How Maine Public Identified $52k in Employer Matching Gifts

Introduction: The Hidden Potential in Public Media Fundraising

Maine Public stands as a pillar of its community, operating as a statewide public radio and television station with a clear and vital mission: to be a trusted source of information, entertainment, and inspiration for the people of Maine. Like many public media organizations, Maine Public relies heavily on the support of individual members to sustain its high-quality programming. The relationship between a public broadcaster and its listeners is unique; it is built on trust, daily engagement, and a shared commitment to the value of independent media.

However, even with such a dedicated donor base, Maine Public faced a challenge that plagues nonprofits across the sector. While their members were generous with their personal contributions, the organization was “not meeting their full matching gift potential.” The issue was not a lack of willingness to give, but rather a lack of information.

In the high-volume, member-driven world of public media fundraising, efficiency is everything. Small incremental increases in donation value can compound into significant revenue streams. By addressing the “matching gift gap” through technology, Maine Public was able to uncover over $52,000 in matching gift opportunities in a single year. This revenue, previously left on the table, is now available to fuel the station’s mission.

The Challenge: Overcoming Donor Unawareness

Before implementing a dedicated matching gift solution, the team at Maine Public identified a specific friction point in their donor journey. They realized that “many of their donors were unaware that their company had a matching gift program.”

The Awareness Gap

This lack of awareness is a pervasive issue. Donors often assume that matching gifts are the domain of large corporations or major gifts, or they simply do not know that their specific employer offers such a benefit. Because they were unaware, they “therefore were not submitting requests.”

For Maine Public, this silence was costly. Every unsubmitted match request represented “additional matching gift revenue on the table” that the organization was missing out on.

The Operational Hurdle

Public media fundraising is often characterized by a high volume of transactions. Managing thousands of member donations manually makes it impossible for a development team to research the employment status of every single donor. Maine Public needed a way to bridge the awareness gap at scale. They couldn’t rely on one-on-one conversations to educate donors; they needed a systemic solution that could “proactively increase donor awareness” without adding unmanageable administrative work for their staff.

The Solution: A Seamless Digital Integration

To solve this problem, Maine Public turned to automation. They chose to integrate Double the Donation’s tools directly into their digital ecosystem. The solution was designed to be unobtrusive yet effective, integrating “seamlessly into Maine Public’s donation forms and web pages.”

1. Integration into Donation Forms

The most critical component of the solution was embedding the matching gift search functionality directly into the donation process. By placing the tool on the donation form, Maine Public ensured that the question of matching gifts was raised at the exact moment the donor was most engaged, when they were making their gift.

This “seamless integration makes it easy for donors to learn how to access their company’s matching dollars.” Instead of requiring the donor to navigate to a separate HR portal or search for a policy document, the information was presented to them immediately. The system enables the organization to “uncover eligible donors automatically” by capturing employment data directly within the transaction flow.

2. Proactive Education via Web Pages

Beyond the donation form, Maine Public utilized its web pages to serve as an educational resource. By embedding the search tool on accessible pages, they empowered donors to check their eligibility at any time, not just during a transaction.

This proactive approach was essential in shifting the burden of research off the donor and onto the automated system.

3. Automated Email Follow-Up

Perhaps the most powerful tool in their new arsenal was the implementation of “automated matching gift emails sent to all donors.”

Recognizing that some donors might miss the prompt during the donation process, Maine Public set up an automated safety net. These emails were triggered after the donation was made, providing donors with “their matching gift next steps.” This ensured that every donor received a personalized reminder to double their impact, regardless of how they interacted with the initial form.

The Results: Unprecedented Engagement

The implementation of this automated strategy yielded results that speak to the loyalty of Maine Public’s donor base and the effectiveness of the technology.

Financial Impact

In just one year, Maine Public identified over $52,000 in matches. For a public media organization, this is a significant figure. It represents funds that can be used to purchase equipment, license programming, or support local journalism. This revenue was generated without the need to acquire new donors; it was simply “uncovered” from the existing donor pool.

Engagement Metrics

The engagement statistics from the case study are particularly striking and highlight the success of the communication strategy.

• 69% Email Open Rate: The automated matching gift emails achieved a 69% open rate. To put this in perspective, the case study notes that the industry average is typically around 20%. Maine Public’s open rate was more than triple the average. This indicates that their donors are highly attentive and eager to engage with the station’s communications. It also validates the strategy of sending automated, relevant follow-ups immediately after a transaction.
• 73% Donor Engagement: The metrics showed that 73% of donors had moderate to high engagement with the matching gift tools. This high level of interaction suggests that the tools were user-friendly and that donors appreciated the guidance on how to maximize their contributions.

Strategic Analysis: Why Support Matters

While the technology drove the numbers, Maine Public’s success was also facilitated by the human element of the partnership. Curtis Chadbourne, Director of Member Services at Maine Public, highlighted a crucial aspect of the implementation process:

“Double the Donation has a lot of great features, but what I like best isn’t a feature. It’s the staff, they are super helpful, and so easy to work with, and that means an awful lot.”

For nonprofits, introducing new software can often be a source of stress. Technical glitches, complex setups, and a lack of support can derail even the best strategies. Maine Public’s experience emphasizes that successful digital transformation requires not just good code, but good support. The “simple implementation process” and the helpfulness of the staff allowed Maine Public to focus on its fundraising goals rather than troubleshooting technical issues.

The Dashboard Advantage

Another key component of Maine Public’s strategy was the use of data to drive decisions. The solution provided them with a “matching gift dashboard with actionable metrics.”

Having access to real-time data allowed the team to see exactly how much revenue was being identified and how donors were engaging with the emails. Instead of guessing whether their matching gift strategy was working, they had concrete proof: $52,000 worth of proof. This data visibility is essential for modern development teams who need to report on ROI and justify their strategies to board members and leadership.

Conclusion: A Blueprint for Public Media

Maine Public’s success offers a clear blueprint for other public media organizations. The sector relies on the collective power of thousands of individual supporters. By integrating matching gifts into the donation flow, Maine Public unlocked a hidden multiplier for that support.

By “proactively increasing donor awareness,” they transformed their fundraising from a passive collection of donations into an active, engaging conversation about impact. With $52,000 identified and an incredible 69% email open rate, Maine Public has proven that when you give donors the right tools, they will step up to support the programming they love.

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