Matching Gift Companies Archives - Page 5 of 6

How to Start a Matching Gift Program [For Companies]

August 3, 2022/in Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies, Corporate Consulting, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Thousands of companies host matching gift programs that encourage and amplify employee giving to nonprofit causes. When an individual works for such a company, they are able to make a donation to their favorite charitable organization and request a corporate match as well. This stretches the impact of their initial gift further, allowing them to make a more significant difference with their dollars.

While these types of programs are continuing to grow in popularity among companies and their employees alike, unfortunately, not all businesses offer gift-matching. But it’s not too late to get started!

If you’re a corporate leader looking to find out how to start a matching gift program for your company, you’ve come to the right place. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk through the key actions that, when done right, will enable you to develop an effective matching program for your business. These steps include:

Setting a budget and goals for your donation-matching program.
Identifying matching gift threshold criteria.
Determining eligibility for your matching gift programs.
Deciding how your company will facilitate matching.
Establishing your matching gift request process (and deadline).
Exploring matching gift auto-submission to simplify participation.
Crafting an employee-facing matching gift policy document.
Informing employees about your matching gift initiative.
Ensuring your matching gift program is added to the top matching database.
Collecting data, tracking impact, and making program improvements.

Companies match gifts for a wide range of reasons. These typically encompass business-related benefits such as increased employee engagement, improved reputation, tax deductions, and more⁠. In fact, employees and consumers alike are now more than ever demanding corporate social responsibility from the brands they support.

Studies show that more than 77% of employees reported a sense of purpose as a part of the reason they selected their current employer, while 2/3 of young employees won’t take a job at a company with poor CSR practices, and 55% of employees would even take a pay cut to work for a socially responsible company. At the same time, 90% of consumers worldwide are likely to switch to brands supporting good causes, while 66% would pay more to CSR-focused businesses.

However, genuine altruism can be another key driver behind matching gifts and other workplace and corporate philanthropy programs. Corporate leaders know they have the opportunity to make a real difference in the world and utilize their businesses to do so. And launching a matching gift program is a particularly impactful way to go.

Let’s dive in with the first step.

1. Set a budget and goals for your donation-matching program.

Before you can (or should) launch any new corporate initiative, it’s important to begin with your budget and goals. The same is true for matching gifts. These two criteria will guide the rest of your efforts⁠—your budget because it allows you to determine your new program’s limits and goals to help prioritize objectives and establish what success looks like.

When it comes to budget, we recommend setting a figure that is on the higher end of realistic for your business. That is because, although not every employee will choose to partake, you want to be sure you have the funding should you end up with higher participation rates than you’d initially expected.

You’ll also need to determine where this money will come from. Keep in mind that, though some companies reallocate funding for their matching gift programs from an existing philanthropic budget, others opt to establish a match reserve that is above and beyond any prior giving.

Now, for your goals; two of the most common types of objectives that a company might set in terms of matching gift program success have to do with dollars donated or employee participation. For example, you may decide that your goal for the first twelve months of your program is to contribute $X thousand dollars through employee matching gifts. On the other hand, perhaps you set a primary objective to incite X% staff participation in your matching gift program’s foundational year.

For additional context, take a look at the participation rates from several top matching gift companies in the financial, technology, consumer goods, and pharmaceutical industries:

Regardless, either objective structure works; it’s just a matter of ensuring your team is on the same page.

2. Identify matching gift threshold criteria.

Once you have your budget and goals set, it’s time to establish the boundaries of your program. Essentially, this criteria determines the total amount of funding that is available to each employee on an annual basis and should include the following details:

Ratios ⁠— Your matching gift ratio is the rate at which you agree to match employee donations. 1:1 is by far the most common match rate, with 91% of companies match donations doing so at a 1:1 ratio. However, some companies (approximately 4%) choose to match at a lower rate, such as .5:1, while others (5%) match at a higher rate, such as 2, 3, or even 4:1. For context, if an employee were to make a $100 donation, a 1:1 match would involve a $100 corporate gift, while a .5:1 match would result in a $50 match, and a 2:1 ratio would produce a $200 match.
Minimum amounts ⁠— Next is the minimum amount that your company agrees to match. Minimums are typically set in order to ensure employees are requesting corporate funds for the organizations they truly care about and support with their own dollars. Overall, 93% of companies with matching gift programs have a minimum match requirement of less than or equal to $50, with the average falling at $34. However, minimums can be as low as $1, and some companies choose not to set minimum gift amounts in the first place.
Maximum amounts ⁠— On the other end of the spectrum, nearly all companies set maximum match amounts that they’re willing to pay. Maximum caps allow corporations to manage their budgets properly and ensure there is funding available for any eligible employee to participate. Our research shows that 80% of companies’ matching gift maximums fall between $500 and $10,000 annually per employee, the mean amount coming in at $3,728.

Some businesses even vary their guidelines depending on an individual’s employment status or job type. For example, executive-level team members may be eligible for a 2:1 match up to $20,000, while all other employees receive a 1:1 match up to $10,000. In the same vein, you may decide that part-time and retired employees can request a particular amount of match funding, while current full-time staff are eligible for a higher level.

3. Determine eligibility for your matching gift programs.

Beyond monetary amounts, many companies also set specific eligibility criteria regarding the employee types that qualify to request matches, nonprofit mission types that qualify to receive matches, and contribution types that qualify as initial donations. Let’s take a look at each in further detail as you decide which kinds of gifts your company is willing to match:

Employee participants ⁠— Most matching gift programs are divided into eligibility status based on employment with the company offering the program. Typically, any combination of current, full-time, current part-time, and retired employees will qualify to get involved. However, some companies take things a step further by offering program eligibility to spouses and other family members of current and former staff members as well.
Donation types ⁠— By this point, you should have already determined the amounts you’re willing to match per employee in a pre-determined period. Now comes the question of which types of donations are eligible for corporate matching. Nonprofit donations can be made through a wide range of channels, including (but not limited to) an organization’s website, online donation tools, peer-to-peer giving campaigns, text giving, direct mail, recurring donations, phonathons, paycheck deductions, event pledges, stock donations and other gifts of securities, and more.
Nonprofit recipients ⁠— Though many companies will match gifts to any nonprofit organizations, others will choose specific mission types to either focus on or exclude from the matching initiative. For example, churches and other strictly religious organizations are some of the most common exclusions from companies’ matching programs. On the other hand, some companies will choose a specific cause type (often educational institutions) to which they will exclusively direct matching gift funds. Overall, companies typically choose from organizations in categories such as higher educational institutions, K-12 schools, health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental organizations, and more.

In order to ensure an optimal employee giving experience, experts recommend providing a large number of choices for employees to give⁠ and to get their gifts matched⁠. Similarly, your company will likely see significantly increased participation levels should you open the program to as many employees and nonprofits as possible.

However, if your company does not have the budget or the bandwidth to introduce a fully-fledged matching gift program, another option to consider would be a custom matching gifts program. What’s the difference? Rather than matching gifts to any or all nonprofit causes, a custom matching gift initiative involves a more direct partnership with a single fundraising organization. From there, a time constraint is typically established (for example, doubling all staff donations to a breast cancer research center made throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month). You’ll want to encourage employees to support the selected nonprofit during the span of the campaign, then your company will match the total given to make each dollar go farther toward the organization’s mission.

While more limited in scope, custom matching gift programs can be an excellent way to forge mutually beneficial nonprofit-corporate partnerships, rally employees around a particular cause, and gain critical experience in matching gifts. When you see the impact you can make with a custom program, you might even decide to go all in with a traditional matching gift offering!

*While Double the Donation offers custom matching gift management functionality, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—Double the Donation 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.

4. Decide how your company will facilitate matching.

Even after launching your matching gift offering, maintaining an effective program will require some continuous upkeep from company leadership. However, you don’t have to do it all manually if you choose not to.

There are generally two key management methods you can choose from:

In-house program management ⁠— Many companies⁠—particularly small businesses⁠—start by matching gifts on their own. While this can keep program overhead costs low, it will require additional investments of time and effort from corporate management. After employees submit their matching gift requests, there must be a process in place to facilitate the review of employee submissions, verify initial donations meet matching criteria, approve corporate matches, and disburse match funding.
Outsourcing to third-party solution ⁠— The alternative to in-house management is outsourcing aspects of your matching gift program to a third-party solution. Though this path will typically involve paying fees to various software vendors, it ultimately saves your team time, effort, and resources. Working with a matching gift software vendor (we have reviews of several top providers for businesses of all shapes and sizes here) allows your company to take a more hands-off approach to matching gifts while streamlining the processes involved for employee participants.

Either practice works, and many companies find that they begin with an in-house management style but later upgrade with corporate giving technology to elevate their efforts. As you make your decision, keep in mind that CSR is an investment that tends to bring substantial benefits to your business as a whole.

5. Establish your matching gift request process (and deadline).

In order to participate in your newly developed matching gift program, employees need to know how to participate and how long they have after making their initial nonprofit donations to complete the request process. Regarding the latter, most companies set their program participation deadlines according to one of the following schedule approaches:

Number of months following an initial donation ⁠— Most commonly six or twelve months following the date of an employee’s initial donation, this type of matching gift deadline works on a rolling basis. If an employee donated to a nonprofit on a certain day one year, they might qualify to request their match until the same date the following year. Or, they might remain eligible for six, nine, or even eighteen months after their original gift, depending on the company offering the program.
End of the calendar year ⁠— For companies that utilize the calendar year to organize their matching gift programs, it’s simple to determine when a match request is due. Whichever year the initial donation was made, the match must be submitted by December 31st of the same year. This is true regardless of whether the gift was contributed on January 1st or December 1st. However, this can result in employees who give later in the year having significantly less time to submit their matches.
End of the calendar year + grace period ⁠— Similar to the previous type, some companies choose to enact a matching gift deadline based on the end of the calendar year and then add on a grace period. The grace period is typically a few additional months into the next year. This means that an individual’s match request would typically be due by February, March, or April following the year in which the initial donation was made.
End of the fiscal year ⁠— If your company operates on a schedule other than the calendar year, it might make sense for your team to set your matching gift deadline in relation to the end of that year instead. Drawbacks to this method may occur if employees are not aware of the fiscal year the company runs on, so be sure to proactively communicate your deadline to employees if so.

Other common stipulations include that the employee must be gainfully employed by the company at both the time the donation is made and the time the match request is submitted and paid out.

As you craft your submission deadlines, you’ll also want to determine which information you’ll request from employees looking to submit their match requests. Common requirements include the employee’s name, organization name, mailing address, and tax ID number, and donation amount and type. You may also ask for a copy of the individual’s donation receipt, and some companies choose to verify each donation with the organization itself (though that can be a hassle for all parties involved).

You’ll also need to establish and ultimately communicate the way in which employees will go about requesting their matches. If you choose to manage your program with a matching gift software vendor, be sure to direct team members to the company’s online match request portal. If you end up facilitating your program in-house, ensure individuals know how to complete the submission process and have the resources they need to do so.

6. Explore matching gift auto-submission to simplify participation.

When you offer a matching gift program for your employees, you want them to partake. Otherwise, you limit the benefits of the initiative that you’ve invested your time, energy, and resources into developing.

Thus, in order to boost participation in your program, it’s important that you make the process involved in doing so as quick, easy, and painless as possible. And the best way to do so is by enabling matching gift auto-submission!

Auto-submission functionality is a trailblazing initiative made available through Double the Donation and its innovative CSR platform partners—including Millie, Selflessly, POINT, and more.

When a company leverages one of these corporate giving solutions to facilitate its matching gift program, they automatically empower employees to get their gifts matched directly from their favorite nonprofits’ websites. Whereas previously, donors were required to complete a separate request process and provide nonprofit and donor information, all they need to do with auto-submission is provide their corporate email address (or another piece of identifying information).

From there, the software systems process the request seamlessly behind the scenes, reducing roadblocks for employees and resulting in elevated engagement in the programming.

Working with a matching gift vendor that offers auto-submission will also allow your company to become a Certified Leader in Matching Automation (CLMA). That means you’ll be recognized for offering the most universally accessible, easy-to-complete matching gift process for your employees.

Remember: the more easily your staff can participate in matching gifts, the more likely they’ll be to complete their end of the process. Fortunately, offering auto-submission (and becoming CLMA-certified) is the best way to do so.

7. Craft an employee-facing matching gift policy document.

Some of the biggest reasons employees fail to participate in their companies’ matching gift programs, even if they make qualifying donations, is that they are unaware of their eligibility or lack understanding of the match request process and, subsequently, end up missing the deadline. Therefore, it’s essential that you take steps to communicate your program’s guidelines and instructions for participation to eligible employees.

One of the easiest and most effective ways to do so is by producing employee-facing documentation with all the information your staff will need to get involved. This should include your company’s match criteria, such as:

Match ratio
Minimum and maximum donation amounts
Qualifying employees and nonprofit causes
Types of donations and submission deadlines
Matching gift request process and links to online forms
Participation in auto-submission

Once you have all the information in one place, it’s easy for employees to determine whether their most recent donations are eligible for matching and take the initiative to participate. Keep in mind that, as you make adjustments to your matching gift program, it’s important to ensure your corporate giving policy documentation is as accurate and up-to-date as possible.

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE MATCHING GIFT POLICY TEMPLATE

8. Inform employees about your matching gift initiative.

Once your program is live, it’s time to begin promoting the opportunity to your employees. This is an essential, though often overlooked, step in the process. In fact, our research shows that despite 26 million individuals working for companies that match gifts, more than 78% of the group has never been made aware of the programs.

Unfortunately, many of those individuals never go to request corporate matches regardless of their eligibility to participate. In the end, that means companies are not reaping the maximum benefit of the programs they worked to establish.

Thus, in order to make the most of your business’ match initiative, it’s imperative that you take the time to ensure your workforce is aware. What this looks like specifically can vary from company to company.

You might:

Send out a team-wide email;
Announce the inception of your program at a meeting;
Add a section to your office policy handbook;
Incorporate matching gifts in your onboarding process going forward;

Or even all of the above.

The bottom line is that your employees should know about the program and be reminded of the opportunity multiple times throughout the year.

9. Ensure your matching gift program is added to the top matching database.

Directly informing your staff about your newly developed matching gift program is critical. Now your team should be aware of the initiative and ready to get involved. But you also want to ensure that employees are reminded of the program opportunities directly after making eligible nonprofit donations⁠—ideally from the organizations themselves.

For that to occur, you’ll need to first confirm that your matching gift program is added to the leading database of corporate matching gift program information: Double the Donation. Once added, employees will be able to search your company and receive program-specific details straight from the organizations they support, often within a donation confirmation screen widget or follow-up email.

From there, employees can navigate to your company’s matching gift request forms online and complete their submissions while leveraging their post-donation momentum. It simplifies the process involved for team members and results in significantly more matches being completed⁠—meaning more nonprofits receiving funding and increased benefits for your company.

To add your company, follow this link and provide the information requested. This includes your company name, submission materials (such as links to online forms, PDF uploads), and eligibility criteria.

(Hint: the more information you share, the easier it will be for employees to participate in your program.)

10. Collect data, track impact, and make program improvements.

This last stage of the matching gift development process involves taking a look at the program you’ve created and determining whether it meets the criteria previously set in place during step #1. You should be collecting and analyzing data throughout the process (made particularly simple when utilizing program management software). Now, this data comes in handy to help determine program success.

For example, did you meet or exceed your goals? If so⁠—what happens now? Will you set loftier goals for the future and continue matching? If not, how will you adjust your program strategy to ensure your team is on track to reach your goals this time around?

You can also take a closer look at your company’s data to determine and communicate program impact. This should answer questions like how many and to which nonprofits did your company give? What amounts were donated through both employee gifts and corporate matches?

Finally, you’ll want to explore ways to continuously improve your matching gift program in the months and years to come. Consider ways to drive employee engagement in your programming. Elevate giving by increasing your match ratio or maximum donation cap. Or simplify participation in your program by enabling matching gift auto-submission for your employees! You can even use dedicated employee recognition platforms to call out those who participate. As your company grows, your matching gift initiative should grow alongside it.

It doesn’t have to be difficult to get started with matching gifts, and your company’s programming doesn’t have to be the most built-out initiative before you can make it available to employees. Everyone has to begin somewhere, and following the nine steps above will allow you to build a solid foundation for your workforce.

Good luck, and happy matching!

Interested in learning more about matching gifts and developing optimized employee giving initiatives? Check out these other educational resources for companies here:

How to Launch a Corporate Volunteer Program Employees Love. Ready to implement a corporate volunteer program? Get started with volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and more using the steps outlined in this guide.
Offering the Ultimate Employee Giving Experience: A How-To Guide. Find out what your employees want in a workplace giving program with this insightful guide! Follow the provided tips and suggestions to develop a top-notch philanthropy initiative.
The Impact of CSR on Businesses: A Guide For Corporations. Why do companies match gifts, let alone participate in any CSR efforts? Explore this resource and dive into the key benefits of corporate giving to businesses like yours.
Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies. Learn more about workplace giving programs, the benefits of these initiatives, and how they help build mutually beneficial relationships between nonprofits and corporations.

Matching Gift Guidelines | Ratios, Minimums, Maximums & More

July 25, 2022/in Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

Thousands of companies match donations made by employees to a range of nonprofit causes through corporate matching gift programs. However, billions of dollars in available corporate matching revenue go unclaimed each year⁠—largely due to a lack of awareness surrounding the programs and the matching gift guidelines and request process that are required for donors to participate.

A general understanding of corporate giving is a great foundation for maximizing nonprofit revenue. However, in order to succeed in acquiring matching gifts, you’ll need to understand the nitty-gritty elements of program stipulations.

For example, companies are able to decide their specific guidelines for matching gift participation based typically on employee eligibility, nonprofit eligibility, and submission deadlines. From there, the amount that a company will match (per employee per year) is based on a combination of matching gift ratios, minimums, and maximum match amounts.

In this post, we’ll break down the key components of basic matching gift guidelines:

Match Ratios
Minimum Match Amounts
Maximum Match Amounts
Employee Eligibility
Nonprofit Eligibility
Forms and Deadlines

Not to mention, we’ll also provide an overview of the most effective method for determining program eligibility through companies’ matching gift guidelines. Equipped with the right tools, you can easily identify matching gift opportunities and communicate eligibility criteria and next steps to guide donors through the request process.

1. Match Ratios

Companies determine how much to match employee donations based on a preset ratio. In most cases, companies choose to match donations at a dollar-for-dollar rate (otherwise known as a 1:1 ratio).

When a program offers a 1:1 ratio, an employee will donate to an eligible nonprofit, submit their matching gift request to their employer, and then their company will match that gift with the same amount.

For instance, if an employee donates $100 to a nonprofit that’s eligible for the company’s match program, the employer will donate an additional $100. In the end, the nonprofit receives a $200 donation, which is double the original contribution.

Although you can expect to see a lot of 1:1 matching programs, ratios can range from .5:1 (or a $50 corporate donation for a $100 employee gift) all the way up to 4:1 (which would be a $400 company gift in response to a $100 employee contribution). Either way, the nonprofit receiving match funding results in significantly increased amounts flowing to the organization.

Let’s take a look at matching gift ratios in action. Consider these companies, for example:

Puget Sound Energy matches employee donations at a .5:1 rate.
Apple matches employee donations at a 1:1 rate.
Coca-Cola matches employee donations at a 2:1 rate.

Another thing to keep in mind when it comes to matching gift rates is an individual’s employment type. While ratios are typically standardized across all employee types, some companies will vary amounts depending on an employee’s position or type of employment.

For example, part-time employees, retirees, and even team member spouses may have a lower match rate than corporate executives who work for the same company. Take the following companies as an example:

Soros Fund Management matches donations from partners at a 1:1 rate and employees at a 2:1 rate.
Johnson & Johnson matches donations from current employees at a 2:1 ratio and retirees at a 1:1 ratio.

Takeaway: Matching gift ratios vary from company to company and may change based on employee position. These stipulations are entirely up to the company, and nonprofits and employees should stay up-to-date on their match opportunities.

2. Minimum Match Amounts

Unfortunately, not every company will match every donation made by an employee⁠—even if they do have a matching gift program in place. In order to qualify for a company match, restrictions are often put in place regarding the minimum donation amount they will match.

If a donor’s contribution falls below that set amount, the company will not match the gift. Keep in mind that this isn’t intended to restrict employees’ philanthropic efforts. Rather, it’s to ensure that employees are requesting matches for causes they truly care about.

Nonetheless, corporate matching gift best practices suggest keeping the minimum low to encourage participation and make the programming accessible to employees of all budget sizes. As a result, some companies will match donations that are as little as $1. However, the most common minimum requirement is $25, with 93% of companies having a minimum match requirement of less than or equal to $50, and the mean minimum amount falling at $34.

Let’s take a look at these companies’ matching gift minimums for a few common examples:

Apple matches employee donations of $1 or more.
Harris Corporation matches employee donations as long as they’re greater than $10.
Home Depot matches donations starting at $25.
LyondellBasell Industries matches employee donations of $100 or more.

Another thing to note is that, depending on the company, an individual who makes multiple smaller donations within a year may be able to consolidate them into a single donation match request⁠—despite falling beneath their employer’s minimum for any particular gift.

Takeaway: Companies apply minimum matches to ensure that the giving budget goes to nonprofits that employees actually care about. Most often, set minimums are $25, but they range from $1 to $100+.

3. Maximum Match Amounts

In addition to match minimums, companies also put caps on match amounts to ensure there’s enough in the giving budget for each employee to participate. If an employee donates more than the maximum match amount, still, only the defined maximum will be matched by the company.

Maximum matches have quite the range, too. Often, you’ll come across upper limits of between $1,000 and $5,000, with $3,728 as the average maximum threshold. However, there are plenty of companies with matches that are way above that scope.

Take a look at these companies with matching gift caps across the spectrum:

Avis Budget Group matches donations up to $100 annually per employee.
General Electric matches donations up to $5,000 annually per employee.
Merck & Company matches donations up to $30,000 annually per employee.
Soros Fund Management matches donations up to $100,000 annually per employee.

Regardless, each philanthropic program is generous and has the power to make a major difference in the nonprofit world.

Takeaway: Each company has a different maximum amount it will match. Typically, these are around $1,000 to $15,000, but it’s not uncommon to see caps that are higher or lower than this.

4. Employee Eligibility

Often, companies create eligibility requirements for employees that may depend on their position or another factor.

For example, some companies match donations made by any current employee, regardless of full- versus part-time status. Others will match retired individuals’ donations even after they depart from the business. Others still will even match gifts made by an employee’s spouse.

To get a real-world idea of this concept, take a look at these companies:

Acuity Brands matches donations from directors and executives only.
British Petroleum (BP) matches donations made from current employees, but not retirees.
Sherwin-Williams matches donations made from all current employees and retirees.
ExxonMobil matches donations made from employees, spouses, surviving spouses, and retirees.

Keep in mind that, as previously mentioned, different positions can sometimes mean different match ratios and maximum match amounts, too. For instance, some companies may allow current employees to donate up to a higher amount than retired employees. Another common case is programs that offer executive employees higher maximums than other employees.

Some companies also choose to further reward employees who go the extra mile. For example, take a look at these programs’ matching gift guidelines:

American Express offers a 1:1 match ratio for employee donations. However, if the donor serves on a nonprofit board or volunteers more than 50 hours in a year, the first $1,000 of their donations will be matched at a 2:1 ratio.
RealNetworks offers a standard matching gift program, but if an employee works at the company for 5 years, they receive an additional $500 grant for a nonprofit of their choosing.

Takeaway: In most cases, there aren’t too many requirements employees have to meet to be eligible for matching gifts. However, sometimes, companies adjust program criteria based on employees’ positions.

5. Nonprofit Eligibility

Just like there are standards employees have to meet to request matching gift funds, there are requirements for the nonprofits looking to receive match funding, as well.

While companies typically match donations to most registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, some companies place restrictions on the types of organizations that are eligible. If a company deems a nonprofit ineligible, employee donations made to that organization will not be matched.

Like all other components of corporate giving programs, the eligibility requirements for nonprofits differ from company to company. These restrictions are often put in place because companies want to support organizations that align with their own views and values while avoiding controversial causes.

For example, churches and other religious organizations are often excluded from matching gift programs. However, many companies will match to religiously affiliated organizations that serve a secular purpose (such as an associated K-12 school or food pantry), while others will match to houses of worship all the same.

Other companies may choose a particular type of organization to which it will exclusively match donations. For example, some businesses match only to educational organizations, while others offer higher maximums or match ratios for schools and higher ed institutions.

Take a look at these companies’ nonprofit eligibility criteria:

Air Products and Chemicals matches donations made to colleges and universities at a 1:1 ratio up to $5,000, arts and cultural organizations at a 2:1 ratio up to $2,000, and environmental and conservation organizations at a 1:1 ratio up to $1,000.
ExxonMobil has a maximum match amount of $22,500 for donations made to educational institutions, while it will only match up to $2,000 for donations made to cultural organizations.
Verizon will match up to $5,000 per employee per year to schools or $1,000 per employee per year to other 501(c)(3) organizations.

Takeaway: Companies sometimes place restrictions on which organizations can receive matching gifts. It’s up to donors and nonprofits to be on the lookout for these eligibility requirements.

6. Forms and Submission Deadlines

Once all requirements of a company’s matching gift program have been met, this is when submission forms and deadlines come into play.

As a quick refresher, here’s how the typical process works:

At this point, we’re coming up on the third step in the above procedure. The donor has previously determined that they’re eligible to participate, and now they’re ready to submit their matching gift request.

Though some companies may still utilize paper request forms, most companies are turning to online portals to manage and process employee requests. The bottom line is that there needs to be a way for employees to submit their match requests and the way in which they expect the request to occur should be outlined within the company’s matching gift guidelines.

Regardless of form type, once the donor has navigated to their company’s matching gift forms, they’ll be prompted to provide basic information for the submission. This typically involves details about themself, the specific gift they made (including donation amount, currency, date of transaction, etc.), and the nonprofit that received the donation (such as the organization name, mailing address, and tax ID number).

In addition to the forms themselves, companies also have to define a specific deadline by which the forms must be submitted. For instance, an employee generally can’t donate to a nonprofit and submit a match request two years later.

Instead, in their guidelines, companies might select a specific annually occurring deadline, accept requests for a specific time period (such as six months or one year) after the individual donation was made, fall in line with the end of the calendar year in which the donation was made, or offer a brief extension beyond the calendar year.

To view a few common types, here are request deadlines for several major companies:

CarMax accepts matching gift requests within 180 days from the date of the donation.
Microsoft accepts matching gift requests for donations up to 12 months later.
Boeing accepts matching gift requests from employees until January 31 of the following year after the donation.

Takeaway: Businesses must create accessible forms and define deadlines before putting a match program in place. Nonprofits and their donors need to be aware of these submission instructions and deadlines, otherwise, they may miss out on matching gifts.

Matching Gift Database: Identifying Companies’ Guidelines

Nonprofits need to stay up-to-date on companies’ matching gift guidelines, such as donation minimums, maximums, ratios, eligibility, and so on⁠—and that’s a lot of information to manage. Unfortunately, gathering companies’ guidelines on your own can be a mundane and time-consuming process.

With a matching gift database (like Double the Donation), the research is streamlined and simplified for nonprofits and donors alike.

This type of innovative technology ensures that your organization has access to thousands of companies’ matching gift program guidelines at your fingertips. As a result, you can easily determine donors’ match eligibility potential and communicate the opportunities to qualifying donors.

Specifically, a matching gift database enables you and your donors to:

Search for 20,000+ companies’ and subsidiaries’ matching gift programs in seconds
View and share available information (e.g. forms and requirements) for easy access
Determine matching gift eligibility and next steps

Think your nonprofit can benefit from this type of tool?

With Double the Donation, organizations like yours can even automate the process. From collecting employment data directly within the donation process to quickly determining eligibility and following up via email, no match opportunities will be overlooked.

Matching gift programs have several guidelines that need to be met in order to qualify for participation, all defined by the companies that offer them. As you’ve learned, the most commonly defined elements are the match ratio, minimum and maximum match amounts, employee and nonprofit eligibility, and submission deadlines.

Take all of these factors into account, and equip your team with the tools you need for success, and you’ll be able to effectively increase the funding source for your organization and its mission. Now, get out there and boost your matching gift potential!

Interested in learning more about matching gifts? Check out these additional resources for more corporate giving tips and tricks:

Corporate Matching Gift Programs: Understanding the Basics. Still have questions about matching gifts? Explore our comprehensive guide to learn more.
Top 20 Matching Gift Companies: Leaders in Philanthropy. Brush up on the top matching gift companies to see how much your organization could raise.
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2022]. Matching gifts might be more prevalent than you think! Understand the opportunity with this research.

How to Identify Corporate Partnerships [With Double the Donation]

July 1, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Matching Gift Companies, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

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 Double the Donation Matching makes the process as easy as can be.

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:

The Basics of Corporate Partnerships for Nonprofits
The Relationship Between Matching Gifts and Corporate Partnerships
How to Identify Corporate Partnerships Using Double the Donation | 4 Methods

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.

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.

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 Double the Donation| 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 matching gift 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 Double the Donation 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.

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:

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 Double the Donation, 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 Double the Donation’s matching gift 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, Double the Donation 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—Double the Donation 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 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.

Nonprofit Stock Donations and Matching Gifts | What to Know

April 29, 2022/in Lists and Rankings, Matching Gift Companies, Fundraising Ideas /by Adam Weinger

Donations of stocks, mutual funds, and other securities are increasing in popularity as a way for individuals to support their favorite causes. After all, these gifts offer exclusive financial benefits both to the donor contributing the gift and the nonprofit receiving it. But what about nonprofit stock donations and matching gifts? Are gifts of securities typically eligible to be matched by donors’ employers?

These are good questions⁠—and they’re cropping up more around nonprofits and donors alike. As a nonprofit fundraising professional, you surely understand the value of corporate matching gifts and are seeking to get as many company matches flowing into your mission as possible.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide that will cover everything your team should know about stock donations and matching gifts by exploring the following topics:

Donating Stock to Nonprofits: FAQ
Nonprofits That Accept Stock Donations
Matching Stock Donations: The Basics
Companies That Match Stock Donations

Ready to dive into the world of securities and gift matches? Let’s begin with a brief overview of nonprofit stock donations.

Donating Stock to Nonprofits: FAQ

Just getting started with nonprofit stock donations? These are some frequently asked questions⁠—and answers⁠—on the topic.

What are stock donations?

Stock donations are a unique method of giving in which individual donors can support nonprofit causes by transferring ownership of stock shares from themselves to the organization in question.

Stock donations are also referred to as gifts of securities, which typically encompasses transfers of stocks, bonds, or mutual funds.

In order to secure the full financial benefits of a stock donation, the donor should have held the stock for at least one year from the time of the gift. The organization then has the option to sell the stock immediately upon receiving the donation or allow its shares to continue to appreciate in value. Nonprofits typically outline their generally accepted types of donations and liquidation procedures in their gift acceptance policies.

Other Key Terms to Know:

Mutual fund donations

While stock donations typically involve the transfer of shares within a single company, mutual funds can include a portfolio of thousands of stocks, bonds, and other securities compiled as a single entity.

But when it comes to donating assets to charity, mutual fund donations function similarly to stock donations⁠—and similar rules apply regarding mutual fund and stock donations and matching gifts. Most companies that match gifts of stock will also match mutual fund donations and vice versa.

One thing to note, however, is that the mutual fund transfer process can be a bit more complicated than that of single stocks and may require a more hands-on process by the organization receiving the securities.

Marketable securities

Another term you might see in the realm of nonprofit stock giving is marketable securities. These are a specific category or type of investment, and most publicly traded stocks, and those most likely to be donated to a nonprofit, will fall under this umbrella.

Also known as marketable equity or marketable investments, these are essentially financial assets that are easily liquidated or readily convertible into cash. These are typically considered short-term investments and can be sold with minimal impact on their market value.

Why do individuals donate stocks to nonprofit causes?

Nonprofit stock donations are becoming a favorite giving method among donors for multiple reasons. For one, gifts of securities such as stocks enable donors to contribute more to an organization and its mission than they might be able to on their own.

If an individual purchases $100 in stock from a company that has since appreciated to double in value, they will be able to funnel $200 toward a cause that they care about⁠—despite having only paid $100 for the initial stock shares! (And if the donor’s employer will match their stock donation, the end value can reach higher than $400⁠—but more on that later.)

Additionally, when donating stocks that have been appreciating for more than a year, donors actually contribute 20% more to the nonprofit than if they had first sold their stocks and made a cash donation with the proceeds. That’s because when an individual sells their stock, they’re subject to pay significant capital gains taxes, which are not applicable should they transfer the stock to the receiving organization.

Are all stocks able to be donated to nonprofit organizations?

Most stocks will be eligible for donation purposes to most nonprofit causes. However, some organizations may place certain stipulations on the types of companies whose stocks they will and will not accept.

For example, the American Heart Association refuses donations of stock or other interests in companies relating to tobacco, nicotine delivery, or cannabis. In the case that an individual attempts a stock donation that is not accepted by the organization to which they gave, the securities will ultimately be returned to the donor.

Nonprofits That Accept Stock Donations

Many nonprofit organizations accept charitable gifts of stocks and mutual funds, and the trend is continuing to grow. In the next few years, we can expect more and more charitable causes to collect and incorporate gifts of securities into their overall fundraising strategies.

Donors interested in contributing stock to a particular cause are encouraged to explore their website, as the information regarding stock donation acceptance is often included within the organization’s “ways to give” page.

As of now, we’ve pulled a list of ten well-known causes and their current guidelines for donating stock.

1. American Heart Association

The American Heart Association (or AHA) gladly accepts gifts of stocks (and mutual funds) from generous donors and provides easily accessible guidelines and instructions for multiple methods of doing so.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“You can use stock to support the organization through:

Electronic transfer – Your broker can transfer shares using the AHA’s Depository Trust Company (DTC) number and account number to ensure delivery.

Mail – You can mail paper certificates to the AHA.

Electronic Delivery of mutual fund shares is the most secure and practical delivery process available. If you would like to donate a gift of mutual funds to the American Heart Association, please contact us to confirm AHA’s brokers can accept the funds.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

2. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, also known as LLS, encourages charitable donations of stock and mutual fund assets as well. They even provide a brief overview of the tax benefits offered to stock donors who are considering the option!

Here’s what their website had to say:

“If you own stock or a mutual fund that has appreciated in price since you purchased it, consider using that asset for your charitable giving. You get an income tax deduction for the full market value of donated securities that you have owned more than one year and you will avoid the capital gains tax on the appreciated value.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

3. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

The ASPCA is another organization that accepts stock transfer donations as a way for donors to support their cause. Within their plethora of suggested giving methods, gifts of security are highlighted along with detailed instructions on how to conduct the transfer process.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“For credit to ASPCA – American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals – Prior to transfer, please call the organization with the name of stock and number of shares to be transferred.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

4. Syracuse University

Syracuse University provides donors and prospects with information regarding multiple kinds of stock donations⁠—including marketable securities, closely-held securities, electronic stock transfers via DTC, and mutual fund transfers. Their site also prominently displays contact information for the university’s advancement department which will help facilitate the transfer!

Here’s what their website had to say:

“When planning to make a gift of securities to Syracuse University, please notify Advancement Services. Gifts of publicly traded securities that have appreciated in value allow you to claim a charitable deduction for the full market value of the securities on the date the gift is made. You pay no capital gains tax on the appreciation.

Gifts of stock in closely held corporations may result in substantial tax benefits in the form of charitable deductions and avoidance of capital gains taxes. Closely held securities can be especially attractive in funding charitable remainder trusts or charitable remainder lead trusts. Because special regulations apply to gifts of this kind, we encourage you to consult your tax adviser and the University’s development staff when considering such a gift.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

5. Piedmont Healthcare

Piedmont Healthcare utilizes its website to encourage stock donations by interested supporters. One way they do so is by briefly highlighting the benefits to both their institution as well as to the donor contributing the appreciated securities (of both stocks and mutual funds).

Here’s what their website had to say:

“Gifts of appreciated securities, such as stocks or mutual funds, that have been held for over a year are a wonderful way to support Piedmont while potentially realizing important benefits for yourself.

Instruct your broker to transfer shares to Piedmont Healthcare Foundation by contacting Truist Bank via phone or email.

Contact your mutual fund company about the process of transferring mutual fund shares. A special form and signature guarantee will likely be required by them to initiate a charitable transfer.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

6. Florida State University

Florida State University provides stock donors (and prospective donors) with detailed instructions that outline the securities transfer process. The FSU Foundation incorporates tips and tricks for donors aiming to contribute stock to the university, whether electronically or with physical certificates.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“When donors’ securities are held in a brokerage account, the donor instructs their broker to transfer the securities to the university’s account.

Donors should also request that their brokers send confirmation of transfer to the FSU Foundation, Inc. The confirmation should indicate the donor’s name, the security being transferred, the Foundation account which should be used, and the date of transfer. Donors should then follow up with a letter to the FSU Foundation with instructions regarding their gift designation so that the gift can be properly credited.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

7. National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation includes stock donations as one of their suggested ways to support the institution⁠—along with other giving ideas such as cryptocurrency, vehicle donations, fundraising events, and more.

This organization provides interested stock donors with a downloadable PDF made available through their “Get Involved” web page.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“Please complete and email the included form to Cornerstone Advisors Asset Management prior to transfer.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

8. Lazarex Cancer Foundation

The Lazarex Cancer Foundation also encourages stock donations within their “How You Can Help” page. This section quickly highlights the significant tax benefits to the organization and the subsequently increased impact a supporter’s gift can make.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“Did you know that your gift could go further by donating stock directly? Direct stock gifts let us use 100% of your donation, rather than losing up to 37% of it to capital gains tax. Thus, you can make a bigger impact at zero additional cost to you. If you would like to make a stock donation, please contact the Lazarex team.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

9. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

One of the largest youth-focused research hospitals in the nation, St. Jude receives support from a widespread supporter base. Under its “Ways to Give” page, the organization provides a detailed guide on the benefits of stock donations with a step-by-step walkthrough of the process.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“Donating stock directly to a charitable organization, like St. Jude, can increase the amount of money received by the charity while reducing the tax burden for the donor. When you donate appreciated securities (investments that have increased in value from the time they were purchased), some individuals and households may be able to take advantage of IRS tax provisions to claim a charitable tax deduction for the full, fair market value of the securities.

Step 1: Choose what type of stock and how many shares you want to donate.
Step 2: Contact your financial institution to request the transfer.
Step 3: Contact us to inform us of your gift.
Step 4: Look for a tax receipt and acknowledgment letter for St. Jude.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

10. American Cancer Society

For individuals looking to support the American Cancer Society, gifts of security are marketed as a key form of philanthropy under the “Ways to Give” umbrella on the organization’s website. Upon navigating to the “Stock Gifts” page, donors are met with information on various ways to donate stock in support of ACS⁠—including online, physical delivery, and electronic transfer authorization.

Here’s what their website had to say:

“A gift of appreciated securities held for more than one year may provide significant benefits to you as a contributor, such as:

Entitling you to a charitable income tax deduction for the fair market value of the gifted securities as of the date of the gift.
Eliminating capital gains tax that would ordinarily become due if you had sold the appreciated securities on the open market and donated the proceeds from the sale to charity
Claiming your charitable deduction against up to 30% of your adjusted gross income. Any unused deductions can be carried forward over the next five years.
Providing a way to help you achieve your long-term financial objective of reducing your income and estate taxes.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

Matching Stock Donations: The Basics

Clearly, stock donations are a great stream of additional fundraising revenue for nonprofits, and they’re becoming an increasingly sought after resource. At the same time, organizations are looking to get their charitable donations matched by donors’ employing companies.

So, do the two ideas coincide at all? Here’s what your fundraising team needs to know about the relationship between nonprofit stock donations and matching gifts.

Are stock donations typically eligible for corporate matching gift programs?

The #1 factor that determines whether an individual’s stock donation is eligible for a match through their employer is who their employer is and what that company has established in its matching gift program guidelines.

For example, some companies consider gifts of securities a particular form of in-kind donation (which the company chooses whether or not to match based on their program guidelines). In that case, stock donations made by employees of these companies will be eligible as long as that company matches in-kind gifts.

On the other hand, many businesses have classified stock donations as a form of monetary gift (in the likes of cash, debit/credit payments, or bank transfers) or a common exception to the in-kind donation rule. Donors employed by these companies are typically able to secure a gift match on behalf of your organization⁠—so long as the value of the stock falls between the businesses’ predetermined thresholds.

All of that to say, many corporations choose to match the tax-deductible value of a contribution regardless of how it was given to a nonprofit organization – yet, this does vary based on company, so make sure you’re aware of your match-eligible donors’ company parameters.

Additionally, you’ll want to keep in mind that, as gifts of securities continue to grow in popularity among donors, we can expect many companies to begin adopting stock-inclusive matching gift program criteria for employee gifts in the near future.

How can I know if an individual’s stock donation qualifies for a match?

Let’s say your organization has just received a generous stock donation from a supporter of your cause. You may already know that their employer offers a matching gift program, and you’re looking to determine whether the stock gift is eligible for a match as well. Or, perhaps you’re unaware of whether the employing company matches any sort of employee donations to begin with. In either case, the answer should be located within the corporation’s matching gift program guidelines.

Nonprofits looking for this information may decide to conduct an online search for a company’s publicly-facing matching gift program guidelines to determine whether stock donations are mentioned. Donors seeking the information on their employers’ giving program can do a similar search of online resources, or they may look to internal documentation in an office policy handbook, workplace giving portal, etc.

However, the easiest way to uncover match-eligibility status for any donation⁠—stock or otherwise⁠—is by utilizing a matching gift company database.

Luckily, Double the Donation offers the most comprehensive database available, with detailed listings for tens of thousands of companies. Nonprofits and donors alike can begin typing a company’s name within the embedded autocompleting search tool and be instantaneously met with match qualifications, types of eligible donations, and more.

If the provided guidelines mention stock donations as a viable option for matching donations, you have your answer⁠—the gift of stock is likely matchable for your cause!

If available documentation fails to reference gifts of securities at all, we recommend encouraging donors to inquire about the possibility with their companies to find the most definitive answer to the question at hand. Sometimes corporations might not list specific contribution methods, yet those gifts will still qualify for a match!

What are corporate stock donation matches worth?

When a stock donation⁠ (that has previously been identified as eligible for a corporate matching gift⁠) is requested by a donor, the employer typically agrees to match the value of the stock on the day on which the stock transfer was made.

Thus, nonprofit donors are able to secure a match by their employer equal to the purchase price plus the appreciated value of the stock⁠—which is typically greater than the individual’s initial financial investment!

What trends are expected regarding stock donations and matching gifts?

As of 2024, it’s estimated that many companies are willing to match the tax deductible value of a charitable gift, regardless of how that gift was made – the gift just has to benefit a charity and provide tax deductible value. With that being said, this can vary by company-specific program guidelines. As more and more companies match stocks and mutual fund contributions, it’s important for donors to check with their employer to know which types of gifts might qualify for a match.

The more popular stock grows as a form of nonprofit giving, the more companies will adopt stock-inclusive matching gift program guidelines.

And when you take a look at the financial benefits to parties on both sides of the transaction (one research study reported fundraising growth of up to 55% for organizations that allowed non-cash donations such as stock as viable donation options!), and the ease with which gifts of securities are becoming, this form of gift matching will likely continue to grow.

Examples of Companies That Match Stock Donations

Companies that match employee stock donations do so for the same reason as to why they match cash donations. These typically include corporate tax benefits, increased employee engagement, and positive public relations efforts.

Here are a few examples of companies that match stock donations made by their employees to qualifying charities!

1. Chevron

Chevron is well-regarded as having a generous corporate matching gift program, agreeing to match up to $10,000 in charitable donations per employee on an annual basis. And the best part is that they do match the market value of stock donations that their employees transfer to nearly all nonprofit organizations.

Here’s a glimpse at what Chevron says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Gifts can be given to nonprofits on the Chevron Humankind site via a payroll deduction or credit card payment, or given directly to the nonprofit offline (e.g. check, cash, stock, etc.).”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

2. Google

Google offers both full and part-time employees the opportunity to participate in its corporate gift-matching initiative! Gifts worth up to $10,000 (including stock donations) will be matched to many nonprofit causes, including educational institutions, health and human services, cultural and community organizations, environmental nonprofits, and more.

Here’s a glimpse at what Google says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Your gift must be in the form of check, credit card or marketable securities with a quoted market value. Gifts of securities will be matched with cash. The value of the stock will be calculated using the price at the close of the market on the day of transfer of the security.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

3. General Electric

General Electric has matched a wide range of employee donations since 1954. In fact, it was the first corporation to roll out a corporate gift-matching program, though it was a fairly limited offering compared to what we see now!

Since then, GE has expanded its employee giving program to encompass new methods of giving⁠—including contributing securities⁠ such as stocks—as well as more nonprofits being eligible to receive funding.

Here’s a glimpse at what General Electric says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Gifts may be made via cash, check, debit/credit card, or stock. Gifts may also be made by current payment from an entity such as a personal foundation or donor advised fund if that entity has been funded solely by the eligible GE participant.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

4. Merck

Merck & Co. matches numerous types of employee donations to charitable organizations. Within the company’s matching program criteria, they include a fairly detailed account of stock donations⁠—including the process for requesting a corporate match and the benefits employees receive from giving this way.

Here’s a glimpse at what Merck says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Matching funds can be requested for one-time cash, check, credit card, or stock donations, via the Merck Gives Back (MGB) website.

When making a stock donation, enter the market value of the stock on the day you issued the stock to the nonprofit organization. The organization will be asked to confirm the realized value of the stock donation and the Merck Foundation P4G program will match funds equal to the realized value of donated stock.

You can deduct the full current value of the stock (regardless of purchase price) and avoid the capital gains taxes associated with selling the stock for profit; therefore, you pay no taxes on the appreciated value of the stock and take the full deduction for the current value of the stock.

You may not donate Merck stock options; however, you may donate Merck stock after you exercise your options.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

5. State Farm

State Farm Insurance matches donations made by current full-time employees, part-time team members, and retired workers alike⁠—in any way they give to nonprofits. This includes gifts of securities and mutual funds, for which they detail a few stipulations of match eligibility.

Here’s a glimpse at what State Farm says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Donations of Mutual Funds Units and Securities traded on the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange or NASDAQ National Market meeting the following requirements:

The eligible donor must be the sole owner or have final authority to transfer ownership of the security or mutual fund unit to the eligible organization.

Ownership must be signed over to the eligible organization.

Please note: The exact value of the donated securities or mutual fund units will be based on the closing market price the date the transfer is complete.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

6. Verizon

Verizon offers its employees multiple matching gift program options, the individual matching grants program being the one in which stock donations are considered match-eligible contributions. The company matches to nearly all 501(c)(3) organizations (or an equivalent internationally), with schools being eligible for a $5,000 donation or stock match and other nonprofits for a $1,000 donation or stock match.

Here’s a glimpse at what Verizon says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Donations must be in one of the following forms: Personal check, Paypal, money order, payroll deduction, credit/debit card payment, wire/bank transfer, transfer of stock certificate.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

7. Apple

Apple offers a slightly different type of corporate stock donation-matching program but will match certain gifts of securities nonetheless. Apple matches any type of stock donations as well as donations of just Apple stock.

Here’s a glimpse at what Apple says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Visit the Employee Giving portal to request a matching donation for your volunteer time or to make a one-time or repeating monetary donation to the charitable organization (or cause) of your choice using a credit card or PayPal account. You can also request a match for a monetary or stock donation you’ve already made.

To be eligible, your monetary donations must be paid in full — not pledged — via cash, personal check, credit card, PayPal, or Apple stock.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

8. Edwards Lifesciences

Edwards Lifesciences, a leading medical technology company based in Irvine, California, matches donations up to $5,000 per full-time employee per year.

Here’s a glimpse at what the company says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Edwards Foundation will match the tax-deductible portion of employee’s gifts made by cash, check and credit card. The Foundation will also match stock donations, as well as gifts coming out of an employee’s donor-advised fund (DAF).”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

9. Bank of America

With a matching gift program that doubles team member gifts of between $24 and $5,000 per person per year, Bank of America reports contributing more than $25 million in matching gifts per year!

Here’s a glimpse at what the company says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Gifts must be personal contributions paid directly to organizations (cash, check, credit card, securities, etc.) or paid through Bank of America’s employee giving platform via payroll deduction or credit card.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

10. PNC Financial Services

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. incentivizes its employees to give back to the causes they care about. And it does so with a matching gift ratio of up to 4:1—and a program that’s inclusive of gifts of stock.

Here’s a glimpse at what the company says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Gifts must be in the form of a check, credit card, or marketable securities with a quoted market value. You may be asked to provide proof of your contribution in the form of a canceled check, bank statement, credit card statement, or a transfer of stock certificate. Gifts of securities are valued based on the date of the gift.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

11. EOG Resources

EOG Resources encourages giving among its workforce with a particularly generous matching gift program. In fact, its matching gift annual maximum of $75,000 is one of the highest program caps available, inspiring team members to give bountifully as well.

Here’s a glimpse at what the company says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“Employee must attach a copy of the 1) check, 2) debit/credit card receipt, 3) brokerage statement for a stock donation, or 4) check issued by my personal or family foundation or donor-advised fund.”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

12. Eli Lilly ⁠and Company

Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly invites its current full-time, part-time, and retired employees to get involved with its philanthropic efforts! Matching up to $30,000 for current team members and $7,500 for retirees on an annual basis, the company demonstrates its commitment to doing good by giving back to the organizations its staff supports.

Here’s a glimpse at what the company says about stock donations and matching gifts:

“A contribution must be in the form of a check, credit card, or marketable securities (with an established market value determined by the average price on the day the contribution is made).”

Read up on the full program guidelines here.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to nonprofit stock donations and matching gifts. Some companies will match employee gifts of securities, while others will not.

But the good news is that more and more corporations are beginning to be inclusive of stock and mutual fund donations within their employee matching programs. That means you’ll want to keep an eye out for new programs being established and existing matching gift companies expanding their eligibility criteria.

Interested in learning more about matching gifts and other nonprofit fundraising opportunities? Check out these other Double the Donation resources:

Corporate Matching Gift Programs: The Definitive Guide for Growing Your Revenue. Thousands of companies offer donation-matching programs. Learn more about these initiatives, how they benefit nonprofits, and what you can do to maximize funding.
Matching Gifts-In-Kind | Are In-Kind Donations Match-Eligible? Gifts of securities are a popular form of in-kind donation. Read up on other types of gifts-in-kind to learn more about matching gift opportunities and how to locate a donation’s eligibility status.
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics. Does your organization understand the significance of matching gift opportunities? Do you think you’re making the most of available corporate funding? Explore these statistics to find out!

Find out what happens when two spouses, who both work at matching gift companies, donate to a nonprofit.

Matching Gifts: When Spouses Both Donate to a Nonprofit

October 12, 2017/in Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

For most nonprofits, the topic of matching gifts is confusing enough as it is. However, the fine print can make it even more confusing, often turning donors away from taking advantage of corporate philanthropy. For instance, what happens when two spouses (both of which work for companies with matching gift programs) submit matching gifts separately to your organization?

Oftentimes, when a nonprofit’s fundraising team can’t find out the answer, the organization gives up when it could have received both matches. To fully understand situations like this, let’s dive into a few key questions:

Are Both Spouses Eligible to Receive a Match for the Same Organization?
How Can Nonprofits Promote Matching Gift Programs for Spouses?
How Can a Matching Gift Database Help Identify These Opportunities?

Corporate philanthropy, like matching gift programs, is vital to nonprofit success. Let’s dive into common matching gift guidelines for situations like this.

1. Are Both Spouses Eligible to Receive a Match for the Same Organization?

In most cases, both spouses are able to submit a matching gift request to their respective employers. Assuming the standard case where companies match donations dollar-for-dollar, a single donation would effectively be tripled. We rarely, if ever, see a rule preventing a gift from being matched by multiple companies.

A more common occurrence is for both spouses to work for the same company that offers matching gifts. If that’s the case, one of three things typically occurs:

The company will provide a double match. For example, rather than matching at a 1:1 ratio, the company will match at a 2:1 ratio.
The company will provide the same matching gift ratio but will double the limit. For instance, instead of matching all donations up to $5,000 annually, the company will match donations up to $10,000 annually.
The company provides the couple with the same benefit that an individual employee receives.

To stay up-to-date on your donors’ matching gift eligibility, jump ahead to learn about matching gift databases.

2. How Can Nonprofits Promote Matching Gift Programs for Spouses?

Your organization may already incorporate many of our top ways to promote employee matching gifts, but don’t forget to also promote matching gifts for spouses.

For instance, do you provide donors with acknowledgement letters after they submit the matching gift request or upon receiving the actual grant from the company? If so, that would be a great time to encourage donors to ask their spouse if his or her company offers a matching gift program, too.

Simply reminding them that their donation could make even more of an impact increases the likelihood that they’ll look into it. Once a donor has gone through the match request process themselves, they’ll realize how straightforward it is.

From here, ask them to also find out if their spouse’s employer offers a similar program so the donation can be tripled! Since they’ve gone through the simple match request process themselves, they can relay the necessary information to their spouse.

Remember, if you subscribe to Double the Donation’s service, direct your supporters to your organization’s matching gift and volunteer grant webpage with our tool. That way, they can instantly determine their eligibility and submit the appropriate forms.

3. How Can a Matching Gift Database Help Identify These Opportunities?

While most employers will match both donations made by spouses, company guidelines do vary. As a nonprofit professional, you’ll need to stay on top of your donors’ personal data, such as their eligibility for matches through their employers. The research phase is an ongoing, arduous process. That’s where Double the Donation, the industry’s leading matching gift database, can help!

With Double the Donation, both your nonprofit team and your donors can instantly receive up-to-date information on their employers’ giving programs. This includes available guidelines, forms, requirements (e.g. donation minimums and maximums), and other relevant information. Plus, it easily integrates with other software, so you won’t have to worry about transferring all your data.

Plus, this comprehensive matching gift software enables email automation, customizable matching gift tracking, and other useful automation features!

With either platform, your nonprofit won’t miss out on important corporate giving opportunities. Whenever two spouses donate to your organization, they’ll instantly know if they are both eligible for matches through their employer, simply by searching their companies’ names. No more confusion on anyone’s part!

Think your organization could benefit?

Start a free trial of the #1 matching gift database.

Matching gifts are not something your nonprofit wants to overlook. They’re fairly straightforward to acquire, but it can get tricky when two spouses both donate to your nonprofit. In some cases, they work for separate matching gift companies, and in others, they work for the same company. It’s all about making sense of companies’ guidelines.

Now that you know typical outcomes and how to identify these opportunities, start maximizing your matching gift potential!

Learn more about matching gifts and higher education, including top companies that match gifts to colleges and universities.

Matching Gifts & Higher Education: Companies That Match [+Tips]

June 20, 2017/in Lists and Rankings, Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

If you’ve graduated college, chances are, your alma mater has contacted you asking for a donation at some point. Perhaps this happened even before you graduated. Statistics show that many alumni actually do donate to their colleges and universities. Luckily, many of these generous gifts can be matched by alumni’s employers.

If you’d like to optimize your school’s matching gift fundraising efforts by targeting impactful corporate programs, incorporating tried-and-true best practices, and exploring examples put in place by similar institutions, this is the guide for you! We’ll cover:

Top Companies that Match Gifts to Colleges and Universities
7 Best Practices for Matching Gifts and Higher Education
Matching Gifts and Higher Education: Examples to Follow

Most matching gift programs began with only matching to colleges and universities. Since then, many companies have expanded their programs to include most other nonprofit organizations. However, there still remains a large contingent of companies that only match to higher education, excluding K-12 educational organizations and schools. And that means extra potential matching opportunities for your institution!

Let’s dive right in.

Top Companies that Match Gifts to Colleges and Universities

Almost all the companies you’ve heard offer matching gift programs (such as Bank of America, GE, Coca-Cola, Home Depot) will match gifts to colleges or universities, too. However, for this post, we decided to put together a list of some companies with lesser-known matching gift programs. Oftentimes, when a company only matches to higher education colleges and universities, their program flies under the radar.

If your college or university is looking to boost its matching gift revenue, be on the lookout for these popular matching gift companies!

Allstate Insurance

Allstate has an employee matching gift program completely devoted to higher education. Through the Good Hands Matching Grant Program, Allstate matches donations made to higher education institutions at a 1:1 rate. In other words, employee donations can potentially be doubled.

The company will match a range of donations from $25 to $5,000. Individuals who are eligible include employees, agency owners, personal financial representatives, and retirees.

Plus, Allstate also offers volunteer grants for employees who’d rather donate their time than money. Through the Hands in the Community Grants Program, employees and agency owners who volunteer more than 16 hours in a calendar year are eligible for volunteer grants.

The volunteer grant amount depends on the employee’s position. While regular employees are eligible for $500 volunteer grants, agency owners are eligible for $1,000 volunteer grants.

ConAgra Foods, Inc.

ConAgra will match gifts made to higher education between $25 and $1,000. Both full-time and part-time employees are eligible. However, retirees are not eligible. They also donate to other educational organizations, such as nutrition education programs.

To submit a request, employees either fill out a paper form or an electronic form. Unlike most companies, employees aren’t restricted to just one type of form. However, they do have to submit the matching gift request within 90 days of the initial donation. After that point, the company will no longer match the donation.

eBay, Inc.

The popular online auction site, eBay, will match employee donations made between $25 and $10,000 per year. The company increased the maximum from $500 just a few years ago, which is a substantial jump!

While full-time and part-time employees are eligible for the program, retired employees are not. In addition to matching gifts to education, eBay will also match gifts to most other nonprofit organizations. Unlike some companies, employees are urged to submit matching gift requests as soon as possible, because there’s a company-wide annual limit.

As part of its corporate philanthropy initiative, eBay also offers volunteer grants. Grant amounts are tier-based, depending on the number of volunteer hours employees finish:

8-24 hours = a $100 grant
25-49 hours = a $250 grant
50+ hours = a $500 grant

Be on the lookout for this popular employer when developing your corporate giving strategy.

Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams offers a matching gift program where the company matches up to $3,000 in donations to a wide variety of nonprofits. This includes higher education institutions. The company’s matching gift program is open to both current employees as well as retirees.

The company matches at a 1.5:1 ratio. For instance, if a match-eligible individual donates $100 to your school, your institution will receive a $150 match, totaling $350.

In case that’s not impressive enough, Sherwin-Williams also has a great volunteer grant program. After an employee volunteers 50 hours, Sherwin-Williams provides the eligible organization or school with $200. Each employee can request up to three separate grants each year, totaling $600.

ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil is very well-known for its corporate philanthropy, specifically for its efforts toward educational institutions. The company offers two matching gift programs, the Arts and Cultural Matching Gift Program and the Educational Matching Gift Program.

Through the Educational Matching Gift Program, ExxonMobil will match donations to higher education institutions, including U.S. colleges and universities. They’ll provide up to $22,500 in matching gift funds per year. However, for cultural organizations, the company only matches up to $2,000.

Plus, the company offers two volunteer grant programs. For its individual grant program, when an employee or retiree volunteers for 20 hours, ExxonMobil provides a volunteer grant of $500. Each individual can request up to four grants per year. For its team volunteer involvement program, ExxonMobil awards a $500 grant when a team of five or more eligible participants volunteers for a combined total of at least 20 hours. While employees are limited to $2,000 in grants per year, individual organizations are limited to $5,000.

7 Best Practices for Matching Gifts and Higher Education

Now that you know of a few major companies that offer matching gifts to higher education institutions, let’s dive into a few ways you can incorporate them into your fundraising strategy. Let’s explore seven tried-and-true tips here!

1. Ensure your team understands the importance of matching gifts and higher education.

Before you can promote (and communicate the value of) matching gifts to your institution’s donor base, it’s critical that your fundraising team is up to speed. Be sure to incorporate department-wide meetings to explore matching gift opportunities, what that means for your institution, and how you can collect more corporate funding for your efforts.

And if you’re not sure your team understands the impact of matching gifts, consider sharing powerful statistics like these:

More than 26 million individuals work for companies that offer matching gift programs.
Over 78% of that 26 million (or approximately 20.3 million) people have no idea whether their employer matches gifts.
An estimated $2 to $3 billion is donated annually through corporate matching gift programs.
An additional $4 to $7 billion in available match funding is left on the table each year, largely due to a lack of awareness.
84% of survey participants reported that they’d be more likely to donate to a nonprofit if their employer was matching the donation.
1 in 3 participants stated that they’d likely make a larger donation if it was being matched.

Then, once they’re on board, you’ll likely want your development and fundraising staff to be familiar with top companies that match gifts to colleges and universities, common matching gift program guidelines to look out for, and how to assist donors as they walk through the process of requesting their employer matches.

And that’s just the beginning! As you continue to develop your matching gift strategy to direct more corporate dollars toward your school, it’s essential that everyone stays on the same page.

2. Enlist multiple methods for collecting alumni employment information.

Your alumni are likely some of your school’s most dedicated supporters. As they move on from your institution and begin their careers in the real world, make sure you have a process in place for collecting and tracking graduates’ employment information. This will enable you to screen donors and alumni against some of the most generous matching gift companies, such as those mentioned above.

More than likely, your alumni employment data search will include some combination of the following:

Matching gift software
Email domain screening
Employer appends
Alumni outreach

But you don’t have to pick just one method, either! The more you know, the better. Our research shows even that incorporating more than one approach for identifying matching gift eligible donors results in 77% more identified potential matches. So perhaps you might leverage domain screening and donor outreach, then utilize an employer appending service to help fill in any remaining gaps. You can even attend fundraising conferences to uncover new techniques for determining matching gift eligibility.

3. Screen donors and prospects for employers with matching gift programs.

Once you’ve located donor and alumni employment data, you can utilize the information to identify matching gift eligible donors. Here are a few best practices you can follow as you do so:

Check out top matching gift programs from well-known companies like these.
Emphasize companies that match gifts to colleges and universities.
Explore additional matching gift companies with a comprehensive database.

Studies show that more than 26 million individuals work for companies that offer some form of matching gift program. More than likely, that’s a significant portion of your school’s donors⁠—you just have to figure out which ones are eligible and where to go from there.

4. Communicate the value of matching gifts and higher education impact to donors.

Donors love participating in their employers’ gift-matching programs because the initiatives enable them to make a larger impact through their initial donations. Because this is one of the top motivating factors for participation, it’s a good idea to place a significant emphasis on doubled (and sometimes even tripled!) benefits that a matching gift can bring.

For example, let’s say a donor contributed $500 to provide 100 books for your newly built library. Be sure to highlight that, should that individual secure a match for their already-generous donation, they can essentially provide 200 books to make twice the impact⁠—all without having to reach back into their own wallets.

5. Follow up with donors on match-eligible gifts and provide employer-specific guidelines.

Your school’s online donation process should gather ample information about your donors as they complete the giving process⁠—including their employment status. After the transaction is complete, your fundraising team can (and should) leverage those collected insights in order to drive more matches to completion.

Picture this: Let’s say Donor Johnny entered his employer’s name in your donation page search tool, and you see that he works for the Home Depot. Afterward, you’ve collected that information, along with the data on the $1,000 gift that he made, to determine that his donation is matching gift eligible. But Johnny might not know that himself!

That’s why we recommend that you follow up with donors post-transaction to share whichever insights you’ve collected about their employers’ matching gift program availability. This should include minimum and maximum match amounts, match ratios, types of qualifying donors and organizations, and submission deadlines. And in order to really seal the deal, you can even equip donors with direct links to their employers’ matching program online submission forms!

6. Integrate matching gifts in your university’s Giving Day strategy.

Hundreds of higher education institutions host annual Giving Days as a way to drive engagement with their schools each year. These efforts are often particularly effective fundraising campaigns, with many schools collecting the majority of their revenue in a short, 24-hour period.

With such high levels of traffic interacting with an institution’s donation forms in that time-frame, it makes sense to use the opportunity to promote employer matching gifts. And doing so enables donors to double (or sometimes even triple!) their impact on your school.

If you’re planning an upcoming Giving Day for your school, we recommend getting up and running with innovative matching gift software beforehand—which brings us to our next tip!

7. Streamline your efforts with matching gifts and higher education software.

By adding a matching gift database like Double the Donation to your tech toolkit, you significantly boost your fundraising potential without putting a ton of added work on your team members’ plates. This fully automated matching gift platform identifies more match-eligible donors, automatically follows up with them, and even creates an automated match plan for you.

Not to mention, you can easily integrate Double the Donation’s matching gift automation tool across higher education fundraising channels such as GiveCampus, Anthology, Almabase, Ellucian, and more. Thanks to available matching gift and higher education software partnerships, institutions like yours can quickly raise more by adding company gift-matching functionality to their existing fundraising systems!

Matching Gifts and Higher Education: Examples to Follow

Hundreds of schools and universities have successfully implemented these strategies to effectively promote matching gift fundraising opportunities to donors, alumni, and their overall communities. Let’s look at a few examples of how the right matching gift solutions can help boost your college’s funds!

Flagler College’s Dedicated Matching Gift Page

If alumni are looking for different ways to support their alma mater, well-designed matching gift pages can offer helpful information about multiplying their contributions. Check out this example of a dedicated matching gift page from Flagler College!

Flagler College’s web page provides alumni with instructions on how to obtain a matching donation from their employer. Plus, they’ve embedded the search tool and encouraged donors to look for more in-depth information about their employers’ matching gift programs. Not to mention, they offer vital contact information in case donors have additional questions.

Eckerd College’s Donation Form

Donation forms are another great way to start the conversation about matching gifts. At this stage, Eckerd College knows its users are ready to give and will be more motivated to multiply their contributions without reaching back into their own pockets.

Check out this example of this school’s donation form and how it promotes matching gifts:

In addition to the other donation options on the page, Eckerd College offers donors the chance to look into their employers’ matching gift programs with a searchable database tool (specifically through Double the Donation!).

University of Utah’s Ways to Give Page

Many institutions have a Ways to Give page on their university or alumni website—the University of Utah being one of them. In order to drive fundraising efforts, this school includes different donation methods (e.g. online with a credit card or through the mail) through which donors can contribute. And the University of Utah also knows that its Ways to Give page is a key location to promote corporate matching gift programs!

Here’s what this school’s Ways to Give page looks like:

This school not only shares general information about matching gift programs but also provides donors with Double the Donation’s embedded search tool to learn more about their specific employer’s gift matching policies. The more ways a donor or prospect knows to support your institution (including corporate gift-matching), the more likely they are to follow through with the process!

Matching gifts are a valuable resource, so ensure that your institution is taking advantage of all available revenue. In fact, the colleges and universities that have the most matching gift success incorporate matching gifts throughout their broader fundraising efforts. It won’t take much, but, as you can see from the corporate guidelines sampled above, a little goes a long way with matching gifts.

This list, while helpful, doesn’t come close to covering all matching gift opportunities. Rather, it’s a sampling of well-known companies with matching gift programs. While these major companies do offer generous matching gift programs for educational institutions, they aren’t the only companies that do. Make sure to stay up-to-date with your donors’ employers. That way, you can maximize your revenue potential!

Watch the video below to hear how University of Lynchburg leverages Double the Donation to boost matching gift revenue.

University of Lynchburg- Matching Gift Success from Double the Donation on Vimeo.

Interested in learning more about matching gifts for colleges and universities? Check out these educational resources:

Top Matching Gift Companies. For more matching gift companies (most of which match gifts to higher educational institutions), go over this list of some standout opportunities. Then, see if your alumni or donors work for these businesses!
12 School & Higher Ed Fundraising Platforms That Grow Matching Gifts. Looking for top software that will help you grow matching gifts and higher education fundraising efforts? Check out our list of twelve fantastic solutions.
Marketing Matching Gifts. Learn how to promote matching gifts for higher education with this Double the Donation guide. Ensure your school doesn’t miss out on revenue opportunities by incorporating these practices.

Companies That Offer Fundraising Matches for Run/Walk/Rides

July 11, 2015/in Lists and Rankings, Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies, Company Spotlights, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

At Double the Donation, we often discuss corporate matching gifts—or initiatives through which employers financially match the donations made by individual employees to qualifying nonprofits. However, there’s another powerful⁠ (yet even lesser-known⁠) opportunity to keep an eye out for. And that is companies that offer fundraising matches!

Fundraising match programs also involve employer matching. However, unlike typical matching programs that solely cover financial donations made from an employee’s own wallet, fundraising match programs involve a company matching all of the funds raised by an employee during a fundraising activity. This is particularly important to consider in regard to one of the most popular fundraisers in the nonprofit world: the Run/Walk/Ride event.

These events involve participants running/walking/cycling (or partaking in another activity!) for a certain distance and collecting pledges on your organization’s behalf according to the distance they cover. And for volunteer fundraisers that work for a company offering fundraising matching, these fulfilled pledges can be doubled for even greater impact.

Now, you might be wondering what kinds of employers offer these initiatives⁠—and how your team can locate donors who qualify. Lucky for you, there are a ton of available programs.

We’ve selected a selection of companies that offer fundraising matches, which we’ll discuss below:

Intuit, Inc.
BP
State Street Corporation
Penguin Random House
CVS Health
Boeing
Numerator
The Estee Lauder Companies
Northstrat

Keep in mind that there are a ton more participating businesses, too. These are just a sample!

But before diving into the above companies, we’re going to look at the easiest way to uncover these opportunities⁠—with dedicated matching gift tools.

The Best Way to Discover Matching Gifts

To best capitalize on these fundraising matching programs, you first need to discover where they exist. The easiest way to do that is by using dedicated matching gift software.

Matching gift software allows your organization to easily uncover and pursue these opportunities within your network of support. For example, Double the Donation’s matching gift software is a fully automated matching gift platform that uncovers a donor’s match eligibility once a donation is made and triggers automated outreach with company-specific program guidelines to drive next steps. Thousands of nonprofits trust Double the Donation to fuel their matching gift fundraising needs⁠—including more than 70% of the nation’s largest organizations!

And, built on the industry’s most comprehensive database of employee giving program information, it doesn’t just provide insights on individual matching opportunities, either. Double the Donation enables donors to seamlessly locate details regarding their employers’ volunteer grant and fundraising match programs as well! And it’s made easy to get started thanks to technology integrations with most online donation forms and CRMs.

With that, check out these top examples of companies that offer fundraising matches.

Companies that Match Gifts to Run/Walk/Ride Events

Tons of companies participate in fundraising match programs which ultimately amplify the result of individual (or team) employee fundraising efforts. A few standout programs that we’ve selected to highlight include the following:

Intuit, Inc.

Intuit is a software company that develops financial and tax preparation software. It employs over 17,000 team members and offers a comprehensive matching gift program to its employees.

Intuit’s matching gift program includes an individual match, in which the company will match an employee’s donation of up to $5,000 to a nonprofit organization or educational institution of their choosing. In addition, Intuit’s corporate giving programs include a fundraising match. Intuit matches funds personally raised by an employee for a fundraising event.

Learn more about Intuit’s matching gift program.

BP (Formerly British Petroleum)

As one of the top 20 largest companies in the world by revenue, BP is an international oil and gas company headquartered in London. BP employs nearly 80,000 people across the world with a large presence in the United States.

With employee grant programs that include traditional personal donation matches, as well as matches for money raised from employees’ friends and family members, BP will match a maximum of $5,000 per employee, per year.

Learn more about BP’s matching gift program.

State Street Corporation

State Street is a financial services holding company founded in Boston in 1792. After many years of successful growth, the company now employs more than 42,000 people internationally.

State Street offers a matching gift program for employee donations called GiveMore, which matches at a 1:1 ratio. Within this program, annual matching limits are extremely generous, varying by role. For example…

The Board of Directors, CEO, President, and Vice Chairs can receive up to $35,000 in matching funds.
Executive Vice Presidents can receive up to $25,000.
Senior Vice Presidents can receive up to $15,000.
All other employees can receive up to $5,000 in matching funds.

State Street also offers a fundraising match program called CollectMore, where the company will match an employee’s fulfilled fundraising pledges as they partake in walk, bike, or ride types of events benefiting qualifying nonprofits. CollectMore is available up to $10,000 per team member, inclusive of the GiveMore total as well.

Learn more about State Street’s matching gift program.

Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House engages employees by matching donations of up to $2,500 per employee per year to most 501(c)(3) nonprofits.

To sweeten their program even further, Penguin Random House has also established a Fundraising Match Program. With this initiative, the company will match up to $1,500 per employee (included in the $2,500 per employee annual maximum), per calendar year. This essentially allows employees to double the money raised via fundraising events to qualifying nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.

Types of qualifying events include (but are not limited to) walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, and 5K’s, though Penguin Random House indicates that each fundraising request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about Penguin Random House’s matching gift program.

CVS Health

CVS Health matches employee donations made through their Community Crew Portal to many nonprofit causes throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. This includes just about any registered 501(c)(3) organization.

But they don’t stop there! The company also offers a generous fundraising match program for individuals and team participants. When an individual staff member participates in a Run/Walk/Ride fundraising challenge, CVS Health agrees to match the funds raised between $250 and $1,000.

And when a team of five or more CVS Health employees participate in a similar type of fundraising event, the company offers to match fulfilled pledges up to $5,000.

Learn more about CVS Health’s matching gift program.

Boeing

American multinational aircraft corporation Boeing Co. offers a particularly generous matching gift initiative that encompasses personal employee donations, gifts made by retirees and spouse/domestic partners, volunteer grants, and even funds contributed through fundraising walks participated in by employees.

Each year, a team member is eligible to request up to $10,000 at a 1:1 match rate to a wide range of nonprofit organizations⁠—including educational institutions, health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental nonprofits, and more.

Learn more about Boeing’s matching gift program.

Numerator

Numerator is a consumer insights and data company that aims to engage and incentivize its employees with unique and impactful giving opportunities.

Every year, employees are encouraged to participate in the company’s fundraising match program. When doing so, funds raised through peer-to-peer fundraising efforts to most nonprofit causes⁠—including schools, health and human services, community organizations, and tons more⁠—are matched, dollar-for-dollar.

Each employee (full- and part-time alike) qualifies to request up to $500 in fundraising match grants on a rolling annual basis, with no minimum amount required to get involved!

Learn more about Numerator’s matching gift program.

The Estee Lauder Companies

With brands such as Too Faced, M·A·C, Clinique, and Tom Ford Beauty, the Estee Lauder Companies have established a number of charitable giving programs that aim to give back to their communities.

These include⁠—but are not limited to⁠—matching individual staff donations, offering volunteer grants to the nonprofits their team members volunteer with, and providing impactful fundraising matches when employees partake in events or other peer-to-peer fundraising challenges.

Each year, qualifying members of the Estee Lauder Companies’ workforce can request up to $5,000 in corporate funding, inclusive of their matching gifts, dollars for doers, and fundraising match initiatives.

Learn more about The Estee Lauder Companies’ matching gift program.

Northstrat

Northstrat, an employee-owned Information Technology company providing solutions to a number of US government agencies, participates in corporate philanthropy with a particular focus on education. Currently, the company offers to “match funds raised in sponsorship of events where employee collects donations based on their activity” in addition to a more traditional employee matching gift program of up to $500 per employee per year.

Qualifying nonprofit recipients include accredited public and private K-12 institutions, junior and community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, professional and graduate schools, and select other organizations.

Learn more about Northstrat’s matching gift program.

How Can Your Organization Make the Most of These Opportunities?

Now that you’re aware of the vast array of fundraising matching gift programs available to your organization through qualifying donors, you’re likely wondering what actionable steps your team can take to make the most of the opportunity.

Ultimately, the most critical component of a fundraising matching strategy involves driving supporter awareness! Like traditional matching gifts, tons of qualifying supporters remain unaware of the programs in place by their employers. So in order to drive participation, it’s important that you inform them.

Check out a few of our favorite ideas for doing so:

Share general information on social media. Post a fun graphic that states, “Many companies match donations collected by employees for peer-to-peer fundraising events. Find out how to get involved here!” Then, be sure to link to your organization’s dedicated matching gift page where they can learn more about their employers’ programs.

Reach out to existing P2P volunteers directly. Send an email⁠ or text—or make a phone call⁠—to supporters who are already fundraising on your nonprofit’s behalf. Let them know how they can find out if they qualify for a fundraising match from their employer and how to get started. As you do, remember to emphasize the increased impact that fundraising match initiatives can bring!

Wrapping Up

Fundraising match programs are the perfect addition to any Run/Walk/Ride or other peer-to-peer giving based event. And being aware of the companies that offer fundraising matches is an essential first step.

If you’re planning such an event, check to see if any of your donors work for the above companies. If your participants qualify, you may ultimately receive twice the fundraised donations for that supporter!

However, keep in mind that they themselves may not be aware of the opportunity at hand. Thus, it helps to provide guidance and resources throughout the process to drive more available fundraising matches to completion.

Learn about which major companies match gifts made to elementary schools.

Companies that Match Gifts to Elementary Schools

August 29, 2013/in Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

Often, educational institutions have avid supporters who make major donations. However, pinpointing which employers will match these donations can be difficult. This is because of the multitude of guidelines surrounding eligible organizations.

High schools and higher education institutions often receive matching gift funds, but elementary schools and PTAs can also be major recipients of match-eligible donations.

If your school is fortunate enough to have a large donor base, make sure you’re researching large employers in your area. To revamp your fundraising strategy, you’ll need to raise awareness and make it easy for donors to submit match requests.

It’s well-known that almost all companies with matching gift programs will match donations made to higher education. However, the policies surrounding K-12 schools can be confusing. Let’s review a few companies that match employee donations to elementary schools, such as:

The Home Depot
McDonald’s
Texas Instruments
The Walt Disney Corporation
Additional Matching Gift Companies

Elementary schools have a lot to gain from corporate matching. Companies want to actively support their local elementary schools, and there’s no better way to do that than matching donations made to them by employees. Let’s take a look at a few of these major matching gift corporations.

The Home Depot

Home Depot will match gifts to almost all 501(c)(3) organizations and educational institutions (elementary schools included). The company matches employee donations starting at as little as $25. Like many companies, Home Depot matches at a dollar-for-dollar ratio. In other words, eligible donations can be doubled!

Home Depot matches up to $1,000 annually per employee for each organization to which they donate. However, there’s a maximum amount of $3,000, too. Also, they simplify the match process by allowing employees to submit their requests electronically—no paperwork necessary!

Both full-time employees and part-time employees are eligible, so be on the lookout for this popular employer.

McDonald’s Corporation

As one of the largest employers in the world, McDonald’s matching gift program has the potential to impact schools across the United States. In addition to its work with the Ronald McDonald House, the company has a generous philanthropy program.

The company will match corporate employee donations a year to elementary schools. While full-time and part-time corporate employees are eligible to participate, franchise employees are not eligible.

Additionally, McDonald’s will match up to $5,000 per employee per year and $10,000 per vice president and board of director member per year. There are a few more restrictions surrounding eligible employees, so make sure to do a bit more research on the company before submitting a request.

Texas Instruments

Not only does Texas Instruments produce classroom technology, but it also supports elementary schools with its matching gift program. Plus, TI stands out for doing an exceptional job of notifying employees and retirees of its programs.

The company matches donations of between $25 and $10,000 per employee each year. As an added benefit, Texas Instruments also matches donations from retirees. Double the Donation has a full list of Texas Instruments’ matching gift guidelines for educational institutions.

In addition to its matching gift program, TI encourages its employees to volunteer. After an employee volunteers 20 hours with an eligible educational institution (K-12 included), they can request a $250 grant for the school. Employees and retirees can request up to four volunteer grants (i.e. $1,000) each year.

The Walt Disney Corporation

The Walt Disney Corporation will match donations to elementary schools made by current full-time employees, part-time employees, and retirees of between $25 and $25,000 annually. The company matches to all K-12 schools.

Additionally, Walt Disney offers a volunteer grant program, called Disney VoluntEARS. Once an employee volunteers a minimum of 10 hours, they can request a grant. Like most corporate giving programs, the amount received depends on the number of volunteer hours. In other words, 10-24 hours equals a $100 grant, 25-49 hours represents a $250 grant, and so on. Once an employee exceeds 150 hours, they receive a $2,000 grant.

Also, the company recognizes exceptional individual volunteers with its “VoluntEARS of the Year” grants of $2,500.

However, Walt Disney’s grant request process is slightly different from other companies. Employees register their donations online and then email the certificate to the nonprofit. The certificate includes a “Gift ID” which the nonprofit uses to claim the matching gift funds.

Additional Matching Gift Companies

While these companies offer generous matching gifts to educational institutions, they aren’t the only companies that do this. Here are a few other major employers that match gifts made to elementary schools:

When developing your corporate philanthropy fundraising plan, make sure to research all your donors’ employers, not just those listed here. However, these are great companies to consider when kicking off your research!

How a Matching Gift Database Can Help

A matching gift database ensures that your elementary school, along with most other organizations, isn’t missing out on any corporate philanthropy opportunities.

Double the Donation works with organizations (including K-12 schools) across the country. The search tool, which can be embedded across online fundraising tools, has information on over 20,000 companies. Here’s what it does:

Enables donors to search their employers.
Provides users with forms and up-to-date information about companies.
Allows nonprofits to pinpoint matching gift opportunities.

This tool automatically recognizes match-eligible donors, follows up with them until the match process is complete, and even creates an automated matching gift plan for you.

Determine which tool is best for your elementary school (or other organization) and start boosting your matching gift revenue!

Get started with Double the Donation!

Matching gift programs are an additional source of funding for elementary schools that most individuals overlook. By identifying all of your match opportunities, you maximize your revenue potential. Plus, a lot of companies also have volunteer grant programs, where your generous volunteers can receive grant money for your school!

By knowing about employers in your area that offer matching gifts, you set your school up for fundraising success. Start looking for these opportunities, and maximize your revenue now!

If you’re looking to learn more about corporate giving programs, make sure to check out these useful articles:

Corporate Giving Programs: The Ultimate Fundraising Guide. Matching gifts aren’t the only type of corporate philanthropy. Learn about other corporate giving programs with this comprehensive fundraising guide.
30+ School Fundraising Ideas That Work (Year After Year!) Spark a few ideas for your next school fundraiser with this creative list by Snowball Fundraising.
Marketing Matching Gifts. Learn a few ways to promote matching gifts to your generous donors. That way, you can boost your fundraising potential.

What to Know about Religious Organizations and Matching Gifts

What to Know | Religious Organizations and Matching Gifts

August 4, 2013/in Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies, Learning Center, Lists and Rankings /by Adam Weinger

Religiously affiliated fundraisers like yourself are constantly on the lookout for new sources of revenue to better support their missions. One such opportunity is with corporate matching gift programs. Yet there tends to be a bit of nuance when it comes to religious organizations and matching gifts, and leaders of religious groups such as churches, synagogues, mosques, and other ministries often wonder if they’re eligible for the programs.

According to The Giving Institute’s Giving USA Special Report, religious giving is up substantially from 2016⁠—with places of worship and faith-based orgs ranking in the top three types of charities supported by Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X, and Boomer donors alike. New technology simplifying the giving process, continuous industry developments, and more likely play a role in the growth. Now, how do matching gifts factor in?

We’ve put together this guide to help your team answer that question, specifically in regard to your own organization’s fundraising efforts. To better understand your faith-based nonprofit’s standing with corporate philanthropy, we’ll help you familiarize yourself with:

Match eligibility for different types of religious organizations
Typical wording from matching gift companies regarding religious orgs
How Double the Donation’s matching gift software can help

When eligible, corporate matching gifts are an effective component of any organization’s overall fundraising strategy. These programs help amplify giving, empowering your team to do more with the funding you receive from generous supporters.

And the typical donor loves to get involved, too—seeing their impact stretch further than they may have thought possible.

If you’re ready to find out if your religious organization can benefit from matching gifts, let’s get started!

Match eligibility for different types of religious organizations

Unfortunately, strictly religious organizations are often excluded from companies’ employee matching gift programs. Still, it’s important to note that not all religiously affiliated nonprofits are treated the same under these employers’ matching gift guidelines.

Generally speaking, religious organizations are divided into two overarching categories when it comes to determining matching gift eligibility. These include the following.

Houses of Worship

Oftentimes, companies will not match donations to churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other places of worship.

If you run one of these types of organizations, you might be wondering why they wouldn’t qualify. After all, you know better than anyone the impact of effective fundraising for your cause.

However, places of worship are often considered religious institutions rather than charitable organizations. The primary difference generally lies in the idea that places of worship generally prioritize religious teachings and spiritual guidance to a specific group of members rather than serving the community in the way that nonprofits typically do.

Still, there are certainly some cases where the concepts overlap, which we’ll dive deeper into below.

Religious Organizations that Provide Social Services

This next category of religiously affiliated organizations is significantly more likely to qualify for matching gift programs⁠—even if a donor’s company reportedly does not match donations to places of worship.

In fact, a common exception to the exclusion of religious causes will occur if the organization provides social services to the greater community.

Common examples may include:

Food pantries
Low-cost or free clothing banks
Homeless shelters
Disaster relief efforts
Domestic violence support
Youth programs
Medical clinics
Religiously affiliated educational institutions (preschool, K-12, and higher ed alike)

For these types of organizations to qualify for matching, there are generally a few stipulations in place. For instance, the company may verify that the initial donation and/or provided match is not being used for religious-specific purposes. Additionally, many employers require that the above types of social services be open to the general public and not involve any sort of religious teaching in order to remain eligible for the program.

If you come across a donor’s company that doesn’t match contributions to faith-based organizations, chances are, they may make exceptions for those that provide secular-focused services to the community.

Thus, make sure to read all the requirements instead of glancing over them. Otherwise, you may miss out on important revenue opportunities!

Typical wording from matching gift companies regarding religious orgs

While every employer’s matching gift criteria are different, participating businesses typically address the idea of religious organizations and matching gifts in their corporate giving program documentation. And companies can have vastly different stances on the eligibility of religious gifts.

Take these excerpts from several corporations’ matching gift forms, for example.

American Express

American Express matches donations to most 501(c)(3) organizations. In fact, the company will even match select donations at a 2:1 ratio if an employee also serves on the nonprofit’s board or volunteers for over 50 hours in a year. That means your donors who work for American Express can potentially triple their donations.

Here’s what American Express says about houses of worship and other religious groups in the company’s matching gift guidelines:

Gifts to houses of worship (churches, synagogues, etc.) will not be matched. However, the program will match a gift to an ongoing and independently-run program affiliated with a religious organization if the gift is restricted to a nonsectarian project that provides needed social services to the community at large on a non-discriminatory basis without any religious teaching, directive, or requirements to receive services (e.g., a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, a food bank, etc.).

Campbell and Company

As a fundraising consulting firm, Campbell and Company understands the importance of corporate matching gifts for the nonprofits its employees support. Each year, full-time employees qualify to request up to $1,000 worth of matching gifts for their favorite charitable organizations.

According to their program policy, Campbell and Company takes the following approach to matching gifts made to religious groups:

Campbell and Company will only consider matching donations to religious organizations when the gift is designated to an ongoing secular, non-discriminatory community service program sponsored by these organizations which do not advocate or advance any specific religious views (e.g., a soup kitchen run by a church, a homeless shelter operated by Catholic Charities, etc.).

Castlelake

Matching donations to most 501(c)(3) nonprofits, Castlelake offers employee matching opportunities that amplify individual team members’ giving to schools, health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental nonprofits, and more.

Not to mention, Castlelake will match gifts to some religious organizations in certain scenarios. Here’s what the company has stated in its employee matching gift policy:

Castlelake will consider matching gifts to religious organizations when the gift is designated to an ongoing secular community service program sponsored by these organizations and does not propagate a belief in a specific faith. These programs must have a formal mission and a separate program budget. Further, the benefits of the gift must not be limited exclusively to the organization’s members. Some examples of these types of programs are homelessness projects, food banks, shelters, and literacy programs.

Chevron

Chevron matches donations from full-time employees and retirees, and the company offers volunteer grants. When their employees or retirees volunteer 20 hours or more and request a grant, your organization (if eligible) will receive a check!

Here’s what Chevron says about matching to faith-based organizations:

Chevron Humankind will provide matching funds and grants to programs operated by faith-based organizations if those programs: (a) are open to all individuals in the community regardless of religious belief; (b) serve a secular purpose, such as a food pantry or a homeless shelter; and (c) do not require participants to join in religious worship as a condition of receiving the services that the nonprofit offers.

Davey Tree Expert Company

The Davey Tree Expert Company matches employee donations of up to $500 per team member per year. Many nonprofits qualify for funding through their corporate giving program, including (but not limited to) higher education institutions, environmental groups, health and human services, civic and community organizations, and more.

Check out this blurb from the Davey Tree Expert Company’s matching gift policy regarding religious nonprofits and matching gifts:

Generally, churches and other religious groups are not eligible for matching gifts. However, religiously motivated organizations that provide services for the disadvantaged are eligible. The organization must be a separate legal entity from a church and have its own 501(c)(3) or Canadian equivalent certification.

DIRECTV

DIRECTV offers a highly-generous employee giving program. The company matches employee donations of up to $20,000 annually and provides a grant of $250 after an employee volunteers for 25 hours with a nonprofit cause. Like most companies, DIRECTV provides a detailed match policy, including information regarding religious organizations and matching gifts.

Here’s what DIRECTV says about matches to religiously affiliated causes:

DIRECTV will match gifts to qualified institutions affiliated with religious organizations but will not match gifts made directly to religious organizations.

DIRECTV will not contribute matching funds to churches and religious organizations which fulfill tithes, pledges, or other church‐related financial commitments.

DIRECTV will not contribute matching funds to institutions that restrict admission or aid due to race or religious beliefs.

Engineered Profiles LLC

Ohio-based plastic design and technology provider Engineered Profiles offers a matching gift program designed to engage employees and empower them to give back to their communities. But will the company match to religiously affiliated groups?

Here’s what the Engineered Profiles matching gift guidelines indicates:

Engineered Profiles will NOT match…gifts made to religious organizations (e.g., churches, temples, synagogues, mosques). Gifts may be eligible for a match if the programs operated by faith-based social service organizations meet the following criteria:

The organization has a 501 (c)(3) determination letter from the IRS;

The gift is designated to a particular program that is available and open to all individuals in the community;

The program is for non-religious purposes (such as a food pantry or domestic abuse shelter);

The organization does not use the program to promote any religion.

Fitch Group

The Fitch Group, inclusive of subsidiaries like Fitch Ratings and more, matches donations made by qualifying full-time and part-time employees to a wide range of nonprofit causes. Each team member is eligible to request $1,000 in matches per year at a dollar-for-dollar rate.

Additionally, Fitch Group specifies the following in their documentation regarding religious organizations and matching gifts:

Organizations founded and operated exclusively for charitable purposes (including educational, scientific, or religious) are eligible recipients of donations, provided they are located in the U.S. or one of its possessions; qualify for exemption from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code; and are generally eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

The Gates Company

Employees of the Gates Company qualify for a particularly generous matching gift program facilitated through Gates Industrial Corporation Foundation. Donations made between $25 and $50,000 are eligible to be matched, with most nonprofit causes qualifying for funding.

Gates Industrial includes the following guidelines regarding religious groups in their matching gift criteria:

Donations to churches or religious organizations, organizations that discriminate or which promote a political party or candidate, or which advocate particular positions on specific areas of public policy will not be matched.

While direct gifts to churches or religious organizations do not qualify, many activities that are church sponsored in the areas of youth, senior citizen, minority, or disabled may qualify. Such sponsored programs must be conducted by separate organizations which have qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

General Electric

In 1954, GE became the first company to offer an employee matching gift program. At the time, GE only matched to higher education institutions but has since expanded its matching to encompass most schools and nonprofits.

Here’s what GE’s guidelines have to say about whether churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship are eligible for matching gift funds:

Ineligible recipient organizations include religious organizations (churches, synagogues, mosques, and other houses of worship), or other organizations primarily promoting religious purposes. Other faith-based community service organizations or schools may be considered eligible if their programs:

Are open to all individuals in the community regardless of religious belief;

Serve a secular purpose, such as food pantry, homeless shelter, or education;

Do not require participation in prayer, worship, or other religious activities as a condition of receiving service(s) offered; and

Do not use the individual donation or resulting match for religious purposes.

The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Pew Charitable Trusts program provides a 2:1 match on employee donations up to $10,000 annually (meaning a $20,000 match). In other words, eligible donors can triple their gifts! Plus, they offer one of the most religiously inclusive matching gift programs that we’ve seen.

Here’s what The Pew Charitable Trusts says about matches to religious organizations:

Yes, Pew will match contributions made to religious organizations, such as houses of worship, schools, hospitals, shelters, etc., just as it would to any other qualifying organization.

Verisk

Verisk Analytics and its numerous subsidiaries offer a flexible matching gift program with which (full- and part-time) employees, directors, retirees, and spouses and domestic partners are encouraged to get involved. Each year, current employees can request up to $5,000 in matches, while retirees are eligible to request up to $2,500 on an annual rolling basis.

Here’s what Verisk has to say about matching gifts for religious organizations:

The following gifts are not eligible for matching under the program:
Gifts for religious organizations, unless the specific program is nondenominational in nature and benefits a broad range of the community (e.g., soup kitchen, homeless shelter).

How Double the Donation’s matching gift software can help

When a nonprofit incorporates a tool like our matching gift database and automation platform, they’ll be able to instantly determine matching eligibility and maximize their fundraising revenue. Donors might double (or even triple!) their contributions with the help of their employers. The key is to determine your organization’s eligibility with matching gift companies and to make donors aware of available opportunities.

So how do you know if your organization can benefit from Double the Donation’s service? We love to grow our business, but we only want to accept customers who we believe will benefit from our service.

It’s important to remember that many companies will match to religious organizations that provide services to the broader community (e.g., food banks, homeless shelters, schools, etc.).

The easiest way to determine whether our matching gift service would be beneficial is to look over your donation records. If you’ve received matching gifts from companies in the past, there’s a good chance your organization meets the general eligibility requirements.

How the Matching Gift Database Works

The number one reason why donors don’t submit matches is that they simply don’t know the opportunity exists—let alone how to check their eligibility and submit a request. However, the matching gift submission process is fairly straightforward.

It looks like this:

A donor makes a gift to your nonprofit.
The donor checks their match eligibility.
The donor submits a match request to their employer.
Your organization confirms the donation.
The company sends a check to your organization.

Ultimately, donors tend to get stuck on the above steps #2 and #3. Luckily, Double the Donation’s innovative solution continues to simplify the process, making matching gift participation as quick and as easy as possible for your supporters.

When an organization employs Double the Donation’s software, its donors will be able to:

Search their employers in the comprehensive database;
View any requirements, restrictions, and deadlines;
Receive accurate and up-to-date program information;
Access necessary documents and forms specific to their employers;
Take specific and actionable next steps from your confirmation screen and/or automated email follow-ups;
Submit their matching gift requests with ease.

If you determine that your religious organization typically qualifies for matching gifts, Double the Donation may be a useful fundraising tool for you. It’s easy to integrate into your existing fundraising strategy and can help you pinpoint match-eligible donors—instead of waiting for them to come to you. Plus, you’ll save a ton of time that would otherwise be spent chasing down matching gifts by automating the entire process!

Interested? Click here to request a demo of the software to see if it’s right for your team.

Final Thoughts

The bottom line is that religious and faith-based organizations aren’t excluded from matching gift programs as often as you might think. Becoming more aware of which corporations match gifts to religious organizations like yours will help you and your team understand if promoting matching gifts would be beneficial to your bottom line.

Remember, your donors’ employment information is one of your most valuable assets. Collect this data point and compare employers against top matching gift companies to identify available opportunities. Then, check out the companies’ eligibility criteria to see what it says about your religious organization and matching gifts.

Keep up the learning! Discover more matching gift and fundraising advice with our additional resources here:

Church Fundraising Ideas. Even if your church isn’t eligible for matching gifts, you still have a lot of fundraising potential. In fact, we’ve compiled a list that covers many popular and unique events, activities, and strategies you can use to raise money for your house of worship.
Corporate Matching Gift Programs. Need a refresher on the basics of matching gifts? Our comprehensive guide will give you the rundown on these charitable giving programs, including top companies and best practices for success.
Matching Gift Guidelines. Still have questions about your religious organization’s match eligibility? Check out this guide that breaks down common criteria to be familiar with, including minimum and maximums, match ratios, qualifying nonprofits, and more.

Washington, DC Companies which Match Employee Donation

June 7, 2013/in Lists and Rankings, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

As the nation’s capital, Washington D.C. has a large variety of non-profits and corporate offices. Consequently, there are numerous opportunities for non-profits to take advantage of matching gift programs and volunteer grants.

Statistics on DC Matching Gift Companies

From a non-profit’s standpoint, DC is one of the best cities to headquarter. The presence of the Federal government allows for major funding opportunities for a variety of organizations.

There are over 4,100 non-profits in the DC area, a number that continues to grow each year
According to National Center for Charitable Statistics, non-profits in the metropolitan area bring in over fifteen billion dollars annually from private donations and government grants

Companies in DC with Matching Gift Programs

There are a number of Fortune 500 companies with offices in the District that offer matching gift programs.

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae, the financial services company, is one of the largest employers in the District that offers a matching gift program. They provide up to $2,500 in matching gift funds for all non-profits for part-time employees, full-time employees, and spouses.

Additionally, they provide volunteer grants up to $500 for 100 hours of volunteer service, which sets it apart from other corporations.

Learn more about Fannie Mae’s employee giving programs.

Verizon

Verizon is another large company in the DC area. They offer a matching gift program that provides up to $5,000 for any education-related non-profit and up to $1,000 for other types of non-profits. The matching gift program is available to all current and former employees.

Verizon also offers volunteer grants of up to $750 for employees who volunteer for a total of 50 hours.

Learn more about Verizon’s employee giving programs.

Booz Allen Hamilton Consulting

Booz Allen is another company headquartered in DC. They do not donate matching funds like similar companies in the area, but instead give larger volunteer grants when Booz Allen Hamilton employees volunteer. For 40 hours of employee volunteerism they will give $500, and for 80 hours of volunteer service a nonprofit can receive $1,000.

Learn more about Booz Allen Hamilton’s volunteer grant program.

Graham Holdings Company (Washington Post/Kaplan)

Graham Holdings Company supports wide variety of charitable organizations, specifically organizations related to:

Civic and Community Services
Health and Human Services
Education
Culture and Art

Graham Holdings has a matching gift program in place, which will match a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $2,000 per employee per year. The company matches at a 1:1 ratio for nonprofits and a 2:1 ratio for educational institutions and organizations where employees are regular volunteers.

Learn more about Graham Holdings Company’s employee giving programs.

GEICO

GEICO, one of the largest companies located in the Washington, DC region, has a matching gift program in which the company will match a minimum of $25 and a maximum of $500 per employee per year at a 1:1 ratio. The company will match up to $5,000 per employee per year at a 2:1 ratio when they donate to educational institutions.

Learn more about GEICO’s matching gift program.

Additional DC Matching Gift Companies

These are only a handful of the companies within the DC area that offer matching gift grants. There are many more to choose from with different matching gift and volunteer grant opportunities. So please, share this with your offices and coworkers to achieve the most amount of money for your non-profit of choice or take a tour of Double the Donation’s matching gift and volunteer grant service!

1. Set a budget and goals for your donation-matching program.

2. Identify matching gift threshold criteria.

3. Determine eligibility for your matching gift programs.

4. Decide how your company will facilitate matching.

5. Establish your matching gift request process (and deadline).

6. Explore matching gift auto-submission to simplify participation.

7. Craft an employee-facing matching gift policy document.

8. Inform employees about your matching gift initiative.

9. Ensure your matching gift program is added to the top matching database.

10. Collect data, track impact, and make program improvements.

1. Match Ratios

2. Minimum Match Amounts

3. Maximum Match Amounts

4. Employee Eligibility

5. Nonprofit Eligibility

6. Forms and Submission Deadlines

Matching Gift Database: Identifying Companies’ Guidelines

The Basics of Corporate Partnerships for Nonprofits

The Relationship Between Matching Gifts and Corporate Partnerships

Matching Gifts

Corporate Partnerships

How to Identify Corporate Partnerships Using Double the Donation| 4 Methods

1. Locate top matching gift companies.

2. Utilize custom redirects for ineligible donors.

Make a recommendation for matching gifts.

Look into additional workplace giving opportunities.

Multiply their impact in other ways.

3. Reach out to companies without matching gift programs.

4. Pursue custom matching gift opportunities.

Donating Stock to Nonprofits: FAQ

What are stock donations?

Other Key Terms to Know:

Mutual fund donations

Marketable securities

Why do individuals donate stocks to nonprofit causes?

Are all stocks able to be donated to nonprofit organizations?

Nonprofits That Accept Stock Donations

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87832" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_AHA.jpg" alt="American Heart Association accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="200" height="108" />

1. American Heart Association

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87833" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_LLS-scaled.jpg" alt="LLS accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="200" height="118" />

2. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87834" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_ASPCA.png" alt="ASPCA accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="225" height="61" />

3. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87835" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_SU.png" alt="Syracuse University accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="396" height="75" />

4. Syracuse University

5. Piedmont Healthcare

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87838" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_FSU.png" alt="FSU accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="345" height="150" />

6. Florida State University

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87839" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_NKF-e1651024001339.png" alt="National Kidney Foundation accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="370" height="100" />

7. National Kidney Foundation

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87840" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_LCF-e1651024054353.jpg" alt="Lazarex accepts stock donations and matching gifts." width="311" height="100" />

8. Lazarex Cancer Foundation

9. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

10. American Cancer Society

Matching Stock Donations: The Basics

Are stock donations typically eligible for corporate matching gift programs?

How can I know if an individual’s stock donation qualifies for a match?

What are corporate stock donation matches worth?

What trends are expected regarding stock donations and matching gifts?

Examples of Companies That Match Stock Donations

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87841" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_Chevron-e1651024159600.png" alt="Chevron matches gifts of stock donations." width="336" height="100" />

1. Chevron

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87842" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_Google-e1651024210549.jpg" alt="Google matches gifts of stock donations." width="320" height="100" />

2. Google

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87844" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_GE-1.png" alt="General Electric matches gifts of stock donations." width="302" height="125" />

3. General Electric

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87836" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_Merck.png" alt="Merck matches gifts of stock donations." width="334" height="100" />

4. Merck

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87845" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_SF.png" alt="State Farm matches gifts of stock donations." width="400" height="56" />

5. State Farm

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87846" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_Verizon.png" alt="Verizon matches gifts of stock donations." width="338" height="75" />

6. Verizon

<img decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-87848" src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/DTD_Nonprofit-Stock-Donations-and-Matching-Gifts_Apple-1.png" alt="Apple matches gifts of stock donations." width="292" height="100" />

7. Apple

8. Edwards Lifesciences

9. Bank of America

10. PNC Financial Services

11. EOG Resources

12. Eli Lilly ⁠and Company

1. Are Both Spouses Eligible to Receive a Match for the Same Organization?