How to identify corporate partnerships with 360MatchPro

How to Identify Corporate Partnerships [With 360MatchPro]

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In today’s corporate world, employees and consumers are becoming increasingly focused on supporting socially responsible businesses. Consequently, more and more companies are developing philanthropic programming. And nonprofits looking to raise much-needed funds for their causes are turning to corporate giving as a way to build mutually beneficial business relationships!

As a nonprofit fundraiser yourself, perhaps you’ve recently developed a strategy in order to leverage matching gift opportunities (one of the most prominent forms of corporate philanthropy) for your mission. Maybe you’ve even invested in a matching gift solution to automate the process, better engage with your donors, and collect more individual and corporate funding for your cause.

Now begs the question: what other types of corporate philanthropy are on the table⁠, and how can you begin leveraging these initiatives for your organization?

For many nonprofits, corporate partnerships are the answer you’re looking for⁠—and 360MatchPro by Double the Donation makes the process as easy as can be.

Check out our overview of 360MatchPro's matching gift automation functionality

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to identify corporate partnerships for nonprofits (and how your team can best pursue the opportunities) by exploring the following topics:

Like matching gifts, corporate partnerships offer a win-win situation for the nonprofits and businesses that partake. However, many organizations have no idea where to begin when it comes to scouring for partnership opportunities, near and far.

Here, we’ll examine the best tips, tricks, and tools available for doing so (and what you can do with the tools you may already have). Let’s dive in!

The Basics of Corporate Partnerships for Nonprofits

Corporate partnerships are a particular form of support nonprofits receive from corporations, often for a specific purpose such as an event or other project.

Defining corporate partnerships

Benefits include not only the increased funding provided by corporate partners but also significantly elevated exposure and awareness brought to your organization through strategic co-marketing efforts.

Corporate partnerships can come in many forms as well, including:

  • Financial ⁠— This is your most typical type of corporate partnership agreement and takes place when a company provides financial support to a nonprofit cause.
  • In-kind ⁠— In-kind sponsorships occur when a company donates non-monetary goods and services to an organization. This may include free or reduced-cost event space rentals, catering services, or even business gift certificates and products for prizes.
  • Media ⁠— Finally, media sponsorships are a unique type of corporate partnership where a company partners with a nonprofit organization in order to take on the cost of promoting the event⁠—such as with radio advertisements, TV commercials, or printed materials.

Then, regardless of the type of agreement offered, the nonprofit typically agrees to recognize the company through event or project marketing content (i.e., signage, merchandise, online advertising, and more).

The Relationship Between Matching Gifts and Corporate Partnerships

Matching gifts and corporate partnerships go hand in hand as two particularly powerful forms of corporate giving. Here’s what you need to know:

Matching Gifts

Matching gifts are one of the most popular examples of corporate philanthropy among companies and their employees and nonprofits and their donors. Essentially what occurs with this type of giving program is that businesses agree to provide funding to qualifying nonprofits in order to match charitable donations their employees make to the causes. Thus, individual donors function as arguably the most essential players in the partnership. Companies that offer matching gift programs will typically provide donation matches to a wide range of nonprofit causes that their employees support.

Corporate Partnerships

On the other hand, corporate partnerships take place when companies provide funding to nonprofit causes based on particular agreements made between the company and the nonprofit. Though donors and employees can certainly vie for these types of initiatives to occur, any one individual does not typically play a particularly hands-on role in corporate partnerships being developed. Businesses that participate offer corporate partnerships typically contribute larger amounts of funding to a smaller number of organizations as compared to employee matching gift programs.

Comparing corporate partnerships with matching gifts

However, the two concepts do see significant overlap as well. Specifically, both matching gifts and corporate partnerships function as strategic relationships between nonprofit organizations and for-profit businesses, and each philanthropic opportunities offer unique and substantial benefits to both parties involved.

How to Identify Corporate Partnerships Using 360MatchPro | 4 Methods

With more than 32.5 million businesses operating in the United States alone, that’s a lot of potential sponsorships for nonprofit organizations. But how can they know where to begin their efforts⁠—and target their outreach toward companies that are the most likely to respond positively to partnership inquiries?

Here are a few things fundraising professionals can do as they learn how to identify corporate partnerships and other opportunities using Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro functionality:

1. Locate top matching gift companies.

Companies that offer matching gift programs are likely to be some of the best prospective corporate sponsors. After all, they already show an interest in philanthropy and supporting nonprofit causes, which can provide you with an existing “in” to the conversation.

If your organization has access to a 360MatchPro account, locating these companies is made even easier. Double the Donation’s automated matching gift platform offers a detailed dashboard that provides invaluable information for nonprofits about their donors. The page includes daily tracking of donations flowing into the system, the amount of identified matching gift dollars, real-time donor engagement statistics, and a list of the “top 10 companies” being looked up in their search tool.

Here's how to identify corporate sponsorships with 360MatchPro dashboard

Specifically, the top companies tool (which can also expand to show all companies contributing donation matches) provides an opportunity for nonprofits to deepen these relationships. With this functionality, users can quickly locate additional context on some of the most valuable companies to approach for corporate partnership opportunities and more.

When a user views this data, they can easily navigate to the company’s website and retrieve contact information to get in touch. From there, they can utilize the company’s status as a top matching gift company as a rapport-building tool to get their foot in the door.

For example, a nonprofit may communicate something like this to a business with which they’re interested in partnership:

“Our organization has received 620 donations and $28,000 match identified dollars from your company in the past year. We see that you are dedicated to charitable giving, and it seems that we have a lot in common already! Are you interested in partnering with our team as a corporate sponsor for our upcoming fundraising event?”

This can also set the stage for identifying additional corporate partnerships such as in-kind donations (e.g., a food bank or homeless shelter working with a business to set up a donation box at the company’s office or store), corporate volunteer opportunities (as team-building activities), and many more.

2. Utilize custom redirects for ineligible donors.

Unfortunately, not all companies offer matching gift programs⁠—but that doesn’t mean you should remove them from your list of potential corporate partnerships.

In fact, existing donors who work for companies that do not match employee donations can be some of your greatest allies in the process! And Double the Donation makes it as easy as possible to empower these individuals with the tools they need to pitch charitable giving opportunities to their employers with custom redirects and powerful suggested next steps.

Let’s take a look at this idea in action! Here’s an example of a custom redirect from the Denver Rescue Mission:

Here's how one organization identifies corporate sponsorships with a custom redirect.

This organization sends follow-up emails after its donors have been identified as likely ineligible for a matching gift. The message includes a link to a dedicated web page that provides information on other ways the donors can make an impact without existing matching gift programs in place. And that’s something your team can do, too!

We recommend including a number of ways that the receiving donors can get further involved with your nonprofit⁠—even after determining that their gift is not able to be matched by their employer. For example, consider encouraging supporters to take the following next steps:

Make a recommendation for matching gifts.

For companies that don’t have existing matching gift programs, encourage donors to reach out and float the idea upwards. An employee may get in touch with their employer’s HR department to discuss the possibility of launching a matching gift program.

To further simplify the process for your donors, you might even provide a customizable template (such as the one included in this How to Advocate for a Matching Gift Program guide) they can use to pitch matching gifts and highlight the business value available to the company.

And who knows? They might end up developing a matching gift initiative after all!

Look into additional workplace giving opportunities.

Let’s say a donor’s employer doesn’t offer a matching gift program. That’s not to say they don’t have any workplace giving initiatives in place! Encourage donors who work for non-matching gift companies to look into additional corporate giving opportunities they may be eligible to participate in.

Thousands of companies offer volunteer grants, while others may provide annual grant stipends, paid volunteer time off, etc. The possibilities are endless, and all can have a positive impact on your organization.

Multiply their impact in other ways.

Perhaps the donor’s employer is not interested in launching any workplace giving opportunities just yet. That doesn’t mean the donor themselves is not able to amplify their impact on your cause! At this point, be sure to provide recommendations for other ways an individual can get further involved.

For example, if an individual has contributed a one-time donation, see if they’re interested in getting involved in a recurring monthly giving program! Alternatively, you can highlight other ways they can bring value to your cause, such as by volunteering with your organization or even taking on a peer-to-peer fundraising role.

You already know that your donors are invested in your organization and its cause. Having a strategy in place for getting match-eligible donors involved in their employers’ matching gift programs is great. But you don’t want to neglect those who have been identified as match-ineligible, either.

Guiding said donors toward additional opportunities for support is a must. And, if you have 360MatchPro, you don’t have to worry about following up with individual supporters, thanks to your customizable and automated email streams that lead the way.

3. Reach out to companies without matching gift programs.

Sure, your donors can be some of your strongest advocates for corporate partnership opportunities. But you can also reach out to potential sponsors yourself to propose business partnerships and build relationships.

One of the best ways to do so starts with the companies your donors work for that have been determined not to offer matching gift programs. After all, they’re currently missing out on a substantial opportunity for increased business success. Partnering with your organization can empower them to leverage philanthropy to make the most of it.

Consider reaching out to some of the top companies identified through 360MatchPro’s dashboard. From there, you can start with a simple template like this:

“Hi! We see that more than 35 dedicated donors to our nonprofit are employed by your company. Unfortunately, however, it looks like you don’t offer a matching gift program. Because we already have so much in common with us, we were hoping you might be interested in developing a mutually beneficial corporate partnership.”

For the best results, be sure to highlight whatever value proposition you can provide your corporate sponsors in terms of your upcoming event or project. Not only will these companies be inclined to build a relationship based on the overlap between your two teams, but they’ll also be able to examine the tangible benefits made available by the partnership.

4. Pursue custom matching gift opportunities.

Similar to how you could seek a corporate sponsorship by an employer prevalent in your donor network, you might also decide to pursue a “one-off” or custom matching gift program with the company.

Not familiar with that idea? It’s essentially a matching gift initiative that involves a specific agreement between your organization and a dedicated corporate partner. While the partner may not match donations to other nonprofits their employees support, they do commit to doubling donations made by team members to your cause. Since it involves a significantly lower investment of the company’s time, effort, and resources, it may be a more effective ask than if you were to recommend the business launch a new, fully-fledged matching gift program.

Depending on how the conversation goes, you can even share with them our detailed guide on How to Start a Matching Gift Program to help them move through the process. Should they decide to take on the task, 360MatchPro also offers unique functionality for nonprofits managing their side of such programs within the matching gift platform. Not to mention, you can offer groundbreaking auto-submission functionality through Double the Donation, which streamlines the request process for the company’s employees and minimizes the administrative lift for the company itself!

*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.

Increasing revenue through corporate philanthropy is an excellent objective for nonprofits of all shapes, sizes, and missions. And learning how to identify corporate partnerships is one of the best steps you can take to get there!

For the greatest results, be sure your team is equipped with the tools you need for ongoing, substantial success. For matching gifts and corporate partnership opportunities, Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro offers the best-in-class technology to drive matching gifts to completion, uncover potential sponsorships, and more.

Interested in learning more about corporate fundraising? Check out these other educational posts from Double the Donation:

  • Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies. Workplace giving programs such as matching gifts and volunteer grants can make a substantial impact on the nonprofits and companies that participate. Learn more about the benefits of workplace giving and how you can utilize the initiatives for your cause.
  • Corporate Giving Programs: The Ultimate Fundraising Guide. Corporate giving programs are not limited to matching gifts and corporate partnerships! Find out everything there is to know about some of the most popular and effective philanthropy programs offered by companies across the globe with this detailed guide.
  • Matching Gift Databases: Our Comprehensive Guide for 2022. Matching gift software can make a huge difference for matching gift fundraising as well as other forms of corporate giving. Dive into this resource that highlights what to look for in a matching gift database and how it can help your team raise more.

Learn more about identifying corporate sponsorships and increasing matching gifts with Double the Donation.

Learn about the best nonprofit graphic design tools in this guide.

12 Best Nonprofit Graphic Design Tools to Amplify Your Cause

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Rely on Kwala for your your nonprofit graphic design needs.

Your nonprofit probably relies on a variety of tools and software each day. From fundraising software to web development platforms, these tools keep your organization up and running. But what about tools that improve your nonprofit’s graphic design offerings?

Graphic design is a pain point for many nonprofits. Design software can be expensive and complicated, leaving many nonprofit professionals frustrated and without quality graphics. However, there are plenty of tools out there that don’t require a degree in graphic design to use.

Plus, turning to professional nonprofit graphic designers can simplify the process even further. They’ll do all the heavy lifting, so your nonprofit marketing team can focus on its strategies rather than learning how to use different design tools.

To get you started on your marketing transformation, we’ll explore the basics of nonprofit graphic design and some of the best tools and services to consider. Here’s what we’ll cover:

If your head is already spinning with questions about numbers and pricing, don’t worry just yet. Most graphic design tools and services offer free or reduced prices for nonprofits, ensuring your team can find a tool that fits within its budget.

If you’d like to skip learning about these tools altogether, consider turning to the professional designers at Kwala. As our recommended graphic design company, they understand the ins and outs of nonprofit graphic design and can bring your design visions to life.

Otherwise, let’s get started with a bit about why nonprofit graphic design matters.Here's why effective graphic design matters for nonprofit organizations.

Why invest in nonprofit graphic design tools or services?

Nonprofit marketing keeps your organization alive. Marketing shares your message with the people who want to support your mission, bringing in new donors. Oftentimes, this marketing relies on attractive visual elements to promote your organization, matching gift opportunities, and fundraisers.

In addition to catching supporters’ eyes with your marketing materials, graphics provide important benefits to your organization. Designing logos, social media posts, or flyers that look clean and professional can:

  • Market your nonprofit as a trustworthy organization.
  • Create cohesive, memorable branding.
  • Capture prospective supporters’ attention.
  • Make your content more skimmable for a fast-paced audience.
  • Create fresh and engaging social media posts.

Compelling graphic design does more than wrap your message in a pretty package. Effective graphic design organizes your content in the most efficient way possible, sending your supporters crystal clear messaging. Employ quality graphics in your messaging strategy to engage your audience and effectively communicate with them.

To create these designs, you can’t rely on just any graphic design tools. You’ll need ones that provide the exact features you need, whether you want to create artistic designs, edit original photographs, or create powerful videos.

Oftentimes, nonprofits are better off relying on expert designers who can deliver professional-grade designs. Then, there’s no learning curve required for your team. All you’ll need to do is communicate what you’d like your designer to create, and they’ll bring your vision to life.
We recommend relying on Kwala's nonprofit graphic design services.

Our Recommended Nonprofit Graphic Design Service

If your team doesn’t have the time to create its own designs, consider turning to nonprofit graphic design professionals. As our recommended service provider, Kwala can be a powerful resource for your nonprofit. After years working in the nonprofit sector, their team is devoted to pushing worthwhile causes forward with their professional-grade designs.

This service produces high-quality graphic design content with mission-driven organizations in mind. Between digital and print marketing materials, your team can get custom graphics that communicate your cause and stand out to supporters. Some of their core services include:

Kwala offers these essential nonprofit graphic design resources.

  • Fundraising flyers and brochures
  • Product designs for t-shirts, hats, and more
  • Digital ad and social media graphics
  • Website graphics
  • Letterheads

Whether you’re sending donor thank-you letters or promoting an upcoming fundraiser, your nonprofit can get custom designs for anything you need by working with Kwala’s talented team of graphic designers.

Why Kwala Stands Out

Skip the nonprofit graphic design tools and rely on the experts at Kwala.

Kwala’s our top recommendation for several reasons! Here’s what you can expect by relying on them for your nonprofit graphic design needs:

  • Nonprofit-focused skills. Kwala works exclusively with mission-driven organizations. They understand the sector and what stands out to supporters in both digital and print materials. That means you won’t have to spend time helping them understand your mission and the best way to communicate it through design.
  • Unlimited designs and revisions. Kwala’s customer service is unparalleled. Their team is devoted to producing nonprofit graphic designs that you’re happy with. Each month, you can request as many designs as you want. If you’re unhappy with the results, they’ll keep redesigning until you’re satisfied.
  • Dedicated graphic designer. When you partner with Kwala, you’ll be paired with a dedicated designer who will be responsible for handling all your nonprofit graphic design needs. Over time, they’ll get to know your mission on a deeper level, and you’ll be able to build synergy with them as you communicate on a regular basis.

Creating your own graphics can be difficult. Challenges like being short on time, understaffed, or lacking expertise make creating your own designs seem impossible. With services like Kwala’s, you can shift your attention back to accomplishing your mission-based goals.

Get Started with Kwala!

Here are some of the best nonprofit graphic design tools you can use.

Top Nonprofit Graphic Design Tools

Your team might have time to undertake its own design projects, or maybe you’re curious about some of the nonprofit graphic design tools that professionals use. In any case, we’ve curated a list of some of the most popular platforms you can use to create graphics for your organization.

CanvaCanva is one of the top graphic design tools for nonprofits.

Canva is a graphic design tool complete with templates, ready-to-use graphics, and a stock photo library. With Canva’s extensive range of templates, you can create social media posts, flyers, brochures, and more with just a few clicks. These templates are fully customizable, so you can tweak and edit them to fit your nonprofit’s branding.

Canva offers a free version of its software that includes access to most of the basic editing tools as well as some graphics and photos. However, Canva offers a nonprofit program in which nonprofits are eligible to receive access to a free Canva Pro account.

Whether you want to create a design from scratch or drag and drop your content into a template, Canva is a versatile and beginner-friendly option for nonprofits.

VistaCreateVistaCreate is a top tool for nonprofit graphic design.

VistaCreate, formerly known as Crello, is a graphic design tool with templates, stock photos, and graphics. While VistaCreate is very similar to Canva, it focuses more on providing templates for social media content.

With VistaCreate, social media design templates are front and center, making it quicker and easier to create these posts. For nonprofits with a heavy focus on social media, this tool makes designing content for campaigns and projects a breeze. Easy access to a variety of social media post templates keeps your pages fresh and engaging for your supporters.

You’ll be able to:

  • Access their library of more than 70 million photos, videos, and vectors
  • Collaborate with up to 10 members on your projects
  • Remove image backgrounds, create your own stickers, and resize designs

VistaCreate offers both free and paid plans. With the premium plan, your organization gains access to unlimited downloads and all of VistaCreate’s templates and photos. Fortunately, nonprofits are eligible for free VistaCreate Pro plans.

ColourcodeColourcode is one of the best nonprofit graphic design tools.

Colourcode is a free color palette generator. With Colourcode, you can build your own color schemes or use preset themes like the monochromatic palette.

Whether you are getting started by creating a new brand, rebranding an existing organization, or designing a color scheme for a new project, choosing a color palette is essential.

This nonprofit graphic design tool positions the colors next to each other so you can visualize how they look together. Getting a good idea of how the colors mesh ensures that you don’t end up printing a color scheme you don’t like on hundreds of shirts.

DesignManticDesignMantic is a top nonprofit graphic design tool.

DesignMantic is primarily a logo maker but has templates for other nonprofit needs like t-shirts, flyers, and websites.

To get started, simply select the service you need, your organization’s name, and the industry you belong to. DesignMantic will generate logo designs based on this information, but you are free to modify the design until you’re satisfied.

To customize your logo, this nonprofit graphic design tool allows you to:

  • Add your tagline
  • Adjust the colors to match your brand
  • Include additional shapes or text
  • Change the position of the text and logo shape

DesignMantic allows you to create as many logos as you like at no charge. Typically, the service requires payment for any logos you decide to use. However, nonprofits can apply to receive a free logo.

PexelsPexels is one of the top nonprofit graphic design tools.

Pexels is a service that offers royalty-free stock photos and videos. Anything featured on the site is entirely free to use, and you can edit the photos and videos as much as you like.

When you take the time to choose photos that accurately communicate your cause, these images will enrich your nonprofit’s marketing materials and social media presence. To take it one step further, recoloring photos or cropping out anything you don’t love is a great way to adapt stock photos to fit your nonprofit’s branding.

Services like Pexels cut out the complicated steps of sourcing images, so you don’t have to take photos yourself or license another photographer’s work.

Adobe ExpressAdobe Express is another top nonprofit graphic design tool.

Previously known as Adobe Spark, Adobe Express is a program that’s similar to Photoshop and Illustrator. Available on both the web and mobile devices, this program offers:

  • Thousands of templates for almost any purpose or occasion
  • Adobe Stock royalty-free photos
  • A full library of Adobe Fonts
  • Intuitive tools that let you remove backgrounds, animate text, and more

Whether your organization needs Twitter banners, Instagram Story slides, or fundraising flyers, Adobe Express likely has something to fit your needs.

Because it is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Express operates similarly to other Adobe programs. This tool is a great option if someone on your team has previous experience using Adobe software but prefers a more streamlined, affordable tool.

Adobe offers a free version of this program with access to some of the templates, editing tools, and stock photos included in the full plan. The paid monthly subscription unlocks all of these options as well as other features like social media planning and scheduling. Don’t forget to enroll in Adobe’s nonprofit discount program if you are planning to use the paid option.

PixlrPixlr is one of the top nonprofit graphic design tools.

Pixlr is a platform that’s similar to Photoshop and has similar offerings to Adobe Express. However, Pixlr operates solely online and does not require a software download. If your nonprofit prefers a lightweight graphic design tool that can live in a browser, Pixlr is perfect.

There are different versions of Pixlr tailored to different needs, with some geared towards design professionals or video editing. Depending on your nonprofit’s graphic design needs, some features you might find useful include:

  • Basic editing tools such as cropping and a color picker
  • Filters to transform your photos into artistic visuals
  • Background removal tools, which are great for creating product images
  • Professionally-crafted design templates, which are great for creating Instagram stories, brochures, presentations, and more

Pixlr X is a solid place for nonprofits to start because it is a stress-free, simple way to create designs. This tool offers both free and paid premium options. The paid plan unlocks more features, such as more templates, fonts, overlays, and exclusive video tutorials.

BeFunkyBeFunky is a top graphic design tool.

BeFunky is a photo editor that simplifies many popular photo editing tools. For example, you can implement common photo edits such as:

  • Cropping
  • Resizing
  • Batch editing multiple photos at once
  • Removing backgrounds
  • Retouching
  • Generating photo collages

You can edit photos for your social media accounts or website in just a few clicks with BeFunky’s no-fuss editor. The site offers a free version of its software, but it has limited editing capabilities. BeFunky’s paid plan grants access to all of its quick and easy editing tools.

TectonicTectonic is a top nonprofit graphic design service.

Tectonic is a full-service video production company that helps nonprofits create high-quality videos.

In the world of social media and rapidly-developing technology, video marketing is a powerful force. In fact, marketing experts estimate that 93% of companies acquired new customers because of social media videos. Nonprofits can take notes from this strategy by incorporating video content into their marketing strategies.

While creating videos for your nonprofit might seem time and labor-intensive, finding the right tool for your nonprofit makes the task manageable. Tectonic has worked with mission-driven organizations to produce videos like:

  • Virtual fundraising events for community development organizations
  • Marketing collateral for international development organizations
  • Advocacy campaigns for human rights organizations
  • VR experiences for health-related nonprofits

This service helps nonprofits adapt to the current media landscape. Tectonic has experience creating hundreds of videos for nonprofit organizations around the globe. Because their services are tailored to the unique needs and challenges of mission-driven organizations, the videos they produce maximize nonprofit success.

About 93% of companies acquire new customers through social media videos.

AnimakerAnimaker is one of the top graphic design tools.

Animaker is a platform that makes creating short videos simple. Within its software, you can:

  • Create short animated videos
  • Make customized GIFs
  • Upload and edit videos in 4K video quality
  • Leverage more than 100 million stock videos and photos
  • Kickstart the design process with thousands of templates

Designed for beginners, this is a great tool if your organization needs to create video explainers or other clips.

Pricing for Animaker changes depending on your needs. While the tool offers a free version, it is limited in terms of editing capabilities and storage. Your nonprofit might find more value in the tools provided in one of the paid plans.

MorwebMorweb is a top nonprofit graphic design service.

Morweb is a CMS and web design agency all in one. This agency helps nonprofits spread their vision through award-winning digital design. If you are looking for a team that can help your organization build its website and grow its digital presence, look no further than Morweb.

Gain access to Morweb’s nonprofit CMS to develop and manage your website with custom tools and support catered to the nonprofit space, such as:

  • Drag-and-drop editing tools that eliminate the need for coding
  • A menu manager that allows you to add, edit, and reorganize your navigation menus
  • Premium widgets and page layouts that simplify the design process
  • Instant mobile-responsive designs, which make sure your site will load quickly and look crisp on any device

If your team needs help creating a custom website, their expert design team will step in. They have a proven track record of creating web designs that strategically present engagement opportunities and drive users to get involved in mission-driven causes.

All in all, Morweb is a combination of expert services and traditional web design tools, making its offerings factor into your nonprofit’s overall branding and digital strategy. Morweb’s professionals help guide customers through their process to create websites that address your project’s goals. Using Morweb’s fully branded, user-friendly websites in tandem with other graphic design projects adds cohesion and value to your nonprofit marketing.

If you're unsure about nonprofit graphic design tools, consider hiring expert designers instead.

Still not sure about using nonprofit graphic design tools?

Creating graphics isn’t feasible for every nonprofit organization. If your organization is understaffed, short on time, or inexperienced with graphic design, exploring external options is the best choice. However, working with agencies can be frustrating, especially if they don’t understand the unique nonprofit landscape.

Nonprofit graphic design services remove the guesswork and added stress that comes with working with a traditional agency. As we mentioned earlier, we recommend Kwala, a subscription-based service made up of a small team of talented graphic designers. This team is dedicated to helping mission-driven organizations succeed with professional visual elements.

So, what makes Kwala different? There are a few things that set this service apart from other graphic design agencies and tools:

These are the benefits you can expect when you rely on Kwala's graphic design services for nonprofits.

  • Designers know and understand nonprofits. Kwala is tailor-made for mission-driven organizations. Designers have extensive knowledge of the quirks and complexities of the nonprofit sector, and they understand your organization’s goals. The graphics they design reflect this knowledge, setting your organization up to receive positive donor reactions.
  • Nonprofits can focus on what matters — their mission. This service takes on graphic design responsibilities, so you don’t have to. Since you won’t have to jump through hoops with an agency or design your own graphics, you can get back to fulfilling your mission.
  • Your dollar is protected. Kwala prioritizes making the most of your time and money. With flat pricing and a 21-day money-back guarantee, you only have to pay for designs you love without any sneaky fees.

If your nonprofit is struggling with meeting its graphic design needs, consider contacting a graphic design service. These services are the most convenient, stress-free way to get quality, custom graphics.

Quality graphic design is crucial to engaging both current and potential supporters with your nonprofit’s mission. The internet is host to dozens — if not hundreds — of free and affordable nonprofit graphic design tools. However, if making graphics yourself seems overwhelming, using Kwala’s graphic design services for mission-driven organizations cuts out the stress while providing you with custom graphics.

Get Started with Kwala!

If you want to learn more about nonprofit graphic design tools, check out these resources.

Additional Nonprofit Graphic Design Resources

Your organization’s marketing strategy is a key part of expanding your reach and growing your pool of donors. Getting started with the proper graphic design tools is a solid first step to creating cohesive visual elements for your organization, but there is so much more to learn.

If you’re looking for quality designs and don’t have time to learn how to use different tools, remember you always have the option to turn to professional designers! Those with nonprofit expertise will know what it takes to encapsulate your brand and communicate your cause to supporters through powerful visuals.

In the meantime, check out these resources to discover more about branding strategies and graphic design best practices:

Get started with Kwala's nonprofit graphic design services.

Marketing matching gifts to your internal team

Marketing Matching Gifts To Your Internal Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Internal Awareness

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing matching gifts to your internal team with matching gift awareness

Marketing Matching Gifts With Matching Gift Teams

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With A Matching Gift Fundraising Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Key Metrics

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing matching gifts to your internal team with key metrics

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

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

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

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

Marketing matching gifts on your website with direct mail outreach

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail Outreach

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

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

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

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

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

This may include a combination of:

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

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Letters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail_Letter

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail Inserts

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Postcards

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

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

Consider these best practices for marketing matching gifts with postcards:

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Thank-You Notes

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Physical Newsletters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail_Newsletter

Marketing Matching Gifts With Return Envelopes

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

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

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

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

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

Why?

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail_Envelope

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing matching gifts on your website

Marketing Matching Gifts On Your Website

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Dedicated Match Pages

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing matching gifts on your website with a dedicated match page

Marketing Matching Gifts With Prewritten Articles

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing matching gifts in your digital communications with prewritten articles

Marketing Matching Gifts With Images and Buttons

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing matching gifts on your website with images

Marketing matching gifts on your website with buttons

Marketing Matching Gifts With Navigation Bars

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing matching gifts on your website with a navigation bar

Marketing Matching Gifts With Ways to Give Pages

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Custom Matching Gift Program Pages

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process

Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Donation Process

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

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

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

Let’s begin!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Donation Pages

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process on the donation page

Marketing Matching Gifts With Donation Confirmation Screens

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

Marketing Matching Gifts With Donation Confirmation Emails

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

Marketing matching gifts in your donation process on the confirmation email

Marketing Matching Gifts With Matching Gift Recognition

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example Content:

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

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

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

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

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

EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs: A Basic Guide

EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs: A Basic Guide

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. EIN Numbers: The Definition

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On the organization’s website

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

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

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

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

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

Within donor communication materials

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

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

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

Through third-party resources

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

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

3. The Importance of EIN Numbers for Matching Gift Programs

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

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

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

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

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

4. The Role of EIN Numbers With CSR Platforms

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

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

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

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

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

5. How to Simplify EIN Numbers for Donors

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

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

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

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

American Heart Association

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

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3 Areas to Improve Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Results

3 Areas to Improve Your Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Results

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by Mark Becker, Founding Partner, Cathexis Partners

Peer-to-peer fundraising is big. According to a peer-to-peer fundraising study by NonProfit PRO and Frontstream, 43 percent of nonprofits engaged in peer-to-peer fundraising said that fundraising made up more than 50 percent of their revenue. And according to Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum’s Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Thirty, 2.2 million people took part in peer-to-peer fundraising programs in 2020.

Stats like these suggest that it’s worth investing more time in your peer-to-peer fundraising program.

So, let’s take a look at three areas where you can improve your peer-to-peer fundraising results:

1. Recruit more participants.

One key thing peer-to-peer fundraising requires to be successful is participants. Here are some ideas for recruiting more participants for your next peer-to-peer campaign or event:

  • Create powerful messages – To get your supporters excited about helping you raise funds, it’s important to have a compelling story. Make sure your messaging addresses key ideas, including:
    • What makes your organization unique
    • What impact you are having on your mission
    • How your peer-to-peer campaign or event is solving a problem
    • What the funds raised from your campaign or event will help your organization accomplish
    • How participants can help you reach your fundraising goals
  • Make your story easy to understand and share – Make sure the messaging for your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign is easy to:
    • Understand – It should be obvious why your organization has launched the peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.
    • Convey – Your message should be simple enough for your supporters to easily explain to others.
    • Share – Your peer-to-peer fundraising tools should make it easy for participants to share your message.
  • Analyze your data – Take time to gather, analyze and use data from your past peer-to-peer campaigns or events to uncover trends and find new opportunities to improve your recruiting efforts. For example, review funds raised based on your top fundraisers’ connection to your organization. Understanding more about them can help you target your recruitment efforts with greater precision.
  • Do a “soft” launch – Consider doing a soft launch of your campaign in which you have staff members, board members, and your most involved constituents register to begin fundraising ahead of the official launch. Then, when other people come across the campaign, they’ll see that it already has an interest.
  • Build targeted recruitment emails – Segment your audiences and tailor messages for each segment for greater impact. For example, create email audiences based on past participation and past team membership. By doing so, you can send targeted messages, such as an early announcement email to those who have participated in the past and follow-up messages encouraging past participants to sign up.
  • Reach beyond your list – Think about other communications channels that reach beyond your constituent list: social media, your website, signs at your organization’s events, public service announcements, local morning TV news shows. All of these channels can be used to announce your campaign and recruit participants.

2. Motivate your participants to raise more.

Getting participants to sign up to fundraise for your organization (and providing them with basic details, sample emails, and suggestions about how to raise funds from their family and friends) is just the beginning. Your ability to reach your fundraising goals depends heavily on your ability to engage with your peer-to-peer participants and keep them motivated to raise funds.

Some ideas:

  • Issue social media challenges. Create social media challenges to get participants more excited about your campaign and help them engage with potential donors. For example, at the beginning of the week, issue a challenge via your website, social media, and email. Challenges can be related to your organization’s mission, such as “the participant who posts the most pet-themed photos wins the challenge,” or generic, like “the participant with the most donor selfies wins.” Then, promote the winner the following week.
  • Send out a call for videos. Ask participants to create videos to help inspire other participants. For example, ask your top fundraisers to develop a short video about why they’re raising funds for your organization or what have been their most effective approaches for raising funds from friends and family.
  • Provide incentives. Those who sign up for your peer-to-peer event or campaign have already shown interest in raising funds for your organization. But a little extra incentive can help you keep up the fundraising momentum. For example, offer a t-shirt, an online gift card, or another gift for participants who reach specified fundraising milestones.

3. Consider your peer-to-peer fundraising software platform.

The software platform you use to manage your peer-to-peer campaigns and events and to provide participants with the tools they need to raise funds is critical to your fundraising success. Be sure to periodically re-evaluate your software platform to ensure it’s still meeting your needs.

Here are three signs that it might be time for a change:

  • Your peer-to-peer participants aren’t as happy as they should be. Here are some signals that your participants are finding the online experience for your peer-to-peer campaigns and events difficult to navigate:
    • Registration abandonment. If you see a high number of people abandoning the registration process, or if that number starts to go up, it might be a sign that you need software that supports an easier and more intuitive participant-facing online experience.
    • Support requests. If you find your staff is receiving an increasing number of support requests for your peer-to-peer campaigns and events, it’s a signal that your software might not be as easy for participants to use as it should be.
    • Survey responses. After each event or campaign, it’s a good idea to send participants a survey to capture their feedback. Be sure to ask questions about their online experience. They’ll let you know if the experience is clunky or outdated.
  • Staff productivity is decreasing. If your organization’s peer-to-peer fundraising team doesn’t seem to be working as efficiently as it seems like it should be, it might be time for new software. You might hear them say things like:
    • It’s difficult to run reports and get the information they need when they need it.
    • Making changes to the participant-facing design is difficult and/or they aren’t getting the results they expect after making changes.
    • It seems to take too long to set up and/or edit a new campaign.
  • Your organization’s strategy is evolving faster than your software. As your organization evolves, it’s not uncommon for technology that once met your needs to no longer work for you. Here are some things to watch for:
    • Your software will not integrate with your donor database/customer relationship management platform, email marketing platform, or other key software that your organization uses or plans to add soon.
    • Your organization’s strategy has expanded to include more social media, apps, SMS, matching gift tools, and other technologies, but your software does not support or integrate with those technologies.
    • Your organization has shifted money or resources toward other technologies, and you need a more cost-effective solution.

Whether you’re just getting started with peer-to-peer fundraising, or you’ve been at it for years, the approaches in this article can make a positive impact on your peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns and events.

If you need more ideas or an extra set of hands for your peer-to-peer fundraising events or campaigns, the Cathexis Partners team is ready to help. Contact Cathexis Partners today.

About Mark Becker and Cathexis Partners: Mark founded Cathexis Partners in 2008 to help nonprofit organizations get the most from their existing technology tools, implement new technology to address gaps, and find the best overall approach to using technology to support their missions. He previously served as director of IT consulting at a fundraising event production company focused on nonprofits. Cathexis Partners helps nonprofits use technology to raise funds and engage supporters more effectively.

Explore these nonprofit newsletter ideas to freshen up your content.

24 Content Ideas for Your Next Nonprofit Newsletter

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Sending a weekly or monthly newsletter to your community is a proven way to engage your supporters and keep them up-to-date with what’s going on at your organization. It’s a great vehicle for sharing news stories, reminding your readers about upcoming events, and reporting on your impact.

That’s why many nonprofit professionals are very eager to start sending regular newsletters to their community. Unfortunately, many of them often come to one of two roadblocks at one point or another: 1) they run out of ideas for what to include in the next newsletter and stop sending them as regularly, eventually stopping altogether, or 2) they run out of ideas but desperately try to stick to the regular schedule, resulting in newsletters so bland that their open rates plummet.

If you have ever found yourself here — or if you’re planning to start sending a newsletter and want to make sure it’s a success — this arsenal of foolproof content ideas will help transform your newsletters into updates that your readers will not only open more often, but will actually look forward to reading.

Once you get accustomed to coming up with new content pieces based on these ideas, you’ll become much better at seeing a potential story in just about anything. The key thing to remember is that everything your readers want to read about is already happening within your organization and the community that surrounds it — you just need to know where to look, whom to ask, and how to communicate it in a way that will pique interest.

Read More: The Essential Guide to Nonprofit Email Marketing

Now without further ado, here are 24 content ideas for your next newsletter and all the ones after that.

1. Beneficiary Story

Does your nonprofit serve a particular community of people? Does someone benefit from the work you’re doing? Get in touch with these people and ask them if they’d be willing to share their story.

It can be very powerful to hear firsthand accounts from the people whose lives have been made better because of your organization’s existence. It serves as a reminder of why your work is so important, makes members of your community feel good about supporting you, and inspires them to continue or increase their involvement.

2. Donor Story

If your organization is supported by donors, you likely have a few (or many) individuals who strongly believe in the work you’re doing and have been supporting you for a long time. Take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on them.

Ask them why they chose to support you, what it means to them, and what they’re hoping to help achieve with their involvement. Not only is this a great way to show your appreciation and acknowledge their long-standing support, but it will also inspire other people to rise up and join them.

3. Staff Member Spotlight

You likely show a lot of love to your donors, volunteers, and board members, but your staff members are some of the most hard-working and dedicated people in your community. Don’t forget to show them some appreciation by shining a spotlight on what they do for your organization — it’s a great way to build morale among your employees.

For those who read your newsletter, it puts a face and a story to the name they’ve likely exchanged emails with or spoken to on the phone; it shows transparency and authenticity on your end and allows them to build a more personal connection with your organization.

4. Volunteer Spotlight

What about writing a story about one of your volunteers? Maybe you have someone who’s been a volunteer at your organization for years — or decades! They would definitely have an interesting story about how and why they got started and how they’ve seen your nonprofit grow over the years. Or maybe you have a volunteer who has just joined — ask them why they joined and what they’re hoping to get out of this experience. Volunteers always have a very special reason for why they do what they do — all you have to do is ask!

5. Sponsor Spotlight

If you have a corporate sponsor or a business that supports your work with monetary gifts or in-kind donations, your newsletter is a great place to recognize them with a special story. You can interview the CEO or showcase all the ways in which this sponsor has impacted your community. Most companies are looking for exposure for their brand by making charitable contributions, so featuring them in a newsletter is a great way to deliver that.

6. Q&A With a Member/Donor

Publishing a story about a member or a donor can be a special once-in-a-while feature, but you can also showcase your members in a brief but more regular way. What about coming up with a few standard questions and getting a different member to answer them every week?

Having a consistent element across all of your issues will get readers into the habit of anticipating it, making them more likely to open the newsletter week after week to read the next Q&A in the series.

7. Member of the Month

Has a member gone above and beyond with their involvement? Acknowledge them with this special accolade — it will make them feel appreciated and will likely inspire others to strive to receive the same honour in the following months.

8. Timeline of Your Nonprofit’s Milestones

No matter how long your organization has been around, you likely have a pretty interesting story about how you came to be and the milestones you’ve had to hit to be where you are today. While some of your long-standing members may already be familiar with these, it’s not a bad idea to re-ignite the conversation every now and then, especially for the sake of the brand new members.

Maybe you could even throw back to this timeline every time you have a new milestone to add to it — say, for example, your nonprofit was just endorsed by a local celebrity, or you’ve just hit a record number of members or donations.

9. From Our Friends

Is there an organization that does similar or complementary work to yours? Why not partner with them and offer a fresh take on your shared mission to your respective audiences? They could write a guest piece for your newsletter and you could do the same for theirs in exchange.

This will help raise awareness about your cause, introduce more people to your organization and provide your readers with refreshing and informative content.

10. In the Know

Have you heard something in the news recently that affects your organization’s work or is simply relevant to your mission? Maybe it’s a new law that was passed or news about a larger organization making big strides in your sector.

Be sure to share it with your readers – it will help them stay informed, spark conversation, and will make everyone involved a little more equipped to deal with the issues your organization strives to eliminate.

11. This Day in History

Similarly to sharing current news relevant to your organization, why not invite your readers on a trip down memory lane and remind them of important events that happened on the same day, week, or month, but a few (or several) years ago?

Chances are, your mission is related to an issue that many others before your organization had made progress on. Acknowledge their contribution and thank them for taking steps in the right direction, ultimately making your work a little easier.

12. Upcoming Events

Hopefully, this is a section you already include in your newsletter. If your nonprofit hosts frequent events, this is a great way to keep your members in-the-know and remind them about what’s coming up soon.

13. Photo Gallery from Past Events

Once an event has passed, don’t forget to follow up with your community about it. You can share a few highlights and key outcomes and thank the attendees for their participation. Most importantly, offer a preview and a link to the full gallery of photos from the event.

The people who attended will be happy to reminisce about a great time and will eagerly flip through the gallery in hopes of seeing their own photo pop up. The people who didn’t attend will be curious to see what they missed and will be more likely to come to your future events.

14. Photo Essay

Post-event follow-up is not the only time when you can share meaningful photos with your community. What about putting together a photo essay based on a particular theme, such as a year in review, volunteers in action, behind-the-scenes, power of teamwork, etc.

You can also ask your members to submit their own photo essays — they definitely have unique perspectives and experiences. Then, feature the best ones in your newsletter.

15. Report on Your Progress

You are hopefully already reporting on your progress and impact through communication pieces like your annual report and other impact reports, but your newsletter is a great vehicle for sharing quick updates and short summaries of what you can later expand on in a report.

Your community wants to stay up-to-date on what their involvement is helping to make possible, so providing regular updates will ensure that they stay engaged and committed to your cause.

16. Tips & Advice

Your nonprofit’s mission is likely part of solving a larger issue — one that affects your community on a daily basis. Why not offer your readers uplifting tips and advice relevant to your work to help them make small differences in their everyday lives. For example, a nonprofit that advocates for better public education on healthy eating choices includes one meal recipe at the end of each of their newsletters.

It’s an easy and fun way to get your community involved from the comfort of their own homes and keep your mission at the top of their minds.

17. Answering Questions from Members

Members of your community almost definitely have insightful questions and ideas for discussion. Why not open up the floor and let everyone contribute? Chances are, many other members have the same inquiry but don’t have the confidence to step forward and ask.

Encourage them to email their questions or concerns and dedicate a space in each of your newsletters to address one of these questions. This gives you the freedom to screen them to make sure you’re only answering the most relevant and appropriate ones. It’s not a bad idea to make them anonymous too, but you can also leave that up to the people submitting the questions.

18. Note from Leadership

Leaders inspire vision, action, and a sense of community, not only in an organization’s staff members, but in all who are associated with the organization. This is especially true for nonprofits. Your President, Founder, CEO, Director of Development, or any other person in a position of leadership has the power to inspire your community and remind them why they joined in the first place.

Make sure your members hear from this person often and that the message is well crafted and to the point, but is also authentic and down to earth. There’s nothing worse than an address from leadership that uses boilerplate language and feels like it wasn’t written by that person at all.

19. Ideas for Action

Advancing your nonprofit’s mission doesn’t have to stay within the walls of your organization. There are probably small things that members of your community can do in their own lives. You can use your newsletter to remind them that there are things they can do right now to help. For example, if your nonprofit’s mission is to protect the environment, remind your readers of some easy, low-waste swaps they can use in the kitchen that will help reduce their use of plastic.

20. Spread the Word

Similarly to the above point, members of your community can help advance your mission by sharing content from your newsletter with their own circles and social networks.

To encourage this, be sure to offer shareable content that your readers will resonate with. This includes meaningful quotes about your mission, powerful statistics, and infographics. Don’t forget to include a clear call for action, such as a “Share” button, that automatically tags your social media accounts.

21. Food for Thought

Are there issues that you aren’t sure how the world is going to solve? Is there a philosophical, ethical, or moral question that keeps you up at night? Get your members involved by providing this as a prompt and encourage them to think about it or bring it up in conversation with the people around them. It never hurts to keep the conversation going. Plus, you never know — your prompt might just reach someone who has the answer.

22. Wish List

Is your organization looking for any particular in-kind donations? This is the place to ask for them. Just be sure to provide a specific request and a clear set of instructions for how to arrange their delivery.

23. Call for Volunteers

If you’re like most nonprofits, you’re probably always looking for volunteers. Your newsletter is the perfect place to let people know what you’re looking for. Just remember that it’s best to provide specific descriptions of the types of work you need done and the time commitment required. More people will respond if they have a clear sense of whether or not this is something they can commit to.

24. Call for Donations

Lastly, you can always mention your current campaign or ask for donations to a specific fund/program. Make sure your call to action is specific and remember not to include this in your newsletter too often — you don’t want to deter your members from opening your newsletters in the future. At the end of the day, your newsletter is not part of your fundraising plan, its primary purpose is to keep your community engaged and interested in what you’re doing.

So there you have it. Hopefully, this list gives you some ideas about what to include in your newsletters. The most important takeaway is that your audience wants to read stories about how their involvement is helping to advance your mission.

Look within your organization, talk to as many people as you can to get their perspectives, and be on the lookout for what’s going on with nonprofits similar to yours. You’ll be sure to find everything you need to create meaningful and compelling content.

Sayana Izmailova from Wild Apricot is the guest author of this post on newsletter ideas.

This post was contributed by Wild Apricot.

About the Author: Sayana Izmailova is the Content Marketing Specialist at Wild Apricot, a membership management software. She has worked at a number of nonprofits and uses her experience to help small organizations advance their missions.

Matching Gifts Social Media

Feature Matching Gifts in Your Nonprofit’s Facebook and Twitter Posts

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An article from Forbes revealed that, “92% of marketers claimed that social media marketing was important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts increased traffic to their websites.” If you’re trying to raise awareness for matching gift programs, social media offers fruitful options.

Websites such as Facebook and Twitter allow you to appeal to your decidedly tech savvy audience, which, in our technologically reliant world, could be a bulk of your donors. Furthermore, a sizable online following offers social proof that your nonprofit is both credible and well-respected.

Marketing matching gifts through social media is both its own step and a conglomeration of all your social media tactics. Let’s take a look at the Twitter profile of CASA Pikes Peak Region to see social media versatility in action:

CASA twitter feed

The tweet in the green box is an example of straight pitching matching gift programs. This is the actual call-to-action, and this is what you need to do on social media to increase matching gift awareness. The other tweets all help to build follower interest, so, when this matching-gift-specific tweet gets posted, people actually pay attention to it because they’re emotionally engaged with both the organization and the content that they share.

You can’t market matching gifts all of the time, and you shouldn’t, as your followers will grow bored. Share meaningful material and build relationships so that when the time for marketing comes it feels organic and unimposing to your followers.

What types of posts best spread the word about matching gifts? There are more social media sites than you could ever use, so we’ve selected the two main players. You’ve likely heard of these sites, and we’ll provide concrete examples of posts that will engage donors.

Facebook

Facebook algorithms pick up on gimmicks, so, unless you pay to promote your content, you need to remain abreast of what Facebook will prioritize and what they will hide.  With tens of thousands of possible posts to present each time a user logs on, Facebook continuously tweaks its standards for what content people see.

Facebook communications director Brandon McCormick told Businessweek that, “People would rather see posts about a sale, or a new pair of pants that’s come in. Keeping the posts relevant to the kind of business that you have is really important.” In essence, stay on task with your content in terms of what people want to see and who you are as a nonprofit. Talk about matching gift programs, but in a creative way.

Example Facebook post from the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA)

Matching Gift Facebook post

CMTA include both a link to their matching gift page and a conspicuous graphic. It’s hard to miss their appeal for matching gifts and it is simple to navigate to the applicable matching gift webpage.

Example Facebook post from the Lazarex Cancer Foundation

Lazarex Facebook post

Lazarex provides on-point text and a graphic that links to their matching gift page. Promotion need not be any more complicated than this.

Example Facebook post from the National Kidney Foundation

Facebook Matching Gift Post

If a matching gift post could be a rockstar, this would be Kurt Cobain. Much like the CMTA post, the National Kidney Foundation combines informative text with an attention grabbing graphic, but look at all those Likes, Comments, and Shares.

The graphic is split in two, with the question mark grabbing the attention and the white text holding the attention. Chances are that most people will check out the graphic first, but then they’ll likely read the text above, too, and see the link. That link takes donors to a dedicated matching gift page, which is a crucial step towards landing more donations. Donor engagement with this post helps it to appear on more newsfeeds, so more donors become aware of matching gifts, which should lead to increased fundraising success. You want to go viral.

Additional Matching Gift Facebook Post Templates

  • We sincerely appreciate all donations to [Your Organization’s Name]. Did you know that your generosity has the potential to be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled? Check to see if your employer offers a matching gift program. [Insert Your Double the Donation Matching Gift URL]
  • A huge thanks to all of our donors, and a double thanks to those who submitted matching fund requests. Does your employer offer a matching gift program? Check today. [Insert Your Double the Donation Matching Gift URL]
  • What do Microsoft, Bank of America, IBM, and Verizon have in common? They all match employee donations to nonprofit organizations. If you donate, or have donated, to us and work for one of these four companies, your employer will double your donation. Many major employers offer similar programs. Search to discover if your employer offers a matching gift program, as well as to gain access to program guidelines, how-to instructions, and relevant forms. Thank you for taking five minutes to double your donation. [Insert Your Double the Donation Matching Gift URL]

In addition to text, graphics help to grab readers’ attentions. If your image doubles as a clickable link, that’s even better.

Double the Donation clients can access a variety of pre-made and ready-for-Facebook (and Twitter) graphics here.

Twitter

140 characters is not a lot of space, but it’s enough room to get creative about matching gift appeals.

Example Twitter post from the Center for Puppetry Arts

Center for the puppetry arts twitter

No need to complicate matters. A concise call to action and a link is all you need.

Example Twitter post from the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation

HNF tweet

The tweet’s link sends the donor to the below dedicated matching gift page, which you can learn more about with our comprehensive guide.

Example dedicated matching gift page from the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation

HNF page

The link is the tweet’s call to action in action. The goal is to earn a click in order to take donors to where it’s a simple five minute process of discovering if their employers match gifts and submitting the necessary forms.

Additional matching gift Twitter post templates

  • Did you donate to us in 2014? There’s still time to submit a matching gift request to your employer. Click, don’t scroll! [Insert Your Double the Donation Matching Gift URL]
  • It takes only a few minutes to submit corporate employee matching gift forms. Have you submitted yours? [Insert Your Double the Donation Matching Gift URL]
  • It’s February – do you love us? We love you, too! Click here to see if your company will double your donation:  [Insert Your Double the Donation Matching Gift URL]

Facebook has the largest community. Twitter is the modern way donors stay up to date with the organizations they care about. Leverage your social following with well-crafted posts and you can increase corporate matching donations.