Top Matching Gift Companies
We’ve compiled a list of some of the most noteworthy companies that offer outstanding corporate matching gift programs in the industry today.
But thousands of employers offer matching gift programs, from Fortune 500 companies to local mom-and-pop businesses. What makes these top matching gift companies stand out from the crowd?
These are some key factors that play a role;
- Auto-submission — The ways in which qualifying employees participate in their matching gift programs can vary from company to company, but some businesses have gone above and beyond to simplify the process with auto-submission. Companies that offer this functionality through their corporate giving management platform empower donors to request their matches in a single click, all by entering their corporate email addresses from the nonprofit confirmation page. The simpler it is for a company’s employees to get involved, the more individuals are likely to partake, and the better the program tends to be overall.
- Low minimums — The lower the minimum donation amount for matching gift requests, the more accessible the program is to employee donors of all levels. Many companies establish minimums to ensure they are matching gifts to organizations their employees are truly passionate about. However, high minimums can exclude low and even mid-range donations from matching gifts and often results in low rates of participation.
- High maximums — On the other end of the spectrum, offering high maximums tends to lead to increased participation among employees and optimal benefits for the nonprofits, companies, and donors who get involved. Lofty maximum donation amounts allow for large donations to be matched, along with batches of smaller-dollar gifts to the same or multiple organizations.
- Large ratios — A matching gift ratio is the metric used to determine the amount of match funding a donor has the ability to request from their employer—and it quite literally multiplies the impact of the original donation. While 1:1 is the standard match rate, some companies choose lower ratios (such as .5:1), and others set higher ratios (2:1, 3:1, or even 4:1) to further magnify employee contributions. The higher the match rate, the larger the potential program benefits.
Without further ado, let’s get into our top matching gift companies—and what they do well.
| Matching Gift Company | Match Ratio | Max Match Amount | Offers Auto-Submission? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanofi | 1:1 | $5,000 | Yes – partnership with Givinga. |
| Checkr | 1:1 | Inquire with Checkr. | Yes – partnership with Millie. |
| Gingko Bioworks | 1:1 | $2,500 | Yes – partnership with Selflessly. |
| TSR Inc. | 1:1 | Inquire with TSR Inc. | Yes – partnership with Millie. |
| Deloitte | 1:1 | $3,000 | Yes – partnership with Givinga. |
| Gene B. Glick Company | 1:1 | $2,500 | Yes – partnership with Selflessly. |
| General Electric | 1:1 | $5,000 | Not at this time. |
| Soros Fund Management | Up to 3:1 | $300,000 | Not at this time. |
| BP (British Petroleum) | 1:1 | $5,000 | Not at this time. |
| Gap Corporation | 1:1 | $10,000 | Not at this time. |
| State Street Corporation | 1:1 | $35,000 | Not at this time. |
| ExxonMobil | Up to 3:1 | $22,500 | Not at this time. |
| CarMax | 1:1 | $10,000 | Not at this time. |
| Johnson & Johnson | Up to 2:1 | $20,000 | Not at this time. |
| Choice Hotels | 1:1 | $1,500 | Not at this time. |
| Microsoft | 1:1 | $15,000 | Not at this time. |
| Pfizer | Up to 1:1 | $15,000 | Not at this time. |
| Capital Group | 2:1 | $5,000 | Not at this time. |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | 1:1 | $30,000 | Not at this time. |
| Coca-Cola | 2:1 | $20,000 | Not at this time. |
| IBM | 1:1 | $5,000 | Not at this time. |
| Avon | Up to 2:1 | $15,000 | Not at this time. |
| Air Products and Chemicals | Up to 2:1 | $5,000 | Not at this time. |
| American Express | Up to 2:1 | $8,000 | Not at this time. |
| FM Global | Up to 2:1 | $8,000 | Not at this time. |
| MBIA | 2:1 | $40,000 | Not at this time. |
| Top 5 Matching Gift Companies |
| General Electric |
| Soros Fund Management |
| BP (British Petroleum) |
| Gap Corporation |
| State Street Corporation |
Matching Gift Companies with Auto-Submission Enabled
Sanofi
Sanofi is a global healthcare company dedicated to ongoing innovation in the fight against sickness and for health. The Sanofi company participates in corporate social responsibility in many ways, one of which is matching employee donations to a range of charitable causes.
Currently, full-time employees are eligible to request corporate matches from the company for donations made between $50 and $5,000. Sanofi matches to educational institutions, health and human services, civic and community organizations, environmental causes, and select other nonprofits, and employees should request their donation matches by April 30th of the year following the one in which the gift was made.
Highlight: This company utilizes matching gift auto-submission to significantly streamline the request process for donors.
Checkr
Checkr offers employee background screening technology for companies looking to optimize their hiring processes. The solution enlists artificial intelligence to make background checking candidates more fair and efficient overall.
Checkr is also devoted to social good and does so by participating in corporate philanthropy and other CSR initiatives such as matching gifts. Specifically, Checkr empowers its team members to support a wide range of charitable organizations by offering an employee donation match of 1:1 to most nonprofit causes.
Highlight: This company utilizes matching gift auto-submission to significantly streamline the request process for donors.
Ginkgo Bioworks
Ginkgo Bioworks is a Boston, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company dedicated to genetic engineering for a cause. This company works to improve processes, grow better products, and enable more industrial applications for biology.
They also aim to give back to their community and the world at large by incorporating corporate giving in their business practice. With matching gifts, in particular, Ginkgo Bioworks drives good by encouraging philanthropy to nonprofit organizations across missions like education, the environment, cultural nonprofits, and many more.
Highlight: This company utilizes matching gift auto-submission to significantly streamline the request process for donors.
TSR Inc.
TSR Inc., also known as TSR Consulting Services, is a professional staffing consultancy that was founded in 1969. Since then, the team has provided corporate clients across the nation with expert insights into exceptional purpose-driven and people-first employee culture.
And the firm brings the same strategies to its own workforce with impactful workplace giving initiatives! TSR gives charitably and encourages its employees to get involved as well through generous matching gift programs.
Highlight: This company utilizes matching gift auto-submission to significantly streamline the request process for donors.
Deloitte
Offering expert audit, consulting, tax, and advisory services to some of the world’s leading brands, Deloitte aims to make an impact that matters. And they do so not only for their clients but for their communities and for the world as a whole—particularly through their corporate philanthropy initiatives.
For example, Deloitte offers a generous corporate matching gift program in which the company agrees to encourage philanthropy among all team members by matching employee donations. Nearly all nonprofit organizations and employees qualify for Deloitte match funding, with the company matching up to $3,000 per employee on a yearly basis.
Highlight: This company utilizes matching gift auto-submission to significantly streamline the request process for donors.
Gene B. Glick Company
Founded in 1947, Gene B. Glick Company is a privately-held real estate property management and development firm. This corporation currently manages over 20,000 units in apartment communities and multifamily housing developments throughout 13 states across the country, making it one of the largest property management companies today.
In order to give back to the communities in which the Gene B. Glick Company operates, the company invests in substantial corporate social responsibility efforts as well. These include matching employee donations through its matching program called Glick Gives, as well as other nonprofit partnerships.
Highlight: This company utilizes matching gift auto-submission to significantly streamline the request process for donors.
Matching Gift Companies with Auto-Submission Not Yet Enabled
General Electric
The General Electric Company was founded in 1892 by Thomas Edison, and now employs over 300,000 people in 180 countries. The conglomerate operates in aviation, healthcare, power, renewable energy, additive manufacturing, and more.
In 1954, the GE Foundation created the Corporate Alumni Program, which was the first corporate gift-matching program. Today, the GE Foundation matches over $35 million annually to most 501(c)(3) organizations and accredited educational institutions (including K-12 schools). Employees participating in the program must complete their requests by April 15th of the following year.
Highlight: GE created the model for corporate employee matching gift programs.
Soros Fund Management
Soros Fund Management was founded in 1969, and since then has become one of the most profitable firms in the hedge fund industry. They invest in public equity and fixed income markets worldwide, in addition to transportation, energy, retail, and other industries.
Soros Fund Management offers the most generous limits on corporate matching gift programs. The company’s 3:1 match for employees and 2:1 match for partners is a strong incentive for employees to give back to their communities. To remain eligible for corporate matching, requests must be made within one year of the initial donation.
Highlight: The company matches up to $300K in annual donations per employee. This dollar amount is by far the highest limit for any corporation.
BP (British Petroleum)
BP, or British Petroleum, is a British multinational corporation focused on producing and distributing oil and gas around the world. It also has invested in renewable energy sources such as biofuels and wind power.
BP offers practically every type of employee giving program and allows the general public to track which organizations are receiving donations online in real time. The company provides a standard 1:1 match on all donations made by employees.
Highlight: The company also offers a 100% match on all money raised by employees for charity runs, walks, etc.
Gap Corporation
The Gap Corporation, which includes Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime, Athleta, and Intermix, employs 135,000 people around the world and offers a matching gift program as well as multiple types of volunteer grants.
Gap employees can request matches on donations made to almost all types of nonprofits. Match limits range from $1,000 annually for part-time employees to as much as $10,000 for Senior VPs and above. All employees looking to get their donations matched must submit their requests within 120 days of the initial contributions.
Highlight: Gap offers one of the most comprehensive and easy to use online systems to submit match requests.
State Street Corporation
The State Street Corporation is the second oldest bank in the United States, having been founded in 1792. It is a financial services and bank holding company and is one of the largest asset management companies in the world.
State Street is also known for being the company to commission the Fearless Girl statue, standing in front of the Charging Bull statue.
State Street also offers nearly every type of employee giving program. The company matches donations from all global employees to most nonprofits.
Highlight: State Street matches the fundraising efforts of its employees up to $5,000 annually.
ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil is the largest publicly traded company, and is a multinational oil and gas company employing over 69,000 people around the world. It is also the largest refiner in the world.
ExxonMobil donates hundreds of millions of dollars to charities each year, which makes it one of the largest corporate donors. Much of ExxonMobil’s corporate philanthropic giving comes from its matching gift programs, where employees qualify for corporate donation matches until December 31st of the year in which the gift was made.
Highlight: A 3:1 match on donations to educational institutions (1:1 match to all arts & cultural organizations) contributed to the company and its employees dedicating over $269 million to nonprofits in 2014.
CarMax
CarMax is a highly popular used-car retailer, with 190 locations around the United States. It was named one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for over a decade and employs around 25,000 people.
CarMax matches donations to nearly every nonprofit. In addition to their 1:1 match on all donations (which should be submitted within 180 of the initial contribution), the company also offers a generous volunteer grant program.
Highlight: CarMax matches donations made by an employee’s dependents until they turn 26.
Johnson & Johnson
Founded in 1886, Johnson and Johnson is a medical devices, pharmaceutical, and consumer packaged goods manufacturing company. They operate in 60 countries and sell their products in over 175, while employing over 134,000 people. The company is best known for brands such as Band-Aid, Tylenol, and Neutrogena.
Johnson and Johnson matches donations to nearly every nonprofit. Each of the company’s 120,000 employees, plus all retirees, are eligible to request up to $10,000 in personal contributions to be matched each year. In order to qualify for matching, submissions must be completed within twelve months following the initial donation date.
Highlight: A 2:1 matching ratio for current employees and a 1:1 rate for all retirees.
Choice Hotels International
This company, founded in 1939, is known for their affordable family hotel chains such as Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Quality in, Sleep Inn, and more. They employ over 1,000 people and are headquartered in Rockville, MD.
Choice Hotels International will match both full- and part-time employees’ gifts between $25 and $1,500. Almost all nonprofits are eligible for this corporate giving program, including K-12 educational institutions.
Highlight: Through the “Giving Time” program, Choice Hotels matches 100 hours of volunteer service with $500 to the nonprofit the employee volunteers for.
Microsoft
The world’s largest software maker is the Microsoft Corporation, founded by Bill Gates in 1975. It is known for personal computers, office software, and cloud computing innovations. It employs more than 100,000 people worldwide.
Microsoft is widely known to have one of the leading employee giving programs. Last year, the company matched more than $47 million in employee donations to a wide variety of charities. Employees looking to get their gifts matched by the Microsoft Corporation have up to 12 months following the date of their initial donations to do so.
Highlight: Microsoft has donated more than $1 billion through employee giving programs since instituting a match program.
Pfizer
Pfizer is an American pharmaceutical corporation headquartered in New York City. They develop and produce medicines and vaccines, including medications such as Lyrica, Zithromax, and Celebra, and employ over 96,000 people worldwide.
Pfizer matches donations made by employees and retirees to nonprofits supporting almost any cause, including educational institutions, arts and cultural nonprofits, and environmental organizations. Employee matches must be submitted and approved by March 1st of the year following the donation.
Highlight: Pfizer’s giving programs raise $33.7 million a year with over 40,000 matching gift requests.
Capital Group
Capital Group is one of the oldest and largest investment management organizations, and was founded in Los Angeles in 1931. They offer investment services for both institutional clients and individual investors, employing over 7,000 people.
Every year, Capital Group supports over 3,000 organizations through matching gift and volunteer grants.
The matching gift program at Capital Group provides 2:1 matches, which triple the donations nonprofits receive. Employees also have an entire year to submit requests.
Highlight: Capital Group will match every donation between $100 and $5,000.
Bristol-Myers Squibb
A world-renowned American pharmaceutical company, Bristol-Myers Squibb manufactures prescription medication for cancer treatments, HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorders, and others. They have research and development sites all over the world, including Ireland, Japan, and India.
Bristol-Myers Squibb matches gifts dollar for dollar to organizations that focus on the environment, education, and health and human services, among others. Matching gift requests should be submitted within six months of the donation.
Highlight: At Bristol-Myers Squibb, employees are eligible to request up to $30,000 in matching gifts annually.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is an American manufacturer, retailer, and marketer of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups. The headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia, and it employs over 61,000 people around the world.
Both full-time employees and retirees are eligible to have their donations matched at a 2:1 ratio up to $20,000 each year. Not to mention, Coca-Cola provides a lengthy submission window, with matches being accepted until February 28th of the year following the donation.
Highlight: Since its inception in 1984, Coca-Cola has donated more than $820 million to help organizations all over the world.
IBM
IBM, which stands for “International Business Machines”, is an American multinational technology company. It operates in over 170 countries and is one of the world’s largest employers, with nearly 380,000 employees. IBM is known for inventions like the ATM, the PC, the floppy disk, and the magnetic strip card.
IBM will match every donation of at least $25, dollar for dollar. Contributions of up to $5,000 will be matched at a 1:1 ratio to a total of $10,000 annually. Retiree donations are matched at an all-time high ratio of 5:1, and all donation matches should be submitted within a year of the initial contribution being made.
Highlight: Everyone—full-time and part-time employees as well as retirees—can participate in IBM’s matching gift program.
Avon
Avon is the second largest direct-selling enterprise in the world, and distributes beauty, household, and personal care items. It was founded in 1886 by David McConnell, and it had sales of $5.7 billion in 2016.
For the first $500 donated per employee, Avon provides a 2:1 match. All donations after $500 will be matched dollar for dollar up to $15,000 per year.
Highlight: Most nonprofits including educational institutions, health and human services, and civic and community organizations are eligible for Avon’s giving program.
Air Products and Chemicals
Air Products and Chemicals is an American corporation that sells chemicals and gases for industrial uses. It was named one of the 100 Best Corporate Citizens by Corporate Responsibility Magazine in 2010, and it employs around 20,000 people.
The Air Products Foundation matches donations at different ratios depending on the type of organization. Colleges and universities have a matching ratio of 1:1, while arts and cultural organizations can be matched at a ratio of 2:1. All matches should be submitted within 12 months of the donation date.
Highlight: Part-time and full-time employees can have up to $5,000 matched.
American Express
American Express, also known as Amex, is a financial services corporation known for its charge card, credit card, and traveler’s checks businesses. It was called the 23rd best company to work for by Fortune in 2018, and employs around 55,000 people worldwide.
While the standard matching gift ratio is 1:1, employees can have their donations matched at a higher ratio if they’re on a nonprofit board or volunteer more than 50 hours a year.
American Express also has a minimum donation amount that will be matched: $25.
Highlight: American Express will match gifts to organizations up to $8,000.
FM Global
FM Global is a mutual insurance company based in Rhode Island. It specializes in loss prevention services for large corporations. It was named the “best property insurer in the world” by Euromoney Magazine. FM Global has clients in more than 100 countries and over 5500 employees.
FM Global will match gifts made by part-time and full-time employees and retirees dollar for dollar to most organizations.
Highlight: If an employee donates to an educational institution, FM Global will provide a 2:1 match.
MBIA
MBIA, or the Municipal Bond Insurance Association, is a financial services company headquartered in New York. MBIA founded the MBIA Foundation, which donated nearly $1 million to charitable organizations in 2017 as well as over $500,000 in sponsorships and grants.
MBIA will match donations to many types of organizations including religious organizations, environmental organizations, and arts and cultural nonprofits. In order for employee donations to remain eligible for corporate matching, submissions must be completed by February 15th of the year following the donation.
Highlight: MBIA provides 2:1 matches on all donations up to $20,000 per employee each year.
How Double the Donation Can Increase Matching Gifts for Nonprofits
Nonprofits often miss out on receiving matching gifts revenue because donors just don’t know about their employers’ matching gifts policies!
Double the Donation removed all of the hassle for you and your supporters by creating a searchable database that includes over 20,000 companies and subsidiaries.
So how does this work?
- Your supporter makes a gift.
- You encourage them to look up if they are eligible for matching gifts through Double the Donation.
- The supporter looks up their company.
- Double the Donation’s database shows them if they are eligible and where they can find the necessary forms.
- The supporter fills out the form and your nonprofit benefits!
Making matching gifts information easily accessible while your supporters are making their donation will increase your matching gifts revenue and help your nonprofit reach its goals.
How to Start Your Own Matching Gift Program: Steps for Companies
If you represent a corporation that’s interested in launching its own matching gift initiative, the above examples can be excellent programs to aspire to. But every company started somewhere!
Here’s how your company can begin matching gifts:
- Determine gift amounts that you’re willing to match per employee, per year (typically by choosing a set minimum and maximum donation size).
- Identify the types of employees whose charitable donations your company will match (e.g., current full-time, part-time, and/or retired employees, employee spouses).
- Choose the nonprofit mission types your company will match donations to (educational institutions, all 501(c)(3) nonprofits, local charities, any organization with the exception of houses of worship, etc.).
- Set a deadline by which employees must submit a matching gift request to be eligible for a company donation (by a certain annual date or a number of months post-donation).
- Decide how employees will submit their matching gift requests and what donation information will be required (many companies utilize online forms or CSR platforms and ask for a copy of the donation receipt and nonprofit contact information, including their EIN).
- Promote your new matching gift program to your employees to drive participation (include information in your internal communications, policy handbook, onboarding materials, and more).
Offering to match employee donations is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to engage with your workforce while doing good at the same time. And companies of all shapes and sizes can partake in corporate partnerships—so, if you haven’t already, it’s time to get matching!
Additional Corporate Philanthropy Resources
Matching Gift Stats
Looking for more matching gift information? What about some helpful stats?
Check out Double the Donation’s regularly updated corporate philanthropy statistics page!
Promoting Matching Gifts
Many donors won’t know about matching gifts unless your nonprofit promotes them!
Learn how you can effectively market matching gifts to your donors via multiple channels.
Guide to Matching Gifts
Double the Donation is the leader in matching gift information and data.
See for yourself by checking out our ultimate guide to corporate matching gift programs.
