Use this presentation to lead your team through a conversation about how to market matching gifts to your donors. These slides are easily edited to include your organization’s specific matching gift numbers, which can provide a great launch point for creating a matching gift marketing strategy!
Use this presentation to lead your team through a conversation about increasing your matching gift revenue. These slides are easily edited to include your organization’s specific matching gift numbers, which can provide a great launch point for building an even better matching gift program!
Double the Donation’s 10 Quick Steps to Matching Gift Success is a streamlined resource designed to help nonprofits and other fundraising organizations quickly identify and implement strategies to maximize their matching gift potential.
This checklist provides a clear, step-by-step approach for effectively incorporating corporate matching gifts into an organization’s fundraising efforts, helping to boost donations without a complicated or lengthy process.
This resource is designed to provide straightforward, easy-to-follow steps for implementing a successful matching gift strategy, making it perfect for organizations looking for quick, practical solutions.
By following the concise steps in the guide, nonprofits can enhance their matching gift efforts with minimal time and resources, ensuring they capitalize on every match-eligible donation.
Uncover clear techniques for identifying and engaging match-eligible donors, helping your team to improve donor relations and maximize giving without adding complexity to the process.
Matching gifts are a fundraising goldmine for nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, yet many organizations are unsure of how to make the most of the most popular type of corporate philanthropy. Many companies and corporations offer these matching gift programs, and the process is actually quite simple.
First, the donor makes a contribution. Then they submit a matching gift request to their employer, who confirms that the donation was made as reported. Finally, the company sends a matching donation to the organization or institution that their employee donated to.
Many companies outsource their matching gift programs to a third party vendor, or portal, that manages the matching gift program for them. This includes both the verification of the initial donations and the disbursement process for the companies’ matching donations.
Some of the major portal vendors include Benevity, YourCause, Cybergrants, and EasyMatch. Managing these portals can be a difficult part of the matching gift process, so we’ve put together the eight best practices for streamlining this process to make it easier on your staff.
Oftentimes, your organization will be required to verify a donation in order to receive the matching gift, so you may need to log in to an online portal. This can get tedious when the number of donations awaiting verification grows and grows. Plus, your organization can accumulate access to multiple different portals and accounts.
Having one set of login credentials for your matching gift process will make logging into multiple portals so much easier. These login credentials can be shared amongst your organization. We recommend making your matching gift email address something simple, like matchinggifts@yourorganization.org.
Consolidating your login information will streamline the portal process in a few ways:
Now that you’ve streamlined your portal login information, you’ll still need to find a way to organize the different portal URLs held by your organization. For example, Cybergrants (a matching gift portal) may send you a URL for every company that a match has been requested from. Meanwhile, YourCause (another portal) may send a different URL for each donation that needs to be verified.
In order to keep these links organized, compile them into a master list including:
You may also consider dividing your list into relevant categories. For example, sort the portals by match deadline from the shortest to the longest. You could also sort the portals by the amount of claims they’ve typically had in the past so that you know which portals take more time to check.
Once you’ve created a master list of your portal URLs, it’s important to keep your list as current as possible.
If you don’t have the capacity to assign all matching gift portals to one full-time staff member, consider dividing your portals among staff members. Assign each portal to a specific staff member who will own the management of that particular portal. Doing this will help your staff divide and conquer so that nothing falls through the cracks.
Now that you have streamlined your login information and created an organized process for delegating and tracking your portals, you can determine a more detailed strategy for checking your portals. It’s not uncommon for organizations to lose sight of their portals and allow donations to sit dormant waiting to be verified.
Do you have a portal that you haven’t logged into for a while? Do you have more than one? Some portals may be less active and will only need to be checked when you receive a verification request. However, others may be full of requests and need to be checked every other week.
Determine how often you will need to check each portal and track the frequency on your master list. This ensures that the staff member assigned to each portal knows exactly how often to check it. Once you’ve put this strategy in place, stick to it so that no portal (or donations) will be forgotten about again!
Tracking your matching gifts helps you to develop a better understanding of how much you’re raising specifically in matching gift revenue, which companies are donating the most in matches, and which companies may need follow-up if their matching dollars haven’t come in.
Chances are, you’ve already got a system of reconciliation in place, but may be forgetting to track matching gifts. You may choose to record them as “pledges” or “promised” under the donor’s record or as unconfirmed donations under the company’s record. However you choose to record them in your CRM or database, find a system that makes sense for your organization and track those matching dollars.
After you’ve mastered your system of tracking your matching gifts, the next step is to determine a strategy to close the loop with your donors. Acknowledge your donors, not just for their donations, but also for their time and efforts to get their donations matched. You can send them a letter once a year for all the matches they’ve requested or send a quick email each time their matching gift comes through.
Thanking your donors for their matching gifts encourages them to make sending a matching gift request a part of their donation process every time. This also removes any doubt that their company’s matching dollars were received. Plus, this gives you a chance to highlight the impact that their matching donations have had on your organization.
One of the best ways to enhance your overall matching gift strategy is to make sure that all staff at your organization, not just those involved in development and fundraising, know what matching gifts are and how your organization can get them. Educate all of your staff on the simple workflow of matching gifts.
Further, educate your staff on the verification process and the different portals that companies use for their matching gift programs. When your staff understands the process, they will recognize a matching gift verification request when it comes in and will feel confident about how to handle it.
Each of the portal vendors are different, and they each service thousands of companies who have varying matching gift programs. If you’re not finding the details you need, have questions, or have feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out directly to the portal for help! The best way to have your specific needs met is to work with their support team.
Conclusion: One of the most effective ways to make sure that your organization is making the most of matching gifts is by mastering your matching gift portals. It can be a bit daunting to untangle your existing portal information, but once you do, it’s so worth it! Now you can sit back and watch the matching gift revenue roll in.
Double the Donation’s Ultimate Guide to Matching Gifts is designed to be your go-to resource for understanding, leveraging, and maximizing corporate matching gift opportunities for your organization. Matching gifts, often overlooked, supply an incredible source of funding for nonprofits—offered by companies to financially reward the causes their employees care about. However, many teams aren’t fully aware of how these programs work or how to tap into them effectively.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about matching gifts, from understanding the basics and eligibility requirements to actionable tips on how to increase participation and track results. We provide examples of companies offering generous matching gift programs, best practices for educating and engaging donors, and strategies for fostering relationships with corporate partners.
Whether you’re new to the concept of matching gifts or looking to refine your existing approach, this resource offers detailed insights to help you unlock additional funding and deepen your engagement with both individual and corporate supporters.
Access actionable strategies to significantly boost donation revenue by leveraging corporate matching gift programs. By understanding how to tap into this often underutilized resource, nonprofits can unlock additional funding.
Uncover clear steps for optimizing the management of matching gifts, from identifying eligible donors to simplifying the follow-up process. This helps organizations save time and effort while ensuring they don’t miss out on match-eligible contributions.
Donors are more likely to give if they know about matching gifts. Unleash best practices for educating and motivating donors to participate in matching gift programs, strengthening donor relationships and increasing engagement with your cause.
Use this guide to get up to speed on all there is to know about corporate philanthropy! In this downloadable eBook, we will:
Click the image below to download The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Philanthropy!
Double the Donation’s Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants is designed to be your go-to resource for understanding, leveraging, and maximizing corporate volunteer grant opportunities for your nonprofit. Volunteer grants, often overlooked, are an incredible source of funding for organizations—offered by companies to financially reward nonprofits for their employees’ volunteer hours. However, many nonprofits aren’t fully aware of how these programs work, or how to tap into them effectively.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about volunteer grants, from understanding the basics and eligibility requirements to actionable tips on how to increase participation and track volunteer hours. We’ll provide examples of companies offering generous volunteer grant programs, best practices for educating and engaging volunteers, and strategies for fostering relationships with corporate partners.
Whether you’re new to the concept of volunteer grants or looking to refine your existing approach, this resource offers detailed insights to help you unlock additional funding and deepen your engagement with both volunteers and corporate supporters.
Our guide breaks down the steps to implement successful volunteer grant campaigns, helping you engage both volunteers and their employers effectively.
See how volunteer hours can transform into tangible financial support, motivating volunteers to contribute more time and effort to your cause.
Learn how to tap into corporate volunteer grant programs that can increase your nonprofit’s revenue without needing additional donations.
Discover how to strengthen relationships with corporate partners by utilizing volunteer grants, which can lead to long-term support and sponsorships.
Use these articles on your website and in newsletters to inform your donors about matching gifts and volunteer grants. This download includes three articles:
Planning a major fundraiser is exciting, and the potential payout can provide the funding to launch your nonprofit’s mission forward by leaps and bounds. But is your nonprofit ready to run such a large-scale fundraising campaign? To find out, conduct a feasibility study.
As the name implies, this study essentially determines whether your fundraiser is feasible, making sure your nonprofit is equipped to launch a successful fundraising campaign. These studies not only inform you whether your campaign is viable but also help nonprofits cultivate a fundraising strategy based on direct feedback from key stakeholders.
Due to the important role these studies play in nonprofit management, we’ve provided a list of seven steps that will help your organization conduct a successful fundraising feasibility study:
But before jumping straight in, let’s do a bit of preparation of our own and review a few feasibility study basics.
A fundraising feasibility study is a tool nonprofits use to determine whether a fundraising campaign is viable. Most often, feasibility studies are enacted in preparation for large public initiatives like capital campaigns.
The study itself involves interviewing key stakeholders to determine their perceptions of a nonprofit’s reputation, the need for a proposed project, and the level of support they would be willing to offer. These stakeholders vary depending on the nonprofit’s connections and proposed project the major campaign is meant to fund but often include:
Through these interviews, the feasibility study essentially determines if the nonprofit’s proposed fundraiser is likely to find success and will ultimately be a worthwhile endeavor for the nonprofit and its beneficiaries.
Feasibility studies are useful tools, but there is no need to conduct one prior to every fundraiser. While it’s upsetting when a routine fundraiser falls short of its goal, most nonprofits can ultimately move past the disappointment and pledge to donors and beneficiaries alike to do better in the future with little fallout.
However, sometimes nonprofits need much more funding than normal, often to launch new initiatives, construct new buildings, or significantly expand operations. In these situations, it makes sense to call for a capital campaign.
In contrast to small fundraisers, these large fundraising endeavors failing poses distinct risks. The possibility of failure for a major campaign wouldn’t just be detrimental to a nonprofit’s mission, but a public affair that could undermine the organization’s legitimacy to donors.
For instance, let’s say a nonprofit only manages to collect half of its target from major donors by the campaign’s deadline. At that point, what action should the nonprofit take? Attempt to fulfill the project despite lacking startup funds? Return the gifts to the donors? Extend the deadline and try to find new fundraising sources? All of these options are less than ideal and can harm a nonprofit’s relationships with its donors and beneficiaries.
Nonprofits will need to look internally for part of the feasibility study, but ultimately, these studies should be conducted by a trained third-party representative. For your feasibility study, hire an experienced capital campaign consultant. This consultant can provide an objective perspective on your nonprofit’s current fundraising capabilities, ensuring you receive an honest answer as to whether your proposed campaign is possible.
After the feasibility study is conducted, your capital campaign consultant can help you in one of two ways:
We’ll explore how to find the right consulting service for your nonprofit later on. But for now, let’s hit the ground running and jump into the first step of your fundraising feasibility study.
Before you can determine whether a project is feasible, you need to know exactly what hope to achieve. The more specific you can be about what your fundraising campaign will achieve for your organization and mission, the better.
The amount of work you’ll need to put into this step depends on the nature of your fundraising campaign.
For example, let’s say you’re looking to grow your endowment or earn major gifts on your nonprofit’s anniversary. In this case, you simply need to determine whether financial stakeholders are supportive and how best to market your campaign to them. As such, your goals can simply be a target fundraising amount or a percentage of donor engagement.
In contrast, if you’re planning a capital campaign, you need an in-depth understanding of the associated costs and logistical details for completing the project. These specifics allow you to set an accurate fundraising goal and better explain your case for support to donors.
Let’s take a look at an example of how to outline your capital campaign’s purpose:
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Nonprofits should follow this example and perform the needed legwork to outline the details of the project their major fundraiser will support before the feasibility study is conducted.
In this example, the nonprofit would likely consult with construction firms or contractors to determine how exactly the kitchen areas would be expanded, as well as the costs and challenges that the project would entail. These initial details are helpful for informing the following feasibility study, which would determine the best course of action for raising funds to make this project happen.
A truly successful feasibility study will do more than determine your fundraising goal. While these studies can and should be used to outline your campaign’s logistics, they are also a support cultivation and planning tool.
Think of it this way: a feasibility study is a formalized opportunity to ask donors and key community leaders for their thoughts and opinions on your nonprofit and cause. By asking them for their reactions and feedback to your proposed campaign, your nonprofit showcases how much you value these leaders, increasing the odds they will support you during your fundraiser.
Nonprofits who use feasibility studies strategically can reap huge rewards, regardless of the results of the study. For example, a fundraising feasibility study can actively help you:
These benefits can help you build sustainable relationships and stronger messaging, not just for the campaign in question but for your nonprofit as a whole.
A feasibility study involves interviewing key stakeholders and asking questions to gauge their perception of both your nonprofit and your proposed fundraising campaign.
As mentioned, nonprofits should seek fundraising counsel in the form of a fundraising consultant or consulting firm. These experts can help you approach your feasibility study strategically to get the information you need and set up a framework that will strengthen your campaign.
Since hiring outside assistance is another expense, you may be wondering whether a feasibility study can be conducted in-house. While nonprofits can oversee their own feasibility studies, there are a few reasons why they should seriously consider opting for third-party assistance:
A fundraising consultant can assist you with nearly every aspect of the study, from conducting interviews to using the results to develop campaign strategies.
However, while you should hire an external consultant, your team can and should still be part of the process.
Capital Campaign Toolkit’s campaign experts have created a Guided Feasibility Study that campaign directors can use to improve their donor relationship-building skills. Specifically, campaign directors can work with one of the Toolkit’s expert advisors to:
The Capital Campaign Toolkit empowers these leaders to build relationships before the campaign begins, encourage early donor engagement, and even secure early gift commitments.
Once you know the details of your project, you need to communicate them to donors in a cohesive, brief, and persuasive manner. A case statement, or a case for support, takes a nonprofit’s goals and outlines them clearly for stakeholders.
Often, your capital campaign leadership and marketing staff will develop your case statement. This document should generally be created soon after you set your campaign goals as it directly affects the rest of your planning.
To convey your goals, your case statement contextualizes your proposed campaign within your organization’s larger purpose and vision. Essentially, it explains why your campaign advances your mission, is necessary for your work, and needs to be conducted at this time.
Specifically, a case statement should include:
Send your case for support to interviewees prior to your meetings with them so that they can review the information thoroughly in advance. Then, when you sit down to interview them, they’ll be ready to provide feedback and ask questions about your project.
Keep in mind that a case for support can (and should) be refined based on the feedback that you receive during the feasibility study. That way, your case for support is as strong as possible when it’s time to release it to the public.
Feasibility studies largely revolve around the interviewees’ feedback, questions, and concerns. Ensure these interviews are core stakeholders whose opinions have a meaningful impact on your nonprofit.
When considering candidates to interview, think about people who’ve actively contributed to your campaigns. These candidates should “walk the walk.” Avoid individuals who are spread too thin or who tend to gravitate toward any and all community campaigns.
To put it simply, candidates should have a strong, genuine connection to your cause and organization. You also want a good mix of candidates who can provide insight into various aspects of your proposed project and fundraising campaign.
Specifically, you should consider these key types of individuals:
Along with having the necessary insight into your nonprofit to provide useful advice, these candidates are also highly likely to contribute to your campaign once it’s launched. The feasibility study is the perfect time to start cultivating corporate giving opportunities such as challenge grants, as well as major gifts from individual donors.
When you receive the results of your fundraising feasibility study, there are three likely outcomes:
It’s much better to refrain from conducting a campaign than to conduct one that fails. An unsuccessful fundraiser can bring negative publicity to your organization, undermining your legitimacy to donors.
No matter the outcome, the next step is to share the results with your board. Be fully transparent about the study to ensure your board members have a thorough understanding of the results.
You can also share your findings with other stakeholders if you deem it necessary, though you’re only obligated to do so with your board. For example, a major donor who was excited about your campaign may need to know if the initiative doesn’t launch, or they may be thrilled to learn that you’re moving forward.
Now that your fundraising feasibility study is complete and your team has assessed the results, you’re ready to start implementing smart strategies to make your next campaign your best one yet.
As discussed, there are two major paths you will take depending on whether your study determined if your organization is able to launch your fundraiser at this time.
If your study finds that it’s not the right time to move forward with your campaign, your consultant may suggest:
If the study shows that a few strategic areas need to be addressed before the campaign kicks off, your consultant can also help your team identify how to implement these adjustments. For example, these strategic shifts might include:
Remember, your nonprofit consultant can offer your organization unique insight into how to prepare for the campaign you envision, even if that means heading back to the drawing board.
Now that you know how to conduct a successful fundraising feasibility study, you’re ready to tackle this beginning stage in your next campaign!
Major fundraising initiatives like capital campaigns can give your nonprofit the boost it needs to propel its mission forward by leaps and bounds. However, before getting wrapped up in the excitement of future fundraising, feasibility studies make sure your organization is ready to accomplish your goals.
One way to shore up fundraising support and keep your organization financially healthy is through corporate giving. From sponsoring your campaigns to providing support throughout the year through matching gifts, philanthropy is an untapped source of revenue that helps many nonprofits better position themselves for future fundraising.
To discover more about corporate philanthropy, check out these resources:
It’s 4 o’clock. You run to the vending machine with a dollar and some change in your hand. All you’re hoping for is that little afternoon pick-me-up: a shiny, red bag of Skittles.
But when you press A7, the gears turn a little too far, and (gasp) you’ve got two bags of Skittles. You only paid for one. It’s your lucky day!
This is exactly how matching gifts work. Your nonprofit gets twice as much instantaneously.
You’re asking yourself: “How do I use text-to-give to get twice as many donations?”
In this article, we’ll explore the following strategies for making matching gifts a part of your nonprofit’s mobile fundraising campaign:
Above all else, your nonprofit should keep in mind the basic principles of asking for donations of any kind. Chief among those is remembering that people give most often with their hearts.
When incorporating matching gifts into your text-to-give campaign, it’s important to remind your donors of the compassionate reasons they’re giving in the first place.
How you do this is entirely up to you, but it’s good to note that most people enjoy genuine, from-the-heart approaches.
A personalized letter works better than a generic email.
A personalized email works better than a standardized template.
When you’re asking people to take the time to fill out the necessary paperwork to get their employers to double their donations, you want to make sure you’re being as intentional as possible.
Not only should you tap into your donors’ sense of compassion, you should also make your plans clear.
Churches are extremely successful with the way they use text-to-give. This has, in part, to do with the fact that churches make their intentions known.
If you take a cue from the pew, your nonprofit can let donors know about your text-to-give campaign and matching gifts component by:
Takeaway: If you make your plans known, keep your approaches focused on individuals, and keep in mind that people give with their hearts over their heads, you’re well on your way to raising twice as much in no time.
Check out more church fundraising ideas.
When you launch a mobile giving or text-to-give campaign, you’re hoping to reach:
With that in mind, the way you spread the word about your text-to-give campaign with regards to matching gifts needs to translate well across all mobile platforms.
What does that mean?
Basically, it means:
All on a tiny screen.
This is all a part of an effective strategy for asking for donations.
It may seem intimidating, but it’s really quite simple if you have the right mobile fundraising platform.
For an example of what a succinct Facebook mobile donation plea looks like, check out this post:
As you can see, they’ve used a picture that appeals to donors’ hearts; they haven’t used too many words, and they give the donor all of the important information they need to donate.
Takeaway: Making your mobile asks short and sweet is the most effective way to reach more donors on the move.
On top of keeping track of how frequently you’re reminding your donors of your fundraising campaign, you also need to be aware of the words you’re using.
Action words incite action.
Some price examples of action words:
The more specific and actionable your words are, the more likely your donors are to donate to your text-to-give campaign and seek out matching gifts.
In addition to picking the right words for your campaign, it’s also useful and important to choose the perfect picture to accompany those words.
Pictures really are worth 1,000 words, and best of all, they spark an emotional response like nothing else.
When you’re marketing matching gifts during your text-to-give campaign, be sure to take advantage of the fact that donors are far more likely to take action if there’s a compelling picture attached to the message.
Takeaway: Action words and compelling pictures propel your efforts beyond belief. So choose each one carefully.
The fewer clicks, the better.
The best way to help people learn more about matching gifts through your text-to-give campaign is to make it as easy as possible.
There are about a hundred accessible ways to explain matching gifts in a very mobile-friendly way. Feel free to use the vending machine example!
If that metaphor doesn’t work for your organization, there’s also:
As long as your donors have a good visual comparison for what’s being marketed to them, they’re going to be more willing to listen.
Text-to-give is already so simple. Matching gifts can be, too!
All you have to do is provide only the most pertinent information about matching gifts with your mobile giving information.
Takeaway: Making the concept of matching gifts super simple makes it far more likely that your donors will look into your mobile matching gift program.
Now that you have all of these tips in mind, you’re ready to hit the ground running and get twice as far in no time at all!
Wauker Matthews is Director of Sales at @pay, an exciting new fundraising technology that makes it easy for people to give in just a few clicks from text, email, web and social media. Wauker has been in brand & business development for over 8 years, helping organizations grow in both size and reach.
