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:
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.
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.
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.
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:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Alumni-Websites_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-02-01 15:30:362024-09-30 18:06:469 Best Alumni Websites & How to Drive Engagement with Yours
You likely gather many details about your donors—those who support your cause with their funds, time, or resources. Perhaps you collect names, contact information, engagement history, interests, and hobbies. The more comprehensive an understanding you have of each supporter, the better you can tailor your fundraising strategy to effectively reach your target audience.
However, one critical piece of the puzzle that’s often overlooked is employment data. Knowing where your donors work can play a significant role in how you relate to them in terms of fundraising, corporate giving opportunities, and more. And if you don’t already have this data point on file? That’s where employer appends come in.
In this guide, we’ll provide a walkthrough of all things employer appends—including:
Understanding your donors’ employment status can elevate your fundraising efforts in huge ways. You won’t want to discard the wealth of information gathered through employer appends, nor the amplified impact it brings.
Let’s get started!
The Basics of Data Appends
Data appends are a particular type of data enhancement strategy that allows nonprofits and other fundraising groups to learn more about the individuals in their networks. These efforts aim to provide organizations with more comprehensive and up-to-date information, often concerning their donors and other supporters. This empowers fundraisers to adjust their messaging and overall engagement strategies by better discerning who a donor is and what makes them tick.
Organizations typically provide the information they do have to a company dedicated to data enhancement services. The company then compares donor information against a mega-database of individual data, filling in the details the organization lacks as they go.
Employer appends, in particular, empower organizations to collect new and optimized data regarding the companies their supporters work for. Beyond employer information, other common types of data appends include mailing addresses, email addresses, birth dates, and phone numbers.
As you’ll notice, these types of appends primarily fill in missing or outdated contact information. That makes connecting with supporters easy for email outreach, phonathon fundraisers, direct mail solicitations, and other campaigns.
What Are Employer Appends?
Employer appends are one of the most common types of data appends for nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising organizations. In this case, the unknown information an organization seeks is that of a donor’s employer.
By providing other data points—such as the person’s name, location, phone number, education experience, etc.—the intended result is to locate the company that the individual works for (and sometimes even their job title!). In the end, the organization receives invaluable insights that can help uncover matching gift and other workplace giving opportunities, estimate wealth data, and more.
How Employer Appends Work for Fundraisers
The employer appends process is simple. After locating a data appending service (we’ll cover what to look for below), you’ll want to collect as much data about your donors as possible. This should include:
Name
Unique ID number
Mailing address (home, business, or both)
Region (state, city, and country)
Email address(es)
Phone number(s)
College or university (along with class year and major/degree, if available)
Last gift amount
Date of last donation
Date the entry was last updated
You will likely not have every data point available for each donor. And that’s okay! However, starting with as much information as possible increases the likelihood that the appending service provider can locate and match supporter records to the right employer information.
From there, the appending service will conduct its own research, typically scanning a number of public and privately held databases, which may include government records, SEC filings, social media profiles, business registrations, and more.
When the service provider is able to match a donor record with an employing company, they make a note of the identified information, check the newly collected data for accuracy, and share their findings with the organization. Ultimately, the organization is able to utilize the information to its best advantage in terms of optimal fundraising and donor relations.
Benefits of Employer Appends for Nonprofits and Universities
Employer appends can bring big results to nonprofit fundraising. Knowing where your donors and other key supporters work plays a significant role in overall engagement strategies, not to mention enabling targeted efforts regarding available workplace giving opportunities.
Specifically, employer appending can help your team:
Determine matching gift eligibility —
Thousands of companies offer matching gift programs where they agree to match employee donations to charitable organizations.
However, you likely won’t know which donors are eligible for (and, as a result, which to follow up with about) matching opportunities if you don’t know where they work. In fact, this knowledge gap even results in over $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funding going unclaimed each year!
Once you have the information you need, however, you’ll be able to prompt qualifying donors to complete the match process and secure additional funding on your organization’s behalf. This is true not only in the form of corporate match revenue but in elevated individual giving (and donor engagement), as well.
Keep in mind that matching gift services—like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro—can help nonprofits target and follow up with matching gift opportunities as well. However, employer appends are often able to provide additional data points with which to guide an organization’s strategy, allowing fundraisers to capture supporter information even if the individual is not currently in the donation pipeline.
Here’s an example: “Jody, did you know that your employer, the Home Depot, matches full- and part-time employee donations up to $3,000 per person each year? Click here to request your matching gift!”
Uncover volunteer grant opportunities —
Similarly, if your organization has a supporter base of dedicated volunteers, corporate volunteer grants can help stretch their donated time even further. These are additional giving programs offered by philanthropic-minded businesses, the difference being that employers contribute monetary funds to the organizations with which their employees volunteer their time. Volunteer grants, which are also referred to as “dollars for doers,” can be an excellent way to multiply the impact of volunteer time for your organization, and supporters love being able to get involved in that way as well.
But again, you’ll need to know which companies your volunteers work for, which is where your employer appends come in. That way, you can be sure to inform them about the opportunities, encourage participation, and direct them to their employers’ request processes to get involved.
Here’s an example: “Thanks for all of your help at the shelter this weekend and over the past several months, Sam!As a Verizon employee, your volunteer hours likely qualify you to request a corporate volunteer grant on our behalf. Click here to learn more about how to request your grant!”
Identify potential corporate sponsorships —
Corporate sponsors can bring your nonprofit’s next fundraising event to the next level, and knowing which companies your supporters work for can aid in determining top prospective sponsors and help get your foot in the door! Once you know where your donors work, leverage the information as an in with a potential sponsor or encourage donors to advocate for a partnership on your behalf.
Here’s an example: “Ashley, it’s great to connect with the Microsoft team. More than 100 of our nonprofit’s donors work for Microsoft, and we’ve received thousands of dollars in matching gifts from your company in the past. As it’s clear that we already have a lot in common, would you be interested in sponsoring our upcoming event?”
Estimate wealth data —
Your donors’ wealth levels can play a significant role in their ability to give charitably, and understanding their limits can help organizations determine ideal fundraising asks. Knowing which companies your donors work for, their roles in the businesses, and more can help shed light on their estimated incomes and, by extension, giving abilities.
Here’s an example: “Sarah, we thank you for your continued support of our nonprofit cause. Will you consider making a $10,000 donation to help us reach our year-end giving goal?”
Tailor donor communications —
You want your donor outreach to be as personal and targeted as possible. Including direct references to donor-specific information helps develop relationships and shows that you’re not sending the same copied-and-pasted message to each person in your contacts. And, as you likely know, targeted messaging can be one of the best ways to develop strengthened, beyond-surface-level donor relationships, build connections with the cause, and ultimately drive more nonprofit involvement among supporters.
Highlighting an individual’s employing company can be a great way to do so, especially regarding getting involved with workplace giving programs. And if you don’t already have your donors’ employment information, that’s where employer appends can help.
Here’s an example: “Jeffrey, the Walt Disney Corporation offers a range of corporate giving opportunities that can benefit our organization in big ways. As a member of the Disney team, you have the chance to participate in matching gifts, volunteer grants, and more.”
Learn more about your supporters —
The more you know about your supporters—donors, volunteers, and prospects alike—the better you can connect with the individuals who make your mission possible. Since most people’s careers are a key component of their lives and what makes them who they are, understanding where they work and what they do can be a key piece of the “getting to know your donors” puzzle. Plus, it can even help shine a light on their own interests and hobbies.
Here’s an example: “As a Petco employee, you likely care about the wellbeing of the little, furry friends in our community. That’s exactly what our organization, the Atlanta Animal Shelter, is dedicated to, as well. Learn more about how you can get involved with the cause here!”
Overall, employer records are an extremely beneficial tool for designing targeted and effective outreach. However, you likely don’t have that information on file for all of your supporters. By leveraging employer appends, you can collect the information you need to guide your organization’s engagement efforts toward success.
Employer Appends Services | What to Look For
It’s possible to conduct donor research on your own; however, your organization is significantly more likely to uncover accurate and up-to-date information about more donors more quickly when you outsource the efforts to a third-party provider. And employer appends services are dedicated to doing just that in the most effective and efficient ways possible.
So how can you select the right employer (or other donor data) appends provider for your needs? Be sure to do your research beforehand.
For example, here’s how it works with Double the Donation:
Organizations typically see successful appends rates between 20% and 50% of the records they provide to the appending service (which is significantly higher than the industry average).
Employer appends are typically completed and provided within a few days of the organization submitting their inputs.
Appends records are assigned an accuracy rating. This takes into account the uniqueness of a donor’s name and the level of detailed inputs initially provided, as well as the comprehensiveness and recency of the data source used.
As an added bonus, previously unknown corporate executives are often identified and flagged as potential major donors.
Multiple appending options are available, including real-time employer appends for Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro users, as well as one-time bulk appends services for any organization.
Employer appends can be uploaded into 360MatchPro to trigger matching gift emails and other automated donor outreach.
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Other Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Double the Donation get its employer data?
Our propriety screening method combines data from both publicly and privately available sources. These sources include public government records, SEC filings, social media profiles, business registrations, and a variety of other sources.
What hit rate should our organization expect?
We typically see append rates which range from 20%-50%. This is based on a variety of factors such as:
Donor demographics (higher append rates among organizations which have a greater percentage of donors still in the workforce)
Average donation amount (higher append rates for wealthier donors)
Type of nonprofit (higher append rates for higher education)
How does Double the Donation determine its “accuracy score” for each record?
Our accuracy score is based on a number of factors including:
Uniqueness of donor names: With only a name it can be tough to determine whether we’ve identified the correct individual. The number of individuals with the same name plays a role in our accuracy score. A search for a common name such as “Steve Smith” will have a much lower accuracy score than a more unique / one of a kind name.
Level of detail provided on a record: The more information that you provide on each record, the greater the accuracy score. Even though there may be 1,000 individuals named “Steve Smith” if we’re able to match additional fields such as a phone number or mailing address it increases the accuracy score for that record.
Our data source / date the data source was updated:
We recognize that not all of our data sources are created equal. The data source, as well as the update frequency, plays a role in each individual record’s accuracy score.
Which types of nonprofits see the highest append rates and the most accurate results?
Our ability to append employer data is dependent upon the input file an organization provides to us. Organizations which keep their databases up-to-date see the best results.
For instance:
Do you have an up-to-date email address?
Do you have an up-to-date mailing address?
For higher education institutions, can you provide us with the years your donor / alumni graduated?
How complete are the input files that nonprofits normally send to Double the Donation?
It depends. Very rarely does an organization have comprehensive data on all of its donors, especially when you consider an organization which raises funds from multiple channels (mail, online, phone, in-person, etc.)
We do request that you provide us with as much data as you can as it helps us locate and match your records to the appropriate individual.
Are subsidiaries and alternate spelling variations listed separately or all in a single subsidiary field?
Our matching gift database is comprised of the following two tables:
A table mapping subsidiaries to parent companies
A table mapping all company details to a single parent company
These tables are then joined using a unique ID that ties all the data together.
Can I use employer append files I already have with 360MatchPro?
An organization navigates to the “import wizard” to upload its employer appends CSV file.
The organization previews record uploads to ensure the data has been mapped properly.
The organization leverages employer append workflows to match Unknown Eligibility donors with the correct employers.
You can learn more about leveraging bulk employer appends files alongside 360MatchPro with our Knowledge Base article on the topic here.
Concluding Thoughts
The more you know about your donors, the more effectively you can target and attract them to your cause. Not to mention, having employment data on file empowers organizations to seek workplace giving opportunities as well.
You may have a solid base of information pertaining to donors’ employing companies already. However, employer appends can go a long way toward filling in the blanks and connecting the dots. This is especially true in terms of matching gift programs, volunteer grants, and more.
Interested in further developing your organization’s donor data strategy? Dive into these other forms of data appends services—and how they can benefit your team—below:
What Is a Date of Birth Append? A Comprehensive Guide. Uncover more about your organization’s supporters with date of birth appending. Find out donors’ ages for strategic segmentation, send birthday outreach, and more.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/DTD-The-Ultimate-Guide-to-Employer-Appends-for-Fundraisers.png3801000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-01-28 19:14:372024-06-03 18:21:30The Ultimate Guide to Employer Appends for Fundraisers
For many students, attending an institution of higher education is a transformative experience. This is all thanks to the professors you hire, the programs you offer, the facilities you maintain, and the scholarships you grant. To continue presenting your students with the resources they need to fulfill all their academic and personal goals, however, you need funding.
Most schools immediately turn to alumni fundraising to acquire these funds—and it’s not hard to see why. Even though they’ve left your campus, your alumni will always have a special connection to your institution. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through all you need to know to maximize alumni giving:
The more engaged your alumni are, the stronger your school’s community will be. Set your current and upcoming students for success by improving your alumni fundraising strategy.
Why is alumni fundraising important?
Colleges and universities undertake a variety of projects, initiatives, and improvements to create fulfilling experiences for their students. By securing alumni gifts, your school can:
Fund more scholarships. According to Hanover Research’s U.S. alumni survey, 74% of alumni indicate that their top inspiration for giving to their alma mater would be to either make education more affordable for other students or because they want to give back. Alumni donations are a stellar way for them to “pay it forward” and make your institution more accessible to aspiring scholars.
Create enriching programs and events. Alumni fundraising allows you to increase the value that students receive during their years of study. For instance, you might hire nutritionists to host informational healthy eating sessions, open up more study abroad opportunities, or expand your music program with new course offerings.
Improve campus facilities. Whether you’re seeking to construct a new dormitory building or renovate old classrooms, alumni gifts can provide you with the necessary funds to embark on such projects and improve the student experience on campus.
Upgrade technology. While new technology can be a considerable upfront investment, state-of-the-art tools like laser projectors, 360-degree lecture recording cameras, and interactive whiteboards can significantly boost student engagement.
Provide more student services. More students than ever are struggling with their mental health, with 44% reporting symptoms of depression and 37% indicating that they have experienced anxiety. Alumni gifts can go toward essential student support services such as mental health counseling, career planning, and tutoring.
It’s clear that alumni fundraising can have a significant impact on students and your institution as a whole, so much so that there are even higher education conferences dedicated to it. Understanding and communicating why gifts are so important can go a long way toward raising more from your graduates.
6 Strategies to Encourage Alumni Giving
Your school equips its students with the skills, knowledge, and connections they need to thrive in the professional world. After they’ve received their diplomas and launched their careers, invite them to give back and set the next generation up for success. Follow these six strategies for requesting donations from alumni:
1. Conduct prospect research.
Your alumni are just as diverse as your student base. This means that, especially if you’re trying to secure a major or annual gift, some alumni will be more promising than others. Prospect research refers to the process of using philanthropic and wealth indicators to identify individuals who have both an affinity for your institution and the capacity to give.
Typically, you’ll search your alumni database for information such as:
Past engagement history with your institution, such as volunteering.
Personal interests related to your funding goals, such as an affinity for the arts.
Previous gifts made to your institution.
Real estate ownership.
Business connections.
Stock ownership.
By conducting prospect research, your school will determine which alumni to prioritize for your mid-size or major gift outreach. If this process seems too intensive for your team, there are plenty of prospect research services that can sift through your data and build a list of prospective donors for you to solicit.
2. Segment your alumni.
Before you begin crafting your fundraising messages and reaching out to alumni, take the time to segment your audience. This step involves separating your alumni into various groups based on shared characteristics so you can tailor your communications to resonate with each individual’s giving capacity, interests, and preferences.
An effective way to pinpoint the most promising groups for your segmented alumni outreach is to create a donor persona. According to Fifty and Fifty, a persona is useful for fleshing out your understanding of your target audience and pinpointing common overlapping traits. Here’s an example of a donor persona that could be useful for alumni fundraising:
Name: Melanie Martin
Age: 35-45
Gender: Female
Family Status: Married with young children
Location: Suburban
Education Level: Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees
Occupation: Middle management in a marketing firm
Values: Community involvement, paying support they received in previous years forward
Interests: Connecting with fellow alumni, attending family-friendly events
Challenges/Pain Points: Limited time due to professional and family life, feels disconnected from the school since she graduated over ten years prior
From this persona, you could reasonably infer that Melanie’s main motivation for giving back is to support the programs that got her where she is today. Also, she would rather attend annual, family-friendly, reunion-style events. This allows her to reconnect with her alma mater while juggling the other important aspects of her life. Additionally, you could recommend that she signs up to donate smaller recurring gifts since they are much more convenient and manageable.
You can make personas like this for all your most influential donor segments. Just ensure you regularly revisit and update them with necessary information as your donor base evolves.
3. Promote matching gifts.
Your alumni give because they want to make an impact on your school and the students attending it. With matching gifts, they can double or even triple their donation amount at no additional cost. Many companies have a matching gift program as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives, in which they’ll match employee gifts made to your institution at typically a 1:1 ratio.
However, an estimated $6-$10 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year, simply because donors aren’t aware of these opportunities. Ensure your alumni don’t miss out by promoting matching gifts across your various platforms. For example, consider:
Including basic information about these programs in a section of your email newsletter.
Sending follow-up emails after a match-eligible graduate makes a gift.
Producing eye-catching social media posts to spread awareness of matching gifts.
Creating a dedicated matching gifts page on your school website with detailed instructions about the process.
For alumni who are worried that they won’t be able to give enough to make a meaningful difference, learning about matching gifts could provide them with the motivation they need to follow through.
Check out our short video on matching gift best practices to unlock additional insights for improving your alumni fundraising strategy:
As the video suggests, your school can even turn to a matching gift expert for specialized assistance in using matching gifts to boost your fundraising efforts.
4. Invest in tools that facilitate alumni giving.
Modern technology has opened up many possibilities for your school to raise funds. The more options you provide your alumni, the more likely they are to donate. Some game-changing fundraising tools that are worth investing in are:
Matching gift software. A matching gift platform like 360MatchPro makes it easy for your institution to identify match-eligible donors and send automated follow-up emails with all the information they need to request a match. Plus, with the latest auto-submission feature, alumni who work for a company with CSR software that integrates with 360MatchPro can simply input their corporate email address when they donate and let the technology complete the entire request process for them.
Text-to-give platform. 85% of all Americans own a smartphone. Embrace the popularity of these devices by using a text-to-give platform that allows your alumni to donate directly from their phones. All they have to do is text your chosen keyword to your text-to-give number and receive a link that takes them to your mobile-responsive donation page.
Peer-to-peer fundraising software. Empower your most passionate graduates to fundraise on your behalf with peer-to-peer fundraising software. With this software, alumni can create individual branded donation pages to which they can direct their friends and family.
Event software. Hosting alumni events is an effective way to both keep them engaged and raise revenue for your school. By leveraging event planning and management tools, you can set up registration fees, plan in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, and create a memorable experience for all your attendees.
Online donation pages. Create a dedicated online donation page to house your alumni fundraising efforts. Include a matching gift FAQ, eligible funding programs, and an easy-to-use donation form. The philanthropic sectors of universities are also eligible for the Google Ad Grant, which you can use to enhance your donation page’s online visibility and appear on the top of Google’s search results page for keywords related to your institution.
Review your goals and budget before researching specific software solutions to implement for your institution. Take the time to read online reviews and request demos to determine which options will work best for your needs.
5. Provide a variety of opportunities to contribute.
Not every one of your graduates will be a major donor. However, that doesn’t mean many of them aren’t willing and eager to contribute in other ways. Keep these alumni involved by sharing a variety of opportunities for them to support your school, such as:
Planned giving. Alumni can set up planned, or legacy, gifts that your institution will receive after they pass. There are multiple types of planned giving, including bequests and charitable gift annuities. These gifts allow alumni donors to leave a legacy without having to worry about factoring donations into their day-to-day financial obligations.
Volunteering. While your recent graduates may not have the capacity to make large gifts, they can demonstrate their commitment to your school by contributing their time and skills instead. In fact, the average number of alumni who engage in volunteering is higher among those zero to five years out from graduating than any other cohort. Plus, if their employers offer volunteer grants, you can earn a certain amount of revenue based on the number of volunteer hours your alumni serve.
Fundraising. Encourage your alumni to participate in a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign or start a birthday fundraiser on your school’s behalf. This way, they can support your fundraising efforts by reaching out to their friends and family members for donations.
Attending events. Alumni can register for your events or participate as speakers. For example, they could lend a hand by serving as a mentor for a current student or using their professional expertise to hold workshops on important topics such as financial literacy.
To open up more opportunities that appeal to your alumni, consider sending out a survey to find out what they’re most interested in. You could ask them about the types of events they prefer or what skills they would like to apply as volunteers.
6. Focus on building strong alumni relationships.
At the heart of it, alumni fundraising is anything but transactional. The key to success lies in building strong, meaningful relationships with your alumni. Start by collecting information on and abiding by their communication preferences. Hanover Research found that 7 in 10 alumni donors want to hear from their institution at least quarterly.
Stay connected beyond fundraising appeals by sharing relevant news, updating donors on the impact of their gifts, and interacting with graduates on social media. Remember to practice frequent, thoughtful recognition to demonstrate just how much alumni mean to your school. Rather than sending generic thank-you emails, consider these popular ideas to appreciate your alumni:
Send an eCard. Level up your thank-you’s by producing branded eCards that your team can effortlessly personalize with each recipient’s name and details related to their specific contribution. Dedicated eCard platforms like eCardWidget provide all the tools you’ll need to create your designs, add engaging animations, schedule your eCards, and more.
Gift branded merchandise. Whether you send them a t-shirt or a set of stickers, your alumni will be glad to have the chance to display their connection to your school. This type of appreciation has the added benefit of providing extra marketing for your institution as well.
Add spotlights to your website. Set up a dedicated page on your school’s website to publicly recognize some of your top alumni donors. Ask for permission to feature individual names, photos, and quotes to turn these spotlights into an inspiring resource for other alumni who are considering making a gift.
Whatever thank-you methods you choose, remember to emphasize how your alumni have made an impact on your institution and the lives of its current students to keep them continually invested in your success.
Alumni Fundraising Letter Template
When it comes time to reach out to your alumni, what do you say? Use this template as a jumping-off point for your alumni fundraising letter:
[School Letterhead/Logo]
Dear [Recipient’s Name],
We hope this letter finds you well. As a cherished alumn(us/a) of our [Institution Name] family, you know that we’re on a constant journey to provide our current and incoming students with the highest quality of education. In our pursuit of excellence, we’ve accomplished quite a lot in the past few years, including [one or two recent accomplishments].
This year, we’re taking on a new initiative to [fundraising goal]. By raising $[fundraising goal amount], we’ll be able to [impact on the institution and students].
Today, we kindly ask you to take a moment and reflect on your time at [Institution Name]. Will you join in our efforts to create more valuable experiences for our students, so that they can go on to pursue their career aspirations and lifelong dreams?
Any gift, no matter the size, will leave a lasting impact on our students, faculty, and institution as a whole. To make a contribution, [specific instructions on how to donate, such as visit your online donation page]. If you’d like to learn about other ways to support our initiative, please visit our website to explore volunteering opportunities, upcoming events, and more.
Thank you for being an integral part of our institution’s history and helping us shape a brighter future for [Institution Name] and our students.
Sincerely,
[Signature]
[Name]
[Title]
Popular Alumni Fundraising Ideas
Once you’ve developed a foundation of strong alumni relationships for your institution, get creative to maximize participation. Some popular alumni fundraising ideas to consider include:
Silent auction. Go beyond simply requesting donations from alumni by hosting a virtual or hybrid silent auction. No matter where they’re located, your attendees can bid on desirable items such as concert tickets, artwork, travel packages, and more—all while supporting your school. Procure items that you know will appeal to your alumni to encourage higher bidding and participation.
Cookbook. Your alumni may move away from campus, but that doesn’t mean they can’t feel close to your school’s community anymore. Ask your graduates to submit their best-loved recipes and compile them into a cookbook that you can sell to alumni, parents, and other supporters of your institution.
Sports watch party. Sports are a tried-and-true way to rally your alumni together and rekindle their love for your school. Organize watch parties for your next major sporting event and ask attendees to pay a small registration fee for the experience. These can be wonderful opportunities for alumni to bond and make connections with others in their area.
Brick fundraiser. Is your school planning to construct a new building or renovate an area on campus? Start a brick fundraiser that allows your alumni to purchase a personalized brick or tile with their name on it. You’ll be able to raise funds and your alumni will be able to leave a lasting, physical mark on your institution.
Alumni reunion. An alumni reunion gives your graduates a chance to reminisce about their time at your school and revisit old memories on campus. Beyond charging registration fees, you can earn additional revenue by selling branded merchandise and holding raffles during the event.
After each fundraiser, review key metrics such as your attendance rate and average gift amount to determine which ideas resonate most with your alumni. Use these insights to tailor your alumni fundraising strategy to increase participation moving forward.
Wrapping Up: Maximizing the Potential of Alumni Fundraising
The success of your alumni fundraising efforts depends upon building relationships that harken back to the value you provided graduates during their studies and call attention to the impact they can have on the students who come after them. Make all your alumni feel included by sharing a variety of ways they can contribute to your goals. Then, as they continue to grow and flourish in their lives, they’ll be able to respond to more opportunities to give.
To learn more tips and best practices for connecting with your alumni and raising funds for your school, check out these additional resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Alumni-Fundraising_Feature.jpg6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-01-25 19:23:382024-07-17 16:09:09Alumni Fundraising: A Complete Guide to Winning More Support
Well-managed finances are the backbone of successful nonprofits. To continue fulfilling your essential role in the community, you must meet IRS reporting requirements, build donor trust, and make informed decisions that contribute to your overall financial sustainability.
While assembling your nonprofit financial statements can seem like a mundane checkbox to mark off every year, they can be highly useful resources for refining your budget, enhancing your fundraising results, and more.
We’ll cover all the essentials about nonprofit financial statements in the following sections:
Many nonprofits include these statements in their annual reports to demonstrate accountability. By providing donors, volunteers, corporate sponsors, and other stakeholders with a clear window into your financial activities, you’ll enhance your credibility and increase your chances of securing even more support down the road.
The Importance of Nonprofit Financial Statements
According to a recent Independent Sector study, while most Americans trust nonprofits, 83% indicate that “Nonprofits must earn my trust before I support them” and 80% agree that “I need to see proof of an organization’s impact to continue my support for it.”
With so many pressing causes worth their attention, donors want to feel confident that your nonprofit will put their funds to good use. By sharing your financial statements, you can let them see for themselves just how effectively you’re working to accomplish your mission.
Beyond attracting and retaining donors, nonprofit financial reporting allows you to:
Improve financial decision-making. With a better understanding of your nonprofit’s financial situation and activities, you can make strategic adjustments to your budget and resource allocation. For example, you might decide to cut down on your event costs next year by investing in registration and planning tools that will allow you to host more virtual fundraising events.
Secure more major gifts. Major donors can provide substantial funding to power your programs, capital campaigns, or general operations. However, to cultivate these key individuals, you need to convince them that their gifts will make a meaningful difference in the lives of those you serve. Presenting them with your nonprofit financial reports is an effective way to demonstrate your track record and impact.
Build stronger corporate partnerships. Modern customer and employee expectations have led to a rise in corporate philanthropy initiatives such as matching gifts and event sponsorships. Your financial statements can convince companies that your nonprofit is a worthwhile investment. Plus, you can nurture long-term relationships by publicly recognizing your corporate partners in your annual report.
Win more grants. When applying for a grant, you’ll frequently have to include detailed financial information alongside your proposal. These statements prove that your organization possesses the fiscal stability necessary to make effective use of grant funding and carry out your proposed project.
Facilitate board financial oversight. Your board members have a fiduciary responsibility to monitor your nonprofit’s budget and financial health. This doesn’t mean they have to oversee every expenditure, nor do they need to be finance experts. Reviewing your financial statements allows them to ensure that your organization is managing its budget properly and complying with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which include consistent reporting for every period and honesty from all involved parties.
Evaluate your nonprofit’s performance. Since nonprofits are legally required to make their financial statements available to the public, you can use these resources to compare your performance with other organizations in your area of focus. In doing so, you’ll be able to identify ways to improve your strategies going forward.
Furthermore, charity watchdogs such as GuideStar and Charity Navigator often consider nonprofit financial reports when rating profiles on their website. Having clear and accurate statements can go a long way toward establishing trust in potential donors looking for new organizations to support.
4 Essential Types of Nonprofit Financial Statements
Nonprofits typically prepare four types of financial statements to visualize their financial health and communicate it to stakeholders:
1. Statement of Financial Position
Your nonprofit’s statement of financial position, or balance sheet, provides a summary of your organization’s financial health at a specific point in time. This document consists of three main elements: assets – liabilities = net assets. Let’s take a closer look at each element:
Assets. Assets refer to everything your organization owns, including cash, accounts receivable, investments, property, and office equipment. You’ll list these out in order of liquidity, or how quickly you would be able to convert them into cash. Cash requires no conversion, so you would record it first. Since you’d have to take the time to sell your property and office equipment to convert them to cash, these assets would be last.
Liabilities. Liabilities refer to everything your nonprofit owes to its employees, vendors, contractors, and other organizations. For example, you would catalog your accounts payable, loans payable, and other long-term obligations in this section. You’ll organize your liabilities by their due date, starting with the ones you must pay back first.
Net assets. To calculate your net assets, subtract your total liabilities from your total assets. While you don’t have to note down every item, you’ll split this section into net assets without donor restrictions and those with restrictions. For instance, a grantmaker might stipulate that you can only use grant funding for a specific project or purpose.
Many nonprofits often include a column for the current year and another for the previous year as a way to compare their financial performance. Feel free to use this template to start constructing your own nonprofit statement of financial position:
The details in your statement of financial position will come in handy when it’s time to file your Form 990. Additionally, you can use this report to learn more about your nonprofit’s liquidity. For instance, by dividing your total current assets by your total liabilities, you can calculate your current liquidity ratio. The higher the ratio, the better equipped you are to pay back all your liabilities.
2. Statement of Activities
Your nonprofit’s statement of activities, or income statement, details all your revenue and expenses throughout the fiscal year. Like your statement of financial position, this document contains three main elements:
Revenues. In this section, you’ll itemize all of your various revenue sources, such as cash donations, in-kind gifts, grants, membership dues, program fees, and investment returns. Your report will commonly include two categories to account for your restricted and unrestricted revenue.
Expenses. In this section, you’ll specify all the costs associated with running your nonprofit and carrying out your mission. For example, record staff salaries, facility rent, insurance, consulting services, supplies, and program-related expenses.
Net assets. Subtract your total expenses from your total revenue to calculate your net assets. You’ll typically indicate your net assets at the beginning of the year, your net assets at the end of the year, and your total change in net assets. A positive change in net assets means that your nonprofit is effectively managing its finances throughout the year.
Use our statement of activities template to hit the ground running with your nonprofit financial reporting:
By compiling a statement of activities, your nonprofit can evaluate the sustainability of its programs and determine whether you need to raise more funds to cover your projected expenses in the coming year. For instance, you might decide to focus on marketing matching gifts to generate the revenue you need to expand one of your core programs.
3. Statement of Cash Flows
A statement of cash flows provides your nonprofit with a more minute overview of the cash moving in and out of your organization. Your report will have three main sections:
Operating activities. These activities refer to the revenue and expenses associated with operating your nonprofit. You’ll log staff salaries, program fees, and donations in this section.
Investing activities. In your statement of cash flows, you’ll list information such as long-term investment purchases and sales, including property and equipment. Additionally, you’ll note down revenue such as interest earned on your investments.
Financing activities. Your financing activities refer to any revenue you generate from your savings and financial expenses, like credit card or loan payments.
Like your statement of financial position, it can be helpful to include a column for the current year and a column for the previous year in this report. This way, your leadership team, board members, and other stakeholders can have a better understanding of how your nonprofit generates and spends its cash from year to year.
Start assembling your nonprofit’s statement of cash flows using this template:
By consistently monitoring your cash inflows and outflows, you’ll be able to notice important trends and use them to adjust your financial strategy in the future.
4. Statement of Functional Expenses
A statement of functional expenses recounts all of your spending, categorizing each expenditure by the purpose it served for your nonprofit. You’ll break up this financial statement into three columns:
Program services. In this column, you’ll enumerate all the funds your nonprofit spent to provide its services and carry out its mission. For example, a hunger relief organization may note travel costs for food delivery while a wildlife rehabilitation nonprofit may include animal care supplies as part of its program expenses.
Management. Your nonprofit’s management expenses refer to all the costs related to running and managing your organization. Some common management expenses would be employee salaries, office equipment, and rent.
Fundraising. In this column, you’ll identify all the expenses associated with raising funds for your nonprofit, including the costs of fundraising event planning, new software solutions, and marketing.
Form 990 includes a “statement of functional expenses” page for 501(c)(3) organizations to fill in. While each nonprofit will have different rows of specific expenditures depending on its activities and area of focus, you can use this basic template as a jumping-off point for your nonprofit functional expenses reporting:
You can use the insights from this nonprofit financial statement to guide your annual budget planning. Plus, this publicly available information can provide current and prospective donors with the context they need to decide whether they’d like to support your nonprofit based on how it employs its funds.
How to Prepare Your Nonprofit Financial Reports
Plan to compile these nonprofit financial statements well before the end of your fiscal year to ensure that you have all the time you need to fulfill your accounting requirements. Follow these general steps to start preparing your reports:
Assemble your financial data. Since your nonprofit financial statements offer a comprehensive rundown of various aspects of your operations and mission, you’ll need to reference receipts, bank statements, and records of other financial transactions to complete them.
Use dedicated nonprofit accounting software. Many nonprofit accounting solutions make it easy for your organization to manage its financial data, track real-time performance, and even automatically generate its financial statements.
Review and audit your nonprofit financial statements. Auditing your financial reports can go a long way toward increasing accountability and transparency in the eyes of your nonprofit’s stakeholders. Furthermore, an audit ensures that all your financial data is error-free, so you can confidently share it in your annual report and use it to inform your future strategies.
Consider partnering with a nonprofit accountant. With so much that needs to be done to fulfill your nonprofit’s mission, tax season and all its requirements might seem like an overwhelming addition to your to-do list. Fortunately, there are accounting experts with years of experience in helping nonprofits prepare their financial reports. Consider reaching out to these professionals to lighten your workload.
Ultimately, your nonprofit financial statements are snapshots of your financial health and activities that you can use to improve your decision-making and secure more support down the line. A nonprofit consultant can work with your team to interpret your financial data and harness it for future growth.
Strong Examples of Nonprofit Financial Reporting
Assembling your nonprofit financial reports may seem like an intensive process, but it’s perfectly feasible. Let’s take a look at some excellent examples that other nonprofits have produced and shared:
1. Feeding America
Feeding America includes a “Financials” section in its annual report and states upfront that “98% of contributions go directly to programs that serve people facing hunger.” The nonprofit’s statement of financial position and statement of activities provide the necessary details to back up this claim, which can increase trust among donors, volunteers, and other supporters in the community.
Plus, at the bottom of the page, Feeding America adds a link to view its audited financials for anyone interested in delving deeper into its financial situation and activities.
2. The World Wildlife Fund
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) features graphs alongside its statement of activities to present its annual report readers with a more visual perspective of its revenue and expenses. With just a glance, it’s easy to see that 85% of total expenses were program-related and that the majority (29%) of operating revenue came from individual contributors.
Furthermore, WWF adds graphs that illustrate the nonprofit’s operating revenue and program spending growth over the past decade.
3. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) shares its audited financial statements for the past five years on its website. Each report comes with a note from the independent auditor stating that they conducted the audit according to the Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS) to ensure that each document is free from any misstatement.
4. Heifer International
Similar to LLS, Heifer International has an entire page on its website devoted to sharing its financial information with stakeholders, including a graph that maps out its expenses over the fiscal year. The nonprofit even compares its results with the Better Business Bureau standard for charities, stating that it has gone above and beyond by allocating 75% of funds to program expenses and 21% to fundraising activities.
Wrapping Up: Understanding Your Nonprofit’s Financial Health
While preparing your nonprofit financial statements can feel like wrangling a bunch of numbers together, remember that your ultimate goal is to turn these data points into a story that donors, board members, corporate partners, and other stakeholders can understand.
Whether you add graphs to visualize your most important financial details or simply include your audited reports on your website, consider how you can cater to your audience’s interests and preferences. Engaging stakeholders in your financial reporting and providing transparency can turn reporting requirements into increased impact for those you serve.
For more information on how to improve your nonprofit’s financial situation and share better results year after year, check out these additional resources:
14 Types of Corporate Philanthropy You Should Know About. Companies are finding more and more ways to support nonprofits and make a difference in their communities. Explore popular types of corporate philanthropy and how to tap into them.
Matching Gift Videos | Examples and Best Practices. Matching gifts can bring in significant revenue for your nonprofit, at no additional cost to your donors. Discover how you can effectively use videos to promote these opportunities.
Nonprofit Basics: Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits. Want to expand your reach without straining your marketing budget? Learn all about Google Ad Grants and how you can unlock $10,000 to spend on Google Ads credits every month.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Nonprofit-Financial-Statements_Feature.jpg6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-01-25 19:05:072024-09-16 17:14:21How to Master the Art of Nonprofit Financial Statements
Tons of companies (from Fortune 500 enterprises to the local law firm down the street) offer generous employee gift-matching programs. When such a program is available, the business essentially agrees to match donations made by its staff to a wide range of charitable causes. These opportunities are great—and relatively well-known in the nonprofit space. However, there’s another type of corporate matching program that’s less widely understood, and that is one-off matching gift programs.
One-off (or custom) matching gift programs generally involve specific partnerships between one corporation and one nonprofit organization. And the results can be grand!
If you’re interested in making the most of corporate matching opportunities for your mission, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know as you begin crafting a plan to source and leverage one-off matching initiatives. This includes:
Ready to dive in? One-off matching gifts have the potential to bring your organization’s corporate fundraising to the next level. You just need a plan that outlines how your team can do so. And for that, let’s start with the basics.
The basics of one-off matching gift programs
One-off matching gift programs are those that are unique to a single organization. In this case, it’s yours! In the matching gift sector, you may hear this type of partnership described in a few ways—including custom, one-off, exclusive, or even unique matching gift programs.
Regardless of the term used, the bottom line is the same: a company works with an organization to facilitate a matching gift program with narrower criteria than a standard match program would have.
Specifically, donations to your nonprofit are the only ones being matched.
You might wonder why a company would offer this particular type of donation-matching initiative.
Picture this: let’s say you run an organization dedicated to breast cancer research and treatment services. Now, imagine a corporate CEO has a soft spot for missions like yours. They come to your nonprofit team with a proposal: They’d like to match employee donations to your organization throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
While the company may not typically have the bandwidth to match all team member donations, a one-off matching gift program can serve as an excellent jumping-off point for corporate philanthropy. Alternatively, a business might offer a traditional matching gift initiative with a 1:1 ratio year-round. During particular times (or to particular causes), however, the employer might elevate its program by offering a temporary 2, 3, or even 4:1 match through a one-off program.
Check out the clip below to get a two-minute overview of one-off matching gifts.
Interested in a more in-depth examination of the programs? Register to get the webinar replay here!
Double the Donation’s one-off match program functionality [with auto-submission]
If you’ve made an effort to elevate corporate fundraising at your organization, you’ve likely invested in a matching gift automation software like Double the Donation. This tool makes it quick and easy for you and your donors to locate information regarding thousands of matching gift companies.
If a company doesn’t offer a widely available matching gift program, though, they likely won’t show up in a search of the database tool. And that confusion can cause a disruption in the number of matching gift requests actually submitted—and secured—for your cause.
When you’ve organized a one-off matching gift program with a corporate partner, you want your donors to seamlessly locate the information they need to initiate the match process.
Luckily, Double the Donation has the solution: we’re offering built-in functionality for managing unique matching gift programs in 360MatchPro. That means you can add matching gift programs specific to your cause to your matching gift search tool—without it populating in other organizations’ databases as well. This way, donors can access the policy and forms they need to complete their matching gift requests on your nonprofit’s behalf.
While this functionality has previously been available exclusively for 360MatchPro Enterprise clients, we’re excited to announce that all 360MatchPro Standard accounts now have access to our unique program management tools!
*As a note, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—360MatchPro does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.
Adding a One-Off Program in 360MatchPro
Already have a corporate partner offering a one-off matching gift program for your organization? To add your unique campaign to your nonprofit’s matching gift database, log into your 360MatchPro portal and fill out a brief form regarding the offered program. (This can be located under the settings tab → Manage Programs.)
To save the program in your database, you’ll be asked for a few key details regarding the agreed-upon guidelines and parameters. This includes:
Company name
Point of contact information (e.g., the workplace giving coordinator or HR department), email address, and phone number
Types of eligible employees (full-time, part-time, retired team members, and/or spouses)
Minimum and maximum donations matched
Matching gift ratio
Submission form URL or PDF upload (and an overview of the request process)
Program start and end dates
From there, the custom matching gift initiative will begin populating within eligible donors’ queries! All they need to do is begin typing their employer’s name in your organization’s search tool and select the company from the populating options. Once they’re redirected to your confirmation screen (or afterward in an email), donors should find the easy-to-access program details and instructions as usual.
Enabling Auto-Submission for Your One-Off Program
In the same form, your team will also be asked whether you’d like to enable optional auto-submission functionality for the one-off matching gift program. This essentially enables Double the Donation to pre-fill a request form on the donor’s behalf, thus streamlining their experience and enhancing participation and engagement rates.
In order to see the best results from auto-submission forms, be sure to also fill out your comprehensive Organization Profile within 360MatchPro. (This can be located under the settings tab → Organization Profile.)
This resource should include vital and up-to-date information about your nonprofit that will ultimately be used for your matching gift company to review and approve requests. When qualifying donors initiate the auto-submission process from your giving page, Double the Donation has the necessary details to complete the request behind the scenes, thus automating and streamlining donors’ efforts.
The details in your nonprofit’s profile should include:
Your organization’s name
Phone number
Tax ID number (EIN)
Website URL
Full mailing address
Form W-9
501(c)(3) IRS affirmation letter
In the end, proactively sharing this information increases the likelihood that matches are completed without a hitch. As a result, you can expect more matching gift funds flowing into your cause in a timely manner.
(Hint: Your Organization Profile helps streamline auto-submission for other companies’ general matching gift programs as well!)
Locating a one-off corporate matching gift partner
One-off or unique matching gift programs are, by definition, developed on an ad hoc basis. Luckily, that opens up a world of possibilities—because just about any company could offer such an initiative.
As you begin seeking the right partner for your one-off matching gift program, we recommend taking a similar approach to the pursuit of a traditional corporate sponsorship. Following these steps can help organize your efforts and make the most of every avenue of support available to you!
Identifying companies your donors work for that don’t have existing matching gift programs.
Reach out to non-participating employers and share that you have a lot in common with them and their key stakeholders (your donors and their employees) already. Then, let your point of contact know you’d like to launch a one-off donation-matching initiative. Point out that it can be a great way to get into matching gifts for the first time, and be sure to share that your organization has helpful tools and resources for streamlining the facilitation of such a program.
Top tip: If your team uses 360MatchPro, the “Leading Companies” feature allows you to isolate the employers most often searched by donors in your database tool. It even flags top companies according to whether they have an existing match program or not!
Encouraging donors to advocate for a one-off matching program on your behalf.
Your donors can be some of your greatest assets. If they work for companies without existing programs, see if your supporters would be willing to pitch the idea to their employer on your behalf. When you provide a handy template supporters can use to propose a program (such as one included below), they’ll be increasingly likely to take such steps. And a company is going to be more open to considering the opportunity when the proposal is coming from a member of their own team.
Top tip: We recommend implementing 360MatchPro’s custom redirect functionality to inform ineligible donors about the ways they can get involved regardless. When a donor is marked as likely ineligible for a matching gift, send them to a page on your website that shares a myriad of opportunities for increased support: including championing a one-off matching gift program to their employer!
Suggesting unique opportunities for amplifying existing matching gift programs.
One-off matching gift programs are sometimes built off of companies’ existing match initiatives, too! That means you might not be starting from ground zero when it comes to communicating the matching gift opportunity and how a company can get involved.
Instead, there may be a business that contributes a number of matching gifts to your organization already. But in the company’s giving, you see an opportunity for growth or additional, untapped potential. In this case, you might consider proposing the idea of an “above and beyond” matching gift opportunity to set your prospective one-off program apart.
Here are a few examples of ways a company can scale up its matching gift program for your organization:
Increased matching gift ratios (e.g., a company usually matches gifts at a 1:1 ratio but raises the rate to 2:1 for a cancer research organization during Breast Cancer Awareness Month)
Decreased donation minimums (for example, let’s say a company generally requires donations of least $50 to qualify for a matching gift. During Pride month, it removes the minimum gift size for an LGBTQ+ nonprofit as a way to incentivize employee giving to the cause)
Increased donation maximums (a company typically instills a $500 cap on matching gifts per employee but raises the maximum threshold to $5,000 for a local food bank during Matching Gift Month)
Fundraising matches (a company generally matches gifts that employees donate personally but opts to match all gifts collected for a peer-to-peer fundraiser on behalf of a particular mission organization)
Top tip: One-off matching gift programs can offer an excellent opportunity to highlight giving days, awareness and affinity months, and more. Consider which celebrations best align with your nonprofit and its mission, then begin seeking corporate matching gift partners to amplify such efforts.
Creating a “one-off matching gift” interest page on your website.
Your nonprofit’s website is one of its most valuable assets. And, just like you can leverage this resource to share general matching gift program information, you can also use it to drum up interest for one-off matching gifts. The key difference, however, is that you’ll be targeting prospective companies rather than individual donors!
As you build a one-off matching gifts page on your site, we recommend the following best practices for success:
Make it easy to locate. You won’t reap many benefits from a web page that’s nearly impossible to find!
Review your mission. Don’t assume any prospective partners are already familiar with your organization. Provide a brief summary of your vision and your team’s work toward it. Pictures help, too!
Define the “one-off match” opportunity. Make sure to clearly define a one-off matching gift program and clarify how it differs from a standard matching gift.
Focus on the benefits. Companies want to know what advantages are being offered in any potential partnership. State the ways a one-off matching gift program will aid the employer in reaching its goals. The more specific you can be, the better!
Embed a contact form. It should be quick and easy for corporate donors to enter the information you’ll need to be in touch. When initiating contact is as simple as filling out an online form, more companies will be willing to do so!
Top tip: Be sure to follow up regarding companies’ one-off matching gift partnership interest in a timely manner. Though there’s no universally agreed-upon timetable, reaching out within one business day of the form being submitted tends to be an accepted practice. Plus, following up quickly allows your team to make the most of a corporate contact’s heightened engagement level before it dwindles.
Making the pitch and communicating one-off matching gift partnership value.
At this point, you should have narrowed down potential partnerships and produced a short list of prospects that may be willing to offer a one-off match. Now, it’s time to make your pitch. And don’t forget to mention the vast benefits to participating companies as well! These include heightened employee engagement, improved corporate social responsibility (CSR), tax benefits, and more.
If you have metrics available from previous one-off matching gift partners, this information can help demonstrate tangible value through prior successful engagements. For example, you might inform your corporate contact that a previous one-off match program led to a 40% increase in corporate giving or a 65% employee satisfaction rating.
Top tip: Throughout your search, keep an eye out for companies with similar missions and visions as your own. This will help ensure your values align with one another and can maintain a mutually beneficial partnership in the long term. Not to mention, their employees may be increasingly likely to support your cause.
Establishing one-off matching gift program guidelines in conjunction with your corporate partner.
Once you’ve identified a corporate partner, you’ll need to determine specific program guidelines to define the opportunity. Like traditional matching gifts, these criteria are ultimately determined by the company offering the program. However, your organization may play a role in advising the creation of a matching gift policy. You’ll also need to ensure that the new program’s guidelines do not conflict with any of your pre-existing gift acceptance policies.
Policies for special matching gift programs typically include:
Minimum and maximum donation amounts;
Matching gift ratios;
Types of qualifying employees (i.e., full-time, part-time, retired);
Submission deadlines;
Forms and request processes;
And any other relevant information!
In this regard, the only difference between a one-off and a standard match program is the types of nonprofits eligible for funding. And that question is easy—the receiving organization is yours!
Still, it’s a good idea to discuss associated criteria with your matching gift partner before rolling out your program. This enables your team to better communicate eligibility standards and ensure match requests have the information required for approval. Plus, your organization can provide access to helpful resources that simplify the experience for you and your partners.
Top tip: If you’ve invested in Double the Donation’s matching gift platform, enabling the one-off matching gift management feature allows a company (and its employees) to benefit from a streamlined submission process.
Made possible with the standard matching gift form, this request method is quick and easy for donors to complete, minimizing additional steps and reducing roadblocks in participation. The result? More matches!
Key benefits of one-off matching gift programs for nonprofits
Though narrower in scope, one-off matching gift programs offer many of the same benefits that traditional matching gift programs do. Plus, this unique offering can unleash a number of exclusive advantages just for your cause.
These include:
Building deeper connections with charitable-minded corporations.
Whereas a typical matching gift program may lead to a company contributing to hundreds or thousands of nonprofits, a one-off matching gift program is just between you and your corporate partner. Therefore, it provides enhanced opportunities for strengthening your relationship. You might even be able to turn it into a recurring program!
Widening your fundraising reach to encompass new supporters.
When promoted effectively, one-off matching gift programs have the potential to direct first-time donors to your organization. A company’s employees may otherwise never have been made aware of your cause. But when their employer highlights the giving opportunity, your nonprofit is at the forefront of their minds. You might even uncover some new, long-term supporters this way!
Elevating donor engagement with unique match opportunities.
Perhaps your one-off matching partner employs individuals who are already involved with your cause. You have the chance to further their engagement through the program, too! In fact, studies show that simply mentioning matching gifts in donation appeals results in more than a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average gift amount.
Best practices | Top tips for successful one-off matching programs
Want to take your organization’s unique matching gift program to the next level? Consider these smart tips and tricks to better engage your donors and your corporate partners.
1. Encourage your corporate partner to promote the program to employees.
A matching gift program is only as good as the employees who know about it. Uninformed team members, after all, are not going to take the steps required to initiate a matching gift if they’ve never been informed of the opportunity. Thus, they’re not sending additional corporate revenue your way.
One of the best things a company can do to drive corporate giving participation—and, as a result, get the most out of its program offerings—is to make its employees aware of the opportunity in the first place. From the nonprofit’s end, it’s a good idea to encourage proactive employee outreach in order to aid your partner in doing so.
And when the employer incorporates the program in its public-facing marketing efforts, the philanthropic efforts also go a long way in building the company’s reputation as a charitable and socially responsible institution. Your team can even help drive promotions by sending co-branded graphics, social sharing templates, sample communications, and more!
2. Market the opportunity to your audience.
Just like you expect your matching gift partner to promote your one-off program to their employees, you’ll want to market the opportunity to your nonprofit’s audience as well. Marketing efforts from your organization might include:
A social media post highlighting the program and recognizing your matching gift company for their generosity;
A blog post on your organization’s website sharing program information and how to get involved, if applicable;
Personalized outreach (phone calls, emails, letters, etc.) to existing and prospective donors who work for the company hosting the one-off match program;
Your matching gift search tool—loaded with your one-off matching gift program—embedded in your donation forms and confirmation screen;
Post-donation email reminders that encourage the company’s employees to complete the matching gift request process if they haven’t already.
The more information that gets out regarding the one-off matching gift opportunity, the better!
Remember also that by sharing co-marketing materials with your own network of support, you can help provide additional benefits to the matching gift company. When the employer recognizes significant value from the partnership, they’ll be more likely to offer corporate and workplace giving initiatives alongside your organization in the future.
3. Enable auto-submission functionality to streamline participation.
You want your donors to be able to take part in your matching program as easily as possible. One of the best ways to simplify participation is to implement Double the Donation’s auto-submission functionality—essentially removing obstacles within the submission process and driving more requests to completion.
Why does this matter? Unfortunately, custom matching gift programs can suffer from many of the same roadblocks that traditional programs face. And one of the most common hindrances is a lack of understanding surrounding the matching gift request process from the donor’s perspective.
With auto-submission enabled, however, eligible donors can complete their match submissions right from your donation forms with no redirects, separate logins, or paper forms required! All donors typically have to do is enter their corporate email address on your gift confirmation page. Then, voilà—Double the Donation handles the rest of the submission process using our standard request form behind the scenes.
Here’s what the request process can look like with auto-submission:
Step 1) An employee of your corporate matching company makes a donation on your organization’s website and enters the company name.
Step 2) The donor enters their email on the confirmation screen, authorizing Double the Donation to auto-submit their match request.
By incorporating this innovative functionality for your unique matching gift program, everybody benefits. This includes:
Your organization, which receives increased matching gift revenue and elevated donor engagement.
Your donors, who save time with one-click matching gift requests, enabling them to make the most of their nonprofit contributions without dedicating more time and resources.
Your corporate match partner, who sees maximal program usage, more satisfied employees, and a positive brand image.
And don’t forget about your mission beneficiaries, who receive more extensive and better-funded programs and services from your organization, too!
4. Pitch an annually recurring one-off or custom match program.
Most one-off matching gift programs are going to be organized as short-term campaign initiatives (for example, a company supporting a breast cancer research nonprofit during the month of October or an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization in June). However, that doesn’t mean that the partnership has to be a one-and-done experience!
Instead, pitching your one-off match as an annually recurring event is a great way to grow your relationship with a corporate donor and its employees for the long term. You can even position the initial campaign as a “trial run,” allowing both your organization and the company to fine-tune the program and ensure it aligns well with your shared goals and values over time.
Alternatively, your one-off matching gift efforts might inspire the corporate partner to dive in fully with matching gifts—rolling out an evergreen program in conjunction with a dedicated CSR platform to simplify ongoing management. Either way, your organization is able to benefit from the company’s philanthropy on an ongoing basis!
Helpful templates to streamline corporate outreach
Effective communications—with individual and corporate donors alike—are integral to successful one-off matching gift partnerships. But knowing how to ask a company to match donations can seem nerve-wracking!
If you’re not sure how to get started, check out these sample messages for various scenarios, and adjust the provided templates to reflect your own outreach strategy.
Template #1: Pitching One-Off Matching Gifts to a Company Without an Existing Matching Gift Program
One-off matching gifts are an easy way for companies to explore donation-matching for the first time. Use this template to propose such a program to a company that does not currently offer a matching gift program for its employees.
Subject: Will you support [nonprofit] with a one-off matching gift program?
Dear [HR or CSR department head],
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing on behalf of [nonprofit], an organization deeply committed to [mission or cause]. In the past year, we’ve been fortunate to receive support from donors who share our passion for creating positive change—and many of these generous individuals are employed by [company].
As a result, we wanted to reach out and see if [company] would be interested in implementing a one-off matching gift program as a way to encourage employee giving and grow your own social responsibility efforts. This special initiative allows your company to make a meaningful difference in the community by matching your employees’ donations to [nonprofit] during a designated campaign.
I would love the opportunity to discuss this further and explore how we can tailor a one-off matching gift program to align seamlessly with [company]’s values and objectives.
Template #2: Pitching One-Off Matching Gifts to a Company With an Existing Matching Gift Program
You can also implement a one-off matching gift program to elevate an existing matching gift company’s support for your organization. Use this template to pitch an above-and-beyond program to a company that already matches gifts but has room for improvement in its efforts.
Subject: Make [company]’s matching gifts to [nonprofit] go further with a one-off matching gift partnership!
Dear [HR or CSR department head],
I am reaching out on behalf of [nonprofit], expressing our most sincere appreciation for [company]’s ongoing support through its employee matching gift program. Your commitment to philanthropy has undoubtedly made a positive difference for [mission or program], and our generous donors love having the ability to double their impact on the cause.
As we continue to work towards our shared goals, I would like to present an exciting opportunity to enhance the impact of [company]’s giving. We would love to introduce a special one-off matching gift program in partnership with your company. Specifically, we are proposing a designated campaign that offers [increased donation maximums, matching gift ratios, types of eligible employees, etc.] as a way to grow your corporate giving and bring our fundraising to new heights.
I would be delighted to discuss this proposal further and explore how we can tailor the upgraded one-off matching gift program to align seamlessly with [company]’s objectives and abilities.
Template #3: Responding to a Company’s One-Off Matching Gift Program Interest
Once you launch a custom matching gift program interest page on your nonprofit’s website, you’ll likely receive submissions from interested corporate prospects. This template can help guide your responses as you enter important partnership conversations.
Subject: Thank you for your interest in supporting [nonprofit] with a one-off match program!
Dear [company] Team OR [point of contact specified in contact form],
I hope this message finds you well. On behalf of [nonprofit], I want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your inquiry to support our cause through a one-off matching gift program. As you may know, our mission at [nonprofit] is to [mission or vision] by [project or program], [project or program], and [project or program].
As we embark on this journey together, it’s important to first clarify what the partnership would entail for each of our teams. Simply put, a one-off matching gift program is an employee giving initiative that benefits a specific nonprofit organization—in this case, ours! Through this program, your company agrees to match donations made by your staff members to our organization, effectively doubling the impact of their contributions on our cause.
To help kickstart the process of setting up a matching gift program, here are some recommended next steps to get our partnership off the ground:
▶ Specify the types of employees that qualify to participate in the matching gift initiative.
▶ Define the minimum and maximum matchable gifts per employee.
▶ Establish your matching gift ratio.
▶ Determine the program’s start and end dates.
▶ Develop a clear submission process for employees to follow. (We recommend Double the Donation’s auto-submission process, which we can implement from our end)
We’re also pleased to provide you with templates and other helpful resources that may aid in the development and promotion of the program to your employees. Once again, thank you for considering this partnership, and please reach out if you have any additional questions or are ready to move forward with the next steps.
Template #4: Empowering a Donor to Facilitate an Introduction to their Employer
A warm introduction from a donor who works for a prospective corporate partner goes a long way. It can help get your team’s foot in the door for one-off matching gift conversations and demonstrate value in terms of shared audiences for the company in question.
Use this sample message to initiate outreach with a supporter and encourage them to connect your team with their HR or CSR department!
Subject: Double your donation impact by connecting us with [company]!
[Donor],
On behalf of the [nonprofit] team, we wanted to express our sincere gratitude for your continuous support and the invaluable contributions you’ve made towards [mission or cause]. Recently, an avenue that has shown great potential is one-off matching gift programs, designed to amplify the impact of charitable donations by employees of forward-thinking companies.
We believe that your employer, [company], could play a pivotal role in strengthening our impact through such a one-off matching gift partnership. In order to aid us in our outreach, we kindly request your assistance in making a warm introduction to the appropriate contacts at the business. Your endorsement and personal connection would undoubtedly add weight to our proposal and highlight the positive social impact that can be achieved through corporate philanthropy.
We understand that your time is valuable, and any support you can provide in facilitating this introduction would be immensely appreciated. If you have any questions or if there’s additional information you may need, please feel free to reach out.
Template #5: Advocating for a One-Off Matching Gift Program [For Donors]
Your donors may be willing to champion your cause even further by pitching a matching gift program to their employers themselves. But your team can play a crucial role in encouraging such advocates in their endeavors! Share this helpful template to empower individual donors to advocate for matching gifts on your behalf.
Subject: Request for a corporate matching gift program
Hi [manager or HR representative name],
I am writing to request the addition of a “one-off” corporate matching gift program at [company] on behalf of [nonprofit].
If you weren’t aware, thousands of companies match employee donations as a way to support their staff and the nonprofit causes they contribute to. However, I understand the limitations in budget and resources that could hinder a company from participating. That’s why, in this case, I am requesting that [company] implement a specific program in which it matches donations to [nonprofit] for a limited time.
Companies that match gifts tend to see substantial advantages in terms of employee engagement and retention, opportunities to attract competitive candidates, improved brand image, and even increased sales. And on the employee’s end, team members love knowing that their employer is willing to contribute to their favorite causes.
If you’d like to take steps to establish a matching gift program for the company, Double the Donation has provided a detailed guide that walks corporate leaders through the process.
Thank you for your consideration,
[Your name]
[Job position]
[Contact information]
Looking for more templates and other resources? 360MatchPro users can locate additional materials under Settings → Manage Programs.
Not a 360MatchPro client yet? Click here to get a demo and see how our complete matching gift automation platform can
transform your fundraising efforts.
Bonus | “The Power of a One-Off Match” Case Study: LLS & Danaher
If you’re wondering what kind of impact a one-off matching gift program can have for your organization, check out this example of a successful partnership that resulted in a unique initiative engaging employee donors at new heights.
As you read, consider which elements of this strategy you can implement in your own team’s efforts.
“Danaher Corporation’s long-standing partnership with LLS enables the team to support active research projects and help patients afford treatments.”
—Danaher Corporation Annual Report
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (also known as LLS) is a key player in the fight against blood cancers, dedicating its mission to medical research, education, advocacy, and more. As one of the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising organizations, the LLS team has always been at the forefront of innovation to further its cause—including with a particularly well-established approach to corporate matching gifts. Ergo, LLS was also one of the first nonprofits to build a strategy targeting custom matching gift programs.
Armed with 360MatchPro’s automation tools since 2017, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has continued to develop its one-off matching gifts plan, providing corporate partners with customized resources to aid in program facilitation.
Meanwhile, Danaher Corporation, which comprises some of the world’s most groundbreaking science and technology companies, expresses a forward-looking mission of “making things better for our customers, our company, and the world.” Its focus on diagnostics, life sciences, and biotechnology—in addition to its desire to support organizations working to advance healthcare innovation—makes its decades-long partnership with LLS a natural fit.
According to a 2023 sustainability report, commitment to continuous improvement is at the heart of everything Danaher Corporation does. That’s why, in 2022 alone, the company invested more than $1.7 billion into research that funded breakthrough cancer diagnostics, innovative bioprocessing, gene sequencing, and more.
When the Danaher Corporation team sought new and innovative ways to give back to its community and increasingly engage its workforce in philanthropy, the company settled on a one-off matching gift initiative. After establishing the program, Danaher employees were invited to support LLS through an upcoming fundraising event, Light the Night. With an employee count of over 70,000, the company got on board to give back to their communities in a substantial way.
The result? In offering a one-off matching gift program in partnership with LLS, Danaher Corporation was able to increase its total giving by more than 150%, surpassing its initial fundraising goal and elevating its impact greatly.
And in the end, the company continued to grow its matching gift initiatives! Facilitated through the company-sponsored Danaher Foundation, the team continues to demonstrate a holistic and ongoing approach to corporate giving. In addition to taking its matching gift program global, Danaher also reports plans to venture into skills-based volunteerism, nonprofit board service support, and Volunteer Time Off (VTO).
Sourcing a one-off matching gift program may be one of the best ways to set your organization apart. In addition to the matching gifts ultimately paid out through the program, a one-off match will enable you to grow mutually advantageous corporate relationships that last long beyond the matching gift period itself.
And you don’t want to overlook the benefits to individual supporter engagement, either. An employer-sponsored one-off match program empowers existing donors to stretch their support even further for your cause. Not to mention, it funnels new, first-time donors to your cause in the first place!
Luckily, with the right tips, tricks, and tools, getting started has never been easier.
Interested in learning more about matching gift programs and best practices for elevating corporate fundraising at your organization? Check out our recommended resources:
How to Identify Corporate Partners
Matching gifts aren’t the only type of corporate giving program available! Find out how to identify top corporate sponsorships and potential one-off matching gift companies with this guide.
New auto-submission streamlines the matching gift process for one-off and general corporate programming. Dive deep into this innovative functionality and the providers that support it.
Thousands of companies match employee donations, but these programs stand out. Browse this list of particularly impactful matching gift companies from Double the Donation.
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Trends in corporate philanthropy show that corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are on the rise among companies of all sizes. While large corporations have more resources to set aside for CSR, small and medium-sized businesses can make meaningful impacts in their communities without breaking the bank.
The first step for creating a winning CSR strategy is to know what’s possible for your business. That’s why business leaders who are serious about CSR should look outwards to see what other companies have accomplished through their social good programs.
To help your research, we’ll look at seven companies with thriving CSR programs and provide insight into how you can incorporate their strategies into your initiatives. While many of these are large companies, it’s possible to adapt their practices and scale them down to fit even small businesses’ resources and capabilities.
But first, let’s explore why companies offer CSR programs and the sheer variety of ways you can approach CSR at your business.
Why do companies participate in corporate social responsibility?
CSR benefits society. Nonprofits receive donations, the environment gets cleaned up, and employees have safe and healthy working conditions. These are all obvious reasons why CSR is a positive force, but what do the companies paying for these initiatives get in return?
It turns out businesses committed to CSR can more than make up their investment. They can expect benefits like:
New marketing opportunities. Some CSR programs involve partnering with third-party organizations, usually nonprofits. To say thanks, these charitable organizations will promote your business to their supporters, opening up new marketing channels and giving you a foot in the door with new customers.
Easier recruitment. Along with holding on to the employees you have, CSR also helps businesses find and recruit top talent. For instance, if your company is committed to the CSR practice of prioritizing worker safety, health, and well-being, word-of-mouth about your positive work environment will likely spread, resulting in more qualified applicants.
Boosted reputation. Just as employees want to work for employers committed to social good, customers want to shop at ethical businesses. For example, let’s say you have the choice of buying two products of fairly equal quality, and one brand has a spotted history with CSR while the other pledges to donate a portion of proceeds to good causes. In this situation, most buyers would select the business with a positive reputation.
Improved employee engagement. Employees tend to work harder, care more about the quality of their work, and stick with their employer when they feel like they are working for a good cause. By doing good in your community and implementing socially responsible internal practices, you’ll help employees feel more engaged, increasing productivity and loyalty.
The benefits your business gains depend on the type of CSR program you offer. For example, will you focus on internal practices to engage employees, explore external philanthropy to connect with your community, or try a mix of both approaches?
What are the types of corporate social responsibility?
CSR is ultimately an umbrella term that consists of all the activities a company does to further social good. This includes both how the company conducts itself internally and the philanthropic donations the organization makes.
To give you a sense of the sheer variety of CSR programs, here’s a brief list of some of the most common types of CSR:
Employee giving. Workplace giving programs involve facilitating donations to nonprofits by encouraging your employees to donate. To encourage employee donations that align with the company’s mission, many businesses provide their teams with information about specific nonprofits they recommend. Corporations can also boost employee donations by offering to match their gifts, usually at a dollar-per-dollar rate. Although, some businesses match at a 2:1 or even 3:1 ratio.
Sustainability. Sustainable companies are positive for the environment and signal to investors that their business can go the distance. CSR programs focused on sustainability usually involve reducing their carbon footprint, eliminating waste in the production process, taking accountability for any environmental clean-up needs, and using renewable energy sources.
Volunteerism. Rather than asking employees to donate their paychecks, businesses can enable them to donate their time. Volunteerism programs include team volunteer days wherein the business organizes a volunteer activity in partnership with a nonprofit, volunteer time off where employees can take paid time off to volunteer, and volunteer grants where businesses donate to nonprofits based on how many hours their employees volunteered.
Adherence to workers’ rights. Treat workers with respect by providing fair wages, creating an equitable and diverse workplace, promoting employee health and wellbeing, and using supply chains that follow ethical labor practices.
Sponsorships. As mentioned, philanthropic donations fall under the umbrella of CSR. This can involve making monetary donations, donating supplies or specialized services, or promoting nonprofit causes.
Grantmaking. Some businesses, usually large corporations, establish grantmaking foundations as part of their CSR efforts. These organizations have a specific focus area for which they provide grants, such as advocacy, environmentalism, or economic equality.
Whether you plan to launch several or just one CSR initiative, software can help you organize and monitor your program. While CSR software providers have various focus areas, most solutions allow businesses to track employee donations, manage grants, facilitate nonprofit relationships, and oversee matching gift requests.
1. TOMs
Shoe retailer TOMs has made CSR a part of its brand to the point of becoming a Certified B Corporation, meaning the company meets high standards for social impact, environmental protection, and accountability. Not only has TOMs achieved this honor, but the organization has boosted its initial score of 96.3 in 2018 to 121.5 in 2021, all while the median score for businesses hovers at just 50.9.
TOMs takes a multi-pronged approach to CSR, dividing its efforts into three categories:
Purpose. TOMs aims to create a more equitable world by supporting grassroots nonprofits. As such, TOMs donates a third of its profits to nonprofit organizations specializing in boosting mental health, increasing access to opportunities, and ending gun violence.
Planet. TOMs seeks to improve its business’s environmental friendliness in multiple ways, specifically by using sustainable and recycled materials. Currently, 80% of TOMs’ packaging is made from recycled materials, and the company aims to use 100% sustainably grown cotton by 2025.
People. In addition to giving to nonprofits, TOMs aims to improve internally by positioning their organization as anti-racist, launching volunteer initiatives on Giving Tuesday, and working with suppliers that share its values.
TOMs is proud of the impact it has made so far and only aims to improve its CSR programs in the future.
CSR Takeaway
There’s no need to choose just one type of CSR program for your business. Taking a multifaceted approach to CSR like TOMs allows your business to engage employees, build a positive reputation with customers, and connect with like-minded organizations.
Conduct an internal assessment and determine what improvements you can make right away and what may take a few years for your company to accomplish. For instance, you may be able to set up a long-term partnership with a nonprofit organization within a few months but need several years to reduce your carbon footprint.
2. Checkr
Checkr, a leader in the background screening industry, exemplifies corporate social responsibility through its commitment to creating fairer employment opportunities and enhancing impact with generous giving. Recognized for its innovative approach and dedication to social good, Checkr has integrated CSR into its core values, earning accolades and driving significant positive change.
This company’s CSR initiatives are designed to promote social justice, environmental sustainability, and community engagement. Its matching gift program in particular stands out for the simplicity with which its staff can get involved through an auto-submission partnership with Double the Donation!
CSR Takeaway
Checkr is a CLMA-designated matching gift company, which means the company is a Certified Leader in Matching Automation. In other words, Checkr prioritizes accessibility and a streamlined submission process in its programming, making it easy for employees to engage.
Checkr’s comprehensive CSR strategy demonstrates that a business can drive meaningful change by addressing social, environmental, and community needs in a way that rallies the whole company.
3. PayPal
PayPal’s payment processing services need little introduction, but many may be less familiar with how they use this technology to help charities earn more donations through the PayPal Giving Fund.
Essentially, the PayPal Giving Fund supports charitable organizations through this four-step process:
Charities create a registered account with PayPal. Registered charities will receive PayPal’s low processing fee rates and access to donation opportunities on PayPal and its partner organizations, including GoFundMe, eBay, and Humble Bumble.
Supporters donate through PayPal, eBay, or another PayPal partner. Many PayPal partners will even cover processing fees for charities, making donations to nonprofits go even further.
PayPal receives the donation and provides the donor with a receipt. PayPal will use this information to provide participating charities with monthly donation reports.
The funds are added to the charity’s PayPal account. In addition to individual donors’ gifts, charities can receive grants and major gifts through PayPal.
Along with ensuring donations are securely processed, PayPal’s extensive partner network helps nonprofits receive funds from a variety of sources.
CSR Takeaway
This CSR program takes advantage of the technology PayPal already has to help nonprofit organizations. Assess your business’s products and services and whether they would benefit charitable organizations in your community. If so, you can provide your offerings at a reduced cost or even for free to nonprofits for a philanthropic CSR program.
4. FP Markets
FP Markets is a financial trading service that allows customers to trade Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Metals, and Bonds. FP Markets is also committed to CSR, stating that its mission is to: “Actively contribute to the well-being of communities and the environment. Through sustainable practices, philanthropic initiatives, and ethical decision-making, we aim to make a positive impact on society, fostering a better future for all. Our projects across multiple sectors reflect this goal, promoting change and fostering a healthier, more equitable world.”
Currently, FP Markets has two unique CSR programs worth highlighting:
Men’s Health. FP Markets focused on promoting advocacy for overlooked health issues that affect men. Specifically, this included prostate and testicular cancer, as well as mental health support.
Cricket Brazil Youth Development Programme. In this example of philanthropic CSR, FP Markets partnered with a Brazilian youth cricket organization to support young athletes and create a positive difference in their communities.
As these two causes show, FP Markets is interested in making a difference globally and partnering with a variety of charitable causes, no matter where they’re located.
CSR Takeaway
Your business doesn’t need to build an entirely new program to serve your community. Rather, try partnering with nonprofits in your area and support them through sponsorships and marketing assistance. These organizations already have the research, resources, and infrastructure to fulfill their charitable missions that align with your CSR goals.
5. Toast
Toast.org is the foundation founded by Toast, a point-of-sale software vendor for restaurants. Just as its products revolve around the food industry, Toast’s CSR program also revolves around food. Through its foundation, Toast aims to address hunger and provide access to healthy food.
Toast also encourages its employees and customers to participate in this mission. To motivate employees, Toast offers a matching gift program, which saw a 48% participation rate in 2022. Additionally, through its software, Toast provides restaurants with features to track and reduce food waste.
CSR Takeaway
When selecting your CSR mission, consider what areas of focus make sense for your business. Determine what you have the resources to accomplish, what needs your business and community face, and how your mission impacts your brand.
Many companies do have CSR missions that are unrelated to their business, such as Coca-Cola providing scholarships for higher education. However, a mission that aligns with your products or services can make your brand memorable and allow you to better connect with new audiences that discover your business through your CSR program.
6. Amalgamated Bank
Amalgamated Bank brands itself as “America’s most socially responsible bank,” meaning CSR is a core part of its strategies. For instance, while companies are proud of their CSR programs, most businesses organize information about their initiatives in a sub-menu on their website. In contrast, Amalgamated Bank proudly displays an “Issues We Care About” button on their main menu, prompting visitors to explore the wide range of issues supported, including:
Climate Justice
Immigrant Rights
LGBTQ+ Rights
Anti-Violence & Gun Safety
Criminal Justice
Workers’ Rights
Reproductive Rights
Voting Rights
Racial Justice
Economic Justice
For each of these issues, Amalgamated Bank takes a proactive stance. Its CSR efforts range from offering pro-bono services to support nonprofit organizations to not doing business with parties they feel are harmful, such as fossil fuel companies.
CSR Takeaway
Your business can conduct CSR in many ways. If there’s a focus area you care about but don’t have the resources to launch an entire program for, consider how else you can support it. For instance, if you’ve already used up your philanthropic budget donating to economic equality groups, you might organize a corporate volunteer day with an environmental organization to plant trees.
Additionally, CSR benefits companies by associating their business’s name with a good cause. There’s no need to be modest about your organization’s work to assist nonprofits, create a positive work environment for employees, and be a better corporate citizen. When you promote your CSR efforts, you’ll attract customers and employees who share your values, creating a positive and productive environment.
7. Unilever
You may not have heard of Unilever, but chances are that you’ve used one of its products. Unilever is the parent company of many well-known ice cream and personal care brands, including Ben & Jerry’s, Dove, and Knorr. With all these successful businesses operating under its umbrella, Unilever is a massive corporation with the resources to make a massive CSR impact.
Through its Unilever Compass social good program, the company conducts CSR programs for the following focus areas:
Climate change
Environmental preservation and reforestation
Waste reduction
Increasing the global standard of living
Human rights
Corporate transparency and accountability
One unique CSR initiative Unilever offers is its Future of work program. With advances in automation and AI, the necessary skills employees need to stay competitive in the job market are rapidly changing. In a partnership with UNICEF, Unilever’s Future of work program aims to help 10 million young people between the ages of 15 and 24 learn the skills they need to find employment, provide more flexible working options for Unilever’s current teams, and re- or upskill employees at its businesses to adapt to the digital age.
CSR Takeaway
You don’t need to be a massive corporation like Unilever to offer urgent CSR initiatives. Assess your employees’ and customers’ needs to offer programs currently in demand. After launching your CSR program, continue checking in with its beneficiaries to ensure your services are still needed and stay aware of other in-demand focus areas you may want to branch out into.
8. Bombas
Specializing in socks, Bombas is a clothing company that gets its customers involved in its CSR initiative. Workplace giving programs are popular because they allow employees to feel like they are taking an active role in making a difference, and the same principle applies to shop for a cause programs like the one Bombas offers.
Essentially, whenever a customer buys a t-shirt, pair of socks, or underwear—the three most requested items at homeless shelters—Bombas will donate the same item to one of their nonprofit partners, who then distribute the clothing to those in need.
CSR Takeaway
Determine how much you want your customers and employees to get involved in your CSR program. Some initiatives, like establishing a charitable foundation, are usually influenced very little by customers or employees, allowing the companies that operate them to act more independently.
However, programs that engage stakeholders are far more public and help businesses make CSR a part of their brand identity. Plus, initiatives like shop for a cause programs can lead to positive business outcomes. After all, if a buyer knows each item they purchase results in a donation, they’re likely to buy more than they normally would.
9. Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle, renowned for its commitment to fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients, exemplifies corporate social responsibility through its dedication to sustainability, ethical sourcing, and community support. Recognized for its forward-thinking approach and substantial impact, Chipotle has seamlessly woven CSR into its brand identity, garnering praise and driving considerable positive change.
Chipotle’s CSR efforts focus on promoting environmental sustainability, ethical farming practices, and community involvement. Notable among its initiatives is the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which supports sustainable agriculture, family farming, and education programs. Additionally, the company’s Harvest Program, which donates unused food to local communities, stands out as a testament to its commitment to reducing waste and supporting those in need.
CSR Takeaway
Chipotle’s comprehensive CSR strategy showcases the power of integrating employee-led philanthropy into a business model, and this is only reiterated by its status as a CLMA-designated (or Certified Leader in Matching Automation) employer. By prioritizing its matching gift program and enabling auto-submission for employees, Chipotle not only enhances its brand reputation but also sets a high standard for corporate responsibility and employee engagement in the food industry.
Corporate Social Responsibility Examples: More Resources
There are as many ways to approach CSR as there are businesses operating. The examples in this guide are a strong place to start to inspire your own CSR efforts to positively impact your community, all while boosting relationships with customers and employees.
Of course, to create the transformative programs listed here, these companies started with a strong foundational knowledge of CSR best practices. Continue to expand your business’s expertise with resources like these:
Volunteering isn’t just about goodwill—it’s about leveraging our collective expertise to help others. Skills-based volunteering taps into the vast reservoir of knowledge within our communities, creating unique and rewarding opportunities for individuals to give back.
This form of volunteerism benefits not only nonprofits but also the volunteers and the companies they work for. Nonprofits get much-needed assistance, volunteers use their skills to help their communities, and companies enhance their images. In fact, CSR research has found that 93% of employees think companies should lead with purpose, and volunteerism is a great way to accomplish that! It’s a win-win-win, but only if each party approaches it strategically.
In this article, we’ll explore skills-based volunteering and how it creates a rewarding scenario for all. Here’s what we’ll cover:
No matter if you’re a nonprofit leader, company executive, or volunteer looking to make a difference, there’s something in this guide for everyone. Let’s dive in to discover the impact of skilled volunteering.
What is skills-based volunteering?
Also referred to as SBV, skills-based volunteering is a form of volunteerism in which individuals use their specialized skills and professional knowledge to assist nonprofits, community organizations, or other philanthropic causes free of charge.
Often facilitated through employee giving programs, skills-based volunteers contribute their talents and capabilities to charitable organizations to help address complex challenges, enhance organizational capacity, or advance specific projects. For instance, a nonprofit may need help with its email communications. As part of SBV, a digital marketing firm could step in to create engaging newsletters and emails that inspire recipients.
Common types of skills-based volunteering
One of the best aspects of skilled volunteerism is its flexibility. Individuals can give back however suits their unique skill sets. Pro-bono support may include activities such as:
Mentoring youth, adults looking for jobs, or others
Graphic design support, such as designing social media infographics or website assets
Knowing how individuals can lend their expertise empowers companies and nonprofits alike to offer worthwhile opportunities that further their philanthropic mission.
How skilled volunteering differs from traditional volunteering
While traditional and skilled volunteering are both rewarding, they have some key differences:
Nature of contributions: Skilled volunteering leverages individuals’ unique expertise to provide specialized services, like marketing, legal advice, accounting, and project management. Meanwhile, traditional volunteerism requires individuals to provide general assistance, such as serving meals or participating in environmental clean-ups.
Impact and value: While traditional volunteering provides vital support to nonprofits, its impact can be more limited than skilled volunteering. Skill-based volunteering delivers immediate, substantial impact through operational improvements, capacity building, and long-term solutions to complex issues.
Time commitment: Traditional volunteering opportunities tend to be flexible since volunteers can participate in one-time events. In contrast, skilled volunteering may involve long-term commitments for projects that require sustained effort and specialized skill sets.
What are the benefits of skills-based volunteering?
Let’s take a closer look at how skilled volunteering impacts each party involved.
Here’s a breakdown of the greatest benefits skills-based volunteering brings nonprofits:
Access to specialized expertise: Skilled volunteers bring professional expertise and knowledge that nonprofits may not have in-house. This expertise can cover areas such as finance, marketing, technology, project management, and more. By tapping into these skills, nonprofits can address critical challenges, enhance their programs, and advance their missions.
Cost and time savings: Skilled volunteers offer pro bono services to nonprofits, making this a cost-effective way to access high-quality expertise. This is particularly valuable for nonprofits with limited budgets and time constraints. Independent Sector estimates that the current value of each volunteer hour is $31.80. By lending these valuable services for free, skilled volunteers can expedite projects without sacrificing quality.
More fulfilling volunteer opportunities: Supporters want to make an impact. By sharing their specialized skills, they can feel like they’re making a difference, leading to greater volunteer retention rates.
Innovation and growth: Skilled volunteers introduce innovative ideas and fresh perspectives to nonprofits. This enables organizations to adapt to changing environments, explore new revenue streams, and identify growth opportunities.
This is just the tip of the iceberg! The benefits of skilled volunteering run deep. Overall, this form of volunteering enriches nonprofits and enables them to fulfill their missions more effectively.
The Company’s Perspective
The companies that encourage employees to volunteer do so for a reason! Workplace giving is a powerful way to give back and supply employees with rewarding experiences.
Here are some of the biggest benefits of skills-based volunteering for companies and their employees:
Employee skill development: Through volunteering, employees can put their current expertise into practice and even develop new skills. In fact, skill-based volunteer programs help individuals build new, job-related skills at 95% the rate of traditional volunteer projects. In addition to practicing hard skills, employees commonly develop soft skills through volunteerism including self-motivation, leadership, conflict resolution, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
Employee satisfaction and retention: Empowering employees to use their professional skills for a meaningful cause can improve job satisfaction, leading to happier and more motivated employees. Overall, companies that offer skilled volunteering are more desirable places to work since 71% of employees say it’s imperative their employer supports giving and volunteering.
Improved brand reputation: Today’s businesses recognize their duty to be socially responsible and give back to the communities that support them. Companies that engage in skilled volunteering demonstrate a commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR), and customers, clients, and employees alike appreciate philanthropic efforts like these.
Networking and relationship building: About 35% of individuals volunteer to socialize. By encouraging skilled volunteering, companies enable employees to interact with one another and form new connections with others in the nonprofit sector.
From improving their business’s reputation to keeping employees happy, it’s not hard to see why skilled volunteering is a priority among today’s companies.
Best practices to make the most of skills-based volunteering
For skilled volunteering to be as impactful as possible, companies and benefitting organizations both need to be strategic. Let’s explore some actionable guidance for nonprofits and companies to maximize impact.
Tips for nonprofits
To experience all the great benefits we covered above, nonprofits should be smart about the skills-based volunteer opportunities they offer. Here are some tips for nonprofits to infuse skilled volunteerism into their operations:
Identify organizational needs. Knowing the areas where a nonprofit needs support will help create volunteer roles that support those needs. For instance, a nonprofit may need help completing their tax forms, in which case they may turn to a local accounting firm.
Be smart about recruitment. Recruit skilled volunteers through targeted channels, such as professional associations, corporate partnerships, or volunteer matching platforms. You can even look for those who work for companies with VTO programs as an easy way to expand engagement! While these volunteers already have the necessary skills, provide comprehensive onboarding to ensure they are well-prepared.
Offer flexible volunteer opportunities. Be flexible with volunteer scheduling, recognizing that skilled volunteers likely have other commitments. Offer options for remote or flexible volunteering when possible. For example, a volunteer graphic designer can likely work entirely remotely and asynchronously.
Recognize and appreciate volunteers. Supporters offer their valuable time and skills free of charge. The very least nonprofits should do is say thanks. Shout out volunteers on social media, send custom thank-you letters, or create heartfelt thank-you videos.
Leverage volunteer grants to take impact further. Look into volunteers’ employers to determine if they’re eligible for volunteer grants. Through these programs, companies promise to donate to nonprofits where employees regularly volunteer. Our matching gift database even stores information on volunteer grants, so you can identify these opportunities more easily.
By following these tips, nonprofits can harness the expertise of skilled volunteers to address critical needs, strengthen organizational capacity, and advance worthwhile missions.
Lining up skilled volunteering opportunities is a smart move for companies. Here are some tips businesses can use to effectively engage in skills-based volunteering and maximize the positive impact they have through this type of corporate giving:
Line up volunteer opportunities that align with the company’s needs and expertise. Much like nonprofits, companies should assess their needs before choosing volunteer activities for employees. Begin by identifying the specific needs and challenges your company can address. Consider areas where your employees’ expertise can make a significant impact.
Collaborate with nonprofits. Establish partnerships with nonprofit organizations that align with your company’s mission. Work closely with nonprofits to understand their needs and co-create impactful projects. Establishing ongoing partnerships can turn skills-based volunteering into a long-term commitment, continuously engaging your employees in meaningful volunteer opportunities.
Be flexible with scheduling. Support employees’ volunteer commitments by allowing them to allocate time during work hours or by offering flexible scheduling options. An increasing number of companies offer Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to allow employees to give back during work hours without sacrificing their paychecks.
Recognize and celebrate employees’ contributions. Volunteering should never be mandatory, so recognize those who participate out of the goodness of their hearts. Consider incentives such as gift cards or charitable giving stipends to acknowledge employees’ generous efforts and contributions.
Let employees choose their opportunities. Volunteer work is more impactful when individuals are excited to give back. Allow employees to choose projects or causes that resonate with them. Empower them to leverage their passions and skills for the greater good in the ways they prefer.
Remember, workplace giving is just as valuable for employees. Remind employees to be flexible, committed, and open to learning during their volunteer experiences, and line up opportunities they’ll appreciate.
With professionals seeking more meaningful ways to contribute, skills-based volunteering is reshaping the volunteering landscape. Whether you work for a nonprofit that needs specialized assistance or a company looking to give back, skilled volunteering can help make your job easier and grow your impact.
Remember to consider your organization’s needs and be strategic with volunteer opportunities. In turn, it can be a win-win-win for companies, their employees, and benefitting nonprofits.
The world of corporate giving is expansive, and we’re excited to share additional resources to help you leverage it. To continue learning, explore these educational resources:
Corporate Volunteerism: A Guide for Purpose-Driven Companies. Companies can give back to society and support employees’ philanthropic needs through volunteerism. Discover its impact and see real-world examples in this guide for company leaders.
The Ultimate Fundraising Guide to Corporate Giving Programs. Nonprofits can accomplish more for their missions through volunteerism, matching gifts, and other forms of corporate giving. Discover everything nonprofits need to know about corporate giving programs.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Skills-Based-Volunteering_Feature.jpg7201920Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-12-14 14:26:542024-12-03 18:58:38Skills-Based Volunteering: What It Is & How It’s Rewarding
Tons of companies offer workplace giving programs as a way to incentivize employees to give back to their communities. To make the most of these philanthropic initiatives, qualifying nonprofits are taking increasingly proactive steps to drive supporter participation. But with a need for engaging multigenerational donors in the workforce, promoting the opportunities is not a one-size-fits-all task.
Instead, we recommend exploring effective strategies as you tailor your approach to each age group. And you’ve come to the right place to do so! In this guide, we’ll explore everything you need to know about engaging varying generations of supporters, including:
Remember: the more you adjust your fundraising approach to your intended audience, the more likely the segment is to actively engage with your efforts.
Ready to create impactful and inclusive workplace giving programs that resonate with every generation in your supporter base? Let’s dive in.
The Unmatched Value of Multigenerational Donor Engagement
Your organization is likely backed by a wide range of donors of all ages, races, genders, backgrounds, and more. But do you take a universal approach to engagement? How exactly does a person’s stage in life factor into their relationship with your organization? Where do employee giving opportunities come into play for any age group?
These are the questions you should be asking yourself if you’re looking to develop a multigenerational engagement strategy.
And doing so is essential. After all, facilitating long-lasting connections with supporters of all age ranges empowers your organization to build a sustainable donor network.
As of findings from 2022 annual giving, the estimated generational giving breakdown is as follows:
Matures — 20.2%
Baby Boomers — 40.8%
Generation X — 22.9%
Millennials — 13.9%
Gen Z — 2.2%
Meanwhile, the makeup of the current workforce looks like this:
Matures — 1.3%
Baby Boomers — 25.6%
Generation X — 33.1%
Millennials — 35%
Gen Z — 5%
All in all, workplace giving programs continue to go significantly underutilized, with an estimated $4 to $7 billion in corporate funds going unclaimed from matching gifts each year—with volunteer grants and other employee giving initiatives falling short as well.
Ultimately, a strategy that focuses too narrowly on the older generations is likely to miss out on the immense opportunities made available by the up-and-coming (and, in many cases, already here) younger donors in your network. Conversely, centering too much on younger donors can cause missed potential from older generations who remain and still possess invaluable experience, deep connections, and a strong commitment to philanthropic support.
The answer? A well-balanced, multigenerational fundraising and workplace giving strategy that prioritizes the strengths of each group to maximize overall success.
Top Fundraising + Workplace Giving Strategies by Generation
With different characteristics defining each segment, effective workplace giving efforts can vary accordingly. Here, we’ll provide an overview of the five generations currently in the workforce—and partaking in philanthropy—and our recommended practices for engaging with the group.
Key Characteristics: Dependable, straightforward, and reliable
Influenced by: Tradition, loyalty, recognition, and authority
Preferred Communication Channels: Direct mail, phone calls
Preferred Giving Methods: Direct mail, check/cash donations
Born prior to 1946, the Matures (also known as the Traditionalists or the Silent Generation) exhibit strong values of loyalty, discipline, and respect for authority. They have a powerful sense of duty and often prioritize stability and tradition. Though the causes they support are widespread, the Matures tend to be drawn to established institutions with long-standing, positive reputations.
Though the vast majority of the Mature generation is now retired, the group continues to give generously to the organizations they care about. In fact, retirees contribute an estimated 42% of all charitable dollars in the U.S. each year.
Our Top Tip: Familiarize yourself (and your team) with matching gift and volunteer grant programs that are inclusive of retirees!
Luckily, a lot of companies include retired employees in their workplace giving programs—such as the Coca-Cola Company, Johnson and Johnson, Chevron, Gap (and its subsidiaries), and many more.
However, there’s a good chance that eligible retirees (or even those still working for the companies) remain unaware of these programs. Thus, it’s a good idea for your organization to research available programs and communicate the opportunity to your audience.
Baby Boomers
Age in 2023: 59 to 77 years old
Key Characteristics: Optimistic, driven, and value personal growth
Influenced by: Social change, civil rights, and economic prosperity
Preferred Communication Channels: Meetings, phone calls, Facebook
Born between 1946 and 1964, Baby Boomers are a generation known for their strong work ethic and dedication to social causes. This group believes in making a tangible impact on specific communities or individuals through their charitable contributions. Plus, they often seek opportunities to actively engage with causes they care about.
When engaging Baby Boomers in workplace giving, it is crucial to emphasize the outcomes and measurable results of their doubled donations. Recognizing their long-standing commitment to making a difference and providing volunteer opportunities can also resonate well with this generation.
Our Top Tip: Highlight the opportunity for Baby Boomers to leave a lasting (and multiplied) legacy through workplace giving.
As this group approaches or enters retirement age, Boomers often take the time to reflect on their life’s accomplishments—and the impact they want to have made. By emphasizing how their contributions, combined with corporate funding, can create a meaningful and enduring impact on the causes they care about, nonprofits can tap into their desire to leave a positive mark on the world.
Be sure to provide tangible examples and motivational stories that demonstrate how matching gifts and volunteer grants have made a difference for your organization!
Generation X
Age in 2023: 43 to 58 years old
Key Characteristics: Independent, adaptable, and familiar with significant changes
Influenced by: Authentic storytelling and tangible giving outcomes
Preferred Communication Channels: Email, social media
Born between 1965 and 1980, Generation X is known for their independent, resourceful, and self-reliant nature. Gen Xers often seek causes that align with their personal beliefs, and they appreciate efficiency in communications. Plus, this group values flexibility and giving experiences that provide a sense of meaning.
When engaging Generation X donors in workplace giving, it’s a great idea to offer options that cater to their individual wants and needs. Providing customizable and streamlined ways to get involved with matching gifts, volunteer grants, and more, highlighting tangible outcomes, and offering opportunities for skills-based volunteering that align with their professional expertise can be effective ways to engage with this generation.
Our Top Tip: Harness Gen X’s desire for financial efficiency by promoting the potential to double their donation impact through matching gifts.
Generation Xers, who are often at the peak of their earning potential, appreciate maximizing the value of their giving. Highlight the fact that their donations can be matched by their employers, effectively doubling the impact they make on the causes they care about. And it’s all without reaching back into their own wallets at all!
Millennials
Age in 2023: 27 to 42 years old
Key Characteristics: Tech-savvy, socially conscious, and outcome focused
Influenced by: Peer-to-peer communication, transparency, and impact
Preferred Communication Channels: Email, text messaging
Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials are a generation characterized by their tech-savviness, passion for social justice, and desire for meaningful experiences. They grew up in the age of technological advancements and are often highly connected through social media and other digital platforms.
Overall, this group values transparency and tangible impact and is typically more motivated to give to causes rather than specific institutions. Millennials saw a 40% increase in average annual household giving from 2016 to 2022—the only generation with a positive change in the period. Providing opportunities for hands-on involvement, peer-to-peer fundraising, and highlighting the collective impact of their contributions can further engage this segment.
Plus, the group is already highly involved in workplace giving, with more than 86% of Millennial employees donating to nonprofit causes. Not to mention, a 2020 study reported that 58% of young professionals had given through an employee giving program, compared to only 37% overall.
Millennials also volunteer at a higher rate than any other generation, which means that volunteer grants are an excellent opportunity to pursue.
Our Top Tip: Mention workplace giving opportunities in your Millennial-focused donation appeals to incentivize giving in the first place!
A recent study indicated that while 64% of donors say that the presence of a matching gift is likely to motivate them to give, Millennials are more likely to be impacted by a match (over 78%) than any other generation.
Not to mention, younger generations of donors are increasingly likely to work for socially conscious companies that offer matching gift and volunteer grant programs, thus elevating their chances of eligibility.
Gen Z
Age in 2023: 11 to 26 years old
Key Characteristics: Tech-native, prioritizes diversity, and values social justice
Influenced by: Desire to create social change
Preferred Communication Channels: Messaging, texts
Gen Z represents the youngest group entering the workforce and, subsequently, becoming potential donors. Born between 1996 and 2012, Gen Z is often overlooked for its relatively limited capacity to give. However, this group currently has the “fastest growing economic power across all generational cohorts.”
With an estimated $360 billion in disposable income in 2021, Gen Z is expected to grow its aggregate income to over $33 trillion by 2030. As their disposable income grows, organizations can expect donation amounts to follow. And securing them as supporters now can go a long way in the end!
Also worth noting is that Generation Z is the most likely to opt for monthly giving (62%), which is often attributed to their familiarity with paying for subscription-based services. They favor regular communications as well, typically preferring monthly updates from the organizations they support.
Our Top Tip: Communicate the potential of workplace giving initiatives to further amplify recurring donations.
A common misunderstanding surrounding matching gift programs is that recurring donations do not qualify for employer matching. But in most cases, that’s generally not true! Make an effort to research your monthly donors’ corporate giving guidelines and communicate relevant information to your supporters.
By participating in their employers’ philanthropic initiatives, recurring donors can make an even greater impact on the causes they care about. You just need to break down the myths that are holding your match potential back and take a proactive approach to marketing workplace giving opportunities to your youngest donors.
Collecting Donor Data to Segment Your Engagement Strategy
As with any effective segmentation strategy, you’ll need the right information to inform your organization’s efforts. As you aim to elevate your workplace giving initiatives with generational data, you’ll need two key types of details.
Demographic Information
What is it? Defined as “quantifiable attributes of a population, group, or individual,” demographic information includes details such as age, gender, income, education level, marital status, location, and more. Regarding multigenerational engagement, the most essential metric you’ll need is your donors’ (as well as volunteers’ and other supporters’) age groups.
Why does it matter? Having this information will allow you to target your workplace giving strategies accordingly! For example, you might determine that a top matching gift opportunity falls into the “Mature Generation” category. In that case, you may decide to send a direct mailing that highlights the opportunity and shares the information they need to participate rather than rely solely on digital outreach.
How can I get it? The easiest way is just to ask. But you don’t have to come right out and ask for their exact age. Instead, add an optional donation form field that prompts donors to enter their date of birth (hint: you can also send a birthday card!).
Or, ask supporters to check a box for the age range they fall into (ex: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+).
Employment Data
What is it? The other key information you’ll need to market workplace giving strategies effectively has to do with your supporters’ employment data. Though the companies your audience works (or worked) for is the most essential piece, it can also help to know their working status—such as full-time, part-time, or retired.
Why does it matter? This information will help your team (or your software) identify available opportunities for workplace giving programs. When you see that your donors work for companies that match gifts or your volunteers work for companies that provide volunteer grants, you’ll want to follow up with information about how they can get involved.
How can I get it?Add another field to your donation form that prompts supporters to enter the name of their company, or embed our employer search tool directly into your giving page or confirmation screen. With Double the Donation, you can even enlist follow-up messaging to provide another opportunity for donors to share the information with ease. Jump to the next section to learn more about how automation helps drive results!
Top tip: When you provide context for the ask (e.g., “See if your company will match your gift! Select your employer here.”), donors typically respond particularly well. On the other hand, a data appending service can help fill in the blanks for those who don’t provide it themselves.
Our #1 Recommendation for Engaging All Generations: Automating Workplace Giving
When it comes to engaging multigenerational donors in workplace giving, there is one strategy that stands out above the rest… And that is automating the process.
Workplace giving automation not only streamlines the process for your team behind the scenes but also enhances convenience, accessibility, and engagement for donors across all age groups.
Here’s how automation elevates matching gifts and volunteer grants:
Increases awareness of the opportunity for all supporters.
There’s a significant knowledge gap regarding workplace giving programs among every generation. In fact, an estimated 78% of eligible donors have no idea that their employer matches. Luckily, workplace giving technology automates marketing and promotions around the opportunity, ensuring that every donor receives information regarding the programs. When supporters are aware of their chance to stretch their impact further with matching gifts and volunteer grants, they’re often eager to participate!
Facilitates easy personalization.
Individuals of all generations appreciate personalized outreach. From seeing their name in an email subject line to being provided with insights for their employer’s giving program, tailored messaging strengthens relationships—and produces results. With a matching gift tool, the software fills in the blanks in customizable templates, providing highly specific communications with no added effort.
Appeals to all levels of tech savviness.
In today’s digital age, younger generations, such as Millennials and Gen Z often prefer digital engagement. After all, they tend to have ample experience with online transactions. And while older generations may not be as familiar with the technology, an automated tool can go a long way in helping guide them through the process with detailed assistance and step-by-step instructions. Now, they won’t need to go searching in their company’s intranet for a matching gift form to complete—because they were provided with a direct link to the submission portal in their email.
Tracks and drives more matches to completion.
Ultimately amplifying giving with more matches making it across the finish line, automation allows for seamless matching gift tracking and follow-ups. The end result is fewer matches left unclaimed and more corporate funds available to your organization. And when supporters of all ages see the impact of their contributions being multiplied, they’ll become increasingly engaged with your cause.
Final Thoughts
Engaging multigenerational donors is a dynamic and multifaceted process that requires careful consideration of your audience. After all, each segment plays a key role in your overall fundraising and workplace giving success. Thus, you’ll want to account for the diverse needs and preferences of every generation.
The better you understand the primary characteristics, values, and motivations that describe each group, the more effectively your organization can tailor its giving programs. Plus, there are a few key strategies that can lend themselves to powerful workplace giving results across all generations—such as investing in dedicated matching gift and volunteer grant technology—that you certainly don’t want to miss.
In the end, your nonprofit will be better funded, your donors feel strengthened connections to your cause, and the communities you serve experience greater programming made available through workplace giving revenue.
Corporate philanthropy programs like matching gifts, volunteer grants, employee giving campaigns, and corporate sponsorships evolve constantly to meet the needs of companies, nonprofits, and supporters. But external factors are at play that impact trends in corporate philanthropy, too.
For instance, when the economy seems rocky, many worry that corporate matching gifts will be negatively impacted. But luckily, that’s not been the case this year. Instead, many corporations have historically expanded their giving programs in the face of economic downturns to help combat the negative effects on nonprofits.
In this guide, we’ll dive into this year’s CSR trends—particularly those pertaining to workplace giving. We’ll take a close look at what we’re currently seeing and what we expect to continue into the future. Specifically, we’ll cover:
If you’re looking for the Too Long; Didn’t Read version, it’s this: corporate philanthropy programs like matching gifts are thriving, and we don’t expect them to go away anytime soon. For a more in-depth look, however, keep reading to find the latest industry developments and what they mean for your nonprofit.
8 Trends in Corporate Philanthropy To Pay Attention To
With the explosive growth of giving initiatives comes a number of new patterns and trends in corporate philanthropy worth exploring. Here’s what’s currently shaping the corporate philanthropy landscape:
1. More small and mid-sized companies are participating.
Historically, primarily enterprise-level corporations have offered programs like matching gifts. Companies needed a big budget to get started, not to mention the time and energy required to run the program.
Today, our analysis shows that over 65% of Fortune 500 companies still provide matching gifts, but the number of small and mid-sized businesses following suit is also growing rapidly. The introduction of a number of dedicated corporate giving platforms designed for smaller teams has made this change possible for organizations with limited budgets.
Now, just about any employer can hop in on this corporate giving trend, get started with matching gifts, and see a substantial return on their investment! All in all, that means organizations are seeing more match-eligible donors, with 26+ million individuals working for companies that match employee gifts thanks to this CSR trend.
2. Year-round giving programs are becoming mainstream.
In the last few years, an increasing number of companies have expanded their corporate philanthropy programs—going from one-off annual giving campaigns to year-round employee-matching programs.
This is due in part to an increased focus on corporate social responsibility from both employees and consumers. U.S.-based consumers have realized the need for philanthropy and want the companies the work for and buy from to take part. Additionally, businesses realize that the benefits of year-round corporate philanthropy on their bottom line are significant!
That said, we can expect to see continued growth in year-round and recurring corporate giving. In fact, according to studies, 94% of major U.S. corporations plan to heighten or maintain their current level of philanthropy in the next few years. With the workplace giving trends we’re seeing, we estimate that a notable portion of that increased giving will be contributed through employee-driven initiatives, like matching gifts. This means your donors will be in the driver’s seat—so keep up your outreach!
3. Nonprofits are proactively seeking matching gifts.
Even with an increasing number of companies offering matching gifts, eligible employees being unaware of the programs available to them remains a significant roadblock. Research even shows that less than 19% of companies include adequate information on matching gift programs in easily accessible employee-facing materials.
The result? 78% of donors do not know whether their company matches gifts. Thus, available matches are going unclaimed—so nonprofits are taking it upon themselves to promote matching gifts to their audiences proactively. That way, they can grow awareness and be on the positive side of this workplace giving trend. Education can take many forms but often consists of:
Using matching gift software to uncover available opportunities
Sending personalized follow-ups post-donation
With these efforts and other strategic matching gift outreach, nonprofits can increase the number of donors who are aware of their employers’ corporate philanthropy programs—therefore boosting the amount of matched donations they receive.
4. Companies are being more generous with matching gifts.
Today’s businesses recognize that matching gift programs incentivize employees to be charitable, and being as generous as possible can inspire greater participation in workplace philanthropy. That’s why generosity in matching gifts has gradually become a corporate philanthropy trend.
We’ve noticed that more companies are experimenting with these strategies:
Matching donations at higher ratios
Lowering minimum donation amounts
Increasing maximum donation amounts
By simply promising to match donations at higher rates, companies can grow employees’ impact and make it more worthwhile for employees to submit a match request. Currently, our CSR research shows that around 93% of companies have a minimum match requirement of less than or equal to $50. Having fairly cheap match requirements lowers barriers to participation since even modest donations will be eligible for matching.
The same goes for increasing maximum donation amounts. Our corporate giving statistics page explains that when companies match larger employee donations, more employees will engage. In fact, programs with $1,000 maximums see a 12% employee engagement rate, those with maximums between $1,001 and $10,000 have an 18% engagement rate, and any maximum beyond $10,000 sees an engagement rate of up to 40%.
5. Companies are prioritizing disaster relief and crisis response.
With this year’s increase in climate-related emergencies like hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts, there’s clearly a need for this kind of philanthropy. Companies and their employees alike are making an effort to provide relief by participating in crowdfunding, volunteering, and matching gift initiatives.
6. More companies and nonprofits are forming partnerships.
Corporate philanthropy initiatives like matching gifts involve a few key stakeholders—namely, the companies offering the programs and the nonprofits receiving associated funds. To make the process as simple and direct as possible, the two parties are forming tighter partnerships.
One example of this corporate philanthropy trend is our innovative matching gift auto-submission functionality. Auto-submission within 360MatchPro enables employees at forward-thinking companies like Checkr, Innovative Discovery, and more to submit their matching gift requests right from their favorite organizations’ giving pages. Check out this overview of how this feature works for nonprofits:
It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s all handled behind the scenes. Thus, it minimizes complications for nonprofits, companies, and donors alike, driving more matching gifts to completion and contributing to this workplace giving trend.
7. Employees want greater value, flexibility, and transparency in workplace giving.
Flexibility and support are emerging as essential for employee engagement in workplace giving. An employee giving study from Fidelity Charitable uncovered this trend in workplace giving. Employees who are active in workplace giving programs enjoy participating but cited the following as ways to improve these programs:
40% want an increase in the value of the benefit (e.g., higher corporate match)
39% prefer their employers to offer a wider variety of programs
39% wish companies would allow greater flexibility in when employees can participate
36% want greater flexibility in the causes they can support
34% wish employers would provide more information about their programs and how to get involved
30% want greater transparency about how donations are used
Employees want more than a paycheck from their employers. They want to feel like they’re making a difference. Meanwhile, employees are also balancing a lot, both in and out of the workplace. To inspire participation in workplace giving, companies need to be flexible with the opportunities they offer, ensure those workplace giving options are valuable, and regularly report on impact. That way, they can hop in on this trend in workplace giving expectations among employees.
8. Businesses are using volunteering to grow employee skills and satisfaction.
Corporate volunteering is a wonderful way to grow workplace satisfaction and lower turnover rates for companies. In fact, 87% of employees who engage in corporate volunteering reported an improved perception of their employer. And this isn’t all for nothing! According to that same resource, 92% of HR executives encourage volunteering since it can improve employees’ professional skills.
For this CSR trend, let’s take a look at a real-world example. Bombas is a comfort-focused premium basics brand and a wonderful example of a socially responsible company. Their company is so committed to using workplace philanthropy as a way to increase employee satisfaction that it was actually named one of the best places to work in the U.S.
100% of its employees reported feeling good about how the company contributes to the community. One of the top ways the company gives back is by organizing 10 to 15 volunteering opportunities for employees each month.
For companies, follow in Bombas’ footsteps if you want to get in on this trend in corporate philanthropy. Nonprofits can tap in by looking for companies like this and forming partnerships when their missions align with the business’s CSR initiatives.
Recent Industry Developments in Matching Gifts
Tons of companies contribute to these corporate philanthropy trends by matching employee gifts. Our matching gift database contains records of over 24,000 companies’ program guidelines.
We work to provide the most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date source of information on the topic, and recently, we can attest that programs’ potential is continuously trending upward. Specifically, new, reinstated, and expanding matching gift initiatives are driving growth. Let’s take a closer look at these developments.
New programs
New companies are rolling out matching gift programs every day! Check out these examples of businesses that have recently incorporated matching gifts into their ongoing corporate giving strategies:
Russell Reynolds Associates: In 2022, Russell Reynolds Associates established RRA Gives Back, a philanthropic program that encourages RRA colleagues to support charitable causes and get their contributions matched by the company.
Kraft Group: The Kraft Group and its subsidiaries have long participated in various philanthropic activities. One of their newest initiatives is matching employee donations, doubling employees’ impact when they donate.
Another trend in corporate philanthropy we’re seeing more and more of is employees advocating for matching gift programs to their employers. So if a number of your donors are not eligible for matching gifts, don’t fret! Instead, provide resources that can help them champion gift-matching on your behalf.
Knowing their employees want a matching gift program can be a significant motivator for rolling out such an initiative. In exchange, companies can look forward to increased employee engagement, productivity, and retention.
Reinstated programs
Thanks to the significant value that companies see in their corporate social responsibility efforts, many businesses have recently reinstated their matching gift programs. Companies recognize philanthropy as an integral aspect of their businesses.
For example, here are a few companies that are matching gifts again after a brief intermission in their programming:
Booz Allen Hamilton: Previously suspended in 2021, Booz Allen Hamilton’s matching gift program is once again live as of 2023. Both full-time and part-time team members are encouraged to join the company in supporting their favorite charitable causes.
Kimray Inc.: Kimray Inc. resumed matching donations of up to $2,000 per team member per year to eligible nonprofit causes. Though they’ll match many organizations and educational institutions, Kimray places a special emphasis on missions related to youth programming, culture, and their local communities.
International Business Machines (IBM): IBM paused match operations while switching to a new system. However, the program is now live, and IBM employees are able to request matching gifts of up to $10,000 per year!
United Parcel Service (UPS): Though it stopped matching employee gifts for a period, UPS has been back and matching since late 2022. Facilitated through the UPS Foundation, UPS’s matching gift program is designed to empower team members to make a difference through workplace giving.
These companies may have reinstated their programs because they’re in a better place financially, but it’s also likely that they recognized that matching gifts are a long-term investment in their communities. Regardless of the reasoning, we’re glad these companies are back!
Expanding programs
Companies with existing matching gift programs are also expanding their efforts by increasing their matching gift ratio and/or upping their maximum match amount per year. Here are a few examples of companies recently making these changes:
American Eagle Outfitters: Quadrupling their maximum match amount (from $500 to $2,000 per team member per year), American Eagle continues to offer a best-in-class matching gift program! They also upgraded from a paper request form to an online submission portal, making it simpler than ever for employees to get involved.
The Hartford: With an increasing match ratio from 0.5:1 to matching on a dollar-for-dollar basis, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. empowers employees to give by doubling individual donations.
Chicago Community Trust: Not only did the Chicago Community Trust increase its matching gift ratio from 2:1 to 3:1 (effectively quadrupling individual donations), but it also heightened the maximum gift amount to $7,500.
Not to mention, the number of matching gift programs that will match to any nonprofit continues to grow, while programs that only match to a particular mission type have severely declined. This CSR trend continues to reflect a broader shift toward more inclusive corporate philanthropy as companies empower their employees to support causes that matter to them.
How Nonprofits Can Tap Into These Corporate Philanthropy Trends
Now that you’re up to date on all the latest trends, let’s dive deeper into what they mean for your nonprofit. Ultimately, these workplace giving trends are positive and mean that your nonprofit can continue to see the benefits of corporate philanthropy. But there’s more you can do to tap in!
Our number one piece of advice for leveraging these trends in corporate philanthropy is to take a proactive approach in marketing matching gifts to your audience.
Remember, your donors may not be aware of their companies’ matching initiatives. To maximize funding and engagement from these programs, it’s crucial to spread the word across your marketing channels. Let donors know how to check their eligibility, why they should submit match requests, and how much impact they can make with matching gifts. Check out this video for more tips on how to promote matching gifts to your donors:
On top of increasing your matching gift marketing, use these additional tips to tap into corporate philanthropy trends:
Invest in matching gift software. With software like 360MatchPro, you can greatly simplify the matching gift request process for donors. When you employ functionalities like matching gift auto-submission, your team can sit back and enjoy matching gift revenue trending upward.
Expand your promotion of disaster relief campaigns. If your nonprofit participates in crisis response or disaster relief efforts, promote these campaigns directly to corporate audiences. Reach out to businesses and let your donors know their employers can magnify their impact on aiding disasters.
Seek out corporate partnerships. Companies want to partner with organizations like yours! Take advantage of this corporate philanthropy trend by continuing to develop relationships with specific businesses, seeking out sponsorship opportunities, and tracking companies that frequently match your donors’ gifts.
Taking these steps will help your organization get the most out of corporate philanthropy and raise more funds for your mission.
What These CSR Trends Mean For Companies
Staying on top of trends in workplace giving isn’t only essential for nonprofits. Companies should also monitor the landscape and pay special attention to their employees’ engagement with their programs. That way, they can stay connected with increased expectations from their employees, prospective workers, investors, and customers.
Based on the corporate giving trends we’re currently seeing, this is what we suggest companies do to make a genuine impact:
Be generous with workplace giving programs. It’s not enough to simply engage in corporate giving. Instead, businesses should provide a wide variety employee giving opportunities, including everything from matching gifts to volunteer opportunities to charitable giving stipends.
Form partnerships with nonprofits. Consistently supporting one nonprofit can help grow impact while also indicating the company’s values. Companies should select reputable nonprofit partners that align with their missions.
Put special emphasis on matching gifts. Corporate matches are one of the most convenient yet powerful ways to give back. Companies should develop a generous program with low minimum donation requirements, high maximum donation requirements, and generous ratios. Then, they should make sure employees know about the opportunity.
Being serious about corporate giving is a great way for businesses to show they recognize their duty to give back to the communities that support them. While these tips reflect current CSR trends, we don’t expect these standards to change anytime soon.
Trending Onward & Upward
Corporate philanthropy continues to be a priority for businesses and employees everywhere. Thus, we encourage nonprofits to make the most of the opportunities at hand.
Interested in learning more about corporate philanthropy trends to be aware of? Check out these additional Double the Donation resources:
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics. Dive deeper into the research behind the current matching gift industry. Browse successful match totals, unclaimed funding, donor awareness statistics, and more.
Interested in learning more about how to continue fundraising through difficult times? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Trends-in-Corporate-Philanthropy_Feature.png3751000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-12-13 08:00:132024-09-30 18:16:518 Trends in Corporate Philanthropy for 2024: How to Tap In
There are many markers of a successful business—from pulling in huge profits to maintaining highly engaged employees. To truly stand out in today’s society, however, companies must have a strong corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. They must demonstrate to employees, customers, and other stakeholders that they are not merely service or product providers, but upstanding corporate citizens with a duty to make the world a better place.
Ready to become a leading company in CSR? We’ll cover everything you need to know about creating an impactful CSR strategy in the following sections:
Your company’s reputation depends on not only how much you make but also how much you give. Philanthropy has become an increasing priority, with corporations donating over $21 billion to nonprofits just in the last year—a 13.4% increase from the previous year. To ensure your long-term success and sustainability, it’s time to solidify what CSR means for your company.
What is a CSR Strategy?
For starters, corporate social responsibility (CSR) refers to a company’s responsibility to operate in a way that enhances the welfare of society rather than harms it. To do so, many companies take conscious steps in areas such as accountability and environmentalism.
A company’s CSR strategy, in turn, outlines the various initiatives and programs it will undertake to improve its social impact. What do these initiatives and programs typically entail? Let’s take a look at four main categories of CSR:
Environmental Responsibility
Environmental responsibility refers to your company’s impact on the health of the environment, from its energy use to waste production. Several common activities that businesses can adopt to increase their environmental responsibility include:
Implementing more sustainable business practices to reduce pollution and waste.
Creating a company-wide recycling program.
Investing in alternative energy sources.
Reducing water use in the workplace.
Educating employees about sustainability best practices.
Patagonia is an outstanding company in the realm of environmental responsibility, with an entire page on its website dedicated to its programs and goals. By 2025, the company aims to use only preferred materials, such as organic cotton, that are better for the environment and produce 100% eco-friendly packaging. By 2040, Patagonia aspires to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its entire value chain.
Ethical Responsibility
Ethical responsibility refers to your company’s treatment of its employees, customers, and other stakeholders. To embrace ethical responsibility, businesses can commit to the following endeavors:
Increasing transparency surrounding business decisions and finances.
Prioritizing safe working conditions and fair labor practices.
Providing all employees with competitive compensation and benefits.
Sourcing all materials in the supply chain ethically.
Establishing anti-corruption policies.
Starbucks makes its dedication to ethical responsibility known on its website by including numerous documents on its policies and impact, from its Global Anti-Bribery Standard to data on its workforce diversity. Making all of this information available to stakeholders allows the company to enhance its reputation and build more trust within its communities.
Philanthropic Responsibility
Philanthropic responsibility refers to how your company contributes to making the world a better place. To boost their philanthropic responsibility, many businesses launch the following initiatives:
Encouraging volunteerism among employees through company volunteering days and volunteer time off (VTO).
Partnering with nonprofit organizations to fund their events and programs.
Providing pro bono services to support nonprofit missions.
Helping nonprofits raise awareness by collaborating in cause marketing campaigns.
TOMS is a noteworthy company that excels in corporate philanthropy, investing one-third of its profits to promote grassroots good. The company partners with nonprofits to support mental health, increase access to opportunity, and end gun violence through cash grants, volunteering, and more. In the last year, TOMS has contributed $1.7 million to its focus areas and impacted 147,510 lives.
Economic Responsibility
Economic responsibility refers to how your company grounds its financial decisions in advancing social good. A few basic ways businesses can enhance their economic responsibility include:
Investing in sustainability research related to their products or services.
Maintaining compliance with tax and financial reporting requirements.
Promoting financial transparency with stakeholders.
Adopting processes that may be more expensive but are more sustainable.
Launching training initiatives to educate employees on areas such as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and environmentalism.
For example, LEGO places significant emphasis on researching ways to increase its sustainability. Over the past few years, the company has collaborated with suppliers and research institutions to create LEGO bricks from more sustainable sources—testing over 300 recycled materials and even creating a prototype brick from PET plastic bottles.
Why is Developing a CSR Strategy Important?
Creating a CSR strategy for your company is not as simple as checking off a box on your to-do list. Considering all the planning and effort involved, is such an endeavor really worth it? The simple answer is yes. By designing a thoughtful CSR strategy, your company can:
Enhance its reputation. A CSR strategy demonstrates your company’s commitment to creating lasting social change, rather than merely securing profits. This can go a long way toward generating a sense of respect and admiration in the eyes of your stakeholders.
Attract more customers. As your reputation for social good spreads, you’ll catch the attention of more socially conscious customers interested in supporting your company and its CSR initiatives. Additionally, you’ll be able to win the loyalty of existing customers who share similar values with your company.
Recruit more top talent.PwC reports that 86% of employees prefer to work for companies that care about the same issues they do. By placing more of a focus on CSR at your company, you’ll be able to better appeal to job seekers who are motivated to make the world a better place.
Improve employee engagement. Keeping employees engaged has become a major priority for many companies, considering Gallup’s finding that only 32% of full- and part-time employees are engaged, while 18% are actively disengaged. Having an effective CSR strategy allows your employees to take pride in their work and find a larger sense of purpose in their roles. In turn, this can lead them to stick around for the long term.
Lower its operational expenses. By prioritizing CSR at your company, you can make progress in areas such as energy efficiency, resource consumption, and waste management. With these improved processes, you’ll be able to reduce your operational expenses over time.
Beyond these immediate benefits, a CSR strategy ultimately empowers your company to boost its impact on the world. Your efforts will provide nonprofits with critical funding to fulfill their missions, employees with a healthy and fulfilling work environment, and communities with the support they need to thrive.
How to Create Your CSR Plan
While there are many facets of a CSR strategy, building one doesn’t have to be a complicated task. Follow these eight steps to hit the ground running with your company’s strategy:
1. Set relevant CSR goals.
When building a CSR strategy, it’s important to set clear, relevant goals to maximize your results and avoid overwhelming your team. Think about any existing CSR initiatives you may have within your company. Then, review them alongside your mission and values. Do your activities align with your values? How do they relate to your company’s overarching purpose?
After reflecting on these points, consider setting goals in areas such as:
Before you can launch your strategy, you’ll need to secure support from members of your board and leadership. Be sure to emphasize the benefits of creating a CSR strategy, including how it will contribute to your business goals as a whole. Reference examples of other successful companies to serve as models for your proposed undertaking.
2. Conduct research and collect feedback.
As you develop your strategy, research relevant topics and issues that your company can have a meaningful impact on. Several frameworks exist to inform your decision-making, such as the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include:
Zero hunger
Good health and well-being
Quality education
Gender equality
Affordable and clean energy
Decent work and economic growth
Furthermore, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has created a standard to guide companies in developing social responsibility programs. Combine these resources with stakeholder feedback to produce a CSR strategy tailored to your company’s goals and priorities.
To collect this information, send out surveys to your employees, customers, and other community members to learn more about how they view your current CSR standing and what causes are important to them. After all, 84% of consumers and 85% of employees agree that the more a business engages them in charitable giving decisions, the more trust they have in that business.
3. Involve employees with a workplace giving program.
A successful CSR strategy depends on the combined efforts of everyone at your company. Present your employees with direct ways to contribute by creating a workplace giving program. Some basic opportunities you can provide are:
Matching gifts. This initiative is popular among many businesses, with 65% of Fortune 500 companies offering matching gift programs. When an employee donates to an eligible nonprofit, they’ll submit a request to your company. Then, your company will make a donation of its own, matching the employee’s gift amount at a 1:1 ratio or more. This is a stellar way for employees to secure more revenue for causes they care about.
Volunteer grants. The process for volunteer grants is similar to that of matching gifts, except your company will make a donation after an employee volunteers a certain number of hours with a nonprofit. Once they pass the minimum hours threshold, they’ll submit a request, and you’ll contribute a certain amount of funds per hour volunteered.
Payroll deductions. Automatic payroll deductions make it easy for employees to give to nonprofits on a recurring basis. To participate, they’ll select an organization to support and how much they would like to contribute out of their paychecks.
Pave the way for additional team-building by planning volunteer days for your company to take part in. In doing so, you’ll be able to encourage more employees to join in your philanthropic initiatives and cultivate stronger relationships with their peers.
4. Partner with nonprofit organizations.
Enhance your CSR strategy by seeking out partnerships with nonprofits. With the right approach, these partnerships can turn into long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. Beyond organizing regular volunteer opportunities with them, you can sponsor their events in exchange for a mention in their marketing materials. Reach out to nonprofits with missions and values that align with yours to ensure that both parties get the most out of the partnership.
For instance, General Mills has been a partner of Feeding America for over 40 years. The company has supported the nonprofit through a variety of initiatives, such as charitable giving, product donations, volunteerism, and more. Since their partnership first began, General Mills has contributed a total of $37 million to advance Feeding America’s hunger relief goals.
Whirlpool, a kitchen and laundry appliance company, focuses its social responsibility on affordable housing. For 23 years, the company has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity by contributing funds, donating products, and creating support programs in 45 different countries.
Both partnerships illustrate the power of collaborating with nonprofits that share similar values and goals with your company.
5. Adopt CSR software.
Since there are many moving parts to an effective CSR strategy, you’ll need to invest in a toolkit to streamline your processes. A comprehensive CSR software solution should equip your company with features that streamline:
Donation management. Your company should be able to provide its employees with multiple ways to participate in your corporate giving initiatives, including making donations directly through your CSR platform. Additionally, the software should allow you to manage your matching gifts program and automatically approve requests based on your guidelines.
Volunteer management. Your CSR software should supply your company with tools for planning and promoting corporate volunteer opportunities. Furthermore, look for the ability to accept volunteer grant requests and process them based on the number of hours logged by each employee.
Tracking and reporting. A key aspect of CSR involves sharing your initiatives and impact with stakeholders. With CSR tools, you can easily generate reports and maintain transparency about your efforts. This information can also prove useful for refining your strategy going forward.
If you’re looking for a new CSR solution to invest in, be sure to conduct thorough research, request demos, and consider integrations that will enable your company to use its technology to the fullest. For instance, CSR providers that offer an auto-submission integration make it easier than ever before for employees to participate in your matching gifts program.
Check out this quick video to learn more about this cutting-edge feature:
As the video explains, auto-submission is an innovative tool that allows employees to automatically submit matching gift requests after they make a donation to a nonprofit. All they need to do is input their company email address, and the technology takes care of the rest—leading to more employee engagement in your workplace giving efforts and a larger impact on your community.
6. Communicate your CSR strategy with stakeholders.
Once you’ve laid a foundation for your CSR initiatives by setting goals, researching nonprofit partnerships, and equipping the tools you need to succeed, it’s time to formalize the details and share them with your stakeholders. Draft a CSR policy that explains your company’s approach to CSR, including:
Goals and relevant metrics
Focus areas
Opportunities for employee participation
Methods for reporting
Think back to your goals and stakeholder feedback to produce a policy that speaks to their most important interests, priorities, and concerns. Then, share this documentation on multiple platforms for easy access, including your website, employee portal, and social media pages.
7. Prioritize transparent reporting.
Demonstrate to employees, customers, and other community members that your CSR strategy is more than just performative by implementing thoughtful reporting procedures. By leveraging CSR reporting tools, your company can track and report on its:
Corporate philanthropy funds and impact.
Workplace giving participation.
Environmental sustainability.
Internal business practices.
Make your reports accessible to all stakeholders by producing different versions for different audiences. For instance, rather than forcing your customers to read dozens of pages regarding your CSR impact, design a summary sheet with infographics illustrating the key points of your report. In additional documents, include all the details for those who need or want to know more about your initiatives.
8. Recognize employees for their participation.
Keep your company’s employees invested in your CSR strategy by consistently recognizing them for their participation. Doing so reinforces the value of their contributions and ensures that they continue engaging with your initiatives year after year.
Several effective ways you can cultivate a culture of recognition at your workplace include:
Sending eCards commending employees for contributing to your CSR efforts.
Posting social media shoutouts featuring employee names and pictures.
Adding a section on your website showcasing top employee contributors.
Presenting awards to the most involved employees in your CSR activities.
Expressing appreciation to employees is an essential practice that benefits your company as a whole. Open up opportunities for peer-to-peer recognition and reach out on important holidays to establish a close-knit community of loyal employees.
4 Top CSR Strategy Examples
As your company embarks on its CSR journey, know that you don’t have to travel it alone. Many other businesses have taken their own endeavors to improve their impact on society and have succeeded with flying colors.
As a consumer’s co-operative, REI’s CSR initiatives focus on improving the working conditions of its employees, the experiences of its members, the well-being of society, and the success of the company. REI’s most recent efforts include:
Sourcing recycled and renewable materials within the company’s product supply chain.
Using less energy in stores and distribution centers through smart building design and energy-efficient measures.
Encouraging product reuse by creating a Re/Supply program for members to participate in.
Requesting that vendor partners use alternatives to individual plastic bags for product shipping.
In the last year, REI Co-op has contributed $6.9 million to 503 nonprofit partners. Additionally, the company has engaged over 78,000 members of its community in its grassroots advocacy program, sending more than 250,000 messages to state and federal decision-makers. Stakeholders can find key data related to REI’s impact summarized in a straightforward scorecard online.
Microsoft
Microsoft is a top CSR company that focuses its strategy on four commitments:
Expanding economic growth and opportunity.
Earning trust through responsible artificial intelligence (AI) usage, privacy protections, and cybersecurity.
Protecting people’s fundamental rights through responsible business practices and accessibility initiatives.
Advancing sustainability through technological innovation.
The company allows employees to take part in its philanthropic efforts by offering matching gifts and volunteer grants in its workplace giving program. These opportunities have led to $255 million in contributions to over 32,000 nonprofits in just the past year.
HP
As another company dedicated to CSR, HP produces three separate reports based on its main pillars of focus:
Climate action
Human rights
Digital equity
These reports reveal the extent of the company’s tree-planting efforts, investment in minority- and women-owned businesses, and educational programs to promote digital literacy around the world.
Google
Google is a dominant technology company that has set ambitious goals for its CSR, including:
Diverting all office food waste from landfills by 2025.
Making product packaging 100% plastic-free by 2025.
Running data centers and offices on carbon-free energy 24/7 by 2030.
Furthermore, the company gives $200 million to charitable organizations every year and offers a pro bono program that empowers employees to support nonprofit technical projects full-time for up to six months.
Wrapping Up: Emerging as a Top CSR Strategy Leader
As you work on your company’s CSR strategy and continue researching other examples to learn from, remember that the path to excellent corporate citizenship takes time. Take your resources into account and start small with setting goals and launching workplace giving opportunities. Be open to collecting feedback from stakeholders, and identify ways to refine your strategy year after year.
For more information on where CSR fits into your company’s priorities and success, check out these additional resources:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CSR-Strategy_Feature.jpg6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-11-17 16:42:312023-11-22 16:42:47Creating a CSR Strategy: How to Forge a Lasting Impact
When the Danaher Corporation team sought new and innovative ways to give back to its community and increasingly engage its workforce in philanthropy, the company settled on a one-off matching gift initiative. After establishing the program, Danaher employees were invited to support LLS through an upcoming fundraising event, Light the Night. With an employee count of over 70,000, the company got on board to give back to their communities in a substantial way.
