One-Off Matching Gift Programs | What to Know For Your Org

One-Off Matching Gift Programs | What to Know For Your Org

Tons of companies (from Fortune 500 enterprises to the local law firm down the street) offer generous employee gift-matching programs. When such a program is available, the business essentially agrees to match donations made by its staff to a wide range of charitable causes. These opportunities are great⁠—and relatively well-known in the nonprofit space. However, there’s another type of corporate matching program that’s less widely understood, and that is one-off matching gift programs.

One-off (or custom) matching gift programs generally involve specific partnerships between one corporation and one nonprofit organization. And the results can be grand!

If you’re interested in making the most of corporate matching opportunities for your mission, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know as you begin crafting a plan to source and leverage one-off matching initiatives. This includes:

Ready to dive in? One-off matching gifts have the potential to bring your organization’s corporate fundraising to the next level. You just need a plan that outlines how your team can do so. And for that, let’s start with the basics.

The basics of one-off matching gift programs

One-off matching gift programs are those that are unique to a single organization. In this case, it’s yours! In the matching gift sector, you may hear this type of partnership described in a few ways—including custom, one-off, exclusive, or even unique matching gift programs.

Regardless of the term used, the bottom line is the same: a company works with an organization to facilitate a matching gift program with narrower criteria than a standard match program would have.

Specifically, donations to your nonprofit are the only ones being matched.

One-off matching gifts infographic - concept illustration

You might wonder why a company would offer this particular type of donation-matching initiative.

Picture this: let’s say you run an organization dedicated to breast cancer research and treatment services. Now, imagine a corporate CEO has a soft spot for missions like yours. They come to your nonprofit team with a proposal: They’d like to match employee donations to your organization throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

While the company may not typically have the bandwidth to match all team member donations, a one-off matching gift program can serve as an excellent jumping-off point for corporate philanthropy. Alternatively, a business might offer a traditional matching gift initiative with a 1:1 ratio year-round⁠. During particular times (or to particular causes), however, the employer might elevate its program by offering a temporary 2, 3, or even 4:1 match through a one-off program.

Check out the clip below to get a two-minute overview of one-off matching gifts.

Interested in a more in-depth examination of the programs? Register to get the webinar replay here!

Double the Donation’s one-off match program functionality [with auto-submission]

If you’ve made an effort to elevate corporate fundraising at your organization, you’ve likely invested in a matching gift automation software like Double the Donation. This tool makes it quick and easy for you and your donors to locate information regarding thousands of matching gift companies.

If a company doesn’t offer a widely available matching gift program, though, they likely won’t show up in a search of the database tool. And that confusion can cause a disruption in the number of matching gift requests actually submitted—and secured—for your cause.

When you’ve organized a one-off matching gift program with a corporate partner, you want your donors to seamlessly locate the information they need to initiate the match process.

Luckily, Double the Donation has the solution: we’re offering built-in functionality for managing unique matching gift programs in 360MatchPro. That means you can add matching gift programs specific to your cause to your matching gift search tool⁠—without it populating in other organizations’ databases as well. This way, donors can access the policy and forms they need to complete their matching gift requests on your nonprofit’s behalf.

Double the Donation's one-off matching gift program search functionality

While this functionality has previously been available exclusively for 360MatchPro Enterprise clients, we’re excited to announce that all 360MatchPro Standard accounts now have access to our unique program management tools!

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

Adding a One-Off Program in 360MatchPro

Already have a corporate partner offering a one-off matching gift program for your organization? To add your unique campaign to your nonprofit’s matching gift database, log into your 360MatchPro portal and fill out a brief form regarding the offered program. (This can be located under the settings tab → Manage Programs.)

Custom or one-off matching gift backend management

To save the program in your database, you’ll be asked for a few key details regarding the agreed-upon guidelines and parameters. This includes:

  • Company name
  • Point of contact information (e.g., the workplace giving coordinator or HR department), email address, and phone number
  • Types of eligible employees (full-time, part-time, retired team members, and/or spouses)
  • Minimum and maximum donations matched
  • Matching gift ratio
  • Submission form URL or PDF upload (and an overview of the request process)
  • Program start and end dates

One-off matching gift criteria form

From there, the custom matching gift initiative will begin populating within eligible donors’ queries! All they need to do is begin typing their employer’s name in your organization’s search tool and select the company from the populating options. Once they’re redirected to your confirmation screen (or afterward in an email), donors should find the easy-to-access program details and instructions as usual.

Enabling Auto-Submission for Your One-Off Program

In the same form, your team will also be asked whether you’d like to enable optional auto-submission functionality for the one-off matching gift program. This essentially enables Double the Donation to pre-fill a request form on the donor’s behalf, thus streamlining their experience and enhancing participation and engagement rates.

Enabling auto-submission for a one-off corporate matching gift program

In order to see the best results from auto-submission forms, be sure to also fill out your comprehensive Organization Profile within 360MatchPro. (This can be located under the settings tab → Organization Profile.)

This resource should include vital and up-to-date information about your nonprofit that will ultimately be used for your matching gift company to review and approve requests. When qualifying donors initiate the auto-submission process from your giving page, Double the Donation has the necessary details to complete the request behind the scenes, thus automating and streamlining donors’ efforts.

The details in your nonprofit’s profile should include:

  • Your organization’s name
  • Phone number
  • Tax ID number (EIN)
  • Website URL
  • Full mailing address
  • Form W-9
  • 501(c)(3) IRS affirmation letter

In the end, proactively sharing this information increases the likelihood that matches are completed without a hitch⁠. As a result, you can expect more matching gift funds flowing into your cause in a timely manner.

(Hint: Your Organization Profile helps streamline auto-submission for other companies’ general matching gift programs as well!)

Locating a one-off corporate matching gift partner

One-off or unique matching gift programs are, by definition, developed on an ad hoc basis. Luckily, that opens up a world of possibilities⁠—because just about any company could offer such an initiative.

As you begin seeking the right partner for your one-off matching gift program, we recommend taking a similar approach to the pursuit of a traditional corporate sponsorship. Following these steps can help organize your efforts and make the most of every avenue of support available to you!

Identifying companies your donors work for that don’t have existing matching gift programs.

Reach out to non-participating employers and share that you have a lot in common with them and their key stakeholders (your donors and their employees) already. Then, let your point of contact know you’d like to launch a one-off donation-matching initiative. Point out that it can be a great way to get into matching gifts for the first time, and be sure to share that your organization has helpful tools and resources for streamlining the facilitation of such a program.

Top tip: If your team uses 360MatchPro, the “Leading Companies” feature allows you to isolate the employers most often searched by donors in your database tool. It even flags top companies according to whether they have an existing match program or not!

Identify one-off matching gift prospects with Double the Donation's top companies feature

Encouraging donors to advocate for a one-off matching program on your behalf.

Your donors can be some of your greatest assets. If they work for companies without existing programs, see if your supporters would be willing to pitch the idea to their employer on your behalf. When you provide a handy template supporters can use to propose a program (such as one included below), they’ll be increasingly likely to take such steps. And a company is going to be more open to considering the opportunity when the proposal is coming from a member of their own team.

Top tip: We recommend implementing 360MatchPro’s custom redirect functionality to inform ineligible donors about the ways they can get involved regardless. When a donor is marked as likely ineligible for a matching gift, send them to a page on your website that shares a myriad of opportunities for increased support: including championing a one-off matching gift program to their employer!

Encourage ineligible donors to advocate for a one-off matching gift program

Suggesting unique opportunities for amplifying existing matching gift programs.

One-off matching gift programs are sometimes built off of companies’ existing match initiatives, too! That means you might not be starting from ground zero when it comes to communicating the matching gift opportunity and how a company can get involved.

Instead, there may be a business that contributes a number of matching gifts to your organization already. But in the company’s giving, you see an opportunity for growth or additional, untapped potential. In this case, you might consider proposing the idea of an “above and beyond” matching gift opportunity to set your prospective one-off program apart.

Here are a few examples of ways a company can scale up its matching gift program for your organization:

  • Increased matching gift ratios (e.g., a company usually matches gifts at a 1:1 ratio but raises the rate to 2:1 for a cancer research organization during Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
  • Decreased donation minimums (for example, let’s say a company generally requires donations of least $50 to qualify for a matching gift. During Pride month, it removes the minimum gift size for an LGBTQ+ nonprofit as a way to incentivize employee giving to the cause)
  • Increased donation maximums (a company typically instills a $500 cap on matching gifts per employee but raises the maximum threshold to $5,000 for a local food bank during Matching Gift Month)
  • Fundraising matches (a company generally matches gifts that employees donate personally but opts to match all gifts collected for a peer-to-peer fundraiser on behalf of a particular mission organization)

Top tip: One-off matching gift programs can offer an excellent opportunity to highlight giving days, awareness and affinity months, and more. Consider which celebrations best align with your nonprofit and its mission, then begin seeking corporate matching gift partners to amplify such efforts.

Example of a one-off matching gift program that amplifies an existing match

Creating a “one-off matching gift” interest page on your website.

Your nonprofit’s website is one of its most valuable assets. And, just like you can leverage this resource to share general matching gift program information, you can also use it to drum up interest for one-off matching gifts. The key difference, however, is that you’ll be targeting prospective companies rather than individual donors!

As you build a one-off matching gifts page on your site, we recommend the following best practices for success:

  • Make it easy to locate. You won’t reap many benefits from a web page that’s nearly impossible to find!
  • Review your mission. Don’t assume any prospective partners are already familiar with your organization. Provide a brief summary of your vision and your team’s work toward it. Pictures help, too!
  • Define the “one-off match” opportunity. Make sure to clearly define a one-off matching gift program and clarify how it differs from a standard matching gift.
  • Focus on the benefits. Companies want to know what advantages are being offered in any potential partnership. State the ways a one-off matching gift program will aid the employer in reaching its goals. The more specific you can be, the better!
  • Embed a contact form. It should be quick and easy for corporate donors to enter the information you’ll need to be in touch. When initiating contact is as simple as filling out an online form, more companies will be willing to do so!

Top tip: Be sure to follow up regarding companies’ one-off matching gift partnership interest in a timely manner. Though there’s no universally agreed-upon timetable, reaching out within one business day of the form being submitted tends to be an accepted practice. Plus, following up quickly allows your team to make the most of a corporate contact’s heightened engagement level before it dwindles.

One-Off Matching Gift Programs Interest Page - Sample Screenshot

Making the pitch and communicating one-off matching gift partnership value.

At this point, you should have narrowed down potential partnerships and produced a short list of prospects that may be willing to offer a one-off match. Now, it’s time to make your pitch. And don’t forget to mention the vast benefits to participating companies as well! These include heightened employee engagement, improved corporate social responsibility (CSR), tax benefits, and more.

If you have metrics available from previous one-off matching gift partners, this information can help demonstrate tangible value through prior successful engagements. For example, you might inform your corporate contact that a previous one-off match program led to a 40% increase in corporate giving or a 65% employee satisfaction rating.

Top tip: Throughout your search, keep an eye out for companies with similar missions and visions as your own. This will help ensure your values align with one another and can maintain a mutually beneficial partnership in the long term. Not to mention, their employees may be increasingly likely to support your cause.

Communicating the value of a one-off matching gift program

Establishing one-off matching gift program guidelines in conjunction with your corporate partner.

Once you’ve identified a corporate partner, you’ll need to determine specific program guidelines to define the opportunity. Like traditional matching gifts, these criteria are ultimately determined by the company offering the program. However, your organization may play a role in advising the creation of a matching gift policy. You’ll also need to ensure that the new program’s guidelines do not conflict with any of your pre-existing gift acceptance policies.

Policies for special matching gift programs typically include:

  • Minimum and maximum donation amounts;
  • Matching gift ratios;
  • Types of qualifying employees (i.e., full-time, part-time, retired);
  • Submission deadlines;
  • Forms and request processes;
  • And any other relevant information!

In this regard, the only difference between a one-off and a standard match program is the types of nonprofits eligible for funding. And that question is easy⁠—the receiving organization is yours!

Still, it’s a good idea to discuss associated criteria with your matching gift partner before rolling out your program. This enables your team to better communicate eligibility standards and ensure match requests have the information required for approval. Plus, your organization can provide access to helpful resources that simplify the experience for you and your partners.

Top tip: If you’ve invested in Double the Donation’s matching gift platform, enabling the one-off matching gift management feature allows a company (and its employees) to benefit from a streamlined submission process.

Behind-the-scenes submission for one-off matching gift programs using the standard form

Made possible with the standard matching gift form, this request method is quick and easy for donors to complete, minimizing additional steps and reducing roadblocks in participation. The result? More matches!

Key benefits of one-off matching gift programs for nonprofits

Though narrower in scope, one-off matching gift programs offer many of the same benefits that traditional matching gift programs do. Plus, this unique offering can unleash a number of exclusive advantages just for your cause.

These include:

Building deeper connections with charitable-minded corporations.

Whereas a typical matching gift program may lead to a company contributing to hundreds or thousands of nonprofits, a one-off matching gift program is just between you and your corporate partner. Therefore, it provides enhanced opportunities for strengthening your relationship. You might even be able to turn it into a recurring program!

Building connections with one-off matching gift partners

Widening your fundraising reach to encompass new supporters.

When promoted effectively, one-off matching gift programs have the potential to direct first-time donors to your organization. A company’s employees may otherwise never have been made aware of your cause. But when their employer highlights the giving opportunity, your nonprofit is at the forefront of their minds. You might even uncover some new, long-term supporters this way!

Widening your reach with one-off matching gift programs

Elevating donor engagement with unique match opportunities.

Perhaps your one-off matching partner employs individuals who are already involved with your cause. You have the chance to further their engagement through the program, too! In fact, studies show that simply mentioning matching gifts in donation appeals results in more than a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average gift amount.

Best practices | Top tips for successful one-off matching programs

Want to take your organization’s unique matching gift program to the next level? Consider these smart tips and tricks to better engage your donors and your corporate partners.

1. Encourage your corporate partner to promote the program to employees.

A matching gift program is only as good as the employees who know about it. Uninformed team members, after all, are not going to take the steps required to initiate a matching gift if they’ve never been informed of the opportunity. Thus, they’re not sending additional corporate revenue your way.

One of the best things a company can do to drive corporate giving participation⁠—and, as a result, get the most out of its program offerings⁠—is to make its employees aware of the opportunity in the first place. From the nonprofit’s end, it’s a good idea to encourage proactive employee outreach in order to aid your partner in doing so.

Sample one-off corporate matching gift program social media post

And when the employer incorporates the program in its public-facing marketing efforts, the philanthropic efforts also go a long way in building the company’s reputation as a charitable and socially responsible institution. Your team can even help drive promotions by sending co-branded graphics, social sharing templates, sample communications, and more!

2. Market the opportunity to your audience.

Just like you expect your matching gift partner to promote your one-off program to their employees, you’ll want to market the opportunity to your nonprofit’s audience as well. Marketing efforts from your organization might include:

  • A social media post highlighting the program and recognizing your matching gift company for their generosity;
  • A blog post on your organization’s website sharing program information and how to get involved, if applicable;
  • Personalized outreach (phone calls, emails, letters, etc.) to existing and prospective donors who work for the company hosting the one-off match program;
  • Your matching gift search tool—loaded with your one-off matching gift program—embedded in your donation forms and confirmation screen;
  • Post-donation email reminders that encourage the company’s employees to complete the matching gift request process if they haven’t already.

The more information that gets out regarding the one-off matching gift opportunity, the better!

Remember also that by sharing co-marketing materials with your own network of support, you can help provide additional benefits to the matching gift company. When the employer recognizes significant value from the partnership, they’ll be more likely to offer corporate and workplace giving initiatives alongside your organization in the future.

Sample marketing materials for a one-off matching gift program

3. Enable auto-submission functionality to streamline participation.

You want your donors to be able to take part in your matching program as easily as possible. One of the best ways to simplify participation is to implement Double the Donation’s auto-submission functionality⁠—essentially removing obstacles within the submission process and driving more requests to completion.

Why does this matter? Unfortunately, custom matching gift programs can suffer from many of the same roadblocks that traditional programs face. And one of the most common hindrances is a lack of understanding surrounding the matching gift request process from the donor’s perspective.

With auto-submission enabled, however, eligible donors can complete their match submissions right from your donation forms with no redirects, separate logins, or paper forms required! All donors typically have to do is enter their corporate email address on your gift confirmation page. Then, voilà⁠—Double the Donation handles the rest of the submission process using our standard request form behind the scenes.

Here’s what the request process can look like with auto-submission:

Step 1) An employee of your corporate matching company makes a donation on your organization’s website and enters the company name.

Step 2) The donor enters their email on the confirmation screen, authorizing Double the Donation to auto-submit their match request.

The one-off matching gift process with auto-submission

By incorporating this innovative functionality for your unique matching gift program, everybody benefits. This includes:

  • Your organization, which receives increased matching gift revenue and elevated donor engagement.
  • Your donors, who save time with one-click matching gift requests, enabling them to make the most of their nonprofit contributions without dedicating more time and resources.
  • Your corporate match partner, who sees maximal program usage, more satisfied employees, and a positive brand image.

And don’t forget about your mission beneficiaries, who receive more extensive and better-funded programs and services from your organization, too!

4. Pitch an annually recurring one-off or custom match program.

Most one-off matching gift programs are going to be organized as short-term campaign initiatives (for example, a company supporting a breast cancer research nonprofit during the month of October or an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in June). However, that doesn’t mean that the partnership has to be a one-and-done experience!

Instead, pitching your one-off match as an annually recurring event is a great way to grow your relationship with a corporate donor and its employees for the long term. You can even position the initial campaign as a “trial run,” allowing both your organization and the company to fine-tune the program and ensure it aligns well with your shared goals and values over time.

Alternatively, your one-off matching gift efforts might inspire the corporate partner to dive in fully with matching gifts⁠—rolling out an evergreen program in conjunction with a dedicated CSR platform to simplify ongoing management. Either way, your organization is able to benefit from the company’s philanthropy on an ongoing basis!

Helpful templates to streamline corporate outreach

Effective communications—with individual and corporate donors alike—are integral to successful one-off matching gift partnerships. But knowing how to ask a company to match donations can seem nerve-wracking!

If you’re not sure how to get started, check out these sample messages for various scenarios, and adjust the provided templates to reflect your own outreach strategy.

Template #1: Pitching One-Off Matching Gifts to a Company Without an Existing Matching Gift Program

One-off matching gifts are an easy way for companies to explore donation-matching for the first time. Use this template to propose such a program to a company that does not currently offer a matching gift program for its employees.

Subject: Will you support [nonprofit] with a one-off matching gift program?

Dear [HR or CSR department head],

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing on behalf of [nonprofit], an organization deeply committed to [mission or cause]. In the past year, we’ve been fortunate to receive support from donors who share our passion for creating positive change—and many of these generous individuals are employed by [company].

As a result, we wanted to reach out and see if [company] would be interested in implementing a one-off matching gift program as a way to encourage employee giving and grow your own social responsibility efforts. This special initiative allows your company to make a meaningful difference in the community by matching your employees’ donations to [nonprofit] during a designated campaign.

I would love the opportunity to discuss this further and explore how we can tailor a one-off matching gift program to align seamlessly with [company]’s values and objectives.

Looking forward to a potential partnership,

[Name]
[Job title/role]
[Contact information]
[Nonprofit]

Template #2: Pitching One-Off Matching Gifts to a Company With an Existing Matching Gift Program

You can also implement a one-off matching gift program to elevate an existing matching gift company’s support for your organization. Use this template to pitch an above-and-beyond program to a company that already matches gifts but has room for improvement in its efforts.

Subject: Make [company]’s matching gifts to [nonprofit] go further with a one-off matching gift partnership!

Dear [HR or CSR department head],

I am reaching out on behalf of [nonprofit], expressing our most sincere appreciation for [company]’s ongoing support through its employee matching gift program. Your commitment to philanthropy has undoubtedly made a positive difference for [mission or program], and our generous donors love having the ability to double their impact on the cause.

As we continue to work towards our shared goals, I would like to present an exciting opportunity to enhance the impact of [company]’s giving. We would love to introduce a special one-off matching gift program in partnership with your company. Specifically, we are proposing a designated campaign that offers [increased donation maximums, matching gift ratios, types of eligible employees, etc.] as a way to grow your corporate giving and bring our fundraising to new heights.

I would be delighted to discuss this proposal further and explore how we can tailor the upgraded one-off matching gift program to align seamlessly with [company]’s objectives and abilities.

Thank you in advance,

[Name]
[Job title/role]
[Contact information]
[Nonprofit]

Template #3: Responding to a Company’s One-Off Matching Gift Program Interest

Once you launch a custom matching gift program interest page on your nonprofit’s website, you’ll likely receive submissions from interested corporate prospects. This template can help guide your responses as you enter important partnership conversations.

Subject: Thank you for your interest in supporting [nonprofit] with a one-off match program!

Dear [company] Team OR [point of contact specified in contact form],

I hope this message finds you well. On behalf of [nonprofit], I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your inquiry to support our cause through a one-off matching gift program. As you may know, our mission at [nonprofit] is to [mission or vision] by [project or program], [project or program], and [project or program].

As we embark on this journey together, it’s important to first clarify what the partnership would entail for each of our teams. Simply put, a one-off matching gift program is an employee giving initiative that benefits a specific nonprofit organization⁠—in this case, ours! Through this program, your company agrees to match donations made by your staff members to our organization, effectively doubling the impact of their contributions on our cause.

To help kickstart the process of setting up a matching gift program, here are some recommended next steps to get our partnership off the ground:

▶ Specify the types of employees that qualify to participate in the matching gift initiative.
▶ Define the minimum and maximum matchable gifts per employee.
▶ Establish your matching gift ratio.
▶ Determine the program’s start and end dates.
▶ Develop a clear submission process for employees to follow. (We recommend Double the Donation’s auto-submission process, which we can implement from our end)

We’re also pleased to provide you with templates and other helpful resources that may aid in the development and promotion of the program to your employees. Once again, thank you for considering this partnership, and please reach out if you have any additional questions or are ready to move forward with the next steps.

Warm regards,

[Name]
[Job title/role]
[Contact information]
[Nonprofit]

Template #4: Empowering a Donor to Facilitate an Introduction to their Employer

A warm introduction from a donor who works for a prospective corporate partner goes a long way. It can help get your team’s foot in the door for one-off matching gift conversations and demonstrate value in terms of shared audiences for the company in question.

Use this sample message to initiate outreach with a supporter and encourage them to connect your team with their HR or CSR department!

Subject: Double your donation impact by connecting us with [company]!

[Donor],

On behalf of the [nonprofit] team, we wanted to express our sincere gratitude for your continuous support and the invaluable contributions you’ve made towards [mission or cause]. Recently, an avenue that has shown great potential is one-off matching gift programs, designed to amplify the impact of charitable donations by employees of forward-thinking companies.

We believe that your employer, [company], could play a pivotal role in strengthening our impact through such a one-off matching gift partnership. In order to aid us in our outreach, we kindly request your assistance in making a warm introduction to the appropriate contacts at the business. Your endorsement and personal connection would undoubtedly add weight to our proposal and highlight the positive social impact that can be achieved through corporate philanthropy.

We understand that your time is valuable, and any support you can provide in facilitating this introduction would be immensely appreciated. If you have any questions or if there’s additional information you may need, please feel free to reach out.

Thank you again for your ongoing support,

[Name]
[Job title/role]
[Contact information]
[Nonprofit]

Template #5: Advocating for a One-Off Matching Gift Program [For Donors]

Your donors may be willing to champion your cause even further by pitching a matching gift program to their employers themselves. But your team can play a crucial role in encouraging such advocates in their endeavors! Share this helpful template to empower individual donors to advocate for matching gifts on your behalf.

Subject: Request for a corporate matching gift program

Hi [manager or HR representative name],

I am writing to request the addition of a “one-off” corporate matching gift program at [company] on behalf of [nonprofit].

If you weren’t aware, thousands of companies match employee donations as a way to support their staff and the nonprofit causes they contribute to. However, I understand the limitations in budget and resources that could hinder a company from participating. That’s why, in this case, I am requesting that [company] implement a specific program in which it matches donations to [nonprofit] for a limited time.

Companies that match gifts tend to see substantial advantages in terms of employee engagement and retention, opportunities to attract competitive candidates, improved brand image, and even increased sales. And on the employee’s end, team members love knowing that their employer is willing to contribute to their favorite causes.

If you’d like to take steps to establish a matching gift program for the company, Double the Donation has provided a detailed guide that walks corporate leaders through the process.

Thank you for your consideration,

[Your name]
[Job position]
[Contact information]

Looking for more templates and other resources?
360MatchPro users can locate additional materials under Settings → Manage Programs.

Not a 360MatchPro client yet?
Click here to get a demo and see how our complete matching gift automation platform can
transform your fundraising efforts.

Bonus | “The Power of a One-Off Match” Case Study: LLS & Danaher

If you’re wondering what kind of impact a one-off matching gift program can have for your organization, check out this example of a successful partnership that resulted in a unique initiative engaging employee donors at new heights.

As you read, consider which elements of this strategy you can implement in your own team’s efforts.

“Danaher Corporation’s long-standing partnership with LLS enables the team to support active research projects and help patients afford treatments.”

—Danaher Corporation Annual Report

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (also known as LLS) is a key player in the fight against blood cancers, dedicating its mission to medical research, education, advocacy, and more. As one of the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising organizations, the LLS team has always been at the forefront of innovation to further its cause⁠—including with a particularly well-established approach to corporate matching gifts. Ergo, LLS was also one of the first nonprofits to build a strategy targeting custom matching gift programs.

Armed with 360MatchPro’s automation tools since 2017, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has continued to develop its one-off matching gifts plan, providing corporate partners with customized resources to aid in program facilitation.

Meanwhile, Danaher Corporation, which comprises some of the world’s most groundbreaking science and technology companies, expresses a forward-looking mission of “making things better for our customers, our company, and the world.” Its focus on diagnostics, life sciences, and biotechnology⁠—in addition to its desire to support organizations working to advance healthcare innovation⁠—makes its decades-long partnership with LLS a natural fit.

According to a 2023 sustainability report, commitment to continuous improvement is at the heart of everything Danaher Corporation does. That’s why, in 2022 alone, the company invested more than $1.7 billion into research that funded breakthrough cancer diagnostics, innovative bioprocessing, gene sequencing, and more.

One-Off Matching Gift Program Example - StatsWhen the Danaher Corporation team sought new and innovative ways to give back to its community and increasingly engage its workforce in philanthropy, the company settled on a one-off matching gift initiative. After establishing the program, Danaher employees were invited to support LLS through an upcoming fundraising event, Light the Night. With an employee count of over 70,000, the company got on board to give back to their communities in a substantial way.

The result? In offering a one-off matching gift program in partnership with LLS, Danaher Corporation was able to increase its total giving by more than 150%, surpassing its initial fundraising goal and elevating its impact greatly.

And in the end, the company continued to grow its matching gift initiatives! Facilitated through the company-sponsored Danaher Foundation, the team continues to demonstrate a holistic and ongoing approach to corporate giving. In addition to taking its matching gift program global, Danaher also reports plans to venture into skills-based volunteerism, nonprofit board service support, and Volunteer Time Off (VTO).

One-off matching gift case study


Wrapping Up

Sourcing a one-off matching gift program may be one of the best ways to set your organization apart. In addition to the matching gifts ultimately paid out through the program, a one-off match will enable you to grow mutually advantageous corporate relationships that last long beyond the matching gift period itself.

And you don’t want to overlook the benefits to individual supporter engagement, either. An employer-sponsored one-off match program empowers existing donors to stretch their support even further for your cause. Not to mention, it funnels new, first-time donors to your cause in the first place!

Luckily, with the right tips, tricks, and tools, getting started has never been easier.

Get started with Double the Donation's one-off matching gift management feature

Interested in learning more about matching gift programs and best practices for elevating corporate fundraising at your organization? Check out our recommended resources:

How to Identify Corporate Partners

Corporate Partnerships Additional Resources - Identifying Partners with 360MatchPro

Matching gifts aren’t the only type of corporate giving program available! Find out how to identify top corporate sponsorships and potential one-off matching gift companies with this guide.

Auto-Submission & CSR Platforms

One-Off Matching Gift Program Resources - Auto-Submission

New auto-submission streamlines the matching gift process for one-off and general corporate programming. Dive deep into this innovative functionality and the providers that support it.

Top Matching Gift Companies

One-Off Matching Gift Program Resources - Top Matching Gift Companies

Thousands of companies match employee donations, but these programs stand out. Browse this list of particularly impactful matching gift companies from Double the Donation.

Registering Your Org with CSR Platforms + Key Steps For Each

Registering Your Org with CSR Platforms + Key Steps For Each

CSR (or corporate social responsibility) platforms are the software companies use to manage their end of the matching gift process. When an employee wants to request a match from their employer, they are often directed to an online portal from a corporate giving platform, where they are encouraged to provide information about their charitable gift and request a corporate match.

The giving platform screens employee donations to ensure gifts meet the company’s specified matching criteria then approves the donation match and disburses the funds to the receiving organization.

Some of the largest CSR software providers include Benevity, YourCause, and CyberGrants, and these three manage a portion of the top matching gift companies. However, many other effective platforms exist as well, often working with small and medium-sized businesses⁠—and you don’t want to neglect those providers, either. For this, consider names such as Millie, POINT, Selflessly, Givinga, America’s Charities, and Bright Funds.

Well-Known and CLMA-Certified CSR Vendors

In order to maximize matching gift revenue, each nonprofit should register its organization with as many CSR software platforms as possible.

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

Ready to learn more about setting your organization up for continued corporate giving success? Let’s dive in with the key reasons why this is a priority.

3 Reasons to Register Your Nonprofit with CSR Platforms

There is a multitude of benefits as to why this is a corporate fundraising best practice, and our team dives into three of the most significant reasons in this guide. These include:

1. Increased Visibility as a Verified Cause

Picture this: a company just announced its new corporate giving initiatives, including matching gift and volunteer grant programs. One employee within the company is so excited to participate and make a positive difference on a worthwhile cause but doesn’t have a specific charity in mind.

The employee decides to leverage the provided CSR portal their company is partnering with to locate an organization to support. They conduct a quick search of the associated nonprofits, filtering by a favorite type of mission or location. For example, let’s say they search for the terms “animal shelter” and “Atlanta.” And your pet rescue shows up! The employee is drawn to your organization, decides to make a matchable donation to the rescue, and even reaches out to explore available volunteer roles.

If you hadn’t previously registered with the platform the employee’s company utilizes, your cause likely would not have shown up during the prospective donor’s search. And you might have missed out on powerful opportunities to reach new donors and volunteers!

But because you had previously taken a few minutes to register your organization with the corporate giving management company, you were able to increase visibility for your cause. And since you had already gone through the verification process, individuals being exposed to your nonprofit can trust in the legitimacy of your organization.

2. Higher Likelihood of Matching Gift Eligibility

When your donors participate in their employers’ matching gift programs, they’ll need to follow instructions provided by the employing company on how to submit their matching gift request. This often means completing and processing the request through a dedicated matching gift software portal. And while each company chooses its own criteria regarding matching gift-eligible nonprofits, some dictate that in order to be eligible for a match, the organization must be registered with their CSR management platform of choice.

In other words, when your nonprofit is registered with a CSR software platform, you’ll be eligible to receive matches from more companies. As a result, a higher percentage of your donors’ generous contributions will qualify to receive a matching donation on your behalf.

More companies equal more eligible donors equal more matching gift revenue overall.

And when your organization registers with as many giving management platforms as possible, your likely match-eligibility will only continue to grow!

3. Simplified Donor Request Processes

According to matching gift research, only 1.31% of donations are matched at an average nonprofit organization⁠—despite more than 26 million individuals working for companies with matching gift programs. Two of the biggest obstacles to participation include a lack of awareness of these programs, along with the assumption of a complicated match request process.

Donors love participating in matching gift programs, but not even the most dedicated supporters are likely to jump through a thousand hoops to secure a match on your behalf. The more steps involved and the longer it takes to complete the process, the higher the chance is that donors will abandon their potential match altogether.

For this reason and more, it’s always a good idea to simplify and streamline the matching gift process for your donors whenever possible. And preregistering your organization with the CSR platforms used to manage their employers’ giving programs is one of the best ways to do so.

This way, donors can simply search your organization in the platform’s nonprofit database and provide information about the donation they made. On the other hand, if they don’t find your cause in the organization lookup tool, the submission process can be significantly delayed, and some donors might not come back to complete their request.

Even once the donor submitted the match request, not being registered with the CSR platform can cause additional delays in the match disbursement process⁠, meaning it will be even longer before you receive your funding.

The simple solution? Register your organization with these CSR software platforms now!

P.S. If you’re looking to register your organization with the most intuitive and innovative platforms, specifically those that prioritize a seamless user experience, we recommend getting started with CLMA-certified tools. Select CSR vendors like Givinga, Millie, POINT, and Selflessly have been awarded for their devotion to seamless giving and matching, ensuring organizations’ corporate engagement efforts are effective and impactful.

CSR Platform Registration: Our Checklist of Key Steps To Get Started

By now, you should understand the critical importance of registering your organization with the top CSR platforms. But the next big question concerns how you do so⁠—and how you can ensure you make the most of each platform you use.

We recommend following each of these essential steps to create and optimize your registration with top CSR portals:

1. Locate the application for each CSR platform.

Most CSR software providers aim to make this step as simple as possible for the nonprofits looking to verify their causes. For example, a quick online search for “registering a nonprofit with [CSR vendor name⁠—e.g., Benevity, YourCause, CyberGrants, etc.]” should pull up relevant web pages pertaining to the platform in question.

Here's an example of a Google search for nonprofit CSR platform registration.

You can also locate the links to common nonprofit portal registrations below:

Depending on the company, this will likely include an online application, step-by-step instructions, or a combination of both. If you have a hard time locating the process for a particular platform, click around their website or consider reaching out to the team to find out more.

2. Provide requested information about your nonprofit.

To register for any platform, you’ll need to provide details about your organization and its status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit⁠. This may include your address, EIN, and/or copy of your Tax-Exempt Status Letter from the IRS.

Next, the CSR software company will review the included information to verify its accuracy. Upon approval, the company will provide your team with access to an online portal from which you will manage your nonprofit account.

3. Have a strategy for username and password management.

More than likely, you’ll have multiple team members managing accounts on multiple CSR platforms. Make sure you have a plan in place to grant easy access to anyone who should be utilizing the platforms on your behalf without compromising the security of your account.

For many organizations, this involves leveraging a secure password management and sharing system with intuitive access controls. Or, you may provision individual login access to individuals within the CSR platform itself. In this case, your organization will have a single account with multiple users (although not all providers have this functionality).

Alternatively, you might choose to establish a universal set of login credentials that you use across each portal you register for. Going this route can help avoid too many “forgot my username” and “reset my password” attempts. However, the practice also introduces a number of security risks that you might rather avoid, such as former employees retaining access to your nonprofit’s portal.

4. Establish a dedicated point of contact for matching gifts + volunteer grant management.

Matching gifts and volunteer grants are two nonprofit funding sources that are most likely to slip through the cracks. At smaller nonprofits, it can seem as if no one has the time or resources to devote to workplace giving opportunities, and at larger organizations, it often falls into a game of “I thought so-and-so was going to do that,” when so-and-so thought it was someone else’s responsibility altogether.

In order to avoid the resulting pitfalls, we recommend selecting a dedicated POC to be in charge of all things matching gifts and volunteer grants⁠—including manually verifying donations and volunteer hours, managing the organization’s corporate giving portals (and understanding the nuances between platforms, as seen below), and more. And if your nonprofit is particularly large, you may even benefit from having a separate person responsible for volunteer grants than your same matching gift contact.

It’s critically important that your matching gift coordinator or team is thoroughly trained in all things matching gifts. But it’s a good idea to provide an overview of the basics for all team members, including paid staff and volunteers alike.

Portal-Specific Tips and Checklist Items for Top CSR Platforms

Each CSR platform is designed differently, which means each solution offers its own unique set of pain points for nonprofits looking to utilize the portal to manage their corporate fundraising.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of tips and best practices for nonprofit team members looking to get set up with each of the top three corporate giving vendors and overcome common roadblocks.

CyberGrants Portal Management TipsHere's an overview of CyberGrants' nonprofit CSR platform registration process.

  • Register your organization with CyberGrants’ Project Front Door (PFD).
  • Designate a universal notification email for ALL correspondences (this should be something like matchinggifts@xyz.org rather than a personal email address).
  • Utilize Gift IDs and Access Codes when trying to locate an account.
  • Leverage the “Donation” tab in Project Front Door for a streamlined verification process.
  • Be prepared to manually verify donations with CyberGrants for matching gift requests in order for match funding to be approved.
  • Use the “Need Support?” link at the bottom of every company page for a more timely response.

Interested in even more CyberGrants management tips? Check out our more in-depth guide to the topic here.

YourCause Portal Management TipsHere's an overview of the YourCause nonprofit CSR platform registration process.

  • Register your organization with YourCause’s NPOconnect.
  • When checking for notifications, ensure you are under the Head Quarters account rather than a chapter or affiliate account.
  • Utilize the “MY WORKSPACE” tab, as all match requests and notifications will populate here.
  • Employ the “GIVING” and “ALL TRANSACTIONS” tabs to locate any gifts, grants, or donations.

Benevity Portal Management TipsHere's an overview of the Benevity nonprofit CSR platform registration process.

  • Register your organization with the Benevity Causes Portal.
  • Utilize monthly reports to track your donations and matches effectively.
  • Download the monthly report as a Google Sheet or Excel file for increased accessibility.
  • Designate a single staff member to log in and add or edit your organization’s available volunteer opportunities.
  • Create an email template that the staff member can use to request the required information about the volunteer opportunity.

Millie Portal Management TipsLearn more about registering your organization with Millie's CSR platform.

  • Claim your organization with Millie using their online nonprofit application.
  • Using the live profile builder, personalize your nonprofit’s page with images, videos, and testimonials.
  • Navigate to your “Dashboard” from the drop-down menu to see a breakdown of your donors.
  • Visit the Millie Knowledge Base for support needs.

POINT Portal Management TipsLearn more about registering your organization with POINT's CSR platform.

  • Create your free account for POINT’s online nonprofit portal.
  • Create your own “admin” account first, then add your organization account.
  • Don’t forget your EIN (or tax-exempt number. Hint: You can find this on the IRS website here).
  • Choose a few causes your organization supports and add a few sentences about your mission.
  • Use automatically generated reports on POINT to tell a story about your organization to potential donors and supporters.

Registering with CSR platforms is one of the best ways to ensure your organization receives as many matching gifts as possible while simultaneously streamlining the processes involved for your donors and your fundraising team. And this shouldn’t be an overly complicated task, either⁠—so we suggest getting on it as soon as possible.

Interested in learning more about how to maximize your nonprofit’s matching gifts and corporate giving? Check out these other educational resources:

Nonprofit CSR platform registration can help drive matching gifts, as can Double the Donation.

The title of the article: Membership Applications: 5 Strategies to Boost Enrollment

Membership Applications: 5 Strategies to Boost Enrollment

Your association needs new members to grow, meaning your membership application form is a critical tool to promote this expansion. To ensure your association brings in as many members as possible, you need a membership application form that gets your community excited about joining.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered with some top changes you can make to your application form to boost membership enrollment.

Ready to revamp your form? Pull up your association’s member application as you follow along to improve it in real time.

Looking for a new platform to manage your association's members? Explore Tradewing.

1. Ensure your membership application is easy to access.

The first hurdle your potential members have to cross is locating your application form. Ensure new members can do this quickly and independently by making your form as accessible as possible.

Ensure prospective members can locate your application form on your website by:

  • Featuring it in your navigation: Your navigation is one of the first places new visitors to your website will look to explore your association’s offerings. Add a call-to-action button linking to your membership application form so it’s clearly visible in this location.
  • Using bold colors: Strategically use your brand colors to make your membership sign-up button stand out. For example, if your organization uses dark blue, purple, and white as brand colors, you might have white text on a dark blue or purple button. This contrast will draw users’ eyes to your membership button, driving traffic to your application form.
  • Providing clear directions: On your membership program page, provide clear directions about how to actually apply. This page should also include a link to your membership application so interested individuals can start the signup process right away.

Nonprofits with membership programs can follow these same strategies. While you may have other pressing actions to promote to supporters, like donating, consider how you can also make calls to action for your membership program. For example, you might include both a membership and donate option in your website’s navigation menu.

Make your membership application easy to find on your website.

If your association sells products and services to non-members, your online checkout is another prime place to promote your membership. For example, if a non-member purchases access to a credentials course, you might offer a promotion for joining your membership program or a pop-up that reminds them that members get a discount on the products and services they’re purchasing.

Additionally, ensure your forms follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards, such as:

  • Making your form navigable by keyboard
  • Ensuring sufficient color contrast between text and backgrounds
  • Using text indicators rather than solely color to mark required fields
  • Ensuring font size can be increased

Test if your forms are WCAG-compliant by using accessibility tools to view your form in grayscale and practice navigating it with just your keyboard. Remember, while for-profit organizations should create accessible websites to expand their user base, organizations that receive federal funding (like many nonprofits) are required to by law.

Takeaway: Make sure your supporters can find your membership application without having to search for it.

2. Implement intuitive formatting on your membership form.

Once users land on your form, your next challenge is keeping them there.

The easier you make your form to complete, the fewer potential members will abandon it, and the more users you’ll convert.

Keep your application form short and to the point to encourage users to complete all questions. There will be opportunities to ask members to provide more information later, such as when they fill out their community profile for networking purposes.

Some basics to ask for include:

Make your membership application as easy as possible to fill out and process later.

  • Contact information, like the applicant’s name, email, phone number, and mailing address
  • Membership level to designate which membership tier they are applying for
  • Payment method, such as credit or debit card, ApplePay, PayPal, ACH transfer, or any other method your association management software accepts

Some trade and professional associations may also ask for employer information at this time to ensure interested individuals are members of their industry and weed out spam bots. However, others may find that it is not necessary to request this information at this time.

Additionally, make your online forms easy to fill out by leveraging application form-building tools like:

  • Conditional logic. Skip pages or populate information based on answers to previous questions.
  • Auto-population. Fill in information automatically from another profile or the supporter’s browser.
  • Long time-out. If your supporters leave the form without completing it, make sure they can pick back up later where they left off.

The trick is to collect the information you need without asking too much of your members.

Takeaway: Your membership application should be fast and easy to fill out.

3. Optimize your membership application form’s design.

Now that you know which fields you need to include on your membership form, it’s time to get into the design.

When creating the form itself, be sure to:

  • Brand your application. Include your association’s logo at the top of your membership application. Then, use your brand colors and imagery throughout your form to guide applicants through the submission process.
  • Emphasize membership benefits. Entice members to cross the finish line and complete their application forms by reminding them what benefits they’ll receive if they do. For example, in the section of your application that lists membership tiers, write out what each tier has access to.
  • Keep your form short. As part of limiting unnecessary information fields, your application form should be no more than one page in length on a desktop.
  • List contact information. Some prospective members may have questions about your application, like if certain information fields are required or if they can submit payment through an unlisted method. Ensure your association’s help email address is visible on the form so members can forward their questions to your staff.

Also, optimize your form for mobile so users can complete your form no matter what device they use.

Use AMS software with mobile-responsive forms that increase the size of fonts, buttons, and input fields to make them easier to read and press with a finger. You should also use multiple-choice drop-down menus in place of open fields when possible.

Splitting your application into multiple short pages instead of one long page, like in the example below, helps keep mobile users moving through the application process:

Design your membership application to optimize it for online and mobile applicants.

If you need help with this type of coding, reach out to a nonprofit IT consultant. It’s worth taking more time now to boost your membership program later!

Takeaway: Design your application with online and, especially, mobile views in mind.

4. Include strategic upsell opportunities.

Your membership application is a great opportunity to promote your association’s offerings. Ensure it emphasizes the benefits of higher membership tiers and encourages prospective members to apply for a high tier.

A few ways you can do this include:

  • List benefits. For each membership level, provide a brief overview of what benefits it provides.
  • Offer limited discounts. If your association offers any discounts or promotions to encourage higher membership tiers, be sure to include them on your application form. For example, new members might get the first month of higher membership tiers for free or at a discounted rate.
  • Add a check-out screen pop-up. When new members submit their applications, they’ve committed to joining your association. With this commitment fresh in their minds, give them one last opportunity to upgrade to a higher membership tier with a pop-up message on your confirmation screen sharing how easy it is to upgrade their membership.

Don't overload your membership application form with an intimidating number of fields.

Additionally, consider offering a free membership tier to bring in individuals who are on the fence about making a financial investment in becoming a member. Typically, free tiers offer limited benefits. For example, free members might have access to your online community platform and be able to post content and interact with members. However, they may lack the ability to send direct messages to members, attend events, or access your educational resources.

This partial access helps your association get your foot in the door with prospective members and push them to make the upgrade to a paid membership.

Takeaway: Your membership application is a marketing tool and can be leveraged to grow your association.

5. Follow up with applicants.

Your relationship with your members begins with your membership form, but it doesn’t stop there! Show your members you appreciate their commitment and that your association offers engaging content that’s well worth your membership fee.

An integrated membership application form sets your association up for success from the moment new members hit “submit” by:

  • Sending automatic welcome emails. The right software can pull contact information from the application form and populate the email with your new member’s name and membership level.
  • Populating a member profile. Especially if you provide a member directory and public milestone badges to your members, your platform should automatically set up a member profile for your new member and send them a link to begin personalizing it.
  • Streamlining payment processing. Link your application form to your chosen payment processing solution to begin the process automatically and avoid having to navigate outstanding fees.

The most effective (and popular!) of these strategies is a welcome email, like the one below:

Follow up by sending a welcome email to individuals who complete your membership application form.

While membership application forms often can’t send emails or process payments, you can integrate your application form with other features by leveraging the right software solution.

Takeaway: Make sure to follow up with your new members right away.


With these membership application form strategies under your belt, you’re ready to overhaul your application and boost participation in your program!

For more on membership, check out these additional resources on the topic:

When it comes to member engagement and retention, Tradewing is our #1 pick. Explore Tradewing's out-of-the-box community engagement platform. Discover Tradewing.

This is the feature image for this blog post on employee engagement ideas.

52+ Employee Engagement Ideas for Productivity and Retention

Picture two imaginary employees who are both employed by the same company.

Employee A is an enthusiastic, hard worker who loves driving results in their role. They make an effort to contribute in meetings, bring creative ideas to the table, encourage their coworkers, attend company events, and more.

Employee B is also a hard worker and typically performs at a high level, but they seem to have lost some of their enthusiasm for their role. Over time, they’ve become less invested in the company’s goals and stopped actively participating in its internal culture.

The difference between Employee A and Employee B is that Employee A is fully engaged at work. This means Employee A is finding personal fulfillment and happiness in their job and feels good about what their company does and how it contributes to its community.

(Note: This doesn’t mean that Employee B is a “bad” worker by any means, just that their work experience could be improved, leading to better results for both them and the company.)

So, if Employee B was your employee, how could you encourage them to be more engaged at work? Or, thinking more broadly, how can your company hone its approach to employee engagement?

Here’s your answer: By tapping into the right employee engagement ideas! 

There are dozens of ways to promote employee engagement in your workplace, all of which can help you take your productivity, profitability, and retention efforts to the next level. It’s a lot to sort through, which is why we’ve created this guide to help you explore your options. Here’s what we’ll cover:

As you learn more about employee engagement and the many ideas and programs you can launch to improve it at your company, remember to take into consideration your company’s specific needs and culture. This way, you’ll implement the engagement initiatives that will most resonate with your current and future employees and drive real results for your organization. Let’s begin!

Click through to learn how auto-submission can help you engage your employees.

Employee Engagement: A Quick Overview

Before we get into the specifics of effective employee engagement ideas your company can try, let’s go over some fundamentals.

What is employee engagement?

This image defines the term employee engagement.

Employee engagement refers to the commitment employees show to their work, their team, and their employer. In practice, employee engagement looks a little different at every organization, depending on your company culture and the unique personalities on your team. In general, you can expect that an engaged employee will be:

  • Passionate and enthusiastic about their day-to-day tasks and how they contribute to the organization’s overall success
  • Loyal to the company
  • Consistently taking on additional responsibilities and strengthening their skills
  • Productive and delivering high-quality work
  • Adept at communicating
  • Resilient in the face of changes and challenges

Note that when an employee is fully engaged in their work, they are not sacrificing their mental, emotional, or physical health or their personal lives for your company. Engaged employees take a healthy approach to work-life balance and set clear boundaries so they can give their best efforts while at work.

Why is employee engagement so important?

Employee engagement is important for companies to pay attention to, as it can affect all facets of your business operations, not just individual employees’ experiences working for your company. Specifically, high levels of employee engagement can help your company in the following areas:

  • Retention. When your team members are satisfied with their jobs and feel loyal to your organization, you’ll be able to retain them for longer periods of time, saving your company time and money. Plus, when you need to recruit new employees, you’ll be better prepared to welcome them into a positive and productive culture backed by strong engagement strategies.
  • Productivity. As your organization takes steps to proactively engage its team members, you’ll find that your employees will be more committed to your company’s goals, enthusiastic about their roles, and more focused on not just their day-to-day responsibilities but also how they can drive the most value for your company. As a result, engaged employees will be more likely to go above and beyond and do their best work, resulting in higher productivity levels, better deliverables, and more efficiency.
  • Profitability. When your company isn’t worried about hemorrhaging talent and everyone feels empowered to do their best work, you’ll see higher revenue and decreased expenses all around. Plus, you’ll have the time and talent available to pursue new initiatives and offerings.

Any organization that employs people has a responsibility to its employees (and even its stakeholders) to ensure that it’s providing the best employment experience possible, as boosted retention, productivity, and profitability are wins for everyone involved.

The Current State of Employee Engagement

In recent years, employee engagement has been trending downward, according to Gallup. Engagement levels were at 36% in 2020 but dipped to 34% in 2021 and then 32% in 2022. Gallup notes employees’ reports of the following engagement elements declined during this period:

  • Clarity of expectations
  • Connection to the mission/purpose of the company
  • Opportunities to learn and grow
  • Opportunities to do what employees do best
  • Feeling cared about at work

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, employee expectations have shifted. For instance, Forbes reports that employees now expect more trust, more flexibility, and more work-life balance. And if the Great Resignation of 2021 and 2022 is any indication, employees are willing to leave their current employers to have these expectations fulfilled at other organizations.

In order to see some positive trends in employee engagement numbers, employers everywhere have to be willing to be open-minded and communicative, and those efforts will include implementing winning employee engagement initiatives.

The Special Role of Corporate Philanthropy in Employee Engagement Initiatives

One of the best ways to effectively engage your employees is to involve them in your organization’s corporate philanthropy efforts. Because corporate philanthropy is how your organization gives back to its community and works to leave a positive impact on the world, it can benefit your employees by:

This image lists some roles corporate philanthropy can play in your employee engagement efforts.

  • Giving them a heightened sense of purpose. Though your company’s goals and mission likely already inspire your employees, furthering a charitable cause will give them a stronger sense of purpose in their day-to-day duties. Plus, they’ll feel good about what your company is doing to make a positive difference for others, strengthening their relationship with your organization as an employer.
  • Connecting with their personal values. Many of your employees likely have an affinity for a charitable cause, whether it’s animal welfare or protecting the environment. By showing them your organization also cares about charitable causes and can empower them to give to causes they support, you’ll connect with their personal values and interests, further strengthening your relationship with them.
  • Empowering them to connect with others. Many companies facilitate volunteer opportunities for their employees as part of their corporate philanthropy and employee engagement work. Volunteering allows employees to get to know their coworkers in different ways as they work together and provides them the chance to meet other people who are connected to your nonprofit partners.
  • Giving them the chance to develop new skills. Similarly, volunteering can help your employees strengthen their existing skills or develop entirely new skill sets. For example, a graphic designer may find they have a knack for helping plan nonprofit events, or a customer service representative may find they enjoy tutoring young children in reading.
  • Improving their health and wellbeing. According to the Cleveland Clinic, charitable giving can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress hormones, boost self-esteem, combat depression, and even help increase your lifespan.

If you’re looking for a way to help your employees make a positive difference in the world while simultaneously increasing their job satisfaction, involving them in corporate philanthropy is the answer!

Our Favorite Philanthropy-Centered Employee Engagement Ideas

In the spirit of getting your employees involved in your philanthropic efforts, let’s kick off our exploration of employee engagement ideas by exploring some of our favorite philanthropy-centered initiatives!

This image lists some philanthropy-centered employee engagement ideas.

1. Matching Gift Programs

71% of employees think it’s important to work for companies that give back through philanthropy, making corporate giving a pivotal engagement tactic. One of the easiest and most impactful ways to involve your employees in corporate philanthropy is to start a matching gift program.

Corporate matching gift programs are a type of philanthropy in which companies financially match donations their employees make to nonprofits. Many companies match at a 1:1 ratio (dollar for dollar), but these ratios range anywhere from .5:1 to 3:1. That means employees have the opportunity to increase the impact of their charitable donations!

Matching gift programs increase the impact of employees’ donations, thereby encouraging engagement in corporate giving.

Why are matching gift programs a great employee engagement idea?

Matching gift programs are essential for employee engagement because they communicate that your company cares about the same causes your employees do. These programs amplify the charitable contributions of employees, making them feel their donations have a greater impact, which enhances their connection to your company.

Launching a matching gift program impacts your company in a few ways. For example, you can:

  • Enhance workplace culture by giving employees a stronger sense of purpose through philanthropic giving.
  • Demonstrate your company’s values to the public by aligning corporate objectives with employee interests.
  • Attract talented employees who prioritize social responsibility, further enriching your company’s culture.

While most matching gift companies organize unrestricted programs (where the employer matches donations to almost any nonprofit), a “one-off” match initiative is a great way to ease into this engagement opportunity. In this case, your company would select one nonprofit to which you’d match donations, thus rallying your staff around a particular cause!

Although matching gifts are common workplace giving programs, many employees don’t know their companies even offer a program. That’s why your company should take the initiative to promote these programs. Whether that’s through onboarding or regular communications, alerting employees that they can double their donations to their favorite charities can inspire participation.

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

Click here to contact our team about creating an employee matching gift program.

2. Corporate Volunteerism

Just as matching gifts are one of the most common types of corporate philanthropy programs out there, another common corporate philanthropy initiative is corporate volunteerism.

Through corporate volunteerism, companies encourage their employees to volunteer their time with local nonprofits.

Companies incentivize volunteerism in a number of ways, one of which is through offering paid time off during the year to volunteer (also known as volunteer time off or VTO). This is an extra incentive for employees because they get to support a charitable cause while still getting paid.

Many companies also offer volunteer days, such as a day of service, to promote team-building and give back to the community. This opportunity encourages coworkers to get to know one another and work as a team to help an organization.

Corporate volunteerism also benefits nonprofits because of the skills corporate employees bring to the table—which are often skills and expertise that the nonprofits may not otherwise be able to afford. Plus, employees may pick up new skills from their time volunteering with a nonprofit!

Why is corporate volunteerism a great employee engagement idea?

Companies that promote volunteer opportunities and actively encourage their employees to participate show that they care about giving back to the community, and some are even willing to offer paid time off to do so, demonstrating that they see volunteering as a priority. This initiative reflects well on companies and even encourages consumers to continue purchasing products and services from them.

When employees see the good their companies are doing in their communities, they are more likely to participate, think positively about their roles in the company, and be happier as a result.

3. Volunteer Grants

Corporate volunteerism doesn’t end with the time and effort that your employees offer nonprofits. There’s another type of workplace giving program directly related to volunteerism that can benefit nonprofits, reflect well on your company, and boost employee engagement.

Corporate volunteer grants turn volunteer hours into revenue for nonprofits. When employees at a company devote a specific number of hours to volunteering with a nonprofit, participating companies provide a set dollar amount for those hours to the nonprofit.

For example, this could look like:

  • $25 for every hour an employee volunteers
  • $15 per hour an employee volunteers, with a minimum of 20 hours
  • $500 after volunteering 20 hours with a nonprofit

Through a volunteer grant program, you can encourage employees to donate their time to nonprofits.

Corporate volunteer grants essentially help nonprofits meet their fundraising and volunteer needs at the same time. Meanwhile, your employees can increase their impact on causes they care about.

Why are volunteer grants a great employee engagement idea?

Nearly 3 out of every 4 employees say it’s important to work where company culture supports volunteering. The more you encourage volunteerism and promote volunteer grant opportunities, the more employees will feel engaged with your company and its values. Plus, volunteer grants are a great way for an employee to secure a donation for a nonprofit they care about without spending a dime.

Here’s a rundown of how this type of program can transform your workplace:

  • Communicate your commitment to community involvement and social responsibility by financially supporting employees’ volunteer efforts.
  • Underscore the importance of giving back, enhancing employees’ sense of purpose and connection to the workplace.
  • Foster a positive work environment and strengthen team bonds through shared experiences in community service.
  • Improve your company’s image and resonate with employees’ desires to work for organizations that reflect their values.

Ultimately, volunteer grant programs not only contribute to societal well-being but also promote a more engaged, motivated, and satisfied workforce. Like with matching gifts, volunteers are often unaware that their employer even offers a volunteer grant program. That’s why it’s essential to actively promote these opportunities to employees and streamline facilitation with dedicated CSR software.

4. Employee Wellness Programs

Wellness programs are comprehensive initiatives designed to promote holistic health and well-being among your workforce. These programs encompass a wide range of activities and resources aimed at supporting physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes financial health.

Key components often include fitness challenges, mental health support, nutritional advice, and stress management workshops. While these programs can take many forms, the overarching goal is to create a healthier, more productive workplace by reducing health-related absences and enhancing job satisfaction.

Why are employee wellness programs a great employee engagement idea?

In essence, prioritizing employees’ health and happiness will contribute to a supportive work environment that reduces turnover. Better yet, you can leverage an app to run your entire program.

Designed to streamline program administration and boost employee participation, Givhero can significantly enhance your wellness program by integrating workplace giving into health and wellness challenges. This unique approach motivates employees to engage in healthy behaviors by linking their actions to a broader social impact.

Givhero is an employee wellness app that makes it easy to launch challenges that motivate employees.

Here’s an overview of how the app works:

  1. Create challenges. Your team chooses from Givhero’s library of health and wellness challenges, whether you want to challenge people to walk 10,000 steps a day or sleep 8 hours each night.
  2. Employees join the challenge. They’ll need to download the Givhero app and choose a nonprofit to support from Givehero’s Partner Network of over 2.3 million charitable causes.
  3. Employees participate in the challenge you choose. As they achieve their goals, they’ll be rewarded with donations to their chosen charity.

It’s that simple! Employees can engage in activities that boost their mental and physical health while supporting causes they care about.

Overall, Givhero serves as a powerful tool for companies looking to deepen employee engagement through wellness initiatives that also support social responsibility goals.

Launch a wellness program with Givhero and motivate employees to be their best selves.

5. Automatic Payroll Deductions

Another form of workplace giving that can lead to high employee engagement is automatic payroll deductions. 

An automatic payroll deduction allows employees to set aside a small portion of each paycheck to donate to a charity.

Automatic payroll deductions are great options for employees because they can give to nonprofits in smaller increments—especially if they’re unable to donate a large sum at once. If their employer also offers a matching gift program, those donations can even be doubled.

Companies typically vet charitable organizations beforehand to ensure their employees’ automatic payroll contributions are going to reputable nonprofits. This measure will reassure employees that their donations are going to a good cause.

Why are automatic payroll deductions a great employee engagement idea?

By making it easy for employees to give to reputable organizations, your company accomplishes a few things:

  • Employees get to make a difference for the causes they care about.
  • The donations have no extra fees for the nonprofits (like credit card processing fees) and are still tax deductible for employees.
  • Employees will continue to participate in automatic payroll deductions long-term because of the ease and security associated with these programs.

The more options you offer as part of your workplace giving programs, the more likely employees will be to engage with and participate in those programs. Automatic payroll deductions are an excellent option to consider as a company.

6. Annual Giving Campaigns

The year-end giving season (generally October through December) is the most popular time for nonprofit donations. During this time, donation numbers are higher than all year round as people lean into the generosity they feel around the holidays and wrap up their charitable giving that will be deducted from their taxes in the spring.

Companies can use this time to encourage their employees to donate to important causes, either through monetary or time donations. When paired with matching gifts and corporate volunteer grants, the impact goes even further.

Many nonprofits run annual giving campaigns around this time of year to raise a large portion of the funds they need to continue serving their missions, especially on GivingTuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S. Encouraging your employees to give during these campaigns is especially important for the nonprofits they support but also for your company’s image.

Why are annual giving campaigns a great employee engagement idea?

If your company wants to boost engagement among its employees, be sure to encourage them to participate in annual giving. Promote specific opportunities to donate to nonprofits whose missions align with your company values. This practice reflects well on your company in the public eye, while also showing your employees that giving to worthy causes is an important component of your business practices.

7. Cause Marketing Campaigns

As a big part of corporate philanthropy, companies will often launch a cause marketing campaign in conjunction with a nonprofit cause. During a cause marketing campaign, a company increases its own profitability while also doing good in the communities in which it operates.

Here are some examples of cause marketing:

  • Businesses encourage customers to round up their purchases to donate to a specific charity or cause.
  • Businesses donate a portion of their profits to a specific charity or cause. 
  • Businesses accept donated goods to provide to specific charities.

Both the for-profit and nonprofit sides benefit from cause marketing. For-profit businesses can see an increase in sales and exposure, while nonprofits receive more funding and goods that help them serve their constituents.

Why are cause marketing campaigns a great employee engagement idea?

Cause marketing is a great employee engagement idea because it actively encourages employee participation in promoting a nonprofit’s cause to the customers or clients they interact with. Remember that cause marketing works best if your company is helping a cause that your employees believe in. If your staff supports the idea, they’ll work harder and be more invested in helping drive results for both you and your nonprofit partner!

The Key to Making These Engagement Ideas Work: Corporate Giving Software

For all of these philanthropy-centered employee engagement ideas, you’ll want to have an organized system in place to facilitate your initiatives. With so many moving parts and workplace giving options, it can be challenging to consolidate donations, volunteer opportunities and hours, and matching gift requests in one place.

Corporate giving software is a must when it comes to organizing your workplace giving programs.

Using a corporate giving platform, you can:

  • Track and review employee donations, including automatic payroll deductions.
  • View and approve employee matching gift requests.
  • Allow employees to log their volunteer hours.
  • View and approve volunteer grant requests.
  • Post and coordinate volunteer opportunities for your employees.
  • Organize team volunteer events.

These are just some of the ways corporate giving software can help keep your company on track. 

A Must-Have Feature in Corporate Giving Software: Matching Gift Auto-Submission

The best corporate giving software will offer matching gift auto-submission that allows you to streamline the matching gift process for your employees and ensure that your matched donations get to nonprofits quickly.

Check out how our auto-submission feature works by watching the video below:

 

 

 

 

 

As explained in the video, when your company uses a corporate giving tool that offers auto-submission, donors can simply enter their corporate email address and have their match request submitted for them, with no extra steps required on their end.

Be sure to invest in the right software that will allow your company to benefit the most from the workplace giving programs you’ve already put so much effort into, and make sure your platform offers auto-submission capabilities. 

Check out some top corporate giving software providers!

Examples of These Employee Engagement Initiatives in Action

As you build out your own corporate philanthropy-centered engagement program, it will be helpful to get inspired by other companies’ programs so that you can ensure yours is poised to be as effective as possible. Here are two examples of companies that are doing good in their communities and getting their employees involved in their efforts!

Google: Matching Gifts

Google offers a matching gift program that its full-time and part-time employees, as well as its board members, are eligible for. It matches gifts up to $10,000 per year per employee at a 1:1 ratio.

In addition, Google also offers donation matching for any funds contributed for disaster or international relief and matches funds that employees personally raise for charitable events (such as walk-a-thons).

Walmart: Volunteer Grants

Walmart offers a volunteer grants program called Volunteerism Always Pays (VAP) that individuals or groups can participate in.

For the individual VAP grants initiative, Walmart gives $10 per hour to the nonprofit an employee volunteers with, up to $1,000.

For the group VAP grants initiative, Walmart offers groups that volunteer together or participate in fundraising runs or walks together grants for $500-$5,000 dollars, depending on the number of employees in the group.

Remember, your company’s own program will likely look a little different than any example you’re inspired by because you have your own values, priorities, and budget to keep in mind. Still, it’s handy to get an idea of what these programs look like at successful companies!

Want to dive into more examples of real-world corporate philanthropy-centered engagement programs?

Click through to explore some examples of corporate philanthropy-centered employee engagement programs.

Other Top Employee Engagement Ideas

Although corporate philanthropy initiatives are an excellent way to engage your employees, there are lots of other employee engagement ideas you can tap into, as well. Let’s explore some other options, all of which we’ve sorted into a few different categories:

You may decide to choose one or even several ideas from this list. Whatever you choose, remember to customize these ideas to fit your specific employees’ needs and expectations!

Employee Engagement Ideas for Recognition and Awards

Many employers make the mistake of assuming their gratitude for their employees is simply implied. However, the truth is that employees need consistent and genuine recognition to feel motivated and encouraged to perform to the best of their abilities.

In fact, according to Nectar HR, nearly 84% feel that recognition impacts their motivation to succeed in their jobs. In this section, we’ll look closely at some employee engagement ideas that involve recognition and awards.

This image lists some employee engagement ideas related to recognition and awards.

1. eCards

Your employees’ contributions are valuable and deserve more recognition than an occasional pat on the back. Fold recognition into your everyday routine with custom eCards.

eCards are greeting cards’ virtual counterparts, making them easy to send and even easier to create. Plus, when you work with the right eCard site, you can customize your eCards to reflect your organization’s branding or the achievement you’re calling an employee out for reaching. Take this eCard for example:

Create employee recognition eCards like this one to show appreciation for employees and boost morale.

Digital greeting cards have emerged as a versatile tool for employee recognition, enabling managers and employees alike to show appreciation for their coworkers. They offer several benefits to companies, like:

  • Immediate Recognition: Managers and peers can quickly acknowledge achievements, milestones, or contributions without the delays associated with traditional recognition methods. This ensures that recognition is timely, reinforcing positive behaviors and accomplishments as they happen.
  • Personalization: eCards can be customized to reflect the recipient’s personality, the specific achievement, or the company’s culture, adding a personal touch to the gesture. Send a personal message with each eCard to enhance the emotional impact of the recognition and make employees feel genuinely appreciated.
  • Accessibility and Convenience: Given the digital nature of eCards, they can be sent and received from anywhere, at any time. That makes it easy to fold recognition into everyday work routines, whether you’re working in person or remotely.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to traditional recognition gifts, eCards don’t require physical materials or postage to send. That means you can cut down on costs.

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this video that highlights our recommended eCard software, eCardWidget:

By integrating eCards into your recognition strategies, your company can foster a culture of appreciation that is continuous, inclusive, and aligned with modern work practices. This ongoing recognition can play a crucial role in enhancing employee engagement and motivation, ultimately contributing to a positive work environment.

Create employee engagement eCards that inspire your employees and show genuine gratitude.

2. Incentive Bonuses

Depending on the nature of your organization, giving an incentive bonus might be a natural extension of your employees’ work. For example, if your organization is a store that sells musical instruments, you might offer a commission system that incentivizes salespeople to work toward ambitious sales goals.

In other contexts, you may have to get creative with how you offer incentive bonuses. One popular way is to offer an annual holiday bonus, given at the end of the calendar year before the winter holidays, or as a retention award during performance reviews.

However you decide to offer bonuses, make sure you’re clear with your employees about who is eligible to receive a bonus, how much the bonus is worth, and how and when that bonus is paid out.

 3. Employee of the Month Program

An employee of the month program is a popular way to thank your top performers for all of their hard work and show them just how much your organization benefits from their efforts. To set up a fair and sustainable program, follow these steps:

  • Define the criteria for becoming Employee of the Month.
  • Create a nomination process that managers or peers can use to nominate employees for the award.
  • Form a committee to choose the winner of the award.
  • Select rewards the Employee of the Month will receive, such as bonuses, gift cards, special parking privileges, etc.
  • Promote the program to your employees.

The key to a successful employee of the month program is consistency. Be consistent in how you administer the program and in how you incorporate it into your internal culture. If your employees are excited about the program, it will be a great motivator for solid performance!

4. Pass a Post-It

This recognition idea is a simple one but goes a long way. Simply hand out some Post-its and pens to your employees, and encourage them to write words of encouragement or kind messages to their coworkers, sticking the Post-its on their desks or cubicle walls.

This is a quick and easy way to foster a spirit of appreciation within your organization and to get employees involved in recognizing each others’ contributions.

5. Workaversary Celebrations

Work anniversaries (also known as “workaversaries”) are exciting professional milestones and represent an employee’s loyalty and dedication to your organization. Consider celebrating individuals’ workaversaries in small and meaningful ways. For example, you might post about an employee’s achievements in the last year on LinkedIn, or write them a thoughtful card.

You can also celebrate large lengths of tenure, like a 5-year or 10-year anniversary at your organization. Consider making these celebrations a bit bigger, like a catered lunch or an after-hours work party. This can be an excellent way to demonstrate to all of your employees just how important retention is to your organization and its goals.

6. Personal Milestone Celebrations

In addition to workaversaries, there are plenty of personal milestones that your employees might experience, including:

  • Getting married
  • Buying a house
  • Having a baby
  • Adopting a new pet
  • Educational achievements

Show your employees that you care about their personal achievements by celebrating these memorable milestones. For instance, if an employee adopts a dog, you might gift them a bag of dog treats. Or, if they have a baby, you might send them a custom baby blanket featuring their child’s name.

Team-Building Employee Engagement Ideas

For your employees to enjoy their work experience at your organization, they need to feel connected to the people they’re working with. It’s great if your organization can facilitate healthy working relationships between coworkers, but employees will also benefit from building genuine friendships. In fact, Gallup has found that employees who have a best friend at work are more likely to get more done in less time, innovate and share ideas, and have fun while working. These team-building ideas can help you create an environment where strong relationships can grow between team members.

This image lists some employee engagement ideas related to team-building.

1. Group Activities or Outings

Try hosting activities during or outside of work hours that allow your team members to get to know each other. These might include:

  • Sporting events
  • Museum, art gallery, or theater outings
  • Cooking classes
  • Art or craft workshops
  • Picnics, barbecues, or potlucks

To engage your employees in these activities even more, hand the brainstorming and planning over to them. Create an “extracurriculars” budget (i.e., $20-$30 per participant) and allow employees to plan company- or team-wide outings of their choice once per quarter or once per year. This way, you’ll get many activities on the calendar quickly as well as a variety of different activities for employees to choose from to attend.

2. Team-Building Exercises

Team-building exercises are fun activities that groups of employees participate in to strengthen their collaboration and communication skills and to build trust with each other. You’re likely familiar with some popular team building exercises, like The Human Knot or trust falls.

However, there are a number of other exercises to consider, such as playing Two Truths and a Lie, working through an escape room together, completing a ropes course, creating a collaborative art piece, or playing the Blind Obstacle course game, where everyone helps blindfolded team members navigate obstacles and make it to the finish line.

Each of these exercises encourages your employees to unite, talk to each other, and work through problems and challenges together, strengthening their connections to one another.

3. Company Retreat

A company retreat is more of a large-scale employee engagement idea that will require some planning. A retreat gives you the opportunity to get your team together all in one place to enjoy work- and non-work-related activities alike. The best thing about a company retreat is that it sets aside some time for all of your team members to focus on their work relationships and create a collective memory together.

You don’t even have to go far to have a successful company retreat—even a day-long retreat at a local park or events center can give you plenty of time to ensure all of your employees are forming strong connections with each other.

4. Office Competitions

An office competition allows you to tap into your employees’ competitive spirits and encourage them to work toward a common goal. Here’s how to set one up:

  • Divide your employees into groups. For example, you might make each department its own team or create groups at random to encourage employees to interact with coworkers they don’t usually work with on a daily basis.
  • Choose the type of competition. There are many different types of competitions you could run, from a desk decorating contest to a trivia contest. One of the most popular types of office competition is a fitness challenge, where team members work toward a goal related to fitness or exercise. For instance, you might challenge your employees to see which team can walk the most steps in a month.
  • Select a reward. Motivate your employees to participate in the challenge by offering some sort of reward or prize to the winning team, like a trophy, an extra vacation day, or a catered lunch at the office.

Once you’ve set up your competition, you’ll need to get your employees on board. Don’t forget to continue encouraging participation and spreading enthusiasm for the competition even after it starts so they stay engaged for the duration of the competition.

5. Office-Wide One-Off Projects

No matter what your company does, whether you’re a consulting firm or a retailer (or something else entirely!), you and your employees are used to working together toward a common goal. But there are likely projects or initiatives you wish you could get to that are frequently put on the back burner for the sake of day-to-day priorities.

Why not put your team’s regular synergy to good use on a one-off project to try to accomplish something out of the ordinary? For instance, you could choose one project or initiative each quarter that team members will contribute to outside of their usual tasks.

Not only does a one-off project change things up for your team, but it also allows them to work more closely with team members they don’t usually collaborate with.

6. Team Member Spotlights

It’s important to consistently build a strong internal community at your company. However, this is especially tricky at large organizations, where team members might not always have the opportunity to interact with each other often or get to know new hires right away.

Help your employees get to know each other by creating and sending out team member spotlights. A spotlight should walk through some simple get-to-know-you information for each employee, like their name, background, hobbies or personal interests, and a fun fact about them. It will also be helpful to include their professional headshot and a link to their LinkedIn profile.

You can easily incorporate employee spotlights into company-wide meetings or emails.

7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

How diverse is your team, and is your organization welcoming to all different types of people with a variety of backgrounds and experiences?

You can prioritize DEI in several ways, from adopting diverse hiring practices and establishing policies on gender- or race-based discrimination to conducting regular pay audits to ensure pay equity or making your office space more accessible for individuals with disabilities.

Each organization will have different DEI needs, so take into consideration where your own organization is starting from and how you can improve your efforts.

8. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

Many employees may benefit from joining an ERG, which are groups employees form over a shared characteristic, whether that is gender, lifestyle, ethnicity, or something else. For instance, employees at your organization might be interested in creating a working mothers ERG, or a group for veterans.

ERGs allow employees to come together and support each other in workplace. They may also advocate for the development of new policies related to their ERG’s needs, help each other develop professionally, or host social outings for individuals in the group to get to know each other better.

9. Sports and Recreation Clubs

Many of your employees may enjoy getting together to participate in a sports or recreation activity, whether it’s soccer or rock climbing. Encourage employees to start clubs that meet outside of work hours where they can pursue these interests.

These types of clubs also ensure employees stay active, which is especially important if their jobs require them to remain stationary or sit at a desk for most of the day.

10. Book and Film Clubs

Similarly, employees may enjoy getting together to discuss literature or film. These are also activities that can be held after work or during a lunch break.

The important thing with clubs is to make sure that you let your employees know that you fully support them in getting to know each other over shared interests. You can even go the extra mile by joining or creating a club yourself!

11. International Day Celebrations

International Days like International Women’s Day or Human Rights Day can be great opportunities to recognize and celebrate people within your organization. On international days you choose to recognize, send out an educational email, and incorporate some sort of related activity into your workday.

For instance, on International Women’s Day, you might start your morning meeting by highlighting a few women who have made a big impact on your field or industry.

In some cases, you might also celebrate important holidays from a variety of cultures. For instance, you might recognize both Hanukkah and Christmas in December by putting up a variety of holiday decor around your office.

12. Birthday Celebrations

It’s important to celebrate individuals, too. In addition to celebrating workaversaries or personal milestones, don’t forget that celebrating birthdays can be a great way to help individual employees feel valued and seen.

Keep these celebrations simple by providing the employee’s favorite treat during lunch and giving them a birthday card signed by their peers.

Skill Development Employee Engagement Ideas

Some employee engagement programs can simultaneously increase your employees’ job satisfaction and help them further develop their professional skill sets.

It’s critical for your company to offer opportunities like these because most employees want to learn and grow at their jobs. According to Zippia, 49% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development, and 68% of employees say that training and development are the most important company policy.

Let’s look at some employee engagement ideas that will promote professional growth and skill development.

This image lists some employee engagement ideas related to skill development.

1. Strong Onboarding Process

You might be thinking, “Onboarding is already something we do. In fact, we have to do it every time we hire someone.”

That may be true, but that doesn’t mean you can’t think of onboarding as an opportunity to engage your employees, both old and new.

As you train new team members, involve long-time team members where you can. For instance, you might have current team members give presentations about their roles or departments to help orient the new team member.

This way, not only is the new team member learning from their manager, but they’re also getting the chance to interact with individuals from other areas of the company, growing their network and giving them a more expansive understanding of how the company works as a whole.

2. Job Shadowing

Job shadowing offers an opportunity for an employee to observe an employee in a different role and get an understanding of their responsibilities and daily tasks. This is a great way for a team member to explore different roles and consider their own options for their progression at your company.

For example, say an employee decides to shadow a manager on another team. They could observe the manager balancing their regular duties with management responsibilities, see how they communicate with their direct reports, and ask questions about why they decided to take a management path. With that information in their hands, the employee could then make informed decisions about the trajectory of their own career.

3. Mentorship Program

Try starting a mentorship program at your company, where senior team members mentor team members who are early on in their careers or new to your organization.

Through mentoring, your employees can learn new skills, get advice about their career paths, build friendships, and receive feedback on their performance. A mentoring relationship can also be a safe space for employees to voice ideas, concerns, and needs.

To identify team members who can serve as mentors in your program, look for individuals who:

  • Have substantial experience at your organization and in their field
  • Have the availability for regular meetings with their mentees
  • Are effective communicators
  • Are committed to your organization and its values

Though not every mentor needs to have management aspirations, it can be a great plus for those seeking management opportunities to be able to mentor other employees.

4. Skill or Knowledge Sharing

There’s likely a wealth of knowledge and skills in your company already. So, why not facilitate opportunities for employees to share their knowledge and skills?

Skill- or knowledge-sharing opportunities are presentations where an employee shares a skill they’ve learned in their role with the rest of your team. This is a great chance for employees to see what their coworkers’ roles are like and swap useful skills that make their work experience better.

For example, one employee might present their strategy for managing their email inbox. Another employee might discuss the sales process. No matter what your employees have to share, your entire team can learn something new.

These presentations are great to host as informal Lunch and Learn meetings.

5. Personal Training Budget

Every employee is different and will have unique professional development and training wants and needs. Empower your employees to pursue the professional development opportunities they’re most interested in by designating a personal training budget for each employee. For instance, you might cover $100 worth of training materials, conference registration fees, or online course costs for each employee each year.

As employees can choose which training opportunities they want to take advantage of, they’ll not only sharpen their skill sets but also learn skills that provide more value for your company. Don’t forget to encourage employees to share what they learn with the rest of your team.

6. Resource Library

Building and maintaining a resource library is an effective strategy for not only helping employees develop professionally but also preserving all the knowledge and skills that your team brings to the table.

Your resource library can include things like your employee handbook, online training courses, ebooks, podcasts, videos and webinars, training and safety manuals, and more.

To make sure your resource library is useful to your company, consistently direct your employees toward it when they have questions or when they express interest in professional development.

7. Personal Career Development Plans

Encourage your employees to work with their managers to develop a personal career development plan. These plans help employees visualize their professional futures and the steps they’ll need to take to achieve their long-term goals at your organization.

For instance, an employee may set a goal to become a manager, outlining the skills and attributes they’ll need to develop over a set amount of time to be eligible for a management position when the opportunity arises. Or, another employee may be interested in becoming a subject matter expert (SME) in a certain area, and, working with their manager, identify the online courses they need to take or conferences they need to attend to learn about a certain topic and become your organization’s go-to person for that subject.

8. Educational Assistance Programs (EAPs)

Some employers pay for employees’ education expenses through educational assistance programs. For instance, companies like McDonald’s and Walmart offer tuition assistance for eligible employees who want to pursue a college degree.

In addition to covering educational expenses like tuition, books, or online learning subscriptions, you can also provide flexible scheduling that allows employees to attend classes or study without sacrificing their work hours.

9. Leadership Training

Your employees may have aspirations to become managers or leaders themselves one day. Share your knowledge by hosting optional leadership training meetings consistently. You can cover topics like:

  • Delegation
  • Active listening
  • Problem-solving
  • Playing to your strengths
  • Strategic thinking
  • Influence and persuasion

You can also invite leaders from across the company to present on these and other topics. Make sure to provide plenty of personal experiences and anecdotes as you share how you’ve developed these skills over the years.

Health and Wellbeing Employee Engagement Ideas

Are your employees happy and healthy? Your employees’ physical, mental, and emotional health can all impact how they feel about their jobs and also affect other aspects of their lives (such as their relationships).

This next set of employee engagement ideas focuses on ways you can engage your team members through health and wellbeing initiatives and stresses the importance of the connection between employees feeling cared for at work and how engaged they are.

This image lists some employee engagement ideas related to health and wellbeing.

1. Stress Management Workshop

According to the American Institute of Stress, 83% of U.S. workers are stressed out by work, with 25% saying that their job is their number one stressor in life.

Even the best jobs and workplace situations can still leave employees feeling stressed out. This fact is important for you to acknowledge as an employer, and you can mitigate its negative impact by hosting a stress management workshop.

To host a workshop that will be useful to your employees, consider inviting someone with stress management experience (such as a therapist or psychologist) to lead the discussion. You’ll likely want your expert to cover the different types of stress, potential workplace stressors, how to gauge personal stress levels, and useful coping techniques.

Drive home the importance of stress management by following up with your employees after the workshop. For example, a few weeks after the workshop, you might invite people to report back on how their stress management efforts are playing out. Or, you might share a coping mechanism that recently worked for you.

2. Yoga or Meditation Sessions

Yoga and meditation are effective ways for people to focus on their mind and body connection and practice mindfulness.

Try hosting monthly, weekly, or even daily meditation or yoga sessions at your office. Thanks to technology like YouTube or mindfulness apps like Calm or Headspace, you don’t need to be a yoga or meditation expert to lead an effective session.

These sessions can be quick, giving you and your team just enough time to take a deep breath and center yourselves before diving back into your daily tasks.

3. Mental Health Support

A recent study by One Medical found that 64% of workers struggle with mental health issues. There are many ways your company can offer mental health support as part of its employee engagement efforts.

These include:

  • Launching an employee assistance program (EAP) focused on mental health
  • Providing mental health awareness training to managers
  • Offering a mental health stipend to help employees cover mental health costs like counseling
  • Developing policies that address mental health, such as a mental health day policy
  • Providing access to mental health resources like online self-help tools
  • Creating an inclusive, supportive culture and encouraging a healthy work-life balance

Though these methods can make a big difference to your employees, remember to emphasize the importance of working with a licensed mental health professional as needed.

4. Healthy Break Room Snacks

Who doesn’t enjoy a good snack during their workday?

Encourage your employees to stay on top of their physical health and eat a balanced diet by stocking your break room with healthy snacks. Granola bars, nuts, fruit and vegetable trays, and protein packs are all great options.

5. Field Day

A field day is a fun event where you and your employees can participate in fun field games and enjoy a day outside. You can host a field day at a local park, featuring activities like:

  • Three-legged races
  • Sack races
  • Egg and spoon races
  • Tug-of-War
  • Volleyball
  • Kickball

Your employees will enjoy spending time outdoors and working together to win each field game. Don’t forget to motivate your participants by offering fun prizes!

6. Stretching Sessions

Stretching relieves tension and stress built up throughout the work day.

Try scheduling a regular stretching session in the morning or afternoon and encourage employees to get up and stretch their arms and legs. This is also a great opportunity for employees to give their eyes, necks, and wrists a break from using a computer!

Work-Life Balance Employee Engagement Ideas

As an employer, it’s important to acknowledge that employees need balance in all areas of their life, especially when it comes to work and everything outside of work. You can do your part as an employer to encourage healthy boundaries between your employees and their jobs by employing the following engagement ideas.

This image lists some employee engagement ideas related to work-life balance.

1. Flexible Work Arrangements

Though a majority of workers still work in an office, 12.7% work from home and 28.2% work a hybrid model, according to Forbes. It’s clear that remote and hybrid work aren’t going anywhere, and there’s good reason for that.

Forbes also points out that a whopping 98% of employees want to work from home at least part of the time. Working from home offers a level of autonomy and flexibility that in-office workers just don’t experience.

Consider making your current work arrangements more flexible by offering more work-from-home time to your employees. However, remember that there is still value in having employees gather in an office.

You might help your employees get the best of both worlds by letting them choose which days of the week they’d like to work from home or requiring employees to come to the office on meeting-heavy days. This way, they can still socialize with their coworkers and work together face-to-face while also getting plenty of independent work time in at home on the other days of the week.

2. Paid Time Off (PTO)

PTO is likely a benefit you offer to your full-time employees, but what is your company’s culture like when it comes to actually using that PTO?

Make sure your employees feel comfortable taking advantage of their PTO and vacation days. Lead by example by using your own vacation time well, and make sure to discuss how time away from work can benefit employees both personally and professionally.

3. Family-Friendly or Plus-One Activities

If you choose to schedule fun activities for your employees to participate in outside of work hours, consider making some of those activities family-friendly or encourage employees to bring a plus one. This will encourage more people to attend, whether they feel more comfortable attending with a friend or partner, or aren’t able to attend regular activities due to childcare constraints.

Outdoor activities like field days or big events like your company’s holiday parties are great options for taking a family-friendly or plus-one approach.

4. Compressed Work Week

You’ve probably heard about the new trend in work scheduling, the four-day work week. This approach can look different depending on a company’s needs, whether employers choose to give employees one day off a week or just ask that employees work an average of 32 hours per week instead of 40.

A four-day work week trial in the U.K. resulted in increased revenue for participating companies and boosted employee well-being. If you’ve considered a compressed work week in the past, now may be the time to give it a try!

5. Encourage Breaks

We’ve all been there—feeling so busy at work that you opt to avoid conversations around the coffee pot, skip lunch, and hurry home just to work more after dinner. After all, it seems logical that more time spent on a task equals better results, but that’s not really the case.

In fact, working long hours on tasks without any breaks can leave employees feeling burnt out and frustrated with their jobs. Instead, research shows that planning and taking full advantage of breaks can help employees feel more energized and even boost their performance.

Make sure to encourage breaks in your workplace. You can do this in a number of different ways, from leading by example to encouraging employees to schedule regular breaks on their calendars. You can even ask managers to check in with their direct reports on a frequent basis to ensure they’re taking the breaks they need to do their best work.

6. Encourage Disconnecting After Work Hours

Especially in the day and age of smartphones, work can easily follow your employees home, making some feel like they have to respond to emails, calls, and text messages even when they’re not on the clock.

Boost engagement and encourage a healthy work-life balance by creating a workplace policy that encourages employees to disconnect after the work day. This practice can allow your employees to focus more fully on their friends, family, and hobbies outside of work.

Even if you expect your employees to keep up with their inboxes or answer the occasional call when on vacation, make it clear that you don’t expect them to be constantly available.

Communication and Feedback Employee Engagement Ideas

For your employees to feel truly involved and invested in your organization’s goals and overall success, you need to prioritize effective communication and feedback. The right strategies can help your team be more efficient and encourage individuals to grow and develop their skill sets. Check out the following employee engagement ideas related to communication and feedback.

This image lists some employee engagement ideas related to communication and feedback.

1. Open-Door Communication Policy

When your employees know that you’re open to hearing their questions, suggestions, comments, and more, you’ll experience benefits like:

  • Better employee morale
  • Faster problem-solving and decision-making
  • More effective collaboration
  • Enhanced trust in leadership

To make your open-door policy efficient, let employees know when you’re available for discussions. You might even consider holding “office hours” once a week and encouraging team members to hold comments or questions until that time.

2. Frequent Surveys

Surveys are a great way to gauge how your employees are feeling about certain topics or to source new ideas for your organization to run with. For example, you might send out a quarterly survey that asks your employees to identify any inefficiencies they see in their workflow or ideas they have for increasing revenue or decreasing costs.

Surveys work well because they allow everyone the time and space to communicate their ideas in writing. Plus, if you make some of your surveys anonymous, you’ll get more candid responses that will give you an accurate view of what’s going on in your workplace.

3. Suggestion Box Program

Suggestion boxes encourage team members to share any time they have a great idea for improving a process or making your organization a better place to work.

Depending on the nature of your workplace, your suggestion box may be a physical box or an online spreadsheet where people can leave their ideas. Either way, make sure to check the “box” regularly.

It will also be important to respond to each idea so that individual contributors feel heard. Even if your organization won’t be running with an idea, it can be helpful to provide feedback on the idea and thank them for the suggestion.

4. Regular One-on-One Meetings

One-on-one meetings between managers and their direct reports can be an effective way to encourage consistent communication between employees and company leadership.

Harvard Business Review recommends managers have one-on-one meetings with each employee for 30 minutes each week and that managers prioritize listening over speaking. This meeting is an employee’s opportunity to talk about what is going well in their role and seek guidance about how to improve or overcome challenges, so letting them lead the charge on what they want to talk about is crucial.

5. Performance Reviews

Chances are, your organization already holds regular performance reviews at least once each fiscal year. However, your performance review process is worth revisiting if you’re looking for ways to improve employee engagement. Follow these tips from RealHR Solutions to improve how you conduct reviews:

  • Identify what you want to accomplish by holding performance reviews.
  • Have managers share self-assessments with employees, as well as instructions for completing them.
  • Have employees complete and share their self-assessments.
  • Ask managers to gather feedback on each individual’s performance from their peers, clients, and others who work with them.
  • Have managers review employees’ self-assessments and complete performance review forms.
  • Hold performance reviews to cover key accomplishments and improvement opportunities, as well as any compensation changes.
  • Have managers and their direct reports consistently revisit goals set in the most recent round of reviews.

Remember, you can always improve your performance review process down the road. You might even ask your employees what they see as the most valuable parts of the process and what needs to be optimized further.

6. Internal Newsletters

Keep your employees in the loop by sending out a monthly internal newsletter. This is a great place to provide company-wide updates and celebrate things like birthdays, workaversaries, and more.

To ensure that your newsletters don’t go straight to your employees’ email trash bins, make them interesting to read. Include visuals like photos from your last company party or links to a recent TedTalk your organization’s leadership highly recommends.

Wrapping Up: Inspire Your Employees With a Solid Engagement Strategy

Fully engaging your employees is key to long-term organizational success, and there are dozens of ways to do so, from engaging in corporate philanthropy to starting a company book club or implementing an open-door communication policy.

In this guide, we’ve covered the ins and outs of employee engagement, as well as some of our favorite ideas for your organization to try. Consider your own organization’s engagement levels and culture, and pick a few ideas that you want to implement.

Don’t worry if there’s a bit of a learning curve as you get started—the best employee engagement strategies will take some tweaking to get right! However, your efforts will pay off down the road as you strengthen your workplace and retain your employees for the long term. You’ve got this!

Ready to keep learning about employee engagement opportunities? We recommend these resources:

Click through and learn more about how auto-submission can positively impact your employee engagement efforts.

Engaging Multigenerational Donors With Workplace Giving

Engaging Multigenerational Donors [With Workplace Giving]

Tons of companies offer workplace giving programs as a way to incentivize employees to give back to their communities. To make the most of these philanthropic initiatives, qualifying nonprofits are taking increasingly proactive steps to drive supporter participation. But with a need for engaging multigenerational donors in the workforce, promoting the opportunities is not a one-size-fits-all task.

Instead, we recommend exploring effective strategies as you tailor your approach to each age group. And you’ve come to the right place to do so! In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about engaging varying generations of supporters, including:

Remember: the more you adjust your fundraising approach to your intended audience, the more likely the segment is to actively engage with your efforts.

Ready to create impactful and inclusive workplace giving programs that resonate with every generation in your supporter base? Let’s dive in.

The Unmatched Value of Multigenerational Donor Engagement

Your organization is likely backed by a wide range of donors of all ages, races, genders, backgrounds, and more. But do you take a universal approach to engagement? How exactly does a person’s stage in life factor into their relationship with your organization? Where do employee giving opportunities come into play for any age group?

These are the questions you should be asking yourself if you’re looking to develop a multigenerational engagement strategy.

A look at the different generations to engage with your workplace giving strategy

And doing so is essential. After all, facilitating long-lasting connections with supporters of all age ranges empowers your organization to build a sustainable donor network.

As of findings from 2022 annual giving, the estimated generational giving breakdown is as follows:

  • Matures ⁠— 20.2%
  • Baby Boomers ⁠— 40.8%
  • Generation X ⁠— 22.9%
  • Millennials ⁠— 13.9%
  • Gen Z ⁠— 2.2%

Meanwhile, the makeup of the current workforce looks like this:

  • Matures ⁠— 1.3%
  • Baby Boomers ⁠— 25.6%
  • Generation X ⁠— 33.1%
  • Millennials ⁠— 35%
  • Gen Z ⁠— 5%

All in all, workplace giving programs continue to go significantly underutilized, with an estimated $4 to $7 billion in corporate funds going unclaimed from matching gifts each year⁠—with volunteer grants and other employee giving initiatives falling short as well.

Ultimately, a strategy that focuses too narrowly on the older generations is likely to miss out on the immense opportunities made available by the up-and-coming (and, in many cases, already here) younger donors in your network. Conversely, centering too much on younger donors can cause missed potential from older generations who remain and still possess invaluable experience, deep connections, and a strong commitment to philanthropic support.

The answer? A well-balanced, multigenerational fundraising and workplace giving strategy that prioritizes the strengths of each group to maximize overall success.

Top Fundraising + Workplace Giving Strategies by Generation

With different characteristics defining each segment, effective workplace giving efforts can vary accordingly. Here, we’ll provide an overview of the five generations currently in the workforce⁠—and partaking in philanthropy⁠—and our recommended practices for engaging with the group.

Source: Giving USA’s Special Report – Giving by Generation
How to engage Mature donors with workplace giving

The Matures

  • Age in 2023: 77 years and older
  • Key Characteristics: Dependable, straightforward, and reliable
  • Influenced by: Tradition, loyalty, recognition, and authority
  • Preferred Communication Channels: Direct mail, phone calls
  • Preferred Giving Methods: Direct mail, check/cash donations

Born prior to 1946, the Matures (also known as the Traditionalists or the Silent Generation) exhibit strong values of loyalty, discipline, and respect for authority. They have a powerful sense of duty and often prioritize stability and tradition. Though the causes they support are widespread, the Matures tend to be drawn to established institutions with long-standing, positive reputations.

Though the vast majority of the Mature generation is now retired, the group continues to give generously to the organizations they care about. In fact, retirees contribute an estimated 42% of all charitable dollars in the U.S. each year.

Our Top Tip: Familiarize yourself (and your team) with matching gift and volunteer grant programs that are inclusive of retirees!

Luckily, a lot of companies include retired employees in their workplace giving programs⁠—such as ⁠the Coca-Cola Company, Johnson and Johnson, Chevron, Gap (and its subsidiaries), and many more.

However, there’s a good chance that eligible retirees (or even those still working for the companies) remain unaware of these programs. Thus, it’s a good idea for your organization to research available programs and communicate the opportunity to your audience.
How to engage Baby Boomer donors with workplace giving

Baby Boomers

  • Age in 2023: 59 to 77 years old
  • Key Characteristics: Optimistic, driven, and value personal growth
  • Influenced by: Social change, civil rights, and economic prosperity
  • Preferred Communication Channels: Meetings, phone calls, Facebook
  • Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, check/cash donations

Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers are a generation known for their strong work ethic and dedication to social causes. This group believes in making a tangible impact on specific communities or individuals through their charitable contributions. Plus, they often seek opportunities to actively engage with causes they care about.

When engaging Baby Boomers in workplace giving, it is crucial to emphasize the outcomes and measurable results of their doubled donations. Recognizing their long-standing commitment to making a difference and providing volunteer opportunities can also resonate well with this generation.

Our Top Tip: Highlight the opportunity for Baby Boomers to leave a lasting (and multiplied) legacy through workplace giving.

As this group approaches or enters retirement age, Boomers often take the time to reflect on their life’s accomplishments⁠—and the impact they want to have made. By emphasizing how their contributions, combined with corporate funding, can create a meaningful and enduring impact on the causes they care about, nonprofits can tap into their desire to leave a positive mark on the world.

Be sure to provide tangible examples and motivational stories that demonstrate how matching gifts and volunteer grants have made a difference for your organization!How to engage Gen X donors with workplace giving

Generation X

  • Age in 2023: 43 to 58 years old
  • Key Characteristics: Independent, adaptable, and familiar with significant changes
  • Influenced by: Authentic storytelling and tangible giving outcomes
  • Preferred Communication Channels: Email, social media
  • Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, event-based giving

Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X is known for their independent, resourceful, and self-reliant nature. Gen Xers often seek causes that align with their personal beliefs, and they appreciate efficiency in communications. Plus, this group values flexibility and giving experiences that provide a sense of meaning.

When engaging Generation X donors in workplace giving, it’s a great idea to offer options that cater to their individual wants and needs. Providing customizable and streamlined ways to get involved with matching gifts, volunteer grants, and more, highlighting tangible outcomes, and offering opportunities for skills-based volunteering that align with their professional expertise can be effective ways to engage with this generation.

Our Top Tip: Harness Gen X’s desire for financial efficiency by promoting the potential to double their donation impact through matching gifts.

Generation Xers, who are often at the peak of their earning potential, appreciate maximizing the value of their giving. Highlight the fact that their donations can be matched by their employers, effectively doubling the impact they make on the causes they care about. And it’s all without reaching back into their own wallets at all!

How to engage Millennial donors with workplace giving

Millennials

  • Age in 2023: 27 to 42 years old
  • Key Characteristics: Tech-savvy, socially conscious, and outcome focused
  • Influenced by: Peer-to-peer communication, transparency, and impact
  • Preferred Communication Channels: Email, text messaging
  • Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, peer-to-peer fundraising

Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials are a generation characterized by their tech-savviness, passion for social justice, and desire for meaningful experiences. They grew up in the age of technological advancements and are often highly connected through social media and other digital platforms.

Overall, this group values transparency and tangible impact and is typically more motivated to give to causes rather than specific institutions. Millennials saw a 40% increase in average annual household giving from 2016 to 2022⁠—the only generation with a positive change in the period. Providing opportunities for hands-on involvement, peer-to-peer fundraising, and highlighting the collective impact of their contributions can further engage this segment.

Plus, the group is already highly involved in workplace giving, with more than 86% of Millennial employees donating to nonprofit causes. Not to mention, a 2020 study reported that 58% of young professionals had given through an employee giving program, compared to only 37% overall.

Millennials also volunteer at a higher rate than any other generation, which means that volunteer grants are an excellent opportunity to pursue.

Our Top Tip: Mention workplace giving opportunities in your Millennial-focused donation appeals to incentivize giving in the first place!

A recent study indicated that while 64% of donors say that the presence of a matching gift is likely to motivate them to give, Millennials are more likely to be impacted by a match (over 78%) than any other generation.

Not to mention, younger generations of donors are increasingly likely to work for socially conscious companies that offer matching gift and volunteer grant programs, thus elevating their chances of eligibility.

How to engage Gen Z donors with workplace giving

Gen Z

  • Age in 2023: 11 to 26 years old
  • Key Characteristics: Tech-native, prioritizes diversity, and values social justice
  • Influenced by: Desire to create social change
  • Preferred Communication Channels: Messaging, texts
  • Preferred Giving Methods: Online donations, crowdfunding, monthly giving

Gen Z represents the youngest group entering the workforce and, subsequently, becoming potential donors. Born between 1996 and 2012, Gen Z is often overlooked for its relatively limited capacity to give. However, this group currently has the “fastest growing economic power across all generational cohorts.”

With an estimated $360 billion in disposable income in 2021, Gen Z is expected to grow its aggregate income to over $33 trillion by 2030. As their disposable income grows, organizations can expect donation amounts to follow. And securing them as supporters now can go a long way in the end!

Also worth noting is that Generation Z is the most likely to opt for monthly giving (62%), which is often attributed to their familiarity with paying for subscription-based services. They favor regular communications as well, typically preferring monthly updates from the organizations they support.

Our Top Tip: Communicate the potential of workplace giving initiatives to further amplify recurring donations.

A common misunderstanding surrounding matching gift programs is that recurring donations do not qualify for employer matching. But in most cases, that’s generally not true! Make an effort to research your monthly donors’ corporate giving guidelines and communicate relevant information to your supporters.

By participating in their employers’ philanthropic initiatives, recurring donors can make an even greater impact on the causes they care about. You just need to break down the myths that are holding your match potential back and take a proactive approach to marketing workplace giving opportunities to your youngest donors.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CONNECTING WITH YOUNG DONORS

Collecting Donor Data to Segment Your Engagement Strategy

As with any effective segmentation strategy, you’ll need the right information to inform your organization’s efforts. As you aim to elevate your workplace giving initiatives with generational data, you’ll need two key types of details.

Demographic Information

What is it? Defined as “quantifiable attributes of a population, group, or individual,” demographic information includes details such as age, gender, income, education level, marital status, location, and more. Regarding multigenerational engagement, the most essential metric you’ll need is your donors’ (as well as volunteers’ and other supporters’) age groups.

Why does it matter? Having this information will allow you to target your workplace giving strategies accordingly! For example, you might determine that a top matching gift opportunity falls into the “Mature Generation” category. In that case, you may decide to send a direct mailing that highlights the opportunity and shares the information they need to participate rather than rely solely on digital outreach.

How can I get it? The easiest way is just to ask. But you don’t have to come right out and ask for their exact age. Instead, add an optional donation form field that prompts donors to enter their date of birth (hint: you can also send a birthday card!).

Collect age data to engage multigenerational donors with workplace giving

Or, ask supporters to check a box for the age range they fall into (ex: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+).

Employment Data

What is it? The other key information you’ll need to market workplace giving strategies effectively has to do with your supporters’ employment data. Though the companies your audience works (or worked) for is the most essential piece, it can also help to know their working status⁠—such as full-time, part-time, or retired.

Why does it matter? This information will help your team (or your software) identify available opportunities for workplace giving programs. When you see that your donors work for companies that match gifts or your volunteers work for companies that provide volunteer grants, you’ll want to follow up with information about how they can get involved.

How can I get it?Add another field to your donation form that prompts supporters to enter the name of their company, or embed our employer search tool directly into your giving page or confirmation screen. With Double the Donation, you can even enlist follow-up messaging to provide another opportunity for donors to share the information with ease. Jump to the next section to learn more about how automation helps drive results!

Collect employment data to engage multigenerational donors with workplace giving

Top tip: When you provide context for the ask (e.g., “See if your company will match your gift! Select your employer here.”), donors typically respond particularly well. On the other hand, a data appending service can help fill in the blanks for those who don’t provide it themselves.

Our #1 Recommendation for Engaging All Generations: Automating Workplace Giving

When it comes to engaging multigenerational donors in workplace giving, there is one strategy that stands out above the rest… And that is automating the process.

Workplace giving automation not only streamlines the process for your team behind the scenes but also enhances convenience, accessibility, and engagement for donors across all age groups.

Here’s how automation elevates matching gifts and volunteer grants:

Increases awareness of the opportunity for all supporters.

There’s a significant knowledge gap regarding workplace giving programs among every generation. In fact, an estimated 78% of eligible donors have no idea that their employer matches. Luckily, workplace giving technology automates marketing and promotions around the opportunity, ensuring that every donor receives information regarding the programs. When supporters are aware of their chance to stretch their impact further with matching gifts and volunteer grants, they’re often eager to participate!

Facilitates easy personalization.

Individuals of all generations appreciate personalized outreach. From seeing their name in an email subject line to being provided with insights for their employer’s giving program, tailored messaging strengthens relationships⁠—and produces results. With a matching gift tool, the software fills in the blanks in customizable templates, providing highly specific communications with no added effort.

Appeals to all levels of tech savviness.

In today’s digital age, younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z often prefer digital engagement. After all, they tend to have ample experience with online transactions. And while older generations may not be as familiar with the technology, an automated tool can go a long way in helping guide them through the process with detailed assistance and step-by-step instructions. Now, they won’t need to go searching in their company’s intranet for a matching gift form to complete⁠—because they were provided with a direct link to the submission portal in their email.

Tracks and drives more matches to completion.

Ultimately amplifying giving with more matches making it across the finish line, automation allows for seamless matching gift tracking and follow-ups. The end result is fewer matches left unclaimed and more corporate funds available to your organization. And when supporters of all ages see the impact of their contributions being multiplied, they’ll become increasingly engaged with your cause.

Engaging multigenerational donors with workplace giving software


Final Thoughts

Engaging multigenerational donors is a dynamic and multifaceted process that requires careful consideration of your audience. After all, each segment plays a key role in your overall fundraising and workplace giving success. Thus, you’ll want to account for the diverse needs and preferences of every generation.

The better you understand the primary characteristics, values, and motivations that describe each group, the more effectively your organization can tailor its giving programs. Plus, there are a few key strategies that can lend themselves to powerful workplace giving results across all generations⁠—such as investing in dedicated matching gift and volunteer grant technology⁠—that you certainly don’t want to miss.

In the end, your nonprofit will be better funded, your donors feel strengthened connections to your cause, and the communities you serve experience greater programming made available through workplace giving revenue.

Best of luck!

Sources:

Engaging multigenerational donors through workplace giving is easy with Double the Donation.

Explore current corporate philanthropy trends and discover how nonprofits and companies can drive value through corporate giving.

8 Trends in Corporate Philanthropy for 2024: How to Tap In

Corporate philanthropy programs like matching gifts, volunteer grants, employee giving campaigns, and corporate sponsorships evolve constantly to meet the needs of companies, nonprofits, and supporters. But external factors are at play that impact trends in corporate philanthropy, too.

For instance, when the economy seems rocky, many worry that corporate matching gifts will be negatively impacted. But luckily, that’s not been the case this year. Instead, many corporations have historically expanded their giving programs in the face of economic downturns to help combat the negative effects on nonprofits.

In this guide, we’ll dive into this year’s CSR trends—particularly those pertaining to workplace giving. We’ll take a close look at what we’re currently seeing and what we expect to continue into the future. Specifically, we’ll cover:

If you’re looking for the Too Long; Didn’t Read version, it’s this⁠: corporate philanthropy programs like matching gifts are thriving, and we don’t expect them to go away anytime soon. For a more in-depth look, however, keep reading to find the latest industry developments and what they mean for your nonprofit.

Click to demo 360MatchPro and see how it can help your nonprofit tap into these trends in corporate philanthropy.

8 Trends in Corporate Philanthropy To Pay Attention To

With the explosive growth of giving initiatives comes a number of new patterns and trends in corporate philanthropy worth exploring. Here’s what’s currently shaping the corporate philanthropy landscape:

This infographic and the text below explore eight trends in corporate philanthropy for 2024.

1. More small and mid-sized companies are participating.

Historically, primarily enterprise-level corporations have offered programs like matching gifts. Companies needed a big budget to get started⁠, not to mention the time and energy required to run the program.

Today, our analysis shows that over 65% of Fortune 500 companies still provide matching gifts⁠, but the number of small and mid-sized businesses following suit is also growing rapidly. The introduction of a number of dedicated corporate giving platforms designed for smaller teams has made this change possible for organizations with limited budgets.

Now, just about any employer can hop in on this corporate giving trend, get started with matching gifts, and see a substantial return on their investment! All in all, that means organizations are seeing more match-eligible donors⁠, with 26+ million individuals working for companies that match employee gifts thanks to this CSR trend.

This statistic proves one of the top trends in corporate philanthropy, which is that companies are maintaining and heightening CSR programs.

2. Year-round giving programs are becoming mainstream.

In the last few years, an increasing number of companies have expanded their corporate philanthropy programs—going from one-off annual giving campaigns to year-round employee-matching programs.

This is due in part to an increased focus on corporate social responsibility from both employees and consumers. U.S.-based consumers have realized the need for philanthropy and want the companies the work for and buy from to take part. Additionally, businesses realize that the benefits of year-round corporate philanthropy on their bottom line are significant!

That said, we can expect to see continued growth in year-round and recurring corporate giving. In fact, according to studies, 94% of major U.S. corporations plan to heighten or maintain their current level of philanthropy in the next few years. With the workplace giving trends we’re seeing, we estimate that a notable portion of that increased giving will be contributed through employee-driven initiatives, like matching gifts. This means your donors will be in the driver’s seat—so keep up your outreach!

3. Nonprofits are proactively seeking matching gifts.

Even with an increasing number of companies offering matching gifts, eligible employees being unaware of the programs available to them remains a significant roadblock. Research even shows that less than 19% of companies include adequate information on matching gift programs in easily accessible employee-facing materials.

The result? 78% of donors do not know whether their company matches gifts. Thus, available matches are going unclaimed⁠—so nonprofits are taking it upon themselves to promote matching gifts to their audiences proactively. That way, they can grow awareness and be on the positive side of this workplace giving trend. Education can take many forms but often consists of:

One trend in corporate philanthropy is proactive matching gift promotions from nonprofits.

With these efforts and other strategic matching gift outreach, nonprofits can increase the number of donors who are aware of their employers’ corporate philanthropy programs—therefore boosting the amount of matched donations they receive.

4. Companies are being more generous with matching gifts.

Today’s businesses recognize that matching gift programs incentivize employees to be charitable, and being as generous as possible can inspire greater participation in workplace philanthropy. That’s why generosity in matching gifts has gradually become a corporate philanthropy trend.

We’ve noticed that more companies are experimenting with these strategies:

  • Matching donations at higher ratios
  • Lowering minimum donation amounts
  • Increasing maximum donation amounts

By simply promising to match donations at higher rates, companies can grow employees’ impact and make it more worthwhile for employees to submit a match request. Currently, our CSR research shows that around 93% of companies have a minimum match requirement of less than or equal to $50. Having fairly cheap match requirements lowers barriers to participation since even modest donations will be eligible for matching.

The same goes for increasing maximum donation amounts. Our corporate giving statistics page explains that when companies match larger employee donations, more employees will engage. In fact, programs with $1,000 maximums see a 12% employee engagement rate, those with maximums between $1,001 and $10,000 have an 18% engagement rate, and any maximum beyond $10,000 sees an engagement rate of up to 40%.

5. Companies are prioritizing disaster relief and crisis response.

Many companies’ giving initiatives have prioritized disaster relief philanthropy. According to Candid’s analysis of public corporate announcements, companies donated $3.6 billion to disaster-related funding in 2020, and recent trends in corporate philanthropy indicate that it’s still a top priority.

With this year’s increase in climate-related emergencies like hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts, there’s clearly a need for this kind of philanthropy. Companies and their employees alike are making an effort to provide relief by participating in crowdfunding, volunteering, and matching gift initiatives.

6. More companies and nonprofits are forming partnerships.

Corporate philanthropy initiatives like matching gifts involve a few key stakeholders—namely, the companies offering the programs and the nonprofits receiving associated funds. To make the process as simple and direct as possible, the two parties are forming tighter partnerships.

One example of this corporate philanthropy trend is our innovative matching gift auto-submission functionality. Auto-submission within 360MatchPro enables employees at forward-thinking companies like CheckrInnovative Discovery, and more to submit their matching gift requests right from their favorite organizations’ giving pages. Check out this overview of how this feature works for nonprofits:

 

It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s all handled behind the scenes⁠. Thus, it minimizes complications for nonprofits, companies, and donors alike, driving more matching gifts to completion and contributing to this workplace giving trend.

Click here to explore how matching gift auto-submission enables you to tap into these corporate philanthropy trends.

7. Employees want greater value, flexibility, and transparency in workplace giving.

Flexibility and support are emerging as essential for employee engagement in workplace giving. An employee giving study from Fidelity Charitable uncovered this trend in workplace giving. Employees who are active in workplace giving programs enjoy participating but cited the following as ways to improve these programs:

Trends in workplace giving point to employees' rising expectations for companies.

  • 40% want an increase in the value of the benefit (e.g., higher corporate match)
  • 39% prefer their employers to offer a wider variety of programs
  • 39% wish companies would allow greater flexibility in when employees can participate
  • 36% want greater flexibility in the causes they can support
  • 34% wish employers would provide more information about their programs and how to get involved
  • 30% want greater transparency about how donations are used

Employees want more than a paycheck from their employers. They want to feel like they’re making a difference. Meanwhile, employees are also balancing a lot, both in and out of the workplace. To inspire participation in workplace giving, companies need to be flexible with the opportunities they offer, ensure those workplace giving options are valuable, and regularly report on impact. That way, they can hop in on this trend in workplace giving expectations among employees.

8. Businesses are using volunteering to grow employee skills and satisfaction.

Corporate volunteering is a wonderful way to grow workplace satisfaction and lower turnover rates for companies. In fact, 87% of employees who engage in corporate volunteering reported an improved perception of their employer. And this isn’t all for nothing! According to that same resource, 92% of HR executives encourage volunteering since it can improve employees’ professional skills.

For this CSR trend, let’s take a look at a real-world example. Bombas is a comfort-focused premium basics brand and a wonderful example of a socially responsible company. Their company is so committed to using workplace philanthropy as a way to increase employee satisfaction that it was actually named one of the best places to work in the U.S.

100% of its employees reported feeling good about how the company contributes to the community. One of the top ways the company gives back is by organizing 10 to 15 volunteering opportunities for employees each month.

For companies, follow in Bombas’ footsteps if you want to get in on this trend in corporate philanthropy. Nonprofits can tap in by looking for companies like this and forming partnerships when their missions align with the business’s CSR initiatives.

Recent Industry Developments in Matching Gifts

Tons of companies contribute to these corporate philanthropy trends by matching employee gifts. Our matching gift database contains records of over 24,000 companies’ program guidelines.

We work to provide the most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date source of information on the topic, and recently, we can attest that programs’ potential is continuously trending upward⁠. Specifically, new, reinstated, and expanding matching gift initiatives are driving growth. Let’s take a closer look at these developments.

New programs

These are the logos of two companies, discussed below, that started new matching gift programs this year to participate in corporate philanthropy trends.

New companies are rolling out matching gift programs every day! Check out these examples of businesses that have recently incorporated matching gifts into their ongoing corporate giving strategies:

  • Russell Reynolds Associates: In 2022, Russell Reynolds Associates established RRA Gives Back, a philanthropic program that encourages RRA colleagues to support charitable causes and get their contributions matched by the company.
  • Kraft Group: The Kraft Group and its subsidiaries have long participated in various philanthropic activities. One of their newest initiatives is matching employee donations, doubling employees’ impact when they donate.

Another trend in corporate philanthropy we’re seeing more and more of is employees advocating for matching gift programs to their employers. So if a number of your donors are not eligible for matching gifts, don’t fret! Instead, provide resources that can help them champion gift-matching on your behalf.

Knowing their employees want a matching gift program can be a significant motivator for rolling out such an initiative. In exchange, companies can look forward to increased employee engagement, productivity, and retention.

Reinstated programs

These are the logos of the four companies discussed below, which reinstated matching gift programs and influenced current CSR trends.

Thanks to the significant value that companies see in their corporate social responsibility efforts, many businesses have recently reinstated their matching gift programs. Companies recognize philanthropy as an integral aspect of their businesses.

For example, here are a few companies that are matching gifts again after a brief intermission in their programming:

  • Booz Allen Hamilton: Previously suspended in 2021, Booz Allen Hamilton’s matching gift program is once again live as of 2023. Both full-time and part-time team members are encouraged to join the company in supporting their favorite charitable causes.
  • Kimray Inc.: Kimray Inc. resumed matching donations of up to $2,000 per team member per year to eligible nonprofit causes. Though they’ll match many organizations and educational institutions, Kimray places a special emphasis on missions related to youth programming, culture, and their local communities.
  • International Business Machines (IBM): IBM paused match operations while switching to a new system. However, the program is now live, and IBM employees are able to request matching gifts of up to $10,000 per year!
  • United Parcel Service (UPS)Though it stopped matching employee gifts for a period, UPS has been back and matching since late 2022. Facilitated through the UPS Foundation, UPS’s matching gift program is designed to empower team members to make a difference through workplace giving.

These companies may have reinstated their programs because they’re in a better place financially, but it’s also likely that they recognized that matching gifts are a long-term investment in their communities. Regardless of the reasoning, we’re glad these companies are back!

Expanding programs

These are the logos of the three companies discussed below that contributed to current corporate philanthropy trends by expanding matching gift programs.

Companies with existing matching gift programs are also expanding their efforts⁠ by increasing their matching gift ratio and/or upping their maximum match amount per year. Here are a few examples of companies recently making these changes:

  • American Eagle Outfitters: Quadrupling their maximum match amount (from $500 to $2,000 per team member per year), American Eagle continues to offer a best-in-class matching gift program! They also upgraded from a paper request form to an online submission portal⁠, making it simpler than ever for employees to get involved.
  • The Hartford: With an increasing match ratio from 0.5:1 to matching on a dollar-for-dollar basis, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. empowers employees to give by doubling individual donations.
  • Chicago Community Trust: Not only did the Chicago Community Trust increase its matching gift ratio from 2:1 to 3:1⁠ (effectively quadrupling individual donations⁠), but it also heightened the maximum gift amount to $7,500.

Not to mention, the number of matching gift programs that will match to any nonprofit continues to grow, while programs that only match to a particular mission type have severely declined. This CSR trend continues to reflect a broader shift toward more inclusive corporate philanthropy as companies empower their employees to support causes that matter to them.

How Nonprofits Can Tap Into These Corporate Philanthropy Trends

Now that you’re up to date on all the latest trends, let’s dive deeper into what they mean for your nonprofit. Ultimately, these workplace giving trends are positive and mean that your nonprofit can continue to see the benefits of corporate philanthropy. But there’s more you can do to tap in!

Our number one piece of advice for leveraging these trends in corporate philanthropy is to take a proactive approach in marketing matching gifts to your audience. 

Remember, your donors may not be aware of their companies’ matching initiatives. To maximize funding and engagement from these programs, it’s crucial to spread the word across your marketing channels. Let donors know how to check their eligibility, why they should submit match requests, and how much impact they can make with matching gifts. Check out this video for more tips on how to promote matching gifts to your donors:

On top of increasing your matching gift marketing, use these additional tips to tap into corporate philanthropy trends:

  • Invest in matching gift software. With software like 360MatchPro, you can greatly simplify the matching gift request process for donors. When you employ functionalities like matching gift auto-submission, your team can sit back and enjoy matching gift revenue trending upward.
  • Expand your promotion of disaster relief campaigns. If your nonprofit participates in crisis response or disaster relief efforts, promote these campaigns directly to corporate audiences. Reach out to businesses and let your donors know their employers can magnify their impact on aiding disasters.
  • Seek out corporate partnerships. Companies want to partner with organizations like yours! Take advantage of this corporate philanthropy trend by continuing to develop relationships with specific businesses, seeking out sponsorship opportunities, and tracking companies that frequently match your donors’ gifts.

Taking these steps will help your organization get the most out of corporate philanthropy and raise more funds for your mission.

What These CSR Trends Mean For Companies

Staying on top of trends in workplace giving isn’t only essential for nonprofits. Companies should also monitor the landscape and pay special attention to their employees’ engagement with their programs. That way, they can stay connected with increased expectations from their employees, prospective workers, investors, and customers.

Based on the corporate giving trends we’re currently seeing, this is what we suggest companies do to make a genuine impact:

  • Be generous with workplace giving programs. It’s not enough to simply engage in corporate giving. Instead, businesses should provide a wide variety employee giving opportunities, including everything from matching gifts to volunteer opportunities to charitable giving stipends.
  • Form partnerships with nonprofits. Consistently supporting one nonprofit can help grow impact while also indicating the company’s values. Companies should select reputable nonprofit partners that align with their missions.
  • Put special emphasis on matching gifts. Corporate matches are one of the most convenient yet powerful ways to give back. Companies should develop a generous program with low minimum donation requirements, high maximum donation requirements, and generous ratios. Then, they should make sure employees know about the opportunity.

Being serious about corporate giving is a great way for businesses to show they recognize their duty to give back to the communities that support them. While these tips reflect current CSR trends, we don’t expect these standards to change anytime soon.

Trending Onward & Upward

Corporate philanthropy continues to be a priority for businesses and employees everywhere. Thus, we encourage nonprofits to make the most of the opportunities at hand.

Interested in learning more about corporate philanthropy trends to be aware of? Check out these additional Double the Donation resources:

Interested in learning more about how to continue fundraising through difficult times? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!

How to Fundraise During Economic Uncertainty

Click to demo 360MatchPro and learn how to harness these corporate philanthropy trends with matching gift software.

Learn the ins-and-outs of CSR reporting software for businesses.

CSR Reporting Software: An Introductory Guide for Businesses

As companies like yours strive to meet their sustainability goals, track their environmental impact, and demonstrate their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), the need for efficient and effective reporting software has never been more crucial. That’s where CSR reporting software comes in.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about CSR reporting software, including:

Whether you’re a small business looking to get started with CSR reporting or a multinational corporation seeking to enhance transparency and accountability for your existing programs, these insights will help you maximize the value of your chosen software.

Check if your CSR platform integrates with 360MatchPro to maximize the ease and effectiveness of your program via auto-submission.

Understanding CSR Reporting Software: 3 FAQs

Before we dive into the specifics of CSR reporting software, explore these frequently asked questions to ensure you have all the foundational knowledge you need:

What is CSR reporting software, and why do companies use it?

CSR reporting software refers to a set of specialized tools designed to help organizations track, manage, and report on their philanthropic initiatives.

Companies of all sizes use CSR software and reporting features to streamline the process of collecting and analyzing data related to these efforts. It enables them to generate comprehensive reports that showcase their commitment to responsible business practices, transparency, and accountability.

Is CSR reporting mandatory?

In most countries, companies are not legally obligated to produce reports related to their philanthropic, ethical, and environmental initiatives. However, many organizations still choose to engage in CSR reporting to demonstrate their commitment to becoming a more socially conscious organization.

Keep in mind that regulatory landscapes can change over time, so it’s important for companies to stay informed on CSR standards in their jurisdictions and industries.

How can CSR reporting software benefit my organization?

CSR reporting software offers several benefits, including:

  • Enhanced efficiency: These tools streamline data tracking, management, and analysis, reducing manual effort and the risk of errors.
  • Data-driven insights: The software provides valuable insights into CSR performance, helping your business identify areas for improvement.
  • Stakeholder engagement: CSR reports can be shared with stakeholders, including investors, customers, and employees, to demonstrate responsible business practices and build trust.

While implementing new software requires an investment of time and resources on your company’s part, the benefits far outweigh the costs.

4 Features to Look for in CSR Reporting Software

Prioritize these four features in your search for the best CSR reporting software:

A graphic listing the four features to look for in CSR reporting software, listed in the text below.
1. Customization

Every organization’s CSR initiatives, objectives, and data requirements are unique. Customizability allows your company to tailor the software to align with your specific sustainability goals, industry standards, and regulatory compliance needs.

Work with developers to ensure that the software can accommodate your operational nuances. For example, if your organization decides to focus on environmental sustainability, you might require custom fields to track greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and water usage to assess and reduce your environmental impact.

2. Integration

Integration allows for a seamless exchange of data between CSR reporting software and other systems. Combining financial, operational, and sustainability data can provide a more complete picture of your CSR performance and facilitate improved decision-making.

Prioritize integrations that are relevant to your CSR-related goals. For instance, businesses that have robust matching gift programs should ensure that their CSR software integrates with a nonprofit-facing matching gift platform with auto-submission capabilities, such as 360MatchPro. Auto-submission streamlines the process of requesting, submitting, and reporting on matching gifts. As a result, you can increase your company’s philanthropic impact in less time.

For more information on matching gift auto-submission, watch this video:

3. Automation

Prioritize automation in your search for CSR reporting software, as it can significantly streamline the reporting process, enhance data accuracy, and save valuable time and resources. This makes it easier to meet reporting deadlines and focus on strategic sustainability initiatives.

Consider investing in software that has AI-driven analytics and reporting tools that can identify trends and insights automatically, reducing the need for manual data analysis. It’s also important to seek references or testimonials from current users who can attest to the software’s automation capabilities and its effectiveness in simplifying their CSR reporting processes.

4. Scalability

As your business evolves and expands, your CSR reporting needs may increase. Scalable software can handle large data volumes, accommodate additional users, and adapt to changing reporting requirements without compromising performance or data integrity.

Start by clearly defining your current and future reporting needs. Consider factors like the number of data sources, the volume of data, the complexity of reporting, and any potential growth projections.

Then, review the software’s architecture. Scalable software should be designed to handle increased loads by distributing resources efficiently. Prioritize cloud-based solutions as they can often handle large amounts of data without significant performance degradation.

How to Make the Most of CSR Reporting Software

If CSR reporting software seems like it would be a positive investment for your organization, follow these tips to ensure that its implemented correctly.

Define Clear Objectives and Metrics

Before using CSR reporting software, define clear objectives for your reporting efforts. Determine what you want to achieve through CSR reporting, whether it’s improved transparency, compliance with reporting standards, or better stakeholder engagement.

Then, identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that are relevant to your organization’s CSR goals. These may include:

  • Number of volunteer hours: Track the total number of hours volunteered by employees to understand their level of commitment to your corporate volunteerism initiatives.
  • Donations raised: Determine how much money has been raised through your CSR initiatives, whether that be through fundraising events, donation drives, or employee matching gifts.
  • Organizations or causes supported: Keep track of the number of organizations or causes supported through volunteering efforts to demonstrate the full extent of your impact.
  • Employee engagement: Measure employee satisfaction with and participation in CSR initiatives to understand how these initiatives have affected your work environment and morale.

When measuring the impact of CSR initiatives, a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics can provide a comprehensive understanding of your programs’ outcomes.

Leverage Data Visualization Tools

Most CSR reporting solutions come with data visualization tools that allow you to create visually appealing charts, graphs, and dashboards. These visuals can help stakeholders understand your performance at a glance.

Keep these tips in mind as you visualize data:

  • Choose the right visualization type. Selecting the appropriate visualization type is crucial for effectively conveying information. Consider the nature of the data and the story you want to tell. Common visualization types for CSR reporting include bar charts, pie charts, line graphs, maps, and infographics. Each type has its strengths and is suitable for different types of data.
  • Keep it simple and clear. Avoid cluttering the visualizations with excessive information or unnecessary design elements in your reports. Keep the visuals clean, uncluttered, and easy to understand.
  • Add context and storytelling. Use visualizations to tell a compelling story about your CSR initiatives. Incorporate narratives or descriptions to provide additional context and explanations for the data being presented. Use annotations, titles, and captions to guide the viewer’s attention and highlight key insights.

Remember that your choice of visualization techniques should align with the specific data and objectives of your CSR reporting.

Provide Comprehensive Training

Take these steps to ensure that your company’s staff members are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively use your CSR reporting software:

  • Provide comprehensive training materials. Develop training materials that cover all aspects of using the CSR reporting software. Consider providing both written and visual resources to accommodate diverse learning preferences, such as user manuals, video tutorials, step-by-step guides, and FAQs.
  • Hands-on training and practice. Offer hands-on training sessions where employees can actively engage with your CSR reporting software. Provide opportunities to practice inputting data, generating reports, and navigating different features. Address any questions or challenges that arise during the training sessions.
  • Ongoing support and resources. Establish a support system to assist employees after the initial training. This can include a dedicated help desk or support team that they can reach out to for assistance or troubleshooting.

Effective training is a continuous process. Regularly assess staff needs, gather feedback, and refine training materials and sessions accordingly.

A Final Note About CSR Reporting Software

As you embark on your journey toward effective CSR reporting, remember that the right software is not just a tool—it’s a strategic asset that can drive positive change and elevate your organization’s reputation in an increasingly socially conscious world. Use this foundational knowledge to guide your search and invest in the right solution for your organization.

For more information on CSR, check out these additional resources:

Check if your CSR reporting software integrates with 360MatchPro to maximize the ease and effectiveness of your program via auto-submission.

This guide will cover nine year-round employee giving campaign ideas and real examples.

9 Exciting Employee Giving Campaign Ideas & Real Examples

Thanks to the growing movement toward increased corporate citizenship, combined with innovative new technology, many companies are stepping up their employee-giving game like never before.

Businesses interested in creating or improving their workplace giving programs—as well as nonprofits eager to engage donors and corporate partners in new ways—will find inspiration in these versatile employee giving campaign ideas.

This guide will cover:

Before we dive into ideas your business can use for employee giving, let’s explore the basics.

Click to read more about how matching gift auto-submission improves engagement for employee giving campaigns.

The Importance of Employee Giving

The framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly popular across many sectors. It’s even inspiring employers to provide a variety of ways for their company to give back to the community in the form of philanthropic donations, volunteerism, and proactive policies that put people and the environment first.

Take a look at these statistics to understand the power of CSR:

This image lists three CSR statistics that show the importance of employee giving, also detailed in the text below.

  • 77% of consumers aim to support socially responsible companies.
  • 93% of employees believe companies must lead with purpose.
  • 92% of consumers would buy a product that supports a good cause.

A welcome shift from the “greed is good” mindset of past generations, corporate citizenship promotes commitment to sustainability both inside and outside corporate office walls.

Employee giving (also called workplace giving) is one of the most popular CSR strategies. It creates opportunities for everyone in a corporate environment to support charitable organizations and causes in a collective effort, making a much greater impact than what most individuals can do alone. From annual fundraisers and donation drives to giving days and volunteer programs, employee giving campaigns will (and should!) look different in every workplace, depending on your unique company culture and values.

However, there is one aspect of employee giving every workplace campaign should include: matching donations.

When individual employees give from their own pockets to eligible nonprofits, their companies should match those donations. Through matching gift programs, companies can double their employees’ impact on the causes they care about. This kind of support and commitment builds buy-in, signals to employees that their company is just as committed to this work as they are, and affirms that their participation is seen and celebrated.

The Benefits of Workplace Giving Campaigns

Employee giving initiatives backed by matching donations can do a whole lot of good—and not just for your nonprofit beneficiaries and the communities they serve.

A company’s public image, for example, can undoubtedly improve with well-documented charitable contributions. Plus, the tax incentives for large philanthropic gifts are nothing to shrug at. Still, it’s the impact that workplace giving campaigns have on employee morale that cannot be understated.

Generosity, science tells us, is tied to human happiness. Creating meaningful opportunities for employees to build relationships and contribute to good causes alongside their peers leads to a greater sense of belonging, stronger engagement in future activities and projects, and higher staff retention. It’s a win-win-win!

With the help of automated systems, giving can become an integral part of the culture of your workplace. Imagine an environment where giving is as much a part of your work week as logging into your email in the morning—not just once a year, but throughout! That’s achievable by implementing matching gift programs and hosting regular employee giving campaigns.

9 Employee Giving Campaign Ideas to Try Throughout the Year

We’ve gathered some of our favorite workplace giving campaign ideas you can implement year-round at your office. Plus, each idea features an example from a real nonprofit that nailed it.

Every workplace is different, so think creatively about how you can customize and adjust these ideas based on your company’s size, time constraints, interests, and areas of specialty. The possibilities are endless—just like your potential for making a positive impact in your community.

This image lists nine employee giving campaign ideas your business can implement, covered in more detail in the text below.

1. Prepare for winter with in-kind donations.

Winter is a particularly difficult time of year for many nonprofit beneficiaries, especially if they’re individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty. Encourage your employees to make in-kind donations, which are any non-monetary gift, to organizations that need them. This is an especially great idea for employees with tighter budgets who may not be able to justify a monetary donation.

To make the donation process easier for your employees, partner up with one or a few specific nonprofits. Ask them what donations would be most helpful to them, and then provide your employees with that list of items. Organizations might be searching for items that directly help their beneficiaries, such as canned food or winter clothing, or they might be searching for items to empower them to more effectively help their beneficiaries, such as computers, printers, or fundraising event decorations.

This image shows an example of Second Helpings Atlanta’s employee giving campaign initiatives.

Real-world example: Second Helpings Atlanta is a nonprofit food rescue organization whose mission is to reduce hunger and food waste in the Metro Atlanta area. It rescues healthy, nutritious, surplus food and distributes it to those in need.

They’ve created a network with over 75 food donor organizations across Atlanta, including businesses such as Chick-Fil-A, Mercedes Benz, Pizza Hut, and Publix. These businesses work with Second Helpings Atlanta as part of their CSR and employee giving initiatives to use food for good in the local community.

2. Lean into the competitive spirit for Giving Tuesday.

Year-end is a popular time of year for nonprofit fundraising, and it all begins with Giving Tuesday. This global day of generosity happens the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving and is meant to channel the shopping madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday toward a worthy cause instead.

A virtual peer-to-peer or team fundraising Giving Tuesday campaign is an easy and fun way to foster friendly competition as individuals or staff teams try to out-raise one another for their cause.

The secret to a successful peer-to-peer fundraiser? Keep spirits high and be a cheerleader for your fundraisers! Celebrate everyone’s hard work by shouting out teams at various times throughout the campaign and offering prizes for the teams with the most donations, the highest amount raised, or even the most team spirit.

This image shows an example of a Giving Tuesday employee giving campaign for the Downtown Women’s Center.

Real-world example: For the Together Housed campaign, participants created personal or team fundraising pages to raise money over three weeks for women in Los Angeles experiencing homelessness.

This virtual effort raised over $155K for the Downtown Women’s Center and culminated in a live-streamed celebration to thank individual fundraisers and corporate sponsors.

3. Turn your holiday party into an opportunity to give back.

The holidays bring out the giving spirit in even the Grinchiest among us—especially if the food and drinks are free. If you’ve already budgeted for a staff gathering or outing for the holidays, think about adding on a party-worthy fundraising element like a silent auction to benefit a local nonprofit. This is also an excellent time to celebrate your Giving Tuesday teams or winners with silly prizes or awards!

Depending on the size of your staff, a team can volunteer to source auction items or request that everyone (CEO included) contribute an item, experience, or basket to auction off during the party.

Sourcing items can be work-intensive, so make the rest of the process easy on your team by using an online silent auction platform that partygoers can use to bid right from their smartphones. Mobile bidding also makes it easy to create a hybrid or virtual auction experience if your remote employees want to start a bidding war for a good cause.

This image shows an example of a holiday fundraiser for the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation as an employee giving campaign.

Real-world example: The Ultimutt Auction fundraiser for the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation offered bidders a range of fun experiences and items from local businesses. To reach a wider audience and build momentum to raise more funds, the organizers had the online auction open for a week, enabling them to raise over $21K!

4. Kick off the new year with a monthly giving program.

With everyone energized by your Giving Tuesday and holiday party success (and hopefully some time off), build on this momentum to get employees excited about giving back regularly.

A great place to start is by hosting a casual “Lunch and Learn” once a month, where a guest speaker or representative from a local nonprofit gives an informal presentation about their impact and need.

The actual giving part can happen in a few different ways:

  • A monthly stipend from the company that employees can donate
  • Informal monthly contributions matched by the company
  • Automated payroll deductions (also matched by the company)

Build buy-in by providing incentives like a catered lunch for those who attend and asking staff to nominate organizations or community groups that are meaningful to them. National celebrations like Black History Month (February), Women’s History Month (March), Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), etc., can be a great guidepost for causes to highlight if you’re not sure where to start.

Be sure that your company’s matching gift program is set up before you begin your new monthly giving program. That way, you’ll be able to engage your employees through philanthropy and increase the impact of gifts to your local nonprofits.

This image shows rue21’s employee giving campaign, which is an annual giving staff fundraiser.

Real-world example: Clothing retailer rue21’s annual giving campaign organizes staff fundraising teams by department (Marketing, Merchandising, Human Resources, and so on). Each year, they have raised more funds for their nonprofit partner organization, Foster Love Project, which serves youth in foster care.

Click to learn more about how matching gift auto-submission increases generosity for employee giving campaigns.

5. Spring into volunteering.

Financial contributions aren’t the only way to make a difference in your place of work. Harness the power of your team’s talents to give back through volunteer hours or pro bono projects in partnership with a local nonprofit, school, or other community organization.

Volunteering can be skill-based work (graphic design, tutoring, or even accounting!) or just helping with whatever is needed (envelope stuffing, serving meals, or checking people in). It’s all about meeting the needs of your particular community partner.

The key to success here is to incentivize volunteering, which can happen in many ways.

Some companies, including 40% of the Fortune 500 list, give volunteer grants to employees who put in a certain number of hours, and others offer perks like additional vacation time. You can even liven things up by making it a competition to see who can give the highest number of hours by a specific date.

This image shows an example of a volunteer-based employee giving campaign by Chicago-based software company Sprout Social.

Real-world example: Chicago-based software company Sprout Social organized Philanthropy Week, which combined volunteering and team-based fundraising for local nonprofits.

Teams of employees chose an organization in their community, created fundraising pages, and volunteered on-site to foster deeper connections with their partners.

6. Create your own workplace giving day in May.

Aside from being a great help to nonprofits, volunteering is also one of the most effective team-building activities. Hosting a workplace giving day can empower your company to build connection and belonging amongst your staff—and contribute to a good cause at the same time.

As the weather warms up, partner with a local nonprofit that needs a lot of hands for a park cleanup, meal prep, material assembly, mural painting, or other beautification projects. Make sure everyone on your staff is able and incentivized to attend, get t-shirts made for the occasion, and cap it all off with a celebration and big group photo.

If all goes well, try to make it an annual event that employees look forward to, your nonprofit partners can plan around, and the entire community can feel proud of.

This image shows an example of a workplace giving day as an employee giving campaign, hosted by Presence Marketing.

Real-world example: When pandemic restrictions made in-person activities impossible, Presence Marketing organized a virtual 5k and complementary fundraiser in partnership with a charitable foundation to help build a Kindergarten in the West African nation of Togo.

The event was so successful that they organized a second annual day of giving the following year to benefit another charity project!

7. Celebrate summer with sponsorship.

June is the start of summer and Pride Month, a great time to support organizations that serve the LGBTQ+ community. Give your coworkers a special night out together and raise some serious money by sponsoring a fun fundraising event, like a standup comedy, drag show, or a combination of the two!

Planning events is a lot of work, so if that’s not something you can take on, seek out a nonprofit partner already planning a benefit event that you can sponsor. Or enlist the help of a local venue that can help match you with a good cause. If a virtual or hybrid event can help you reach your community better, livestream it!

This image shows an example of a corporate sponsorship hosted by Platinum Top 50 as an employee giving campaign.

Real-world example: Platinum Top 50, an industry organization for real estate professionals in Texas, organized a comedy show fundraiser featuring standup and improv from some talented local realtors. In addition to ticket sales, extra donations from individuals and corporate sponsorships helped them to raise over 200% of their original goal for their hunger-fighting nonprofit partner.

8. Go virtual with a back-to-school drive.

Drives for essential items like jackets, toys, and perishable goods are popular for workplace giving campaigns for many reasons. For one, those who are making donations can immediately see the real-life impact of their gifts, which is sometimes harder to communicate with solely monetary asks.

With a virtual drive, donors can still understand exactly where their money is going and, at the same time, give the nonprofit beneficiary more oversight and flexibility to order the items they need and get them directly to the people who need them.

This campaign idea is also great for remote office teams, as virtual drives open up donations to a broader pool of people and save the time and energy it can take a team of employees to collect, organize, and transport items.

This image shows an example of a virtual back-to-school drive hosted by Teachers’ Treasures as an employee giving campaign.

Real-world example: With several businesses participating, Teachers’ Treasures organized the Gr8 Paper Push Virtual School Supply Drive and enabled donors to select specific classroom items or just make a flat donation to the campaign.

This campaign also had an added team fundraising element. Local businesses competed with one another to raise the most, which created a lively, fun atmosphere.

9. Make a No Shave November everyone can join in on.

Movember and No Shave November, popular social challenges to see who can grow the most facial hair, were created to raise awareness and funds for men’s health and cancer prevention. Anyone can play on this idea for a good cause of their choosing—just make sure to take lots of photos!

This image shows an example of a No Shave November employee giving campaign, hosted by Windham County Safe Place.

Real-world example: For their annual Let It Grow! campaign, Vermont-based victims’ services agency Windham County Safe Place engaged teams from the police departments, hospitals, and legal groups that they work with for a light-hearted competition. Each team was encouraged to grow facial hair or rock colorful hair extensions and bright nails for the month. Inclusivity for the win!

Every participant received a special pin for joining the campaign. They created their own individual or team fundraising page, donated $25 or more, and encouraged their friends and family to help them reach their goal. The top three earners even won a special prize at the end of the competition! The novelty of this campaign drew attention to their cause from local media and helped them to raise thousands of dollars.

Additional Resources

From selling tickets and making donations to administering payroll deductions and matching contributions, automating as much of your workplace giving campaigns as possible will save you a lot of time and energy. CSR platforms can free you up to focus on what really matters—engaging your workplace community and creating meaningful ways to give back together.

Looking for more inspiration? Dive deeper into these additional resources:

Click to learn more about matching gift auto-submission and how it helps your employee giving campaigns.

In this guide, we’ll cover the basics of corporate volunteerism and walk you through how to start your own program.

Corporate Volunteerism: A Guide for Purpose-Driven Companies

Your company accomplishes great things through the combined efforts of its leadership, managers, and employees. To stand out in today’s world, however, you need to harness this power to achieve more than just profits. One way to do this is through corporate volunteerism.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a rising priority among modern companies due to its profound influence on reputation, employee engagement, and the welfare of society as a whole. By incorporating volunteerism into your company’s CSR strategy, you can directly involve employees in your philanthropic efforts and connect with local communities.

To set your corporate volunteer program up for success, we’ll cover everything you need to know in the following sections:

Ready to build meaningful, lasting relationships with employees, customers, nonprofit partners, and other community members? Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve an existing corporate volunteer program, having a thoughtful strategy will maximize your results.

Learn how you can use matching gift tools like auto-submission to engage employees beyond corporate volunteering and boost your philanthropy results.

Corporate Volunteerism: FAQs

Before we delve into specific tips and tactics, let’s set the stage by walking through some frequently asked questions about corporate volunteerism:

What is corporate volunteerism?

Corporate volunteerism is an aspect of corporate philanthropy that involves encouraging employees to commit their time and skills to charitable causes in their communities. To do this, companies establish corporate volunteer programs that formalize these activities and track their overall impact.

While each company’s volunteer program differs depending on its goals, resources, and employees, having one in place is a first step toward demonstrating your commitment to bettering the world around you.

What are the benefits of employee volunteer programs?

Corporate volunteerism brings a host of benefits to everyone involved—your company, employees, and nonprofits. By opening up more opportunities for employees to volunteer for charitable causes, you contribute more resources to the community and empower nonprofits to better serve their beneficiaries.

For business-specific benefits, creating a corporate volunteer program allows you to:

  • Engage more employeesMany employees need more than just a regular paycheck to feel invested and fulfilled in their roles. Corporate volunteering initiatives allow them to develop a sense of pride in working for your company since they’re able to contribute to positive change within their communities.
  • Attract more top talent. According to PwC, 65% of people around the globe want to work for an organization with a powerful social conscience. Creating and publicizing your company’s employee volunteer program guidelines is an excellent way to catch the attention of socially conscious job seekers.
  • Enhance your reputation. These days, customers expect more from companies than just stellar products or services. They want to know that your business strategy involves more than making profits. Through corporate volunteerism, your company can prove its commitment to social good and bring in more customers as a result.
  • Develop employee skills. Through volunteering, employees can gain experience and develop abilities they can later apply on the job. This can be anything from leadership skills to technical expertise, like coding. Plus, by organizing team-wide volunteering events, you can foster improved collaboration and communication within the workplace.
  • Improve employee well-being. According to the Mayo Clinic Health System, volunteering can improve a person’s physical and mental health, reducing stress and decreasing the risk of general illness. By encouraging employee volunteering, your company can ensure that they report to work each day feeling ready and eager to put in their best efforts.

However, it takes more than just starting a corporate volunteer program to secure these benefits. First, you need to get your employees excited to participate. To do so, create initiatives that resonate with their specific preferences and interests. At the same time, avoid placing pressure on employees to get involved—employee volunteering should be an option at your company, rather than a requirement.

What are the different types of corporate volunteering?

Corporate volunteerism comes in several shapes and sizes. Consider these popular types of employee volunteering to include in your program:

This image illustrates seven common types of corporate volunteerism, explained in more detail below.

  • Direct Service Volunteering. Through this type of volunteering, employees directly interact with nonprofit beneficiaries and community members. For example, they may provide tutoring sessions to local students, walk dogs at an animal shelter, or serve meals to people without permanent housing.
  • Indirect Service Volunteering. Indirect service volunteering does not involve interactions with beneficiaries. Instead, employees can support their community by assembling care packages, participating in a beautification project, or creating marketing materials online.
  • Skills-Based Volunteering. Also called SBV, this type of volunteering allows employees to make use of their professional skills to advance nonprofit missions. For instance, employees at a law office may provide pro bono legal services to a charitable organization, while those at a web development company may revamp a nonprofit’s website for free.
  • Volunteer Grants. A volunteer grant program rewards employees for committing their time and skills to causes they care about. Typically, once they’ve volunteered a minimum number of hours with a nonprofit, they can submit a volunteer grant request to your company. Then, you donate a certain amount of money to that nonprofit, depending on how many hours the employee volunteered.
  • Volunteer Time Off. You can think of Volunteer Time Off, or VTO, as an employee internship in the short term. Companies generally offer their staff between 8 and 40 hours each year to spend participating in volunteer activities⁠—such as direct, indirect, or skills-based volunteering⁠—while still receiving their regular paycheck.
  • Team Volunteering. These volunteer opportunities double as team-building events for your company. Many nonprofits need larger teams of corporate volunteers to assist them with projects, from constructing houses to participating in a local cleanup activity.
  • Mentorships. Through mentorships, employees can make a direct impact on an individual community member’s life. This may involve supporting a student’s personal goals and academic performance or helping a young professional along their career path.
  • Employee Internships. Some companies lend their employees to nonprofit organizations by allowing them to participate in internships, enabling employees to provide their skills to the nonprofit long-term. During these internships, your business will continue paying employees’ salaries. Patagonia, for example, permits any employee within the company to spend up to two months working for an environmental group of their choosing.


Each type of corporate volunteering varies in the level of commitment expected from your employees. Micro-volunteering opportunities, like translating a single document or drafting a letter, can take only an hour or so, while initiatives such as employee internships can last several months. Be sure to offer several options that appeal to different employees at your company.

7 Corporate Volunteering Statistics You Should Know

If your company is ready to become a leader in corporate volunteerism, explore the following statistics to inform your approach:

This infographic summarizes the following seven statistics on corporate volunteerism.

  • 71% of employees believe it’s important to work at a company that gives back through philanthropy and volunteering.
  • 96% of companies find that employees who volunteer are more engaged than those who don’t.
  • Companies see 52% less turnover among employees who participate in workplace giving programs, like volunteer days.
  • 60% of companies offer paid volunteer time off (VTO) to employees.
  • 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs.
  • 80% of companies with volunteer grant programs contribute between $8-$15 per hour volunteered.
  • Virtual volunteering was the most offered volunteer program by companies to both domestic and international employees.


Staying up to date on the latest corporate volunteerism and philanthropy trends ensures that your company is well-equipped to engage its employees in CSR and create a meaningful impact on society.

How to Start a Corporate Volunteer Program

A successful corporate volunteer program differs from company to company. After all, your guidelines and initiatives depend on your industry, business goals, and employees. Follow these seven steps to piece together your program:

This image illustrates seven steps for starting a corporate volunteer program, explained in more detail below.

1. Define your goals and priorities.

Identify your corporate volunteerism goals to secure support across all areas of your company. Focus on issues or causes that align with your overall mission and values. General Mills, for example, is a global food company that focuses its volunteerism efforts on supporting food banks and anti-hunger organizations such as Feeding America.

Additionally, send out surveys to your employees to find out which causes are close to their hearts, which skills they would like to apply, and which communities they’re most interested in supporting. Use these insights to guide your decision-making as you build your program.

2. Outline your corporate volunteerism program.

Based on your goals and employee feedback, determine which types of corporate volunteering to implement. If you’re hoping to engage and retain remote employees, for instance, you might promote virtual volunteering opportunities.

Formalize your decision-making by creating an official policy for your corporate volunteer program that lets employees know which organizations your program supports. In this document, you should include information such as:

  • Issues or causes supported by the program
  • Employee eligibility criteria for participation
  • Causes or types of nonprofits excluded from the program
  • Contact information for questions related to employee volunteering

Make this policy available to employees and other stakeholders alike. You can even create several versions depending on the audience. An employee-facing version might include more details about participation, while a public-facing version might feature information on how you’ll report the program’s impact.

3. Invest in CSR software tools.

comprehensive CSR software solution can facilitate your corporate volunteering initiatives and other philanthropic programs you might launch in tandem. Look for key features that empower your company to:

  • Share upcoming volunteer opportunities with employees.
  • Plan and manage company volunteering events.
  • Track volunteer participation and hours.
  • Process and follow through with volunteer grant requests.
  • Measure the impact of employee volunteering.

Beyond managing your corporate volunteerism, this software can streamline other aspects of your CSR strategy and workplace giving, such as matching gifts.

Check with your CSR provider to see whether your platform integrates with the latest matching gift tools, such as auto-submission, to maximize employee participation. With this feature, your employees will be able to automatically submit matching gift requests when donating to a nonprofit. Rather than checking their eligibility and filling out each required field in your application form, all they would need to do is input their company email address to kick off the matching process.

Learn how you can use matching gift tools like auto-submission to engage employees beyond corporate volunteering and boost your philanthropy results.

4. Reach out to potential nonprofit partners.

Develop long-term relationships with nonprofits in your community by seeking out partnerships with organizations that align with your mission and values. For instance, a company with a philanthropic goal of improving sustainability might partner with an environmental nonprofit by setting up employee volunteering opportunities with them throughout the year.

Your company can even go beyond corporate volunteering to sponsor the nonprofit’s events or programs. In return, the nonprofit will typically feature your company in its marketing materials to help boost your reputation, turning your support into a mutually beneficial partnership.

5. Promote your corporate volunteer program.

Once you’ve worked out all the details, start engaging employees in your corporate volunteer ideas by spreading the word about your program. Start by walking through your policy in a company-wide meeting, then host follow-up Q&As as necessary. Link to key documents in your employee portal so everyone can access the information they need to get involved.

Furthermore, you can encourage participation by appointing corporate volunteer ambassadors within your company. These individuals act as authoritative resources for employees interested in your program and serve as an example to inspire people to get involved.

6. Measure your corporate volunteering impact.

To ensure the long-term success of your corporate volunteer program, be sure to measure your results. For instance, some basic metrics to keep an eye on include:

  • Employee participation rate
  • Total number of volunteer hours contributed
  • Volunteer event attendance
  • Average amount of volunteer grants awarded

Share this information with your employees, customers, and nonprofit partners to maintain engagement and morale. Many companies compile their corporate volunteerism data into yearly impact reports containing their CSR progress and publish them on their websites to demonstrate their corporate citizenship.

7. Recognize your employees for participating.

Remember that your CSR impact is only possible thanks to your employees’ participation. With this in mind, develop a strategy for recognizing those who engage with your corporate volunteering activities. Some popular methods of employee recognition include:

This image summarizes several ways to recognize employees for participating in your corporate volunteerism, listed in the text below.

  • Sending a personalized eCard.
  • Creating social media shoutouts.
  • Spotlighting employees on your website.
  • Featuring employees in your email newsletter.
  • Giving out volunteer awards.

Ultimately, having a recognition program in place is beneficial to your company as a whole. Frequent appreciation can go a long way toward reinforcing excellent performance, improving engagement, and cultivating a sense of community in the workplace.

Click through to read how a leading company in philanthropy engages its employees in corporate volunteerism and matching gifts.

4 Top Corporate Volunteerism Examples

If you need a little more inspiration to create your corporate volunteer program, it’s always helpful to learn from other successful businesses. Take a look at these companies’ top-tier programs and consider how you can incorporate their strategies at your business’s scale:

Disney

The Walt Disney Company’s VoluntEARs program has logged around 13 million volunteer hours since its inception in 1983. Throughout the year, employees have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities, such as:

  • Helping food banks deliver food to community members.
  • Creating handmade blankets for children’s hospitals and animal shelters.
  • Analyzing Great Barrier Reef images to aid conservation efforts.
  • Planting butterfly-friendly backyard habitats to support the Monarch butterfly population.
  • Recording Disney bedtime stories for children living in rural areas.

Furthermore, Disney offers volunteer grants to its employees, contributing up to $2,000 a year per employee based on the number of hours they volunteer.

AT&T

By 2030, AT&T plans to engage 50% of its employees worldwide in volunteering and giving. As of last year, it has succeeded in engaging 31% of employees in their communities.

To encourage increased corporate volunteerism, the company:

  • Recognizes employees with a “Community Impact Award.”
  • Offers management employees a paid Community Day for volunteering each year.
  • Organizes regular volunteer projects for environmental stewardship, such as building bee habitats and cleaning up parks.
  • Providing volunteer grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

AT&T’s volunteers contributed 385,800 hours just in the past year, with employee time valued at $11.6 million.

Verizon

Similar to AT&T, Verizon aims to reach 2.5 million volunteer hours by 2025. The company’s volunteer program focuses on three specific areas:

  1. Digital inclusion by tutoring students online to assisting older adults with technology.
  2. Climate protection by cleaning up rivers to participating in environmental research.
  3. Human prosperity by writing letters to veterans and supporting students with developing career goals.

So far, Verizon has engaged over 95,000 volunteers in over 1.6 million volunteer hours. To invest in its focus areas, the company has partnered with over 39 nonprofits, including the Trevor Project and the American Red Cross.

Salesforce

To facilitate volunteering among employees, Salesforce created a Pro Bono Program called the Impact Exchange, which pairs its skilled volunteers with nonprofit Salesforce customers needing assistance with a particular project. Additionally, the company allows employees to assist schools by leading volunteer programs to support teachers and students.

To provide employees with the freedom and flexibility to contribute to the causes that matter most to them, Salesforce also provides them with seven paid days of VTO every year.

Wrapping Up: Engaging Employees in Making a Difference

Corporate volunteerism is an effective way to boost your CSR program and nurture thriving, collaborative teams within your company. Remember to measure your progress year after year and regularly collect feedback from your employees. Doing so allows you to refine your program for increased participation and greater future results.

For more tips and tools on how to improve your company’s CSR initiatives and boost employee engagement, consider these additional resources:

Learn how an auto-submission integration can supplement your corporate volunteering tools and boost employee participation in your philanthropy.

Cause Marketing Examples Most Effective Campaigns

Cause Marketing Examples | 14+ Effective Campaigns

Cause marketing is a great way for nonprofits and corporations to join together for a similar mission. As a result, it’s becoming a key way for corporations to express their philanthropic side while also benefiting their own bottom line.

And if you’re a business or fundraising organization looking for some of the best cause marketing examples to get inspired by, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll walk through several standout campaigns and the ideas that brought each one success. But first, we have to cover the basics.



What is cause marketing?


Falling under the umbrella of corporate philanthropy, cause marketing (or cause-related marketing) looks something like this:

Corporations partner with nonprofit organizations to help them raise money and awareness. In return, this publicly philanthropic action generates more business for the company.

In other words, it’s a win-win situation!



What is corporate philanthropy?


Corporate philanthropy encompasses any actions a business takes to benefit the world around them. Along with (and sometimes in tandem with) cause marketing, corporate donations through matching gift programs are another popular arm of this generosity.

When a company offers a matching gift program, it essentially pledges to match the donations their employees contribute to qualifying nonprofit organizations. Effectively functioning as a “buy one, get one free” sale on nonprofit fundraising, matching gifts allow organizations and their donors to double (and sometimes even triple!) the impact of the original donation.



How to implement smart corporate giving strategies


For nonprofits

The easiest way for nonprofits to capitalize on corporate giving programs is by investing in workplace giving automation. When you leverage an automation platform like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro, you can scale up your revenue while minimizing the operational lift required of your team.

This allows you to screen your supporter information to uncover available opportunities, trigger personalized outreach that drives participation in such programs, and track and report on corporate giving impact from start to finish.

Plus, you can even use the data collected through matching gift efforts to inform your broader corporate partnerships, such as identifying ideal prospects for which to pitch cause marketing initiatives and more.

For companies

There is also a range of corporate giving management software designed to aid companies in organizing and facilitating their end of a philanthropic partnership. These tools, also known as CSR or social impact platforms, can streamline management of initiatives like matching gifts, corporate volunteerism, annual giving campaigns, nonprofit sponsorships, cause marketing campaigns, and more.

Plus, it’s important to seek the right mission-driven partners and build strong relationships with the organizations a business chooses to support. While Double the Donation is not a corporate-facing vendor, feel free to contact us and we’d love to get you in touch with one of our CSR partners!


With that, let’s dive into some of the most inspirational examples cause marketing that we’ve seen in recent years. Take notes from these successful partnerships, and see which strategies might benefit your team.



CampaignCampaign Type
Light the NightCustom Matching Gifts
Red Kettle CampaignPoint of Sale
Red Nose DayPortion of Purchase
100% for the Planet100% of Sales
Promotions That Give BackSponsorships
Buy a Pair, Give a PairBuy One Give One
PurposeFULLPoint of Sale
Soar With ReadingProud Supporter
Arctic HomeMatching Gifts
Vodka for Dog PeoplePortion of Purchase
Miracle BalloonPoint of Sale
Dawn Saves WildlifeIn-Kind Giving
Empower MintPortion of Purchase
Create-A-PepperInteractive Giving




Cause marketing example - Light the Night


1. Light the Night


Who are the partners?

Light the Night is an annual fundraising campaign hosted by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and sponsored by Danaher Corporation.

Campaign Overview

Danaher Corporation hosted a custom matching gift program in partnership with LLS as a way to give back to its community while engaging with its employees. As a part of the company’s Giving Tuesday Now campaign, the company encouraged team members to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night fundraising walk. And in return, Danaher matched employees’ contributions dollar-for-dollar to double team members’ giving impact and grow support for the organization.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Danaher’s support of LLS started out as a custom matching gift partnership. But since the success of their original initiative, the company decided to establish a standard matching gift program that’s open to nearly all nonprofit causes!

This inspiring cause marketing example illustrates the way that a one-off campaign can develop into a long-term, widely impactful opportunity for both the company and the organizations it supports.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society also boasts a complete matching gift strategy in partnership with Double the Donation’s automation platform. This empowers the team to raise even more for their cause through all sorts of corporate giving opportunities available to them.

Interested in learning more? Check out our LLS case study to see how matching gift automation brought the organization’s corporate fundraising strategy to new heights.


Cause Marketing Example - Light the Night and Danaher Corporation

Cause marketing example - Red Kettle Campaign

2. Red Kettle Campaign


Who are the partners?

The Salvation Army Southern Territory partnered with DipJar and local retailers to improve the traditional Red Kettle cause marketing campaign.

Campaign Overview

You’re probably familiar with The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, which usually takes place during the holidays. Typically, these red kettles or buckets are placed outside department stores and other shops to receive donations.

While this tried-and-true cause marketing strategy has been successful for many years, The Salvation Army realized they were missing out on a large pool of potential donors that don’t carry cash.

To improve their Red Kettle campaign, they partnered with the giving kiosk company DipJar so that they could start accepting donations via credit cards. 

The branded DipJars were placed beside registers at local coffee shops and other retail partners. With these, The Salvation Army was able to gather donations from all interested donors, cash-carrying or not.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

This campaign makes our top spot because The Salvation Army saw a gap in their fundraising potential amidst a significant digital shift, and effectively provided donors with a quick and easy solution. And the companies that partnered with The Salvation Army were happy to implement the new and forward-thinking ideas!

Not to mention, online donations pair well with corporate matching gifts, and The Salvation Army Southern Territory employs 360MatchPro to effectively pursue donation-match opportunities without lifting a finger!


Cause marketing example - Red Nose Day


3. Red Nose Day


Who are the partners?

This campaign was a collaboration between Red Nose Day and Walgreens.

Campaign Overview

This iconic cause marketing campaign originated in the United Kingdom and is now taking the United States by storm.

Last year, the campaign raised a record-breaking $49 million through the sale of over 12 million “red noses” at 9,000+ Walgreens stores nationwide. 

The six-week campaign starts with Walgreens customers purchasing red noses and wearing them to pose for and share pictures as well as to other Red Nose Day fundraising events to spread awareness.

The proceeds from the red nose sales, and additional fundraising events orchestrated by companies and individuals during the campaign, go toward helping lift children out of poverty in the United States.

The campaign is held yearly and experiences great success.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Red Nose Day cause marketing campaign stands out because of its fun and playful nature. Plus, it’s so shareable. Donors want to buy a red nose (and many look forward to the campaign each year!) so that they can take pictures and share them with the hashtag #rednoseday.


Cause marketing example - Fundraiser for the Planet


4. 100% for the Planet


Who are the partners?

Patagonia organized this cause marketing campaign with various grassroots environmental organizations.

Campaign Overview

For Black Friday, Patagonia announced that they would give 100% of the day’s sales to support grassroots organizations working to protect our air, water, and soil.

To help support the planet, customers just needed to make a purchase at one of Patagonia’s many stores on Black Friday.  With the help of many loyal customers as well as first-time shoppers, the company was able to raise more than $10 million in sales.

The funds were then contributed to numerous underfunded and off-the-radar nonprofits, ultimately going a long way to make a positive difference for our planet.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Donating to the cause took no additional effort—donors just had to shop at Patagonia on Black Friday to show their support. Since all the money spent was going toward a good cause, it’s likely that many people purchased more than normal just to support the environmental organizations.

Not to mention, Patagonia demonstrates its devotion to social and environmental good all year round, too. Although the 100% For The Planet campaign was a single-day event, the company commits to contributing 1% of all sales to environmental causes. Plus, Patagonia offers up to $10,000 in matching gifts for all current employees year-round, empowering their own workforce to give back in impactful ways!


Cause Marketing Example - Patagonia's 100% For The Planet

Cause marketing example - Promotions That Give Back


5. Promotions That Give Back


Who are the partners?

Promotions That Give Back is an ongoing partnership between the American Diabetes Association and a number of corporations that support their efforts. Contributors include WeightWatchersHealthyrHilton HHonors, and Survey Monkey!

Campaign Overview

As a multi-faceted campaign, the ADA’s Promotions That Give Back involves several key partnerships with companies’ whose mission statements align with the organizations’ own values. Each partnership is structured in a slightly different way, though they generally all follow a ‘portion of sales’ model of cause marketing.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

This campaign stood out because of the successful collaboration between the American Diabetes Association and their range of corporate partners. Because their missions and visions align so well, each team is able to benefit greatly from the overlapping audiences reached through their ongoing cause marketing efforts.

Plus, the ADA takes a proactive approach to employee matching gift opportunities, too, using Double the Donation’s automation system to identify, tailor outreach for, follow up with, and track available corporate gifts.


Cause Marketing Example - ADA's Promotions That Give Back partnerships

ADA Matching Gifts Page - sample cause marketing campaign

Cause marketing example - Buy Pair, Give Pair


6. Buy a Pair, Give a Pair


Who are the parnters?

Warby Parker partners with various healthcare and medical-related organizations, including VisionSpring.

Campaign Overview

Warby Parker uses the buy-one-give-one model to promote the company’s philanthropic side and give back to communities in need. 

The premise is very simple: for every pair of glasses that Warby Parker sells, the company donates to cover the cost associated with sourcing a pair for someone who would otherwise be unable to obtain them. 

In addition to the donation, their nonprofit partners train individuals in developing countries on how to give basic eye exams and sell glasses at affordable prices, thus making vision care more readily available in the long run.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Buy a Pair, Give a Pair campaign is so successful because of its marketing strategy and the ability to capture donors’ attention and raise awareness. And Warby Parker has pulled off one of the most well-known instances of this particular cause marketing strategy!

To market the effort, the company shares information about the program, along with beneficiary stories, on its website and other promotional materials.


Cause marketing example - PurposeFULL


7. PurposeFULL


Who are the partners?

The PurposeFULL cause marketing campaign is a collaboration between Arby’s and Share Our Strength.

Campaign Overview

Since the establishment of the program, Arby’s restaurants across the nation have raised more than $27 million for the organization Share Our Strength. Centered around four key pillars of corporate giving, the PurposeFULL program is designed to support YouthFULL, SkillFULL, ResourceFULL, and FlavorFULL efforts for social and environmental good.

PurposeFULL is a point of sale campaign, meaning that Arby’s asks for donations during the sale of an item usually through a screen prompt, sign, or a direct ask from the cashier. 

The money raised through its PurposeFULL campaign each year goes to provide meals to youth in need throughout America. And it has an overall vision of eradicating childhood hunger and food insecurity!

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Because the PurposeFULL campaign lets donors know how much just $1 can contribute (up to 10 meals!), supporters are able to visualize and understand the tangible impact of their monetary donations.

Plus, Arby’s⁠—under the Inspire Brands umbrella⁠—gives back all year long with its generous matching gift program⁠.


Cause Marketing Example - Arby's PurposeFULL

Cause marketing example - Soar With Reading


8. Soar With Reading


Who are the partners?

The Soar With Reading campaign is a partnership between JetBlue and the nonprofit organization FirstBook.

Campaign Overview

The Soar With Reading program was designed to inspire and encourage children’s imaginations.

JetBlue donates money to FirstBook to help provide books to children in low-income neighborhoods, including through free book vending machines.

Additionally, the Soar With Reading program helps provide schools and educators with diverse reading materials to promote and encourage learning among students.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Soar With Reading campaign is successful because the whole company is involved in supporting JetBlue’s partner organization. JetBlue employees are encouraged to volunteer with the Soar With Reading program and make a difference in children’s lives, or even donate toward the cause themselves.

And the company also offers a unique volunteer grant program in which team members are eligible to request free flight vouchers on behalf of the organizations (FirstBook and others) with which they volunteer! So not only are JetBlue employees empowered to get involved with their cause marketing partner in a hands-on way, but they’re also able to provide additional resources at no cost.


Cause marketing example - Arctic Home


9. Arctic Home


Who are the partners?

The Arctic Home Cause Marketing Campaign was created by Coca-Cola and World Wildlife Fund.

Campaign Overview

Coca-Cola has used polar bears as their unofficial mascot for years, so it makes sense that they would partner with World Wildlife Fund to support the conservation of the polar bear and its habitat.

Thus, the Arctic Home campaign was all about building awareness and raising funds through merchandise and online fundraising.

Coca-Cola introduced Arctic Home Coke cans to raise funds and awareness for the organization. With a package code leading to an online donation form, consumers could quickly and easily make a gift to the organization. And Coca-Cola stretched these gifts even further by matching every donation its buyers made!

Why Their Campaign Made the List

By matching the $1 donations of customers who purchased an Arctic Home can, Coco-Cola financially supported and motivated its own audience to give to the World Wildlife Fund. Those small-dollar donations added up quickly, especially since they were being doubled.

Coca-Cola also matches gifts made by its employees of up to $10,000 per team member per year at a 2:1 ratio⁠—effectively tripling its workforce’s donation impact year-round!


Cause marketing example - Vodka for Dog People


10. Vodka for Dog People


Who are the partners?

Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Emancipet partnered together to create the Vodka for Dog People cause marketing campaign.

Campaign Overview

Tito’s Handmade Vodka started their partnership with Emancipet to help care for dogs. And out of that relationship, with a goal to raise both money and awareness for the organization, Tito’s cause-related website, Vodka for Dog People, was born.

On the site, supporters can purchase Tito’s-branded items such as leashes, toys, and t-shirts, making it the perfect pairing of product fundraising and cause marketing.

For the Tito’s product fundraising campaign, all the proceeds from the website go to Emancipet. Meanwhile, the added benefit of fundraising through the sale of branded items means that after someone makes their purchase, they’re promoting the branded nonprofit any time they use the product.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Vodka for Dogs campaign uses both online and local fundraising efforts to raise money and awareness for pet care. In addition to the website, Tito’s works with bars and liquor stores to host yappy hour fundraisers for its nonprofit partner. And the company matches donations its employees make to qualifying organizations⁠—including Emancipet and beyond!


Cause marketing example - Miracle Balloon


11. Miracle Balloon


Who are the partners?

The Miracle Balloon campaign is a collaboration between Walmart and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Campaign Overview

The Miracle Balloon campaign has been an ongoing partnership between Walmart (and Sam’s Club) and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for years.

For six weeks of every year, Walmart employees ask for donations from customers at checkout. If donors contribute a dollar or more, they can place their names on a paper Miracle Balloon and place it on the honor wall.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

This cause marketing campaign is effective because it leverages the idea of social proof particularly well. When customers see how many donors have already supported the cause, they’ll be increasingly motivated to participate themselves.

Additionally, while most Walmart and Sam’s Club locations participate, the campaign focuses on locations near a Children’s Miracle Hospital. That way, the organization can encourage grateful patients or those with a loved one who received care at one of the hospitals to donate.


Cause Marketing Example - Miracle Balloon

Cause marketing example - Dawn Saves Wildlife


12. Dawn Saves Wildlife


Who are the partners?

The Dawn Saves Wildlife campaign is organized by Dawn Dish Soap in support of its environmental advocacy partners, International Bird Rescue and the Marine Mammal Center.

Campaign Overview

Since the inception of the campaign in 2006, Dawn Dish Soap has helped save 150,000 marine animals (and counting!) through its generous and ongoing support of the International Bird Rescue and Marine Mammal Centers. And the support the company offers takes place in a few key ways: including donating more than 50,000 bottles of its product and over $4.5 million in cash gifts.

Dawn’s donated dish soap is then used by its environmental partners in direct rescue and rehabilitation efforts of aquatic birds and mammals in need. This includes the organizations’ responses to oil spills and other wildlife emergencies!

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Over the years, Dawn’s cause marketing efforts, specifically in the realm of environmental conservation and wildlife care, has become so completely engrained into its brand. In fact, many of the company’s products now feature the wildlife it’s devoted to—including seals, ducklings, and more. This goes on to further demonstrate Dawn’s commitment to making a difference in the long-term.


Cause Marketing Example - Dawn Saves Wildlife

Cause marketing example - Empower Mint


13. Empower Mint


Who are the partners?

Empower Mint is a key element of Ben & Jerry’s cause marketing campaign designed to benefit the NAACP.

Campaign Overview

Ben & Jerry’s launched a limited-time ice cream flavor that was marketed as a “flavor to benefit democracy.” The campaign that went along with the treat was developed as a way to fight against a voter suppression law and aid in the restoration of the Voting Rights Act.

During the time that the flavor was offered, a portion of proceeds from each sale was donated to the NAACP.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

In addition to its punny naming conventions, Ben & Jerry’s is well-known for being a particularly opinionated brand. And the company has been willing to stand up to its beliefs by supporting a variety of nonprofit causes in order to do so. This is just one example!


Cause Marketing Example - Empower Mint

Cause marketing example - Create-A-Pepper


14. Create-A-Pepper


Who are the partners?

The Create-A-Pepper campaign is a popular example of cause marketing organized by Chili’s Bar and Grill as a way to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Campaign Overview

Held during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year since 2002, Create-A-Pepper is an interactive fundraising campaign taking place at the Tex-Mex dining chain nationwide. Over the last few decades, the initiative has raised more than $100 million for St. Jude, enabling the research hospital to make great strides in its research, treatment, and support of those affected by life-threatening childhood illnesses.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Kids and adults of all ages love the opportunity to complete a coloring sheet while waiting for their meals at a restaurant. This cause marketing campaign turns a fun and simple activity into a profitable fundraising initiative that goes to support the patients and families at St. Jude hospital.

St. Jude Hospital also makes it easy for individual donors and corporate partners to get involved in supporting their efforts. This includes a dedicated matching gifts page to promote workplace giving on an individual basis and a corporate sponsorship interest page that promotes mutually beneficial partnerships like cause marketing efforts, one-off match programs, and more!


Cause Marketing Example - Create-A-Pepper

Wrapping Up

As you can see from these examples, cause marketing is an effective way to raise both funding and awareness for a nonprofit cause. Plus, the nonprofit and the for-profit business involved receive significant benefits from the relationship.

If you’re ready to begin seeking such corporate giving initiatives for your organization, we recommend pulling ideas and inspiration from the above successes. And existing donor data—such as your supporters’ employer information and matching gift eligibility—can help you uncover and pursue the best opportunities for your team.

To learn about more nonprofit funding strategies, check out these bonus resources:

  • Full List of Fundraising Ideas.Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check out our complete list of more than 200+ fundraising ideas. You’re bound to find the perfect fundraiser for your organization!
  • Top Companies for Donation Requests. Whether you’re looking for businesses with which to organize a cause marketing campaign or seeking sponsors for an upcoming event, check out this list of over 30 companies that have existing philanthropic programs in place.
  • The Complete Guide to Matching Gift Automation. Many cause marketing programs include matching gift components. Corporate donation-matches are a great way to partner with businesses, engage individual donors, and double your funds! Learn more with this ultimate guide.
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