A Smart Nonprofit's Guide to the Volunteer Grant Process

A Smart Nonprofit’s Guide to the Volunteer Grant Process

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The lifeblood of any nonprofit organization is the dedication of its volunteers. From preparing food boxes to mentoring youth, the hours given freely by passionate supporters are invaluable. But what if those hours could be converted into hard cash, providing a secondary revenue stream with no extra time commitment from your supporters? This is the power of the volunteer grant process, a key component of corporate philanthropy that most nonprofits overlook. It’s a goldmine of unclaimed funding, often sitting right under your nose, waiting for a simple, proactive nudge.

For nonprofits operating with lean teams and tight budgets, securing every possible dollar matters. Volunteer grant programs, sometimes called “Dollars for Doers,” offer a remarkable opportunity to increase the financial return on volunteer time, essentially giving your organization “free money”. However, tapping into this potential requires a clear understanding of the process and a proactive strategy to guide your supporters through it. With thousands of companies offering these programs, learning how to leverage the Volunteer Grant Process can dramatically boost your volunteer program’s return on investment (ROI).

In this guide, we’ll cover:

The misconception that corporate giving is reserved only for major organizations or requires too much administrative work often prevents mid-sized and smaller nonprofits from exploring the lucrative avenue of volunteer grants. Yet, technology solutions now exist to streamline the identification, outreach, and submission steps, removing the heavy manual lifting for your development team. By integrating simple, automated tools into your existing volunteer and fundraising processes, your nonprofit can systematically convert volunteer hours into much-needed revenue, fueling your mission on a whole new level.

Why the Volunteer Grant Process Matters for Your Nonprofit

Volunteer grants represent a crucial but often unrealized funding source in the philanthropic landscape. These programs are designed by companies to provide monetary donations to organizations where their employees dedicate their time. This means that the valuable time your volunteers invest is multiplied by a financial contribution from their employer, substantially increasing the overall impact of their service.

For every hour an employee volunteers, their company may offer a grant, with many programs ranging from $8 to $15 per hour of service. This “free money” drastically increases the ROI of your entire volunteer program, making this an essential piece of corporate giving strategy. Despite this immense potential, a significant portion of volunteer grant funding goes unclaimed because both nonprofits and volunteers often lack awareness about the programs or the detailed steps required to secure the funds. Implementing a clear strategy focused on the Volunteer Grant Process is the key to unlocking this overlooked revenue.

Step 1: The Volunteer Shift and Employer Data Collection

The Volunteer Grant Process officially begins the moment a supporter decides to dedicate their time to your cause. At this initial stage, the two most critical actions for your nonprofit are ensuring the volunteer completes their shift and, more importantly, capturing their employment information.

Completing the Volunteer Shift

For any volunteer grant to be approved, the volunteer must complete a qualifying period of service. This time commitment varies widely from company to company; while some require as little as 10 hours, others may require 20 or more. As a nonprofit, your job is to provide meaningful volunteer opportunities and a reliable system for logging the time contributed.

Collecting Employer Data

The most common reason for unclaimed volunteer grant funding is the lack of information on where your volunteers work. If you don’t know the employer, you can’t tell the volunteer they’re eligible. To solve this, you must proactively integrate an employer search tool directly into your volunteer registration form. This straightforward step allows the volunteer to instantly check if their company offers a volunteer incentive program right as they sign up.

Essential Data Collection Points:

  • Online Volunteer Registration Forms (Most immediate and proactive)
  • Post-Shift Thank-You/Follow-up Emails (For those who didn’t submit initially)
  • Dedicated Volunteer Grants Webpage (For general inquiries and research)

By collecting this data upfront, your organization creates a foundation for an automated, proactive outreach strategy that eliminates manual guesswork. This automated tool turns employment data into actionable insights for next steps.

Quick Tip: Companies often simplify the criteria for their volunteer grant programs to encourage employee participation. For instance, ExxonMobil grants $500 for every 20 hours an employee volunteers, while Microsoft offers $25 per hour volunteered. Highlighting these easy-to-reach benchmarks can motivate fence-sitters to sign up for more shifts.

Step 2: Determining Volunteer Grant Eligibility

Once a volunteer has logged their hours and provided their employer’s name, the next phase of the Volunteer Grant Process involves quickly determining their eligibility. This step is critical for sending personalized, targeted follow-up communication.

Utilizing a Volunteer Grant Database

Manually researching the thousands of companies that offer volunteer grant programs is time-prohibitive for any nonprofit team. This is where a dedicated, centralized volunteer grant database becomes indispensable. By cross-referencing the collected employer data against the database, your team can instantaneously pull up company-specific program parameters, including:

  • Minimum Volunteer Hours: The minimum number of hours required before a grant can be requested (e.g., 10 hours, 20 hours).
  • Grant Amount: The monetary value of the grant, which can be a flat fee or an amount per hour volunteered (e.g., $500 flat, or $25/hour).
  • Employee Eligibility: Whether the program is open to full-time staff, part-time staff, retirees, or board members.
  • Mission Restrictions: If the company has any limitations on the type of organization they will fund (e.g., typically excluding strictly political or religious organizations).

Segmenting Your Volunteer Base

With eligibility criteria determined, you can segment your volunteers into targeted groups for outreach:

  • Confirmed Eligible Volunteers: These volunteers work for a company with a known program and have logged the minimum hours. They are ready for the submission instructions.
  • Potential Eligible Volunteers: These volunteers work for a matching company but have not yet logged the minimum hours. They require messaging that encourages them to sign up for more shifts.
  • Unknown/Ineligible Volunteers: These volunteers either have an unknown employer or work for a company without a known program. They still deserve recognition but require broader messaging that encourages them to investigate internally or inform their HR team.

This streamlined segmentation, often automated by dedicated software, ensures that every follow-up email is highly relevant and actionable, directly addressing the next step the volunteer needs to take.

Step 3: The Volunteer Grant Request and Submission

This is the make-or-break point in the Volunteer Grant Process. The responsibility for completing the official grant request lies entirely with the volunteer. Your role as a nonprofit is to eliminate all barriers by providing clear, direct access to the required submission forms and guidelines.

Delivering Company-Specific Next Steps

The most effective way to drive submissions is through automated, personalized outreach immediately following the donation or volunteer shift. This typically involves:

  • Confirmation Page Plugin: Right on the volunteer sign-up or thank-you screen, a plugin appears with the identified program details and a clear call-to-action button linking directly to the company’s internal request form.
  • Automated Email Stream: Within minutes of completing their shift, the volunteer receives a personalized email that names their employer, confirms their eligibility, and provides the direct link or instructions needed for submission.

This immediacy capitalizes on the volunteer’s high engagement level immediately after interacting with your organization, maximizing the chances of follow-through.

The Volunteer’s Task

The volunteer typically needs to:

  • Access the employer’s online portal or complete a paper form.
  • Provide basic information about their service, including the dates, total hours volunteered, and sometimes a description of the activity.
  • Identify your nonprofit as the grant recipient.
  • Submit the request to their employer’s HR or CSR department for approval.

Your targeted outreach must clearly communicate these steps, alleviating any confusion and reducing the perceived administrative burden on the volunteer.

Did You Know? Volunteerism and financial giving are strongly correlated. Approximately 79% of people who volunteer also donate money to the organization they serve. Actively promoting the Volunteer Grant Process leverages this existing commitment, increasing your overall revenue and engagement from a single supporter base.

Step 4: Securing the Corporate Grant Funding

After the volunteer submits the request, the process shifts to the corporate side for review and disbursement.

Corporate Review and Approval

The employer’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) or human resources department will review the submission. This review confirms the employee’s status, verifies the volunteer hours logged with your organization, and checks that your nonprofit meets all eligibility criteria. If all conditions are met, the request is approved.

Grant Disbursement and Tracking

Once approved, the company issues the grant funding to your nonprofit. This payment, whether electronic or by check, completes the Volunteer Grant Process and is categorized as corporate revenue.

  • Tracking and Reporting: Using dedicated software allows you to view the status of identified, pending, and received grants. This capability is vital for forecasting revenue, acknowledging the corporation, and, most importantly, thanking the individual volunteer.
  • Stewardship and Recognition: Upon receiving the grant, send a final thank-you to the volunteer. This acknowledgment reinforces their dual impact (time and financial support) and deepens their loyalty, setting the stage for future engagement.

Marketing Strategies to Promote the Volunteer Grant Process

Maximizing revenue from volunteer grants depends heavily on successfully marketing the opportunity to your entire supporter base. A multi-channel strategy ensures you reach every eligible person.

Promote on Your Website

Your website is the single most important tool for promoting the Volunteer Grant Process. It should include:

  • Dedicated Page: Create a highly visible “Volunteer Grants” page that explains what the programs are, why they matter, and includes an embedded search tool where visitors can check their eligibility.
  • Volunteer Forms: As mentioned in Step 1, embed the employer search tool directly into your volunteer registration forms to capture data proactively.
  • Confirmation Screens: Utilize the post-sign-up confirmation page to showcase immediate eligibility results, linking directly to the next steps.

Utilize Email and Social Media

Email and social media are perfect for personalized and broad outreach. Here’s what you should know:

  • Personalized Email: Automated, personalized emails for confirmed eligible volunteers drive the highest conversion rates.
  • Broad Campaigns: Send general emails and post regularly on social media to raise overall awareness, linking back to your dedicated webpage. Use compelling visuals that illustrate how time turns into money (e.g., volunteer hours → cash donation).

Engage Local Business Partners

Don’t just wait for national companies. Target local businesses and professional service firms (e.g., law, accounting) in your area. Research their VTO policies and pitch group volunteer events, which are often covered by their employee incentive programs.

Measuring Success and Optimizing Your Volunteer Grant Strategy

To ensure your investment in promoting the Volunteer Grant Process is worthwhile, rigorous tracking and analysis are necessary.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Focus on these key metrics to gauge performance:

  • Total Volunteer Grant Revenue: The total dollar amount received from corporate volunteer grants.
  • Number of Grants Received: The count of corporate grants secured.
  • Volunteer Hours Logged: Total hours volunteered by employees eligible for grants.
  • Grant Submission Rate: The percentage of eligible volunteers who submit their grant request forms to their employers.
  • Volunteer ROI: Revenue generated from grants compared to the cost (staff time, software) of running the program.

Continuous Optimization

Use your data to continually refine your strategy. If the “Grant Submission Rate” is low, focus on improving the clarity and timing of your follow-up emails. If “Volunteer Hours Logged” is low, promote more flexible or team-based volunteer opportunities that align with corporate VTO programs. Investing in dedicated software is the most efficient way to track these KPIs, automate outreach, and continually increase revenue without overtaxing your team.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

The Volunteer Grant Process is a powerful mechanism for nonprofits to double the value of their volunteers’ time, converting dedication into a reliable revenue stream. While the process hinges on the volunteer submitting the final form to their employer, the nonprofit’s role in proactive promotion and streamlined execution is essential. By seamlessly integrating employer data collection into the volunteer sign-up flow, leveraging automated tools to check eligibility and deliver customized instructions, and actively marketing the opportunity across all channels, your nonprofit can unlock hundreds, and potentially thousands, of dollars in annual funding.

If your nonprofit is ready to stop leaving money on the table and fully monetize your volunteers’ generosity, explore technology solutions that automate the entire Volunteer Grant Process. Get started with Double the Donation Volunteering!

Navigating the Volunteer Time Off Process for Nonprofits

Navigating the Volunteer Time Off Process for Nonprofits

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Volunteers are the engines that keep nonprofits running, fueling everything from event logistics to daily operations. But for many supporters, the biggest barrier to getting involved isn’t a lack of passion—it’s a lack of time. Between 9-to-5 jobs and personal responsibilities, finding hours to dedicate to your mission can be a challenge. This is where Volunteer Time Off (VTO) changes the game. By compensating employees for the time they spend volunteering, companies are removing the logistical hurdles that prevent supporters from showing up.

For nonprofits, understanding the Volunteer Time Off process is not just about logistics; it is about unlocking a massive, untapped reservoir of supporter bandwidth. When a company pays its employees to volunteer, your organization gains access to motivated, reliable, and often highly skilled help without the risk of donor burnout. However, simply hoping volunteers know about these benefits isn’t enough. You need a strategy to guide them through the administrative steps, ensuring they can utilize their benefits to support your cause.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

With 66% of employers now providing some form of paid time off program for volunteering, the opportunity is vast. Yet, without a clear roadmap, these hours often go unused. By mastering the nuances of the process—from registration to verification—your nonprofit can turn corporate policy into tangible impact.

What is Volunteer Time Off?

Volunteer Time Off, often abbreviated as VTO, is a type of employee benefit where team members receive a designated number of hours to volunteer with nonprofit organizations above and beyond their existing paid time off (PTO). Essentially, it is a mechanism through which employees partake in volunteer activities during work hours while still receiving their regular pay.

While corporate philanthropy often focuses on cash donations or matching gifts, VTO focuses on human capital. It removes financial and logistical barriers for volunteers, producing a larger pool of supporters for your organization to engage with. When supporters are compensated by their employers for their time, they are more likely to get involved initially and continue their support over the long term.

Did You Know? The number of companies offering VTO programs has increased by 2 in 3 over the last decade. Furthermore, 49% of individuals state that work commitments are their biggest obstacle to volunteering. Promoting the Volunteer Time Off process directly addresses this pain point!

Why the VTO Process Matters for Your Nonprofit

Understanding the mechanics of VTO is crucial because the burden of proof often falls on the volunteer. Unlike a direct corporate grant that might be handled between a CSR officer and your development director, VTO is an employee-driven benefit. If your volunteers don’t know the process, they likely won’t use the benefit.

By familiarizing your team with how these requests are made, approved, and verified, you can become an active partner in the process. You can provide the necessary documentation, offer shifts that align with corporate requirements, and remind volunteers to utilize their hours before they expire. This proactive approach transforms your organization from a passive recipient of help into a strategic partner for corporate employees.

Step 1: Registration and Employer Identification

The Volunteer Time Off process begins long before the volunteer arrives at your facility. It starts the moment a supporter expresses interest in an event or opportunity.

The Volunteer’s Role: The individual visits your website or volunteer portal to sign up for a specific shift. At this stage, they are looking for dates and times that fit their schedule.

The Nonprofit’s Role: Your primary goal here is data collection. You cannot assist a volunteer with their VTO request if you do not know where they work. During the registration process, integrate a field for employment information. This allows you to identify VTO opportunities immediately using employer data.

If you utilize volunteer management software or a corporate giving database, you can prompt volunteers to search for their employer while signing up for a shift. This is the most critical step in the funnel; catching the volunteer at the point of registration ensures that VTO is top-of-mind before they even check their calendar.

Step 2: Determining Eligibility for VTO

Once the volunteer has registered and provided their employer’s name, the next step in the Volunteer Time Off process is verifying that their specific company offers a VTO benefit and that your nonprofit is eligible to receive it.

Corporate Criteria: Every company has different guidelines. Some offer VTO only to full-time employees, while others extend it to part-time staff. Additionally, companies offer an average of 20 hours of paid volunteer time per year (equaling about 2.5 days), but this varies wildly.

Organization Eligibility: Companies may also have restrictions on the types of activities they support. While most 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible, some corporations may restrict VTO for political or religious activities.

How to Streamline This: Instead of asking volunteers to dig through their employee handbooks, you can use a corporate giving database to connect eligible supporters to volunteer time off opportunities instantly. These tools can populate eligibility requirements, minimum hours, and links to the company’s internal portal, effectively doing the research for the volunteer.

Step 3: Submitting the VTO Request and Pre-Approval

This is the step where many potential volunteers drop off if they are not properly supported. Before the volunteer shift occurs, the employee typically must submit a formal request to their employer.

The Request Workflow: In most corporate portals (such as Benevity, CyberGrants, or YourCause), the employee must log in and submit a request for “Volunteer Time Off.” They will need to provide:

  • The name of the nonprofit.
  • The date and time of the volunteer shift.
  • A brief description of the duties they will perform.
  • The number of hours requested.

Getting Pre-Approval: Most companies require this request to be approved by the employee’s direct manager or the HR department before the volunteering takes place. This ensures the employee’s absence won’t disrupt business operations.

Quick Tip: Create a “VTO Cheat Sheet” for your major corporate partners. If you know you have many volunteers from a specific local company (e.g., Home Depot or Target), draft a template email or PDF that gives them the exact description of duties and tax ID number they need to fill out their internal request forms.

Step 4: Completing the Volunteer Shift

With approval in hand, the volunteer arrives to complete their service. While this seems straightforward, it is a vital part of the Volunteer Time Off process because it is where the “transaction” of time occurs.

On-Site Experience: Ensure the volunteer has a positive experience! Remember, 62% of individuals report that the ability to volunteer during business hours is a top factor for a positive experience. If they are using VTO, they are effectively “on the clock” for their employer while serving your mission. Treat their time with the same respect you would a major donor’s money.

Tracking Hours: Accurate timekeeping is essential. Whether you use a digital check-in system or a paper sign-in sheet, you must have a verifiable record of exactly when the volunteer started and stopped their shift. This data will be required for the final step of the process.

Step 5: Verification and Proof of Volunteerism

The final step in the Volunteer Time Off process occurs after the shift ends. To ensure the employee is paid for their time (and not docked a vacation day), they usually need to provide proof of volunteerism to their employer.

Methods of Verification:

  • Digital Verification: Many CSR platforms will send an automated email to the nonprofit’s volunteer coordinator asking them to click a link and verify that the employee showed up.
  • Signed Forms: Some companies require a physical form signed by a nonprofit representative.
  • GPS/Geofencing: Newer platforms allow volunteers to check in via mobile app, verifying their location at your facility.

The “Double Dip” Opportunity: This verification stage is the perfect moment to ask about other corporate giving programs. If a company offers VTO, there is a high likelihood that they also offer Volunteer Grants (monetary donations based on hours served) or Matching Gifts. When verifying hours, ask the volunteer: “Does your company also donate money for the hours you just served?”

Top Companies with Standout VTO Programs

Familiarizing yourself with major employers that offer VTO can help you target your outreach. If you see volunteers registering with email addresses from these domains, you know they likely have access to a VTO benefit.

1. Patagonia

Patagonia is a leader in corporate activism. Their program offers up to 18 paid volunteer hours per year. Furthermore, they offer an environmental internship program where employees can take up to two months of paid time away from work to volunteer with an environmental group.

2. Thomson Reuters

This major information conglomerate offers two paid days (16 hours) of volunteer time each year. Their program is inclusive of company-sponsored volunteer activities and focuses on local community investment .

3. Microsoft

A giant in corporate philanthropy, Microsoft is known for its high matching gift limits, but they also support volunteerism vigorously. They focus on accessible legal knowledge and services and hack-for-good tech innovation events .

4. Deloitte

Professional services firms are among the most likely to offer paid VTO. Deloitte offers generous VTO, encouraging their highly skilled workforce to engage in skills-based volunteering .

5. GM Financial

GM Financial structures their VTO to encourage regular engagement, offering 8 hours per quarter for full-time staff and 4 hours per quarter for part-time staff . This quarterly structure is perfect for recurring volunteer roles.

Marketing the VTO Opportunity to Your Supporters

Even the most generous VTO program is useless if the employee doesn’t use it. Nonprofits play a vital role in marketing these benefits. Here are several strategies to promote the Volunteer Time Off process to your audience.

1. Create a Dedicated “Volunteers” Page

Your website should have a centralized hub for volunteer resources. If you already have a volunteer page, incorporate specific information about paid volunteer time off programs. Explain that volunteering during the workday is a valid and encouraged way to support the organization.

2. Leverage Social Media

Social media is an excellent tool for inspiring action. Share information about VTO programs on your channels. Use engaging visuals and testimonials from volunteers who have successfully used their VTO days.

Example Post: “Did you know you could get paid to hang out with us? Many companies like [Company A] and [Company B] offer Volunteer Time Off. Check your benefits and spend a day giving back!”

3. Implement Personalized Outreach

If you have captured employer data during registration, use it! Implement personalized outreach that speaks directly to the donor’s employment status.

Strategy: Send an automated email to all volunteers who work at GM Financial, reminding them that their 8 hours of VTO resets every quarter.

4. Encourage Group Events

VTO is often used for team-building. Encourage your existing volunteers to organize group events. Sometimes, encouraging a single volunteer to rally their colleagues is all it takes to expand your reach significantly . Pitch a “Department Day of Service” where a whole team uses their VTO together.

Tools to Streamline the VTO Process

Managing the Volunteer Time Off process manually can be time-consuming, especially when dealing with multiple companies and verification methods. Investing in dedicated software can automate these steps and increase your revenue.

Double the Donation’s Solutions Tools like Double the Donation and its complete automation platform are not just for matching gifts. They maintain a massive database of over 24,000 company records that includes data on VTO and volunteer grants, too.

How Automation Helps:

  • Seamless Integration: The software integrates with your volunteer management system to prompt volunteers to search for their employer during sign-up.
  • Instant Education: The database connects eligible supporters to actionable next steps and forms immediately.
  • Automated Email Streams: You can set up automated email streams that drive supporters to claim their VTO or volunteer grants after they have registered.

By automating the identification and follow-up steps, you ensure that every eligible volunteer is aware of their benefit and knows exactly how to use it, without adding administrative burden to your volunteer coordinator.

Measuring Success and Optimizing Your Efforts

To ensure your focus on the Volunteer Time Off process is yielding results, you need to track the right metrics. Establish a baseline and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to refine your strategy.

Key Metrics to Track:

  • Corporate Volunteer Hours Logged: Track the total number of hours contributed by employees using corporate VTO programs.
  • Volunteer Grants Received: Since VTO often leads to volunteer grants, track the monetary value generated by these volunteers.
  • Employee Participation Rate: Monitor which companies in your area have the highest participation rates. This helps you identify where to focus your relationship-building efforts.

Continuous Improvement: Use the data you collect to solicit feedback from volunteers. Are they finding the internal approval process difficult? Are your volunteer shifts too short or too long for a standard VTO day? Use surveys to understand barriers and refine your donor journey.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Mastering the Volunteer Time Off process is a powerful way to diversify your support streams. It transforms the volunteer experience from a personal sacrifice of time into a professional benefit, allowing you to engage a workforce that is eager to give back but constrained by the 9-to-5 grind.

By understanding the steps—registration, eligibility, request, service, and verification—and actively marketing these opportunities, your nonprofit can build stronger relationships with corporate partners and secure the operational support you need to thrive.

Ready to start capitalizing on corporate volunteerism?

  • Audit your volunteer intake forms: Ensure you are collecting employer information.
  • Educate your team: Make sure your volunteer coordinators know how to verify hours for major local employers.
  • Leverage technology: Explore tools like Double the Donation to automate eligibility checks and outreach.

Don’t let these valuable hours go to waste. Start guiding your supporters through the VTO process today and watch your volunteer program grow. Plus, find out how Double the Donation Volunteering can help!

Maximizing Volunteer Time Off Requests for Nonprofits

Maximizing Volunteer Time Off Requests for Nonprofits

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The most valuable resource a nonprofit has is its people. Volunteers power events, drive programs, and provide the essential manpower needed to fulfill your mission. Yet, for many dedicated supporters, the desire to help is often hampered by the constraints of a traditional work schedule. This is where corporate philanthropy steps in to bridge the gap. Through Volunteer Time Off (VTO) programs, companies pay their employees to step away from their desks and into their communities. However, accessing this benefit requires navigating a specific administrative hurdle: Volunteer Time Off Requests.

For nonprofits, understanding how these requests work is not just administrative trivia; it is a strategic necessity. When you demystify the request process for your supporters, you remove the barriers standing between your organization and hundreds of hours of skilled, reliable, and “free” labor. Furthermore, because VTO programs are often tied to volunteer grants (in which companies donate money for hours served), facilitating these requests can directly increase revenue.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

By mastering the mechanics of Volunteer Time Off Requests, your nonprofit can transform corporate policies into tangible impact, ensuring that your volunteers can afford to give you the time you so desperately need.

The Strategic Value of Volunteer Time Off

Volunteer Time Off (VTO) is a type of employee benefit where team members receive a designated number of hours to volunteer with nonprofit organizations above and beyond their existing paid time off. Essentially, it is a mechanism through which employees partake in volunteer activities during work hours for regular pay.

For nonprofits, the rise of VTO is a game-changer. It provides operational support without added costs and produces a larger pool of supporters to engage with by removing financial and logistical barriers. When supporters are compensated by their employers for the time they spend with you, they are more likely to get involved and continue their support over time.

Moreover, the prevalence of these programs is skyrocketing. The number of companies offering VTO has increased by two in three over the last decade. With 66% of employers providing some sort of paid time off program for volunteering, the potential for your nonprofit to tap into this resource is massive.

Did You Know? Lack of time is the primary barrier to volunteerism. 49% of individuals state that work commitments are their biggest obstacle to volunteering. However, 62% of individuals report that the ability to volunteer during business hours would be the top factor for a positive experience. Promoting Volunteer Time Off Requests directly solves this problem.

The Anatomy of a Volunteer Time Off Request

To help your volunteers utilize their benefits, you must understand what they are required to submit to their employers. While every company has a slightly different portal or policy, a standard Volunteer Time Off Request generally requires specific data points to ensure the time is being used for legitimate charitable purposes.

This request is the formal internal process an employee must complete to get paid for their time away. It typically includes three main categories of information:

1. Employee and Policy Information

The company needs to verify that the requester is eligible for the benefit.

Employee Eligibility: Not all staff members may qualify. The request often cross-references the employee’s status (full-time vs. part-time) against the company’s guidelines.

Accrued Hours: The form will check the VTO hours the employee has accrued or is allotted for the year. For example, companies with paid VTO programs offer an average of 20 hours per year.

2. Nonprofit Information

The employer must verify that your organization is a valid charity.

Eligible Organizations: The request will ask for your nonprofit’s name and likely your tax ID or 501(c)(3) status to ensure you meet the company’s philanthropic criteria.

Contact Details: You may need to provide a contact name or email at your organization who can verify the volunteer’s attendance.

3. Volunteer Activity Information

This section details what the employee will actually be doing.

Qualifying Activities: The employee must describe the activity to ensure it aligns with the company’s values and VTO policy.

Date and Duration: The specific date of the shift and the number of hours requested are crucial for payroll giving purposes.

Quick Tip: Create a “VTO Cheat Sheet” for your volunteers. This simple PDF or webpage should list your organization’s legal name, Tax ID/EIN, a brief description of volunteer duties, and the contact info for your volunteer coordinator. When a volunteer opens their corporate portal to submit a Volunteer Time Off Request, having this info ready makes the process frictionless.

The Lifecycle of a VTO Request

Navigating the corporate bureaucracy can be intimidating for volunteers. By understanding the lifecycle of a request, your nonprofit can guide supporters through each stage, ensuring they don’t drop out of the process due to confusion.

Step 1: Identification and Registration

The process begins when a supporter registers for an event or shift with your nonprofit. At this stage, it is critical to identify where they work. If you know their employer, you can inform them of their VTO eligibility immediately.

Step 2: Submission of the Request

Before the volunteer shift occurs, the employee must log into their company’s HR or CSR portal to submit the formal request. They will input the dates, times, and your organization’s details. This acts as a request for time off, similar to asking for a vacation day, but coded specifically as volunteer service.

Step 3: The Approval Process

Once submitted, the request enters an internal approval process. This usually involves the employee’s direct manager approving the time away from work to ensure it doesn’t interfere with business operations. It may also involve the CSR department verifying that your nonprofit is an eligible 501(c)(3).

Step 4: Completing the Service

The volunteer completes their shift with your organization. This is the most important part! Ensure they sign in and out so you have an accurate record of their hours.

Step 5: Verification and Follow-Up

After the event, the employee may need to provide proof of service to their employer to finalize the VTO claim. Furthermore, this is the perfect moment to encourage the volunteer to check if their company also offers a volunteer grant (a monetary donation for hours served). 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer volunteer grant programs, so a VTO request often opens the door to further funding.

Top Companies with Standout VTO Programs

Familiarizing yourself with companies that offer generous VTO policies helps you target your outreach. If you see volunteers registering with email addresses from these domains, you should immediately encourage them to submit a Volunteer Time Off Request.

Patagonia

Patagonia is a leader in corporate activism. Their program offers up to 18 paid volunteer hours per year. Furthermore, they offer an environmental internship program where employees can take up to two months of paid time away from work to volunteer with an environmental group.

Thomson Reuters

This major information conglomerate offers two paid days (16 hours) of volunteer time each year. Their program is inclusive of company-sponsored volunteer activities and focuses on local community investment.

GM Financial

GM Financial structures their VTO to encourage regular engagement. They offer 8 hours of VTO per quarter for full-time staff and 4 hours per quarter for part-time staff, focusing on strengthening communities.

Microsoft

A giant in corporate philanthropy, Microsoft is known for its high matching gift limits, but they also support volunteerism vigorously. While they focus heavily on pro bono services, they are a prime example of a company that integrates volunteering into its culture.

Sentinel Group

Sentinel Group offers two paid days of service (16 hours) each year, focusing on education, communities, and health and wellness.

Did You Know? Professional services, information technology, and financial services companies are the most likely to offer paid VTO programs. If your nonprofit is located near hubs for these industries, your VTO potential is likely very high.

Marketing Strategies to Drive Requests

Your volunteers likely don’t know they have VTO available, or they don’t know how to use it. It is up to your nonprofit to market the opportunity. Here are several strategies to promote Volunteer Time Off Requests to your supporter base.

1. Dedicate a Page on Your Website

Create a centralized “Volunteers” page on your website. If you already have one, update it to include specific information about paid volunteer time off programs. Explain that volunteering during the workday is a valid and encouraged way to support the organization and link to resources that explain the request process.

2. Leverage Social Media

Social media is an excellent tool for inspiring action. Share information about VTO programs on your channels. Use engaging visuals and testimonials from volunteers who have successfully used their VTO days to “take a day off to do good”. This social proof can be the nudge other supporters need to submit their own requests.

3. Identify Opportunities with Employer Data

Your supporters’ employment data contains a wealth of information about available engagement opportunities. If you already know where a volunteer works, look into the company’s volunteer incentive programs. If you don’t have this data, consider using a corporate giving database tool or an employer append service to fill in the gaps.

4. Implement Personalized Outreach

Once you identify supporters who work for companies with VTO programs, initiate tailored communications. Don’t just reach out to current volunteers; engage donors who work for VTO companies as well. Focus your outreach on the benefits of paid volunteerism—a meaningful experience and a fun day out of the office.

5. Encourage Group Events

If you have existing supporters who work for companies with paid VTO policies, see if they would be willing to rally their colleagues. Encouraging a single volunteer to organize a group activity can expand your reach significantly. Corporate teams often look for VTO opportunities that accommodate groups, so positioning your nonprofit as “VTO-friendly” for groups is a smart strategy.

Leveraging Technology to Automate Requests

Managing the nuances of different corporate policies can be time-consuming. Fortunately, technology can streamline the Volunteer Time Off Request process, ensuring you capture every available hour without overburdening your staff.

Seamless Integration

Tools like Double the Donation integrate directly with your volunteer management software. When a volunteer registers for a shift, the system can prompt them to search for their employer. This captures employment data at the moment of highest intent.

Actionable Insights

Once the employer is identified, the database connects eligible supporters to volunteer grant and VTO opportunities. The system can provide the volunteer with their specific company’s guidelines, forms, and instructions, effectively automating the “how-to” portion of the request.

Automated Follow-Up

You can set up automated email streams to drive supporters to claim volunteer grants and VTO. For example, if a volunteer from Thomson Reuters signs up for a shift, the system can automatically send them an email reminding them that they have 16 hours of paid volunteer time available and linking them to the portal where they can submit their request.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Volunteer Time Off Requests represent a massive, underutilized opportunity for nonprofits to increase their capacity and deepen relationships with corporate partners. By shifting the perspective of volunteerism from a “nights and weekends” activity to a part of the professional work week, you open the door to a new demographic of skilled, energetic supporters.

The key to success lies in education and facilitation. Your volunteers want to help, but they need you to show them how to navigate the corporate process. By providing the right information, marketing the opportunity effectively, and leveraging technology to automate the nudges, you can turn corporate VTO policies into real-world impact for your mission.

Ready to start maximizing your corporate volunteer support?

  • Audit your forms: Ensure you are asking for employer information on your volunteer registration pages.
  • Create a guide: Build a simple VTO instruction sheet for your volunteers with your nonprofit’s tax ID and contact info.
  • Get the right tools: Explore Double the Donation to see how automation can help you identify and mobilize VTO-eligible supporters.

Don’t let these valuable hours go to waste. Start guiding your supporters through the VTO process today. Plus, find out how Double the Donation Volunteering can help!

An illustration of two men shaking hands with the title of this article overlaid, Principal Gift Fundraising: Securing Transformational Gifts"

Principal Gift Fundraising: Securing Transformational Gifts

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Nonprofits thrive on the support of major donors. The most major of the major gifts a nonprofit might receive are called principal gifts.

Principal gifts bring transformational benefits and drive incredible impact, growing organizations’ capacities to run programs, serve constituents, and make a difference. They’re elusive but achievable when you have an intentional strategy to identify and secure them.

Note: Principal gifts are the highest tier of major gift fundraising, representing the top 0.1% of your donor pyramid. For a broader look at securing gifts at the major level, see our Ultimate Guide to Major Gifts.

What’s a Principal Gift?

Simply put, a principal gift is a large donation made to a nonprofit by a major donor.

Nonprofits commonly consider principal gifts to be worth $1 million or more, but it’s important to remember that their exact value is relative to the size of an organization’s average gifts. You can define a rough range for major giving for your organization by identifying your top 25 or so gifts received within the past five years and determining the median of this range. This number can serve as a minimum for defining major gifts. Principal gifts would fall at the very top of (or far above) this range.

How to determine your nonprofit's ranges for major and principal gifts.

So how do you snag a principal gift? What background knowledge and strategies do you need to succeed and start transforming your organization?

In this crash course, we’ll take a closer look at principal gifts, how to pursue them, and other ways to maximize the value of your development efforts through tactics like corporate philanthropy.

Learn how matching gifts can support donor journeys, from the grassroots to principal levels.

 

Understanding Principal Gift Fundraising

Before you can begin laying out a principal gift fundraising strategy, you’ll need to understand some important context.

Principal gifts vs. major gifts: What’s the difference?

When it comes to principal gifts and major gifts, there are a few key things you’ll want to know. While a principal gift is a major gift, a major gift is not necessarily a principal gift. (Think: all squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares.)

As explained above, your organization’s definition of a major gift is highly relative to your donor base and average fundraising data. A principal gift is simply a large gift at the top of or above that range of major giving.

Nonprofits pursue major and principal gifts using similar tactics but note that principal gifts have an especially long lifecycle. The larger the gift, the more discussions, care, and due diligence that go into the process. This is also true because principal gifts can generate significant publicity when given by high-profile philanthropists. Options should be weighed carefully before nonprofits and principal donors make public “investments” in one another and link their images.

You may also encounter the term lead gift. These are also large major gifts, but they’re received specifically in the context of major fundraising campaigns. A capital campaign’s fundraising goal, for example, is traditionally topped by a large lead gift, followed by a couple of smaller (but still major) gifts, and then more and smaller gifts down the line in a pyramid structure. This approach is highly efficient, allowing nonprofits to focus first on the handful of highest-impact gifts that will push the campaign the furthest forward.

Who gives principal gifts?

Major donors give principal gifts to nonprofits.

Sometimes, but not always, these donors are high-profile, high-wealth philanthropists—think Mackenzie Scott making waves in the nonprofit world with a new mega-gift. This situation is often what nonprofits imagine when they hear the term “principal gift.”

But again, it’s important to remember that the value of major gifts is relative and that no two donors are alike. What they do have in common is the capacity and inclination to give major gifts, whatever that might mean for your organization.

If you’ve taken concrete steps to invest in prospect research and major gift fundraising, there’s a good chance you’re already in touch with (or in the orbit of) a potential principal gift donor for your organization’s major giving range.

How are principal gifts usually given?

Principal gifts are not usually given out of cash but rather from saved assets (or a mix of cash and assets).

These non-cash assets often include:

  • Real estate
  • Stocks and other tradable securities
  • In-kind gifts of valuables like jewelry or art
  • Grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs)
  • Planned gifts like trusts and annuities
  • Cryptocurrency

When you pursue large donations, it’s important to be flexible in the types of gifts you can accept. Wealthy donors often prefer to give from saved assets rather than from liquid cash, not only because this won’t affect their day-to-day finances but also for the unique tax benefits that different non-cash gifts can bring. We’ll explore this best practice in greater detail below.

How do nonprofits pursue these gifts?

Nonprofits pursue principal gifts as part of their development programs, typically overseen by a dedicated staff member.

Nonprofit development provides the core structure and processes for principal gift fundraising. Having a development approach in place is generally a prerequisite for success. (Keep in mind, though, that even small shops succeed with development with the right tools and prioritization tactics!)

The fundraising strategies used for principal gifts are similar to those for other major gifts but heightened in intensity. One-on-one engagement is even more important for principal gift fundraising, for example. Other best practices take increased emphasis, as well, like the importance of networking in the prospect identification process.

How can you frame a principal gift as a high-impact challenge match?

When soliciting a gift of this magnitude (such as $1M or more), you aren’t just asking for a donation. Instead, you are inviting the donor to become a strategic partner. One of the most effective ways to do this is by positioning the principal gift as the funding source for a multi-year challenge match campaign.

Instead of the money simply going into a building fund or endowment, it serves as “leverage” to inspire hundreds or even thousands of other donors. For example: “Your $1 million gift will be used to match every dollar raised from the community for the next three years, effectively turning your $1 million investment into $2 million of impact.”

This approach appeals to the entrepreneurial mindset of many principal donors. It offers them:

  • Amplified Impact: They see their gift doing “double duty.”
  • Legacy: They are credited not just with their own generosity, but with catalyzing a movement.
  • Partnership: They are not just writing a check; they are co-anchoring a powerful, ongoing campaign with you.

By presenting the gift in this light, you shift the conversation from simple philanthropy to strategic investment. This collaborative approach validates their financial acumen and often provides the final push a donor needs to commit to a transformational gift.

Learn how matching gifts can support donor journeys, from the grassroots to principal levels.

How to Build a Principal Gift Fundraising Program: 10 Key Steps

So you’re ready to get serious about pursuing and securing principal gifts for your nonprofit. How do you build a program to support that goal? We break it down into the following key steps:

The steps for building a principal gift fundraising program, detailed in the text below

1. Understand principal donor motivations.

First, take the time to understand why principal donors give such large gifts. As with other major donations, these gifts are motivated by a range of different personal reasons. These might include:

  • The simple desire to give back
  • Giving back to a personally meaningful cause or institution
  • Tapping into significant tax benefits
  • Simplifying estate and financial plans with bequests and in-kind donations of property
  • Public recognition for personal brand-building

Always keep in mind that philanthropists give strategically—of course, they choose to give to the specific causes and organizations that matter to them, but additional motivations usually come into play. Understand these, and you can better align your own goals with those of your prospects.

2. Audit your existing development practices.

Principal gift fundraising occurs as part of your other development practices. Review your current processes for major gift fundraising, planned giving, and other high-impact or nontraditional forms of one-on-one fundraising. Consider the entire major donor lifecycle and the steps, tools, and best practices you use at each stage. These include:

  • Prospect research and wealth screening
  • Prospect qualification
  • Gift cultivation and your messaging during this process
  • Your solicitation strategies
  • Your stewardship strategies and cadences
  • Your nonprofit’s gift acceptance policy (create one if needed!)

Pay extra attention to the logistical processes that drive this lifecycle, especially moves management and your CRM practices. You’ll rely on these for principal gift fundraising just as you do for other giving programs.

Ideally, you’ll have data to refer to. Check out your historical performance with major gifts. Is your prospect pipeline consistently full or running low? Are there stages in the lifecycle where many prospects seem to drop off? Are your qualification criteria appropriate and up-to-date?

Identify potential improvements and make them (and/or consider how you’ll adjust them for principal gifts).

3. Screen your database and research connections.

Next, you’ll begin identifying your first principal gift prospects.

Look to your existing base of support. A pre-existing relationship with your nonprofit is one of the most reliable indicators of giving likelihood. Run a wealth screening to find those donors and contacts with the means to give a gift in the upper half or so of your nonprofit’s defined range for major gifts.

It’s normal in major and principal gift fundraising to branch outside of your direct contacts to find prospects, as well. However, this doesn’t mean cold-calling individuals in your community who you know to be wealthy. Existing, organic connections will yield the best results. Look to your current major donors and consider what you know or could find out about:

  • Their families, friends, and community ties
  • Their careers, colleagues, and employers
  • Past nonprofits they’ve given to or volunteered for

Local histories, publications, social media (especially LinkedIn), the annual reports of other nonprofits, and more are all viable research routes. And remember, if you have strong working relationships with any major donors, don’t be afraid to just ask. Set up a call or lunch to let them know your organization is seeking more high-impact support. Do they have any friends, family, or colleagues who’d also be interested in your mission?

Top Tip: Using Advanced Employment Data for Verification

When vetting prospects for principal gifts, standard wealth screening often isn’t enough. Instead, you need to verify liquid capacity and career trajectory. This is where donor employment data becomes a critical, advanced tool.

After all, identifying a prospect’s specific industry, job title, and employer (e.g., “Senior Vice President at [Publicly Traded Company] in the tech industry”) allows you to look deeper than just real estate holdings. It unlocks insights into:

  • Executive Compensation: Base salary plus bonuses.
  • Stock Options: Access to liquid assets that can be gifted tax-free.
  • Matching Eligibility: While rare for principal gifts, some corporations will match executive gifts at higher ratios or caps.

By confirming employment details, you move a prospect from “suspected wealth” to “verified capacity,” ensuring you don’t waste time soliciting a principal gift from someone who is merely house poor.

4. Map out your relationships with major donors.

Review everything you’ve learned from researching top prospects and their connections. Then, map it out.

A relationship map that a nonprofit might use for finding connections between major donors.

This might mean using a notebook or simple design tool to literally draw connections between your contacts and individuals you’d like to meet—whatever works! You’ll likely be surprised to find that many high-impact donors move in similar social circles, especially in smaller communities.

Visually look for connections and correlate them to your research insights. This process can yield some valuable results. For example, you might find several connections from existing donors pointing to one individual in the community. This person might be a prime candidate for outreach because of the organic personal or professional connections that you already have with them.

5. Review your donor qualification criteria.

Before finalizing a list of prospects, you need to qualify and prioritize them. Principal gift fundraising is highly time-intensive and requires one-on-one communication over extended periods. You’ll need to have a plan to spend your time wisely, that is, by focusing first on those most likely to give.

Qualification is the process of defining the characteristics of a strong giving prospect and using them to update your prospect lists for more efficient and targeted outreach. Qualification criteria can include:

  • Certain giving capacities (shaped by your organization’s definition of major gifts)
  • Stock ownership
  • Property ownership
  • Active engagement with your nonprofit
  • Active engagement with other nonprofits
  • Demonstrated interest in or personal connection to your cause
  • Direct, second-degree, third-degree, etc., connection to your nonprofit
  • Personal vs. professional indirect connections

Note that some criteria can (and often should) be weighted more heavily than others. Existing direct connections with your nonprofit should be prioritized over indirect connections, or you may learn over time that personal indirect connections are better indicators than professional ones.

Not every prospect will check every box, but this approach does allow you to tackle the prioritization process in a standardized, easily repeatable way. Many fundraising experts recommend making qualification a recurring activity for your development team to ensure continued effectiveness—Graham-Pelton’s donor qualification guide lays out why and how to do this.

You should also keep your qualification criteria up-to-date over time, and create different variations of them for different giving programs. For example, while principal gift donors, major donors, and planned gift donors might share some common characteristics, these are not perfectly overlapping groups. Qualification makes it easy to build in a more targeted approach from the very start.

6. Build a preliminary list of principal giving prospects.

Next, use your qualification criteria to screen the list of donors and prospects you identified in Steps 3 and 4.

Rank them according to your criteria, and you’ll have a handy, easy-to-use shortlist of your very top principal gift prospects.

7. Develop outreach strategies.

Now you can begin thinking about how you’ll get in touch with your prospects. Consider these tips:

  • Review known communication preferences of existing contacts.
  • Look back at previous conversations with existing contacts to refresh yourself on their personal life developments, career changes, etc., and use these to begin new conversations.
  • Ask your existing contacts for introductions to new prospects based on the mapping exercise in Step 4.
  • Create or update your nonprofit’s general case for support.
  • Create more context-specific cases for support if needed. For example, if you’re seeking a lead or principal gift as part of a major fundraising campaign, you’ll need talking points tailored to the campaign’s objectives.
  • Prepare some preliminary shareable resources like your annual report, one-pagers, and brochures about your nonprofit and its impact. You likely won’t need these until you’re closer to actually soliciting a gift, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared.

With these tips in mind, take a closer look at everything you’ve learned about each prospect and conduct more research if needed. Use this information to lay out personalized outreach strategies for each individual.

8. Start reaching out to build relationships.

Begin reaching out! Work your way down your shortlist of prospects, starting conversations, having calls and meetings, and introducing them to your organization, its work, and its needs.

During this stage, take your time and follow standard gift cultivation best practices that you follow for other major gifts.

Take an interest in your prospects’ personal and professional lives, and work to show them how a partnership would drive impact in the community. Remember that gifts of any size can be restricted or unrestricted—if a prospect shows interest in one particular program or service that your nonprofit runs, lean into it.

You should also seek to learn more about your prospects’ giving motivations so that you can best tailor your eventual solicitations. For example, a wealthy middle-aged prospect might be nearing retirement age and interested in financial planning. You could explain to him or her that various types of planned gifts can actually provide donors with regular income payments while reducing their tax bills, making these arrangements ideal vehicles for principal donations.

9. Double down on moves management and record-keeping.

Throughout the cultivation and solicitation processes, keep close track of your touchpoints with prospects. Organized moves management is essential.

Use your CRM to record each touchpoint, add notes, and tag it with the appropriate prospect. This will take all the guesswork out of preparing for your next conversation and determining the right time to make the ask.

Check out our introduction to moves management for a quick overview of this process.

And aside from tracking your interactions with prospects, be prepared to handle other logistics once you make a successful solicitation. Finalizing a principal gift will involve working closely with the donor and perhaps their (and your) lawyer to hash out the details, especially for non-cash gifts that require legal transfers of ownership or other arrangements. Keeping tidy records of your organization’s finances is always important, and you’ll need to have crystal-clear records of your principal gifts.

10. Prioritize engagement and stewardship.

As you build relationships with principal gift prospects, introduce your giving programs, and lay out compelling cases for support, you’ll hopefully soon successfully solicit your biggest donation yet. Thank your donor, work out the fine print, thank them again, and begin facilitating the donation.

What next?

Ongoing engagement and stewardship are already important for your major donors—doubly so for principal gift donors. They are extremely valuable partners for your mission. You should have a plan to:

  • Stay in touch and aware of developments in their lives
  • Keep them up-to-date on the progress of your work and any specific campaigns or programs they funded
  • Offer ongoing opportunities to get involved with event invites, personal meetings, tours, and more
  • Offer new giving options over time that you think they may be interested in

By maintaining and growing your relationships with key supporters over time, you’ll retain their support, secure additional gifts in the future, and build a stellar reputation for your nonprofit. Who wouldn’t want to be known as an organization that inspires transformational gifts and fosters a thriving community?

Learn more about the essentials of donor stewardship

How to Make the Most of Your Development Strategies

You’ve built effective development strategies and are well on your way to securing a principal gift that will take your work to the next level. Your prospect pipeline is humming along, and everyone’s excited to drive your nonprofit’s goals forward. What next?

Stay on the lookout for ways to maximize the impact of your development work. There are all kinds of ways you can generate more value through your giving programs. For example:

1. Promote matching gifts, volunteer grants, and payroll giving. These employer-offered CSR perks are effortless ways to boost the value of your donations. Ask your donors (at all giving levels) to check their eligibility or have you research it for them. Nonprofits’ board members are also often significant donors—don’t forget that their board service might qualify for volunteer grants through their employers, as well!

Luckily, Double the Donation streamlines the entire process for you and creates easy value-adds up and down your donor pyramid. Learn more or request a demo to see our platform in action. For more information on how the platform works, check out this video:

2. Provide flexible giving options. As mentioned above, major and principal donors often like to give from assets rather than cash for numerous reasons. Be prepared to offer and discuss these giving options. Making it easy to give in a preferred way almost guarantees that you’ll raise more in the long run. Look for tools that simplify the process of accepting stock donations, gifts crypto, donor-advised fund grants, and more as needed.

3. Monitor federal and state tax changes. Tax incentives are powerful motivators for donors when large gifts are involved. Stay aware of developments at the federal and state levels so that you can have productive conversations with prospects. Help them understand the potential benefits of donating (but don’t give explicit financial advice—leave that to the financial and legal professionals).

4. Suggest gift-matching challenges to your top donors. Planning a new major fundraising campaign or giving day? Try asking a longtime major donor to offer a unique gift-matching challenge! This involves your major donor matching all gifts made to your organization within a specific timeframe, and it can be an easy way to supercharge your fundraising results in a short time. Plus, it’s an easy way to engage your major donor with a serious opportunity to drive impact.

5. Research further funding connections and opportunities. Keep researching your donors’ and prospects’ connections over time. Major supporters who are philanthropically active might have connections with foundations that you can tap into to get your foot in the door for new grant funding. Wealthy individuals might even eventually form their own private or family foundations—make sure your nonprofit is a preferred partner right from the start.

Learn how matching gifts can support donor journeys, from the grassroots to principal levels.

Additional Considerations of Principal Gift Fundraising

Principal gift fundraising can completely transform your nonprofit’s ability to pursue its mission. But it also comes with unique challenges and considerations to keep in mind:

  • By forging such a big partnership with an individual, you link your organization’s image with theirs. Consider their reputation, the publicity that an announced gift will generate, and whether you can (or want to) honor any restrictions that a donor places on their gift. You can turn down a gift in the best long-term interest of your mission. Think carefully about these factors long before soliciting a gift. Reference your gift acceptance policies, and create them now if you haven’t yet.
  • Prepare for the logistics of accepting non-cash gifts. You may need to liquidate stock, work with attorneys and accountants to make arrangements for complex planned gifts, or even handle accepting gifts of real estate. Consider these processes in advance and be prepared to invest in new tools, hire external professionals, and expand your bookkeeping practices as needed.

It’s also recommended to look for ways over time to build more business connections as your organization grows. By integrating corporate philanthropy into your development strategies, you can build extremely fruitful and resilient revenue sources for your nonprofit. Ask your major and principal donors about their careers. Learn more about their employers. Use your existing relationships to springboard new corporate partnerships or sponsorships—the sky’s the limit!

New to corporate philanthropy? Here’s the complete playbook.

Wrapping Up & Next Steps

Despite its nuances and unique considerations, principal gift fundraising is easily the highest-impact form of fundraising that a nonprofit can conduct. These particularly generous gifts are often the foundation of a successful capital campaign, providing the early momentum needed to go public. For a complete guide on how these gifts fit into that broader structure, see our Ultimate Guide to Capital Campaigns.

From there, understanding principal gift fundraising, its distinctions, and why major donors choose to give can go a long way. Build and improve upon your existing development strategies, and focus heavily on research and preparation. With the right plan in place and plenty of time to build relationships, you’ll be on your way to securing a transformational gift.

Want to learn more? Take a deeper dive with these related resources:

Matching gift automation can improve all your donor journeys, from the grassroots to the major donor levels.

Capital Campaigns A Groundbreaking Guide to Success

Capital Campaigns: A Groundbreaking Guide to Success

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Every nonprofit organization reaches a point where its vision outgrows its current capacity. Perhaps you need a new state-of-the-art facility, a substantial permanent endowment, or the resources to launch a massive program expansion that will transform your community. This moment, the leap from your current reality to your boldest future, is powered by a Capital Campaign.

A capital campaign is not just another annual appeal; it is the most ambitious and strategic fundraising effort a nonprofit can undertake. Successfully executed, it can permanently reshape your organization’s financial stability and physical infrastructure.

But where do you start? How do you ensure your multi-million dollar vision doesn’t turn into a multi-year headache?

In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through every critical phase of the capital campaign process. From assessing readiness and securing your first major gifts in the quiet phase, to selecting the right consulting support and executing a flawless public launch, we’ll provide the roadmap you need to turn your organization’s biggest dreams into reality. This includes:

Let’s begin by answering a few frequently asked questions by nonprofits such as yours.

Capital Campaign FAQs

What Is a Capital Campaign?

At its core, a capital campaign is an extensive, drawn-out fundraiser.

But at a more complex level, a capital campaign is a concerted effort to raise substantial funds for a specific project or undertaking. According to Capital Campaign Pro, these campaigns typically take 2-3 years from start to finish, and most organizations conduct them every 10-15 years.

Because these are the most significant fundraising campaigns your nonprofit will ever take on, capital campaigns require coordination and cooperation from your entire organization and community. Without the support of board members, staff, and individuals who are dedicated to your cause, a capital campaign has little to no chance of succeeding.

Why Do Nonprofits Use Capital Campaigns?

As stated before, nonprofits generally use capital campaigns for large projects that require substantial financial backing. More often than not, capital campaigns are used to raise money for a new building or renovations to an existing building. But they can also be for:

Purchasing Lands or Buildings

The main reason many organizations wish to acquire land is the possibility of future expansion. Capital campaigns are thus used to help organizations raise enough funds to finance land purchases. Organizations may also campaign to buy a building they’ve rented for a long time when the space goes up for sale, to secure a safe future without rent increases.

Expanding an Existing Building

Large organizations such as hospitals and schools often need to regularly expand their facilities to accommodate a growing patient or student population. Such projects are massive undertakings that require substantial financial resources, which is why they are mostly funded through capital campaigns.

Funding New Programs or Increasing Staffing

Sometimes, in order to get a new program or initiative off the ground, your nonprofit needs an influx of funds to secure the necessary resources. You may even need funding to grow your team, ensuring your organization has the capacity to do more for its beneficiaries.

Building an Endowment

An endowment helps secure a bright future for your nonprofit, but it can be difficult to encourage giving to a capital campaign focused solely on an endowment, since the impact of that giving may not be immediate. This is why many organizations choose to include endowment funding as one element of a multifaceted capital campaign.

Purchasing Equipment or Supplies

Nonprofits sometimes need large-scale purchases to further their missions. A hospital, for example, may need to upgrade existing radiology equipment, or a university may require a high-powered telescope for the astronomy department. Capital campaigns can help fund these major purchases.

What Types of Organizations Run Capital Campaigns?

Any type of organization can run a capital campaign! Let’s highlight a few examples:

Hospitals

Many hospitals and healthcare nonprofits launch capital campaigns to raise funds for new wings or buildings, purchase new equipment, replace or repair outdated machines, or fund groundbreaking medical research.

Schools and Universities

Schools, colleges, and universities are another type of organization that frequently uses capital campaigns as a fundraising method. Education-related organizations use capital campaigns to raise funds for new buildings, scholarship programs, or equipment.

Community Organizations

These organizations often launch campaigns to build or expand physical centers that serve local residents, such as new food banks, youth centers, or recreational facilities. Their campaigns focus on scaling essential programs and infrastructure that directly improve the quality of life within a specific geographic area.

Civic Organizations

Civic groups often run capital campaigns to renovate or restore historical landmarks, establish memorials, or fund large-scale public works projects like parks and libraries. Their goals are usually tied to enhancing the public good and preserving shared community assets.

Environmental Nonprofits

Environmental organizations rely on capital campaigns to secure large tracts of land for conservation, establish permanent endowments for long-term stewardship, or build interpretive and educational facilities. These campaigns aim to protect natural resources and fund significant, enduring ecological projects.

Animal-Related Organizations

These nonprofits frequently seek capital funding to construct new shelters with modern veterinary facilities, establish sanctuaries for rescued animals, or expand kennel capacity. Their campaigns are often driven by the urgent need to upgrade facilities that provide direct animal care and housing.

Arts and Culture Nonprofits

Museums, theaters, symphonies, and galleries run capital campaigns to fund the construction of new performance halls, the acquisition or preservation of significant collections, or the renovation of historical venues. These efforts are crucial for expanding programming space and ensuring the long-term viability of cultural institutions.

Churches and Religious Organizations

Religious organizations commonly use capital campaigns to raise funds for major building projects, such as renovating or constructing new places of worship, expanding classrooms for faith-based education, or creating community outreach centers. These campaigns often tie the fundraising goal directly to the organization’s spiritual and community mission.

Who Can Help You Conduct a Capital Campaign?

Capital campaigns are significant undertakings, so nonprofits usually turn to professional fundraising consultants to help plan and execute them. A consultant or advisor can help with campaign planning, feasibility studies, prospect research, fundraising and solicitation, event planning, and more.

Our recommendation:

We suggest taking a hands-on approach to your capital campaign with our preferred expert: Capital Campaign Pro.

This innovative campaign support system gives you everything you need to plan and run your capital campaign: resources, expert guidance, templates, hands-on experience, and access to a community of other nonprofits also conducting campaigns.

The traditional consulting approach, while often effective, can be quite expensive and opaque, meaning your team won’t have access to all of the campaign tools or learn how all the pieces of the campaign fit together. Capital Campaign Pro offers an alternative approach that can yield immense benefits for your team, even long after your capital campaign comes to a successful end.

How Can You Market Your Capital Campaign?

A well-marketed capital campaign can launch big projects for your mission. Before entering the public phase of your campaign, make sure you have a well-thought-out marketing plan. Here are some core considerations as you brainstorm marketing strategies with your team.

Your Website

Your nonprofit’s website should serve as the single most critical communications hub for your entire capital campaign. For this reason, we suggest dedicating a prominent section or a separate landing page to the campaign, ensuring it clearly features the Case for Support, the running campaign total, a direct donation form, and compelling visuals of the project’s future impact.

Furthermore, for your top-tier major donors, it should be easy to launch challenge matches in support of your capital campaign straight from your website. Making this high-level participation seamless signals that you are prepared for transformational gifts and empowers leadership donors to instantly amplify the campaign’s public momentum.

Google Ads

Once your capital campaign information is live on your website, paid advertising is a wonderful way to get that content in front of potential prospects. Using the Google Grants program, you can receive up to $10,000 to spend on Google Ads for free each month. With careful keyword research, you can amplify your campaign’s landing page on Google Search and drive more traffic to it.

For the best results, we recommend working with a Google Grants consultant to create inspiring ads that target the right users on Google.

Brochures

A brochure gives you plenty of space to cover the key details of your capital campaign.

The most compelling brochures feature what your project will accomplish and who it’ll benefit, whether that’s building a shelter for the homeless, an animal sanctuary for endangered species, or something else. Paint a picture with words and images about how your work will create a difference. Then provide details on how to get involved, such as visiting your campaign page’s URL.

Email

Email has the highest ROI of any marketing channel, so include it in your outreach!

When you move into the public phase of your campaign, send regular emails to announce it. Then, provide updates along the way. You have seconds to get your point across, so keep your emails short and include a clear call to action in each one, giving the reader their exact next step. Then, top it all off with a subject line that encourages recipients to open the email.

What Does The Research Say About Capital Campaigns?

Especially if you’re preparing for your organization’s first capital campaign, you may be wondering, “What evidence is there that we can succeed?”

Capital Campaign Pro recently conducted a benchmark study, surveying nearly 300 U.S. and Canadian nonprofits with varying experiences with capital campaigns. Here are some of the insights from the study:

  • 94% of organizations considered their capital campaign a success.
  • On average, nonprofits raise $8.9 million in a capital campaign.
  • For small organizations (nonprofits with < $1 million in annual revenue), campaign goals were smaller and raised about $3.5 million. These organizations typically had higher levels of major donor relationship building, fundraising system improvement, and more active executive directors and boards.
  • Other than raising money, nonprofits that had conducted a capital campaign cited the following benefits: strengthened relationships with major donors (72%), becoming more effective at soliciting large gifts (50%), increasing development staff effectiveness (39%), developing better fundraising systems (38%), and more board member engagement in fundraising (32%).

Download your free copy of the benchmark study to learn more.

The Capital Campaign Process

Planning a Capital Campaign

Your nonprofit needs to carefully plan its capital campaign before it begins fundraising to ensure the implementation process goes as smoothly as possible. Without a thorough plan in place, your team may not successfully anticipate issues before they arise and may realize too late that your fundraising strategy needs revision. Some tasks that should be completed in the planning phase include:

Determining objectives & working financial goal

The objectives of your campaign are the reasons you’re conducting your campaign. For instance, you may want to purchase new supplies and equipment or renovate your facility. Your financial goal will depend on the scope and size of the project your organization is undertaking. You should arrive at this number after careful calculation and accounting for hidden costs.

Conducting a feasibility study or report

We’ll go over the details of a feasibility report in a later section, but it’s vital to the success of your capital campaign. A feasibility report is essentially “product-testing” your campaign. You want to ensure the community will support your project, and a feasibility report helps you do just that.

Creating a gift range chart

Once you’ve tested the feasibility of your campaign and have a more solid financial goal, create a gift range chart. This visualization shows how many gifts your nonprofit needs to secure at different levels. You can take this a step further by developing a depth chart, which attaches specific prospect and donor names to each gift.

Establishing your communications strategy

Determine how you’ll get the word out about your campaign during both the quiet and the public phases. Review the strategies listed above, like using Google Ad Grants or creating a brochure, while also considering what you know about your community and the communications they’ve responded to in the past.

Developing your budget

Capital campaigns are used to raise money for large projects, but they also cost money to prepare and launch. You’ll need to account for marketing materials, event costs, and other fundraising expenses that may arise.

Setting a deadline

Your deadline will largely depend on your financial target and the pool of donors you expect to donate. You don’t want to make your deadline too soon and risk not reaching your goal. On the other hand, you don’t want to set a deadline that’s five years from now when it would only take two years to raise the money.

Implementing a Capital Campaign

After all of the hard work in the planning phase, it’s time to implement your capital campaign! There are two main segments within the implementation process:

The Quiet Phase

The quiet phase is not open to the public; instead, it relies on contributions from your major donors. During this stage, your committee members will reach out to your major donors and local businesses to solicit large donations. Usually, capital campaigns raise 50-70% of their total during the quiet phase, and it’s a great opportunity to kick off the prospect research and appending processes to learn more about your target donors.

The Public Phase

The public phase begins with a kickoff event, sometimes at the building site (when applicable). Once the public phase begins, donors can give as much as they want. Your committee can still solicit major gifts, but the focus should be on broad marketing to as many donors as possible.

Once you reach your goal in the public phase, it’s time to celebrate! However, don’t neglect important donor stewardship tasks, such as thanking your donors and continuing to communicate with them. Capitalize on the relationships you strengthened during your campaign in order to secure future engagement and support.

Essentials for a Successful Capital Campaign

A Feasibility Study

Feasibility studies are crucial to the success of any capital campaign. They essentially determine whether or not your donors and the community will be willing to support your organization’s project.

Think of your feasibility study as a critical must-have instead of an optional step. It will help you get a leg up on your campaign from the get-go. In fact, Capital Campaign Pro found that organizations that conducted a feasibility study raised, on average, 115% of their original campaign goal, compared with 101% for those that did not.

During a feasibility study, your organization’s leaders or an outside consultant will sit down and interview 30 to 40 individuals from the community. The experts at Capital Campaign Pro recommend taking a hands-on, guided approach in which your nonprofit’s leaders conduct the interviews personally with the support of a campaign advisor. You’ll then work together to distill insights and recommendations.

We recommend interviewing a combination of:

  • Community leaders: Mayors, local representatives, and company board members will have valuable insight into the feasibility of your capital campaign. Test the waters by talking to the movers and shakers of your local community. Make sure to get leaders from a variety of industries and sectors.
  • Current and past board members: Your current and past board members can offer valuable perspectives and opinions on whether the capital campaign will be successful. Previous board members can do the same, and they may also be able to offer good advice if they have experience with capital campaigns during their tenure.
  • Staff members: It’s important to gather their thoughts on your capital campaign before you launch it. They might have insights or reservations that you hadn’t thought of before. Depending on the size of your nonprofit, you might not be able to interview every single staff member. Instead, grab a leader from each department to talk to during your feasibility study.
  • Major donors: These donors will contribute the most to your capital campaign. It makes sense to interview them to get their input about your fundraising efforts. Talk to previous major gift donors as well as any prospects in your community who you think might want to donate to your capital campaign.

Questions to ask your interviewees during a feasibility study will range from personal (“What is your connection to the organization?”) to more broad (“Do you think this organization can raise the money for this project?”).

Here are a few questions to consider:

  • How do you feel about our case for support?
  • How do you feel about the project as a whole?
  • Do you think our goal and deadline are attainable and reasonable?
  • How do you think the community will respond to the project and campaign?
  • Who do you think will be the biggest supporters of this campaign?

By the end of the feasibility study, your organization should be able to determine whether or not you have the support needed to raise money for your capital campaign.

Powering your feasibility study with employment data

Modern fundraising best practices recognize that wealth indicators and philanthropic connections go hand in hand with professional background. Powering your feasibility study and quiet-phase outreach with up-to-date donor employment data is key to identifying top prospects and accurately assessing their capacity. Traditional wealth screening may only capture real estate or stock holdings, but sophisticated data tools, often powered by workplace giving providers, can pinpoint a prospect’s current employer, workplace giving potential, and more. This information is invaluable because it not only confirms their financial capacity but also reveals their eligibility for matching gifts and volunteer grants.

By combining internal giving history with comprehensive employment data, your team can prioritize outreach to individuals with the greatest capacity to make a transformational gift and simultaneously unlock matching funds from their employers.

A Capital Campaign Committee

Before you begin planning your capital campaign, you’ll first want to gather a committee of dedicated individuals around you to help with its planning and execution. People you should consider for your capital campaign committee include:

  • Board Members
  • Staff Members
  • Major Gift Donors
  • Challenge Match Leaders
  • Volunteer Leaders
  • Community Leaders

Don’t feel obligated to create a massive capital campaign committee that includes every board member, staff member, and major donor in your organization’s history. The committee should be big enough to handle the particulars of the capital campaign but small enough to give everyone an opportunity to voice their opinion.

Prospect Research

As a valuable tool you can leverage to better understand your donor base, prospect research can help you learn more about your donors. This includes their:

  • Past giving history to your organization
  • Previous donations to other nonprofits and political campaigns
  • Business connections
  • Employment information
  • Basic data like name, email address, and phone number

Having this information will help guide you toward your major donors. Because major gifts are going to drive the first half to two-thirds of your capital campaign, you’ll need to be well prepared to make those donation appeals.

With prospect research on your side, you’ll be more than ready to solicit those major donations from your supporters.

A Case for Support

A case for support is a document that outlines your nonprofit’s justification for hosting a capital campaign. It is useful for both your feasibility study and the quiet and public phases of the campaign.

For that reason, your case for support must be airtight and convincing! Convey a sense of urgency as concisely and clearly as possible. After all, donors want to know why they should support you and how they can help. Your case for support should include:

  • Your nonprofit’s background
  • Your cause and services
  • Your future goals
  • The reason for the capital campaign
  • An explanation of the capital campaign

A great case for support will be branded to your organization. Just take a look at this example from St. Ursula’s Academy.

Capital Campaign Case for Support Example

As this example from Aly Sterling’s Capital Campaign guide demonstrates, nonprofits can creatively showcase their financial goals while capturing the spirit of their cause! Specifically, the branded colors, the heartfelt text, and the easy-to-understand fundraising goals make this case for support tangible.

The Right Tools + Technology

The complexity and scale of a modern capital campaign require specialized technology to manage donor data, automate outreach, and capture every available dollar. While human relationship building is always paramount, smart technology ensures that no opportunity is left on the table, especially when dealing with thousands of donors and a high financial goal. The good news? The right tools help you move faster and raise more by streamlining complex tasks.

One of the most critical and often overlooked components of a capital campaign is the potential revenue stream from corporate matching gifts, which can easily amount to a multi-million-dollar mistake if ignored. This is where a tool like Double the Donation becomes a non-negotiable part of your campaign technology stack. Not to mention, the platform serves a dual strategic purpose. First, it automatically identifies matching gift eligibility on your donation forms and thank you pages, ensuring donors can easily double their contributions toward your capital goal.

Second, Double the Donation’s data-appending capabilities can power your major gift prospect research by identifying an individual’s employer and associated corporate giving potential. This workplace data is key to calculating capacity, finding corporate grant connections, and confirming eligibility for those high-value matching gifts, giving your team the essential intelligence they need for successful solicitations.

How to Use Challenge Grants as a Capital Campaign Multiplier

Challenge grants offer a core strategy for maximizing campaign success and urgency in a way that just about no other fundraising vehicle can match. A challenge grant is a type of funding awarded by a grant-making entity, often a foundation or wealthy individual, typically after a nonprofit completes a specific fiscal challenge. This challenge typically involves raising a specific amount of money from other sources within a defined period.

Here’s how it works:

Creating Capital Campaign Urgency and Momentum

The primary advantage of a challenge grant is the instant urgency it creates for a capital campaign. The concept is simple yet profoundly effective: the challenge only exists for a limited time, and the matching funds are often framed in a “use it or lose it” way. This structure transforms a general plea for support into a time-sensitive opportunity for donors to double the impact of their gift.

For the public phase of a campaign, announcing a $1 million challenge grant, for instance, provides a massive, irresistible hook for all communications, galvanizing lower- and mid-level donors to participate right away.

Framing the Ask: Leveraging Major Gifts for Broader Participation

Challenge grants do not just pull in general donors; they also leverage the major gifts already secured during the quiet phase. As discussed previously, asking a lead donor to be the source of the challenge match is a powerful framing tool. The initial major gift is then publicly announced as the Challenge Match, inspiring others to follow suit. This strategy ensures that the quiet-phase gifts do double duty: they serve as the foundational funding and the motivational fuel for the rest of the campaign.

A challenge grant will sometimes match the challenge amount at a ratio of 0.5:1 to 2:1, meaning your nonprofit could stand to more than double the funds that you raise during your campaign simply by strategically applying this leverage. Do some research to find out whether there are any challenge grants available in your local area, or whether you have major donors with challenge match potential, to help your campaign reach its goal!

Here’s an example:

Capital campaign matching challenge example

Did You Know? The challenge grant model is a psychological tool as much as a fiscal one. It reduces donors’ perceived risk because they see that a major gift has already been committed (the match), and it activates a sense of community achievement by requiring collective action to unlock the larger prize.

What to Know About Capital Campaign Consultants

How to Hire a Capital Campaign Consultant

Capital campaign consultants bring valuable expertise and a refreshing outside perspective to help you plan and execute your capital campaign. However, hiring a consultant can be rather involved. After all, you’re building a partnership and a long-lasting relationship with someone who can understand your mission, meet your needs, and get along well with your existing staff.

Here are some tips for making sure you get the right fit:

1. Determine your nonprofit’s needs.

Do you need a consultant to conduct a feasibility study, or to support your efforts throughout the campaign?

2. Do your research.

Look online for consultants who offer the specialty services that you need. Consider their location, cost, and core values. Ask other nonprofits in your network for recommendations.

3. Start a conversation with your top choices.

Speak with your top consultants on the phone or in person. Get a feel for their personalities and how they’d mesh with your nonprofit.

4. Request a proposal.

Request a proposal from your top choices. Look for a consultant who understands your nonprofit’s unique needs and brings new ideas to the table.

5. Check your consultant’s references.

Ask for former clients that you can speak with to better understand how each consultant can serve your nonprofit.

6. Finalize the details.

Once you’ve selected a consultant, you can discuss changes to their proposal and the engagement. Then, sign a contract that you’re both happy with and get to work!

Top Capital Campaign Consultants

The good news is that there are a ton of capital campaign consultants available to assist your organization with its upcoming campaign. Here are a few of our recommended firms and resources:

Averill Fundraising Solutions can be a huge help with capital campaigns.

Averill Fundraising Solutions

For organizations seeking comprehensive, on-the-ground support, Averill Fundraising Solutions provides a highly experienced consulting model. Averill focuses on maximizing campaign potential through proven strategies and professional execution, offering a partnership that guides your team from the early feasibility study through final gift closing.

Averill’s approach emphasizes rigorous planning, tailored case development, and personalized coaching for your leadership and staff. Their consultants integrate directly with your internal teams, lending expertise in major donor identification, volunteer training, and meticulous campaign timeline management.

Aly Sterling Philanthropy can be a huge help with capital campaigns.

Aly Sterling Philanthropy

Organizations that require strategic guidance across various stages of growth often turn to Aly Sterling Philanthropy. While offering comprehensive capital campaign consulting, their focus is on building long-term organizational health that supports fundraising success. They work with nonprofits to ensure the capital campaign is not just a temporary project, but a launchpad for sustained major giving.

Aly Sterling Philanthropy’s campaign services begin with a deep dive into organizational readiness, ensuring your board, staff, and major gift pipeline are robust enough to support a large-scale campaign. Their consultants provide tailored advice on board engagement, case-for-support development, and integrating campaign goals with the nonprofit’s long-term strategic plan.

Capital Campaign Pro can be a huge help with capital campaigns.

Capital Campaign Pro

For nonprofit leaders interested in taking a more hands-on approach to planning and running their campaigns, other capital campaign support options are available. For example, Capital Campaign Pro combines online campaign resources with expert advising for budget-friendly support that gives you the best of both worlds. By playing an active, direct role in your capital campaign, your team will learn invaluable skills related to campaign planning, donor stewardship, major gift solicitation, and more.

With Capital Campaign Pro, nonprofits are guided through an organized capital campaign plan. The step-by-step plan, resources and templates, and coaching calls all guide you to campaign success. Further, you’re able to have one-on-one advising with one of their expert capital campaign advisors for additional support.

Unique Capital Campaign Ideas

Capital Campaigns and Fundraising Events

Fundraising events can be a great opportunity for your nonprofit to directly interact with donors and build deeper connections. Because capital campaigns often run for months and even years, there is plenty of time for your nonprofit to host fun events that bring in more donations.

Obviously, the one event you’ll need to plan is the kickoff between the Quiet Phase and the Public Phase. But you can host all sorts of fundraisers to bring your community together and raise money for your campaign.

Check out some of our favorite fundraiser ideas here!

Capital Campaigns and Challenge Grants

A capital campaign committee may elect to apply for a challenge grant to take its fundraising efforts to the next level. Challenge grants are funds released by a grant-making entity after a nonprofit completes a challenge, typically a fiscal one, making them perfect additions to capital campaigns.

A challenge grant will sometimes match the challenge amount at a ratio of 0.5:1 to 2:1. This means that your nonprofit could stand to triple the funds that you raise during your capital campaign with the help of a challenge grant.

Do some research to find out whether there are any challenge grants available in your local area, or whether you have major donors with challenge match potential, to help your capital campaign reach its goal!

Explore our complete guide to challenge match fundraisers here.

Capital Campaigns and Employee Matching Gifts

Matching gifts can speed up your capital campaign by twofold. These corporate giving programs reward employee donations to nonprofits by doubling or, in some cases, tripling employees’ donations to eligible organizations.

Not every donor will work for a company that matches donations, and even if they do, every company has different guidelines and restrictions that must be followed before the matching funds are released. But your organization should still promote matching gifts to all of your capital campaign donors!

Why? Well, since 50-70% of your capital campaign funds will come from major gifts, those donations mean even more when they are doubled. It can’t hurt to remind your donors of matching gift programs.

Download our ultimate guide to matching gifts to learn more!

Capital Campaigns and Other Corporate Donations

Companies, big and small, are often willing to support nonprofit projects, such as capital campaigns. Not only does it allow them to be more philanthropic, but it also provides tax benefits and enables them to form meaningful partnerships with organizations.

Therefore, it’s a smart move for some members of your capital campaign committee to ask businesses for cash and in-kind donations for your capital campaign. Some companies will respond favorably and donate generously, while others will have guidelines on the types of nonprofits and projects they support. The best route to take is to research which companies offer grant programs and regularly donate to nonprofit organizations.

Check out the top companies that donate to nonprofits here!

Wrapping Up & Additional Resources

The journey through a capital campaign is perhaps the most ambitious, rewarding, and transformative endeavor a nonprofit can undertake. It requires meticulous planning, unwavering board commitment, and a willingness to embrace the strategic process.

The ultimate takeaway? Don’t go it alone. Use this guide as your roadmap, commit to thorough preparation, and step confidently into the process. The vision you hold for your organization’s future, that new facility, expanded endowment, or vital program expansion, is within reach.

Now, take this knowledge, choose your path forward, and prepare to make your organization’s boldest dreams a reality.

Interested in learning more with additional fundraising resources and guides? Here’s our recommended further reading:

Make the most of your capital campaigns with Double the Donation Matching.

Corporate Volunteering Insights From the Recent Summit

7 Corporate Volunteering Insights From the Fall 2025 Summit

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Corporate volunteering is an essential part of many businesses’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies, and nonprofits that understand how to tap into this resource can reap significant benefits. However, effectively engaging corporate volunteers requires strategy, communication, and adaptability.

At the recent Workplace Fundraising + Volunteering Summit, nonprofit and corporate leaders shared valuable insights on how organizations can leverage workplace volunteering to boost engagement, strengthen partnerships, and maximize their impact. In this blog post, we’ll break down seven key takeaways from this event that nonprofits can apply to make the most of corporate volunteer opportunities.

  1. There’s a growing focus on volunteerism among companies.
  2. Companies and nonprofits are looking for sustainable partnerships.
  3. Employee Resource Groups can be an invaluable asset.
  4. Proactive engagement is key.
  5. Virtual and on-site opportunities go hand-in-hand.
  6. Using your data can go a long way.
  7. Marketing corporate volunteer opportunities is a must.

Of course, these strategies weren’t developed in a vacuum; they were born from the real-world experiences of the industry’s most forward-thinking leaders. The most recent Summit event brought together a dynamic lineup of CSR directors, nonprofit executives, and social impact strategists who are actively redefining how companies and causes collaborate. Before we unpack the specific lessons learned, let’s meet the experts whose knowledge and vision shaped these conversations.

  • Jim Starr of America’s Charities

    The President & CEO of America’s Charities, Jim Starr leads initiatives to help nonprofits engage employees in workplace giving and matching gifts.

    Add him on LinkedIn.

  • Fernando Lorence of JPMorgan Chase

    As Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase, Fernando leads the company’s efforts in volunteerism and workplace giving.

    Add him on LinkedIn.

  • Joni Celiz of Martha’s Table

    Joni Celiz is the Director of Institutional Development at Martha’s Table, where she leads fundraising and community engagement efforts, including volunteerism.

    Add her on LinkedIn.

  • Marlene Lee of Alex’s Lemonade Stand

    Marlene is the Development Coordinator at Alex’s Lemonade Stand, where she builds partnerships to drive funding for childhood cancer research.

    Add her on LinkedIn.

  • Beth Amodio of One Warm Coat

    Beth Amodio is the President and CEO at One Warm Coat, where she oversees fundraising and donor relations, including matching gifts and volunteerism.

    Add her on LinkedIn.

As businesses increasingly prioritize social responsibility initiatives, corporate volunteering has emerged as a powerful tool for nonprofits seeking to build meaningful, long-lasting partnerships. Let’s find out how your team can tap into this opportunity as effectively as possible!

Access more corporate volunteering insights with presentation replays.

1) There’s a growing focus on volunteerism among companies.

Corporate volunteering programs are no longer just a nice-to-have; they are becoming a core part of many companies’ strategies to engage employees and give back to the community. During the summit, Jim Starr from America’s Charities and Fernando Lorence from JPMorgan Chase highlighted the increasing importance of volunteerism as a tool for employee engagement, corporate reputation, and community impact alike.

Fernando explained that large corporations, such as JPMorgan Chase, are increasingly focusing on skills-based volunteering, in which employees use their professional expertise to benefit nonprofit organizations. This type of volunteering is highly valuable to both the employee and the company, as it allows team members to make a meaningful impact while also developing their skills.

Looking to tap in? Aim for opportunities to engage corporate volunteers in areas such as mentoring, project management, financial planning, or technical support. These skills-based volunteer engagements are highly sought after and often offer more substantial and lasting contributions to nonprofits.

2) Companies and nonprofits are looking for sustainable partnerships.

Corporate volunteer programs are most effective when built on sustainable, long-term partnerships between companies and nonprofits. Fernando stressed that nonprofits should aim to develop relationships with corporate partners that go beyond just one-off volunteer events. By aligning volunteer opportunities with the company’s mission and values, nonprofits can ensure that their partnership is meaningful and long-lasting.

A significant part of this strategy involves constant communication and feedback. Therefore, companies and nonprofits must continually engage with one another to ensure that volunteer programs remain relevant and impactful. After a volunteering event, nonprofits should provide feedback to corporate partners to demonstrate the value of their employees’ efforts. Using surveys, testimonials, and media like photos and videos can help capture the success of these events and show companies how their employees’ contributions are making a real difference.

For more insights into what companies want when it comes to volunteer partnership, watch the Summit session on-demand here.

3) Employee Resource Groups can be an invaluable asset.

One powerful way to engage with corporate volunteer programs is through Employee Resource Groups (or ERGs).

As Fernando Lorence, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase, shared, “ERGs within companies can be a valuable entry point for nonprofits looking to engage with companies for volunteer opportunities.”

ERGs are groups within a company that are typically focused on a shared characteristic or cause, such as race, gender, or community involvement. They often have a dedicated pool of motivated employees who are eager to give back to the community.

By understanding the values and focus areas of these groups, nonprofits can form tailored, targeted volunteer opportunities that resonate with these employees. Session presenters emphasized the importance of maintaining communication with ERGs and finding ways to align nonprofit missions with the interests of these groups.

4) Proactive engagement is key.

To maximize the impact of corporate volunteerism, nonprofits must take a proactive approach to engaging with companies. For this reason, Fernando advised nonprofits not to wait for companies to approach them, but rather to research companies, understand their volunteer culture, and pitch relevant volunteer opportunities.

For large organizations, it’s essential to understand which departments or business units are responsible for different types of volunteer programs.

Jim Starr, President & CEO of America’s Charities, emphasized, “It’s crucial to align a company’s volunteer programs with its strategic priorities, such as community growth, small business support, and youth development.”

Companies are more likely to participate in volunteer initiatives that align with their mission and focus areas, so nonprofits should tailor their proposals accordingly.

Actionable Insight: Don’t wait for companies to come to you; instead, research potential partners and proactively pitch relevant volunteer opportunities.

5) Virtual and on-site opportunities go hand-in-hand.

The future of corporate volunteering will be a combination of both virtual and on-site opportunities.

Beth Amodio, President and CEO from One Warm Coat, shared, “Offering both physical and virtual volunteer opportunities has significantly expanded our nonprofit’s reach.”

While traditional coat drives remain popular, the organization has also adapted by offering virtual drives at times when in-person engagement was on hold. This flexibility allows corporate volunteers to participate in ways that suit their schedules, preferences, and locations.

Beth further emphasized the importance of making volunteer opportunities local to employees, as this strengthens their connection to the community they are serving. Even for virtual events, having a local impact, such as providing coats to a specific region, increases the sense of connection between volunteers and the cause.

For even more corporate volunteer management tips, watch the on-demand presentation here.

6) Using your data can go a long way.

Data is a valuable resource when managing corporate volunteer programs.

As Joni Celiz, Director of Institutional Development from Martha’s Table, discussed, “Our team uses tools like Double the Donation to identify which companies offer volunteer time off (VTO) or volunteer grants.”

By tracking this data, nonprofits can then target the right corporate partners and encourage them to use these benefits for volunteering activities. Joni also explained that identifying which companies already offer VTO and other volunteer incentives helps nonprofits maximize engagement and participation.

Sara Herring, National Operations Manager from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, noted, “Using CRM systems to track volunteer hours, matching gifts, and other corporate engagement efforts is crucial for maximizing impact.”

Tracking this data enables nonprofits to efficiently manage volunteer activities and leverage the information for future outreach.

7) Marketing corporate volunteer opportunities is a must.

Marketing is an essential aspect of corporate volunteer engagement. Marlene Lee and Joni Celiz both highlighted the importance of making volunteer opportunities visible and accessible. Whether through emails, event QR codes, or social media engagement, nonprofits need to ensure that corporate employees know how to get involved.

Marlene, Development Coordinator at Alex’s Lemonade Stand, shared, “Our team uses omni-channel marketing, including email, social media, and digital ads, to engage a wide audience.”

People consume information in different ways, so having consistent messaging across multiple channels ensures that employees can easily access volunteer opportunities. Joni also pointed out that using QR codes on event and promotional materials makes it easy for employees to access volunteer information and sign up directly from their phones. The easier it is to get involved, the more likely people actually will!

Wrapping Up

Corporate volunteering offers nonprofits a wealth of opportunities to engage with companies, build lasting partnerships, and maximize their impact. By understanding the evolving landscape of volunteerism, proactively engaging with corporate partners, and using data and effective marketing strategies, nonprofits can tap into the full potential of corporate volunteer programs.

The key to success lies in creating sustainable, long-term partnerships with companies that align with your mission, offering a combination of virtual and on-site volunteer opportunities, and leveraging technology to streamline the process. As corporate volunteering continues to grow in importance, nonprofits that embrace these strategies will be well-positioned to harness the full power of employee engagement and make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Access more corporate volunteering insights with presentation replays.

Actionable Matching Gift Insights From the Recent Summit

6 Actionable Matching Gift Insights From the Recent Summit

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Matching gifts are an untapped resource for many nonprofits. They provide an opportunity to maximize fundraising efforts by leveraging corporate dollars, and when done right, they can significantly boost revenue.

At the recent Workplace Fundraising + Volunteering Summit, several experts shared their best practices for driving matching gift revenue, offering actionable insights for nonprofits looking to raise more through matching gifts. Let’s dive into six key takeaways that can help nonprofits supercharge their matching gift strategies.

  1. Register with CSR platforms.
  2. Centralize your matching gift processing.
  3. Tell engaging, impact-driven stories.
  4. Leverage seasonal campaigns.
  5. Ensure effective matching gift tracking and attribution.
  6. Look to the future of matching gifts.

Meet the Speakers:

  • Detra Foster of the American Heart Association

    Detra Foster is the Senior National Matching Gift Operations Lead at the American Heart Association. With years of experience in fundraising and workplace giving, she is dedicated to expanding the impact of matching gifts and workplace giving.

    Add her on LinkedIn here.

  • Stacy Devivo of Lehigh University

    Stacy DeVivo serves as the Assistant Director of Information Processing at Lehigh University, where she leads efforts to enhance the university’s matching gift program. Stacy has developed innovative strategies that increase participation in matching gifts.

    Add her on LinkedIn here.

  • Karen Bergin of Microsoft

    Karen Bergin is the Senior Director of Global Employee Engagement at Microsoft. There, Karen has helped Microsoft raise billions of dollars for nonprofits worldwide. Her team focuses on empowering employees to support causes they care about, with matching gifts playing a critical role.

    Add her on LinkedIn here.

  • Annemarie Dillon of the American Cancer Society

    Annemarie Dillon is the Director of Workplace Giving and Matching Gifts at the American Cancer Society. With extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising and matching gifts, Annemarie has played a key role in streamlining and expanding ACS’s matching gift initiatives.

    Add her on LinkedIn here.

As nonprofits continue to explore new ways to amplify their fundraising efforts, matching gifts remain an underutilized opportunity that can yield significant returns. With the right strategies in place, organizations like yours can tap into the full potential of workplace giving programs, unlocking a steady stream of additional revenue. Let’s begin.

Access more matching gift insights with presentation replays.

1) Register with CSR platforms.

One of the first steps nonprofits should take to increase their matching gift revenue is to register with leading CSR platforms. These dedicated software solutions, such as Benevity, YourCause, and CyberGrants, are commonly used by corporations to manage employee giving and match donations. By registering with these platforms ahead of time, nonprofits become eligible to receive matching gifts from the companies that use them.

Laurel Palmer, Director of the Kalamazoo College Fund, shared that partnering with these platforms is vital for raising matching gifts. She emphasized the importance of ensuring your nonprofit is listed and optimized on platforms like Benevity to access matching gifts from a wide range of corporate partners. By doing so, nonprofits open the door to significant contributions from employees of companies already engaged in matching gift programs.

If you’re not already listed on these platforms, Benevity is a great place to start. Many large companies, including keynote speaker Microsoft, use Benevity to manage their employee-giving programs, making it a critical tool for boosting workplace donations. Getting listed on these platforms not only provides access to these funds but also integrates your organization into a well-established and trusted giving process.

We recommend establishing an up-to-date account with each of the major CSR platforms, along with other CLMA-certified solutions. Here are a few popular names to help you get started:

  • Largest CSR Platforms
  • America’s Charities
  • Benevity
  • CyberGrants
  • YourCause
  • CLMA-Certified Platforms
  • Givinga
  • Millie
  • Selflessly
  • Uncommon Giving

To hear more from Microsoft’s keynote presentation, access the recording here.

2) Centralize your matching gift processing.

When it comes to matching gifts, centralizing your processing can make a world of difference in terms of efficiency and accuracy.

“Centralizing our matching gift operations helped streamline our efforts, reduce errors, and ensure that all matching gifts were properly tracked and credited.” – Annemarie Dillon, Director of Workplace Giving and Matching Gifts at the American Cancer Society

Before centralization, the American Cancer Society had local chapters handling matching gift confirmations, leading to process inconsistencies and missed opportunities going unclaimed. By consolidating the process at the national level, however, they were able to improve communication, set clear roles, and ensure accurate tracking across the organization.

For smaller nonprofits, starting small by centralizing matching gift communications can be a first step. As Sara Herring from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation explained, even something as simple as creating a dedicated matching gift email address or inbox can be a game-changer. This allows for better communication and organization, reducing the chances of missing out on matching gift opportunities.

3) Tell engaging, impact-driven stories.

Incorporating storytelling into your matching gift campaigns can significantly boost engagement and donor participation. Stacy DeVivo of Lehigh University shared how a compelling donor story about a couple who met at the university and are passionate about supporting their alma mater through matching gifts resonated with their audience.

As Stacy DeVivo, Assistant Director of Information Processing at Lehigh University, shared, “A compelling donor story about a couple who met at the university and are passionate about supporting their alma mater through matching gifts really resonated with our audience.”

By showcasing real-life examples of how matching gifts have made a difference, nonprofits can build stronger emotional connections with their supporters. This personal touch has measurable results. Lehigh University saw a 430% increase in email click-through rates and a 563% increase in web traffic after sharing the donor story. In other words, storytelling humanizes the matching gift process and motivates donors to engage with the program.

For nonprofits, communicating stories of real donors or corporate partners can inspire others to follow suit in matching gifts. Highlight the personal impact that matching gifts have on your mission, and share those stories across your communication channels, including email, social media, and on your website.

4) Leverage seasonal campaigns.

Another key insight from the summit was the importance of leveraging seasonal campaigns to drive matching gift participation. For example, Detra Foster from the American Heart Association shared how matching gift marketing aligns well with the timing of major fundraising events like Giving Tuesday and year-end giving campaigns.

At Lehigh University, Stacy DeVivo’s team capitalized on the Match Month opportunity (also known as February) by promoting matching gifts through social media, email, and custom graphics. Additionally, they utilized Matching Wednesday, a campaign initiative following giving day Giving Tuesday, to sustain momentum and encourage additional giving.

For nonprofits, aligning matching gift appeals with these high-traffic giving days creates urgency and encourages donors to take advantage of matching opportunities before the year ends. Whether it’s Giving Tuesday, Year-End Giving, or Match Month, seasonal campaigns provide an excellent platform for promoting matching gifts. By timing your campaigns around these major events, you can maximize the impact of matching gift opportunities and create a sense of urgency that motivates donors to act. Don’t forget to remind donors of the matching gift deadline around these key dates!

For more on marketing matching gifts and what your peers are doing, access the on-demand panel discussion here.

5) Ensure effective matching gift tracking and attribution.

Tracking and attributing matching gifts can be one of the biggest challenges for nonprofits. As Jessica Otto Guay from the Pan-Mass Challenge explained, many nonprofits face difficulties when donations come in bulk, without clear breakdowns of which donations are being matched. Annemarie Dillon echoed this point, sharing how her team has become adept at tracking down matching gift donations through detective work, including cross-referencing payments with donor records and checking remittance slips.

Effective data management is crucial in ensuring that matching gifts are attributed to the correct donors. Sara Herring from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation recommended using CRM systems to track and organize matching gifts. They use a unique identifier system to ensure each donation is correctly categorized and attributed, and they flag matching gift data early in the process to avoid confusion later.

By implementing clear tracking systems, using CRM tools, and developing processes for handling bulk donations, nonprofits can reduce errors and ensure donors are properly credited for their contributions. This not only helps with reporting but also strengthens donor relationships by accurately acknowledging their participation.

For more insights and best practices for matching gift processing, watch the presentation recording here.

6) Look to the future of matching gifts.

Looking ahead, Detra Foster from the American Heart Association shared her thoughts on the future of matching gifts, particularly in terms of technology and evolving donor behavior.

“The future of workplace fundraising will likely involve integrating AI and generative tools to personalize outreach and improve marketing strategies,” she pointed out.

These tools could help nonprofits create more effective, targeted campaigns that resonate with donors.

Another key trend is the rise of corporate volunteer programs, in which employees’ volunteer hours are converted into financial contributions to nonprofits. Microsoft has been at the forefront of this trend, offering $25 per hour for every hour its employees volunteer.

As Karen Bergin, Senior Director of Global Employee Engagement at Microsoft, stated, ‘This volunteer time donation model is an exciting avenue for nonprofits to explore, especially as more companies invest in volunteer programs.”

As the landscape of workplace giving continues to evolve, nonprofits must stay adaptable and leverage new technologies to streamline processes, personalize outreach, and engage employees in new ways. Whether through AI, volunteer time conversion, or more personalized marketing strategies, nonprofits should continue to innovate and adapt to the changing dynamics of workplace giving.

Wrapping Up

Matching gifts are a powerful, yet often underutilized, tool for nonprofits looking to maximize their fundraising efforts. By following the actionable insights shared by experts during the summit (such as registering with CSR platforms, centralizing matching gift processes, telling engaging stories, leveraging seasonal campaigns, ensuring accurate tracking, and looking to the future), nonprofits can significantly boost their matching gift revenue and deepen their relationships with donors.

It’s important to remember that matching gifts are not a one-time effort, but an ongoing process. By staying organized, collaborating across teams, and continuously refining strategies, nonprofits can create a sustainable and effective workplace giving program that drives long-term success.

Access more matching gift insights with presentation replays.

Top Companies with Special Giving Tuesday Match Programs

25 Companies with Special Giving Tuesday Match Programs

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Giving Tuesday has become one of the biggest days for charitable giving, with companies across various industries stepping up to support nonprofits and amplify their employees’ contributions. Many businesses participate by offering matching gift programs, corporate sales promotions, and other unique initiatives to support charitable causes like yours.

In this post, let’s explore twenty-five companies with special Giving Tuesday initiatives, highlighting how they are making a difference with their generous support. Specifically, we’ll cover a wide range of:

From matching gifts to matching sales and beyond, Giving Tuesday is an excellent opportunity to make the most of your corporate relationships. And the companies outlined in this post could be among your most valuable potential partners! Let’s begin.

Giving Tuesday Employee Matching Gift Programs

Leveraging employee matching gift programs is one of the most effective ways for nonprofits to increase their donations during Giving Tuesday. Many companies offer a match program as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, encouraging employees to give to causes that matter most to them.

By taking advantage of these matching opportunities, nonprofits can maximize the financial support they receive and leverage corporate partnerships to enhance their fundraising efforts.

Nike

The Nike Foundation goes above and beyond with a 2:1 matching gift on donations made through Giving Tuesday. This generous matching program enables employees to increase the value of their contributions significantly. By participating in this program, Nike employees can double their impact, with the foundation amplifying donations to nonprofit causes aligned with the company’s values. This initiative makes it easier for employees to engage in charitable giving, knowing their company will maximize their support.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

BNY Mellon

The Bank of New York Mellon offers a robust 2:1 matching gift program for donations made on Giving Tuesday, with a focus on approved nonprofit organizations, particularly those aligned with climate and sustainability. Last year, employees across 14 countries raised $1.5 million for various nonprofits. By encouraging employees to direct their donations toward climate action organizations, BNY Mellon drives positive change and incentivizes employees to give more, creating a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Visa Canada

Visa Canada offers a 2:1 match for employee donations made on Giving Tuesday. This initiative increases employees’ total contributions, enabling them to maximize their support for charitable organizations on one of the most crucial giving days of the year. By matching donations, Visa demonstrates its commitment to helping nonprofits raise more funds and inspiring its employees to participate in philanthropy actively.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Penguin Random House

Penguin Random House offers a 2:1 match on Giving Tuesday, encouraging employees to donate to their favorite causes. This match program increases the effectiveness of employee donations, enabling nonprofit organizations to benefit from the amplified support. By making it easier for employees to contribute, the company fosters a culture of giving and enhances its community impact through charitable partnerships.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

McKesson

McKesson offers a 2:1 match for employee donations on Giving Tuesday. The company supports a wide range of nonprofit causes, empowering employees to contribute to the organizations that matter most to them. The 2:1 match amplifies employee donations, helping McKesson achieve greater corporate social responsibility (CSR) and increase the support nonprofits can receive on this important day.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Ulta

The Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation supports charities such as Save the Children and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation by matching donations on Giving Tuesday. This 2:1 match makes it easier for Ulta employees to give back to meaningful causes. It’s an excellent way for the company to foster a culture of philanthropy, allowing employees to make a significant impact on charities close to their hearts, especially during a global giving event like Giving Tuesday.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Stryker

Stryker offers a standout 3:1 match for donations made on Giving Tuesday, meaning employees’ gifts are tripled. This program encourages Stryker’s employees to give more by significantly amplifying their contributions. A 3:1 match provides a substantial incentive for employees to donate, helping nonprofits raise more funds during Giving Tuesday and making a massive difference in supporting their mission.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

NASDAQ

NASDAQ’s #GivingTuesday campaign offers a triple-matching donation program for employees’ gifts. This is an exceptional opportunity for employees to amplify their impact, with the company tripling the value of every donation made on Giving Tuesday. By supporting nonprofit organizations through matching gifts, NASDAQ demonstrates its commitment to corporate philanthropy and makes a significant impact on the causes its employees care about.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific offers a 2:1 matching donation for employee contributions on Giving Tuesday. The company’s focus on amplifying donations through its match program motivates employees to engage in charitable giving while increasing the total funds raised for nonprofits. This initiative is an excellent way to drive employee participation in Giving Tuesday and support the organizations that employees care about most.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

ADP

ADP, or Automatic Data Processing, holds a matching gift campaign with a cap of $20,000 and an increased match rate of 200% for donations made on Giving Tuesday. This matching program incentivizes employees to contribute, knowing the company will match their gifts. It encourages employees to give more, expanding the support nonprofits can receive and raising awareness of causes important to both employees and the company.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

The Estée Lauder Companies

Estée Lauder typically offers a 1:1 matching gift program, but on Giving Tuesday, the company triples the value of donations through a “double-matching gifts” program. This special initiative significantly enhances employees’ contributions, providing nonprofits with valuable resources to support their missions. By offering a larger match, Estée Lauder demonstrates a strong commitment to philanthropy while encouraging greater employee participation in giving.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Fiserv, Inc.

Fiserv typically matches employee gifts at a 1:1 ratio, but on Giving Tuesday, it offers a limited-time 2:1 match. This initiative allows employees to give more, with Fiserv amplifying their impact on Giving Tuesday. The enhanced match increases the overall contribution nonprofits receive, making this a powerful tool for employees to support charitable causes during the Global Day of Giving.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar offers a 2:1 match for employee donations made through the Caterpillar Foundation during the two weeks leading up to Giving Tuesday. This match program encourages early engagement and maximizes nonprofits’ donation potential. With an annual cap of $1.5 million, Caterpillar incentivizes employee participation, resulting in a significant increase in funds raised for charitable causes during the Giving Tuesday campaign.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

BlackRock

BlackRock’s Giving Tuesday program offers a 2:1 match for employee donations, allowing gifts to go further and supporting a wide range of nonprofits. This program is part of BlackRock’s broader commitment to employee engagement in corporate giving, ensuring that employee contributions are maximized for the most tremendous possible impact during the Giving Tuesday campaign.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Elevance Health

Elevance Health offers an extraordinary 3:1 match for employee donations made on Giving Tuesday, effectively quadrupling the value of their contribution. This incentive encourages employees to give generously, knowing their donations will have an even greater impact. By offering such a high match, Elevance Health helps nonprofits raise substantial funds while motivating employees to participate in Giving Tuesday.

Learn more about the company’s matching gift program here.

Companies with Giving Tuesday Matching Sales Promotions

Company sales matching programs offer a unique opportunity for consumers to support nonprofit organizations while making everyday purchases. On Giving Tuesday, many companies offer to donate a portion of sales or match specific purchases to encourage consumer participation and direct funds to charitable causes.

For nonprofits, these programs offer an easy way to engage a broader audience, as customers often make a difference without even donating directly.

Instacart + Danone

Instacart and Danone partner to donate one serving of fruits and vegetables to the Public Health Association (PHA) for every dollar spent on qualifying items during Giving Tuesday, up to 500,000 servings. This initiative makes it easy for consumers to contribute to a meaningful cause while purchasing their everyday groceries.

Learn more about the matching sales program here.

Chewy

Chewy will donate up to $1 million per week in pet food and supplies to Greater Good Charities, which supports animal welfare organizations across the U.S. Purchases made through January 1st will help support nonprofits focused on animal rescue, ensuring that customers can make a difference with every purchase.

Learn more about the matching sales program here.

Skip the Dishes

Skip the Dishes contributes $1 for every order placed on Giving Tuesday, with additional contributions made directly to Food Banks Canada. This matching program offers consumers the opportunity to make an impact while enjoying a meal, making it easy to support a worthy cause while dining out.

Learn more about the matching sales program here.

Walmart Canada

Walmart Canada donates $1 per order placed on Giving Tuesday to Food Banks Canada. For 2024, the company will also donate $1 for every toy sold to support the Children’s Miracle Network, with donations matched up to $200,000. This initiative engages customers in charitable giving while they shop, turning everyday purchases into impactful contributions.

Learn more about the matching sales program here.

Other Corporate Giving Tuesday Initiatives You Should Know

In addition to employee matching gifts and sales matching programs, many companies launch other creative corporate initiatives to support Giving Tuesday. These initiatives give businesses the opportunity to showcase their commitment to social responsibility while directly supporting nonprofit organizations on one of the most significant days of charitable giving.

By tapping into these other giving programs, nonprofits can diversify their funding sources and build stronger relationships with corporate partners.

Moderna – Corporate Volunteering

Moderna kicks off its 6th Annual Volunteer Week on Giving Tuesday, encouraging employees to contribute their time and skills to local communities. This initiative demonstrates Moderna’s commitment to making a difference beyond financial contributions by encouraging employee participation in community-driven efforts.

Learn more about the Giving Tuesday initiative here.

NatWest Group – Payroll Deduction Incentive

NatWest Group runs an incentive campaign for UK employees who sign up or increase their payroll deduction by December 31. Employees receive a £100 donation from the bank, which they can then contribute to any charity of their choice. This initiative fosters a culture of giving among employees and further supports charitable organizations.

Learn more about the Giving Tuesday initiative here.

Apollo Global Management – Charitable Giving Stipend

Apollo Global Management provides employees with $250 in charitable currency to donate to nonprofit organizations of their choice. This generous Giving Day stipend encourages employees to engage in philanthropy and supports a wide range of causes, with a significant percentage of employees participating in the program.

Learn more about the Giving Tuesday initiative here.

T-Mobile – Nonprofit Partnership

T-Mobile partners with Feeding America on Giving Tuesday, donating $1 for every click on the Feeding America feature in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app, up to $200,000. This longstanding partnership showcases T-Mobile’s commitment to supporting nonprofit organizations through both employee and customer engagement.

Learn more about the Giving Tuesday initiative here.

Twitch – Charity Streaming

The interactive livestreaming service Twitch hosts its “Together for Good” campaign on Giving Tuesday, challenging streamers to host charity streams. Twitch matches up to $100,000 in donations raised through these streams, with a focus on supporting charities like St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Learn more about the Giving Tuesday initiative here.

Nordstrom – In-Store Donations

Nordstrom supports various charities, including Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Big Brothers Big Sisters, by offering in-store donation opportunities. Customers can contribute to these organizations at Nordstrom locations or online, enhancing the company’s commitment to giving back during the holiday season.

Learn more about the Giving Tuesday initiative here.

Wrapping Up & Additional Resources

As you plan your Giving Tuesday efforts, consider how these corporate giving programs can help maximize your nonprofit’s fundraising. By tapping into employee matching gifts, corporate sales programs, and unique corporate initiatives, you can significantly increase the funds raised for your cause.

Looking to learn more about how you can drive matching gift impact this Giving Tuesday and beyond? Check out these additional resources:

Raise more with support from these Giving Tuesday matching programs and more with Double the Donation.

The 20 Best Nonprofit Podcasts to Fuel Your Growth

The 20 Best Nonprofit Podcasts to Fuel Your Growth

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Podcasts have rapidly become one of the most popular forms of media, both in the US and worldwide. This year, around 55% of Americans (or 158 million people) are expected to listen to podcasts monthly, with 40% tuning in weekly, according to a recent study by Podcast Statistics. 

Overall, 64% of Americans have listened to a podcast at least once, and 85% are familiar with the medium. This represents impressive growth over the past two decades.

For nonprofits, social activists, and philanthropists, podcasts are more than just a platform to share knowledge. They offer a chance to hear inspiring stories, stay informed on emerging trends, and gain valuable insights to help fuel ongoing growth.

Fortunately, nonprofit professionals have access to a wealth of podcasts designed specifically for their needs. In this blog, we’ll highlight the 20 best nonprofit podcasts that can inspire and support your growth, while also exploring the many benefits of listening to podcasts.

Why Nonprofit Professionals Should Tune in to Podcasts

Here are five key reasons why nonprofit professionals listen to nonprofit podcasts:

  1. Stay Updated on Industry Trends: Nonprofit podcasts provide valuable insights into the latest trends and emerging issues within the sector, keeping professionals informed on the changes that affect their work.
  2. Learn from Experts and Peers: Podcasts feature interviews with industry leaders, successful nonprofit founders, and experts, offering real-world advice and strategies that can be applied to everyday operations.
  3. Enhance Skills and Knowledge: Listening to nonprofit podcasts helps professionals sharpen their skills, from fundraising techniques to effective communication and leadership, leading to personal and organizational growth.
  4. Find Inspiration and Motivation: Many podcasts feature uplifting stories and case studies, inspiring nonprofit professionals to persevere and make an even greater impact in their communities.
  5. Access Practical Tools and Resources: They often share actionable tips, resources, and tools that professionals can use immediately to improve efficiency, boost fundraising efforts, and enhance overall performance.

These reasons highlight how podcasts serve as a valuable tool for continuous learning and development within the nonprofit sector.

20 Must-Listen Nonprofit Podcasts for Growth and Inspiration

Discover some of our top nonprofit podcasts, featuring insights from renowned philanthropists, social innovators, CEOs, and more. Tune in and let these stories inspire your journey.

The Nonprofit Boost

The Nonprofit Boost

Where to Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Learn how to leverage corporate support for fundraising success for your nonprofit! 

The Nonprofit Boost is produced by the corporate giving experts at Double the Donation. Hosted by Amelia Baumann, Colleen Carroll, and Immaculate Pamintuan, this series is dedicated to helping organizations unlock new fundraising opportunities by leveraging the power of corporate partnerships.

Each episode features actionable insights and strategies from industry leaders who have successfully grown revenue through workplace giving programs like matching gifts, payroll giving, and volunteer grants.

Tune in to discover how your organization can strengthen corporate relationships, increase donor engagement, and elevate fundraising success through smarter strategies.

The Business of Giving

The Business of Giving

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, Website, and YouTube

The Business of Giving is hosted by Denver Frederick, a philanthropy expert with over 40 years of experience. This podcast dives deep into solutions for today’s most pressing social issues, such as global poverty, affordable housing, clean drinking water, and education.

Each week, Denver interviews philanthropists, nonprofit leaders, and social entrepreneurs who are making a tangible impact on the world. With over 600 episodes, The Business of Giving provides invaluable inspiration and practical insights for organizations looking to drive social change and advance their missions.

The Nonprofit Hub Podcast

Nonprofit Hub Radio

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, iHeart, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Website

Nonprofit Hub Radio covers a wide range of topics, offering insights into data, management strategies, and expert interviews. Hosted by Meghan Speer, Nonprofit Hub’s Executive Director, each 20-30 minute episode breaks down key trends to help organizations grow.

With more than 200 episodes available, this podcast focuses on governance, fundraising, and development goals, giving you actionable advice to move your organization from good to great

The Nonprofit Leadership

Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Website, and YouTube 

Hosted by Dr. Rob Harter, a nonprofit executive with nearly 30 years of experience, The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast dives into the challenges and opportunities faced by nonprofit leaders. Featuring interviews with nonprofit founders and CEOs, this podcast offers real-world stories and strategies for success.

With over 300 episodes, this podcast covers everything from leadership strategies to nonprofit management, providing invaluable insights for leaders at every level.

First Day Podcast

First Day Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Website, and YouTube 

The First Day Podcast, produced by The Fund Raising School, is your go-to source for short, actionable fundraising advice. Each episode, typically 10 minutes, covers the latest news, research, and best practices in philanthropy and fundraising.

With nearly 400 episodes, it’s perfect for busy fundraisers who want to stay updated on the latest trends and learn quick tips on topics like major gifts, donor-advised funds, and self-care for fundraisers.

Successful Nonprofits Podcast

Successful Nonprofits Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Hosted by Dolph Goldenburg, The Successful Nonprofits Podcast brings you interviews with top nonprofit leaders and experts. Each 40-minute episode covers a wide array of topics, including risk management, social media strategies, fundraising, and nonprofit governance.

With over 300 episodes, this podcast is an essential resource for nonprofit professionals looking to improve their organization’s impact through expert advice and real-world examples.

What the Fundraising

What the Fundraising

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

If you’re ready to break free from the old-school fundraising playbook, What the Fundraising is your new go-to podcast. Hosted by Mallory Erickson, this podcast is full of candid, raw conversations with experts outside the nonprofit sector, offering fresh strategies to raise money and run an organization.

New episodes every Tuesday, ranging from 40-60 minutes, explore creative ways to solve problems, fundraise, and disrupt the traditional nonprofit model.

Next In Nonprofits Podcast

Next In Nonprofits

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Website 

Next in Nonprofits is the ultimate podcast for nonprofit growth, hosted by Steve Boland, a digital fundraising expert. This podcast delves into the latest tools, trends, and technologies that will shape the future of the nonprofit sector.

With actionable advice and expert interviews, this podcast is perfect for nonprofit leaders looking to stay ahead of the curve and elevate their fundraising game.

Missions to Movements

Missions to Movements

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Website, and YouTube

The Missions to Movements Podcast focuses on nonprofit marketing and fundraising, helping organizations grow recurring donors and scale monthly giving programs.

With proven strategies and expert tips, this podcast is hosted by Dana Snyder and is ideal for nonprofits looking to amplify their digital campaigns and create lasting donor relationships.

The Nonprofit Show

The Nonprofit Show

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Website, and YouTube

The Nonprofit Show is a daily live video broadcast designed for nonprofit professionals to come together for problem-solving, innovation, and collaboration. Each episode dives deep into the latest trends in fundraising, social impact, and nonprofit leadership.

With over 1,100 episodes, this show offers an extensive library of knowledge and expertise to help organizations drive change and achieve their goals.

Lead with Heart

Lead with Heart

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Spotify

Hosted by Haley Cooper, Lead with Heart is a podcast that empowers nonprofit leaders to focus on the heart behind their missions. Through interviews and personal stories, this podcast encourages leaders to prioritize well-being and build thriving, impactful organizations.

This podcast is a must-listen for those looking to balance passion and self-care in the world of nonprofit leadership.

The Giving Done Right Podcast

Giving Done Right

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Website

Giving Done Right, produced by the Center for Effective Philanthropy, answers the tough questions about charitable giving. Hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette interview experts to uncover the most effective ways to make an impact with your donations.

Tune in to this podcast for expert insights on where to give, which nonprofits are truly effective, and how to ensure your charitable giving is making a real difference.

A Modern Nonprofit Podcast

A Modern Nonprofit Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Website, and YouTube

A Modern Nonprofit Podcast, powered by The Charity CFO, offers insightful discussions on business and culture topics impacting the nonprofit world. Hosted by Tosha Anderson, this podcast provides lighthearted yet informative perspectives on what’s trending in nonprofit organizations.

A perfect resource for nonprofit leaders looking to stay ahead in today’s fast-paced environment.

Nonprofit on the Rocks

Nonprofit on the Rocks

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Website, and YouTube

Nonprofit on the Rocks brings a fresh, engaging twist to nonprofit discussions. Hosted by Matt Kamin, the podcast dives into fundraising strategies, leadership challenges, and the latest trends, all served with a drink in hand.

If you’re looking for fun, insightful conversations to inspire your journey, this is the podcast for you.

Nonprofit Answers Podcast

Nonprofit Answers Podcast

Where to Listen: Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Website

Hosted by Jeremy Reis, Nonprofit Answers Podcast is your go-to resource for raising more money and making a greater impact. Each episode answers your nonprofit marketing and fundraising questions, offering actionable advice to help you reach more donors and increase your revenue.

From philanthropy strategies to advancement tips, Jeremy provides expert guidance on how to enhance your outreach and engagement, so you can help more people and fuel your mission’s growth.

Nonprofit Missionary Podcast

Nonprofit Missionary Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Nonprofit Missionary Podcast with Ken McQuiller helps empower small to mid-sized churches to become true missionaries in their communities. Through insightful episodes, Ken provides guidance on establishing faith-based nonprofits, securing funding, and creating impactful outreach initiatives.

Whether you’re looking to start a nonprofit or strengthen your church’s community outreach, this podcast offers practical advice and inspiration to drive change and foster growth within your congregation and community.

Fund the People

Fund the People

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Website

Fund the People brings you transformative, data-driven insights and tools to help you invest in the nonprofit workforce. Hosted by Rusty Stahl, founder of Fund the People, this podcast brings together nonprofit leaders, funders, authors, and policymakers for candid, thought-provoking conversations.

Rusty’s mission is clear: maximize investment in the US nonprofit workforce to drive equity, effectiveness, and long-term endurance. Tune in to gain valuable insights on how to strengthen your nonprofit team and create lasting change across the sector.

Nonprofit Mastermind

Nonprofit Mastermind

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts and Website 

Nonprofit Mastermind offers nonprofit founders and leaders a deep dive into the strategies and mindset needed to launch, scale, and lead a high-impact organization. This podcast explores everything from startup challenges to growth tactics, all designed to help you create a thriving, impactful nonprofit.

With expert interviews and real-world advice, Nonprofit Mastermind is your go-to resource for scaling your nonprofit with confidence, vision, and purpose.

The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast

The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Website, and YouTube

Welcome to The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast, hosted by Tammy Zonker. With nearly three decades of experience specializing in major gifts, Tammy knows firsthand how critical major gifts are to an organization’s financial success, yet she also understands the challenges fundraisers face in this area.

In each episode, Tammy provides actionable strategies and expert insights to help fundraisers and nonprofit leaders build or supercharge their major gift programs. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your approach, The Intentional Fundraiser Podcast is here to guide you on the journey toward financial stability and fundraising success.

The Nonprofit Science Podcast

The Nonprofit Science Podcast

Where to Listen: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Website

Welcome to The Nonprofit Science Podcast, hosted by Sheela Mahajan. This podcast explores the innovative field of nonprofit science, which applies scientific thinking to drive nonprofit success.

In each episode, Sheela interviews top researchers and dives into the latest published research to provide leaders with evidence-based strategies for maximizing impact. Tune in to discover how you can leverage data and science to elevate your mission and create lasting change.

Wrapping Up

This list of best nonprofit podcasts will help you get started with an incredible resource that’s driving growth for thousands of organizations in the US and beyond.  To gain even more actionable insights, check out our resources, including blogs, case studies, webinars, and much more.

In addition to providing valuable podcast episodes, Double the Donation offers a suite of powerful tools to support your organization. Discover how our solutions can elevate workplace giving programs such as matching gifts, payroll giving, and volunteer grants for your organization.

FAQs about the Best Nonprofit Podcasts

1. Why should nonprofit professionals listen to podcasts?

Nonprofit podcasts are a powerful way to stay informed, inspired, and equipped with the latest strategies for success. They offer expert insights on fundraising, leadership, and marketing, helping professionals learn from peers and industry leaders. Many also feature real-world case studies and practical tips that can be applied immediately to strengthen your organization’s impact.

2. What is The Nonprofit Boost podcast?

The Nonprofit Boost is a podcast produced by the corporate giving experts at Double the Donation, the leader in corporate giving technology. Hosted by Amelia Baumann, Colleen Carroll, and Immaculate Pamintuan, the show helps nonprofit professionals unlock new fundraising opportunities through corporate partnerships. Each episode dives into actionable strategies around matching gifts, payroll giving, and volunteer grants to boost donor engagement and revenue.

3. How can The Nonprofit Boost help my organization grow?

By tuning in to The Nonprofit Boost, your team can learn how to effectively leverage corporate philanthropy programs to maximize fundraising success. The podcast provides proven tactics and success stories from industry experts, empowering organizations to strengthen corporate relationships, streamline donor outreach, and amplify impact through smarter fundraising strategies.

4. What are some other top nonprofit podcasts to listen to?

In addition to The Nonprofit Boost, leading shows include The Business of Giving, Nonprofit Hub Radio, What the Fundraising, and Nonprofit Leadership Podcast. These podcasts explore topics such as philanthropy trends, leadership development, data-driven fundraising, and innovative nonprofit management techniques.

5. How can I access these podcasts?

You can listen to The Nonprofit Boost and other leading podcasts on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart, and YouTube. Subscribe to stay inspired, keep learning, and apply new strategies that elevate your organization’s mission.

12 Nonprofits That Know How to Maximize Fundraising Matches

12 Nonprofits That Know How to Maximize Fundraising Matches

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