Matching Gift Companies which Call Denver, Colorado Home

Employee matching gifts in Denver represent a massive, untapped reservoir of funding. Home to the United States Mint, Denver is also the capital of Colorado. Its unique location at the base of the Rockies has contributed to its success over the years, transforming it from a mining supply hub into a modern metropolis. Today, several energy, telecommunications, and finance companies have taken advantage of this location and have a large presence in the city.

Here is a list of the top companies in Denver with matching gift programs. Check out this compilation of some of the top companies in Denver with corporate matching gift programs and start doubling your donations today!

What to Know About the Denver, Colorado Corporate Landscape

Denver has evolved significantly over the last few decades. While it retains its historical ties to mining and energy, the “Mile High City” has diversified into a hub for aerospace, telecommunications, and casual-dining corporate headquarters. This diversity is excellent news for nonprofits.

Because the local economy is not reliant on a single industry, local nonprofits have access to a stable variety of corporate giving programs. Whether your donor works for a legacy beer brewer or a modern dialysis provider, there is a high probability that their employer offers some form of corporate philanthropy. Understanding the specific nuances of these local programs is key to maximizing your fundraising revenue.

Top Denver Companies with Employee Matching Gift Programs

The following companies are either headquartered in the Denver metro area or have a massive operational footprint in the region. Each offers distinct benefits to employees who wish to support charitable causes.

1. Empower

Empower, which has acquired the retirement business of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, is a dominant force in the Denver business community. With their massive campus in Greenwood Village, they employ thousands of local residents.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: Matches donations between $50 and $5,000 made to eligible nonprofit organizations.
Volunteer Grants: Empower encourages associates to give their time as well, offering paid volunteer time off and grants for volunteer hours served.

The rebrand from Great-West to Empower has come with a renewed focus on community engagement. Their “Associates Community Together” (ACT) program is designed to support the causes that employees are passionate about, rather than dictating specific pillars of giving. This flexibility makes Empower employees excellent prospects for a wide variety of nonprofit sectors, from arts to zoology.

Read more about Empower’s matching gift program.

2. Western Union

Western Union, a leader in global payment services, has its global headquarters right here in Denver. The Western Union Foundation is incredibly active, focusing largely on education, economic opportunity, and disaster relief, reflecting the global nature of its business.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: Matches up to $10,000 per employee, per year.
Volunteer Grants: The company has a robust volunteer grant program in addition to its matching gifts.

A $10,000 match cap is significant. For Denver nonprofits, this means that a mid-level donor working at Western Union has the potential to become a major donor instantly. Because Western Union’s business is about connecting people across borders, they are often particularly receptive to nonprofits that serve immigrant communities or have an international reach.

3. Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest healthcare providers in Colorado. Their matching gift programs are generally region-specific, and the Colorado region has its own specific guidelines designed to improve community health.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: The company will match up to $1,000 per employee annually to most charitable institutions.
Focus Area: While they match broadly, there is a strong preference for organizations that align with community health initiatives.

While the $1,000 cap is lower than some of the financial giants, the sheer number of Kaiser employees in the Denver area makes this a high-volume opportunity. Nurses, doctors, and administrative staff at Kaiser are often deeply embedded in their local communities, meaning you likely have dozens of Kaiser employees in your donor database right now.

4. DaVita Kidney Care

Headquartered in downtown Denver, DaVita is a Fortune 500 company focused on kidney care. They are well known for their unique corporate culture, which they refer to as a “Village,” emphasizing that employees are citizens of a community that cares for one another and the world.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: Matches up to $500 to $1,000 annually (limits can vary by role).
Volunteer Grants: DaVita offers “Dollars for Doers,” providing grants of roughly $15 per hour volunteered, up to $500.

The “DaVita Way” of giving is heavily focused on volunteerism. If you have DaVita employees volunteering at your events, ensure they are logging their hours. Their internal portal, often managed through Benevity, makes it very simple for “citizens” (employees) to request funds. The volunteer grant is often underutilized, so a gentle reminder can yield quick results.

Read more about DaVita’s matching gift program.

5. Ball Corporation

Best known for its glass jars and aluminum packaging, Ball Corporation is headquartered in Westminster, a northern suburb of Denver. They are a massive player in sustainability and aerospace, and their Ball Foundation reflects these priorities.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: Matches up to $5,000 for higher education and up to $1,500 for other eligible nonprofits.
Volunteer Grants: Ball offers a generous volunteer grant of $20 per hour.

The distinction in match caps between higher education and general nonprofits is important to note. If you are a university fundraiser, Ball Corporation employees have a higher ceiling for matching. However, the $20 per hour volunteer grant is accessible to all types of nonprofits, which is a higher rate than many other corporations offer.

6. Newmont Corporation

As the world’s largest gold mining company, Newmont is headquartered in Greenwood Village. They have a long history of supporting the communities where they operate, and their Denver headquarters is no exception.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: Matches up to $5,000 per employee, per year.
Minimum Gift: The minimum donation to be matched is usually $25.

Mining companies often have robust CSR programs to balance their industrial impact. Newmont’s program is straightforward and generous. With a $5,000 cap, identifying just a handful of Newmont employees in your CRM can lead to tens of thousands of dollars in matched revenue annually.

7. Xcel Energy

Xcel Energy is the major utility provider for the region. Utility companies are often “steady Eddies” in the world of corporate philanthropy, providing reliable, consistent funding year after year.

Match Ratio: 1:1
Match Limits: Matches up to $750 for general nonprofits and up to $2,000 for higher education.
Volunteer Grants: They offer a grant of $10 per hour for volunteer work, up to $1,000 per year.

The stability of the Xcel workforce means that once you get a donor set up in their matching system, they are likely to remain eligible for years. The volunteer grant cap of $1,000 is also quite high relative to the matching gift cap, suggesting that Xcel highly values the time its employees contribute to the community.

Read more about Xcel Energy’s matching gift program.

8. Arrow Electronics

Located in Centennial, Arrow Electronics is a global provider of technology products and one of Colorado’s largest companies by revenue. Their “Arrow Charitable” program focuses on innovation and helping people guide innovation forward.

Program Focus: Heavy emphasis on Volunteer Grants.
Volunteer Grants: Employees can earn $20 per hour volunteered, up to $250.
Team Volunteering: Arrow frequently organizes team volunteer days, which can result in larger aggregate grants for the host nonprofit.

While their matching gift program has fluctuated in availability over the years, their commitment to volunteerism remains strong. If you need groups of volunteers for a large event, reaching out to Arrow’s community relations team is a smart move. They can provide the manpower, and the volunteer grants will follow.

Successful Matching Gift Fundraising Strategies for Denver Nonprofits

Denver has a unique philanthropic culture. To truly maximize your matching gift revenue, you need to tailor your approach to the local environment.

1. Capitalize on “Colorado Gives Day”

Colorado Gives Day, usually held in December, is one of the largest regional giving days in the nation. It is a massive fundraising event where millions are donated in a 24-hour period.

Strategy: During your Colorado Gives Day email blasts, include a specific call to action about matching gifts.
Script: “Your donation on Colorado Gives Day helps us qualify for the incentive fund. But did you know you can triple your impact? Check if your employer matches gifts to make your dollar go even further!”

Many donors assume that because they gave through the “Colorado Gives” platform, the matching is automatic. You must educate them that they still need to submit the receipt to their employer’s portal (like Benevity or CyberGrants) to trigger the corporate match.

2. Engage the “Transplant” Workforce

Denver has seen a massive influx of residents moving from California, New York, and Chicago. Many of these residents work remotely for out-of-state tech giants like Google, Facebook, Apple, or Salesforce.

Strategy: Do not limit your matching gift search to only Denver-headquartered companies.
Action: Use a tool like 360MatchPro to capture employment data. You might find you have dozens of donors working remotely for Microsoft or Adobe who are eligible for $10,000+ matches, even though those companies are not “local.”

Remote workers are often looking for ways to connect with their new local community. Giving to a local nonprofit and getting their remote employer to match it is a powerful way for them to plant roots in Denver.

3. The Outdoor Industry Angle

Denver is a hub for the outdoor industry (VF Corporation, though recently restructuring, brought many brands to the city). Companies in this sector are fiercely protective of the environment.

Strategy: If your nonprofit works in conservation, trail maintenance, or youth outdoor education, target employees of outdoor brands.
Pitch: Frame the match not just as a donation, but as a way to “protect our playground.” This language resonates deeply with the outdoor-focused workforce largely present in Colorado.

Bottom line: While the companies listed above are some of the most prominent match-makers in the Mile High City, they are by no means the only ones. The Denver metro area is home to thousands of employers, many of which offer competitive matching gift programs. Therefore, the best strategy is often to assume a match exists until proven otherwise. Encourage every donor to search for their employer during the donation process; you might be surprised by how many hidden opportunities are waiting in your database!

Conclusion & Final Thoughts

Denver is more than just a beautiful place to live; it is a thriving ecosystem of generous corporations and engaged employees. From the banking halls of Western Union to the engineering labs of Ball Corporation, the funding is there for organizations that are willing to ask for it.

Matching gifts are not just a “nice to have.” They are a vital revenue stream that can help your nonprofit weather economic uncertainty. By identifying the companies listed above and actively encouraging your donors to submit their matching requests, you can ensure that your organization thrives in the city.

Ready to start discovering these matches? Check out these additional resources:

Matching Gift Database: The comprehensive search tool to find eligibility for thousands of companies.
Top Volunteer Grant Companies: A guide to monetizing volunteer time.
Corporate Giving Trends: Stay ahead of the curve with the latest data on corporate philanthropy.