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This guide covers everything you need to know about buying fundraising software, including key types, features, and examples.

How to Buy Fundraising Software That’s Right For Your Nonprofit

Digital fundraising is crucial in today’s nonprofit landscape. In the current software-driven fundraising era, nonprofits, schools, and other charitable institutions must reassess their fundraising arsenals.

If this description sounds like your situation, you may be considering enhancing your existing toolkit or buying new fundraising software. To assist you in this journey, we’ve crafted a comprehensive guide for navigating this process. We’ll cover:

Types of Fundraising Software to Know
Factors to Consider When Buying Fundraising Software
Questions to Ask Before Buying Fundraising Software
Key Steps for Buying Fundraising Software
Our Top Fundraising Tool Pick to Drive Engagement + Revenue
Examples of Fundraising Software In Action

Improve your understanding of how fundraising software impacts organizations like yours and learn what to consider when searching for new tools. From matching gift tools to peer-to-peer platforms, we’ll cover everything you need to elevate your fundraising efforts.

Types of Fundraising Software to Know

A nonprofit fundraising toolkit includes multiple platforms that together perform all the functions you need to reach out to supporters and secure donations. Some solutions are “all-in-one” platforms, while others focus on a few specific features and can integrate with external add-ons to expand their functionality.

What platforms to include in your fundraising toolkit depends on your nonprofit’s needs and goals. However, a few types of fundraising software solutions can be considered essential.

Online Donation Forms

One of the core components of your fundraising toolkit is your organization’s online donation forms. These resources allow nonprofits to collect donations online.

The best donation pages empower users to:

Offer suggested (or custom) donation amounts
Accept gifts from desktop computers and mobile devices
Match their donation form branding to their organization
Facilitate one-time and recurring gifts
Collect additional donor information through custom form fields
Integrate with a variety of other nonprofit solutions, like Double the Donation’s matching gift software

Donation forms have one of the most straightforward purposes of all fundraising software, but there are still many providers to choose from. You may even choose one with more features than the ones we just listed.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Pages

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns elevate existing donors’ engagement while simultaneously expanding your reach to new prospects. Several peer-to-peer fundraising software options are available that enable organizations to:

Equip volunteer fundraisers with customizable campaign pages
Add images and other fundraising updates
Spread the word with social sharing tools
Track fundraising progress toward goals
Prioritize an accessible and easy-to-use giving process
Integrate with other nonprofit solutions

Remember, for peer-to-peer fundraising, your system should be easy for both your team and your donors to use.

Matching Gift Software

Tons of workplace giving revenue gets left on the table each year⁠—including $4 to $7 billion in unclaimed matching gifts alone. Luckily, nonprofits can leverage a matching gift platform to ensure their donors are tapping into these overlooked resources.

This type of fundraising software enables nonprofits to:

Market matching gift opportunities to donors and supporters
Locate detailed information about matching gift programs
Access insights on volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and other corporate incentives for volunteering
Leverage an autocompleting search tool to identify employment information
Trigger automated outreach to provide valuable matching gift program insights
Ensure no matching gift opportunity falls through the cracks with timely follow-up cadences
Integrate with other nonprofit solutions

When it comes to matching gift software, we have to recommend our state-of-the-art solution, 360MatchPro. What puts our matching gift database over the top is our partnerships with corporate giving software, enabling automatic submission of matching gift requests.

Payment Processors

To accept donations and other payments online, you’ll need payment processing software that facilitates transactions behind the scenes. This tool essentially mediates between the organization, the donor, and their financial institution.

An effective payment processor empowers nonprofit organizations to:

Process contributions for multiple payment methods
Offer a simple user interface
Produce ready-built and custom reports
Maintain high levels of payment security standards
Integrate with other nonprofit solutions

This fundraising tool is essential for facilitating donations, so choose a secure one that strengthens your donation process. Note that a donation form differentiates in that it collects other donor information and may use various payment processors to complete transactions.

Donor Management Systems

When it comes to managing donors, there’s a lot for your team to keep track of. Ensure your fundraisers have the tools to improve operations through a robust donor data management system.

Also known as a CRM (or constituent relationship management tool), your donor database should allow your team to:

Maintain detailed supporter records with engagement histories
Add helpful notes within donor profiles
Segment your supporter base for targeted communications
Automate administrative tasks and donor outreach
Easily generate robust reports
Integrate with other nonprofit solutions

The best nonprofit CRMs simplify communication and strengthen relationships. By understanding your supporters better, you’ll be able to foster deeper connections with them.

Nonprofit Event Tools

Hosting a fundraising event is an effective way to bring in new supporters, boost donor engagement, and increase fundraising revenue. Nonprofit event software can streamline the entire experience including planning, hosting, and following up post-event.

Specifically, the best event fundraising tools make it easy to:

Craft online event pages and/or microsites to promote upcoming opportunities
Offer free or paid ticketing options
Organize engaging in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences
Facilitate digital bidding at auction events
Collect additional donations beyond ticket sales
Integrate with other nonprofit solutions

Events are a fundamental part of donor engagement, so make sure you can bring your community together to support your cause with the right event software.

Donor Acknowledgment Software

Appreciating your donors is a critical component of nonprofit fundraising⁠, especially if you’re looking to steward long-term relationships with them. Be sure you have some kind of donor recognition software in your fundraising toolkit.

While a regular email or thank-you letter can make do in a pinch, elevate your gratitude with unique and engaging acknowledgments⁠—like eCards!

Your donor recognition software should empower your team to:

Brand messages to your nonprofit, including fonts, images, and colors
Send acknowledgments in seconds
Leverage multiple digital communication channels, including email and SMS
Customize communications to cultivate personal donor connections
Track digital thank-you notes to determine when supporters interact with your outreach

Acknowledging generosity is crucial for retaining support, so think of appreciation software as a tool for investing in earning future donations.

Factors to Consider When Buying Fundraising Software

As you explore various software options, we recommend making detailed notes on the following components of each platform:

Functionality

Fundraising software is a broad term that encompasses many different types of platforms and features. That said, make sure you’re buying software that has the functionalities your organization needs.

At the same time, consider what you can live without. For example, if your organization has awesome event fundraising ideas but isn’t so big on advocacy, forgo tools with advocacy features in favor of ones that have excellent event planning capabilities. Or perhaps you’re looking for a new nonprofit CRM, and you already have a donation platform you love. In that case, look for exclusively database solutions that don’t offer a built-in online giving tool.

Donor Experience

Your donors will typically be the end user of your fundraising software. For example, they’re the ones who fill out your nonprofit’s online donation forms, participate in peer-to-peer campaigns, and interact with your matching gift database search tool.

Prioritize fundraising software that makes the donor experience quick, easy, and painless. If a process is too long or complicated, even your most dedicated supporters may abandon their gifts. Alternatively, a seamless giving experience will keep donors coming back to support your cause time and time again.

Backend Ease of Use

Organizations should choose tech solutions with a level of complexity that is manageable and suitable for their team. For example, if your nonprofit employs developers, a custom-coded solution might make sense. On the other hand, if no one on your team is particularly technical, you’ll likely want to prioritize an off-the-shelf fundraising platform for ease of use.

A solution that’s too technical⁠—and ultimately inaccessible⁠—will complicate operations and discourage staff members from using it altogether. Remember, it’s not just the software but what you do with it that matters.

Scalability

As your internal fundraising team grows, will your software enable enough authorized users? Ensure all staff members who need to use your fundraising platform can. Not only that but when it comes to CRMs in particular, confirm that your potential platform can hold all your donor data with room to spare.

If you anticipate major growth in the near future, prioritize buying a platform that has room for expansion. This will allow your new tools to scale alongside your organization without requiring a software platform switch too quickly.
When choosing fundraising software, consider that low-cost solutions may quickly become inadequate, leading to the need for future upgrades and data migration. That’s why it’s wise to make a forward-thinking decision from the start.

Integrations

Even the most comprehensive software solutions might not have all the features your organization needs. You may have to integrate additional programs or systems to assist your operations.

Here are a few common scenarios when you might need integrations:

An organization might have niche needs, where they may prefer to add their own software solutions (e.g., a particular payment processor or email application) to complement their existing tools.
The software company you’re buying from doesn’t offer tools to facilitate all of your operations (e.g., corporate matching gifts), requiring you to integrate specialized fundraising software.

If you find that you require software integration, communicate your needs to your potential new vendor. That way, they can help determine the compatibility between different systems. Perhaps there’s a native, ready-built integration⁠, in which case, great! On the other hand, if it’s difficult to integrate two solutions, reconsider your priorities or consider working with a nonprofit technology consultant who can develop a custom integration.

Cost

It’s important to go into any major purchase with a budget in mind, and fundraising software is no exception. Before evaluating specific platforms, decide how much your organization can spend. Consider base price, startup costs, and any additional ongoing fees.

The base price is the vendor’s list price on the platform you want to buy and will be what most of your investment goes toward. It encompasses the core functions of the platform but usually excludes expansions or optional add-ons.

Be sure to ask exactly what is included in the base price to make sure you receive all the capabilities you need. If the base price doesn’t include any of your organization’s necessary features, consider how much the excluded features cost to add on.

From there, you might run into additional hidden costs such as:

Staff training
Maintenance fees
Online donation processing fees
Future updates or add-ons

Going into the buying process with a clear budget will naturally limit your options, making the selection process easier. It also, of course, ensures that you won’t be spending more than you can afford.

Customizability

When buying fundraising software, you’re likely looking for a solution that can complement your organization’s operations with its out-of-the-box features. Even so, many platforms are customizable and can be further tailored to fit your cause.

Customizability is a sliding scale, and what level of customizability your nonprofit needs likely depends on your size, resources, and goals. For instance, enterprise-size nonprofits often require fully customizable solutions that are essentially built from the ground up, while small nonprofits may see required customization as an unnecessary strain on their time and budget.

In your search, you may find that software customization can apply to many different features, including:

Supporter profiles
Donation and sign-up forms
Email marketing templates
Reporting and tracking tools

With customizable features, you can mold your software to fit your organization’s unique needs better. Your fundraising software will feel custom-made, more effectively driving impact toward your overall goals.

Training and Ongoing Support

When you first get started with a new fundraising platform, your team will need to go through training or an onboarding process to become proficient with the new tools. The level of instruction can vary drastically from vendor to vendor, making it an important consideration in your search.

Here are a few general questions for your fundraising software company in regard to team-wide training:

How long is the training process?
How is training administered (e.g., virtual, on-site, etc.)?
What proficiency level does your training cater to?
What are the associated costs?

From there, consider ongoing support availability as well. After all, if your nonprofit hires new team members after your initial onboarding session, they’ll need to be trained, too.

Compare software support options by making the following inquiries before you purchase:

Do you offer IT support?
How do I get in contact with support if there’s a problem?
What’s your typical response time?

Remember, the better you and your team understand your software, the more functional it will be, so choose a provider that offers the support you need. With the right support level at your fingertips, your software will perform well for years.

Security

Chances are, your organization will use its fundraising software to collect, store, and manage supporters’ sensitive data. Thus, it’s critical to choose a secure platform that can protect this information.

When chatting with vendors, ask about the software’s flexibility in controlling user permissions, so you can select which users can access sensitive information.

When it comes to donor payment information, consider industry security standards in your search, such as the following protections:

PCI compliance: The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to ensure that credit card information is processed, stored, and transmitted securely. For fundraising software, it’s essential for protecting donor payment information.
Encryption and Tokenization: Encryption converts data into a coded format to prevent unauthorized access. Tokenization replaces sensitive data with unique identification symbols that retain all the essential information without compromising its security. Both are used to protect sensitive data like credit card numbers.
Password Security: Strong password security measures ensure access to fundraising software is guarded against unauthorized users. This includes requirements for complex passwords, regular password changes, and secure storage of passwords.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring two or more verification factors to access a resource, such as a database or online account. For instance, your fundraising system might require users to enter an emailed code after entering their login details. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

Confirm that donors’ data will be kept safe and sound within your fundraising platform, a ensure that supporters feel comfortable entering their payment information in the first place!

Questions to Ask Before Buying Fundraising Software

To ensure you find software that perfectly aligns with your needs, here are some recommended questions for your selection process!

How difficult are the initial setup and data transfer?

Because you buying fundraising software, account for the initial software setup and data transfer from your previous solution. Your nonprofit data is the key to strengthening donor relationships and optimizing fundraising efforts, so it’s essential that it translates to your new platform without issue.

First, determine that it’s possible to transfer your data to the new system in its proper format. Then, consider how you’ll prepare your data for this process. If it turns out that transferring your data from one system to another requires a lot of time and labor on your part, consider whether the software offers other benefits that make it worth the effort.

Does it have the integrations my organization needs?

Integrations are essential for an effective fundraising software ecosystem. Unintegrated software can result in time-consuming manual data migration and data silos. With integrations, however, your technology can function as a cohesive unit, rather than a collection of disparate tools.

Therefore, one of the most important questions when buying fundraising software is “Does it offer the integrations my team⁠—and technology ecosystem⁠—needs?”

For example, Double the Donation integrates with 70+ of the industry’s largest nonprofit technology providers, including donation platforms, peer-to-peer software, CRMs, corporate giving solutions, and more. If you use (or plan to use) Double the Donation’s matching gift software, we strongly recommend exploring the giving tools with which we partner.

How do I maintain effective use of my software over time?

The buying process doesn’t just end the minute your software is set up and your staff knows how to use it. For your software to keep running at its highest capacity, consider how you’ll maintain it over time.

Before deciding, ask if the software has any built-in features to keep your data clean and up-to-date. This is one instance where automation can make a big difference. Automated features like deduplication can help maintain a clean and accurate database, ensuring your records never become messy and out of hand.

Second, ensure that your maintenance support includes installing updates⁠, or if it doesn’t, that these updates are fairly easy to install yourself. By keeping your software up-to-date, you’ll get much more life out of it and ensure it stays secure.

Key Steps for Buying Fundraising Software

As you navigate the fundraising software buying process, keep these key steps in mind.

1. Determine your fundraising goals, must-have features, and budget.

Start by determining what you want to achieve with a new platform. Perhaps you want to:

Boost matching gift revenue with software that identifies eligible donors, markets match opportunities, and streamlines the matching gift request process.
Increase donation page conversions by leveraging fundraising software with a user-friendly interface, customizable calls-to-action, and a seamless donation process.
Improve data flow from your donation form to your CRM by automating data entry and minimizing duplicate entries via deduplication.

Notice how each goal has correlating features that allow you to accomplish those objectives. Allocate your funds based on these goals, must-have features, and anticipated number of users.

The best advice we can give is not to overcomplicate the fundraising process when buying fundraising software. Your new software should make your organization’s current operations better. If your new solution overcomplicates things for your team and donors with unnecessary features, it’s probably not the one.

2. Create a list of potential vendors.

With so many fundraising software solutions available, it can be difficult to narrow down your options. To kickstart your research with trusted providers, we recommend heading over to Double the Donation’s partnerships hub to check out the range of innovative, best-in-class solutions that we work with.

Still too many choices? Use our software search tool to filter for different platform types, verticals served, and key functionality. In doing so, you can find the right tools and equip your team with Double the Donation’s matching gift solution to drive corporate giving revenue.

3. Check out the reviews.

You don’t have to go through the buying process alone. In fact, organizations that have previously used a particular fundraising software can be a huge help when it comes to deciding whether or not to buy. Because they’ve had experience with the product, they can attest firsthand to how it functions.

Consult online reviews other organizations have provided about the software you’re evaluating. If you see certain patterns regarding the platform’s strengths or weaknesses, it’s fairly safe to expect a similar experience.

Additionally, try reaching out to your connections in the nonprofit sector. Fundraising professionals at organizations similar to yours may have insight into the software they considered, which solutions worked, and which sent up red flags for them.

4. Book demos.

Before making your final decision, see the tools in action. Most software vendors offer informational demos, allowing prospective clients to get a better idea of their product before buying.

Check the vendor’s website to see if they feature any pre-recorded demo videos. Some providers may require basic information about your nonprofit and how you intend to use the software first, then send an on-demand demo (or perhaps even a free trial) over email or through their site.

For those further along in the buying process, many vendors also offer live online demos upon request. These experiences are more personalized and can provide a closer look at how the software will work for your organization. From here, you can make your final decision and buy the fundraising software that’s the best fit for your organization!

5. Purchase your fundraising software.

Based on your demos, make your final decision and buy the fundraising software that’s the best fit for your organization! Work with your vendor to get the technology up and running. You can also work with a fundraising technology consultant to integrate the new tools into your processes.

Our Top Fundraising Tool Pick to Drive Engagement + Revenue

Following the tips on selecting the best fundraising software, you might be wondering what our top fundraising software recommendations are. To maximize donor contributions and fundraising efficiency, we suggest choosing 360MatchPro⁠—our complete matching gift automation platform. It empowers you to identify corporate match opportunities, pinpoint your highest-value opportunities, and drive those matches to completion.

360MatchPro Overview

360MatchPro by Double the Donation enhances the matching gift process for nonprofits and their donors, increasing matching gift revenue. Our platform integrates seamlessly with a wide range of fundraising tools, such as donation forms, peer-to-peer software, and donor management systems.

Upon receiving a donation, donors who used their work email addresses for their gift are automatically evaluated by 360MatchPro to determine if they are eligible for a matching gift from their employer. If they are, the platform then sends tailored, company-specific instructions for submitting a matching gift request. If eligibility is uncertain, the software prompts donors to use an embedded company search tool to confirm their status and access real-time instructions.

Plus, 360MatchPro assists fundraisers in tracking incoming matches, providing valuable insights for forecasting match revenue, pushing stalled matches forward, and offering comprehensive reporting and analytics to assess success and identify areas for improvement in your matching gift strategy. Not to mention, our auto-submission feature is the latest advancement in matching gift technology and simplifies the donation process immensely. Watch this video for a rundown of how it works:

Studies indicate that employing a matching gift automation tool (like 360MatchPro) increases matching gift revenue for nonprofits by 61%! It even drives individual giving. 84% of survey participants indicated they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, and 1 in 3 donors indicated they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied.

With our matching gift software, the process is entirely automated, saving your organization significant time and resources. Matching gifts have never been easier⁠!

Examples of Fundraising Software In Action

When considering fundraising software, it can be useful to envision exactly what it can do for your nonprofit. Rather than relying on hypotheticals, try looking for case studies and examples of organizations that use the tools you’re considering.

To show off how the right software can elevate a nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, we’ve put together a few examples of top fundraising platforms in action:

Marietta College

*Uses GiveCampus and Double the Donation

Marietta College is a private liberal arts school consistently ranked among the top colleges in Ohio. Let’s look at the essential elements of Marietta College’s fundraising strategy and how its technology supports its goals.

Donation Page

Marietta College’s donation page is quick and easy to complete, prompting users to input basic gift details and contact information. There are also optional fields, including employer for matching gift programs, affiliation to the school, and class year, to provide additional insights for the institution.

Once the form is completed, the school’s fundraising software lets donors check out using Venmo, PayPal, Google Pay, debit/credit card, or bank transfer. Providing multiple payment methods enables organizations to meet donors where they are and drive more gifts to completion!

Confirmation Screen

After submitting their contribution, the donor is automatically rerouted to a gift confirmation screen. This web page thanks supporters for their generous contributions and provides detailed information about their employers’ matching gift programs⁠, including eligibility criteria and how to complete their matches.

By telling donors how to pursue available matching gift opportunities, more matches are driven to completion, and more revenue is generated for the institution.

Follow-Up Email

A few minutes after finalizing their donations, Marietta College supporters receive customized email follow-ups in their inboxes. These messages include appreciation emails in addition to reminders about matching gift program availability, links to online submission portals, and actionable encouragement to complete their matching gift requests.

This keeps the college and its fundraising needs at the forefront of donors’ minds for longer and ultimately results in increased corporate matching revenue to help the school reach its goals.

African Impact Foundation

*Uses Fundraise Up and Double the Donation

The African Impact Foundation was established in 2008 to equip children in Southern and Eastern Africa with the education and skills to uncover pathways out of poverty. Here’s how the foundation collects donations using powerful fundraising tools.

Multi-Step Donation Page

The African Impact Foundation leverages a multi-step donation form with which donors can submit their gifts to the organization. On the first page, individuals can select their intended donation from suggested gift sizes or enter their own amount. Additionally, they can choose to give on a recurring basis, dedicate or designate their gift, or add optional comments. The fundraising software offers multiple opportunities throughout the giving process for donors to upgrade their donations.

On the next page, donors are encouraged to double their gift impact with a matching donation. They are provided access to a matching gift company search tool to name their employer to view guidelines and available forms. In the final step, donors can choose to cover their transaction costs and check out using a credit card, PayPal, or Google Pay.

Follow-Up Email

Using the employment information provided during the initial donation process, the African Impact Foundation’s fundraising software triggers automated matching gift follow-up emails⁠, providing donors with company-specific program information and detailed next steps for submitting requests. They also use the follow-up email to thank donors and encourage them to get their gifts matched by their employing companies.

What’s Next?

With the right tools and resources in your team’s tech stack, you’ll be able to bring in more fundraising revenue without a hitch.

Interested in learning more about strategic nonprofit fundraising and the solutions available to your team? Check out these additional fundraising resources:

The Comprehensive Guide to Fundraising Technology. This free downloadable resource dives deeper into the topic of innovative fundraising technology, best practices for making software buying decisions, and more.
Database of Matching Gift and Volunteer Grant Companies. The right matching gift software can elevate the rest of your fundraising tech stack. Explore Double the Donation’s comprehensive database and automation software.
Best Corporate Volunteering Platforms: Features to Look For. Chances are, you rely on volunteers to champion your cause. Make sure you’re equipped with the right software to recruit passionate volunteers and create an unforgettable volunteer experience.

GivenGain and Double the Donation Build New 360MatchPro Integration for Matching Gifts Automation

February 24, 2024/in Learning Center /by Erin Lavender

Double the Donation and GivenGain are excited to announce a new partnership in the form of an integration between GivenGain forms and 360MatchPro, the leading matching gift automation software from Double the Donation.

“GivenGain’s mission has always been to massively boost nonprofit fundraising potential by giving them the tools to empower their supporters,” said Bryan Lively, VP Global Sales & Service at GivenGain. “With a new matching gifts integration powered by Double the Donation, we can now also help empower those supporters to increase their impact with the help of their employer.”

The integration educates donors about their match eligibility as they give, guiding them to their next steps and closing the gap of $4-7 billion funds left on the table each year.

“We’re excited to team up with GivenGain to boost campaigns with advanced matching gifts automation,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Now, nonprofits have the power to get more value from every donor interaction.”

The GivenGain and 360MatchPro integration is now available to users with GivenGain and 360MatchPro accounts. Follow our integration guide and get connected in minutes.

Are you a GivenGain user ready to start your matching gifts automation journey? Request a demo of 360MatchPro and let us know you use GivenGain for event fundraising!

Want additional resources to help you take your matching gifts strategy to the next level? Enroll today in our Matching Gift Academy for in-depth content about growing your matching gift revenue.

About GivenGain: GivenGain was founded in 2001 on one simple belief, and one global mission: that humans are amazing, and to put the fundraising in the hands of the supporters. Since then, we’ve been the online home of global generosity and we’re just getting started. GivenGain is unlike any other fundraising platform, we’re different. As a nonprofit ourselves, we’re driven by purpose, not profit, and have been shaping the world of giving for over two decades.

About Double the Donation: Automate your matching gift fundraising with the industry-leading solution from Double the Donation. The 360MatchPro platform provides nonprofits and educational institutions with tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. 360MatchPro integrates directly into donation forms, CRMs, social fundraising software, and other nonprofit technology solutions, and even partners with select CSR platforms to further streamline matching gifts for donors. Through 360MatchPro by Double the Donation, the matching gift process has never been simpler.

Graphic of a woman playing golf next to the title of the article.

Creative Marketing Ideas for Charity Golf Tournaments

February 14, 2024/in Learning Center, Fundraising Ideas, Marketing Strategies /by Adam Weinger

As a nonprofit professional, you likely already understand the importance of marketing in collecting funds and making your cause known. From attracting donors and pursuing matching gift opportunities to promoting your services to your target audience, marketing is a key strategy for successful nonprofits.

Your nonprofit’s fundraising events are no different. Successfully marketing your fundraiser is crucial to the event’s success, not to mention positive fundraising outcomes, and gets your community excited about participating.

When it comes to your charity golf tournament, it’s important to cast a wide net to attract new supporters to your cause. Golf events have a unique appeal. The sport is more popular than ever, so getting the word out about your golf fundraiser lets folks know that they can play the game they love while supporting a great cause.

Ready? Start spreading the word about your golf fundraiser today with these five creative marketing tips:

Use an Event Website
Choose a Memorable Event Name
Incorporate Gamification Elements
Collaborate With Local Celebrities & Influencers
Leverage Cause Marketing With Corporate Sponsors
Bonus: Double Event Donations with Matching Gifts

Without further ado, let’s dive in with our first recommendation.

1. Use an Event Website

An event website for your charity golf tournament serves as the homepage for the event and where folks can go to find more information and get involved. Customize the site with pertinent information about your nonprofit, its mission, and what the tournament is raising funds for. It’s also a good idea to include the tournament’s schedule, recognize sponsors, and give visitors the chance to donate.

And if you’re going to incorporate matching gifts in your event strategy (which you should!), you’ll want to ensure your site is equipped with matching gift information, too.

Interested in learning more about how corporate donation-matching can play a role in your event strategy? Jump to the bonus section now!

The best thing about an event website is that it makes promotion as simple as sharing a link in all your online channels—social media, email campaigns, your nonprofit’s website, or even online ads. You’ll also end up saving a ton of time by collecting registrations and selling sponsorships right on the website.

2. Choose a Memorable Event Name

A catchy tournament name is a great way to brand the event and your marketing campaign. A tournament logo is another option you can leverage in a variety of ways to help connect folks to the event and what it’s raising money for. For example, use the tournament logo and its branding on t-shirts for organizers and volunteers, hole signage, banners, email campaigns, promotional graphics, giveaways, and more. Of course, it should be front and center on the event website.

Get your planning team, staff, or board together for a brainstorming session to settle on a tournament name that makes a lasting impression. Some ideas to get your creative juices flowing might include:

Swing Fore the Kids
Putts Fore Pets
Fairway to Heaven
Putting for Miracles
Teeing Up Hope
Holes Fore Heroes
Scramble for a Cure

If you’d rather stick to a traditional tournament name, such as a “Charity Golf Classic” or “Memorial Golf Tournament” that’s perfectly fine—but consider a specific tournament logo that makes your event stand out.

3. Incorporate Gamification Elements

Competition is a natural part of a charity golf tournament. You can leverage friendly competition in your marketing to help engage supporters about your event. In fact, integrating gamification into your golf tournament gets supporters and participants invested before they even tee off. Try these gamification ideas to get started!

Use a fundraising thermometer or donation tracker on your event website and in social media materials. Post updates and graphics in the days and weeks leading up to the tournament so people can see how their donation can help move the needle towards your goal.

Launch a contest to encourage people to recruit additional teams to play in the tournament. Not only does this help spread awareness about your tournament and cause, but you can stoke a little friendly competition by offering prizes to those who bring in the most number of teams. You might offer mulligans, raffle tickets, and drink tickets as prizes.

Implement user-generated content challenges. Leveraging user-generated content in your marketing provides a great opportunity to broaden your campaign’s reach. For example, you could have golfers share posts with a photo of their teams in the lead-up to the event and have social media followers vote on their favorite team names or costumes by liking, commenting, or sharing posts.

Add an auction to your tournament and promote it in your pre-tournament marketing. Silent and live auctions can certainly be competitive—in the best way possible—because they drive more dollars for your nonprofit. High-end prizes like a donated stay-and-play opportunity at a destination golf club get donors excited and engaged before, during, and after the golf tournament.

4. Collaborate With Local Celebrities & Influencers

Influencer marketing is another tool in your nonprofit toolkit to spread awareness about your nonprofit and your golf event to new audiences who otherwise might not have known about it. Plus, online channels have made it easier than ever to connect with celebrities and influences who can help amplify your event. Consider these options:

Local celebrities. You don’t have to have A-list celebrities involved to make an impact. Local celebrities, like the mayor, local news anchor or meteorologist, radio personality or host, community sports team, or well-known business owner, are more accessible and can add a draw to your fundraiser. It’s a win-win—you’ll get great exposure and they’ll be publicly associated with a great cause.
Social media influencers. Whether you’re connecting with influencers in the nonprofit sector, the golf world, or in your local area, you can improve your event’s visibility with social media partnerships. NXUnite’s list of nonprofit influencers is a great resource for learning more about the nonprofit influencer space.

Once you’ve made contact with them, work together to outline a mutually beneficial partnership. Perhaps in exchange for promoting your tournament on their socials and appearing at the event, they receive a complimentary team registration or two. Consider devoting a specific part of the event to the VIP, such as a hole-in-one contest hosted by them or a signed raffle prize or auction item donated by them. Highlight their presence in your marketing materials to get the most out of the partnership.

5. Leverage Cause Marketing With Corporate Sponsors

You might think of sponsorships primarily in the context of monetary donations. But in fact, you can leverage your corporate partnerships for marketing purposes, too. Cause marketing is marketing carried out by a for-profit business to advance a charitable cause or better society—in this case, your charity golf tournament.

Reach out to your nonprofit’s current corporate partners with a mutually beneficial proposal, providing positive exposure and outcomes for both parties. Your matching gift software can help here, too, when you use donor employment insights to identify top prospects for marketing partnerships.

Then, much like with influencer marketing, think of ways to sweeten the deal in exchange for their partnership, like offering a complimentary team registration for promoting the tournament to their employees or clients.

If leveraging corporate sponsorships isn’t an option for your nonprofit, you might consider offering sponsorship packages for your golf tournament that include cause marketing components. For example, a local business might underwrite paid social media campaigns or television or radio spots in exchange for exposure to your tournament’s field. GolfStatus recommends targeting businesses that are interested in getting in front of the golfer demographic. In either case, you should work closely with the sponsor or partner to determine how you can meet each other’s needs.

Bonus: Double Event Donations with Matching Gifts

As a nonprofit fundraiser, you’re surely looking to get the biggest bang for your buck with your upcoming golf event. Fortunately, integrating employee matching gifts into your overall fundraising strategy can go a long way. And there are a few key ways to do so. These include:

Matching event donations — Any gifts contributed above and beyond an event ticket cost or registration fee can typically be matched by individuals’ employers as usual. Just let your donors know that they should complete the matching gift request process for their company. You can even use a matching gift database like Double the Donation to supply supporters with employer-specific submission forms, guidelines, and more.
Matching the tax-deductible portion of event tickets — The cost of an event ticket or registration fee might be match-eligible, too! However, this process may be a bit more nuanced depending on the individual’s employing company. While the donation portion of the transaction (which is also the tax-deductible amount) will likely qualify for a match, the event’s fair market value will typically need to be deducted from the payment total.

Corporate matching gifts not only supply nonprofits and their events with an additional source of fundraising revenue, but they also incentivize greater individual generosity. In fact, Double the Donation studies indicate that 84% of donors are more likely to give if a match is offered (resulting in a 71% increase in response rate). At the same time, 1 in 3 donors would give a larger gift if a match were available, leading to a 51% increase in average gift size.

In other words, incorporating matching gifts is one of the best ways to supercharge your efforts and bring your fundraising event success to new heights.

Wrapping Up

Once you have a date and location locked in for your charity golf tournament, you’ll want to start planning your marketing efforts so you can start gaining traction as soon as possible. Your planning team should play a crucial role in marketing your golf tournament. You might even appoint someone to take charge of marketing efforts to ensure campaigns are moving forward. A robust marketing campaign is critical to the success of your golf tournament.

Principal Gift Fundraising: Securing Transformational Gifts

February 7, 2024/in Nonprofit Basics, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

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.

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.

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.

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?

A principal gift is a major gift, but a major gift is not necessarily a principal gift.

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 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:

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?

4. Map out your relationships with major donors.

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

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 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 and volunteer grants. 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 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!

360MatchPro by 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.

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.

Despite its nuances and unique considerations, principal gift fundraising is easily the highest-impact form of fundraising that a nonprofit can conduct.

Understand its distinctions and why major donors choose to give. 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:

Learn how your business can leverage the pyramid of corporate social responsibility in this guide.

Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Go Beyond Profit

February 6, 2024/in Learning Center, Corporate Consulting /by Adam Weinger

As a leader at your company, you’ve likely heard about the widespread movement toward more socially responsible business practices. With 65% of Fortune 500 companies offering matching gift programs, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly common. In fact, 93% of employees believe that companies should lead with purpose through these programs.

However, starting a CSR program at your business can be challenging. For example, how do you know how to balance priorities like your profits with social good initiatives like corporate volunteer programs? Frameworks like the pyramid of corporate social responsibility can help you navigate these decisions.

We’ll break down what the CSR pyramid is and explore the ways your business can use it in practice. Let’s get started!

What is the pyramid of corporate social responsibility?

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a company’s commitment to social good through philanthropy and employing sustainable and ethical business practices. Socially responsible businesses aim to have a net positive impact on the world.

CSR strategies like implementing workplace giving programs and building partnerships with nonprofit organizations can also benefit your business by enhancing your reputation, attracting top talent, and boosting customer and employee loyalty.

The pyramid of corporate social responsibility is a framework depicting the importance of four key CSR dimensions: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. This model was created by Professor Archie Carroll in 1991 as a way to visualize his four-part definition of CSR. The pyramid reveals the building blocks that businesses can use to become responsible in all four areas, rather than prioritizing profits alone.

The 4 Levels of the CSR Pyramid

The CSR pyramid has four tiers of social responsibilities, including:

Economic responsibilities: This is the lowest level of the pyramid. In order to achieve success in the other three areas, your business must be profitable and financially stable. However, profitability should not come at the expense of other responsibilities, such as ethics.
Legal responsibilities: While economic responsibilities are key for providing a strong foundation for these other efforts, legal responsibilities could be considered the most important. This involved complying with all relevant laws and regulations to ensure the business is conducting its operations fairly.
Ethical responsibilities: This refers to doing the right thing and following ethical norms to fill in any gaps or ambiguities in the law. Similar to the legal layer, the purpose of being an ethical business is to operate fairly and avoid causing harm.
Philanthropic responsibilities: The final level of the pyramid includes the voluntary responsibilities that businesses take part in to go above and beyond, such as donating to a nonprofit. While businesses are not legally obligated to participate in these activities, employees are coming to expect it. For example, 60% of employees say that it’s imperative their employer offers matching gifts.

Carroll used a pyramid for this framework to highlight the importance of each facet of CSR and the order in which companies should implement changes. For example, because your business’s profitability is the foundation of the pyramid, you’ll need to make sure this area is sound before moving on to your legal responsibilities.

How can businesses use the pyramid of corporate social responsibility?

While the pyramid does a good job of transforming an abstract concept into a clear visual, it doesn’t provide instruction on the practical ways to implement these ideas at your business.

To fill in the gaps, we’ll break down some of the ways you can use the pyramid to improve your operations and explore examples from real companies:

Level 1: Economic Responsibilities

If your business cannot sustain a profit, then it will eventually have to shut down. Clearly, this would prevent you from taking part in philanthropic activities and being an ethical employer. Your company also wouldn’t be able to offer jobs to its community or provide valuable goods and services to customers.

However, it’s important to be ethical in your pursuit of profit. While working with the cheapest manufacturer to fabricate your product might increase your profits, for example, that manufacturer may be exploiting its workers in the process.

Ensure you’re meeting your economic responsibilities in ethical ways by:

Providing a positive, safe, and engaging work environment for your employees.
Offering fair, living wages and benefits to employees.
Creating high-quality products and services.
Prioritizing customers’ safety and satisfaction.
Remaining transparent about your business practices, finances, and motives.

Economically Responsible Company: Patagonia

Patagonia is a California-based clothing retailer that specializes in outdoor recreation apparel. Patagonia aims to make changes by implementing environmental and animal welfare responsibility programs that guide how the brand produces its products. Additionally, the company maintains transparency about where its facilities are located and strives to produce products under safe and humane working conditions.

These measures help Patagonia make a profit and remain economically responsible. The company is valued at about $3 billion and brings in about $100 million in revenue each year. Sales have steadily increased over the last decade, proving that sustainable businesses can be successful.

Level 2: Legal Responsibilities

Following all of the laws and regulations that apply to your business helps ensure that your company is operating fairly and not causing any harm. This can protect your business from legal implications like fines, and it is an indicator to employees and customers that you are a trustworthy organization with integrity.

While it’s best to get lawyers, accountants, and other professionals involved when it comes to legal issues, a good starting point is to make sure your company is complying with:

Employment laws
Health and safety regulations (e.g., OSHA)
Tax regulations
Environmental laws

Legally Responsible Company: Moleskine

Moleskine is an Italian company that manufactures paper goods, such as planners, notebooks, writing tools, and bags. Because its products are made from trees, Moleskine is subject to additional environmental regulations.

Moleskine meets these regulations and goes above and beyond to protect the planet. Not only does the company donate and recycle unsellable products, but they have been Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified since 2008. This indicates that the business follows relevant environmental regulations for forests and commits to nurturing, restoring, and protecting forests.

Level 3: Ethical Responsibilities

Being ethically responsible means doing the right thing even if you aren’t legally obligated to. For example, your business might implement hybrid schedules that increase sustainability by limiting how often employees need to drive to the office. Plus, initiatives like this one can boost employee engagement and retention by enhancing work-life balance.

Additionally, your business can pursue certifications to guide your decisions and signal that you are an ethical organization, including:

B Corps Certification: This designation is extended to businesses that demonstrate high social and environmental performance, make a legal commitment to prioritize ethics (e.g., adjusting the corporate governance structure to be accountable to all stakeholders), and exhibit exceptional transparency. B Corps you may have heard of include Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, and TOMS.
Fair trade certifications: These apply to items like food, drink, housewares, and apparel. Companies are held to fair labor standards such as providing a sustainable income and practicing environmental stewardship. Popular certifications include Fair Trade USA Certified and Fairtrade International.
Animal welfare certifications: These certifications are concerned with the treatment of animals in the manufacturing process. Some certify that the products did not test on animals while others confirm that products are free of any animal products (e.g., vegan leather or almond milk). Widely used certifications include Leaping Bunny, PETA, and Vegan.org.

Ethically Responsible Company: Ben & Jerry’s

Ben & Jerry’s is a Vermont-based ice cream company. The business has been dedicated to supporting progressive causes and operating sustainably and fairly for decades, following core values such as human rights and dignity, social and economic justice, and environmental protection. In their own words, they strive to be “a social justice company that makes ice cream.”

In addition to being a Certified B Corporation, Ben & Jerry’s shows its commitment to ethics in almost every aspect of its operations. The company supports supplier diversity, helps farmers thrive through organizations like Fairtrade International, and believes in animal welfare. Ben & Jerry’s also works to protect the environment by reducing its carbon footprint, running energy-efficient freezers, and using FSC-certified paper packaging.

Level 4: Philanthropic Responsibilities

Finally, your business should focus on driving change through philanthropy. There are many ways to contribute to charitable causes and issues that your business and employees are passionate about. Choose initiatives based on the time and resources you have available along with your CSR goals. For instance, if you aim to increase employee engagement with your CSR programs, opt for philanthropy initiatives that put employees in the driver’s seat.

Some popular CSR programs include:

Matching gifts: Through these programs, employers offer to match the donations their employees make to charitable organizations. For example, if one of your employees donates $100 to a local nonprofit, your company would match that donation with an additional $100. This way, employees can double their impact without needing to give more. Many of the most successful companies in the world have matching gift programs, including Microsoft, Coca-Cola, and Disney.
Corporate volunteerism: With a corporate volunteer program, your company will coordinate with a nonprofit to have your employees volunteer with the organization. For example, you might have optional volunteer hours for employees over the weekends. Or, you can set up company-wide volunteer days where employees can choose to spend the whole day volunteering.
Volunteer grants: Volunteer grants, sometimes called Dollars for Doers programs, allow employees to turn the time they spend volunteering into more money for the nonprofits they support. Some companies give donations based on an hourly rate (e.g., $20 per hour volunteered) while others give a flat amount once employees pass a certain hours threshold (e.g., $500 once the employee reaches 20 volunteer hours).
Corporate grants and sponsorships: Corporate grants supply nonprofits with the funding they need for a specific project or initiative. When awarding grants, you have more control over what the funding will be used for. Additionally, you may offer corporate sponsorships. These tend to be more informal than a grant and might fund things like fundraising events.

Philanthropically Responsible Company: TOMS

TOMS is a California-based company that designs and manufactures shoes, eyewear, and other apparel. The company gained acclaim for its pledge to donate one pair of shoes to someone in need for every pair sold. While TOMS has since phased out this initiative, it continues to focus strongly on philanthropic activities.

Like Ben & Jerry’s, TOMS is a Certified B Corporation that meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. The business focuses its efforts on causes like mental health and increasing access to opportunity. Notably, TOMS invests one-third of its profits for grassroots good to drive sustainable change for community organizations.

What are some challenges of implementing the CSR pyramid framework?

As with any academic theory, there are some criticisms of Carroll’s CSR pyramid. Some critics point out that the pyramid doesn’t show businesses how to approach conflicting obligations (e.g., choosing an unethical supplier for the sake of profits). Others argue that the pyramid should place more weight on ethics in general, particularly for global companies that employ workers across regions with varying levels of labor and environmental regulation.

However, it’s worth noting that many companies face negative backlash from neglecting ethics—this backlash ultimately impacts their bottom line. When Rhianna’s Savage x Fenty clothing brand received an abysmal ethics rating of 4 out of 125, fans of the star and her brands were shocked. The company’s reputation was harmed, and many loyal customers expressed hesitation over shopping from the business again.

Additionally, keep in mind that the CSR pyramid is just one framework that businesses can use to structure their CSR efforts. For example, some companies choose to follow the 3 Ps model instead. This idea falls under the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory and posits that companies should work on the following bottom lines simultaneously: profit, people, and planet. Ultimately, you’ll need to select a framework that aligns with your business’s current situation and resources.

Wrapping Up

The pyramid of corporate social responsibility reveals your organization’s core responsibilities to its community and how CSR fits into your operations. With this understanding, you can better allocate resources toward more sustainable, ethical practices. Additionally, you’ll make strides toward a more streamlined and effective CSR program, allowing you to make a bigger impact on your community.

To continue optimizing your CSR initiatives and getting employees involved, check out these additional resources:

How to Implement Corporate Social Responsibility Software. Most modern CSR programs rely on software to stay organized. This buyer’s guide explains everything you need to know about choosing a tool.
Get Your Team Motivated! Employee Engagement Strategies. Engaged employees are better for your business and its CSR program. Discover these strategies to take employees from uninterested to invested.
Matching Gift Auto-Submission + CSR Platforms: What to Know. Looking for ways to streamline your matching gift process? See how auto-submission can help, and find out if your CSR vendor supports it.

The title of the article next to an illustration of people putting a puzzle together, representing nonprofit capacity building.

Nonprofit Capacity Building: How to Grow Your Organization

February 6, 2024/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

When researching nonprofit capacity building, the definitions you find may seem a bit vague. You may hear the term at a board meeting, fundraising team gathering, or networking event and wonder “What exactly defines my nonprofit’s capacity, and why is it so important to build?”

The truth is that many definitions of nonprofit capacity building are very generalized because the term means different things in the context of different organizations. What allows an animal shelter to grow and support its mission may look much different from what an environmental organization, museum, or public school needs to thrive.

No matter what type of nonprofit you run, here’s what you’ll need to know about capacity building:

What is nonprofit capacity building?
Why is nonprofit capacity building important?
How to Create a Strong Nonprofit Capacity Building Strategy
5 Ways to Enhance Your Nonprofit’s Capacity

To help your organization forge its own path, we’ll define what nonprofit capacity building may look like for different organizations and offer tips for creating a strong capacity building strategy that fits your nonprofit’s needs.

What is nonprofit capacity building?

The National Council of Nonprofits defines nonprofit capacity building as “whatever is needed to bring a nonprofit to the next level of operational, programmatic, financial, or organizational maturity, so it may more effectively and efficiently advance its mission into the future.”

This definition is relative to your nonprofit’s unique goals and operations, but the ultimate objective is to realize your operational potential. That way, you can fulfill your mission to the best of your nonprofit’s ability.

To build capacity, your nonprofit may employ a mix of three approaches:

Individual. By investing in individual team members, you can ensure your team has the resources and training they need to be successful in their roles. For instance, you may offer a mentoring program to help new employees acclimate to your organization and get advice from their coworkers.
Organizational. Tools like office equipment and fundraising software help your organization run more effectively. To secure the resources needed for organizational capacity building, you may turn to corporate partnerships or brainstorm ways to diversify your revenue.
Systemic. At the systemic level, you may lobby for policy changes that will help your organization better fulfill its mission or strengthen your nonprofit’s board. Many nonprofits turn to a community of practice for assistance, which is a group bonded by a common goal that provides knowledge about nonprofit causes and helps organizations apply for grants.

When you combine individual, organizational, and systemic nonprofit capacity building, you fortify all areas of your organization and ensure each has the resources necessary to carry out mission-critical work.

Why is nonprofit capacity building important?

Nonprofit capacity building allows your organization to create a healthy infrastructure that supports future growth and longevity. Through capacity building, your nonprofit will receive a variety of benefits, including:

Enhanced impact. When you increase your nonprofit’s operational capacity, you can expand your nonprofit’s programs and services. As a result, you can make a greater impact on your community and beneficiaries. For example, an animal shelter’s increased capacity would enable it to offer additional spay and neuter services and rehome even more animals.
Improved sustainability. One of the top methods of nonprofit capacity building is diversifying your revenue streams. With funds flowing into your organization from different sources, your nonprofit will be more financially stable and sustainable.
Increased efficiency. Investing in tools and training that help team members perform their roles effectively makes day-to-day tasks more efficient. With less time going to logistics, you can spend more time on mission-critical activities.
Better adaptability. With funding from different sources and a variety of resources at your disposal, your nonprofit will be better equipped to take on challenges. Whether you’re trying to keep up with trends in your nonprofit’s sector, responding to crises, or adjusting to evolving community needs, your organization can quickly adapt and carry on with its mission.
Long-term viability. Ultimately, nonprofit capacity building sets your organization up for long-term success. It ensures you’re taking full advantage of all resources at your disposal to enact lasting change in your community.

Your nonprofit’s focus should be your mission. When you allocate time to capacity building, you strengthen your nonprofit’s operations so all underlying processes are as efficient as possible, allowing your mission to remain at the forefront.

How to Create a Strong Nonprofit Capacity Building Strategy

Like with any strategy, it’s essential to follow a systematic approach to building your nonprofit’s capacity. That way, you can craft a strategy that’s thorough and fits your organization’s unique needs.

To develop your nonprofit capacity building strategy, keep these steps in mind:

1. Start with your mission.

As mentioned before, your mission is at the heart of your nonprofit’s operations. Think about how all elements of your organization come together to support your mission, and determine any areas you could improve to better achieve your goals.

For example, an organization for at-risk youth may have a mentoring program that has worked well for beneficiaries in the past but is currently understaffed. This nonprofit may look into hiring additional staff members or volunteers to manage the program so it can better fulfill its mission of providing a brighter future for at-risk students.

As your organization grows and changes, so may its priorities. Before diving into the nonprofit capacity building process, take a careful look at your mission to ensure it still reflects your organization’s current services and values. You may eliminate facets of your mission if they’re no longer relevant or make additions if your nonprofit has taken on new initiatives.

For instance, a healthcare organization may have added a focus on stopping the spread of COVID-19 to its mission in 2020 when the pandemic began but might have removed this element in May 2023 when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to the global Public Health Emergency (PHE) caused by the virus.

2. Evaluate your needs and current resources.

Next, assess your organization’s most pressing needs and whether you have the resources to address them. While some needs may be more readily apparent, others may require further investigation.

All staff members, board members, and volunteers have different perspectives on your organization that allow them to identify unmet needs. Send periodic surveys that invite these stakeholders to provide feedback on your nonprofit’s operations. You may also host discussions during team meetings to obtain more candid feedback on your organization’s needs.

Once you’ve compiled a list of your nonprofit’s highest-priority needs, evaluate your current resources’ ability to fulfill them. You may consider the following questions when assessing your needs and resources:

Is there a deadline for addressing this need?
What are the costs associated with addressing this need?
How many team members do we need to address this need?
Do we have the appropriate equipment to address this need?

If your nonprofit has some resource gaps to fill, brainstorm how you can efficiently acquire the tools you need at a low cost.

For instance, you may find that your organization is eligible for a grant that would help you cover the costs of obtaining fundraising software. Additionally, if you don’t have enough staff to address a pressing need, you may tap into your corporate partnerships to see if they’re willing to donate their services pro bono or leverage your volunteer network.

3. Get your team involved.

Your team’s involvement in nonprofit capacity building shouldn’t end with them offering their initial input. Lean on the support of staff, board members, and volunteers to implement your capacity building plans.

Your board in particular should have a role in creating your capacity building strategy. As the governing body of your organization, your nonprofit board can decide how to best allocate resources for capacity building and successfully address each need.

If you need additional support in developing your nonprofit capacity building strategy, enlist the help of a nonprofit consultant. An outsider’s perspective may be just what your organization needs to provide an objective opinion about your capacity building priorities.

4. Determine your goals and timeline.

Clear goals and metrics will break your needs down into manageable goals and help you evaluate your progress. Stick to the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) goal framework to ensure your goals are actionable.

Let’s say that your nonprofit is looking to develop a new onboarding process that better informs team members of their responsibilities, company culture, and your mission. Take a look at how your team may qualify and quantify this objective using the SMART goal framework:

Specific. Our human resources team will create and implement new onboarding materials that give a more holistic, comprehensive view of each team member’s role, the organization’s culture, and the underlying nonprofit mission and services.
Measurable. Our goal is to increase new team member efficiency by 20% by providing them with the resources they need to succeed from the start.
Achievable. In the past, we’ve made slight improvements to our onboarding process and have seen small gains in new team member efficiency. We’re hoping that a larger-scale revamp of the new hire onboarding process will allow us to see even greater results in employee motivation and productivity.
Relevant. When team members have a better understanding of their roles and how they contribute to the organization’s purpose, they’ll work more efficiently and effectively. Consequently, we’ll spend less team member time on logistical tasks and more on urgent, mission-critical work.
Time-Bound. Our human resources team will develop this new program over the course of the next quarter. Then, we’ll roll it out to the next batch of new hires and measure their subsequent performance.

Applying the SMART goal framework to your nonprofit’s needs can also help you determine which ones to address first. You may be able to address multiple needs at once or have to prioritize certain needs over others in order to commit your full attention and resources to each one.

5. Invest in the right tools.

Once you’ve further defined your goals, you may notice you’re missing some of the tools or software you need to succeed. For instance, if you’re launching a campaign to promote a new service your nonprofit is offering, you may need to invest in new marketing software that will automate your outreach.

Although it’s best to take full advantage of the resources you currently have, an investment in the right tools is an investment in your nonprofit’s future. To increase your nonprofit’s capacity, it may be worth it to purchase new software or obtain additional resources that will make your nonprofit’s operations more efficient.

6. Track your progress.

Before you embark on your nonprofit capacity building efforts, set up benchmarks that allow you to mark your progress. You may schedule monthly check-ins with the appropriate team, take notes on the state of each project, or survey those involved with each endeavor to see where you can improve your efforts.

For all goals with clear performance metrics, make sure to check your campaign data regularly to ensure you’re on track. For example, if you’re running a capital campaign and intend to raise $10,000 overall, download reports from your fundraising software each month that indicate how much money you’ve raised in the past month and how much you’ve raised throughout the campaign.

5 Ways to Enhance Your Nonprofit’s Capacity

Now that we’ve covered the basics of nonprofit capacity building, it’s time to dive into some specific strategies you can implement to enhance your nonprofit’s capacity. While your organization’s specific plan will depend on your goals and resources, here are some ways nonprofits in a variety of sectors can expand their operations and increase efficiency:

1. Invest in matching gift software.

Our top recommendation is to invest in matching gift software. Companies that offer matching gift programs match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits. While most companies match employee contributions at a 1:1 ratio, some match at a 2:1 or even 3:1 ratio.

However, 78% of donors are unaware if they’re eligible for matching gift opportunities. As a result, they don’t fill out matching gift requests, and nonprofits collectively miss out on $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds each year.

Matching gift software resolves this matching gift gap by automatically informing donors of their matching gift eligibility and prompting them to fill out a matching gift request form. Nonprofits can embed this type of tool right on their donation pages so that donors can submit their requests immediately after contributing. Check out the video below to learn more about how our matching gift software, 360MatchPro, helps nonprofits earn more:

As the video explains, 360MatchPro users raise 35% more in matching gifts each year. This passive income allows charitable organizations to expand their programming and ultimately help more beneficiaries.

To make the matching gift process more efficient and help your nonprofit earn even more, some matching gift platforms offer auto-submission. Instead of donors filling out a matching gift request form, all they have to do is input their company email address and check a box indicating they’d like to opt into auto-submission. Then, the platform creates and sends the request to the donor’s employer on the donor’s behalf, driving even more matches to completion.

2. Provide professional development opportunities.

When you invest in each individual staff member at your nonprofit, you fortify the team as a whole. Professional development opportunities allow team members to hone their skills and build confidence.

The types of opportunities you may offer include:

Workshops
Conferences
Online learning courses
Mentorship programs
Guest speaker sessions
Certifications

To ensure team members are motivated to participate in professional development opportunities, survey them to see which they’d be most interested in. Then, implement the most popular methods to begin growing your staff’s skills while measuring the opportunities’ engagement and impact.

3. Diversify revenue streams.

Imagine your nonprofit’s only source of revenue is from individual donations. You have a large donor base with many generous recurring donors. However, the economy starts to decline, and you notice donation revenue is decreasing as a result. Suddenly, you begin to worry that you won’t have enough funds to cover all of your programming and have to start cutting important services that your beneficiaries depend on.

Building your nonprofit’s capacity should make your organization more sustainable. However, if you rely on one main revenue source, you put your nonprofit at risk.

Tapping into a variety of revenue streams allows your nonprofit’s finances to remain steady, even if one source dries up. We recommend leveraging a combination of the following revenue streams:

Individual donations. These may include one-time donations, recurring donations, planned gifts, major gifts, and in-kind donations.
Corporate philanthropy. Charitably-minded companies contribute to nonprofits through matching gifts, volunteer grants, community grants, event sponsorships, automatic payroll deductions, annual giving campaigns, and more.
Earned income. Your organization can earn funds by selling merchandise, charging membership dues, and selling event tickets.
Investments. Sometimes, nonprofits receive major gifts in the form of endowments that they can deposit into an investment account. Your organization can also open and invest in a brokerage account, just like individuals can.
Grants. There are all sorts of different grants out there that government entities, corporations, and foundations provide to nonprofits. You can even apply for specific nonprofit capacity building grants.

Once you’ve properly diversified your nonprofit’s revenue streams, keep track of how much you’re earning from each method for internal and tax filing purposes. If you need help reporting your nonprofit’s revenue, partner with a nonprofit accountant.

4. Rework your strategic plan.

Your nonprofit’s strategic plan serves as your roadmap for success. It aligns your organization’s goals with its values to provide a strong foundation for decision-making.

Since your strategic plan helps you prioritize projects and navigate challenges, it’s a good idea to revisit it when trying to build your nonprofit’s capacity. You may find that your organization’s initial strategic plan is not comprehensive enough to cover all of your current operations or that the goals outlined in your plan no longer reflect your nonprofit’s current priorities.

When you update your strategic plan, you can get all your team members on the same plan and provide more direction to your nonprofit capacity building efforts.

5. Network with other industry professionals.

From time to time, you may feel stuck with how to properly build your nonprofit’s capacity. Luckily, there are many nonprofit professionals out there who have gone through the process and can provide advice on how to improve your organization’s operations.

Networking is essential to gaining insider industry knowledge and building inter-organizational relationships. Start networking with other nonprofit professionals by:

Attending nonprofit conferences and conventions
Participating in nonprofit webinars and panels
Joining an association for nonprofit professionals
Engaging in online nonprofit communities

By connecting with others in your industry, you can help each other navigate challenges and learn from each other’s experiences. Along the way, you’ll acquire tips that will help you build your nonprofit’s capacity and operate more efficiently.

Wrapping Up

Nonprofit capacity building is an ongoing process. As your organization grows and changes, new ways to scale your operations or function more efficiently will emerge. It’s up to your team to build a strong foundation for building capacity by evaluating your organization’s values, goals, and resources. Then, develop a strategy based on your nonprofit’s current needs and work with staff, board members, and volunteers to implement it.

Want to dive deeper into some of the nonprofit capacity building strategies we’ve covered? Check out the following resources:

Must-Have Types of Nonprofit Software for Your Org in 2024. The right software can help you quickly build your nonprofit’s capacity. Learn about a variety of different types of nonprofit software to determine which is best for your organization’s current and future needs.
16 Free & Low-Cost Nonprofit Webinars To Amplify Your Work. Nonprofit webinars can help you stay on top of industry trends, hone your skills, and network with other industry professionals. This guide reviews 16 of the top free and low-cost nonprofit webinars you can join.
Matching Gift Databases: What Nonprofits Should Know in 2024. With comprehensive matching gift databases and software, you can empower your donors to drive matches to completion. Earn more for your cause equipped with knowledge about matching gift tools.

Discover everything nonprofits should know about creating donor recognition, walls, and signs.

Donor Walls, Plaques, & Signs: The Best Recognition Strategy

February 5, 2024/in Donor communications, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Imagine a place where every name tells a story of generosity, where each plaque and sign is a testament to selfless giving. That’s the power of well-conceived donor recognition. This guide invites you into a world where gratitude meets artistry. We’ll help you understand why expressing gratitude through donor walls, plaques, and signs is more than a courtesy—it’s a catalyst for continued philanthropy.

Recognizing donors is an art form, and through donor walls, plaques, and signs, your supporters’ contributions can be immortalized. This guide will help you fully understand these symbols of gratitude, from their basic concepts to the intricate process of designing them. We’ll explore the following:

FAQs About Donor Recognition Walls, Signs, and Plaques
Why Donor Walls, Plaques, and Signs Are Effective
When to Recognize With Donor Recognition Displays
How to Design Donor Recognition Walls, Signs, and Plaques
Working With A Donor Recognition Wall Agency

Whether you’re a nonprofit, an educational institution, or a healthcare facility, understanding donor recognition is key to fostering lasting relationships with those who support your mission. In no time, you’ll create a recognition space that honors donors and inspires future generosity.

FAQs About Donor Recognition Walls, Signs, and Plaques

What’s A Donor Recognition Wall?

A donor recognition wall is a wall that displays the names of major donors or donors who contributed to a particular campaign. The wall can take many creative forms depending on the campaign. Donor recognition walls can display a lot of names, so they are most often installed after a large capital campaign. Walls are usually permanent installations, though digital walls can be updated often.

What’s A Donor Recognition Sign?

Similarly to a donor recognition wall, a donor recognition sign often lists the names of donors who contributed to a particular campaign. A sign is usually portable and printed on a plastic or vinyl banner instead of metal or brick. As such, donor recognition signs are better choices for charity walks and other off-site or outdoor sponsored events.

What’s A Donor Recognition Plaque?

When an individual, organization, or small group of individuals are the sole or lead donors to a particular campaign, honor those supporters with a donor recognition plaque. Plaques are often posted outside doors in buildings that a major contribution helped build. Donors could also take their plaques home with them if you don’t have anywhere permanent to house them.

How Much Do Donor Recognition Walls, Signs, Or Plaques Cost?

The cost of donor recognition walls, signs, or plaques can vary widely depending on factors such as:

Materials: Common materials include acrylic, glass, metal, and wood. Higher-end materials like bronze or tempered glass will be more expensive. Simple acrylic or wood plaques can start below a hundred dollars, while premium materials can run into thousands.
Size and Complexity: A small, basic plaque might cost as little as $50 to $200, while larger, intricate wall installations can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands, especially for custom designs or interactive digital displays.
Design and Customization: Custom designs, including engraving, intricate patterns, or digital elements like screens or interactive features, will add to the cost.
Installation: Professional installation can also increase costs, especially for larger or more complex structures.

As an estimate, small to medium-sized organizations might spend anywhere from a few hundred to several thousand dollars on donor recognition, while larger institutions with extensive customization and high-quality materials could see costs exceeding $10,000.

Get quotes from multiple vendors and consider the balance between cost, durability, and aesthetic appeal to find the best solution.

How Do You Make A Donor Wall, Sign, Or Plaque?

To make a donor wall, sign, or plaque, you’ll need to work with a professional designer or signage company to design and manage the fabrication and installation process, ensuring that the final product aligns with the intended aesthetic and quality standards. For a more cost-effective solution, you might work with a local artist to hand paint a donor wall.

What Should Donor Recognition Walls, Signs, And Plaques Say?

When deciding what to write on your donor recognition walls, signs, and plaques, aim for grateful language that highlights your donors, not your own efforts.

Remember, the purpose of plaques is to reward your current donors and encourage prospective donors to give to future campaigns.

Think about phrases like:

“Donated in honor of her grandmother, Sarah.”
“Made possible by the generosity of Jenna Smith and her family.”
“In recognition of the charitable spirit of Matt Jones.”

Especially when creating plaques for individual donors, ask the honorees how they’d like to be acknowledged.

Why Donor Walls, Plaques, and Signs Are Effective

Donor walls, plaques, and signs all provide a tangible way to thank donors and create a sense of community. Each one serves as a visual testament to the generosity of the individuals and corporate sponsors who contribute to a cause or institution. Most commonly, organizations create these recognition installations to:

Show donor appreciation. A key element of effective donor retention is showing your supporters you appreciate their contributions. An easy way to celebrate your donors is to post their names publicly!
Build a legacy. A wall, sign, or plaque sticks around for a long time, sometimes as long as the building is still standing. This long-term expression of gratitude speaks to donors, especially those leaving planned gifts to your organization.
Inspire others to give. It’s not just your past donors who see your walls, signs, and plaques — prospective donors also see them as they walk by or scroll by them online. Seeing the public commendation a donation receives will encourage others to give!

By showcasing names and contributions prominently, a donor wall, plaque, or sign fosters a sense of community and investment among stakeholders.

When to Recognize Donors on Walls, Signs, and Plaques

Any organization that wants to honor donors meaningfully can create donor recognition walls, signs, or plaques. This includes nonprofits, foundations, higher education institutions, faith-based organizations, athletic associations, and medical facilities.

In other words, recognize your donors if you have them! It’s just a matter of determining who you’ll recognize. Here are some types of impactful supporters to thank with your display or plaque:

Your major donors deserve to have their names posted somewhere prominent. For example, you might name a certain hallway or room after a major donor who helped build it by donating to a capital campaign. If you raised money to construct or renovate a building, you’ve got a natural place to post your donor recognition wall or plaque permanently.
Planned gifts are often among the largest that a nonprofit receives, so planned givers should definitely be included in donor recognition walls, signs, and plaques. Prominently placing their names can even encourage others to leave planned gifts.
Matching gift donors put in the extra effort to request matches from their employers, so commemorate their efforts by featuring them on a donor wall or sign or by sending them a plaque.
In-kind donors are equally important to your other supporters. Especially if you host events, you’ve likely received some in-kind gifts from sponsors, such as a venue, equipment, or staffing. You can specify the kind of donation you received on your donor recognition wall, sign, or plaque.
Thank your crowdfunders by posting your donor recognition wall, signs, and plaques online! Many crowdfunding websites offer this feature.
Individuals aren’t the only ones who donate. Chances are, you rely on sponsors for revenue, too, so don’t forget to thank companies and organizations that sponsor your events or contribute to your campaigns!

Of course, you’ll want to set a threshold for how much someone needs to donate to earn a spot on your donor wall. Determine your contribution levels and what kind of reward will be associated with each one. Leverage your donor database to determine who meets each threshold. Then, add each contributor to your display.

How to Design Your Donor Recognition Displays

Now that you understand the fundamentals, let’s delve into the process of creating impactful and memorable recognition pieces, complete with examples and design tips.

Choose A Style.

Start by considering where you’ll build your display. Your donor wall, sign, or plaque should complement its surroundings. In a historic building, traditional materials might blend in better, whereas in a new, minimalist space, contemporary designs could be more fitting.

In terms of materials, here are some common styles of donor recognition walls, signs, and plaques to consider:

Glass: For a clean, classic way to show appreciation for donors, glass is a great choice. However, glass walls and plaques aren’t as portable as other materials, so use glass for capital campaign donors who helped build a new building or another stationary object. Just make sure your glass wall is in a safe place, away from children or machinery that could break it!
Stone: Marble or granite creates a sense of permanence and prestige, making it ideal for monumental or commemorative displays.
Brick: When organizing a capital campaign for a building, especially for a school or hospital, a sentimental way to recognize your donors is with brick. The symbolism is obvious: your donors are the building blocks to your success. You could make an entire donor recognition wall sidewalk out of brick, or post plaques on individual bricks for your donors to take home with them.
Metal: Brass, bronze, and other metals are durable and versatile. That makes them suitable for both traditional and contemporary designs.
Acrylic: This is a versatile, cost-effective option that can mimic glass or be used in colorful designs.
Digital: What if you want to keep a running tally of your donors’ gift amounts, incorporating healthy competition into your donor recognition wall? What if you want to use your wall for more than one campaign? By installing a digital donor recognition wall, you can! Though it might be more expensive in the short term, you can reuse a digital wall more easily than permanent materials.

Each material has its unique qualities and can be chosen based on the desired aesthetic, durability, maintenance requirements, and budget.

Know What Elements to Include.

When designing a donor wall, sign, or plaque, incorporating key elements is crucial to effectively acknowledge contributions, show impact, and convey the right message. Depending on which type of display you choose, here are the fundamental components to include:

Fundraising Campaign Name: Clearly display the name of the fundraising initiative. This connects each donor’s contributions to the specific project they supported.
Donor’s Preferred Name: This personalizes the recognition and honors the individual or entity making the contribution.
Gift Amount: Listing the gift amount is optional, depending on your organization’s policy and donors’ preferences. When included, it can highlight the level of support and encourage others to contribute.
Organization’s Name and Logo: Feature your organization’s name and logo prominently to reinforce brand identity.
Timeframe of the Gift: Indicate the period during which the donations were made. This contextualizes the support and can be particularly relevant for ongoing or annual campaigns.

Each of these elements is vital for creating a meaningful, effective donor recognition display, ensuring that contributors feel valued and appreciated for their support.

Create A Strong Layout.

How you arrange elements on a donor recognition wall, plaque, or sign is a critical aspect of its design. For starters, ensure the layout strikes the right balance and avoids an overly cluttered or excessively sparse appearance. The layout must enhance the overall design and harmonize with the architectural characteristics of the surrounding space.

Above all, it needs to resonate with your organization’s purpose and align with your campaign’s objectives. For example, a sleek, minimalist arrangement might represent vibrancy, whereas a detailed, gallery-like setup could reflect the rich heritage of your organization’s endeavors.

Moreover, the layout offers an excellent chance to differentiate between various donor tiers through varying sizes and prominence. For instance, matching gift donors or top matching gift companies that support your nonprofit could have a special designation.

Infuse Your Nonprofit’s Branding.

Infusing your branding into a donor wall, sign, or plaque display is crucial for maintaining a consistent identity. For instance, a modern, tech-focused company might prefer a sleek, digital display, while a traditional academic institution might prefer classic materials like wood or brass.

To effectively incorporate your organization’s brand, consider the following elements:

Color Scheme: Utilize your organization’s color palette in the display. Consistent use of brand colors strengthens recognition and ties the donor wall to your nonprofit’s overall identity.
Logo and Typography: Incorporate your nonprofit’s logo prominently in the design. Ensure the typography used for other text matches or complements your official fonts.
Brand Messaging: Include key phrases or a mission statement that encapsulates your organization’s ethos. This reinforces your nonprofit’s purpose in the display.
Imagery and Graphics: If your brand has specific icons or graphic styles, integrate these elements into the design. This could be through background images, borders, or decorative elements.
Material and Style Consistency: Choose materials and a style that resonates with your nonprofit’s character. For instance, a modern, tech-focused nonprofit might opt for sleek, contemporary materials like glass or metal, while a community-oriented organization might prefer warm, natural materials like wood.

By following these guidelines, you can create a donor recognition display that not only honors contributors but also serves as an extension of your organization’s brand, enhancing its visibility and impact.

Working With A Donor Recognition Wall Agency

Working with a donor recognition wall, sign, or plaque agency can streamline and enhance the process of creating an impactful, professional display. These agencies specialize in understanding the unique needs and vision of organizations, bringing expertise through the following services:

Design Expertise: These agencies offer professional design services to create a visually appealing and memorable donor wall. This can include innovative layouts, the use of color, and the organization’s branding.
Material Selection: Agencies can choose the right materials for the donor wall, such as glass, metal, wood, or digital displays. They understand the durability and maintenance requirements of different materials, ensuring that the wall remains attractive over time.
Digital Integration: For a modern touch, agencies can incorporate digital elements such as touch screens, allowing for interactive experiences and easy updates as new donors contribute. Some agencies also offer services to extend the donor wall experience to online platforms.
Scalability: They can design donor walls that are scalable, allowing for easy updates as more donors contribute over time, without compromising the overall design integrity.
Installation and Maintenance: They manage the installation process, ensuring that the donor wall is securely and properly installed. They can also provide guidance on how to maintain the wall.
Unveiling Events: Agencies can assist in planning unveiling ceremonies to celebrate and acknowledge donors, making the donor wall a focal point of these events.

For instance, Eleven Fifty Seven designs and builds custom donor recognition walls to celebrate your supporters and your purpose. They blend creativity with functionality, ensuring the final product aligns not just with aesthetic preferences but also with practical considerations like space, durability, and budget. From the initial idea to thoughtful designs to the finished product, their team will collaborate with you to create something truly meaningful.

Their process involves understanding your nonprofit’s needs and even includes a space planning process. Through on-site and virtual brainstorming sessions with your team, Eleven Fifty Seven develops the entire look and feel of your donor recognition wall, ensuring it’s unique. Then, their team handles to process of creating your donor recognition wall by doing all the fabrication in-house, as well as handling project management and installation.

Whether you’re looking to create a traditional donor recognition display or think beyond the wall, Eleven Fifty Seven can help you do it.

Additional Donor Recognition Resources

In the tapestry of philanthropy, each thread of support weaves a rich narrative of community, innovation, and progress. Recognizing the individuals behind these threads transforms gratitude into an art form.

A well-branded donor wall, sign, or plaque can act as a powerful marketing and engagement tool. You’ll not only acknowledge donors but also communicate your organization’s values to visitors, potential donors, and the wider community.

To continue learning about powerful fundraising and donor recognition, explore these carefully curated resources:

How to Ask for Donations: A Nonprofit’s Guide. Before you can celebrate your donors’ contributions to your campaign, you need to ask them to donate! Write the perfect donation solicitation to encourage participation in your fundraising campaigns.
Donor Retention: How to Unlock Lasting Loyalty Among Donors. Showing appreciation is one of the keys to inspiring long-lasting support. Cultivate stronger relationships with other actionable advice in this guide.
Donor Gifts to Express Your Appreciation For Supporters. Donor walls, plaques, and signs are wonderful ways to commemorate supporters. Explore other tangible appreciation ideas in this inspirational guide.

The title of the article next to an illustration of a nonprofit board orientation.

Nonprofit Board Orientation: How to Get New Members On Track

February 5, 2024/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Imagine this: you’ve been a passionate advocate and donor for a nonprofit’s cause for many years. When the organization reaches out with an invitation to join its board, you’re ecstatic about the opportunity and eagerly accept.

However, when you show up to your first board meeting, you quickly realize that your role as a nonprofit supporter has not adequately familiarized you with the ins and outs of the organization. Suddenly, your excitement for this new opportunity turns to nervousness and frustration. You don’t feel prepared enough to contribute during the meeting and instead wonder how and when you’ll be brought up to speed about the board and the nonprofit’s general operations.

As a nonprofit board chair or president, it’s your job to avoid scenarios like these and ensure your board operates effectively. By holding a proper nonprofit board orientation, you create a smooth transition for new board members and simplify board management.

In this guide, we’ll cover the following nonprofit board orientation topics:

What is nonprofit board orientation?
Who should participate in nonprofit board orientation?
Why is holding a nonprofit board orientation important?
How to Prepare for Your Nonprofit Board Orientation

Throughout the article, we’ll answer all of your nonprofit board orientation questions and offer tips to ensure it’s a positive experience for all parties involved, including new board members, existing board members, and board leadership.

What is nonprofit board orientation?

Nonprofit board orientation is the process of informing new board members about your board’s structure and policies, as well as your organization’s mission and overarching goals.

While nonprofit board orientations are typically in-person, single-session meetings, nonprofits have adapted their board orientation formats in recent years. You may choose to host your orientation in multiple in-person sessions or through live virtual, asynchronous virtual, or hybrid sessions.

No matter which format you implement, your nonprofit board orientation should review the following information:

Your nonprofit’s mission, history, and values
Your nonprofit’s strategic goals
Your nonprofit’s budget
Your board’s structure
Your board’s bylaws and key policies
The roles and responsibilities of board members
The frequency and format of board meetings

At the end of orientation, new board members should feel prepared to attend their first meeting, equipped with the knowledge they need to succeed in their new role. Even if your orientation materials are extremely thorough, be sure to leave time for questions to clear up any confusion and ensure new board members fully understand their responsibilities.

Who should participate in a nonprofit board orientation?

New board members are the main audience of your nonprofit board orientation. However, you should incorporate other team members into your orientation to provide a holistic experience for new members.

Here are the main groups that should participate in your orientation, as well as their roles:

New board members. New board members should attend your nonprofit board orientation ready and eager to learn about your organization. They should review all relevant materials, take notes, and ask any questions they may have about your organization or board.
Current board members. Your orientation is a great chance for new and current board members to get to know each other. Current board members may also help lead presentations during orientation and act as mentors for the new members. Additionally, they may benefit from going through the orientation process again to reinforce their background knowledge of your nonprofit.
Board chair or president. The board chair or president should attend to welcome new board members and manage the orientation experience. They may lead sessions and provide information about board members’ roles and responsibilities.
Executive director or CEO. Since the executive director or CEO is the most knowledgeable about your nonprofit’s mission, history, and goals, they should present this information to the new board members. They may also help organize the logistics of your nonprofit board orientation.

If your nonprofit is interested in hiring a third party to lead your board orientation, you may also have facilitators lead certain sessions. External facilitators specialize in encouraging participation and fostering valuable discussions. They also bring a neutral perspective to your nonprofit board orientation.

Why is holding a nonprofit board orientation important?

On the surface, it may seem that a nonprofit board orientation’s only purpose is to acquaint new board members with your organization and board. While that is one benefit of holding an orientation, there are several other advantages your organization will receive.

Holding a nonprofit board orientation is important for any charitable organization welcoming new board members because it:

- Introduces new board members to your organization’s goals. Let’s say your organization has traditionally given new board members a welcome packet instead of a full orientation. While this packet likely covers a lot of the information board members need to succeed, it may not get to the heart of why board members’ roles are so important and what they’re striving to help the organization achieve. With a nonprofit board orientation, you can take the time to cover your nonprofit’s strategic plan and goals so board members have more context for their decisions.
- Clarifies expectations for each board member. A welcome packet alone may lay out the responsibilities of each board member. However, when you interact with new board members in an orientation setting, you can more clearly set your expectations for them and answer any lingering questions.
- Increases accountability. With a clear understanding of their responsibilities, new board members will be more likely to take accountability for their actions and fulfill their commitment to your organization.
- Encourages team building. During in-person nonprofit board orientations or synchronous virtual sessions, new board members can get to know existing board members and organizational leadership. As a result, they can start to build working relationships that will enhance their collaboration and teamwork down the line.
- Leads to more efficient decision-making. When each new board member enters their first board meeting with a thorough understanding of your nonprofit, they can make well-informed judgments, speeding up the decision-making process.
- Improves board effectiveness. Overall, nonprofit board orientations make boards run more smoothly. New board members who are well-prepared through orientation are more willing to engage in board discussions, make strategic decisions, and act in the best interest of your organization.

While holding a nonprofit board orientation takes up more team member time and resources than a welcome packet, it’s well worth the investment to have fully informed board members who are ready to take on important decisions on your organization’s behalf.

How to Prepare for Your Nonprofit Board Orientation

Like any type of meeting, nonprofit board orientations require extensive preparation to ensure they’re effective. Your goal should be to develop an engaging and informative experience for new members that begins the moment they accept your invitation to join the board.

To prepare both new members and facilitators for your orientation, treat the following as your board orientation checklist:

1. Announce your new board members.

Kick-off orientation preparation by announcing your new board members to your organization. That way, staff and existing board members can familiarize themselves with the new individuals. Additionally, creating an official announcement will help new board members feel valued by your organization and start your relationships with them on the right foot.

While you may first send an internal announcement via email, inform the public about your new board members through social media and your website to keep external stakeholders in the loop.

2. Host a welcome event for new board members.

Shortly after you officially announce the arrival of your new board members, host an event to welcome them to the team. This meet-up will demonstrate your appreciation for your new board members’ commitment to your nonprofit.

A welcome event is also a chance for new board members to mingle with each other and current board members, allowing them to start forming working relationships that will strengthen your board.

3. Add new board members to necessary communications.

Make sure new board members start receiving necessary organizational communications by adding them to your email lists. For instance, you may have a general email list for your entire nonprofit, as well as a board-specific email list that informs members of upcoming meeting dates and offers previews of each meeting’s agenda.

4. Schedule a tour of your facility.

Becoming comfortable with your facility will help new board members determine the logistics of where to meet and how best to get there before their first meeting. While you should introduce them to the boardroom, show them other parts of your facility as well to help them get a better sense of your organization’s activities and what different staff members and volunteers do each day.

5. Create a new member welcome packet.

As mentioned before, a new member welcome packet should not be the end-all-be-all of your nonprofit board orientation. However, it can serve as a jumping-off point to help summarize key information for new board members.

If possible, distribute your new member welcome packets before your first orientation session. That way, new board members can review the contents ahead of time and note any questions they’d like to ask during orientation.

6. Delegate orientation responsibilities to different team members.

To ensure your board chair or president isn’t doing all the heavy lifting, distribute the responsibilities of leading your nonprofit board orientation to different team members. You may have current board members and senior staff members volunteer to lead certain sessions or delegate them based on each team member’s area of expertise.

7. Pair up new and current board members.

New board members may be hesitant to speak up in their initial board meetings. To help new board members acclimate to the board, pair them with current board members who can serve as mentors.

These board member mentors can meet with their new member mentees one-on-one to discuss any concerns and answer any questions. New board members may feel more comfortable going to a singular point person for advice than voicing their doubts in front of the entire board. As a result, they’ll get the information they need to feel confident in their abilities and become effective board members.

Watch This Panel by NXUnite for More Nonprofit Board Best Practices

Wrapping Up

While it can be stressful to switch up the composition of your board and incorporate new members, holding an effective nonprofit board orientation helps to create a smooth transition for everyone involved. With a dedicated process for acclimating new members, you can quickly familiarize new board members with your organization, helping them step into their new roles and build relationships with other board members. Consequently, you’ll have a more well-informed, effective board governing your organization.

If you’re looking for more tips to help your nonprofit board run efficiently and effectively, check out the resources below:

The Ultimate Nonprofit Board Report Template and Tips. A comprehensive nonprofit board report is the key to a successful board meeting. Use the template and tips in this article to ensure yours includes all relevant information.
Board Member Appreciation: A Complete Guide for Nonprofits. When you thank your board members for their hard work, they’ll feel valued by your organization and continue putting their best foot forward. Check out these tips for how to properly show appreciation to your board.
The Comprehensive Guide to Nonprofit Board Self-Assessments. It’s important to check in with board members regularly to ensure they’re having a good experience and doing the best they can to serve your nonprofit. Learn how to conduct a nonprofit board self-assessment that supports these goals.

The Complete Guide to Celebrating Matching Gift Month

Here’s How You Can Celebrate Matching Gift Month This February

February 1, 2024/in Learning Center, Fundraising Ideas, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

February is a time to celebrate love and happiness⁠—and matching gifts. That’s why it’s been dubbed the official Matching Gift Month. This year, we recommend taking the opportunity to scale up your matching gift promotional efforts accordingly.

We’ll cover everything you need to know to celebrate corporate giving and drive action (and matches) this February.

This includes:

What is Matching Gift Month?
10+ Powerful Ways to Celebrate Matching Gift Month This Year
Inspiring Matching Gift Month Examples to Review

Looking for new and exciting ways to amplify your nonprofit’s matching gift efforts leading up to Match Month? You’ve come to the right place. At Double the Donation, we’re experts at matching gifts, and we’ve compiled a list of suggestions sure to elevate your engagement efforts this February.

Ready to bring your matching gift fundraising to the next level? Let’s explore top recommendations for making the most of Match Month⁠—and see what your team can do to bridge the knowledge and funding gaps alike.

What is Matching Gift Month?

Matching Gift Month is an annual celebration of corporate donation matching, often used to increase awareness and usage of match programs. Held in February each year, Match Month is an opportunity to recognize the extensive impact that corporate philanthropy programs, like matching gifts and more, can have on nonprofit fundraising groups.

And what is that impact? Research indicates that an estimated $2 to $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs each year. That’s a substantial source of funds provided to charitable causes like yours. Not to mention, the mere existence of a match incentivizes individual donors to give at new heights, too. The same reports state that 84% of donors are more likely to give if a match is available, while 1 in 3 would give a larger amount if a match were to be applied.

However, an additional $7 billion goes unclaimed by qualifying nonprofits and their donors each year⁠—largely due to a lack of information surrounding the programs. That’s why many mission organizations and schools are taking the opportunity to elevate their matching gift fundraising and push the initiatives forward this year. And Match Month is the perfect chance to begin.

10+ Powerful Ways to Celebrate Matching Gift Month This Year

These smart marketing and engagement ideas inhabit a fun sense of novelty this month. But they’re also impactful for long-term engagement in your organization’s overall strategy.

For the best results, we suggest integrating multiple of the following methods—both this month and beyond.

1. Give your internal team a refresher course.

Before ramping up your organization’s matching gift efforts for Match Month, it’s a good idea to take a look inward. Hopefully, your internal fundraising team should be well-versed in matching gift information. But perhaps you’ve had a few new team members join since your last group training. Or maybe your staff (and volunteers!) could just use a refresher.

The solution? Start the month off right with your own team. Take the time to reiterate the importance of corporate matching gift programs. Practice asking common matching gift questions, ensuring that all individuals have the knowledge and assets to answer them.

You can even provide your team with access to educational resources and other materials to help grow their knowledge and preparedness for the celebrations ahead.

We have some fantastic free eBooks, blog posts, templates, webinars, and more at Double the Donation.

Plus, we offer the industry’s first-ever Matching Gift Academy—an online learning hub encompassing 45 lessons and more than 7 hours of informational video content across 10+ modules.

When it comes to driving matching gift revenue, your internal team encompasses your greatest assets. Make sure they’re equipped to advocate for the opportunities as best they can!

Top tip:

Though the Academy is valued at $199 per year, current 360MatchPro clients can access the learning system at no cost. Just head to the back-end of your matching gifts portal to locate your organization’s unique coupon code!

2. Share on social media.

Your organization likely has at least one, but likely a number of profiles on popular social media sites. Whether it’s a Facebook page, an Instagram profile, or even a TikTok account, your strategic web presence can go a long way toward marketing matching gifts online.

And what better time is there to begin (or to elevate your strategy) than a month dedicated to all things matching gifts?

To get started, consider sharing the following types of content on your nonprofit’s social profiles:

Images and videos

Social media platforms are increasingly visual-focused. If you want to grab⁠—and maintain⁠—your audience’s attention as they scroll through their feeds, research indicates that incorporating eye-catching images and videos is the way to go. In fact, studies show that image-based social posts receive 2.3 times more engagement than those without, and posts with video content can see up to 10 times higher engagement levels.

That said, Match Month is an optimal time to produce and share matching gift marketing videos and imagery. Or get started with our pre-made social media graphics here!
(Hint: click each image to enlarge the attachment and download a copy.)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

An overview of the matching gifts process to share for Matching Gift Month

360MatchPro users:

For more templates and sample matching gift posts, head to “Marketing Assets” within the “Resources” tab in your matching gift portal. Then, explore our customizable social media designs for Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more⁠—including graphics specifically for celebrating Match Month.

Not a client yet? Get a demo to see if Double the Donation is right for your team and gain access to a range of tools and resources!

Industry research

Highlight key statistics that effectively demonstrate the potential that corporate matching brings. Double the Donation has compiled some of our favorite metrics here, including an overview of unclaimed funding and a wide range of participating companies.

Check out these examples:

65%

of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs.

26 million+

individuals work for companies with matching gift programs.

11%

of corporate cash donations are made through matching gift programs.

$2.86 billion

was contributed through corporate matching gift programs last year.

$4-$7 billion

in matching gift funds are left unclaimed by eligible donors each year.

BROWSE OTHER MATCHING GIFT STATISTICS HERE

Success stories

Social media is driven by connectivity, networking, and social proof. That’s why case studies, testimonials, and other success stories can be some of the most influential content you can share!

Take a look at a few examples here:

Sharing the total sum of matching gift revenue (e.g., “Our organization collected more than $50,000 in matching gift funds in the past year from donors like you”).
Highlighting specific examples from prior match donors (ex: “Sarah from Home Depot secured a corporate match on our behalf equaling $5,000, bringing her total contribution value to more than $10,000”).
Spotlighting user-generated content from prior match donors (“According to Jennifer, long-time matching gift donor, ‘I love having the chance to stretch the value of my donation, and getting my employer to support my favorite cause is great!’”)
Showcasing historic community impact (“Thanks to generous matching gift donors last year, we were able to feed an additional 1,000 families in need through corporate match funding we received.”)

Your supporters care about the impact your organization (and, by extension, their donations) brings. When your followers see the influence that other matching gifts have had, they’ll be more likely to take steps to do so themselves.

Reiterate that donation-matching programs enable donors to double their impact without reaching back into their own wallets. If you can put it in terms of tangible impact (e.g., feed two shelter cats for the cost of one), even better!

3. Optimize your site for matching gifts.

Social media marketing is great⁠—but there’s only so much you can share in each post. So, how can you ensure your audience can easily access the information they need to take action? Be sure every matching gift-related item you share links back to additional resources for learning more.

The best place to house those resources is your organization’s website. If you already have a built-out matching gift web page (which you should), consider driving traffic to the page for supporters to learn more about the opportunity. And if you don’t have an existing matching gifts page, Match Month is the perfect time to build that online hub.

Here’s an example of a well-designed matching gifts page to consider:

This inspiring sample follows all of our recommended practices. Take a look at the embedded matching gift search tool (which empowers donors to locate the information they need in seconds), a helpful infographic to visualize the involvement process, a detailed FAQ section, and information about the institution required for donors’ requests. Not to mention, it’s prominently located on the school’s navigation menu!

From there, we also suggest integrating matching gifts directly into your online donation process. Ideally, this should include an employment data widget to your giving form and company-specific program details on the confirmation screen.

Consider adding a separate page about one-off matching gift programs, too. (We’ll talk more about those below!)

4. Send a Matching Gift Month newsletter.

Does your organization send regular newsletters as a way to keep donors and other supporters in the know about upcoming events and opportunities? A matching gift-focused newsletter—whether physical or digital—can serve as a powerful tool for raising awareness of matching gift opportunities.

And it’s a great way to elevate engagement with the annually celebrated Match Month.

At the very least, consider adding a section about Matching Gift Month involvement in your standard newsletter. But an entire edition dedicated to matching gifts can go a long way toward inspiring participation in the programs!

5. Look for fundraising match opportunities.

Some companies extend their programs to encompass gifts collected by an employee through a peer-to-peer fundraising effort on behalf of a nonprofit organization—even if the funds didn’t come directly from the employee’s own wallet.

Programs like these are known as fundraising match programs. And since these initiatives can also be considered a form of donation-matching, they can fit perfectly into a well-rounded Matching Gift Month plan!

Here’s how it works:

Your organization facilitates a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign in conjunction with Matching Gift Month (February).
Your team screens your donors’ employment information to locate supporters who work for companies with fundraising match programs.
Your team reaches out to fundraising match-eligible contacts and encourages them to fundraise on your nonprofit’s behalf. (Be sure to mention your Matching Gift Month celebrations and the opportunity for their total funds to be doubled by their employer!)
Volunteer fundraisers solicit donations from their family and friends and participate in any associated event or campaign activity.
At the conclusion of the campaign, fundraisers submit requests for their companies to match the sum of their funds raised.
Fundraisers’ employers review the requests and verify that submissions adhere to program criteria.
Fundraisers’ employers approve the requests and disperse funding to the organizations for which their employees fundraised.

For example, let’s imagine that John Doe of State Street Corporation raises $1,572 for your organization. This is collected from 15 peers and associates through a social fundraising effort your team hosts this Match Month. When John requests a match from his employer, State Street supplies an additional $1,572 for your cause. This brings the total value of John’s fundraising efforts to $3,144!

That’s a lot of extra funding for your mission—all while engaging your donors at new heights and growing corporate support.

Top tip:

Use your matching gift database tool to uncover fundraising match opportunities in your donor network. Platforms like Double the Donation supply information about many types of corporate giving programs—including volunteer grants and fundraising matches when available.

6. Encourage non-eligible donors to advocate for new programs.

Unfortunately, not all companies match employee donations (though new programs are added every day). And some employers are likely interested in getting started⁠—they might just need a little push to do so.

Luckily, your existing (and non-match-eligible) donors can be some of your best champions for inspiring new matching programs. Sometimes, all it takes is an email from a philanthropic employee to get the ball rolling for a new corporate program. And Matching Gift Month can be the perfect time to begin laying a foundation.

Consider sharing a template like this to provide a baseline for supporters considering advocating on your behalf this month:

Subject line: Request for a corporate matching gift program

Hi [manager or HR representative name],

I am writing to request the addition of a corporate matching gift program at [company name].

Thousands of companies across the globe have established employee matching gift programs, agreeing to match gifts made by their employees to qualifying nonprofit causes with their own corporate donations.

This is an extremely beneficial program to host for every party involved⁠—including the company, its employees, and the nonprofits they support. If you’d like to take steps to establish a matching gift program for the company, Double the Donation has provided a number of detailed guides that walk corporate leaders through the process.

Thank you for your consideration!

P.S. ⁠— February is National Matching Gift Month, so it’s a great time to get started!

We’ve even written a dedicated blog post on the topic. Feel free to send this article⁠—How to Advocate for a Matching Gift Program to Your Employer⁠—to your donors to guide them through the process of proposing programs for their companies.

Top tip:

Use 360MatchPro’s “Leading Companies” tool, which showcases the employers most often searched by donors using your company database tool, to identify businesses in your network without existing match programs! Then, craft a personalized plan for pitching a matching gift program or encouraging your donors to do so themselves.

7. Pursue one-off matching gift program opportunities.

Most companies that match employee donations agree to do so to most nonprofit causes. However, if an organization has an existing partnership with a corporation, it may seek a one-off (or unique) matching gift program that is exclusive to the cause.

In some cases, this type of offering can be an ongoing sponsorship opportunity. But it also may be limited to a particular period of time⁠—such as Matching Gift Month! Thus, February (and/or the weeks leading up to February) can be a great chance to begin pursuing such a relationship.

There are a few types of one-off matching gift programs to consider. These include…

One-off match initiatives with companies that do not yet offer complete matching programs. (For example, Carl’s Computer Company does not have an established matching gift program but agrees to match donations solely made to Atlanta University.)
Agreements with companies that do offer traditional matching gift program⁠s but want to match donations to your organization at a higher rate. (Ex: Carl’s Computer Company matches employee donations to all 501(c)(3) nonprofits at a dollar-for-dollar rate and matches gifts made to Atlanta University at a 2:1 ratio for the duration of Matching Gift Month.)

Keep in mind that both types of programs can be beneficial to your cause, your donors, and your corporate partners. In either case, your donors’ employing companies can be some of your most valuable prospects!

Top tip:

Once you’ve established a one-off match with a corporate partner, add the program details (including eligibility criteria and submission instructions) to your company search tool using 360MatchPro’s custom matching gift management feature. This way, the program will populate in your employer search tool, making it quick and easy for donors to access the information they need to participate.

8. Follow up on previously made donations.

Your organization’s work promoting Matching Gift Month might very well drive a number of new donations⁠—and matches⁠—to your cause. But another strategy you can employ involves following up on previously made gifts. Then, encouraging still-eligible donors to submit their requests retroactively.

Here’s a sample follow-up email you might send:

Not to mention, Match Month falls just a few weeks after the year-end giving season when most organizations see elevated giving. Many of those donations may still qualify for corporate matching, even into the first few months of the new year.

In fact, tons of companies set generous matching gift request deadlines⁠—often accepting submissions for up to a year after the initial donation is made. Take this opportunity to remind eligible donors about their employers’ matching gift programs and how they can get involved.

Top tip:

Use a matching gift automation tool (like 360MatchPro) to automate outreach and trigger personalized donation follow-ups!

9. Include matching gifts in staff email signatures.

This is perhaps our simplest suggestion for celebrating Match Month, but it can be particularly effective when paired with some of our other top ideas. We recommend adding a quick line mentioning matching gift opportunities to all of your team members’ email signatures.

More than likely, your organization sends a ton of emails⁠—from donation appeals to thank-you messages and even nonprofit programming outreach. By incorporating matching gifts in automatic signatures, you can use every piece of communication with your cause as a way to promote donation-matching.

While you could add a simple blurb beneath an individual’s name and contact information, making it stand out can produce great results. For that reason, consider getting a graphic made and added to each person’s signature.

You can even use the space to link to additional resources where recipients can learn more.

10. Consider matching challenge grants.

Corporate matching gifts aren’t the only type of match opportunity your organization should keep an eye out for⁠—they’re just the most widely available. But other match-based initiatives⁠, like challenge grants⁠, also have the potential to multiply the impact of a group’s fundraising success.

Rather than a company matching the donations its employees make to charitable causes, challenge grants are facilitated as a way to offer a donation match to all of a nonprofit’s supporters. Typically offered by a generous major donor, corporation, or foundation, these programs are generally organized according to a set time frame (e.g., a 24-hour period) or predetermined threshold (such as up to $10,000). Then, any individual who gives within the time frame prior to the match fund being depleted will have their gift doubled for your cause by the challenge grant supplier.

It’s important to remember, too, that challenge grants and matching gifts are usually not mutually exclusive. That means you can layer a few matching gift opportunities on top of one another (for example, a donor’s gift being matched through a challenge grant and by their employing company) to further amplify your efforts.

And that’s what we recommend doing to celebrate Matching Gift Month!

Bonus: Make matching easy.

Our final idea for celebrating Matching Gift Month is one that will benefit your organization well beyond the 28 (or 29) days of February. A lot of our previous recommendations involve raising awareness of program opportunities in the first place. Now, we suggest going a few steps further and driving matches by simplifying the processes involved.

After all, donors love matching gifts. They love getting the opportunity to multiply their contribution impact. But even your most dedicated supporters might not follow through when the process is too complicated or time-consuming.

That’s why we recommend fundraising organizations employ matching gift software to streamline and simplify the process. For example, 360MatchPro by Double the Donation empowers nonprofits to:

Identify eligibility with the industry’s most comprehensive matching gift database and corresponding search tool, making it quick and easy for donors to locate the information they need to participate.
Provide employer-specific matching gift program guidelines (minimum and maximum donation amounts, qualifying employees and nonprofit causes, match ratios, and more) and direct links to online submission forms, thus driving more requests to completion with actionable next steps.
Enable innovative auto-submission capabilities, allowing eligible donors to complete the match request process directly from the organization’s giving page and removing critical roadblocks facing traditional matching gift submissions.
Trigger automated and personalized matching gift follow-up messaging to remind donors about matching gift availability and encourage them to take the next steps in their companies’ request processes.
Seamlessly implement a matching gift solution into their existing fundraising ecosystem thanks to ready-built integrations with nearly all leading donation tools, peer-to-peer platforms, CRMs, and more⁠—empowering organizations to get up and running with gift-matching strategies in minutes!

Not only does this benefit your donors by making matching programs more accessible, but it also ensures more back-end efficiency for your internal team and results in matching gift revenue growth of more than 61%.

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A PERSONALIZED 360MATCHPRO DEMO

Inspiring Matching Gift Month Examples to Review

Drawing inspiration from other nonprofits’ Matching Gift Month efforts can be highly beneficial for organizations strategizing their own campaigns. Not only can successful examples provide invaluable ideas and insights, but they can also spark creativity among your team and establish a deeper understanding of what resonates with nonprofit audiences.

That said, take a look at these Match Month campaigns to aspire to.

Example #1: Matching Gift Month Social Media Post

This independent Massachusetts private school took to Facebook and other social media platforms to promote the corporate matching gift opportunity last Match Month.

This institution uses the post as a way to promote matching gifts and encourage unprecedented individual giving. Not to mention, it links to the school’s matching gifts page and company search tool. These resources can supply additional information and assist supporters in getting started!

Example #2: Matching Gifts Web Page

One university opts to use its matching gift web page as a way to increase awareness about Match Month celebrations.

The blurb, which is embedded in the web page, encourages users to research their companies’ matching gift programs and double their giving impact if they qualify. It also includes an informational matching gift video that uses animated graphics to visualize the institution’s matching gift efforts.

Example #3: Match Month Landing Page

This organization published a dedicated landing page on its website as a way to drive awareness of Matching Gift Month among its supporters.

The page begins with a flashy and eye-catching graphic, shares specific performance metrics that reiterate matching gift impact, and implements an embedded company search tool. It even includes a template supporters can use to advocate for matching gift efforts when their employers lack such programming.

Example #4: Matching Gift Month Blog Post

In order to encourage Match Month participation among its supporters, this nonprofit published an informational blog post on its website.

The article outlines the basics of Matching Gift Month, emphasizes the importance of matching gifts for the organization’s mission, and shares additional resources donors can use to pursue matching gift opportunities (such as a direct link to the dedicated Match Page and integrated search tool). Plus, it uses illustrated statistics to communicate the availability of employee gift-matching in a user-friendly way!

Looking for more matching gift success stories?

GET THE CASE STUDIES HERE

Wrapping Up

Matching gifts have the potential to elevate your organization’s fundraising, bringing your overall community impact to new heights. February’s celebrations can be a fantastic opportunity to jumpstart or scale up your efforts⁠. But it’s certainly not the only time to pursue this funding source.

As you aim to drive awareness of (and participation in⁠) the programs this month, remember that the value of a long-term matching gift strategy can boost your fundraising for years to come. Keep in mind that the practices outlined above—and powering your team with the right tools and resources—can help!

Looking for more helpful matching gift resources? Check out our other recommended blog posts to continue learning:

Complete Guide to Matching Gifts

Dive into the basics and beyond with this complete guide to corporate matching gift programs.

Find out everything from common guidelines and well-known programs to streamlining your efforts with matching gift software.

READ NOW

How to Encourage Matching Gifts

Not all match-eligible donors will complete their submission processes right away. Discover several impactful strategies for driving more matches to completion with this smart guide.

Then, incorporate these methods to raise more!

READ NOW

eBook: Matching Gift Marketing

Learn everything there is to know about marketing matching gift programs effectively with our free downloadable resource.

This guide covers top strategies for raising awareness and elevating matching gift fundraising with ease.

READ NOW

This article explores the best alumni websites and what you can learn from them to boost your own site’s engagement.

9 Best Alumni Websites & How to Drive Engagement with Yours

February 1, 2024/in Donor communications, Learning Center, Fundraising Ideas /by Adam Weinger

Your university’s alumni are vital members of your community, and they need a place to go when they have questions about resources, events, and ways to give back—that’s where alumni websites come in.

These websites aren’t just online hubs for your alumni community, they’re also valuable tools for boosting alumni engagement and retaining donors. If you’re creating an alumni website for the first time or looking for improvement ideas, the best place to start is other successful websites. In this guide, we’ll explore:

Essential Alumni Website Features
9 Best Alumni Websites to Get Inspired By
Alumni Website Design Tips

As we analyze the best alumni websites, we’ll also touch on key strategies you can use to boost website engagement, from telling alumni stories to promoting matching gifts. Let’s get started by covering the essential features every alumni website needs.

Essential Alumni Website Features

Just like your main university website must address the needs of prospective students, parents, donors, and current students, your alumni website should feature everything your alumni may need or want to explore. This makes it essential to have clear navigation to the most important pages and information alumni will be looking for.

For most universities, this includes:

A donation page. Alumni who love their alma mater and want to give back to current and future students should be able to easily find your donation page. Make sure there’s a prominent link or button leading to your donation page in your website’s navigation bar. On the page itself, include a mobile-friendly donation form, suggested donation amounts, and information about how to request a matching gift for your university.
News and upcoming events. Engage visitors by regularly highlighting news stories about notable alumni, sharing important university updates, and promoting alumni events. You may do this by creating specific pages or blog categories for news and events. Or, highlight them on your homepage by adding a calendar widget or a rolling carousel of blog posts.
An alumni directory. One of the main reasons alumni visit your website is to network with other alumni in their field. Make it easy for alumni to connect by creating a password-protected alumni directory and hosting it on your website. In the directory itself, enable filtering by college, major, and location. You can also use this page to promote alumni groups and networking opportunities to those looking to connect.
Career services information. Resources and career services that alumni can access should be front and center on your alumni website. Create a page that includes instructions for accessing career services, job listings, and professional development opportunities, then include the page in your site’s navigation bar.

In addition to these essentials, your alumni website should provide other ways for alumni to engage with your university, such as by volunteering or attending school sporting events. If you’re not sure which aspects to focus on, use tools like Google Analytics to analyze the engagement activity on your site and find out which pages alumni visit the most.

9 Best Alumni Websites to Get Inspired By

Now, let’s take a look at a few top alumni website examples and discuss what you can learn from them to improve your own website.

1. Princeton

Princeton’s alumni website is a masterclass in spotlighting alumni news, stories, and events. Right from the homepage, visitors can read the stories of four different notable alumni and feel immediately connected to the Princeton alumni community. As you scroll through the page, you’ll find information about upcoming events to join, university news to catch up on, and a fundraising campaign you can donate to.

Best of all, the Princeton alumni website includes numerous clear calls to action (CTAs) that invite alumni visitors to register for events, watch videos, volunteer, and connect with the community.

2. Washington University in St. Louis

When alumni visit Washington University in St. Louis’s alumni website, they’re greeted with the empowering, welcoming message: “You are WashU forever.” This homepage immediately makes alumni feel at home and takes them back to their days at their alma mater, boosting the chances that they stay on the page and engage with the website.

Directly below this message, five clear CTAs introduce user pathways addressing the main reasons alumni visit the website—to access the directory, find alumni networks, explore events, or learn about upcoming reunions. By honing in on these user motivations and speaking to them right away, this website empowers alumni to find what they’re looking for quickly.

3. California Institute of Technology

One of the highlights of the California Institute of Technology alumni website is its donation page. The form allows alumni to choose from a variety of departments and scholarship programs to support with their donation, and then provides multiple giving options so alumni can choose the donation method that’s most convenient for them.

Specifically, CalTech’s donation page includes a matching gift search tool that alumni can use to find out if they’re eligible for employee giving programs. The donation page also lets alumni designate honorees for their gifts and even donate cryptocurrency.

4. Morehouse College

The website for Morehouse College’s alumni association exemplifies the power of video storytelling to connect with alumni and encourage donations.

On its homepage, this alumni website features a video about the association’s “Give 1 Get 1” fundraising campaign. The video follows a student in need of tuition assistance and several alumni who each donate $100 and call one other person to do the same until the student’s bill is paid. This empowering video is followed by a large CTA button that encourages alumni to support their mission and give back just like those in the video.

5. Rhode Island School of Design

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) makes the best alumni websites list thanks to the clear, comprehensive user pathways on its homepage. The website divides actions users might want to take into three categories: Get Involved, How Do I?, and Learn More. Each section then includes links alumni can follow to go right to their desired destination.

6. Vassar College

Look to Vassar College’s alumni website if you need inspiration on how to encourage alumni to get more involved. On this website’s homepage, it features three prominent ways to give back: Make a Gift, Volunteer, and Be a Mentor. Each one is paired with a compelling image, a short blurb about why alumni should give back, and a link to get started.

7. Stanford University

Every alumni website should include a directory that alumni can use to find their peers and network with community members. Stanford’s alumni directory is especially compelling since it features a backdrop of alumni headshots, emphasizing the breadth and diversity of Stanford’s alumni community. It also includes three links users can follow to visit the directory, update their profile, and explore FAQs.

8. Brandeis University

The Brandeis University alumni website gives alumni a variety of unique ways to engage with their community, including by sending branded eCards. Alumni can send the eCard pictured above to any of their friends and peers to invite them to the university’s upcoming alumni weekend.

9. University of Georgia

The University of Georgia (UGA)’s alumni website has a great alumni news section to keep all of its alumni up to date and in the know. This page includes alumni stories, news about new programs, and information about upcoming football games alumni can attend.

Alumni Website Design Tips

Ready to optimize your own website after seeing the possibilities? Keep these alumni website design tips in mind as you do so:

Anticipate website user intent

As mentioned earlier, the best alumni websites are built around users’ reasons for visiting. You can get into the details of your alumni’s unique motivations by analyzing site engagement metrics or sending out a quick survey to ask alumni directly what they want to see from your website.

However, there are also plenty of common motivations for visiting alumni websites that you can start with. For instance, many alumni will visit your website to:

Connect with other alumni for networking purposes.
Find professional development resources and other alumni benefits.
Donate to your university or alumni association.
Keep up to date on the latest alumni and university news.
Find information about alumni events, reunions, and volunteer opportunities.

Make sure that your website not only addresses all of these needs but also makes it easy for users to find everything they’re looking for. Consider adding standout CTA buttons on your homepage that speak directly to alumni and lead them to pages they’re commonly searching for.

Improve UX

Next, take steps to provide a better user experience (UX) for the alumni who visit your website. UX refers to how easy it is for users to navigate your website and engage with content throughout their user journeys. Take the following steps to optimize your site’s user journeys:

Improve navigation. There should be clear, straightforward user pathways that begin on your homepage and take visitors to your most important pages. Create these pathways by including several straightforward CTAs in your site’s header, navigation bar, and footer.
Optimize for mobile. 57.8% of website traffic comes from mobile users. Ensure that alumni visiting your website on their phones don’t run into errors or have to jump through hoops to find information. Test your site’s mobile performance often and make any necessary adjustments.
Remove visual clutter. You don’t want to overwhelm website visitors with too many images or text blocks on any given page. Limit clutter by prioritizing the most important visual elements on each page and removing the rest.
Improve load speeds. If your website takes too long to load, alumni won’t be able to find what they’re looking for quickly. Improve load speeds by compressing images, setting visuals to lazy load, and minimizing HTTP requests.

If you’re not sure how to make some of these improvements, consider working with a web design firm. These experts can help you leverage your content management system (CMS) effectively and ensure your website follows all web design best practices.

Tell alumni stories

Highlighting high-achieving alumni on your website helps strengthen relationships and instill a sense of pride in the alumni who visit it. If you don’t have one already, consider adding a page or blog category to share the stories of specific alumni.

On this page, you can celebrate alumni by sharing news stories and one-on-one interviews. Include photos, videos, direct quotes, and testimonials to let alumni tell their stories in their own words. Mention their class year and other details about their time at your school to help readers connect with them. Consider including a quick form at the bottom of the page that alumni can fill out if they want to share their own story or nominate one of their peers.

Highlight matching gifts

Matching gift programs allow alumni to double their monetary gifts to your university at no additional cost. In these programs, companies commit to matching their employees’ donations to eligible schools and nonprofits at a 1:1 or even 2:1 ratio. This means that if an eligible donor gives a gift of $100, their company would provide an additional $100 donation for a total of $200 for your school.

Matching gifts are an impactful opportunity that’s worth highlighting on your alumni website. Take a look at just a few of the ways spotlighting matching gifts on your website can benefit both alumni and your university:

Alumni can double their impact without increasing their donations.
Your university can double—or even triple—your fundraising revenue.
Alumni are more likely to donate larger amounts if a match is offered.

To access these benefits, start by using a matching gift platform that enables alumni to request matching gifts right from your donation page. As they make a donation, they can quickly input the name of their employer and be automatically directed to eligibility and request information. With auto-submission functionality, you can simplify the process for alumni even further. Here’s how it works:

A donor fills out your donation form as usual.
They enter their work email address and check a box to submit a matching gift request automatically.
The platform submits the request for them, and the donor’s work is done!

Once you have a system in place for simplifying donors’ match requests, take extra steps to promote matching gifts throughout your website. Add matching gifts to a Ways to Give page, write blog posts about the additional impact alumni can make, or create a video explaining how the process works. The more you highlight matching gifts across your alumni website, the higher chances you’ll have of doubling your donations.

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More Resources for Designing Alumni Websites

With these examples and best practices in mind, you’ll be well-equipped to optimize your alumni website in ways that boost engagement, increase fundraising revenue, and help your alumni find what they’re looking for.

If you want to learn more about improving your website and how matching gifts can make a major difference for your university and alumni, check out these additional resources:

How Matching Gift Appeals Can Fuel Alumni Engagement. Learn more about how matching gifts can help your university engage alumni and how you can promote matching gifts beyond your alumni website.
The 22 Best College Websites (And What Makes Them Great). Need more web design inspiration? Check out this list of 22 additional college websites and learn why they’re so impactful on students.
10+ Higher Education Fundraising Conferences to Attend. Uncover key insights into higher education fundraising in this guide to the top conferences higher education professionals should attend.