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The Ultimate Guide to Employer Appends for Fundraisers

October 28, 2022/in Learning Center, About Double the Donation, Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

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:

The Basics of Data Appends
What Are Employer Appends?
How Employer Appends Work for Fundraisers
Benefits of Employer Appends for Nonprofits and Universities
Employer Appends Services | What to Look For

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.

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 existing 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 then be uploaded into an organization’s 360MatchPro account in order to trigger matching gift emails and other automated donor outreach.

If you’re interested in exploring Double the Donation’s employer appends service, fill out the contact form here to request a quote!

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 an Email Append? All Your Questions Answered. Learn more to better reach your nonprofit’s audience with accurate and up-to-date email addresses. And comprehensive email appends can help!
What Is Phone Number Appending? How the Process Works. Planning a phonathon fundraiser or looking for new ways to get in touch with key donors? Consider phone number appending.
What Is an Address Append? Ultimate Guide for Nonprofits. Knowing where your donors live can have a big impact on geographic-based engagement and direct mail strategies. Find out more with this guide.
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.

The Benefits of Acquiring and Retaining Young Donors

October 17, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

How the Next Generation Influences Fundraising and Workplace Giving

According to charitable giving research, overall giving revenue was reportedly elevated in 2021. However, the number of individual donors giving had dropped.

So what does that mean for organizations like yours that rely on contributions from supporters to bankroll mission programming? More than likely, you have an opportunity to reach new, previously under-targeted segments of supporters to continue growing your donor base—and with it, your total funding. One of the best markets to consider is that of young donors.

Many nonprofits, educational institutions, and other fundraising organizations are interested in learning how to engage donors to drive the best results. At the same time, donor retention remains at top-of-mind for most. Young donors are a critical piece of the puzzle, and yet they continue to be overlooked in terms of fundraising potential.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of young donor fundraising, how it can differ from traditional engagement efforts, and how you can make the most of those relationships as they grow. We’ll cover:

Why Engaging With Young Donors Matters
Acquiring & Retaining New Generations of Donors
Factors That Can Impact Gift Size Over Time
Young Donors & Workplace Giving
Best Practices for Strategic Young Donor Fundraising

Adapting your marketing, fundraising, and overall donor engagement strategies to attract and connect with individuals of all ages is one of the greatest ways to ensure your team is leveraging your supporter base to its fullest potential.

Want to find out how to do so⁠—particularly in regards to the youngest of donors in your network? Read on!

Why Engaging With Young Donors Matters

Engaging with all of your donors is an essential component of a successful fundraising strategy. What many organizations are seeing, however, is that young donors continue to be an under-targeted market when it comes to seeking donations.

Gen Z and young millennial donors are often referred to as “the donors of tomorrow” or “the donors of the future.” But the truth is that these up-and-coming generations are the donors of NOW. So why are organizations overlooking their potential? It might be because young donors tend to have more limited funding at their disposal to contribute as compared to older, more established supporters.

But consider this: is it easier to ask a new donor for a $10,000 donation and hope they spring for it, or to start out small with a $20-50 donation ask from a young donor who will then become increasingly engaged with your organization over time? In most cases, the answer is the latter.

Not to mention, young donors bring with them nearly unlimited potential. That college-aged individual making a $25 gift out of their part-time paycheck could very well become the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company that doesn’t even exist yet. And as their income grows, their gifts would likely grow alongside it.

The bottom line?

Be willing to start small and watch the impact of continuous engagement increase drastically over time.

Acquiring & Retaining New Generations of Donors

Like any group, to engage with young donors, you’ll need to focus on two crucial components of your strategy—getting them and keeping them. As far as the basics of the donor lifecycle go, this refers to acquisition and retention.

Here’s what you should know about each pertaining to younger generations of donors;

Acquiring Young Donors

Young donor fundraising involves bringing young donors into your network of support, to begin with. And you may need to take an adjusted approach than what you might use with your general, middle-aged-and-older audience.

For one, attracting young donors can be particularly impactful when using social proof to your best advantage. Social proof, or the idea that people are more likely to do something if they see their peers doing the same—and a founding principle behind peer-to-peer fundraising—tends to be even more effective among the younger generations.

In other words, once you get one young donor in your corner, you have one of the best tools to draw in others in their circle. At the same time, other key practices include reaching donors where they are, such as on social media sites and mobile technology⁠—but more on those tips later.

Retaining Young Donors

Once you’ve laid the groundwork for a supporter relationship and even secured your first donation, you’ll want to put in the time and effort to elevate the connection to new heights.

Even more than your typical donor, Gen Z and young millennials desire to feel connected to the organizations with which they get involved. They want to know that their funding is going to impactful causes, so excellent financial stewardship efforts are essential (top tip: demonstrate that you’re making the most of each dollar you receive by emphasizing corporate matching opportunities!).

It’s also a great idea to offer streamlined recurring giving options⁠—and to ensure donors of all ages are aware of the opportunities. After all, what better way is there to ensure your new donors return time and time again than to essentially get them set up on auto-pay? In fact, research into young donor trends reports that young donors are more likely than the average donor to be enrolled in a monthly giving program (36% overall enrollment rates, with donors aged 18-29 coming in at 48%). Be sure to give them what they want, and market the ability accordingly.

Factors That Can Impact Gift Size Over Time

Many young donors are likely to start out by giving low-level donations to the organizations they support. But every dollar counts and their potential to give can increase exponentially as time goes on.

Here are a few factors that can impact gift size and lead to continually growing donations;

Increasing income

The average person’s income tends to rise over time, whether by receiving promotions, moving employers, diving into new industries, or even exploring an entrepreneurial spirit. As donors of all ages benefit from elevated incomes, their ability to give to the causes they care about tends to rise proportionately as well⁠—oftentimes at an even higher rate than the income or salary increase itself.

Deepening connections to the organization

Finally, an individual’s personal connections to a nonprofit can be a significant factor when it comes to determining their gift size. Sure, a charitable-minded donor might make a $25 gift to a random organization when asked, but they’re likely to reserve more substantial funding for the causes and groups they feel most passionate about. And when you start developing that personal relationship early on, these individuals (i.e., your young donors) will be more likely to continue supporting your organization⁠ in larger and larger amounts as time goes on.

Young Donors & Workplace Giving

Another key factor that can have a substantial effect on young and old donors’ giving alike is employer giving⁠—otherwise known as workplace giving or philanthropy. Thousands of companies offer employee or workplace giving programs such as matching gifts and volunteer grants, and over 26 million individuals can qualify for the opportunities through their personal nonprofit contributions. Obviously, these programs benefit the nonprofits receiving the corporate funding⁠, but there’s a lesser-known benefit as well: employer giving eligibility tends to drive increased individual engagement.

In fact, our corporate giving data reports that 84% of individuals are more likely to donate if a corporate match is offered, while 1 in 3 donors indicate they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation. All in all, this brings about findings that donor messaging that mentions matching gifts leads to a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in the average donation amount, thus resulting in elevated conversions, gift sizes, and donor engagement. Though the exact reasoning behind the increase is unknown, organizations theorize it has to do with donors aiming to meet their employers’ minimum match requirements along with the understanding of magnified donation impact.

So what does that have to do with the young donors in your network? As these individuals enter the workforce, and more specifically, the corporate world, their chance of qualifying for donation matching, volunteer grants, and other forms of workplace giving skyrockets⁠—and with it, their individual donations.

Not to mention, young donors are increasingly demanding corporate social responsibility from the brands they buy from and work for. In fact, nearly 2/3 of young employees won’t take a job at a company with poor CSR practices. Thus, your younger supporters are more likely to work for businesses that match employee donations in the first place, effectively elevating their chances at eligibility.

Meanwhile, as Gen Z and millennials continue taking up more and more of the workforce and consumer population, more and more companies are following suit by implementing and improving their workplace giving programs. And when offered, young donors partake in employer giving in droves with studies showing that over 59% of young professionals gave through a workplace program in 2022, compared to 37% of professionals overall.

Best Practices for Strategic Young Donor Fundraising

The better you engage with your donors of all generations, the more likely you are to raise funding effectively. Prepare your team to deepen relationships with young donors by incorporating the following tips;

1. Segment fundraising efforts by age group.

Fundraising is not a one-size-fits-all effort, and as a result, one-size-fits-all donor engagement strategies are not likely to be particularly effective. And, as you likely know, one of the largest segmenting factors has to do with donor age.

Young donors want to get involved with the organizations and causes they care about, but you’ll want your tactics to reflect a targeted approach. A 22-year-old, fresh-out-of-college graduate and a 70-year-old retired schoolteacher can each be excellent supporters of your nonprofit⁠—but it might take different initiatives to reach them both.

For example, giving studies indicate that younger donors tend to be most inspired to donate via social media, while older supporters are more impacted by email fundraising⁠—and that’s not even taking Gen Z-ers into consideration!

Overall, we recommend reaching younger supporters and prospects by prioritizing mobile and digital engagement strategies, incorporating valuable and eye-catching visuals (through images and video), and demonstrating donation and organization impact whenever you can.

2. Offer multiple ways to get involved with your organization.

Young donors often desire diversity in the ways they engage with an organization. And not receiving that can lead to donor fatigue and, ultimately, lapsing support.

Thus, be sure to provide a plethora of methods for individual donor involvement⁠—whether they involve financial support or not.

So, what kinds of opportunities can you establish (and promote to) your donors? These might include (but are certainly not limited to):

Volunteering at a dedicated event or on a regular basis;
Taking part in a corporate giving program like matching gifts or volunteer grants;
Attending a fundraising event like an auction, gala, or walk-a-thon.
Participating in the organization’s board of directors;
Exploring a peer-to-peer fundraising role by soliciting donations from friends and family on the nonprofit’s behalf.

Regardless of the many ways an individual chooses to get involved, remember to communicate your gratitude as well as the tangible ways their engagement impacts your cause.

3. Increase suggested donation amounts over time.

As online giving becomes more and more prevalent, studies have been conducted to determine the impact of suggested donation amounts on total fundraising revenue. And overall, organizations tend to see elevated average donation amounts when they do so (meaning if you’re not already providing gift size suggestions, you should be).

Taking this concept a step further, however, is the idea that your team can increase the amount you request from donors over time to continue growing relationships and donor contributions.

For example, an individual might bring in four times the salary they had when they started giving to your organization. But if they donate on a regular basis, they might never take the initiative to increase their gift size⁠—that is, unless your team chooses to coax them in that direction. And it can be as simple as requesting $100 from Donor A in your next annual fund appeal after determining they’ve contributed $50 for the last few years.

4. Inform donors about workplace giving programs.

We mentioned that donors often choose to give more often and in larger amounts when workplace giving opportunities⁠ (like matching gifts⁠) are in place. And with many young donors becoming eligible for these programs for the first time, it’s essential that they’re made aware of the programs.

After all, over 78% of individuals employed by companies that match employee donations have no idea that they do so⁠—or that they themselves would be eligible to participate. This knowledge gap regarding the programs is one of the leading causes of billions of dollars in unclaimed matching gift funding being left on the table each year.

So get proactive about it! Be sure donors are informed about matching gifts and other employee giving initiatives by highlighting the programs within your organization’s —

Workplace giving marketing is a particularly impactful engagement tool, driving participation in corporate philanthropy programs alongside individual contributions. And if you’re looking to take your young donor engagement to new heights, you won’t want to overlook these initiatives and the impact they bring.

Interested in learning more about engaging young donors? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!

How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal [For Smart Nonprofits]

September 12, 2022/in Learning Center, Learning Center, About Double the Donation /by Adam Weinger

Corporate matching gifts are one of the best ways for nonprofits to maximize their fundraising with bonus donations and increased donor engagement. And how exactly do nonprofit organizations receive funding through these matching programs? It all starts with a request from the initial donor and typically is processed through a corporate giving or CSR platform.

In terms of CSR platforms, one key platform to keep in mind is CyberGrants.

Corporate giving platforms like CyberGrants are sold to corporations looking to manage their philanthropy. But there’s another side of the platform that is designed specifically for nonprofits⁠—a portal with which fundraisers can manage their incoming matches, verify initial donations, facilitate volunteer grant requests, and more. And best of all? It’s free!

If you’re interested in learning more about CyberGrants for nonprofits and how to best manage your CyberGrants portal for maximal success, you’ve certainly come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the following:

What to Know About CyberGrants
Benefits of CyberGrants for Nonprofits
CyberGrants’ Matching Gift Verification Process Overview
FAQ | How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal
Best Practices for Nonprofits Using CyberGrants

In the end, you should have a solid foundation of knowledge surrounding CyberGrants and its nonprofit-specific tools that can lead your organization in the right direction.

Ready to dive in? Let’s get started with the basics.

What to Know About CyberGrants

With over 400 corporate customers, CyberGrants is one of the largest providers of matching gift and corporate giving software for companies⁠, and it’s known for allowing the most customization of any CSR platform. In summary, each company that organizes a matching gift program through CyberGrants can adjust its donation verification process, types of gifts to match, email notifications, number of subaccounts, and more.

From the perspective of the organizations receiving the matches, this can sometimes lead to an overwhelming process. That’s why we recommend nonprofits setting themselves up for CyberGrants success by documenting and keeping up with the information they need to complete their end of the matching gift process. And we’re here to provide you with tips and tricks on how to do so!

Benefits of CyberGrants for Nonprofits

Some of the largest matching gift companies in the world⁠—including Verizon, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, PepsiCo, American Express, and many more⁠—use CyberGrants to manage their corporate giving. The more companies that utilize any particular platform, the more likely your organization is to qualify for matching gifts made available through said platform. Thus, CyberGrants is a particularly beneficial portal to get started with.

From there, registering your organization with the nonprofit portal will allow you to increase the visibility of your cause among charitable givers, elevate your matching gift eligibility, and simplify matching gift requests for your donors⁠—all of which elevate the likelihood of matches being driven to completion.

Not to mention, pre-registering your cause with platforms like CyberGrants will streamline the process for you and your team when matching gifts do become available. You’ll already have the legwork down, meaning you’re ready to verify gifts and accept matches with ease.

CyberGrants’ Matching Gift Verification Process Overview

The exact matching gift process⁠—from initial donation and employer match request to nonprofit verification and corporate match disbursement⁠—can vary greatly from one company to the next. On the nonprofit end, one of the biggest priorities has to do with verifying with the company that an employee donor’s contribution was actually made.

Today, the majority of companies that use CyberGrants require the NPO in question to verify that the organization received the employee’s initial donation. However, other employers do not require manual verification at all, instead opting to authenticate donations through gift receipts or rely on the goodwill of their employees.

For each matching gift request from CyberGrants, the NPO will receive a unique Gift ID to identify that donation via automated email. From there, the Gift ID and donor’s last name will be used to verify the donation in the CyberGrants portal. Depending on the company’s settings, a donation amount, contribution date, and access code may be provided as well.

Take a look at this example of a matching gift request;

Meanwhile, here’s a sample matching gift request with different information, including an access code;

In each sample email, the organization is prompted to follow the instructions provided by CyberGrants on behalf of the donor’s employer. In both cases, the matching gift recipient is asked to navigate to the CyberGrants website, enter the supplied information, and verify the donor’s gift.

From there, the company can approve the match and disburse the appropriate funding to the organization.

FAQ | How to Manage Your CyberGrants Portal

Still have questions? Many organizations do⁠. We’ve compiled a list of some of the most-asked questions (and answers) from nonprofits looking to manage their CyberGrants portals to produce the greatest results.

What is FrontDoor?

FrontDoor is CyberGrants’ consolidated portal with which nonprofits can register to manage and verify gifts across employers and programs with ease.

Currently, companies that utilize CyberGrants for matching gift management have the choice to opt into participating via FrontDoor’s portal. At this time, CyberGrants is actively advocating for more companies to get started with FrontDoor⁠ and make the most of innovative features, such as the Donations Tab. This allows nonprofit users to verify donations in a single window, rather than requiring that they manually log into each company or subaccount’s portal through a separate URL.

Here’s what it looks like for nonprofit users;

Overall, FrontDoor makes the verification process faster and easier for users and enables nonprofits like yours to get more out of available matching programs.

What are subaccounts?

Subaccounts are essentially additional accounts nested within an organization’s main account and can be created by the nonprofit itself or by a donor, depending on a company’s subaccount creation and management settings.

Let’s take a look at a company with a few subaccounts nested in their main portal;

And here’s a company that chose to create a central portal with no subaccounts;

Generally, subaccounts can reflect an organization’s multiple chapters, branches, or locations within the organization, or they can be nominated by a donor who didn’t see an account that reflected their desired organization. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the more subaccounts in a portal, the greater the likelihood that there will be matching gift requests that end up “hiding” from them.

Most companies have subaccounts within their company portal. The number of subaccounts able to be created is dictated by the company (for example, there might be an unlimited number of subaccounts that can be created or this ability may not even be available to their employees). Some have over 70, while others have only a central portal or 2-3 subaccounts.

Why do we receive grants from companies for which we have not confirmed any matching gift requests?

Not all companies require verification from the organization for matching gifts and volunteer grant requests. Typically, if a company doesn’t ask the nonprofit to verify a gift or volunteer hours, it is because the employee has already verified the gift by attaching a donation receipt or proof of hours volunteered with their submission request.

Some, but not all, of these companies will send email notices of approved requests that let the nonprofit know when a payment is on the way. Companies may also utilize CyberGrants to allow their employees to make payroll deductions to an organization, which may or may not result in an email notification being triggered through the system.

What happens if we receive a request we don’t qualify for?

Occasionally, your organization may receive a gift verification request from a company even though your cause doesn’t qualify for the company’s matching program. For example, this may occur in cases where a company matches solely to educational institutions or won’t match to religious or politically affiliated organizations, and your organization falls into an excluded category.

However, regardless of the company’s requirements, employees can still submit match requests, which is why your team may see ineligible verification requests flowing in. Even if your organization verifies the initial gift in your portal, it’s likely that the company will reject the match request and no payment will be sent.

Will all pending matching gift and volunteer grant requests show up on the Donations Tab?

Unfortunately, not all requests will show up in FrontDoor’s Donations Tab. Some companies have opted out of using the tab entirely, whereas others have opted in only partially. In these cases, some requests may not populate in your organization’s Donations Tab.

To know if a particular company has opted in, you can submit a support request to the company via CyberGrants. From there, we recommend recording and organizing their response so your organization can develop the proper verification process in the future.

Why is there a gift under the Donations Tab that is from a company not listed under the Company Portals Tab?

If a gift is listed under the Donations Tab and not under the Company Portals Tab, the company might be new to CyberGrants and is still being configured. Or alternatively, this is your organization’s first gift request from the company.

The gift can be confirmed in the Donations Tab, but you will likely want to add the company to your sidebar for easier access to future gifts. To do so, input the donor’s last name and the gift ID into the Add Company section at the bottom of the portal’s sidebar. Submit and confirm access, and the company should be visible immediately after refreshing the page. If not, you can send a support ticket, and CyberGrants should be able to add the company from their end.

Best Practices for Nonprofits Using CyberGrants

Now that you understand the basics of CyberGrants, let’s go over a few tried-and-true tips for making the most of the platform.

To simplify the process as much as possible and minimize the amount of overhead required, we recommend the following;

1. Create a login sheet.

Companies that have yet to fully transition to CyberGrants’ FrontDoor have a different link to their company portal that cannot be accessed through the main FrontDoor link.
As such, it’s a good idea for organizations to identify those that don’t use FrontDoor and establish and maintain detailed documentation for these companies⁠—including the URL and login information for each.

Additionally, it’s ideal that an organization uses the same contact information for each company portal beyond FrontDoor. Most essentially, be sure to utilize a single email address for your CyberGrants logins as the main notification channel for gift verifications. This will establish that all emails requesting confirmation of gifts will be sent to the correct inbox that your staff will have access to and know to check on a regular basis.

2. Establish a process for locating “hidden” gifts.

Each company that uses CyberGrants can configure if and how they want to notify organizations about new matching gift requests⁠—and some companies opt not to enable notifications at all.

As a result, nonprofits should have an established system in place to regularly check for matching gift requests that either ⁠—

Don’t show up in the Donations Tab;
Haven’t been automatically emailed to the organization.

Fortunately, these “hidden” gift requests should make up a small percentage of the total gift requests that the nonprofit receives, so these checks could be infrequent⁠—such as a few times a year.

Keep in mind that although many companies allow twelve or more months for submitted requests to be approved by the organization, some offer as little as 90 days from the date of submission. Thus, teams should factor each company’s deadlines into their decision-making process regarding exactly how frequently to check that company’s portal for gifts.

3. Make a plan for subaccounts.

Sometimes, an organization will receive an email from CyberGrants informing them that a company’s employee has nominated the nonprofit for inclusion in their Employee Giving Program. When this occurs, the organization has a few options regarding how it can respond.

For example, the nonprofit can choose to follow the instructions provided in the email to review and edit the information in the nomination request. Then, they can later confirm it, which will create a new subaccount in that company’s portal.

Alternatively, the organization can respond to the request and ask that CyberGrants associate the nominated account with one of the existing subaccounts for that company. This option can be helpful when the organization has several existing subaccounts and does not want any more to manage and follow up with. (Hint: Nonprofits should especially monitor and limit the number of subaccounts created in portals that utilize hidden gifts.)

4. Produce a “Portal Information” document.

To simplify gift verification, we recommend that nonprofits have a dedicated document they can reference while confirming initial donations. This document should host basic details about your organization (such as mailing address, contact information, EIN, and more) and ACH information, if applicable.

Each company requires different data for its verification process. Some ask for little to no information, while others may request a list of current board members, race/ethnicity breakdowns of the population served, and even the nonprofit’s annual budget. Having a unified location from which to derive all these particulars will make it significantly easier for the organization to confirm its pending gift requests.

CyberGrants is an invaluable tool for nonprofits looking to make the most of matching gifts. By managing your organization’s portal well and taking steps to streamline and standardize matching gift requests, you can set your team up for ongoing success using all the resources at your disposal.

Interested in learning more about matching gift programs and best practices to maximize your organization’s success? Check out our other educational resources:

Registering Your Org with CSR Platforms + Key Steps For Each. CyberGrants isn’t the only CSR portal with which you’ll want to register your nonprofit. Explore other top platforms and additional tips for getting started with the right tools for your nonprofit’s matching gift strategy.
Corporate Matching Gift Guidelines | Ratios, Minimums, Maximums & More. Get a better understanding of matching gift programs and typical criteria to keep an eye out for. Dive in with ratios, minimums and maximums, eligible employees and nonprofits, deadlines, and forms.
Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. A solid foundation of knowledge surrounding the matching gift process can enable organizations to better prepare for the steps they’ll need to take. Plus, see how CSR platforms like CyberGrants can fit into the process!

Announcing New Matching Gift Auto-Submission Functionality

August 25, 2022/in About Double the Donation, Company Updates, Press Releases, Learning Center, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

The Double the Donation team is constantly improving our matching gift solution to provide users with the best possible technology for their fundraising needs. Today, we’re announcing innovative matching gift auto-submission, now built into our software platform.

This revolutionary feature will make it easier than ever before for donors to complete and submit their matching gift requests to employers. Looking to learn more about the functionality? You’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll share everything you need to know to make the most of matching gift auto-submission with Double the Donation’s flagship product, 360MatchPro⁠—including:

What is matching gift auto-submission?
Key benefits of matching gift auto-submission
How new auto-submission functionality works
Our trailblazing auto-submission partners

Let’s begin with the basics.

What is matching gift auto-submission?

Matching gift auto-submission is essentially the automation of the corporate matching gift request process.

Traditionally, donors looking to participate in their employers’ matching gift programs have been required to navigate to the company’s matching gift management portal. From there, they’ll be asked to search for and locate the organization to which they contributed. This is typically done by entering the nonprofit’s name, mailing address, and tax ID number.

Once the individual has selected the correct listing from the organization search tool, they’ll be prompted to provide information about their donation⁠—such as payment type, donation amount, currency, date of the gift, and more. They might even be asked to upload a copy of their donation receipt.

While developing your matching gift program, your company should try to eliminate as many barriers to participation as possible. One of the reasons your employees might turn away from participating in the program is if your company has a laborious and complex submission system.

When donors are able to automatically submit their match request, however, all they’re typically asked for is their corporate email address! Then, Double the Donation gathers data relevant to the donation and organization and transfers the information to the matching gift management platform to process the request.

Your employees might have to undertake many steps that overcomplicate the process without auto-submission. Empower your matching gift program to do good by making the giving journey as straightforward and effortless as possible. You’ll be motivating social good as well as improving the workplace environment and employee satisfaction!

Key benefits of matching gift auto-submission

Streamlining the matching gift process with auto-submission offers huge benefits to each party involved in the process. Specifically, these are some of the most significant advantages seen by all the key stakeholders of the initiative:

Benefits for Donors

Simplicity and elevated donation impact ⁠— Donors love getting their gifts matched (who wouldn’t want to see their dollars stretch further for an organization they care about?), but even the most dedicated supporters can be distracted and discouraged by complicated request processes. Double the Donation has long worked to streamline match submissions when possible by directing donors to their online forms, but auto-submission functionality brings simplicity to the next level. We can almost hear the donors saying, “All I have to do is enter my email address for my gift to be matched and bring my impact to the next level? I’m in!”

Benefits for Nonprofits

Increased matching gift revenue ⁠— When more donors successfully submit their matches, more matching gift funds are ultimately sent your way. That means additional streams of revenue that can be used to pursue mission programming and even help cover overhead costs. And it’s all without having to dedicate a ton of team member time and resources to pursuing matches, thanks to automation from start to finish.

Benefits for Employees

Decreased submission roadblocks ⁠— When employees find out that they’re eligible to participate in their companies’ workplace giving programs, they’re typically excited about the opportunity to give back in big ways—not to mention get their employers involved in the causes they personally care about. However, time-consuming submission processes can take some of the joy out of partaking and even lead to eligible employees not getting involved. But with auto-submission, corporate employees are able to give directly to a nonprofit, whether through their site or the peer-to-peer fundraising events that their friends and family are participating in. And from there, submitting their match requests to the companies they work for is so quick and easy that there’s nothing to get in their way.

Benefits for Companies

Increased participation rates among employees⁠ — Companies benefit from matching employee gifts by increasing their levels of social responsibility, and consequently better appealing to existing and prospective consumers and team members. The more their employees participate in matching initiatives, the more the companies give to nonprofit causes, and the more their CSR is elevated. When employees see the benefits of matching gift auto-submission, they tend to increase participation in their employers’ programming. As a result, the companies offering the programs reap increased benefits of maximal usage of their initiatives that they invested the time and resources into developing in the first place.

Benefits for Corporate Giving Vendors

Higher usage and satisfaction among clients ⁠— Corporate giving vendors (or CSR platforms) design software with the intention to streamline and improve companies’ workplace giving programs like matching gifts. Offering auto-submission makes each key initiative easier⁠—not to mention, it leads to increased usage and satisfaction among corporate clients who are aiming to make their end users’ experiences as optimal as possible. In the end, this improves these software vendors’ SaaS renewal rates, aids in attracting new corporate clients, and overall drives up long-term revenue.

Not to mention, there’s the key benefit of better supporting nonprofit causes (including 75% of the largest peer-to-peer focused nonprofits who have it enabled) by elevating corporate giving revenue while reducing administrative burden with a more streamlined approach.

Keep in mind that the quicker and simpler it is to participate in corporate matching gift programs, the more likely individuals are to take the required steps. As a result, organizations and companies alike can expect to see significantly more match-eligible donations being driven to completion⁠—which is a win-win for everybody!

How new auto-submission functionality works

Sounds great, right⁠—but how does it actually work?

Let’s take a look at a basic overview of the processes involved:

An individual makes a donation to a nonprofit organization. This step is typically business as usual. A nonprofit supporter fills out an online donation form, complete with basic contact information and payment details. Before you can get a gift matched, there has to be a gift made in the first place!
During the donation process, the individual supplies the name of their employer. This will allow your organization to determine and communicate whether the individual qualifies for a donation match and can be done quickly and easily by embedding Double the Donation’s auto-complete company search tool.
Matching gift program guidelines are provided. As soon as the donor is redirected to the gift confirmation screen, they’ll be met with matching gift criteria specific to their employer’s matching gift program. This should include minimum and maximum donation amounts, match ratios, qualifying employee and nonprofit types, submission deadlines, and more. This way, they can easily determine whether their donation is eligible for a corporate match.
The individual is asked to enter their corporate email address. If eligible, the donor is asked to provide their corporate email address for the match request. Then, before clicking to submit their email address⁠ on the confirmation screen—and, by extension, their matching gift request⁠—the individual is asked to confirm that they give Double the Donation permission to submit a match request to their company on their behalf.
The donor’s matching gift request is automatically processed. Double the Donation utilizes data collected during the individual’s donation process to provide the corporate giving partner platform with information to process the request. Data transferred will typically include the donation amount, organization given to, date of payment, and more.
Finally, the match request is verified and approved. As a result, the employing company (often by way of its corporate giving platform) disburses match funding to your organization.

In the end, corporate matching gifts are paid out to your organization the same way as if an individual had manually submitted their matching gift request on their own. The steps running in the background to make matching gifts possible, however, are significantly simpler when automated⁠—especially when it comes to your donors’ side of the process.

Our trailblazing auto-submission partners

Double the Donation relies on partnerships with other innovative technology providers in order to expand its services and functionality. Matching gift auto-submission is no different.

Recently, we collaborated with these three companies to launch the new auto-submission component of our matching gift platform:

Millie

Millie is a social impact platform designed to make workplace giving and volunteering accessible, fun, and impactful. They are big believers that change comes from everyone and are on a mission to empower businesses of all sizes to start and grow social impact programs. Whether a company has 100 employees, 5,000 employees, or anything in between, Millie helps engage teams around impact with donation matching, volunteer programming, fundraising campaigns, gifting, ERG tools, and more.

Employees of companies that utilize Milie’s software are now able to leverage matching gift auto-submission to more easily submit their requests for their companies’ approval. On the confirmation screen of their nonprofit donation (for organizations using 360MatchPro), the individual will be asked to enter their corporate email address. From there, an email is sent requesting that the donor verifies their recently submitted donation and subsequent matching gift request⁠—which will then be completed and processed by Millie.

Learn more about Millie and Double the Donation!

POINT

POINT is known for being a robust yet user-friendly volunteer management app for nonprofits, volunteers, and companies. Now, they’re expanding into an all-in-one solution with corporate social responsibility⁠—including volunteering, giving, matching, and partnering⁠—at the forefront of their strategy.

In order to make use of Double the Donation’s matching gift auto-submission with POINT, a qualifying donor is encouraged to enter their email address previously registered with the POINT app. The email address is automatically verified with POINT, providing the user with a list of organizations associated with their app profile to choose from. They are then asked to select the organization from which the donation match should be requested, with the submission being processed behind the scenes.

Learn more about POINT and Double the Donation!

Selflessly

Selflessly helps HR & Culture leaders increase employee engagement through its corporate giving and volunteering software solution. Selflessly simplifies social impact by providing all the tools a company may need. Employees can donate to nonprofits, coordinate volunteer opportunities, create team campaigns, receive matching gifts, and more. They prioritize inclusive workplaces to support all employees in the causes they care most about.

Individuals working for companies that use Selflessly to manage their matching gift programs are able to log into their employer’s Selflessly portal and request a donation match to their favorite organizations. Now, when those organizations utilize Double the Donation’s matching gift technology, the request process itself is as easy as entering their corporate email address. Double the Donation and Selflessly will handle the rest!

Learn more about Selflessly and Double the Donation!

Offering matching gift auto-submission is going to go a long way toward increasing the number of match donation requests submitted to employers. For organizations like yours, that will mean more corporate revenue and more engagement opportunities, with fewer eligible gifts slipping through the cracks. And best of all⁠—your donors are going to love it!

Interested in learning more about matching gifts and best practices your organization can take to increase corporate revenue? Check out these other educational resources:

Corporate Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. Take a deep dive into the matching gift process for your organization and its supporters with this detailed resource. The more you know, the better you can guide donors through the experience.
4 Top Ways to Market Matching Gifts In Your Donation Process. Tons of individuals have no idea their employers offer matching gifts, which is why it’s important to market opportunities to your donors. Here’s how to do so directly within the donation process!
Matching Gift Disbursement FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered. Wondering exactly how the matching gift disbursement process works? We answered many frequently asked in this guide to provide insights into what really happens behind the scenes.

How to Start a Matching Gift Program [For Companies]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s dive in with the first step.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Identify matching gift threshold criteria.

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

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

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

3. Determine eligibility for your matching gift programs.

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

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

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

4. Decide how your company will facilitate matching.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE MATCHING GIFT POLICY TEMPLATE

8. Inform employees about your matching gift initiative.

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

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

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

You might:

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

Or even all of the above.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good luck, and happy matching!

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

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

Find out how Venmo for nonprofits can help your organization raise more.

How Venmo for Nonprofits Can Help Organizations Raise More

August 3, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Every day, millions of people use Venmo to send and receive money from each other. Nonprofits receive money in the form of donations all the time, so of course, they also benefit from using Venmo!

While there isn’t a specific version of Venmo for nonprofits, organizations can still leverage regular Venmo accounts to effectively collect donations on the app. Venmo simplifies the fundraising process and allows nonprofits to reach a wider audience of supporters, including younger donors.

Whether you’re familiar with Venmo or not, we’ll make sure you understand how to use it effectively for your nonprofit.

At Double the Donation, we connect nonprofits with matching gift opportunities. We know how important it is to maximize your organization’s fundraising potential. Just like matching gifts, Venmo fundraising is another way to ensure that you’re collecting as many donations as possible. We’re happy to share this guide to Venmo for nonprofits to help you reach your fundraising goals and continue running your organization smoothly.

Here are the topics we’ll cover in this article:

The Venmo for Nonprofits Basics
Advantages of Venmo Fundraising
Creating Your Venmo for Nonprofits Account
Promoting Your Nonprofit’s Venmo Account
Connecting with Donors Through Venmo Fundraising

Follow along to learn how Venmo works, why your nonprofit should use it, and how you can leverage it to its fullest potential.

The Venmo for Nonprofits Basics

Let’s start with a basic definition of Venmo. Venmo is a peer-to-peer mobile payment service that allows people to request and accept funds from each other. Instead of using cash, checks, or direct bank transfers, Venmo securely deducts money from users’ bank accounts and sends it to the intended recipients. That way, transactions are easy and protective of your sensitive information.

Venmo is one of many payment processing apps, but it’s certainly one of the most popular options. Check out these statistics about Venmo’s size and scope:

Venmo has more than 83 million users.
Its largest user age group is 25-34-year-olds.
The app processed about $230 billion in payments in 2021.

Why do so many people rely on Venmo for their payment processing needs? For starters, it’s extremely simple to use. Once you link your bank account, debit card, or credit card to your account, all you have to do is find who you want to pay, type in the payment amount, and send it.

Another useful feature of Venmo is that you can keep money in your account to use in the future or transfer it to your bank account for safekeeping. For a combination of the two, you can input the amount you’d like to transfer and leave the rest in your account.

You might already use a more traditional payment processing platform like PayPal. While Venmo supports nonprofits in the same way PayPal does, it’s still an effective and secure fundraising method.

Advantages of Venmo Fundraising

People use Venmo all the time to pay their friends, family, and even some businesses. Making a Venmo account for your nonprofit changes the game for donations. Instead of going through the formal process of filling out your donation form, donors can now send you money just like they would for people they know. That way, the process is easy and familiar to donors.

Benefits for Donors

Venmo fundraising provides a whole new donation experience. Here are some of the key benefits the app offers to donors:

Ease of use. Since people are familiar with Venmo, using it for donations makes it easier for donors to lend their support. The app itself has a simple interface that new users can quickly pick up on. Instead of navigating to your donation page, donors now have the ability to donate to as many nonprofits as they would like all within the same app.
Reliability. Venmo is a reputable payment processing platform with ample encryption. They take care to protect your account information and monitor your account activity to thwart suspicious transactions. Using Venmo, donors can feel comfortable donating to their favorite causes without worrying about their information being compromised.
Smaller transactions. With an average transaction amount of around $60, Venmo invites donors of all giving capacities to contribute. People can feel comfortable giving $10, $100, or $1,000 through Venmo because of the nature of the app.

Donors will appreciate the opportunity to donate through a well-trusted, easy-to-use platform.

Benefits for Nonprofits

While Venmo is a great platform for prioritizing the donor experience, it also boasts many advantages for nonprofits that create an account, such as:

Affordability. Nonprofits are always looking for ways to keep their costs down. Venmo makes it easy because they don’t charge any monthly fees. They also don’t charge any fees for sending money with a linked bank account or debit card. When accepting donations, the associated fee is only 1.9% + $0.10. Other than that, the only other fees are for sending money with a credit card or initiating instant transfers to your bank account, both of which are optional.
Free publicity. One of the unique features of Venmo is that it functions like a social media app. You can add your friends and family to see their transactions and vice versa. This feature allows donors to show off their support for your cause and encourage others to do the same.
Stronger donor relationships. Since people use Venmo primarily with friends and family, they associate the app with people they know. Therefore, using Venmo to donate to your organization may help donors feel a more personal connection to your nonprofit. Additionally, nonprofits can comment on the donations they receive to thank donors and even start a conversation with them.

Using Venmo for nonprofits is a win for both donors and organizations accepting donations. The app is easy to use and invites donors to form a deeper connection to the causes they care about. Your nonprofit can obtain all the benefits we’ve discussed by simply setting up an account.

Creating Your Venmo for Nonprofits Account

Just as using the app is easy, creating your nonprofit’s Venmo account is even simpler. While Venmo doesn’t yet have a nonprofit account option, they are performing a private beta test for a select group of nonprofits, so nonprofit Venmo accounts could be coming soon.

For now, though, nonprofits can create regular accounts following these steps:

Download the Venmo app or visit the Venmo website.
Choose your sign-up method and create your password.
Verify your phone number and email address.
Add and verify your bank account.
Change your username and add a profile picture that represents your nonprofit.

It couldn’t be easier to create your account. As soon as your nonprofit sets up its Venmo account, you can spread the word to your donors so they can start taking advantage of your new fundraising method.

Promoting Your Nonprofit’s Venmo Account

Once you create your nonprofit’s Venmo account, the next step is to let your supporters know about it. Current donors will be excited about this new and easy way to donate, and prospective donors may be more enticed to start giving with this option.

There are several ways that you can tell your donors about your new capacity for Venmo fundraising. Check out some of our ideas:

Create a Venmo donation tutorial. It’s safe to assume that many of your supporters know how Venmo works, but not all of them. Help them out by filming a video tutorial that teaches donors how to set up their own Venmo account and how they can use it to donate to your cause. Post the video on your website and social media to spread the word.
Link your Venmo account to your social media. Speaking of social media, it’s one of the most powerful tools for communicating with your supporters. Create a post introducing the concept of Venmo donations and provide a link to your account in your bio. Additionally, include your Venmo username in all email newsletters alongside your other social media profiles.
Share your Venmo QR code. Venmo provides each account with a unique QR code, making it easier to find the Venmo account you’re looking for. You can post your nonprofit’s QR code on social media, include it in email newsletters, and print physical copies to hand out at events.
Indicate Venmo as an option on your donation page. You likely feature a donation form on your nonprofit’s website. However, telling visitors on this page that Venmo is another option for donations can allow people to decide which method they prefer and donate accordingly.

Your supporters will be thrilled to hear that your nonprofit is making strides to create a seamless donor experience with Venmo. However, there are extra steps your organization can take to strengthen relationships with your supporters through the app.

Connecting with Donors Through Venmo Fundraising

Venmo presents a unique opportunity to build relationships with your donors when they lend you their support. While the format of the app itself allows you to interact with others like on other social media platforms, there are additional ways your organization can intentionally connect with donors on Venmo.

Ask for small donations.

Of course, large donations are always appreciated, but every donation counts. Considering that Venmo has a younger audience, you might be better off encouraging smaller donations. That way, you can acquire new donors who never would’ve considered donating before through more traditional methods.

Try asking your nonprofit’s social media followers to direct message your organization with their Venmo username and how much they’re willing to donate. Then, you can send them a request for that amount so that they won’t forget.

Respond to each donor.

It’s important to show your appreciation for your donors. Venmo makes it easy by allowing you to like and comment on Venmo transactions. Use it as an opportunity to thank donors and maybe even start a conversation about your cause.

You can ask donors why they chose to donate to learn more about them. Then, feature the best answers on your social media with their permission. This way, you can show others why your donors feel compelled to support your organization.

Know your audience.

Younger generations dominate Venmo, so it’s important to keep that in mind when running your account. Make your responses fun by using emojis and GIFs that Venmo provides.

You also might want to select certain donors and give them a shoutout on your social media. Younger donors will love being recognized for their fundraising efforts.

Incentivize donations.

A little healthy competition can make donating more fun. Plus, you’ll raise even more for your cause. Try hosting a fundraising competition by splitting supporters into teams. You can let people form their own teams, create teams based on demographic factors, or choose groups randomly.

Each team will compete for who can raise the most money. Give the winning team a prize such as a social media shoutout, gift cards, or free branded merchandise. Turning donating into a game will encourage more people to join in on the fun.

Bear in mind that this serves as a form of peer-to-peer fundraising, and some employers will match the amount their employees raise for an organization. Promote the opportunity to incentivize participation and drive greater fundraising results!

Encourage more Venmo donations with matching gifts.

Matching gifts allow you to double or even triple the amount you earn for your organization. Plus, donors will feel good knowing they had an even larger impact on your organization than they anticipated.

Using employer appends, you can determine which of your donors’ employers have matching gift programs. Then, you can reach out to those donors letting them know that their employers will match their donations to your nonprofit, even those made through Venmo. That way, you can maximize your fundraising potential and highlight Venmo as a viable donation platform.

With Venmo, you can really get to know your donors, make the donation process fun, and raise more for your cause.

Additional Resources

Nonprofits are always looking for ways to increase their donations. While most typically search for new ways to promote their organization as a whole, why not try out a different fundraising platform altogether?

Using Venmo for nonprofits is the best way to encourage donations by connecting with younger supporters on an app they already use regularly. For Venmo users, donating to your cause can become just another part of their Venmo routine alongside splitting checks and paying rent.

Once you’ve set up your nonprofit’s Venmo account, you might start looking for new ways to maximize your fundraising potential. Matching gifts allow you to gain the support of your donors’ employers. With your new Venmo donations rolling in, you’ll want to check out these resources to see how you can double or even triple them:

Matching Gift Process: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide. Want to learn more about the matching gift process? Check out this step-by-step guide to walk you through it.
Top Matching Gift Companies. This resource lists out the most philanthropic companies so you can see which of your donors’ employers can lend the most support.
Corporate Giving and Matching Gift Statistics [Updated 2022]. Take a look at these matching gift statistics to learn more about the huge impact they can have on your organization.

Check out these 40+ marketing ideas for nonprofits to help spread your mission.

40+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits to Spread Your Mission

July 29, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Nonprofits are always pressed for funds, especially when it comes to their marketing budgets. There are so many exciting marketing ideas for nonprofits, but your organization might not have the resources to pull them off.

It’s important for your organization to know how to market on a budget. Effective nonprofit marketing allows people to find your organization, learn about your cause, and show their support. Without a strong marketing strategy, your organization cannot grow and reach its intended audiences.

Your organization can create a successful marketing strategy without spending tons on extra resources, though. In this article, we’ll walk you through over 40 marketing ideas for nonprofits that will help promote your organization without breaking the bank.

We’ll teach you how to use the resources you already have and introduce you to free and affordable resources you can leverage. Here’s a sneak peek at the categories of nonprofit marketing ideas we’ll cover:

Nonprofit Marketing Basics
Building Your Mission
Advertising Your Services
Leveraging Technology
Marketing on a Budget
Forming Stakeholder Relationships
Staying in Touch with Your Supporters

It’s our job at Double the Donation to connect nonprofits with matching gift opportunities. Since we work with organizations looking to maximize their fundraising potential, we know just how important every last penny in your budget is. That’s why we’ve created this guide to marketing ideas for nonprofits that will help you promote your organization at little to no cost.

Now that we know where we’re headed, let’s jump right into these proven marketing ideas for nonprofits!

Nonprofit Marketing Basics

The term “nonprofit marketing” refers to the use of typical marketing strategies for nonprofit purposes such as amplifying your organization’s cause and mission, soliciting donations, and recruiting supporters.

As a nonprofit, your main goal is accomplishing your organization’s mission. To make your aspirations a reality, you’ll need to get others involved in your organization. It takes donors, volunteers, board members, and event attendees among others to ensure that your nonprofit can give back to the community it serves.

To let others know about the great work you’re doing, you’ll need to leverage a combination of proven marketing ideas for nonprofits.

Benefits of Effective Nonprofit Marketing

However, it’s easier said than done to pull off a nonprofit marketing campaign. There’s a lot of planning involved in developing a well-thought-out marketing plan. Despite the challenges that may come with nonprofit marketing, the resulting benefits will help your organization soar.

Nonprofit marketing can empower your organization to:

Rally support for your cause. Educating people about your mission is a crucial part of nonprofit marketing. It allows people to understand not only the work your organization does but also why you do it and how they can help.
Fundraise. Perhaps the most concrete way to measure your organization’s success is by the amount of money you’re able to raise for your cause. Sharing your nonprofit with others will help your fundraising efforts immensely.
Foster donor relationships. One-time donations are not a sustainable fundraising source for your organization. Studies show that recurring donations are better for maximizing your fundraising potential. The best way to ensure regular donations is to curate good relationships with donors through consistent marketing.
Recruit other supporters. While donors are great assets to your organization, they’re not the only people who can help. Volunteers, board members, and event attendees all serve important roles for your organization. Marketing your nonprofit effectively will allow you to gather all the support you need.
Advertise your services. Before contributing to your cause, most people will want to know exactly what your organization does in service of its mission. With effective marketing ideas, you can make sure potential supporters understand the services your nonprofit provides.

It’s clear to see that nonprofit marketing offers so many advantages for your organization. However, you might be wondering where to start in the marketing process. To help you out, we’ll go over the best marketing ideas for nonprofits in a variety of useful categories.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Building Their Missions

As we’ve mentioned before, your nonprofit’s mission is central to its goals and aspirations. It should also be one of the main focuses of your marketing efforts. Since it lays the groundwork for your organization’s values, your mission should inform your branding, outreach tactics, and promotional content.

If you don’t have a well-developed mission or want to give yours a refresh, try some of these nonprofit marketing ideas for building your organization’s mission:

Write a powerful tagline. When it comes to marketing, people absorb more information when it’s concise. Your mission is one of the most important aspects of your organization, so you’ll want prospective supporters to understand it right away. Take the time to condense your mission into a short tagline that you can use in your marketing materials.
Establish standards for design, personality, and attitude. Make a good first impression with cohesive branding. From the way your website looks to the way your employees act, every aspect of your organization should work together to form a perfect picture of your nonprofit.
Rework your nonprofit’s appearance. Speaking of branding, changing yours up can bring new life to your organization. A funky new logo or elevated graphics can entice potential supporters and demonstrate your willingness to improve your nonprofit. You can even reach out to a graphic design company for help with your organization’s new look.
Be upfront about your organization’s goals and results. People interested in your organization want to know what you’re trying to accomplish and what you’ve been able to achieve so far. Being open about your nonprofit’s operations lays a solid foundation for great relationships with potential supporters.
Share what you do well. It never hurts to brag a little! Your organization is doing amazing work, and people should see that. If you show confidence in your nonprofit and highlight its strengths, people will be more eager to get involved.
Use storytelling. Giving people specific examples of individuals you’ve helped fosters deeper connections between your supporters and your organization. Stories make your marketing more personal and digestible for prospective supporters.
Create a marketing plan. To stay focused and organized, you’ll need a comprehensive marketing plan. That way, you’ll have all of your goals and intentions in one place for you to easily go back and reference.

Your mission is the foundation of your marketing efforts, but now it’s time to expand them! Head to your nearest computer or phone to start sharing your incredible organization with others.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Advertising Their Services

Letting others know what your organization does is essential to earning their support. Your nonprofit does great work, so why not show it off? Advertise your services with the following online and offline marketing ideas for nonprofits.

Online Advertising Ideas

The internet allows you to share your services with a variety of people with the click of a button. Whether you want to invest in paid advertising or create eye-catching merchandise, there are endless ways to stand out in the digital space. Try out these online marketing ideas for nonprofits:

Participate in the Google Ad Grant program. When looking for more information about a nonprofit, a cause, or truly anything, most people turn to Google first. That’s what makes the Google Ad Grant program so powerful. If you’re a qualifying nonprofit, Google will give your organization $10,000 per month in ad credits for free. All you have to do is apply and follow all program requirements. If you need help wielding this amazing resource, reach out to a Google Grants agency. We recommend Getting Attention! They’ll assist you with every step, including applying for the program, choosing keywords to target, and making sure your account is compliant with all requirements.
Tell your supporters about peer-to-peer fundraising. Your supporters can help fundraise for your organization and advertise your nonprofit in the process. With peer-to-peer fundraising, people raise money by collecting donations from their friends and family. To encourage your supporters to participate, teach them how to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page. An even easier method is to leverage the built-in peer-to-peer fundraising options on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. This fundraising option is especially popular around holidays and birthdays, so if you know your supporters’ birthdates, you can proactively reach out and encourage them to create a fundraiser on your nonprofit’s behalf
Track your analytics. Data is the key to figuring out which of your marketing efforts are effective. Use Google Analytics or another similar tool to track and review website traffic and the actions people take once they’re there. That way, you can see if there are any patterns or areas where you can improve. For example, if a certain landing page on your site isn’t getting much traffic, it might be time to refresh it to make it more worthwhile for your supporters.
Sell branded merchandise. Turn your supporters into walking advertisements with branded merchandise! It’s a win-win situation because you’ll get to collect more for your cause and receive free advertising, while your supporters will get to show the world what they believe in. Branded t-shirts are always a great idea, but you could also go with hats, tote bags, or mugs depending on your audience’s preferences. Once you work with a graphic design company to bring your merchandise to life, you can set up an online store and let your supporters know all about it!

Online advertising is a proven way to connect with larger audiences than ever before. Break down geographical barriers by leveraging some of these marketing strategies.

Work with Getting Attention to leverage paid advertising!

Offline Advertising Ideas

Digital marketing is all the rage these days, and for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean that more traditional offline marketing efforts should go extinct. While online marketing can expand your reach, offline marketing can help create a personal experience for your supporters. Use these offline marketing ideas for nonprofits in conjunction with your online ones:

Create flyers. A good old-fashioned flyer is a great way to grab potential supporters’ attention. It allows you to fit an abundance of information about your organization into a small, foldable, and engaging handout. You can send flyers in your direct mail campaigns, hand them out at events, or keep them in your organization’s office for walk-ins. People will love the opportunity to learn about your organization’s services in an easily digestible format.
Recruit brand ambassadors. Influencer marketing is a fairly new yet powerful way to promote your organization. Finding people with an online presence who truly care about your nonprofit’s mission and are willing to spread the word can help you reach new audiences quickly. These brand ambassadors can also help you host in-person events or sell your branded merchandise to get people excited about your organization.
Research larger organizations. If you want to be the best, you’ll have to learn from the best. Look into what larger, more experienced nonprofits are doing and see if yours can replicate it. You can even reach out to someone on the team of an organization you admire and ask if they’d be willing to give you some advice for your nonprofit.
Personalize your outreach. Reaching out to people using offline methods allows you to create more personal connections with them. For example, you could go up to a volunteer at an event to learn more about them or send your donors more information about matching gift opportunities in a customized postcard. People will appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into these outreach methods and associate that quality with your organization.

For the best results, use a combination of online and offline marketing ideas. That way, you’ll reach different audiences and see which methods work best for which supporter segments.

Your mission is the foundation of your marketing efforts, but now it’s time to expand them! Head to your nearest computer or phone to start sharing your incredible organization with others.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Leveraging Technology

These days, there’s so much technology at our disposal to help us improve and innovate our everyday lives. For nonprofits, leveraging technology appropriately can expand their impact and help them reach new audiences through different channels.

To make sure your nonprofit knows how to use each type of technology effectively, we’ve split our technology nonprofit marketing ideas into three separate categories.

Website

Like all organizations, nonprofits use their websites to teach others about what they do and what they stand for. Ensure your organization’s website is the best it can be with these website nonprofit marketing ideas:

Create and update your nonprofit’s website. Of course, the first step in having a great nonprofit website is to create your website in the first place. From Squarespace to Wix to WordPress, there are so many website-building platforms that make the process easy. After your website’s all set up, remember to update it often. Include information about current and upcoming events and initiatives to entice potential supporters to become involved in your organization.
Start a blog. More and more organizations are taking advantage of content marketing. Keeping an up-to-date blog allows you to display news about your organization and industry with long-form, informative content. Writing blog content about nonprofit-related topics also establishes your organization as a reputable source of information in the field.
Invest time in good writing. Your nonprofit’s website could have tons of informational pages and blog articles, but if they don’t feature good quality writing, then they might actually be doing your organization a disservice. Take the time to make sure your copy is clear and concise. It’s always a good idea to break the text up with graphics wherever possible to help the reader follow along. If you have the resources, hiring a qualified copywriting team will help to make sure the copy across your site is strong and cohesive.
Make SEO a habit. It doesn’t matter how great your website is if no one can find it. Search engine optimization helps people find your organization’s website on Google and other search engines. Research which relevant keywords you should include on your website often to keep up with any new trends. Additionally, make sure your website is mobile-friendly to improve your ranking in mobile search results. We’ll explore how paid advertising can complement your efforts to increase organic traffic a bit later.

Your website is the core of your digital strategy. It’s where you’ll consistently drive supporters across your different campaigns. Although nonprofit websites are a tried and true marketing tool, there are other ways to engage with your supporters online.

Social Media

Social media is not only how people stay connected to their family and friends, but also to the companies and organizations they care about. With nearly every organization out there maintaining a social media presence, it’s important to understand how you can make yours stand out. Here’s what we suggest:

Utilize different platforms. To connect with as many people as you can, your organization should create social media accounts on several different platforms. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are great places to start. Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat also offer unique ways to engage with your younger supporters.
Participate in trends. Perhaps the most important part of your social media presence is playing into current trends like using humor and short videos over images. That way, your content stays fresh and engaging for your supporters.
Create marketing videos. While images can be very informative, videos are better for eliciting emotion. Creating and sharing videos about your mission on social media will allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
Take advantage of social media advertising. If you don’t feel that you’re reaching the correct audience organically, you can create ads on the social media platforms you’re using. For example, Facebook allows you to set up campaigns that target people based on a variety of factors such as age, gender, location, and interests. This approach can help you segment your supporters into different groups and communicate with them accordingly.
Connect your online assets. To promote your online presence, make it easy for people to jump from platform to platform. For example, you can create a social media post about a new blog article and add a link to the article in your social media account’s bio. That way, you’ll drive traffic from your social media page to your website’s blog. Doing so can allow people to interact with your organization in a different way and perhaps learn more about what your nonprofit does.

Your nonprofit’s website and social media accounts are your biggest online assets. Now that we’ve covered them, it’s time to learn some general online marketing ideas for nonprofits.

General Online Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits

To get the most out of your online presence, it’s important to follow general digital marketing best practices. Check out these marketing ideas for nonprofits looking to rule the marketing game online:

Leverage multi-channel marketing. Just as it’s useful to have multiple social media platforms, it’s also important to take advantage of every digital marketing opportunity. Post on social media and update your website, but combine them with more traditional marketing methods such as emails, phone calls, and direct mail. This way, you’ll increase your chances of reaching out to your supporters with their preferred communication method.
Encourage your supporters to take action. Informing your supporters about your organization is great, but what exactly do you want them to do to help you out? Use calls to action across your marketing materials to work towards your goals. For example, include the link to your donation page in your Instagram bio and create a post encouraging people to contribute. To help promote your events, add your event registration link to your regular email newsletter. Note that the most effective calls-to-action start with determining what actions you want your supporters to take and making it easy for them to do so.
Host virtual events. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen virtual events take off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t still use them as a marketing tool. Hosting events online, such as webinars and panels, allows more people to participate than ever before. Since no physical space is required, people can easily participate in virtual events from wherever they are, presenting a unique opportunity to engage with all different types of supporters at once.

Leveraging technology effectively allows you to reach your intended audience and rally support for your cause. We know that your nonprofit is likely working with a tight marketing budget, though. To make sure your organization has the resources it needs to create the best online content possible, we’ll teach you how to save money in other marketing areas.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits On a Budget

Marketing can get expensive. However, there are ways that nonprofits can promote their organizations while still keeping costs low. Maximize your marketing potential while minimizing your spending with these marketing ideas for nonprofits on a budget:

Determine your marketing budget. It’s easiest to keep costs down when you have a clear budget in mind. That way, you’ll know exactly how much you can spend on your nonprofit’s marketing and allocate your resources accordingly. Include costs such as those for physical marketing collateral, marketing software, and staff time.
Plan your printing. Printing can get expensive very quickly. Besides, there are so many digital marketing methods your organization can leverage. Only print what needs to be printed, and try to print double-sided and in batches.
Use unbranded envelopes for direct mail. If you do need to print materials for a direct mail campaign, there are ways to keep your costs down. Sending unbranded envelopes will help you save money. Just remember to indicate that the mail is from your organization in a different way so recipients don’t mistake it for junk mail.
Add a “Donate Now” button to your Facebook page. As we mentioned before, calls to action are key to motivating your supporters to contribute to your cause. Adding a “Donate Now” button to your nonprofit’s Facebook page is an easy way to encourage donations. The best part is that it’s free as long as your nonprofit qualifies for Facebook’s fundraising tools.
Work with a local business. To help you out financially, many companies are happy to pair up with a nonprofit. While you get extra funding or resources for your marketing efforts, they get to give back to their community. Before you look for a local business willing to work with you, determine what you want to get out of the partnership. Examples of corporate philanthropy include companies donating money directly to your organization, keeping a donation bucket in their store, or contributing food or supplies for your event.
Enroll in AmazonSmile. Your supporters can contribute to your cause without directly donating themselves. Through the AmazonSmile program, Amazon donates 0.5% of people’s eligible purchases to a nonprofit of their choosing. It’s free for your organization to sign up for the program as long as it is registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3). If you’re interested, AmazonSmile’s guidelines for charitable organizations will walk you through the program and signup details.

It’s important to create a marketing budget and try to conserve resources when possible to save up for more expensive marketing efforts. These budget-friendly marketing ideas for nonprofits are a great place to start to maximize every dollar your organization earns!

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Forming Stakeholder Relationships

There are so many different stakeholders involved in your organization. Donors, partners, volunteers, board members, sponsors, and event attendees all play a huge role in your nonprofit’s success. With that, it’s important to form good relationships with your stakeholders so you can build a strong support network.

In this section, we’ll go over some marketing ideas for nonprofits starting and stewarding relationships with their stakeholders.

Starting the Stakeholder Relationship

Building a good foundation for your relationships with stakeholders is essential to making sure your connections are long-lasting. Here are some marketing ideas for nonprofits beginning new stakeholder relationships:

Look for opportunities to form new connections. For newer organizations especially, it can be tough to find stakeholders to work with. You have to put your organization out there and seek out potential partnerships. Leverage any connections you may already have and form new ones by reaching out on social media or attending a nonprofit conference in your industry. That way, you can start to meet people who may be potential stakeholders and have their own network of potential stakeholders they’re willing to share with you.
Create a welcome package. Once you initiate a relationship with a new stakeholder, it’s time to make them feel welcome in your community. Curate a package of information and branded merchandise to introduce new stakeholders to your nonprofit. You can include items as small as stickers of your logo to yard signs they can display to show their support for your organization. No matter what you send your new stakeholders, you’re showing them that you care.
Treat them to a meal. To form a more personal connection with a stakeholder, take them out to lunch or coffee. Learn more about your stakeholders and teach them more about your organization. You can answer any questions they may have and gather their feedback about their work with you so far. Not to mention, this is a great opportunity to learn more about who they are and what drives them to support causes like yours
Inform new donors of matching gift opportunities. Some of your new donors may not know what matching gifts are or if they’re eligible to participate. Make it easy for donors to identify matching gift opportunities by providing matching gift software that shows if their employers are willing to match their donations. That way, you can earn more, and your new donors can feel good about making an even bigger impact on your organization.

Now that you know how to start your stakeholder relationships off strong, it’s time to learn how to keep them that way with effective stewardship.

Stewarding the Stakeholder Relationship

Maintaining relationships with your stakeholders requires care and commitment. You must communicate with them well and respond to their needs. That way, you can build long-lasting connections that drive your work forward.

Practice good supporter stewardship with these marketing ideas for nonprofits:

Communicate regularly and strategically. Like with any relationship, maintaining supporter relationships requires communication. Establish effective communication habits with your stakeholders by reaching out to them individually and sending email newsletters for each stakeholder type. You may want to assign different people to manage different stakeholder relationships so you don’t overwhelm any one person on your team. Additionally, you’ll want to choose an opportune time to communicate with your stakeholders. Factors that might influence the messages, timing, and platforms you use to communicate with supporters might include their age, career, lifestyle, or time zone.
Reach out to lapsed donors. Sometimes, donors will only contribute to your organization once. If so, you can encourage them to up their support, or inform them of different ways they can still support your nonprofit without contributing monetarily, such as by volunteering or sharing your social media posts. For recurring donors who haven’t contributed in a while, try sending them a gift or explaining new features of your donor program to spark that relationship once again.
Collect feedback. Listen to your stakeholders and any feedback they give you, whether it’s solicited or not. Stay true to your organization’s stakeholder guidelines, but also hear your stakeholders out. You want to provide them with a positive experience with your organization, and they may have some valuable suggestions for how to improve that experience.

If you’ve learned anything from this section, it should be that stakeholder relationships require effective communication. In the next section, we’ll dive into more nonprofit marketing ideas specifically focused on improving your organization’s communication skills.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Staying in Touch with Their Supporters

It takes a lot of effort to keep up relationships with your supporters. With effective and regular communication, your nonprofit can keep supporters around and continue to grow your network. We’ll give you some marketing ideas for nonprofits working on their communication style and supporter involvement.

Communication Style

You already know that the messages you communicate to your supporters are vital, but how you communicate those messages is just as important. Here are a few pointers to make sure you send the right messages to the right people in ways that will resonate with them.

Be timely. Simply responding to your supporters’ messages quickly shows that you care. Not only does it communicate that you want to address their concerns, but also that you want to respect their time.
Stay positive. Keeping a positive attitude in your communications will help supporters create a positive association with your nonprofit. Besides, it’s always more enjoyable to interact with organizations that have an optimistic outlook and kind employees.
Store individuals’ preferences in your supporter database. Organizing your supporters’ information in a database not only helps you learn more about them but also how they like to communicate. If you ask for supporters’ communication preferences and store that information in your database, then you can interact with supporters in the ways they prefer.
Create supporter segments. Segmentation is when you divide your supporters into categories based on certain characteristics in order to communicate with each group more effectively. There are various ways to segment your supporters. You may choose to divide them by stakeholder type with categories like donors, partners, clients, and board members. Another way to group supporters is by age, location, or length of involvement with your organization. That way, you can send relevant messages to the right people without flooding their inboxes with unnecessary messages.

Communicating with your supporters effectively will create a better reputation for your organization and lead to stronger stakeholder relationships.

Supporter Involvement

Communication goes both ways. You inform your supporters about what’s going on within your organization, but they report back to you with their thoughts and feelings about your nonprofit. These marketing ideas for nonprofits will help you get supporters more involved in your organization:

Survey your supporters. Your staff can brainstorm ways to make your organization better, but you’ll never know what more your supporters need unless you ask them. Sending out a survey will allow you to collect valuable feedback and show that you care about improving your supporters’ experiences with your organization.
Engage supporters on social media. Social media is built to help people create connections with each other. Strengthen your bonds with your supporters by making your social media presence interactive. For example, take advantage of polls, live stream capabilities, and Q&A features in the platforms you use.
Host events. What better way to get people involved than by gathering together in person? Hosting an event allows you to show off your organization and get your supporters excited about it. Deck out your event in branded materials such as table runners for a cohesive look. You can also plan activities such as raffles and games to make the event fun for everyone involved.
Interview supporters. As we discussed before, storytelling is a great way to make your marketing personal. For storytelling to work, you’ll need to collect stories from real people involved in your organization. Interview interested supporters so you can learn more about their experiences with your organization and use their quotes to promote your nonprofit across different channels.

Treating your supporters with the utmost care and respect begins with proper communication. You should use a give-and-take approach in which you update supporters about your organization and they give you feedback about your nonprofit in response. That way, you can work together with your supporters to constantly improve your organization.

Conclusion & Additional Resources

Nonprofit marketing encompasses a range of considerations. In addition to the regular business concerns of how to promote your organization effectively, nonprofits must also worry about how to do so on a budget. With these marketing ideas for nonprofits, we’ve given you a head start on your marketing strategy to save you time and money.

We went over a ton of marketing ideas for nonprofits in this guide, but there may be some that you want to learn more about. To help you out, we’ve provided some resources that will allow you to dive deeper into some of our suggested nonprofit marketing ideas, including:

Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide. The Google Ad Grant program is a proven way to push your cause forward. Learn more about marketing your cause using paid advertising with this guide from Getting Attention.
7 Steps to Design Your Nonprofit Logo. Logos build brand recognition among your supporters. Whether you’re creating your organization’s very first logo or refreshing an old one, take a look at this guide to help you out.
Creating Your Best Fundraising Flyer: 8 FAQs. If you’re looking for an easy and effective way to promote your organization or upcoming fundraiser, consider creating flyers. This article will answer frequently asked questions about fundraising flyers.
12 Best Nonprofit Graphic Design Tools. A huge element of nonprofit marketing is creating a cohesive experience for your supporters. Using the right graphic design tools will allow you to create images that align with your organization’s branding and design standards.

Matching Gift Videos | Examples and Best Practices

July 27, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Corporate matching gifts can significantly benefit any institution’s fundraising efforts. Raising awareness of the programs is essential, however, as available opportunities are often overlooked, especially for organizations developing a new matching gift program. For nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising organizations, matching gift videos may be just the answer you were looking for.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the basics of matching gift videos (and how to create the most impactful content for your audience), as well as share high-performing examples from organizations to be inspired by. Feel free to explore the following topics:

6 Best Practices for Producing Impactful Matching Gift Videos
Sample Matching Gift Videos That Work
Other Unique Ideas for Nonprofit Matching Gift Videos
Bonus! Get a Matching Gift Video From Double the Donation

In the age of YouTube, TikTok, social media reels, and more, video is a favorite channel for content creators to share important information and engage with their audiences. And, when done well, viewers love to watch them⁠ (on average, for a total of 100+ minutes a day).

When it comes to matching gifts, you may already have a good amount of content on your website⁠—perhaps a dedicated match page, informative blog posts, and even a matching gift widget on your donation forms.

But did you know that research indicates viewers retain significantly more of a message when they watch it in video format (95%) compared to written text (10%)? Thus, matching gift videos can be a powerful tool for effectively marketing matching gift opportunities to your institution’s supporters.

Let’s dive in with a few tried-and-true tips and tricks for creating optimized matching gift video content.

6 Best Practices for Producing Impactful Matching Gift Videos

A well-made video has the ability to engage its audience from beginning to end, share vital information that is processed and retained, and remain at the top of the viewers’ minds for long after the last second is up. Plus, video has only gotten increasingly popular according to shifting trends.

Follow these tips to create a video that elevates your matching gift strategy and meets the above standards and more.

1. Embed the video on your matching gift web page.

In order for your matching gift video to produce the greatest results, you’ll want to ensure it reaches the widest audience. One of the best ways to do so is by embedding the video directly into your organization’s matching gift page. After all, this is where supporters will navigate to learn more about matching gift program opportunities, so it makes sense that it’s the key location in which your video will live. Then, be sure to share your matching gift page with supporters and potential donors alike.

We also recommend incorporating your video in donor-facing communications such as donation receipts and gift acknowledgments, as well as any campaign landing pages for giving days, peer-to-peer fundraisers, annual fund campaigns, and more. The more opportunities you have for donors to engage with your video, the better you’ll fare!

2. Start by introducing matching gifts as a concept.

Before you dive into the nitty gritty of matching gifts in your donor-facing video, it’s a good idea to cover the basics. After all, tons of donors will have never heard of matching gifts prior to being introduced via your newly developed content.

Thus, we recommend starting at the beginning. Explain what corporate matching gift programs are, provide an overview of the wide availability of the initiatives, and emphasize how matches are made possible through the direct actions of individual donors.

3. Highlight how quick and simple the matching process is.

Most companies with matching gift programs offer a simple request process that can be kicked off online in less than five minutes. However, donors who don’t understand what’s involved in matching gift programs may assume that it’s a significant undertaking.

Be sure to emphasize the speed and simplicity of the donor’s end of the process! Typically, all it takes is some basic information about the donor, their initial donation, and the organization they supported.

You might even mention how it’s typically an entirely digitized submission experience, often involving an online portal or PDF form to complete. Plus, some companies now offer auto-submission, allowing their employees to submit a request in just a few clicks without ever leaving the organization’s giving page!

4. Keep your content short, sweet, and to the point.

There’s a ton you could say about matching gifts if you were, for example, giving a multi-hour lecture on workplace giving programs. In your matching gift video, however, it’s best to keep it short and sweet.

You’ll want to cover the basics of matching gifts and provide enough of a foundation to draw donors in and inspire them to participate. But you don’t want to lose your audience’s attention, so you’ll want to stick with an overview (with a call to action to dive in). 60 seconds is our recommended run time!

5. Incorporate closed captioning for increased accessibility.

If your matching gift video will include a voiceover or other speaking parts, it’s important to add closed captioning for the text. This will allow for optimal accessibility, enabling individuals who are hard of hearing and those watching without volume to get the most out of your video content.

6. Direct viewers to additional resources.

Your matching gift video is great for providing an overview of matching gift programs quickly and effectively. But it’s not the only source of information on matching gifts you should make available to your supporters. Thus, in your video, we recommend directing viewers to additional resources as well. This may include your dedicated matching gift web page, company search tool, or even resources on Double the Donation’s website.

Sample Matching Gift Videos Created That Work

See our best practices in action by exploring existing matching gift videos created and utilized by organizations like yours. As you watch these videos, consider which elements can be brought into your own video production strategy to drive success.

Virginia Commonwealth University ⁠— You could double your donation! | Matching Gifts

Virginia Commonwealth University produced this video in early 2020 to educate donors about the impact and availability of matching gifts. Get inspired by their matching gift video here:

Summary of the Matching Gift Video

Virginia Commonwealth University’s matching gift video stars two sets of look-alikes, each donning VCU apparel to represent matching gift opportunities to their audience.

The video shows the pairs walking through three key steps that a viewer can take to get their donation matched to VCU⁠. These include navigating to the school’s matching gift page with its embedded company search tool, making an individual donation at the provided giving page URL, and following the instructions provided to request a match.

Here are a few standout screengrabs:

1 2 3 4

What this Matching Gift Video Does Well

Virginia Commonwealth University’s matching gift video stands out for its:

Creative utilization of look-alike individuals to represent corporate gift-matching;
Communication of school spirit through the incorporation of branded apparel;
Step-by-step overview of the donation and matching gift processes;

Case Western Reserve University ⁠— CRWU Annual Giving Matching Gifts

Case Western Reserve University is another example of a higher education institution that uses a top-notch matching gift video to communicate the importance of corporate matching opportunities. Take a look at their video here:

Summary of the Matching Gift Video

CWRU’s matching gift video utilizes animated elements to highlight matching gift opportunities to viewers. The video begins by likening matching gifts to more common “deals” such as BOGO (buy one, get one free) sales, instant rebates, and more to establish the value of these programs.

From there, they continue to convey that matching gifts are widely available and allow donors to create a greater impact with their gifts while directing the audience to their dedicated matching gift web page to learn more. Finally, they concluded with a powerful data point that states that the school collected nearly $300,000 in matching gift funds the previous year, encouraging viewers to follow suit.

Here are a few standout screengrabs:

1 2 3 4 5

What this Matching Gift Video Does Well

Case Western Reserve University’s matching gift video stands out for its:

Engaging use of animation to tell the story of matching gifts;
Incorporation into CWRU’s dedicated matching gift page, in addition to being posted on the institution’s YouTube page;
Symbolism regarding 2-for-1 and BOGO sales as a way to reiterate the impact of corporate gift matches for donors and organizations;
Utilization of statistics to effectively communicate the power of matching gifts the school has seen in the past.

Other Unique Ideas for Nonprofit Matching Gift Videos

We’ve shared several tips and examples for effective matching gift videos⁠—but what exactly should your video contain?

Here are some content ideas that can help guide the creation of your nonprofit or school’s matching gift video to ensure it stands out, resonates with your supporters, and drives impact.

Share a constituent story.

One of the main reasons donors participate in matching programs is because they want to increase their impact on a cause they care about. Make the most of that idea by telling specific constituent stories that will connect with your audience and urge them to do more.

For example, consider sharing about one student we’ll call Jack. Jack was able to pursue a degree and thrive at your university thanks to a scholarship opportunity made possible by generous donor funding. Now, enter Jill. When donors request matching gifts on behalf of your institution, it allows you to support twice as many students⁠—including Jack’s sister, Jill.

Use relevant imagery to help visualize matching.

Videos rely on incorporated imagery to grab and maintain viewers’ attention and interest. In order to represent an abstract concept such as matching gifts, we recommend utilizing applicable symbols.

A few of our favorites include a pair of matching (or mismatched) socks and identical gift boxes. Other ideas may include twins or look-alikes (human or otherwise), multiple briefcases or stacks of cash, matching games, or complementary puzzle pieces. The more creative, the better!

Conduct a brief matching gift FAQ.

Many donors will have questions about matching gift programs, the role they play in fundraising, and how an individual would get involved. Answer some of the most commonly asked questions rapid-fire style to provide all the information an individual would need to get started and remove possible roadblocks before they even arise.

Alternatively, you could ask your audience what questions they might have about corporate gift-matching, then create a matching gift video for your organization based on the inquiries provided.

Highlight matching gift fundraising statistics.

Matching gift statistics can be one of the most effective ways to communicate the power and prevalence of matching gift program opportunities to your audience.

When a donor hears something like, “$4 to $7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed per year,” or “Over 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs,” they may be more inclined to look into their own matching gift eligibility status and, as a result, request a match on your behalf.

Interested in including matching gift stats? Here are a few of our other favorites:

65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs;
An estimated $2-$3 billion is donated through matching gift programs annually;
84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered;
1 in 3 donors indicates they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation.

Emphasize local businesses with matching gift programs.

Many businesses have local roots, which means there are likely many opportunities for corporate matching programs right in your neighborhood. Research a few companies’ programs and consider highlighting the opportunities in your matching gift videos!

For example, if you’re fundraising for an organization in Atlanta, you may choose to highlight companies based out of the city, such as Coca-Cola, Home Depot, IBM, and more. Then, don’t forget to inform your audience that tons more companies across the country or even the globe offer these programs as well. They’re typically not restricted to a single geographic location, meaning all donors should look into their employers’ available matching initiatives.

Bonus! Get a Matching Gift Video From Double the Donation

In case you don’t have an in-house production team, we wanted to make it as quick and as easy as possible to acquire an impactful matching gift video for your audience. That’s why Double the Donation is now offering matching gift video production services!

Existing Double the Donation clients have two options…

Free Generic Matching Gift Video

Getting started with a Double the Donation-branded, 60-second overview of the matching gift opportunity and how Double the Donation’s tools can help is easy⁠—and free!

Ready to download your matching gift video? Simply navigate to the Marketing tab in your account. From there, scroll to the Matching Gift Videos section, locate the FREE Matching Gift Video for Donors, and select Download Now. The video will instantly begin to download to your device, and from there you can upload it to your matching gift page and other fundraising resources.

Custom-Branded Matching Gift Video

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a video that will match your organization’s branding and style⁠—complete with your logos, colors, and more⁠—a personalized matching gift video is the way to go. And now, you can request one from the Double the Donation team in seconds for a small fee.

To do so, head to the Marketing tab in your Double the Donation account, and locate the Matching Gift Videos module. Select the Learn More button from the Personalized Video for Your Nonprofit section, and you’ll be prompted to complete a brief form that requests your organization name, logo image file, and primary brand color.

From the time you submit your inquiry, you can expect to receive the completed video in approximately five business days⁠—and it will be delivered straight to the email address indicated on the video request form!

Learn more about requesting a matching gift video from Double the Donation here.

That’s a Wrap!

Matching gift videos can be a particularly effective (and memorable) way to communicate information about matching gift programs and encourage donors to participate. With these tips, tricks, and examples in your back pocket, you should be well on your way to creating impactful videos for your nonprofit or educational institution. Best of luck!

Interested in learning more about strategic matching gift marketing best practices? Check out our other blog posts here:

Marketing Matching Gifts On Your Website. Make the most of your website by promoting matching gift opportunities throughout. Dive deeper into dedicated match pages, images and buttons, navigation menus, and more.
Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Digital Communications. Your digital communication strategy should highlight matching gifts! Find out how you can prominently promote gift-matching opportunities with email, social media, text, and beyond.
Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Donation Process. Be sure to highlight matching gift programs while donors are actively giving to support your institution. This should include donation pages, confirmation screens, and even follow-up emails.
Marketing Matching Gifts With Direct Mail Outreach. Contrary to popular belief, direct mail is not dead, especially for high-value donors. Explore strategies for marketing matching gifts with snail mail in this blog post.
Marketing Matching Gifts To Your Internal Team. Getting your internal team on board with matching gifts is an essential prerequisite for maximizing your outreach strategy. Learn tips and best practices in this guide.

We're here to answer all your email append questions.

What Is an Email Append? All Your Questions Answered

July 27, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Email marketing is an extremely cost-effective way to reach out to your supporters. Compared to other types of marketing, email campaigns don’t require any physical materials or the same level of staff time. Not to mention, they also offer a higher response rate than other marketing methods such as direct mail or phone calls.

Therefore, email marketing is an effective communication channel for getting in touch with your supporters and sending them valuable information.

However, the email addresses in your supporter database may not be accurate or may be missing entirely for some supporters. With email appends, you can stay on top of your email address data and have more time to focus on your campaigns’ content.

We’re here to answer your questions about email appends, so you can successfully deliver more emails and ultimately boost your marketing ROI. To cover all of the essential topics, we’ve compiled a list of the most frequently asked email append questions, including:

What Is an Email Append?
Why Does My Organization Need Email Appends?
How Will My Nonprofit Benefit from Email Appends?
How Can My Organization Obtain Email Appends?
Are There Other Types of Data Appends Beyond Email Appends?
How Can Different Nonprofits Leverage Email Appends?
What Qualities Should a Good Email Append Service Possess?

At Double the Donation, we help connect nonprofits with matching gift opportunities. Email is one of our primary forms of communication with our clients and their match-eligible donors, so we understand how important it is to have the correct email addresses for each of your contacts. That’s why we’ve written this guide to email appends. Our goal is to make sure your nonprofit can leverage this useful data for easier communication with your supporters.

Since we have a lot to cover in this guide, let’s should get started!

What Is an Email Append?

An email append occurs when an organization submits information from its supporter database to an email append service and receives updated supporter email addresses in return.

To help correctly locate email addresses, some of the identifying information the nonprofit might share with the data appends provider can include full names, postal addresses, past email addresses, and other details they have on file. The provider will then match the information against their database to obtain the most recent contact information. Since it’s easy for email addresses to become outdated, email appends are extremely helpful in making sure you can stay in touch with your supporters.

Why Does My Organization Need Email Appends?

It’s very common for email addresses in your supporter database to be incorrect. Think about how many times you’ve changed an email address, abandoned one, or gotten a new one. Here are some examples of situations that could cause email addresses to be incorrect or become outdated:

Typos
People using fake email addresses when signing up for your email list
People moving
Changing jobs or graduating
Switching to a different email address
Abandoning email addresses or forgetting passwords
Passing away
Missing email addresses from some supporters entirely

With this lengthy list in mind, it’s clear to see how it’s incredibly likely that your supporter database includes invalid email addresses, which can make your communication with your supporters less effective.

How Will My Nonprofit Benefit from Email Appends?

As we previously discussed, you may have missing or inaccurate information regarding your supporters’ email addresses. Email appends will help fill in the gaps so you can communicate with as many of your supporters as possible.

When you have a strong collection of supporter email addresses, opportunities open up for how you can communicate and share information with them. Check out these six areas that will improve by using email appends:

Newsletters. Your organization likely already sends out email newsletters to your supporters. However, using email appends will allow you to expand your newsletter audience.
Online donations. When you have the right email addresses for your supporters, it’ll be easier to increase conversions for donation requests.
Survey feedback. Since more people will receive your surveys, you’ll be able to get more feedback and apply it to your organization.
Relationships with supporters. It’s possible that you could lose your relationships with some of your biggest donors and supporters due to outdated email address data. Retain the bonds you’ve created with your supporters by keeping accurate contact information for them.
Time saved. Think about how long it would take people on your team to manually search for the matching email addresses for every supporter in your database. Save time that could be reallocated for better purposes by using email appends.
Matching gifts. Equipped with email appends, your organization can easily follow up with donors about matching gift opportunities. If a donor shares their business email with your organization, then your nonprofit can easily determine whether their employer has a matching gift program.

How Email Appends Will Impact Your Marketing Performance

In addition to the ones listed above, there are so many other benefits that email appends provide, specifically for the quality of your email communications. Some of the most impactful benefits you can expect on your marketing performance include:

Improved email deliverability. Sometimes, emails won’t go through for various reasons. They might bounce back and send you a notification, but it’s difficult to address the reason each email didn’t go through individually. Email appends will improve your email deliverability by providing you with the most current email addresses for your supporters.
Increased open rates. The more emails that go out to the correct email addresses, the more people will open them. Make sure your email campaigns don’t go to waste by sending them to the wrong email addresses.
Protection against spam traps. Spam traps are email addresses used to catch senders sending spam emails. Some organizations will repurpose outdated email addresses to create spam traps. If your organization falls for a spam trap, it can have serious repercussions for your email deliverability, bounce rates, and overall sender reputation. Cleaning your supporter database periodically will help to prevent spam traps.

Email appends can help you with your marketing efforts and overall data hygiene. To add the updated contact information to your supporter database, you’ll need to work with an email append service for help with the process.

How Can My Organization Obtain Email Appends?

If your organization is interested in email appends, you’ll need some help getting the necessary data. That’s where an email append service comes in.

Hiring an email append service simplifies the email append process. It will be your job to give them access to the relevant identifying donor data from your supporter database. In return, they’ll send you the email appends they find.

Here’s a list of different information types you can send an email append service to utilize as they search for your supporters’ current email addresses:

Unique ID number
Name
Region
Past email addresses
College or university
Class year and major/degree
Last gift amount
Date of last donation
Date entry was last updated

Email append service providers will know that you probably don’t have all of this information on hand, and that’s okay. Just give them as much as you have to make their job easier.

Using the data you provide them, your email append service provider will find your email appends in different online databases. To ensure that they’re accurate, most providers will perform some sort of accuracy check or scan before sending them back to your organization.

Are There Other Types of Data Appends Beyond Email Appends?

Email appends aren’t the only data append type out there. If you’re missing other data from your supporters, chances are there are appends available to help acquire that information.

Here are some kinds of data appends that data append services typically offer:

Employer. Finding out your supporters’ employers can help you to identify matching gift opportunities. People may be more likely to donate to your cause if they know their employer will match their donation. With employer appends, you can inform potential donors of the expanded impact their donation could have.
Postal address. Improve your direct mail campaigns with address appends. Request donations, send important updates, or thank your donors with a letter for a personal touch.
Phone number. Contacting people by phone is a highly effective outreach strategy. Use phone number appends to host a successful phone-a-thon or text-to-give campaign.
Date of birth. Knowing your supporters’ birthdates can help you create customized campaigns based on age. Date of birth appends also provide the opportunity to send your supporters birthday gifts or perks.

Combining your appended email addresses with other data appends can create even more value for your nonprofit. For example, you can use date of birth appends to segment your supporters by age. Then, you can leverage your email appends to send personalized newsletters to each age group with relevant organization updates and opportunities.

To knock out all your data appends at once, it’s best to find a data append service that will provide all the data append types you need. That way, they can extract all the information and import it into your CRM all at once.

How Can Different Nonprofits Leverage Email Appends?

Organizations of all kinds communicate with their supporters via email. Therefore, there’s a high chance your nonprofit could benefit from email appends by emulating the ways other organizations leverage them.

If you’re not sure how your organization could best leverage email appends, we have a couple of examples of how different nonprofits use them to assist them in their communication with their supporters.

Bear in mind that to leverage email appends to their fullest potential, you’ll need to contact an email append service provider and chat about your nonprofit’s unique needs.

To start, use these examples for inspiration:

Environmental Nonprofits

It’s important that your organization’s operations align with your nonprofit’s values. That’s why environmental nonprofits choose to communicate in ways that are better for the environment. Direct mail can waste paper that can be saved by communicating through email instead.

Email appends ensure that these organizations can stay true to their missions while still fostering effective communication with their supporters.

Schools

Schools and universities rely on their alumni for donations, volunteers, and feedback. However, once people graduate, they typically abandon their university email accounts. Additionally, young alumni may start new jobs or enroll in graduate school, acquiring new email addresses as they go.

With the help of email appends, schools and universities can make sure they continue their relationships with alumni wherever they go after graduation.

Associations

It can be difficult to reach association members through direct mail, especially if they’re spread out around the globe. Staying in contact with members through email is important because it reminds them of the perks of their membership and updates them about upcoming events and initiatives.

Cultural Institutions

Cultural institutions such as museums, zoos, and aquariums are nothing without their members and visitors. They depend on membership fees and ticket revenue to stay running. Therefore, it’s necessary to keep supporters engaged through email to encourage them to come back and check out new events and exhibits.

Political Organizations

Informing people about important issues can be difficult over the phone and through text messages. Emails from political organizations allow people to digest the information on their own time and refer back to it when it’s time to vote.

All Nonprofits

Any nonprofit can use email appends to identify matching gift opportunities. With business email appends, your organization can easily identify your supporters’ employers and research their matching gift programs. If you already know your supporters’ employers, you can leverage email appends to reach out to potential donors and inform them of their employers’ matching gift programs to encourage them to donate.

What Qualities Should a Good Email Append Service Possess?

There are lots of email append services out there, so what makes one right for your organization? If you’ve never used an email append service before, it can be difficult to know what to look for and which claims are actually important.

Here’s a list of qualities that every reliable email append service should possess:

Verifies your email appends for accuracy. There can be some uncertainty surrounding whether email appends are actually accurate or not. Ensure that your email append service has the necessary measures in place to check for correctness.
Offers other kinds of appends. It’s way easier to use one data append service for all of your data append needs than to hire an individual service for each one. Think about which types of data you’re looking for and find a service that supplies all of them.
Accepts entire data files. Effective email append services will allow you to send complete data files from your supporter database and pick out the information they need. That way, you don’t have to spend time selecting certain columns or clearing out unnecessary information.
Gets back to you quickly. Once you decide to append email addresses, you’ll probably start planning how you’ll want to implement them fairly quickly. Find an email append service that can return accurate results efficiently so you can use your new data right away.
Provides quotes. It’s extremely helpful to know ahead of time how much a service will cost your nonprofit. Some email append services will take a look at your data needs ahead of time and offer you a quote for their assistance.

When you’re looking for your email append service, keep these qualities in mind to find the best service for your organization. NPOInfo by Double the Donation possesses all of the qualities we’ve mentioned above. They’ll be happy to assist you with email address appending!

Check out NPOInfo by Double the Donation for your email append needs.

Conclusion

Considering how widespread email newsletters, updates, and general communications are for nonprofits, it makes sense that any organization would benefit from email appends.

At their core, email appends ensure that you’re reaching your intended audience and retaining relationships with your supporters. Additionally, they’ll provide more information about your supporters, which is always helpful for guiding your decisions as an organization.

Now that you know all about email appends, you might want to learn more about other types of data appends that could benefit your organization. Check out these data append resources below:

Phone Appends: A Nonprofit’s Data Enrichment Guide. Does your organization reach out to supporters over the phone or through text messages? Phone appends could be a useful tool for your nonprofit.
Power Up Your Fundraising Campaign With Employer Appends. Employer appends can help you identify matching gift opportunities for your supporters. Learn more about them with this helpful article.
What Is an Address Append? Ultimate Guide for Nonprofits. If you’re looking to improve your direct mail campaigns, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a guide to address appends.

Find out how date birth appends could help your nonprofit.

What Is a Date of Birth Append? A Comprehensive Guide

July 26, 2022/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

When collecting information from your supporters, you’ll probably capture bits and pieces of who they are. You’ll learn their names, email addresses, and phone numbers just to name a few. However, there are probably some snippets of information you don’t collect that could really benefit your organization’s understanding of your supporters.

Date of birth is one such category of information you might not gather from supporters, and that’s where a date of birth append comes in handy. Some people might not want to offer their date of birth to an organization to reveal how old they are. Additionally, they may not see how that information could improve their experience with your nonprofit. Frankly, you might not understand how having one’s date of birth could help your organization either.

However, gathering date of birth appends can actually help your organization communicate more effectively with your supporters once you know a little more about them.

In this guide, we’ll answer questions you may have about what a date of birth append is and how it works. The questions we’ll be covering include:

What Is a Date of Birth Append?
What Are the Benefits of Date of Birth Appends?
How Does the Date of Birth Append Process Work?
What Other Types of Data Appends Are There Aside from Birthdate Appends?
How Do Organizations Use Date of Birth Appends?
Which Date of Birth Append Service Provider Is Right for Me?

Here at Double the Donation, we help make the matching gift process easy for nonprofits. Considering our focus on efficiency, we know how important it is for nonprofits to have easy access to the data they need to improve their communications with supporters. This guide will walk you through date of birth appends and how they can help out your organization.

With that in mind, let’s get started learning about date of birth appends!

What Is a Date of Birth Append?

A date of birth append comprises an individual’s day, month, and year of birth sourced from a public database of demographic information. You use the information supporters have already shared with your organization to successfully identify them and pull the correct birthdate. This might include their full name, contact information, and education.

Knowing your supporters’ dates of birth can allow you to send customized messages based on age and birthday, resulting in a higher ROI for your marketing efforts.

What Are the Benefits of Date of Birth Appends?

Data about supporters, such as their email addresses or phone numbers, have obvious benefits. They allow you to get in touch with your supporters in different ways to share important updates, request donations, or let them know about upcoming events.

The benefits of knowing a supporter’s birthdate may not be as clear to you, so we’ve developed a list of some of the top advantages of using date of birth appends, including:

Birthday newsletters and gifts. Simply wishing your supporters a happy birthday can help you build lasting relationships with them. If you want to take it a step further, send your supporters a birthday gift such as a branded t-shirt or mug to show that you care about them and their life milestones.
Personal fundraisers. Speaking of birthdays, many people like to celebrate their special day by asking for donations to their favorite cause on social media. Remind your supporters that they can fundraise on your behalf in honor of their birthday.
Better understanding of supporters’ habits. Perhaps some of your supporters are more likely to give donations to your cause themselves to celebrate a milestone birthday. If you know the date of birth of a donor who typically lends their support around their special day, you can better plan for which times of year you’ll be receiving more funds.
Voter age verification. It would be a waste of time and resources to contact people about upcoming elections who aren’t even eligible to vote. Make sure you’re only sending messages about voting to those who can actually vote using birthdate appends.
Segmentation. Do you have a campaign that only applies to an audience of a certain age? Maybe you work to provide Medicare to those who need it or help low-income students with their college applications. Perhaps you want to send the same message to all of your supporters but through different platforms based on which ones each age group prefers. You can use date of birth appends to easily segment your supporters by age so you only send relevant communications to them.
More complete understanding of your supporters as a whole. No matter what kind of supporter data you have, the more you collect, the better you can understand who your supporters are. Having a complete picture of your supporter base will make your outreach more targeted and effective.

If any of these birthdate append benefits seem useful to your organization, you might be wondering how to move forward with the date of birth append process. Let’s make sure you fully understand the process so that you can experience all of the great advantages we just covered!

How Does the Date of Birth Append Process Work?

Once you’ve decided that you want to conduct a date of birth append, it’s important to know how the process works so you can be prepared. To conduct a date of birth append, most organizations use a date of birth append service that finds the information for them. These services make it way easier for you to secure the data you need without wasting your team’s time.

For a date of birth append service to help you out, you must first give them the data you currently have for each of your supporters. They accept a variety of information, including:

Unique identification number
Name
Mailing address
Region
Email address
Phone number
College or university
Class year and major/degree
Last gift amount
Date of last donation
Date entry was last updated

Don’t worry if your nonprofit doesn’t have all that information, though! As with any data append, just provide as much information as you can. That way, it’s easier for the date of birth append service to correctly identify your supporters and find the birthdates you’re looking for.

After receiving the information you’ve provided, date of birth append services will search public demographic information databases to match birthdates to your supporters. To ensure they pull accurate records, most service providers perform some sort of accuracy scan or check. They may also assign an accuracy rating to each birthdate append based on the results of the scan to share with your team.

At the end of the process, your date of birth append service provider will send you your birthdate appends and related accuracy information if applicable.

Hopefully, you’ll leave the process satisfied with the data you’ve received and have a more complete picture of your supporters. However, you might be missing other information that similar data append services can also help you with.

What Other Types of Data Appends Are There Aside from Birthdate Appends?

Most date of birth append services offer much more than just birthdates. If you find a comprehensive data append service, they will be able to help you with all kinds of data appends. Here are some other common types of data appends your organization might benefit from:

Address appends. Address appends allow you to build successful direct mail campaigns.
Employer appends. Identify matching gift opportunities with employer appends.
Email appends. Make sure you have all your supporters’ email addresses so you can inform them about upcoming events and opportunities.
Phone number appends. Try text-to-give fundraising or a phone-a-thon with the help of phone number appends.

The best part about using a general data append service is that they’ll likely provide you with all your data appends at once. That way, there’s no need to go through multiple rounds of pulling data, resulting in a quicker experience for your team. Equipped with all your new data, you’ll be able to immediately update your supporter database and start sending out more personalized campaigns.

How Do Organizations Use Date of Birth Appends?

Earlier on, we introduced some of the benefits of date of birth appends, but what might they look like for your nonprofit in particular? Different organizations use date of birth appends to personalize their marketing efforts and offerings based on age and birthday.

To help you gauge what this might look like for your organization, here are some specific ways nonprofits take advantage of birthdate appends:

Museum and zoo ticket or membership perks. Who wouldn’t want to visit a museum or zoo at a discounted rate for their birthday? Cultural organizations like to give out special birthday deals, and date of birth appends can ensure that they offer them to as many of their supporters as possible.
Peer-to-peer fundraising. Social media birthday fundraisers have grown significantly in the past couple of years. Sending a message to your supporters around their birthday to remind them of this opportunity can help you maximize your fundraising efforts.
Voter outreach. Political advocacy groups are the perfect example of an organization type that could benefit from age segmentation. Only send messages about voting to constituents who are of voting age. To engage constituents in certain age groups, reach out to them with new information about causes that apply to them and let them know what they can do to help besides voting.

Hopefully, these use cases gave you a better idea of how your organization could leverage date of birth appends. If so, you’ll want to move forward by leveraging a date of birth append service provider.

Which Date of Birth Append Service Provider Is Right for Me?

If you’re researching date of birth append service providers, you might be overwhelmed by the number of options you have. It’s helpful to know what to look for when selecting which service you’ll work with. After all, you’ll be entrusting them with sensitive data and will expect them to provide efficient, accurate results.

That’s why we’ve put together this list of guarantees every good birthdate append service should provide, including:

Accuracy scans. If the date of birth appends you receive aren’t accurate, then you could be sending your supporters birthday messages on the wrong dates or segmenting your supporters by age incorrectly. Make sure your date of birth append service has a system in place for checking the accuracy of the data they collect.
High match rate. Beyond performing accuracy scans, you’ll want to know that your date of birth append service provider has a history of accurate data matches. For example, NPOInfo by Double the Donation has a 40-70% match rate for date of birth appends, which is quite high compared to other providers.
Additional append types. A dedicated date of birth append service would be great, but a general data append service for all your data append needs would be even better. Find a provider that offers all the appends you’re looking for.
Efficiency. The quicker your provider can get you the data you need, the better — as long as they don’t sacrifice accuracy. With timely results, you’ll be able to immediately start working on new campaigns and fixing up old ones with your new date of birth append data.
Quotes. Before you start working with a birthdate append service provider, you’ll want to make sure their services are within your budget. Reliable birthdate append service providers will offer you a quote if you let them know how much data you’re looking for.

Keep these qualities in mind when looking for a date of birth append service provider, and you’re sure to find one that will handle your supporters’ data with care and give you the information you need.

Request a quote from NPOInfo by Double the Donation.

Additional Resources

With date of birth appends, you’ll be able to communicate with your supporters in more personalized ways. Whether you send them birthday wishes or include them in an age-specific campaign, gathering date of birth information will get you one step closer to a complete picture of who your supporters are and how you can best reach out to them.

As we mentioned before, you may be looking for other types of appends or resources about supporter data. If so, we’re here to help you out with these relevant articles:

What Data Should Nonprofits Collect? Overview & Top Tips. Not sure where to start with your data collection? Check out this article for an overview of the data you should gather from your supporters.
The Fundraiser’s Guide to Improving Nonprofit Data Hygiene. In addition to missing data, maybe you have other problems with your database such as ambiguous or inconsistent data. Follow this guide for help with cleaning up your data so it’s organized, accurate, and ready to use.
Nonprofit Analytics: Leveraging Data for Predictive Modeling. Now that you have the data you need, it’s time to learn how to analyze it effectively. This article will teach you how you can conduct predictive modeling based on your initial data and additional data you gather from appends.