Microsoft Citizenship and Public Affairs, says: “Nonprofits can maximize fundraising during #GivingTuesday by working with corporations with similar philanthropy goals. Through the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative, we’re partnering with a full range of youth-serving nonprofits to empower young people with technology tools and education and help them fulfill their dreams.”
Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation, says: “It’s important for nonprofits to leverage matching gifts or general corporate support into positive PR for both you and the corporation to ensure future collaboration and, therefore, a stronger nonprofit-corporate relationship. If you receive a donation from a corporation, think about how your organization can publicly acknowledge the support through your website, social media, or press releases.”
Engage and Thank Your Donors: Before, During, and After #GivingTuesday
Keeping your donors and constituents engaged and acknowledging their support before #GivingTuesday will make it easier to make a direct ask for the event. Your donors should know how grateful you are for their past support before you make an ask, while you’re making the ask, and especially after you make the ask.
Bill Tedesco, CEO of DonorSearch, says: “After #GivingTuesday, evaluate your list of new donors to determine if any of them could be prospects for a larger gift in the future. Performing prospect research on new donors is a great way to identify donors who have given large donations to other nonprofits. Once you identify these donors, have a member of your team reach out to personally thank them for their donation.”
Karrie Hungerford, Co-Founder & CEO of GivingTrax, says: “A great way to increase overall contributions is to engage local businesses to offer public match challenges or increased employee matching gifts. You can provide value back to businesses by using social media to create awareness of their contribution and support of your organization.
Tweet the matching gift offer and post it to social media channels multiple times before and during #GivingTuesday. Be sure to tag the business sponsors’ handle and include applicable hashtags for your area. An example of this would be the following tweet: ‘Kudos to @donor for giving @your-organization’s-handle on #GivingTuesday a #matchinggift of $5,000. Give at: [link to giving page]’. Be sure to use short codes to a donation landing page for the event or include a way to donate within the post.”
Randy Hawthorne, Executive Director/Publisher of Nonprofit Hub, says: “Thank all of your donors in early November as part of a Thanksgiving campaign so that you’ve had contact before you make an ask at the end of the month.”
Alexandra Saavedra, Marketing Programs Manager of Greater Giving, says: “Share your results on social media after the fact and let people know how you did (perhaps a ‘thank you’ video on YouTube).”
Claire Axelrad, Principal at Clairification, says: “If you’re a nonprofit that’s already swamped with fundraising initiatives at this busy time of year, perhaps there’s another alternative that won’t interfere with your current schedule or risk confusing your donors by multiple, overlapping asks for donations. Personally, I like using the day for gratitude. Why does the giving have to be on the donor’s end? Why not consider it a day to give back to your donors?
There are all sorts of things you could do. Think of it as one big giant opportunity to honor your donors! Here are a few ideas for starters:
How about a thank-a-thon? It’s a great way to involve volunteers because, inevitably, it’s a feel-good experience for everyone involved. It’s more fun to do it as a group – with refreshments, of course! But it’s okay to dole out the names and have folks do it from their home or office. Leaving messages on voicemail is fine. If you get someone on the phone, most supporters are pleasantly surprised to be receiving a call that’s purely a thank you, and this pleasant feeling is passed along to the caller. For volunteers who’ve been afraid to pick up the phone to call donors requesting support, this is a terrific way to get their feet wet. Just make sure to arm them with a script in advance.
How about a greeting card or e-greeting? Time it to land in your donor’s mailbox on Giving Tuesday. I can imagine a message like: It’s Giving Tuesday; And Just So Rare; It’s Our “Won’t Lose Day”; Because You Care! Then add a little personal note letting your donor know how much their support means to you. Maybe put it on a card with a photo that visually shows what their giving accomplishes. And don’t be afraid to be corny or schmaltzy.
How about a token gift? Could you get a local retailer to offer a coupon for a cup of coffee? An ice cream? A pizza slice? A hamburger?
You may have something you can give your donors that costs you next to nothing. It could be free parking or VIP seating at an upcoming event. A discount at your on-site café. This year Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco did a combination of “give and get” for #GivingTuesday, offering those who give on December 1st a free glass of champagne if they’ll be attending their upcoming Gala.
So, if you’re one of those nonprofits who’ve rejected the notion of #GivingTuesday out of fear it might cannibalize your other fundraising efforts or burn out your staff and/or volunteers, I urge you to consider some giving alternatives. We don’t thank our supporters nearly enough, so why not have a day dedicated to donor love?”
Use #GivingTuesday as a Platform to Share Success Stories and Positive Outcomes
These experts agree that #GivingTuesday is a great opportunity to show your donors and supporters what you do with the donations you receive throughout the year. Telling great stories and using high-impacting numbers and figures is the best way to keep your constituents in the know and excited about continuing to give to your cause.
Rafi Norberg, President of Nexus Marketing, says: “#GivingTuesday is more than just an online donation drive, it’s an opportunity to improve your organization’s online authority. After #GivingTuesday is over, write a blog entry thanking your supporters and letting them know how their donations will be used. After you publish the post, share it via social media, the #GivingTuesday website, and your newsletter.”
Lindsay J.K. Nichols, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications at GuideStar, says: “Nonprofits can use #GivingTuesday to signal to people that give wisely (as in they give with their heads as well as their hearts – the only way to go!) that your organization “gets it.” Create a quick tip sheet of the ways people can give to your nonprofit – with their money, their time, their online/social media support, etc. – and use the #GivingTuesday hashtag to help spread the word among the ready and waiting (huge) audience that supports the campaign. Make sure you talk about your outcomes, not just your outputs, when asking for donations – remember, no stories without data and no data without stories!”
Use #GivingTuesday to Encourage Millennial Giving
Millennials are the driving force behind today’s nonprofit success. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 35 are shaping the way organizations are run, whether through engagement, employment, or simply donations (be it money or time). Get them involved and motivated to support your cause!
Megan Reile, Sales & Marketing Director at 360Alumni, says: “#GivingTuesday is a fantastic opportunity for individuals and corporations to raise non-profit support. Following Cyber Monday, which is a consumption-driven whirlwind, #GivingTuesday is a chance to give back to non-profits worldwide and remember the true spirit of the holidays. #GivingTuesday is especially impactful in engaging Millennials, those born after 1979. According to Achieve’s Millennial Impact report, 87% of millennials donated to a nonprofit in the last year, and 55% of millennials were influenced to take the job they currently have after discussing cause work with their interviewer. Millennials want to give back, so why not utilize the cause to encourage them? And using corporate matching programs gives these individuals the emotional satisfaction of knowing that their dollar went even further, often doubled. What better motivation for action?”
Listen to What Others are Doing to Make #GivingTuesday Successful
It’s always beneficial to see how others perceive a successful campaign. Take advantage of the abundance of resources out there, including webinars and radio segments, to hear ideas you may not otherwise have thought of.
Tony Martignetti, Host of Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio, says: “Leverage all of the webinars and radio segments on #GivingTuesday. The #GivingTuesday team maintains a large library at http://www.givingtuesday.org/watch/, and there are also radio segments such as this one of Giving Tuesday early adopters sharing their best ideas: http://tony.ma/1bWl976.”
Think Outside the “Giving” Box
#GivingTuesday doesn’t only have to be about monetary donations. Thinking outside the box can help people think creatively in terms of how they give to your organization.
Shari Ilsen, Director of Engagement at VolunteerMatch, says: “Why limit the ways in which your community can support you for #GivingTuesday? Instead, think outside the “giving” box and encourage people to get creative by giving time to volunteer by activating their social networks to run social media campaigns and sending in their own stories of how your organization has helped and inspired them. In addition to increased awareness, you’ll get even more committed folks who will connect with your nonprofit emotionally and be even more likely to donate in the future!”
Asha Curran, Director of 92Y Center for Innovation & Social Impact (and creator of #GivingTuesday), says: “At 92Y – which will celebrate its 140th anniversary next year – #GivingTuesday grew out of looking at our core beliefs in community and philanthropy and imagining how social media might catapult them well beyond our walls. The result has been a global movement around giving that exceeded all of our expectations. This kind of experimentation is critical for the nonprofit sector; it makes for better, more effective campaigns, and it can also help transform an organization’s thinking. Think of #GivingTuesday as an opportunity to try new things or collaborate with new partners.”
Be Transparent and Direct with Pitches
Your supporters want to know where the money they’re donating is going. Being direct and transparent will increase the likelihood of donations and ongoing support from individuals who fully support your mission.
Jen Boynton, Editor in Chief, and Mary Mazzoni, Senior Editor of Triple Pundit, say: “Create urgency with your pitch and make a specific ask – let funders know where their money will go.”
Peter Lowy, Founder of MassNonprofit.org, says: “Tangible projects work best rather than raising money for ‘general operating expenses.’ Choose a project based on need and what is most likely to excite your donors and get new donors on board. Determine a fundraising goal and have a big announcement explaining your participation in #GivingTuesday.”
On the Contrary…
Not everyone thinks a successful #GivingTuesday campaign is the best way to increase support for your nonprofit organization.
Joe Garecht, President of Garecht Fundraising Associates, says: “If you want to raise more money for your non-profit on a consistent basis, avoid gimmicks like #GivingTuesday, and focus on building long-term relationships with your donors. You’ll find more donors who will give more on a more consistent basis. Avoid the #GivingTuesday rat race!”
Keep Employees Engaged (Advice for Companies)
Corporate giving programs wouldn’t be successful without employees with a big heart and the passion to make a difference. #GivingTuesday isn’t any different!
Ryan Scott, CEO of Causecast, says: “The number one thing people forget? A great employee giving and volunteering campaign comes down to being able to tap into both employee passion and expertise. Everything you do has to be authentic, meaningful, and relevant, or your impact will be next to zero. No one will want to play with you next year if you don’t engage their hearts and minds. So ask your employees what they love, what they care about, and then build a campaign that captures and delivers upon that spirit.”
Chris Jarvis, Senior Partner, and Corey Diamond, Partner, from RealizedWorth, say: “The paradigm is shifting – clearly, companies that facilitate giving without engaging their staff are missing a large part of the equation. Matching gift programs, Dollar for Doer initiatives, and working with employees to choose the causes to support are revolutionizing how a company gives to not-for-profits. Companies now want to see how many hands touch the dollar bill before it goes out the door.”
Dustin Joost, Lead Sales and Digital Marketing Manager at YourCause, says: “Like many CSR programs, #GivingTuesday is an event that can help build a sense of community within a company. Have your executive leaders kick it off by recording short video snippets of why #GivingTuesday is important to them and how they plan on making an impact. Release these videos are few days before the big day and encourage others to submit video snippets of what they did for #GivingTuesday. It’s a great way to encourage engagement, and the videos can be used next year to tell a story and further drive participation.”
We hope these bits of expert advice can help your nonprofit make this year’s #GivingTuesday the best one yet!
The holiday giving season is upon us. Luckily, it’s not too late to get started with matching gifts and year-end fundraising strategies before the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops on New Year’s Day.
As you likely know, the end-of-year fundraising season is a critical time for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes. What better way to maximize such an impactful opportunity than with matching gifts?
To recap, matching gifts are a form of corporate giving where companies agree to match their employees’ charitable donations. For nonprofits, these programs produce additional fundraising revenue, increased individual and corporate engagement, and more.
However, our studies show that an estimated $4 to $7 billion in available matching gift funding goes unclaimed each year, essentially leaving tons of corporate donations on the table. And the #1 reason for this significant gap is a lack of knowledge concerning such programs!
This holiday fundraising season, set your organization up to make the most of matching gifts by increasing donor awareness—and Double the Donation is here to help! In this guide, we’ll cover the following key points:
Ready to dive deeper into fundraising research and learn more about strategic donor appeals, retroactive outreach, automated email streams, and the software that can power it all? Let’s get started!
The Correlation Between Matching Gifts and Year-End Giving Success
End-of-year fundraising and matching gifts are each vital components of a successful nonprofit funding strategy. And the two complement each other to produce a seamless and impactful engagement plan.
After all, more donations flowing during the holiday season means more potential for matching gifts.
Meanwhile, promoting matching gift opportunities leads to more—and larger—donations in the first place!
Not to mention, donation-matching opportunities also provide a great way to differentiate your appeals and retain your organization at the forefront of donors’ minds.
Let’s take a closer look at some statistics that illustrate the power of year-end fundraising and matching gifts.
31% of total giving takes place in December.
12% of annual donations are made in the last three days of the year.
50% of nonprofits are majority-funded through year-end giving.
$48 billion is donated to nonprofits in the holiday giving season each year.
⅓ of nonprofits incorporate two or more “touches” in their end-of-year appeals.
52% larger first-time gifts are made during the end-of-year season.
56% of donors are motivated by year-end tax deadlines.
70% of year-end donors give through multiple channels.
Sources: Double the Donation and Nonprofit Hub
26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs.
3-5x more funds are raised by campaigns that incorporate donation-matching.
65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gifts.
84% of donors are more likely to donate if a match is offered.
1 in 3 donors would give more if matching is applied.
51% increase in average gift size when matching gifts are mentioned in fundraising appeals.
71% increase in average response rate when matching gifts are mentioned in fundraising appeals.
75% donor engagement rate produced by a well-executed matching gift strategy.
$2.86 billion is donated by corporations through employee matching gift programs each year.
61% increase in matching gift funds by organizations that use an automation tool.
Sources: Double the Donation and 360MatchPro
Since we know the majority of giving takes place at the end of the year, your team has a significant opportunity to drive more matching gifts when you integrate the two strategies. Talk about a win-win!
Top Strategies to Implement for Impactful EOY Gift-Matching
Now that you understand the importance of matching gifts and their relevance during the holiday fundraising season, you might wonder what actionable next steps you can take to get started.
These expert tips should help!
1. Set up matching gift software ASAP.
You might worry that it’s too late to get started with any new software this year—but that’s simply not true. In fact, the end of the year is typically the time you rely on fundraising software the most. You already have a lot on your to-do list, and equipping your fundraising team with the best tools also provides you with the biggest impact for the lowest effort.
And matching gift software can go a long way in driving matching gift results with minimal operational lift, thus allowing your team to raise more while retaining time and resources for other critical year-end efforts. Specifically, this type of solution empowers organizations by automating the processes involved with identifying match-eligible donors, triggering tailored matching gift follow-up messaging, and tracking matches to completion.
Luckily, implementing matching gift software can be quick, easy, and massively effective, which means that doing so as the end-of-year season approaches is a must.
Check out this case study from a nonprofit that onboarded its matching gift software in mere hours:
The Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges was able to be fully onboarded with Double the Donation’s tools within 12 hours of buying—all in time for an evening fundraising event on the same day! During this period, Metro YMCA of the Oranges integrated our matching gift tool with their online donation forms, configured automated matching gift follow-ups, and embedded the company search database in their website.
In the following ten months, they identified more than $32,000 in match-eligible donations and maintained a 61% matching gift email open rate and a 9% click-through rate (each more than 3x higher than the average nonprofit).
The moral of the story? Tight turnaround times for software implementation are entirely possible when you need to get up and running quickly—like when the end of the year is quickly approaching. However, it is a priority that you’ll want to dive into matching gifts as soon as possible to make the most of your tools as year-end giving ramps up.
Keep in mind that you also want to make the right decision when purchasing matching gift software for your team. We recommend prioritizing easy setup (including ready-built integrations with your existing solutions), a positive user experience, and innovative functionality (like matching gift auto-submission).
Our top tip: Schedule a demo with the leading matching gift software provider to get started. 360MatchPro is consistently rated as #1 in the industry—see for yourself with a 2-minute overview below!
2. Train your internal fundraising team on the matching gift opportunity.
We mentioned a lack of donor awareness regarding matching gifts as a leading reason for the underutilization of the programs. But often, the knowledge gap extends to an organization’s internal fundraising team, too. And unfortunately, this can lead to matching gift opportunities slipping through the cracks—and available corporate funds ultimately going unclaimed. Thus, getting your staff on board with matching gifts leading up to the year-end fundraising season can go a long way.
The better equipped your team members are to share information about matching gifts, the more effective they’ll be in advocating for and inspiring program participation.
Double the Donation provides a ton of educational resources designed to assist organizations in internal matching gift training—including blog posts, webinars, downloadable resources, and more. But our top recommendation is our online Matching Gift Academy (which is even free for current clients).
And now is the perfect time to get started as holiday giving draws near!
3. Highlight the potential for matching gifts in end-of-year appeals.
You might have already drafted your year-end fundraising appeals, or you might be working on them right about now. Either way, consider incorporating a blurb about matching gifts!
As the statistics above illustrate, donors are more likely to give (and to give in larger amounts) when they know there’s a match available. Thus, matching gifts can be exactly what you need to coax on-the-fence supporters into becoming end-of-year donors for your cause. And it often starts directly within the donation request itself!
Picture this:
Jeff is an avid supporter of your organization, but it’s the end of the year, and he’s tight on funds. He considered skipping his year-end donation this year (thinking, “What good could my $50 really do, anyway?”) when he was informed that his employer would match his gift at a 2:1 rate.
At this, he realized his initial gift could be worth over three times the value of his own contribution (which seems a lot more significant to Jeff), and he made his donation. That’s $150 you likely wouldn’t have collected if not for matching gifts—and there are a lot of “Jeff’s” in the world, too!
Meanwhile, imagine another donor planned to contribute a certain amount—again, let’s say $50. When the donor learns about matching gifts, they’re inspired to increase their own donation amount (perhaps to $100). This, in turn, drives up the match value as well, producing even more revenue for your cause.
The best part? The way you market matching gift opportunities to supporters can be simple. Incorporate a reminder about matching gifts in your social media, email, text, and other appeals across your nonprofit website and more. Consider saying something like this: “Make your year-end donation go further this year with company gift-matching. See if you’re eligible here.”
Fun fact: Double the Donation offers pre-made and customizable social media graphics and messaging templates, allowing our clients to get a head start on effective promotions!
4. Reach out to match-eligible donors retroactively.
When you incorporate matching gift outreach into your end-of-year strategy, it doesn’t have to be solely focused on new donations, either. In fact, many gifts made throughout the year can still qualify for a match!
Each business that matches gifts establishes its own criteria and submission guidelines. While it varies from company to company, many employers (such as Freeport-McMoRan, William Blair & Company, Victory Capital, and more) grant employee matches through the end of the calendar year. So, for a good deal of your match-eligible donors, their request window will be closing quickly.
That makes the end of the year a perfect opportunity to reach back out to these individuals, remind them about matching gifts, and encourage them to complete the request process with their employer. And it’s a fantastic way to boost year-end revenue from existing donors without requiring them to reach back into their own wallets.
5. Familiarize your team with year-end-specific workplace giving programs.
Most businesses with matching gift programs agree to double the donations their employees make year-round. But sometimes, a company establishes a limited-time initiative that is live only at certain times of the year. And the most common timeframe includes year-end-specific matching gift (or other workplace giving) programs.
For example, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) offers a unique giving season match available to its thousands of employees worldwide. Running from mid-October through December each year, the company’s Annual Giving Campaign provides an excellent incentive for year-end charitable giving.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros offers its employees a generous donation stipend they can contribute to their favorite nonprofits on Giving Tuesday as a way to kick off the holiday season. That’s in addition to the $1,000 year-long match and end-of-year giving programs!
If you identify donors in your orbit who work for companies with these types of short-term philanthropy efforts, be sure to address available opportunities with targeted, personalized communications this giving season.
6. Consider custom matching gift partnerships.
Unfortunately, some companies have yet to establish any matching gift programs for their employees. But they might be willing to when presented with the opportunity. In that case, we recommend reaching out to employers to propose custom (or “one-off”) matching gift initiatives.
Custom matches provide an easy way for businesses unfamiliar with matching gifts to get acquainted with the effort in a limited capacity.
If a company agrees to offer such a program, it’ll essentially encourage philanthropy by matching employee gifts made exclusively to your organization. And as custom matches typically occur in a defined time frame (e.g., a month), the giving season is a popular time for one to be organized.
Fun fact: Double the Donation now offers innovative functionality for nonprofits looking to facilitate these programs in their company database tool!
*As a note: This feature is designed specifically for fundraisers to manage matching gifts. If you’re a corporation that’s interested in creating a matching gift program, let us know, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.
7. Leverage automated end-of-year email streams.
Another significant matching gift roadblock lies with nonprofit fundraising staff who lack the time to manage and promote the efforts. In fact, Nonprofits Source reports that 80% of nonprofits struggle to establish workplace giving strategies with limited staff and resources.
Luckily, that’s where matching gift automation comes in!
Automated email streams enable nonprofits to configure and trigger customizable messages when an individual gives to your organization. This might include one dedicated to match-eligible donors, one for likely ineligible donors, and one for donors with unknown eligibility.
Doing so ensures that every donor receives matching gift outreach in a timely manner. And that no donation falls through the cracks, even when your team is juggling 100 different end-of-year tasks. Meanwhile, the time you would have spent issuing matching gift reminders can be reallocated to other fundraising and mission-related tasks.
Here’s an example of an email you might send:
Year-end email streams can either take place directly following a giving season donation (typically within 24 hours of the initial gift) or retroactively, as detailed above. Both are excellent ways to encourage matching gift participation among donors and drive additional revenue for your cause.
Regardless, you’ll want to provide the donor with as much employer-specific information as is available. This should include donation minimums and maximums, match ratios, submission deadlines, and direct links to their company’s online request forms. And your automation system can gather all of that data so that you don’t have to!
Webinar Replay: How Automation Frees Up Fundraising Time in December
We know that the end of the year is a crucial time for nonprofit fundraisers, and matching gifts are just another thing on your already full plate. But they don’t have to be! By automating the matching gift process from start to finish, your team can raise more without lifting a finger—allowing you to free up invaluable fundraising time within the giving season.
Interested in learning how you can do so? Check out this free, on-demand webinar replay to see how Double the Donation can help you…
Eliminate manual employment data research.
Simplify the employment data collection process.
Cut time spent researching matching gift companies.
Next Steps for Smart Year-End Fundraising and Increasing Matching Gifts
It’s not too late to launch matching gift strategies this year-end fundraising season. But it is time to get started now. After all, the longer you wait, the more potential matches you’re missing out on.
Prepare your team by incorporating these practices and investing in powerful and innovative matching gift tools. This allows you to maximize corporate donation-matching in the remainder of the year and into the new year, too.
Good luck, and happy holidays!
Looking for additional resources to continue growing your knowledge of all things matching gifts this year-end fundraising season? Check out these free guides to learn more:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DTD_Year-End-Fundraising-and-Matching-Gifts_Feature-1.png5501450Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-09-25 14:28:582024-10-01 20:02:11Year-End Fundraising and Matching Gifts: It’s Not Too Late!
According to recent payroll giving statistics, 59% of survey respondents have no familiarity with payroll giving initiatives. Fortunately, however, marketing payroll giving opportunities to your nonprofit supporters can significantly boost participation in the programs—and enhance your overall fundraising efforts.
After all, payroll giving programs allow donors to contribute a portion of their salary to your organization automatically, providing a steady stream of income with minimal effort. However, many potential donors remain unaware of this giving method or how easy it is to participate.
In this post, we’ll explore seven practical strategies to help you market payroll giving and make it a core component of your fundraising plan.
By implementing the right marketing strategies, you can educate your supporters, promote the convenience of payroll giving, and inspire long-term donor engagement.
Let’s begin!
1. Create a Payroll Giving page on your nonprofit website.
Starting off, you’re going to want to market payroll giving programs prominently throughout your nonprofit or school’s website. A dedicated payroll giving page on your nonprofit’s website is a powerful tool for educating potential donors about this giving option, serving as a centralized hub where supporters can easily learn about the benefits, process, and impact of payroll giving.
Start by explaining what payroll giving is, highlighting how it allows employees to contribute to your cause directly from their paycheck on a recurring basis. Ensure the page features clear instructions on how to enroll in payroll giving, too, such as through their employer’s CSR platform or by contacting their HR department.
You’ll also want to emphasize the convenience of payroll giving. Once donors sign up, they don’t have to worry about making regular donations manually. It’s a simple, consistent, and tax-efficient way to support the cause they care about.
2. Incorporate payroll giving in your email marketing.
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach your nonprofit’s supporters, and incorporating payroll giving into your email campaigns can significantly boost participation.
Start by crafting a compelling email that educates your audience on the advantages of payroll giving, emphasizing its ease, convenience, and long-term impact. Highlight the benefit of steady, recurring donations for your organization, personalizing the message to show supporters how their payroll donations can drive meaningful change in the community or cause they care about.
Include clear calls-to-action in the email, encouraging recipients to enroll in payroll giving through their employer. You can link directly to your nonprofit’s payroll giving webpage or provide detailed steps for contacting their HR department to inquire about the program. It’s also helpful to include examples of companies that offer payroll giving or suggestions for how donors can advocate for the program if their employer doesn’t currently provide it.
For the best results, we recommend regularly mentioning payroll giving in different types of email communications—such as newsletters, thank-you emails, or special campaign updates. This keeps the option top of mind for donors while reinforcing the importance of their continued support.
3. Promote payroll giving initiatives on social media.
Social media is a powerful channel for engaging with your nonprofit’s audience, and it can be a highly effective tool for promoting payroll giving programs, too.
Use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to share posts that explain what payroll giving is and how supporters can participate. Share success stories, testimonials, or case studies from current payroll donors to demonstrate the program’s real-world impact. Not to mention, visual content like infographics or short videos can be particularly effective in grabbing attention and communicating key messages.
Regularly include payroll giving in your content rotation, using relevant hashtags to increase visibility when appropriate. Remember: the goal is to ensure supporters are consistently reminded about this giving option and can easily find the information they need to get started.
4. Collect and leverage employment information in your outreach.
The more you know about your donors, the better you can engage them in workplace giving programs like payroll deductions and more. Specifically, having access to accurate and up-to-date employment data can go a long way.
But how can you collect this information? Start by incorporating questions about employment during the registration or donation process. Ask supporters to share the name of their employer, as well as whether they are aware of any workplace giving programs like payroll giving, matching gifts, or volunteer grants.
Once you’ve collected employment data, segment your donor list by company and customize your communications based on the giving opportunities available at those businesses. For example, if you know that a particular company offers payroll giving, you can send targeted emails to employees at that company, providing detailed instructions on how they can enroll in the program. If their company doesn’t currently offer payroll giving, encourage those donors to advocate for it within their workplace.
Top tip: If you lack quality employment information about your donors, consider utilizing a data enhancement service. This will allow you to fill in some gaps and provide the information you need to identify the best workplace giving programs in your network!
5. Consider donors already eligible for other workplace giving programs.
When it comes to workplace giving, most participating companies offer more than one way for employees to get involved. For example, statistics indicate that nearly two-thirds of companies report matching employee payroll contributions, and many of the top matching gift companies offer volunteer grants, too.
But what does that mean for your team?
Supporters who already participate in other workplace giving programs, such as matching gifts or volunteer grants, may be ideal candidates for payroll giving initiatives. To target this segment, begin by identifying donors who have previously submitted matching gift requests or applied for volunteer grants. These individuals already have a relationship with their company’s corporate social responsibility initiatives, which makes them a strong target audience for payroll giving.
In your outreach, emphasize the complementary nature of payroll giving to other workplace programs. You’ll want to acknowledge their previous participation in workplace giving programs and thank them for their ongoing support. Then, introduce payroll giving as a way to streamline their contributions and make an even greater difference. You can even highlight how their regular contributions through payroll giving can be further amplified through matching gift programs, doubling, or even tripling their impact.
6. Collaborate with corporate partners to highlight the opportunity.
Nowadays, more and more organizations are beginning to take an increasingly proactive approach to marketing payroll giving programs to their supporters. Still, many companies choose to promote the opportunity to their employees, too. And for that reason, collaborating with the businesses offering the programs can go a long way in heightening visibility and participation.
Start by reaching out to companies that already support your nonprofit through donations, sponsorships, or volunteer programs. Ask if they have a payroll giving program in place and discuss ways to promote the initiative to their employees. This could even involve co-branded marketing materials, such as email templates, flyers, or social media posts that both the company and your nonprofit can share with their audiences.
7. Offer exclusive incentives for payroll giving donors.
To encourage supporters to participate in payroll giving, consider offering exclusive incentives that reward their commitment to ongoing contributions. This can make the process more appealing and demonstrate your nonprofit’s appreciation for their support.
While it will likely vary based on the wants and needs of your particular audience, potential incentives may include…
Public recognition, such as listing names on a dedicated “payroll giving wall” on your website or donor newsletters. (Top tip: Public recognition can foster a sense of pride and community among payroll donors, motivating others to join, too!)
Access to exclusive events, such as virtual meet-and-greets with your organization’s leadership or tours of your facilities.
Branded merchandise, like T-shirts, tote bags, or water bottles, as a thank-you for committing to payroll giving.
Consider tying incentives to donation milestones, such as offering a special gift to donors who have contributed for a certain number of months or reached a specific donation amount. This not only encourages initial sign-ups but also helps retain donors over the long term.
Wrapping Up & Additional Resources
Effectively marketing payroll giving can transform the opportunity into a powerful, recurring revenue stream for your organization. By leveraging digital and other marketing tactics to educate supporters and partner with companies in your network, you can unlock the full potential of workplace giving and build stronger, more consistent donor relationships.
As you implement the seven strategies above, you’ll not only raise awareness of payroll giving but also encourage long-term contributions that help sustain your nonprofit’s mission. Don’t let the opportunity go to waste!
For more information about effectively marketing payroll and other employee giving opportunities, check out the following resources:
The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts. Discover the most effective strategies for promoting corporate matching gift programs to your nonprofit’s supporters. This comprehensive guide walks you through the key tactics to increase donor engagement, raise awareness of matching opportunities, and maximize the impact of employer-matched donations.
Marketing Corporate Volunteerism | A How-To Resource For Orgs. Corporate volunteerism is a powerful resource for nonprofits, but how do you encourage businesses and their employees to get involved with your organization? This guide provides actionable steps for creating compelling volunteer opportunities that align with employee interests and CSR goals.
Tracking Payroll Giving: A Nonprofit’s Step-by-Step Guide. Payroll giving can be a valuable and consistent source of funding, but tracking those donations is essential for success. This guide outlines the process nonprofits should follow to track payroll giving contributions efficiently, from registering with payroll platforms to monitoring and reporting on giving patterns.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/DTD_7-Strategies-for-Marketing-Payroll-Giving-to-Your-Supporters_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-09-19 14:56:442024-09-20 18:53:097 Strategies for Marketing Payroll Giving to Your Supporters
Payroll giving is a powerful tool for fundraising organizations, providing a steady and reliable stream of income through regular donations directly from supporters’ paychecks. As more companies implement payroll giving programs to support charitable causes, nonprofits like yours must understand how effectively managing and tracking payroll giving can make an impact.
Why? Properly monitoring payroll donations ensures accurate financial reporting, strengthens donor relationships, and maximizes the overall impact of this funding source.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to track payroll giving for your cause. This includes:
From setting up the necessary infrastructure to reconciling your financial records and beyond, we’ll cover everything you need to know to stay on top of your payroll giving program and enhance its long-term success. Let’s dive in!
1. Register for companies’ payroll giving platforms.
The first step in effectively tracking payroll giving is for your nonprofit to register with the companies or platforms that offer payroll giving programs. Many corporations partner with specific third-party platforms, such as CSR software, to manage their payroll giving initiatives. By registering on these platforms, your organization becomes eligible to receive donations directly from employees’ paychecks, making it easier to capture funds and track giving trends.
The registration process itself typically involves providing key organizational information, including your nonprofit’s EIN (Employer Identification Number), mission statement, and financial documentation. You may also be asked to complete a verification process to confirm your nonprofit’s status as a registered 501(c)(3) organization.
Then, once approved, your organization can be listed on the company’s payroll giving platform, enabling employees to select your nonprofit as a beneficiary of their payroll contributions. Just keep in mind that the better you maintain your profile, the more accessible your organization will be to potential donors within participating companies.
Top tip: While there’s a ton of CSR software out there, we recommend prioritizing CLMA-designated solutions first. These platforms demonstrate an ongoing commitment to streamlining the employee giving process, and even offer a seamless matching gift experience for donors who qualify for donation-matching!
2. Determine specific payroll giving metrics and objectives.
Before tracking payroll giving, your nonprofit must first establish clear metrics and objectives that you wish to capture. By determining what success looks like, you can collect and analyze the right data to optimize your approach. These metrics will help guide your analysis, identify trends, and allow you to make necessary improvements to maximize your payroll giving revenue.
To start, we recommend identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your organization’s goals. Some important payroll giving metrics you might consider include:
Number of payroll donors: How many employees are participating in payroll giving?
Average donation size: How much are donors contributing through payroll deductions?
Total amount raised: What is the overall financial impact of your payroll giving program?
Donor retention rates: How many payroll donors continue their contributions over time?
Donor growth rate: Are you attracting new donors through payroll giving programs?
Employer match rates: How often are donations being matched by the participating companies?
In addition to financial metrics, consider tracking engagement and awareness-building efforts. For instance, you may want to monitor how many companies your organization has registered with, how frequently your nonprofit is being promoted on payroll platforms, and the extent to which employees are aware of your participation.
Defining these objectives will not only help you track progress but also assist in creating a strategy to optimize payroll giving. Clear metrics allow you to compare your results over time, analyze what’s working, and adjust your approach accordingly. Ultimately, having well-established goals will help your nonprofit make data-driven decisions and achieve sustained growth in your payroll giving efforts.
3. Establish a system for recording payroll donations.
Once your organization is listed on payroll giving platforms and you’ve determined the KPIs you wish to track, the next step is to establish a reliable system for recording payroll donations. Remember: effective tracking requires organized and accurate documentation of each gift, making it crucial to develop a robust method for capturing payroll donation data.
Start by integrating your nonprofit’s CRM (or Constituent Relationship Management) system with payroll platforms or donation management tools. Many CRM systems even offer specialized features for recording recurring donations like payroll contributions. Ensure that your CRM is set up to automatically track the donation details, including the donor’s name, donation amount, frequency, and employer.
Additionally, your system should be capable of categorizing payroll donations separately from other types of contributions, such as individual one-time gifts or grants. This allows your team to monitor and report on payroll giving specifically, ensuring better accuracy in your overall financial reporting.
Create standardized procedures for entering payroll donation data, especially if the process requires manual entry. This should include guidelines for inputting donor information, donation amounts, and transaction dates, as well as how to handle any errors or discrepancies in reporting.
Maintaining organized and updated records will help you avoid common pitfalls like double-counting donations, losing track of donors, or failing to reconcile your financial reports properly. A well-structured system ensures that your organization can track, analyze, and optimize payroll giving effectively, resulting in better decision-making and streamlined reporting.
4. Monitor regular contributions.
Once you have an efficient system in place to record payroll donations, the next step is to monitor these contributions regularly. Since payroll donations are often recurring, tracking and reviewing them on an ongoing basis is essential for managing your nonprofit’s cash flow and donation trends.
It’s important to set a schedule for checking donation activity, whether that’s weekly, biweekly, or monthly. Regular monitoring allows your nonprofit to quickly identify fluctuations in giving patterns, such as increases during key fundraising periods or decreases during off-seasons. It also helps ensure that donations are consistently received from payroll platforms and that there are no delays in disbursement.
During these reviews, verify that the correct donation amounts are being recorded and ensure that no payments have been missed. Monitoring should also include keeping an eye on matching gift contributions if companies offer them alongside payroll giving. These matching donations can significantly boost the overall funds received, making it crucial to track and follow up on any outstanding matches.
In addition, consider setting up automated alerts or reports to notify your team of key changes in payroll donations, such as when a new donor begins contributing or an existing donor alters their contribution amount. Having this information readily available will allow you to respond proactively, whether by thanking new donors, reaching out to those who adjusted their contributions, or following up on any discrepancies in donation amounts.
5. Reconcile payroll donations with financial records.
To maintain transparency and accuracy in your nonprofit’s finances, it’s crucial to regularly reconcile payroll donations with your broader financial records. Reconciliation involves comparing your internal records of payroll donations with the financial data provided by payroll platforms or corporate partners to ensure everything matches and there are no discrepancies to consider.
This process typically starts by reviewing your financial reports, which should list all donations received during a specific period. From there, compare these records with the reports generated by payroll giving platforms or the companies facilitating the donations. Look for any discrepancies between the two sets of data, such as missed donations, incorrect amounts, or unmatched transactions.
Be sure to track donation timing as well. Payroll donations are often disbursed on a different schedule from one-time gifts, meaning you may need to account for delays in receiving funds or differences between when donations are pledged and when they appear in your account.
Once you’ve identified any inconsistencies, work with your finance team and the payroll platform to address and correct any issues. This might involve contacting the donor’s employer or the payroll platform to verify missing contributions or to reconcile donation amounts.
All in all, accurate reconciliation is key to ensuring that your nonprofit’s financial health remains intact. Not to mention, donors can trust that their contributions are being properly recorded and used as intended.
6. Report on KPIs and other giving patterns.
The final step in tracking payroll giving is to report on the key performance indicators (KPIs) and analyze the giving patterns. Once you’ve gathered sufficient data, use it to create reports that offer insights into how well your payroll giving program is performing. This not only helps your internal team assess progress but also demonstrates accountability to your board, stakeholders, and donors.
When preparing your reports, consider including metrics such as:
Total payroll donations received over a specific period
Number of active payroll donors
Average contribution size
Growth in payroll giving participation
Comparison of payroll donations versus other giving channels
Employer match contributions and their impact
These reports can highlight trends in donor behavior and reveal patterns in employee giving, such as increased donations during specific months or after targeted marketing campaigns. Additionally, breaking down contributions by employer can help identify which companies are driving the most payroll giving and where more efforts might be needed to engage new partners.
Beyond financial reports, it’s valuable to analyze donor retention and engagement rates. Are employees continuing their payroll contributions year over year, or do they tend to drop off after a few months? Understanding this will help you tailor your outreach and stewardship efforts.
Regular reporting allows your nonprofit to fine-tune its approach to payroll giving, identify opportunities for growth, and ensure your program’s long-term success.
Final thoughts & additional resources
Tracking payroll giving donations is essential for ensuring your nonprofit fully benefits from this invaluable funding source. Follow the steps outlined in this guide to equip your team to manage payroll donations efficiently, maintain accurate records, and nurture strong relationships with your supporters.
As payroll giving continues to grow in popularity, nonprofits that implement effective tracking strategies better position themselves to capitalize on this consistent source of revenue and ultimately drive greater impact for their missions. Good luck!
For more information on payroll and other workplace giving strategies, check out the following recommended resources:
