Higher education fundraising professionals work hard every day to generate the revenue that keeps their schools running. By doing so, they offer a better educational experience to students, provide scholarships and financial aid, fund research projects, and more.
Since fundraising is so essential, higher education professionals need to stay up-to-date on new trends and best practices. That’s where fundraising conferences come in. These events provide a venue for you to develop your fundraising skills and discover cutting-edge knowledge.
To help you decide on which conferences to attend, we’ve put together a list of the top higher education fundraising conferences. No matter which conference you decide on, you’re sure to come away with a wealth of knowledge you can use to grow the wealth of your higher education organization.
1. Academic Impressions
Date: Year-Round
Location: Varies
Academic Impressions is dedicated to providing leadership, personal development, and skills-based training opportunities to higher education faculty and staff members. As part of their goal, they regularly offer training opportunities and conferences to members and non-members alike. Many of these events occur virtually, making Academic Impressions’ offerings a great choice for higher education professionals who prefer not to travel.
Training sessions and conferences offered by Academic Impressions focus on a range of topics relevant to higher education professionals. Aside from fundraising, they also cover academic leadership, faculty success, academic planning, enrollment management, and more.
2. AFP Icon
Date: April 7-9, 2024
Location: Toronto, Ontario
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is a member-based group that empowers individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising. AFP Icon is their annual fundraising conference and one of the biggest around with over 3,000 attendees each year. This conference offers fundraising training to professionals from all types of organizations, providing an opportunity to network and build relationships with other prestigious nonprofits in addition to attending educational workshops.
From executive coaching to affinity group meetings to speed networking, AFP Icon is sure to boost your knowledge of fundraising.
At this conference, higher education fundraising professionals can attend speaker sessions and workshops focused on various topics related to nonprofit education organizations. Regardless of your experience level or the type of higher education institution you belong to, you can find a track that you will benefit from, such as fundraising, alumni relations, development, communications and marketing, professional development, and more.
4. CASE Drive
Date: March 25-27, 2025
Location: Washington, DC
Also hosted by CASE, Drive is an annual conference that creates a focused learning and networking experience for higher education institutions and other nonprofits that work with data and analytics. If you wish to improve your knowledge of collecting, managing, and analyzing donor data for fundraising, Drive is a valuable conference to attend.
In today’s constantly developing technological landscape, this conference empowers you to stay ahead of evolving data tools and gain insights into harnessing the power of data to improve fundraising and other aspects of your operations.
5. Elevate: A Conference for Fundraising Events
Date: March 12-13, 2025
Location: Portland, Oregon and online
Elevate is a collaborative community of industry experts and thought leaders dedicated to creating a learning hub for individuals who want to expand their knowledge of fundraising events. Elevate’s annual conference serves as a masterclass in fundraising events, bringing together nonprofit and fundraising professionals from a variety of sectors to network, share resources, and learn about best practices.
By being held in a hybrid format, this conference provides the flexibility of attending at a location of your preference. You can either go in person to the venue in Portland, Oregon or attend virtually from another location. Either way, you’re sure to pick up tips on storytelling and fundraising strategy that will help you elevate the donor experience at your higher education organization’s fundraising events.
6. Fundraising Day in New York
Date: June 14, 2024
Location: New York, New York
Another conference hosted by the AFP, Fundraising Day in New York is a one-day fundraising conference. Whether you’re a newcomer to the fundraising industry or a seasoned veteran, you’re sure to benefit from this conference’s diverse range of sessions, including ones on the most current trends and developments. Plus, these sessions are presented by respected leaders and experts in the fundraising industry.
At Fundraising Day in New York, you’ll connect with a community of dedicated fundraisers who are eager to share their knowledge, form new connections, and advance their fundraising expertise.
7. NASPA Annual Conference
Date: March 9-13, 2024
Location: Seattle, Washington
NASPA is an association for student affairs administrators in higher education, supporting a network of 15,000 professionals and over 1,200 institutions across the globe. They’re dedicated to helping colleges and universities fulfill the promise of higher education by placing students at the center of their work.
At the NASPA Annual Conference, you’ll participate in professional development workshops that will inspire you and your work. Attend educational sessions and connect with exhibitors to aid in your professional development and your organization’s fundraising efforts. If you’re a first-time attendee, participate in the Mentor Program to connect with experienced professionals who can serve as a resource for networking and conference navigation.
8. One Day Development
Date: June 21, 2024
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Hosted by Academic Advancement Partners, One Day Development is a conference for professionals who work in higher education fundraising. These individuals are encouraged to attend alongside deans and provosts, as the focus of the conference is on major donors.
This conference features speakers who are experts in academic fundraising and storytelling, some of whom currently serve on the fundraising committees of higher education organizations. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to network with other higher education fundraising professionals.
9. Planet Philanthropy
Date: June 3-5, 2024
Location: Orlando, Florida
Planet Philanthropy is a premier fundraising conference in Florida. Hosted by the Florida Caucus of AFP, it attracts fundraising professionals from all over the United States and Puerto Rico. Over 300 nonprofit leaders attend this conference to learn about the latest and greatest fundraising news and strategies.
Planet Philanthropy addresses topics ranging from grant writing to leveraging AI to assessing legacy pipelines. On top of keynote speeches and workshops, Planet Philanthropy also offers a social event that you can attend for fun or to network with other professionals.
10. RNL Advancement Innovation Summit
Date: March 23, 2023
Location: Online
Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) is an organization dedicated to making colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations successful and vibrant. RNL does this by helping these organizations learn how to build lifelong relationships with donors at their Advancement Innovation Summit.
Although RNL hosts a plethora of events, including the RNL National Conference, if your focus is on higher education fundraising, the Advancement Innovation Summit is the conference you should attend. At this event, you’ll learn key insights into maximizing donor engagement, increasing fundraising results, and providing a better donor experience. From annual giving to alumni relations to legacy gifts, this conference will help you build a fundraising strategy that works.
This conference offers two days of learning, networking, and inspiration. At it, you’ll participate in roundtable discussions and presentations focused on advancing and enhancing annual giving operations and solicitations. Their topics range from giving days to CRM conversions to crowdfunding, covering valuable fundraising insights sure to help your annual giving strategy.
Fundraising with Matching Gifts
If you’re looking for a quick way to augment your higher education organization’s fundraising, matching gifts provide a great opportunity for you to double the donations you receive. This is how matching gifts work:
An individual, such as an alumni, donates to your organization.
The individual checks if they’re eligible for a gift match from their employer.
This individual submits a matching gift request to their employer.
The employer reviews the request and verifies the donation.
The employer matches the individual’s donation to your organization.
The greatest barrier to obtaining matching gifts funding is awareness. After all, it’s estimated that over $4 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year. To leverage this source of funding, promote educational content about matching gifts through your marketing channels.
Additionally, you may want to purchase a dedicated matching gifts software solution. The right tool will allow you to embed a matching gift database that donors can use to check their matching gift eligibility. These platforms also allow you to send automated emails to encourage donors to fill out a matching gift request with their employer and create reports to determine if you are making the most of matching gifts. Plus, some solutions include auto-submission features, simplifying the matching gift process even further for donors through automation.
Additional Resources
If your organization has been looking to improve your fundraising strategy, higher education fundraising conferences are great opportunities for you and the other professionals on your team. Through these events, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the best ways to fundraise, empowering you to generate more fundraising revenue for your organization.
If you’re interested in learning more about higher education fundraising, check out these resources:
8 Types of Planned Gifts Your Nonprofit Should Know.Higher education organizations should be prepared to receive planned and legacy gifts. This guide covers the top types of planned gifts you should know about.
Whether someone is celebrating a birthday or needs a pick-me-up, greeting cards show you care. As technology advances, we can bring this joy into the digital space via eCard websites.
Nonprofits, in particular, can sell branded charity eCards to raise money, encourage supporters to send personalized cards to spread awareness, or send greeting cards directly to supporters to show appreciation.
However, you shouldn’t just pick any eCard software. Your organization needs special features like the ability to embed eCards into your website or bulk discounts to stay within your budget.
To narrow down your options, this guide will help your team make smart buying decisions when selecting an eCard website. We’ll cover the following:
If you’re ready to take advantage of all the great benefits eCards offer, let’s get started on our journey. Alternatively, go ahead and launch your efforts forward with our favorite platform!
What eCard Websites Are and How They Work
Before getting too deep into your search, learn the fundamentals of these platforms. Simply put, eCard websites are online platforms that enable users to design and send electronic greeting cards. These websites typically offer pre-designed templates, graphics, and customization options, allowing users to personalize digital cards for different occasions.
For nonprofits, you can sell cards to raise money or send them to supporters during key times to let them know you’re thinking about them.
When leveraging eCard software, here’s how the process typically looks:
Select a website: Choose a site that suits your needs based on features and pricing. We’ll explore specific features to keep an eye out for later. For now, consider features like easy design tools and fundraising capabilities.
Design your eCards: To get a jump start on your project, browse through the platform’s eCard templates. These are typically organized into occasions like birthdays, holidays, and appreciation. Alternatively, design from scratch to make the design completely your own.
Customize the eCard: Personalize each eCard with your own text, images, animations, or videos. You can also adjust other visual elements like fonts and colors to match your branding.
Add the eCards to your website or online store: Think through whether you’ll give greeting cards in exchange for donations. If so, Fundraising Letters’ charity eCards guide explains that depending on your platform, you have a few ways to sell them. Use them as integrated donation forms, offer them on your donation confirmation page, or add them to your online store. From here, your supporters can buy your eCards.
That’s the gist of how these platforms work. Now, let’s take a closer look at the nonprofit-specific benefits of these websites.
Why You Should Leverage eCard Sites
For one, eCard websites provide a convenient, eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper greeting cards. Not to mention, they offer more design options, customization features, and delivery tracking options than direct mail.
Beyond convenience and creative control, online greeting cards have so many great uses for nonprofits. Here’s a quick overview of how you can leverage eCard sites to amplify your work:
Fundraise in a unique way by selling eCards or offering them in exchange for donations.
Celebrate holidays and show supporters you’re thinking of them on important occasions.
Announce upcoming events and initiatives to increase participation.
Boost peer referrals to spread the word about your cause.
In short, the best eCard websites make it easy for organizations to fundraise, expand brand awareness, or express appreciation for volunteers and donors through digital cards. Think carefully through your approach, and you’ll make up whatever you invest in your platform in the form of fundraising dollars or supporter engagement.
How To Choose The Right eCard Website
Before spending your hard-earned fundraising dollars on a website, make sure you know what you’re looking for. Your chosen platform should equip you with everything you need to design branded eCards that stimulate brand awareness and push your fundraising forward.
Let’s dive into some of the key features nonprofit leaders should prioritize.
User-Friendly Design Tools
Chances are, you’re not a nonprofit graphic design pro. With the right nonprofit eCard software, you don’t have to be!
Consider each eCard site’s ease of use and design capabilities when narrowing down your options. Here are some key features that indicate whether a site’s design tools will be intuitive:
Templates to kickstart the design process
The ability to incorporate custom branding by uploading your own graphics
Plenty of colors and fonts to make your design your own
Drag-and-drop functionality to simplify the design process
A library filled with photos and graphics
Each eCard’s design is imperative, so ensure your nonprofit will have no problem creating ones that capture your brand and its cause.
Integrated Fundraising Capabilities
As a nonprofit leader, you’re constantly thinking about how to raise money to support your work. As we touched on, charity eCards are a fantastic way to do that, so make sure the eCard website you choose has integrated fundraising abilities.
In other words, you should be able to offer online greeting cards in exchange for donations. For this approach, we recommended looking for eCard software that enables you to set suggested giving amounts. Alternatively, you might be able to add them as fundraising products in an online store.
You may even be able to tap into advanced features like tribute donations, where supporters can donate on behalf of a loved one and send an eCard letting them know.
Multi-Language Support
Especially if your work spans multiple countries, you should choose a platform that allows you to change the translation of your eCards.
That way, everyone can enjoy your eCards, no matter where they’re located in the world!
Reporting and Insights
Ensure you can track sender and recipient email addresses to know who’s sending and receiving eCards. This is a fantastic way to measure supporter engagement and build a pipeline of likely supporters.
Senders may also be able to enable read receipts. That way, there’s no question as to whether the recipient opened their eCard.
Fair Pricing and Subscription Models
Nonprofits must be thoughtful about how they spend their money. As with any software you purchase, choose an eCard website within your budget.
These types of sites typically follow one of two pricing models:
Pay for a set number of eCards either all at once for a specific time span or individually.
Purchase unlimited eCards for a certain time span, which is more economical if you want to send several to power fundraising and donor relationships.
Choose the model that’s right for your organization based on how many eCards you’ll send.
The Best eCard Website: eCardWidget
Without further ado, we present our favorite eCard platform: eCardWidget. This highly versatile platform makes it incredibly easy to boost audience engagement, build brand loyalty, and add an interactive element to your online presence.
Designed for organizational use, eCardWidget comes equipped with all the features you need to fundraise, spread the word about projects, or let donors know you’re thinking about them on important occasions.
Once you’ve perfected your designs with the user-friendly designer, organize your eCards into campaigns like donation eCards for Valentine’s Day or volunteer thank-you eCards. Then, easily embed the widget into your website or fundraising store. From here, your team can send custom greeting cards to supporters or enable supporters to send them to loved ones. Either way, you’ll have plenty of sending options, including email, social media, and text messages.
When you get started with eCardWidget, you’ll gain access to plenty of useful features, including:
Fundraising capabilities: With eCardWidget, you can turn eCards into a regular part of your fundraising. Sell eCards in your fundraising store or embed the widget into your donation confirmation page to provide an instant give-back with every gift. You can create suggested giving amounts and even enable tribute donations, making a donation to your organization the perfect gift for birthdays and holidays!
User-friendly design tools: Gain complete design control with plenty of customization options. Choose from dozens of templates to get started. Then, use the drag-and-drop tools to incorporate different fonts, colors, and your own images.
eCard statistics: Get powerful insights into who’s sending and receiving emails with reporting. Get copied on all eCards sent through the widget. This feature is great for kickstarting relationships or seeing which supporters are most engaged.
Why We Love This eCard Site
Designing and selling eCards has never been easier. They’ve really thought of everything with this eCard website! Between easy implementation and mobile responsiveness, you’ll have whatever you need to design interactive greeting cards that spark joy and bolster brand awareness.
eCardWidget Pricing: Get started with a free plan, which offers up to 4 eCards and 15 emails per month. All the paid plans offer unlimited eCards and start at just $30 per month.
Other Top eCard Software for Organizations
While eCardWidget checks off all our boxes, there are some other great platforms out there. To give you a sense of your options, here are 10 other top eCard sites that work for nonprofits.
eCard Website 2) Smilebox
If your nonprofit sells fundraising products, this eCard website might be the solution for you.
Smilebox enables users to create animated eCards when they purchase a gift from your online store. At checkout, they’ll be asked if their purchase is a gift. If they select “yes,” they’ll be prompted to create a personalized card to send alongside it. They can also schedule a time to send it, correlating it with the gift’s estimated delivery date.
Sitebox’s Pricing: Request a demo to receive pricing information for this platform.
eCard Website 3) Open Me
Looking for a collaborative approach to eCards? Try out Open Me. This eCard site allows you to send thoughtful digital greeting cards via Facebook and email. You can send them directly to supporters, but our favorite feature is the ability to create group eCards.
With this feature, choose an eCard, sign it with a personal note, and share it with anyone else before it’s sent to the recipient. You’ll be able to select the send date, click the ‘Invite to Sign’ button, and select your delivery method. Thanks to this unique feature, this eCard site is perfect for sending eCards from your team to beneficiaries, supporters, and stakeholders.
This eCard website features eCards designed by artists around the globe, giving you a hand-curated boutique of different styles. When you explore the site, you’ll notice that each eCard includes the artist’s name, so you can find ones whose styles speak to you.
Open Me’s Pricing: Send unlimited eCards for free via Facebook or email by signing up.
eCard Website 4) Evite
Known for virtual event invitations, Evite now offers eCard templates you can customize with text, images, and other visual elements. Whether you want to get ahead of things or a special occasion sneaks up on you, you can use scheduled sending or instant sharing.
Great for spreading event awareness or sending just-because eCards, Evite makes it easy to design custom cards or choose from its premade selection of cards. Customize each design by adding a message or attaching a photo or video.
Your thoughtful words are what will stand out to supporters you send these eCards to. Evite makes it easy to add a message to the front of the card or flip it over to write a longer message on the other side. If you’re at a loss for words, check out the suggested message options that’ll help craft the perfect message. Plus, you can choose from different fonts and adjust the text size to make your eCard look exactly how you want it to.
Evite’s Pricing: Either choose the free version, which includes ads on eCards, or upgrade to a paid account, starting at $15.99 for up to 15 cards. Paid accounts are priced based on how many recipients will receive your cards.
eCard Website 5) Hallmark eCards
We couldn’t leave the company that revolutionized the greeting card business off this list. Since 1910, Hallmark has empowered people to convey their emotions through thoughtful cards. Over a century later, they’re bringing that tradition into the virtual space with its video eCards.
Upload your photos and videos to create a memorable, one-of-a-kind video greeting card. Then, instantly share it via text or email. You also have the option to send a real card, which they can scan with their phone to play your video. How innovative!
With tons of designs to personalize, you can create eCards to send to supporters for any occasion, whether you’re looking for a silly card, a serious design, or something in between.
Hallmark is ideal for nonprofits that want to send highly personalized eCards, making this platform a great source for volunteer or donor appreciation gifts. As explained in re:Charity’s donor appreciation gift guide, greeting cards can be personalized with custom messages, perfect for highlighting an individual supporter’s impact.
Hallmark’s Pricing: Purchase video eCards individually. Most video eCards cost $4.99 and $5.99 depending on whether you purchase a physical card too.
eCard Website 6) Paperless Post
Similar to Evite, Paperless Post is known for its invitation services, but it also offers a selection of greeting cards, too. Featuring world-class brands like Rifle Paper Co. and Kate Spade, Paperless Post has a range of beautifully-designed eCard templates for events and special occasions.
Browse the selection to find your favorite designs. Then, make each eCard your own by customizing everything from the text and images to the virtual envelope lining and stamps. Your supporters will appreciate the extra effort you put into customizing your cards!
The user-friendly interface enables you to easily choose from various themes, styles, and layouts to match your nonprofit’s aesthetics — whether you’re sending event invites or holiday greetings. You can even add animated elements to make your eCards more engaging and memorable. Then, send your eCards to recipients via email, text, or shareable link.
Keep an eye on delivery statuses and gather RSVPs for events thanks to Paperless Post’s tracking and RSVP management features. That way, you’ll know whether your eCards are being delivered and can accurately gauge attendance for nonprofit events.
Paperless Post’s Pricing: Most cards are free for up to 50 emails. To send more than that, you’ll pay a flat fee of $20 for up to 15,000 recipients. Purchase eCards with credits called Coins, starting at $0.12 per coin each depending on how many you buy. Each eCard displays a “starting at” number of coins, which indicates the starting pricing. The final price includes any additional Premium elements you opt to include, like the envelope, liner, stamp, or backdrop.
eCard Website 7) Adobe Creative Cloud Express
For a do-it-yourself approach to your charity eCards, check out Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Design custom eCards that feature your organizations branding — even on the go thanks to the mobile app.
If you’re limited on graphic design experience, select from a wide array of online templates to get started. Then, handpick graphics from their libraries or upload your own photos, icons, and graphics. The platform supports high-resolution graphics and offers precise control over your details, so you can create impactful charity eCards.
Once you’ve perfected your design, hit the download button to save your project and instantly share your eCard across virtual platforms.
You gain complete creative freedom with Adobe’s extensive customization options. Because of its flexible design tools, you can personalize every aspect of your eCards including colors, typography, illustrations, and animations.
Adobe’s Pricing: Adobe is a great free option, but paid premium plans unlock features like the option to auto-apply your nonprofit’s logo, fonts, and colors. Note that verified nonprofits can receive Adobe Express Premium for free as part of the company’s commitment to CSR.
eCard Website 8) Canva
Canva is a well-known graphic design platform that offers a wide range of features, making it well-suited for designing eCards. Its popularity stems from how quickly users can create designs, which applies to designing eCards too.
With this design site, you gain access to a library of more than 420,000 templates, 75 million images, 3.5 million graphic elements, and 3,000 fonts. With countless customizability options, you can create designs perfect for celebrating any occasion with supporters or inviting people to your events.
Note that Canva doesn’t offer an eCard-sending service. Instead, you’ll need to share your eCards directly from the platform or download your designs to use across other channels. Alternatively, go the snail mail route by designing physical cards.
If you want to take a collaborative approach to your eCards, Canva is a solid choice. This eCard website enables collaboration among team members, allowing multiple users to pitch in on the design process.
Canva’s Pricing: Canva’s premium design tools are free for verified nonprofits.
eCard Website 9) Jacquie Lawson
If you love the idea of art-inspired eCards, Jacquie Lawson may be the eCard website for you!
Whether you want watercolor creations or colorful celebratory designs, you’ll have plenty of options. Purchase a membership, then send as many eCards as you want for the duration of your membership.
You’ll also get everything you need from a professionally-run eCard site: an address book, birthday reminders, and a helpline on top of the unique, artfully-drawn designs.
Break out of the traditional eCard realm with Jacquie Lawson. This eCard website offers beautiful, artful designs you can’t get anywhere else. These visually-compelling cards are ideal for propelling your nonprofit’s relationships forward, especially if the unique look correlates with your brand.
Jacquie Lawson’s Pricing: Become a member for the equivalent of four traditional paper cards per year. Monthly plans are $9, annual plans are $30, and 2-year plans are $45.
eCard Website 10) Acme Ecards
Put plenty of thought into your eCard strategy with Acme Ecards. Formerly known as Ecard Mint, this eCard website works to reimagine your nonprofit marketing ideas with bespoke cards designed to grow your brand
Communicate your strategy and digital marketing goals to their team. Then, let them curate your eCard collection by designing animated eCards based on supporter data and history. They’ll handle your email campaigns for you, making every email feel personal to recipients.
For cards fully tailored to your recipients, Acme Ecards is a reliable solution. Humanize your email marketing by letting them take charge of your card designs. They’ll pull from their wide range of pre-designed greeting cards which can be rebranded and worked into any campaign. In no time, you’ll have on-brand bespoke eCards that make your outreach stand out in supporters’ inboxes.
Acme Ecards’ Pricing: Acme’s pricing starts at $90 for first-time customers. Pricing tiers increase primarily based on the number of individuals on your contact list. This site offers discounts for nonprofits, so contact their sales team to learn more.
eCard Website 11) Postable
Postable offers a different take on eCards. While the experience is virtual on your end, recipients will receive a physical card in the mail. Browse their massive collection or create your own unique designs. That means you can fully infuse your nonprofit’s brand. Then, they’ll handwrite the address and eCard’s note for you. They even help curate your online address book, making sending your cards incredibly easy.
If you’re worried about eco-friendliness, it might ease your concerns to know that their cards and envelopes are 100% recycled.
Make your greeting cards even more personal by maintaining the traditional feel of direct mail. The design is fully your own, and you can even choose the handwritten font that each note and address uses.
Postable’s Pricing: An account is totally free. The cards vary in pricing depending on how many you send. Generally, 1-19 cards cost $3.99 each plus stamp fees, while 20 or more cards cost $3.29 plus stamp fees. This eCard site also offers discounted volume pricing, making it great for organizations.
Final Thoughts on eCard Websites
When it comes to fundraising and supercharging supporter relations, nothing quite matches up to eCards. Personalized and visually appealing eCards can strengthen your nonprofit communication and engagement in a snap — but only if you use the right eCard platform!
The right website can make eCards a viable fundraising and marketing avenue for your cause. Keep the key features we mentioned in mind, and you’ll be set to choose the site that best fits your organization’s needs.
While you make your decision, check out some of these helpful resources we hand-curated for you to continue learning:
Charity eCards: How to Create Cards That Make A Difference. Dive into the world of nonprofit eCards. In this guide from eCardWidget, you’ll learn more about what charity eCards are, how to create powerful designs, and how to leverage your newly-purchased eCard software.
20 Volunteer Appreciation Ideas To Foster Relationships. Nonprofit eCards are a wonderful way to say thanks to your generous volunteers. Explore this idea and several others in this guide from the graphic design experts at Kwala.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/eCard-Websites_Feature-1.jpg3801000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-04-02 20:00:402024-09-11 16:40:5410+ Best eCard Websites for Nonprofits to Raise More
Convincing an audience to take any kind of action requires making an effective pitch. Nonprofits know this all too well. When you rely on people’s donated support to push your work forward, you must be able to confidently explain to your donors what you need, why, and what the benefit will be.
A nonprofit case for support is at the root of how you make a compelling pitch to donors. It’s an essential part of running fundraising campaigns and effectively communicating your mission.
What’s more, a case for support can (and should) be an active tool for better fundraising—not just a pre-campaign task to get out of the way, but a real asset that will fuel your success.
So how do you create one? What should your case for support contain? What mistakes should you avoid? We’ve got you covered. This crash course will cover all the essentials, including:
A nonprofit case for support is the core set of reasons why donors should support a particular campaign, project, or organization’s work as a whole. It’s a fundamental fundraising framework or concept on which you can build your campaigns.
Cases can be developed for a wide variety of contexts and audiences, making them extremely flexible tools to guide the fundraising process in any situation. They essentially seek to answer the questions, “Why should someone care, and what are we asking them to do?”
It’s important to note that while this term is often used to describe a tangible document or other resource, the underlying set of arguments themselves comprise the case for support. We’ll take a look at some examples below.
While a case will be distilled into various printed and digital resources during a fundraising campaign, overly fixating on a specific document can ultimately limit a nonprofit’s vision and the overall effectiveness of its case.
Why are cases for support important?
Cases for support give your fundraising team a clear roadmap and talking points to use when promoting your campaigns or overall mission to donors.
When created and used well, a case for support will standardize your messaging and ensure that you communicate a clear, unified, and compelling vision to potential supporters. Then, with the scaffolding in place, your team can use it to create tailored variations, individualized pitches, and all kinds of helpful resources that will support the overall vision of your fundraising campaign.
When do nonprofits create and use cases for support?
Nonprofits develop cases for support in a range of different situations. They might be created to support:
They’re most commonly discussed in the context of capital campaigns as a critical early step in the campaign planning process.
But note that you’ll benefit from a case for support in any situation in which your team will need to make a clear pitch to donors to solicit support. As long as you understand what a case for support is and what it should accomplish, you can use its framework to support your goals.
Who in a nonprofit should create a case for support?
A case for support should be created by the fundraising or development team that will be directly involved in running that particular campaign. An overarching case for support for the organization’s work as a whole should also be owned by the fundraising team.
However, the overall development process should be collaborative. Gathering input and suggestions is an important part of developing a compelling case. Many organizations also seek the direct input of major donors when crafting their cases. Plus, you’ll usually need to secure leadership buy-in on the finalized case for support.
Essential Elements of an Effective Case for Support
A compelling case for support should cover a few essentials. By including these core talking points or sections, you’ll ensure that your team has the strong framework they need to make an effective fundraising pitch.
Objective. What will your campaign accomplish? Why are you fundraising? Be as specific as possible—concrete objectives will always be more compelling than vague or intangible ones because they allow donors to envision the real impact of success.
Fundraising goal. How much money are you seeking to raise to fund your objective? Again, specificity is key. Spell out your needs so that your team can better articulate them to prospects.
Connection to mission. Your mission should be clearly visible through all of your fundraising efforts. Even if it seems self-evident, take the time to define the exact ways that completing your objective will push your nonprofit’s mission forward.
The problem. What is the context behind your objective, or what problem are you intending to solve or alleviate? What steps have you taken to combat it in the past?
The impact. What will the impact of your success be in concrete terms? Projecting impact can be tricky, but it’s always worth doing. Think about how you’ll measure the success of your objective in relation to your mission and use those metrics or key performance indicators to help determine some concrete impact projections.
Call to action. Spur your prospective donor to action. Again, clearly spell out the relationship between your mission, objective, goal, needs, and impact.
You might think that these key talking points might sound like the sections of a grant proposal, and you’re not wrong.
However, keep in mind that, unlike a grant proposal, a case for support can be more flexible and adapted to your specific goals. There’s no one specific format to follow—this will be shaped by the specific fundraising context once you’ve established the core set of arguments and details listed above.
Developing a Case for Support: 9 Steps
You’re ready to develop your next case for support and drive your best fundraising results yet. How do you get started? We break it down into these key steps:
Form a team. A small group of fundraisers or development staff should oversee the case development process. Depending on the purpose or scope of the fundraising campaign, however, you may want to proactively involve a board member or other organizational leader. Organization-wide or capital campaign cases for support are instances when getting a broader leadership perspective early will be helpful.
Determine your case for support guidelines. What’s the context for this case for support? Is it for a particular campaign or initiative? Align your team on the context and purpose.
Draft your key elements. Work through the list of key elements of a case for support above and draft a few sentences for each. Brevity is key—a handful of highly impactful sentences will carry much more weight than rambling paragraphs. Besides, at this stage, you’re seeking to create a framework, not a completed structure!
Ensure coherence. Read your preliminary case for support closely to ensure that it clearly ties back to your organization’s mission. Do the key points you’ve made align with how the campaign is being discussed internally? Are there more compelling talking points or impact details that you might be able to provide?
Review and revise. Take some time as a team to review what you’ve developed. Proofread and look for weak spots in your argument where your claims or calls to action could be better supported. Make quick revisions as needed, but don’t get too bogged down in creating the perfect finished product just yet.
Test and refine. Next, seek feedback outside of your case for support committee. Other fundraisers, marketers, and leaders in your organization may have helpful perspectives. If you’re developing a case for support for a capital campaign, this is when you’ll gather direct donor feedback through a feasibility study. Make adjustments to your case and campaign plans as needed to ensure your strategy and argument are set up to succeed.
Secure buy-in. Present your finalized case for support to organizational and/or campaign leadership as needed. Get their feedback and approval to move forward with using the case as the basis for your fundraising messaging going forward.
Save and share. Save your case for support in a central, accessible digital location. Then, publicize it to your broader fundraising and marketing teams.
Distill into campaign materials. Over time, as your fundraising campaign progresses into new stages that target different audiences, use your case for support to guide the messaging in new campaign materials. Brochures, email appeals, letters, texts—everything related to your campaign or this particular fundraising push should be part of a coherent whole.
Expert Tips for a More Compelling Case for Support
Now that you understand the process and purpose of creating a case for support for your campaign, what are the tactical tips to keep in mind when actually drafting it? We’ve got some recommendations.
1. Make it impact-centric.
Your case for support should revolve around the positive impacts of your success. This is the ultimate reason for the campaign and its objective, so there should be a crystal-clear throughline from the ask to the objective to the impact.
Not only will this ensure coherent, compelling messaging across your campaign later, but it’s also increasingly thought of as a prerequisite by many donors. If donors are unclear on what exactly will happen with their gift and how it will go towards the problem at hand, it’ll be harder to secure their support. In fact, younger generations are much more likely to say they will not donate if they’re unsure what the charity will do with the money (37.8% of Gen Z donors vs. 15.2% of Mature age donors).
2. Gather compelling storytelling details.
While your core case for support should be concise, aim to embed compelling storytelling elements that will help make the ask and impact real to your donors. Help them understand and feel the urgency surrounding the problem that your campaign’s objective will solve.
While preparing a case for support, gather a range of storytelling details that you can use later when developing more fleshed-out and tailored variations for your campaign marketing materials. These could include:
Anecdotes and testimonials from constituents and donors (with their permission)
Photos of your nonprofit’s programs at work
Data to support your claims about the problem and your objective’s projected impact
Assembling this kind of “case for support kit” will be extremely helpful once it’s time to create campaign materials like web pages, brochures, email templates, and more—see the examples below for this strategy in action.
3. Boost your persuasion power with clear writing.
Persuasive writing is direct, clear, and evocative—set your fundraising materials up for success by baking these qualities into your case for support from the very start. Consider these best practices:
Keep sentences short and impactful. Write as specifically as possible to naturally keep things concise.
Avoid using too many adjectives and adverbs to describe things and problems. Let the details and the context speak for themselves and paint a picture for readers.
Be intentional and specific with your word choices. It’s easy in nonprofit work to get bogged down in vague generalities and jargon, but these will never give you the impact you need to make a convincing pitch to people who aren’t knee-deep in your mission all day.
Understand the power of passive and active voice. Active voice tends to be clearer and more impactful and should take precedence in your core case for support. Passive voice has its role and is more helpful for explaining complex thoughts and situations, but try to wait until you’re writing longer-form campaign materials to use it.
4. Understand your audience and context.
Actively think about who your case for support is speaking to and why they should care about your mission and ask.
For many cases for support, you’ll be writing to a general audience of supporters. In others, you’ll be targeting a more specific segment from the get-go, like
Draft your case for support with the interests and motivations of your audience in mind. For example, positive brand awareness is a prime motivator for corporate partners, so make sure your core case statements highlight the size of your audience and the public reach that your organization has. Tax incentives often motivate major and non-cash donors, so you can mention these when discussing the positive impacts (both for your mission and your donors) that your fundraising initiative will have.
Getting Specific: Using Data to Take Your Case for Support to the Next Level
Concrete details make for more effective pitches. When compiling a new case for support and any associated kits of details and stories, don’t forget the data.
For a case for support, this supporting data might include information like:
Details about other funding sources for the campaign or project
Information about your corporate partners
Your organization’s current matching gift revenue
Statistics about your volunteer program
Why gather this information? Depending on the audience and context of your case for support, being prepared with this data can be extremely helpful.
For example, major donors might want to know it to gauge your organization’s effectiveness before committing to a large gift. Foundations and sponsors might require this information. In very specific circumstances, like if you’re laying out the case to recruit sponsors for a special donation match challenge, information about the scope of your fundraising efforts will be integral to the agreement.
By having this data on hand and baked into the messaging guidelines of your case for support, you’ll be able to easily create detailed, custom pitches for your prospects.
You might already have much of this information in your CRM. For data specific to your grants or corporate philanthropy efforts, be sure to use dedicated grant management and corporate philanthropy tools that make it easy to generate reports and projections (and to raise more of these funds in general).
Check out this video to learn more about how the right platform, like Double the Donation, can not only unlock new revenue streams for your nonprofit but also equip you with the tools you need to build and report more thriving giving programs all around:
Watch Out! 5 Case for Support Pitfalls to Avoid
Creating a case for support should become second nature anytime your organization takes on a significant new fundraising campaign or launches a new giving program. What are the common mistakes to avoid along the way?
Mistake 1: Starting with a document or brochure.
Remember, a case for support is a set of persuasive arguments and details, not just a document. You’ll distill your case into a wide range of campaign materials like brochures, emails, web pages, and more, but jumping ahead to that stage might limit your vision and the case’s overall effectiveness.
Mistake 2: Not securing buy-in.
A case for support is a foundational fundraising resource—your organization should feel confident that the pitch it lays out aligns with your vision and goals for the campaign. If you don’t get sign-off from campaign or organizational leaders early, you might risk needing to backtrack later to update fundraising materials that were based on an outdated version of the case.
Mistake 3: Not testing your case for major campaigns.
A case for support allows you to test your pitch in the lead-up to a capital campaign. These kinds of major fundraising campaigns are big investments of your time and resources, and they have high stakes, so you need to ensure your messaging is as effective as possible early in the process. Use a feasibility study to introduce a small group of high-impact supporters to your campaign, ask for feedback on your case for support, and use their input to improve it before moving forward.
Mistake 4: Becoming too donor- or organization-centric.
The focus in a case for support should be on the positive impact that will be created when you achieve your campaign’s objective. Nonprofits often see advice about making donors the heroes of their pitches, but that’s not necessarily the goal in a case for support. You can emphasize their role in later messages that you create using the case for support. Similarly, avoid overly-centering your organization as the active player—it’s all about the objective and impact at this stage.
Mistake 5: Veering into scarcity-thinking.
Your case for support should convey a positive and ambitious but realistic vision for achieving your objective. Avoid limiting yourself (and using toned-down or pessimistic language) in your case for support since its core messages will make their way into all of your fundraising materials later. While you don’t want to positivity-whitewash the problem you’re tackling, which might downplay the urgency, you should still emphasize your strengths and come off as confident.
Nonprofit Case for Support Examples
Let’s take a look at some strong examples of case for support documents created by leading nonprofits. We’ll examine them from both sides:
This is the public-facing case for support for an ambitious 10-year initiative, The UNICEF and WHO Joint Programme on Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being and Development of Children and Adolescents. This campaign seeks to raise $50 million in donation commitments to achieve its crystal-clear objective:
“By 2030, children and adolescents living in countries targeted under the Joint Programme will experience reduced suffering and improved mental health and psychosocial well-being and development.”
This is a “global” case for support document for the campaign, meaning it can serve as the single source of truth for fundraisers to create new campaign materials and have more targeted discussions with prospective donors. Its high quality also means it could easily be shared directly with prospects and news outlets as-is, too.
What this Case for Support Does Well
Includes extremely clear and impactful language
Repeats key phrases and vision statements across the entire document
Conveys true urgency without coming across as dark or dire
Emphasizes the impact of proposed solutions and provides statistics to back them up
Very clearly structured with headings that reinforce the purpose of the document
Internal Case for Support: YMCA
This is an internally-facing case for support written by the team at the Santa Monica Family YMCA to support an annual fundraising campaign.
This particular case document could be an extremely helpful example for your nonprofit. It gives us a direct glimpse into what a working case for support looks like and what kind of information yours should include.
We love how mission-centric this example is—every section clearly connects back to the organization’s mission of strengthening communities through supporting youth and fostering healthy living. With this resource in hand, it would be easy for YMCA fundraisers to craft compelling gift solicitations and promotional materials.
What this Case for Support Does Well
Begins by clarifying the purpose of the resource for YMCA staff
Clearly connects all sections back to the organization’s mission
Explains core programs and areas of operation in easily-repeatable language for use in more materials and donor discussions
Ends with a short library of constituent stories broken down by program—invaluable for fundraisers in the field!
Writing a case for support (for a campaign, event, or just for your fundraising efforts in general) is one of the most important things you can do to set your nonprofit up for success.
With an easy-to-use guide on how to talk about your objectives, needs, goals, and plans, your team will be able to tackle any fundraising challenge with ease. If you need to draft a case of support of your own, start by working through the “Essential Elements” explained above and following our recommended steps. You’ll be engaging your prospects, funders, and corporate partners with compelling fundraising pitches in no time.
To keep learning, explore these additional fundraising guides:
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/nonprofit-case-for-support-guide.png7502000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-04-02 12:19:372025-03-03 20:10:06The Art of Persuasion: How to Build a Case for Support
Corporate giving is a big deal for nonprofits. Giving USA’s latest report estimates that companies gave an incredible $29.48 billion to charities in the U.S. in just one year, showing how generous businesses can be. Matching gifts are a special part of this, and these programs provide the easiest way to tap into that funding.
You can multiply your donors’ contributions just by having them fill out a simple form for their employers. However, a jaw-dropping $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year. Charities have a huge chance to get more support, and we’re excited to shed some light on the basics of matching gifts.
What Are Matching Gifts?
Matching gifts are a type of philanthropy program where companies match donations their employees make to eligible nonprofits, effectively doubling the contribution to the charity. For example, if a Home Depot employee donates $50 to an eligible charity, the company will also donate $50, doubling the total contribution.
This workplace giving program not only amplifies the impact of the original donation but also encourages a culture of giving within the company, aligning corporate resources with employees’ charitable interests. It’s a win-win-win for companies, their employees, and nonprofits!
How Do Matching Donations Work?
When an employee donates to a nonprofit, they can submit a request with details about their gift to their employer, typically through an online portal. Then, the company reviews the donation against their program criteria. If the donation qualifies, the company makes an equivalent donation to the same organization. After receiving the matching donation, the nonprofit should acknowledge the individual donor and their employer.
Note that donation and eligibility requirements will vary depending on the company. When launching a matching gift program, a company will define specifics such as:
Maximum Donation Amount: There’s usually an upper limit on the amount a company will match per employee annually. The average maximum match amount is currently $3,728.
Minimum Donation Amount: This is the lowest donation amount a company will match. Some companies lower barriers to participation by setting very low donation amounts, such as $1 or $5. According to that same resource we just referenced, the average minimum match amount is $34.
Match Ratio: The match ratio defines how much the company will contribute in relation to the employee’s donation. It’s commonly 1:1. Although it can vary, with some being as generous as 3:1 (AKA a $3 company match for every dollar) or more conservative like .5:1.
Employee Eligibility: Companies often restrict employee eligibility to full-time employees, with some programs also extending to part-time staff, retirees, spouses, and board members.
Nonprofit Eligibility: Companies specify which types of nonprofits qualify for matching gifts. Often, they state that 501(c)(3) charities are eligible, but they sometimes exclude certain categories, such as political or religious groups.
A matching gift database can help you quickly find these guidelines. You can easily search for specific companies where your donors work and pull up these criteria.
Benefits of Corporate Matching Gifts For Nonprofits
At its core, matching gifts amplify nonprofits’ fundraising revenue without requiring additional donations from supporters. Here are just some of the ways pursuing matching gifts can impact your nonprofit:
Broadened Donor Base: Participation in matching gift programs can increase your nonprofit’s visibility among corporate employees, leading to more awareness and support. In fact, 84% of surveyed donors will donate if they’re match-eligible, making matching gifts a great donor acquisition strategy.
Higher Donations: Knowing their gift will be matched, donors will feel encouraged to make larger donations than they might otherwise. 1 in 3 donors will give a larger donation than originally planned if a matching gift is offered.
Stronger Corporate Ties: By engaging in matching gift programs, nonprofits can build and strengthen partnerships with companies, leading to further support and collaboration. Even if a company can’t offer a built-out program, they may be willing to set up a one-off matching gift program and only match donations to your organization.
Improved Donor Retention: Donors who participate in matching gift programs are more likely to feel their contributions are valuable and may be more inclined to donate again in the future.
Best of all, companies are being more generous with matching gifts. Our research on corporate philanthropy trends found that more companies are matching donations at higher rates, lowering minimum donation amounts, and increasing maximum donation amount requirements. That means higher employee participation and more dollars for your nonprofit!
Benefits of Matching Gift Programs For Companies
Corporate giving is intended to be mutually beneficial. By understanding how these programs also impact companies, you can advocate for them when approaching your corporate partners. Here are some of the enticing reasons companies launch these programs:
Better Corporate Image: Companies can improve their trust with consumers and employees by demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility.
More Satisfied Employees: Workplace giving programs like corporate matching gifts show that a company cares about its employees’ values. Employees will be more likely to donate and contribute to a culture of giving within the company.
Talent Acquisition:77% of employees reported that “a sense of purpose” was part of the reason they selected their current employer. What’s more, 2 out of every 3 young employees won’t take a job at a company with poor CSR practices, so programs like matching gifts can help attract talent.
Tax Benefits: Contributions made through matching gift programs are often tax-deductible, providing financial incentives for the company.
From improved brand reputation to happier employees, matching gift programs have many positive implications for companies. Nonprofits Source’s corporate giving trends article shares that many companies are developing year-round strategies as a way to experience these benefits and make an enduring difference!
How Nonprofits Can Identify Matching Gift Opportunities
It all starts with spreading the word. Educate your donors about matching gifts by urging them to check their eligibility in all fundraising appeals, sending informative matching gift letters, featuring matching gifts on your ‘Ways to Give’ page, and posting about matching gifts on social media. You can even have your corporate partners promote matching gifts to their employees!
As we mentioned, a matching gift database is your best bet for identifying match-eligible donors. For example, the Double the Donation database puts the most up-to-date forms, guidelines, and instructions at your fingertips. It covers 99.68% of matching gift-eligible donors, which is more than 26.8 million individuals.
Easily embed our search tool into your donation form, a dedicated matching gift page, your Ways to Give page, and post-donation emails. That way, donors can search for their employers and determine their eligibility during key parts of their journey.
Our matching gift software automates the process of finding matching gift donors, so you can monitor match status and follow up automatically on all opportunities.
Create custom emails that follow up with donors based on their eligibility for corporate matching gifts. For instance, match-eligible donors will be prompted to submit their matching gift requests to their employer. Meanwhile, donors with unknown match status may be prompted to research their eligibility.
Examples of Matching Gift Programs
Here are several examples of matching gift programs that’ll give you a sense of how different these programs can be across different companies:
Google offers multiple matching gift programs to employees and board members. It will match up to $10,000 in general personal donations annually per employee and an additional $10,000 annually toward disaster relief at a 1:1 ratio. Google also offers fundraising matches, in which it will match the funds employees raise for charitable events. Requests must be submitted by January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
Checkr will match contributions from full-time and part-time employees starting at $1. The maximum amount depends on the campaign, and most 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible.
General Electric matches employees’ donations from $25 to $5,000 dollar-for-dollar annually. Most nonprofits are eligible, and matching gifts must be registered by April 15th of the year following the donation date.
Soros Fund Management will only match full-time employees’ charitable contributions between $25 and $100,000 annually. The match ratio varies and goes up to 2:1. The donor must request the matching gift within one year of the donation.
GAP offers matches from $10 to a notable $15,000 per year at a 1:1 ratio. Full-time, part-time, and retired employees from the GAP and its subsidiaries are eligible, but maximum matching gift amounts vary by position.
CarMax matches gifts between $25 to $5,000 at a 1:1 ratio. Full-time, part-time, and retired employees are all eligible. CarMax also matches gifts from dependents up to age 26.
Choice Hotels matches employee donations between $25 to $1,500 at a 1:1 ratio. Both full-time and part-time corporate employees are eligible.
Capital Group matches donations between $25 to $5,000 at a generous 2:1 rate. Full- and part-time employees are eligible, and retirees are eligible for their first two years after retiring!
The Coca-Cola Company provides a generous 2:1 match ratio for donations between $25 and $10,000. That equates to a maximum $20,000 Coke contribution. Only full-time and retired employees are eligible, and match requests must be completed by February 28th of the calendar year after the gift is made.
Every company’s matching gift program is different, which shows why nonprofits should use matching gift software to locate companies’ guidelines.
Other Resources to Explore
Nonprofit Basics – Learn more nonprofit management essentials by exploring other expert resources.
Today, companies are diving deep into social good causes in large part due to the rise of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which reflects a company’s efforts toward improving society. One of the biggest programs to come from CSR is workplace giving.
Workplace giving programs are important to more organizations than just the companies that run them. Nonprofit organizations all over the world benefit from CSR initiatives, with workplace giving at the forefront, raising approximately $5 billion every year.
Both companies and nonprofits should focus on workplace giving to reap its unique benefits. That’s why we’re going to cover the following topics:
Workplace giving can have a huge impact on society as a whole, benefiting nonprofits all over the globe. But there’s more to it than that. Let’s get started.
1. What is workplace giving?
Workplace giving is a company-sponsored program that provides its employees with the opportunity to financially support nonprofit organizations.
Through workplace giving, employees can make charitable donations to the nonprofits they care about.
Workplace giving is an umbrella term, which means it can refer to multiple types of programs. Diversifying workplace giving can encourage greater employee participation. When you provide multiple ways to get involved, employees have the freedom to choose how they want to give and actively take part in the process as a result.
As part of workplace giving, companies can choose to:
Match donations.Corporate matching gift programs are a form of workplace giving in which companies financially match donations their employees make to nonprofits, essentially doubling employees’ donations.
Offer volunteer grants. For employees who might not be able to donate financially, they can still donate their time. Employees who volunteer on a regular basis with a nonprofit can submit a volunteer grant request to their employer. This means the nonprofit will receive a donation from the employer based on the number of hours the employee volunteered.
Payroll deductions. Payroll deductions are one of the most common types of workplace giving. Rather than employees going out of their way to make donations, payroll deductions automatically deduct a portion of their paychecks to donate to a charity of their choice. Payroll deductions are usually small but can quickly add up, allowing one nonprofit supported by an entire company to amass significant financial support.
Of these programs, corporate matching gifts are arguably the most effective and important giving channel to focus on as both a company and a nonprofit. Most companies match at a 1:1 ratio (a dollar for a dollar), but ratios can range from 0.5:1 to 4:1. Many companies also match donations to a wide range of organizations, with few restrictions.
Workplace giving can be enhanced by any of the programs we’ve already mentioned. But the most important thing to remember is that when companies offer multiple ways to give to charities, employee participation as a whole will rise.
2. Why workplace giving matters for companies
Beyond the social good workplace giving promotes all around, there are specific benefits for companies:
When it comes to employee engagement, a company’s employees tend to be happier working for companies that support generous giving initiatives, and companies with happy employees outperform their competition by 20%.
69% of employees feel a stronger sense of loyalty to their employer if they have a workplace giving program. This loyalty leads to higher retention, meaning less turnover and more time spent investing in experienced employees rather than training new ones.
Apart from internal benefits, companies also maintain a positive public image in the communities in which they operate. 84% of consumers state they have more trust in businesses that have charitable giving programs.
Your company has spent a lot of time and energy setting up its workplace giving program, and you can start reaping its benefits faster the easier employee participation is. After all, the more your employees take part in workplace giving, the happier they’ll be.
Employers can spend less time tracking and reporting on employee giving and matching gift submissions, reducing the administrative workload it takes to manage workplace giving. And it’s all while making a larger impact on the causes their employees care about!
3. Why workplace giving matters for nonprofits
It’s obvious that workplace giving campaigns help nonprofits financially. But the benefits go deeper than that.
When companies emphasize corporate matching gifts and other workplace giving programs, nonprofits benefit tremendously. This is because:
Workplace giving builds stronger relationships between nonprofits and companies/employees. Even charitable employees can forget to give on occasion, but workplace giving makes interacting with nonprofits a routine part of their schedule, increasing interactions and strengthening their investment in the nonprofits they give to.
Long-term relationships between nonprofits and companies lead to ongoing partnerships. When multiple employees give to the same nonprofit, leadership may be inspired to take their support to the next level with corporate sponsorships for the nonprofit’s events and programs.
Nonprofits can better serve their constituents and their missions. Nonprofits also save time and resources by participating in workplace giving programs. They can receive gifts in a cost-efficient way without spending time soliciting donations. Instead, that time can go to doing good.
When companies do everything they can to encourage employees to participate in workplace giving programs, nonprofits gain more than just monetary support. They’ll become part of a larger community that helps them reach their goals.
How auto-submission helps
With higher participation rates by companies and their employees, auto-submission leads to greater revenue for the nonprofits on the receiving end of the relationship. More matching gifts are processed with auto-submission, meaning charitable organizations in need of support earn more revenue.
Not to mention, matching gift auto-submission directly addresses obstacles that nonprofit fundraisers have been facing for years! Common roadblocks, such as a lack of donor awareness of workplace giving programs and non-completed submission forms, are eliminated with auto-submission. Donors are more inclined to complete their end of the process when it’s as easy as a single click, and they’re also likely to keep giving and matching year after year.
4. Why workplace giving matters for employees
Workplace giving doesn’t just benefit companies and nonprofits. As previously mentioned, companies that participate in workplace giving maintain a higher employee engagement rate and lower turnover.
Let’s look at how workplace giving programs can further benefit employees specifically:
Employees give to reputable charities. One of the benefits of workplace giving—especially for employees—is that they can be certain they’re giving to reputable organizations. Generally, workplace giving programs screen the nonprofits that are allowed to participate. This means employees can rest assured their donations are going to a good cause.
Employees give in smaller increments. Employees who might not be able to donate a large sum at once can benefit from automatic payroll deductions. The smaller amounts deducted from each paycheck will add up over time, and, when paired with a matching gift from their employer, add up to make a real impact.
Employees make a larger impact overall. Even if employees are only able to donate in small increments, their gifts combine with those of thousands of employees across the country. These donations are also unrestricted, meaning nonprofits can use them however they see fit to continue fulfilling their mission.
There are many reasons why workplace giving matters, and for employees, being able to donate effectively to worthy causes is a big one.
How auto-submission helps
A nonprofit’s donors want to make a significant impact on their favorite organizations’ missions. Additionally, a company’s staff appreciates the opportunity to involve their employer in the causes they care about. Luckily, auto-submission makes every step in the process easier.
When an employee who qualifies for auto-submission gives to an organization equipped with Double the Donation’s tools, a matching gift request can be completed in mere seconds—no website redirects, separate login processes, or repetition of donation information.
This empowers more employees to get involved in their companies’ workplace giving programs that would have otherwise been deterred by a complicated process.
5. How can companies implement and maintain workplace giving programs?
For companies, reporting tools are crucial to their workplace giving programs’ success. If a company doesn’t have a set process in place for tracking matching gifts, volunteer grant requests, payroll deduction options, and other components of their giving programs, measuring what impact the company has made becomes challenging.
Reporting enables your company to maintain transparency, which tends to be low among corporate philanthropy programs. As a result, only 1 in 10 consumers state that they trust corporate giving programs as compared to nonprofit programs.
That’s why many companies invest in workplace giving solutions to effectively track each task, their CSR initiatives, their goals, and any pending requests. There are many types of workplace giving platforms, so be sure to look for tools that meet your company’s needs.
More specifically, if you’re running a matching gift, volunteer grant, or payroll deduction program, below are key features to look for in your workplace giving solution:
Centralized employee donation tracking
Streamlined approval process for nonprofit types, donation matches, and volunteer grants
Volunteer event setup and management
Volunteer hour tracking
Payroll integration
When you choose workplace giving software that offers the tools you need to manage each component of your giving program, it’ll be much easier for your employees to get involved and for your company to track your overall CSR initiatives and progress.
How can companies offer the best workplace giving programs for employees?
According to corporate giving research, one of the largest considerations as to whether employees will participate in a workplace giving program revolves around how easy it is for them to get involved. For many donors, that idea is based heavily on the different ways that they’re able to give.
For example, our studies show the following:
96% of employees at companies with matching gift programs have a strong or very strong preference for their company to match donations made directly to a nonprofit (such as through the nonprofit’s website, peer-to-peer fundraising platform, or mail) rather than only matching donations through a workplace giving software platform.
This idea boils down to the fact that employees do not want to participate in an employee giving program that is restricted to gifts made through just their employer’s workplace giving platform. The more options a company has for employees to support the nonprofits they care about, the more likely they are to partake.
Along similar lines, if you want more employees to get involved with your matching gifts initiatives, adjust your requirements to offer low minimum donations, high maximums, and liberal submission deadlines, and expand the types—full-time, part-time, and retired—of employees who can have their gifts matched.
Once a match-eligible donation has been made, it’s equally (if not more) important that the match submission process is quick and easy. Again, this is where matching gift auto-submission—made available through Double the Donation in partnership with select workplace giving platforms—can come in handy.
How can companies actively promote workplace giving programs?
The best thing a company can do to promote workplace giving—and to help nonprofits in the process—is to educate their employees.
Feature your workplace giving programs in employee onboarding materials. More specifically, you should highlight:
Matching gift programs
Volunteer grant opportunities
Payroll deductions
Paid time off to volunteer
Other opportunities to support nonprofits
Educating your employees when you first launch your program and offering reminders throughout the year will keep your CSR initiatives at the forefront of your company culture.
Of course, it’s always a good practice to get employee feedback on your workplace giving programs. This will help you determine whether your program is accessible and effective. Send out surveys and allow employees to vote on the types of nonprofits or causes they want to support or even the types of workplace giving programs they want to see offered.
Additional workplace giving resources
If you’re interested in starting a workplace giving program, hopefully, this guide has served as a helpful start to learning more about employee giving opportunities and why workplace giving matters in the long run. Whether you’re part of a company or nonprofit, the benefits of taking part in workplace giving programs are endless.
To learn more about this extensive topic, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite resources below:
Corporate leaders oversee relationship management on many fronts, including employee engagement and customer satisfaction, and corporate gift-giving is an effective strategy to tackle it. After all, 57% of employees and 52% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to companies that provide gifts.
However, companies must give gifts fairly and responsibly for them to have the desired effect—and that’s where corporate gift-giving laws come in. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about these policies on presents, including:
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at gift-giving basics!
Corporate Gift-Giving Laws FAQS
What are corporate gift-giving laws?
Corporate gift-giving laws are policies created by a company to standardize internal and external gift-giving, helping prevent bribery, favoritism, and other conflicts of interest. These policies generally outline the circumstances in which the company’s employees can give or receive gifts, including:
Who can give and receive gifts? Corporate gift-giving laws outline gift exchanges between peers, superiors, and clients.
What gifts are appropriate? Policies concerning corporate gift-giving may define the types of gifts that can be given or received, such as specific tangible items or monetary gifts.
When should gifts be given? Corporate gift-giving laws should specify how often gifts can be given to monitor the amount of gifts that are sent or received.
How much can be spent on gifts? A well-planned policy outlines the budget for gift-giving, determining how much can be spent on a gift.
With a policy that lays out these details, your company will be equipped to start exchanging gifts with clients, employees, business partners, and other contacts to strengthen relationships with your professional network. Let’s break this down further by examining the essentials of gift-giving and receiving.
What is an employee gift policy?
Giving employees gifts can have a significant impact on your company’s efforts to recognize, engage, and retain employees. Generosity can also increase productivity, with 81% of employees stating they are more likely to work harder when an employer appreciates their efforts.
This means your company should craft an employee gift policy that outlines how you’ll show appreciation through gifts and under what circumstances. This policy will depend on the following elements:
To deduct these expenses, your company must have records that include the details of the amount spent and prove the business purpose of the gift. This also applies to gifts given indirectly to an employee, such as to a spouse or family member.
However, some types of gifts, such as gifts that can be considered entertainment, are not tax deductible. For example, if you were to gift clients bottles of wine and take them to an orchestra performance, the wine bottles would be tax deductible but the orchestra tickets would not.
Employee gift reporting
For the sake of accountability and to keep your books in order, determine how your company will report the gifts it gives. This will be an important part of your policy, which not only lays out the gift-giving process but also how you’ll report and track gifts.
Be sure to keep thorough records including:
The value of the gift
When the gift was given
Who the recipient was
The reason for the gift
Determine who will be in charge of recording employee gifts and where these records should live.
What are corporate gift acceptance policies?
Aside from giving gifts, your company may also receive gifts from clients, customers, or other corporations. To account for this, create a gift acceptance policy that determines which gifts are given and under what circumstances they’re acceptable on behalf of your company.
How to Create Corporate Gift-Giving Laws
So how do you get started, and what should you include? Create corporate gift-giving laws for your company using the following steps:
Determine who can give gifts. Decide which members of your company’s leadership have the authority to purchase and give gifts. For example, should managers have the authority to give employee gifts, or should they recommend certain employees for rewards and leave the gift-giving to leadership?
Define the circumstances for gift-giving. Write out the purpose of gift-giving and under which circumstances gifts are appropriate. For example, if your company seeks to give gifts as part of its employee recognition strategy, you might create a gift-giving timeline based on specific work-related accomplishments or anniversaries.
Set price limits on gifts. Outline specific price limits in your gift policy. Consider setting price ranges for various gift types and occasions. For example, a work anniversary might warrant a $50 plaque while a retirement gift could be more expensive. Remember your gifts may vary based on availability or the purpose of the gift.
Identify any unacceptable gift ideas. Provide flexibility for the types of gifts that can be given, but recognize that some gifts should never be given. For example, gifting a pair of jeans with no relevance or branding to your business could be inappropriate and unprofessional. Make a list of specific gift items that shouldn’t be given under any circumstances.
Make provisions for this policy to be adjusted in the future, if necessary. It’s difficult to include everything, and you may encounter a unique situation in the future that calls for you to revisit your policy. To visualize how you might put these key elements together in one, comprehensive policy, let’s go over a template!
Corporate Gift-Giving Policy Template
If you need help getting started, fill in this template with your company’s unique information:
[Company’s name] recognizes gifting as a customary practice and a meaningful way to show appreciation. To avoid perceptions of bribery, favoritism, and other conflicts of interest, this policy will outline the guidelines and acceptable norms for giving and receiving gifts.
Definitions “Gift” refers to cash, goods, or services of commercial value that are given to an individual for personal benefit without any expected return of payment.
Scope This policy applies to [list roles that should follow this policy]. At [Company’s name], the following individuals are authorized to give or receive gifts on behalf of the company: [List individuals allowed to give or receive gifts]
Unacceptable Gifts The following gifts are unacceptable to be given or received on behalf of [Company’s name]: Gifts of expensive electronic items, such as mobile phones, laptops, or TVs. Personal gifts of clothing or jewelry are inappropriate and strictly prohibited. [List any other unacceptable gifts]
Price Limits [Company’s name] shall adhere to the following price ranges when giving gifts: Employee recognition gifts should not exceed [Amount]. Work anniversary gifts for any employee should not exceed [Amount]. Gifts accepted from clients/customers should not exceed [Amount].
Gift Receipts After giving or receiving a gift, any employee at [Company’s name] should record the gift by [Process for recording gifts].
Consider also creating a gift refusal letter template that employees or leadership can use to appropriately represent your company in the event they must decline a gift.
Corporate Gift Ideas
Coming up with a list of acceptable gifts can help you further standardize the process of rewarding employees and stewarding customers. Consider the following gift ideas.
Matching gifts
While matched donations aren’t tangible or deliverable via a gift bag, they’re a great way to show employees that your company cares about the same causes they do. Incorporate a matching gift program into your company’s existing philanthropic efforts and add guidelines to your employee handbook or portal so your team knows how to participate.
To encourage employees to participate in your program, invest in CSR software with auto-submission capabilities. This will connect your company’s information and matching gift request form to matching gift databases, allowing employees to automatically submit a match request upon making a donation.
As a result, your company will see the following benefits:
Elevated employee engagement: Employees will be more engaged when they know your company values them—and the causes they value. Automating matching gift requests demonstrates your company’s eagerness to give and support the causes your employees care about.
Increased program impact: Auto-submission streamlines the management of your company’s corporate giving programs. Plus, you’ll make it easier for employees to give and ultimately increase your company’s social impact.
Add to the impact of your matching gift program by further building out your CSR initiatives. For example, you might launch a corporate volunteer program in which your team can volunteer for nonprofits together or a volunteer grant to donate monetarily in response to their individual volunteer hours.
eCards
Whether you’re celebrating an employee’s birthday, wishing a customer a happy holiday season, or thanking a team leader for their hard work, thank-you messages can be simple yet meaningful gifts.
eCard software allows you to create customizable, digital greeting cards for any occasion, meaning your company can develop an arsenal of greeting cards for birthdays, work anniversaries, celebrating accomplishments, or any other situation warranting a gift.
For example, let’s say you want to recognize an employee for going above and beyond in their urgency and responsiveness. Here’s how you could create an eCard to thank them:
Design the eCard: Create a design for the eCard that calls out the purpose of the message. In this example, you could title the card, “Best-in-class responsiveness” to thank an employee for prompt communication.
Add a personal message: Personalize the card with a message so the recipient knows exactly what they did to receive a card and why their actions mattered. For example, you might write, “Thanks for helping jump on the client call on such short notice!”
Opt-in to notifications: eCard software can notify you when the recipient opens their eCard, allowing you to track how and when employees engage with your appreciation messages.
With these features, you’ll be able to send unique eCards to employees and clients alike. Plus, by making the tool available to your team, you’ll encourage your staff to send eCards to each other and recognize their peers.
Tangible gifts
While any tangible gifts you give will be unique to the occasion and the recipient, here are a few ideas to kickstart your shopping:
Gift baskets
Wellness boxes
Personalized stationery
Sample products from your business
Tangible gifts are tricky to navigate since they require a careful balance between being personally meaningful and professional. Be sure to outline any relevant requirements for choosing tangible gifts in your corporate gift-giving laws to provide clear guidelines for choosing these gifts.
Tribute gifts
Aside from matching employees’ donations, your business can also give on their behalf to the causes they care about! For example, if you know that an employee volunteers at a local animal shelter, consider donating to that shelter on their behalf as an appreciation gift.
Additional Resources for Creating Corporate Gift-Giving Laws
Corporate gift-giving laws are unique to the organization that creates them, which is why your policy should foremost address your organization’s needs. For example, smaller, close-knit teams might have more flexibility while larger companies will need strict guidelines to ensure gift-giving is fair.
Consider where your company aims to be in the future and leave room in your policies to adapt to these changes. For example, do you plan to double your staff? Will you serve a new client base? As you consider your company’s growth and the policies that you’ll need in place to account for it, look over the following resources for more tips:
22 Employee Recognition Platforms To Recharge Your Workplace. Gifts are great for employee recognition, but there are additional tools you can use to reinvigorate your team! Browse this list of employee recognition platforms to find the right ones for your company.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Double-the-Donation_corporate-gift-giving-laws_feature-copy-1.png6001300Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-03-29 10:57:472024-03-29 10:57:47Corporate Gift-Giving Laws: How to Make Policies on Presents
At Double the Donation, we partner with nonprofits across the country to help them increase their revenue through corporate matching gift programs and volunteer grants. We frequently receive requests from nonprofits asking for information on companies local to their area that offer such programs.
Today, we’re examining the largest city in Maryland– Baltimore– and the matching gift opportunities it holds. We’ve pulled together a shortlist of the city’s top opportunities, and are going to detail the programs of the following companies:
Black & Decker
Lockheed Martin
T. Rowe Price
The above list is by no means comprehensive, and if you have a large donor base in the Baltimore area, consider doing some outside research on the city’s top programs. The best way to do this is by using a dedicated matching gift tool– read on to learn more!
Using Matching Gift Tools
Dedicated matching gift tools can improve the solicitation processes for both small and large nonprofits alike. Whether you’re just building your matching gift discovery procedures, or improving your existing processes, these tools can aid in the process.
For example, Double the Donation’s comprehensive matching gift software can help streamline and automate the matching gift process from beginning to end. With this tool, a donor’s match eligibility is automatically searched upon their donation. Further, as the software is fully automated, the communications following the discovery of eligibility are handled for you as well.
With that, continue reading for a look at corporate philanthropy in Baltimore.
Top Baltimore Companies with Matching Gift Programs
Check out this list of some of the top companies in the Baltimore area that currently offer corporate matching gifts. Familiarize your fundraising team with these companies to increase awareness among the donors who work for these companies.
Black & Decker
Stanley Black and Decker will match employee donations at a $10 minimum and up to $10,000. The company will match to most nonprofit organizations.
Lockheed Martin will match employee donations between $25 and $10,000 to US colleges and universities. Part-time employees are also eligible for this program.
Matching gift programs are a great way to increase donations to your nonprofit with minimal effort. Whether you’re in Baltimore or elsewhere, you should be actively seeking these programs.
While this list is a great place to get started, consider also employing a matching gift tool as you build upon your matching gift processes.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/DTD_Location-Specific-Companies-With-Matching-Gift-Programs_Baltimore.jpg6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-03-25 00:34:142025-02-21 14:42:37Matching Gift Opportunities: Top Companies in Baltimore
You likely have a number of matchable donations in your CRM at any given time. If you’re looking to revamp your strategy, you might wonder if gifts made last week, month, or quarter remain eligible for the giving programs. Fear not—many contributions from the past year (give or take) should still qualify for company matching. Now, you’re just waiting for your donors to complete their matching gift requests!
The problem is that many donors remain unaware of the matching gift opportunity entirely. When an individual has no idea their employer matches, they won’t take the necessary steps to request associated funding and secure additional revenue for your nonprofit.
That’s why educating your teamand your donors about the importance of matching gift requests is essential. And we’ve provided this expert guide to help you do so!
In this blog post, we’ll cover the following key topics:
A matching gift request is a submission made by a donor to their employer as part of the company’s matching gift program. The request aims to secure a corporate match for the individual’s donation to a nonprofit cause, making it an essential part of the matching gift process.
The Matching Gift Fundraising Process
A donor contributes to a nonprofit.
The donor determines if their gift qualifies for an employer match.
The donor completes a matching gift request from their employer.
The employer reviews the matching gift request and verifies the initial donation with the organization.
The employer approves the matching gift request and disburses match funding to the organization.
Though the request itself can vary from one company to the next, these forms generally source information on the employee, the recipient organization, and transaction details.
How Do Donors Complete Matching Gift Requests?
The actual task of submitting a matching gift request is going to fall on each individual donor. However, it helps to ensure your fundraising team is familiar with the process and prepared to assist donors in completing it.
Here’s how it generally works:
Step 1: A donor receives a link to their matching gift form.
After a donor contributes to a nonprofit, the organization should take proactive steps to encourage the individual to complete the matching gift request process. This might mean promoting matching gifts from the confirmation screen or in a separate email follow-up (as pictured below).
For the best results, the reminder should include an acknowledgment of the donor’s initial donation along with a direct link to their company forms.
Step 2: The donor logs into their company’s giving portal.
After the donor receives a link to their employer’s matching gift form, they should navigate to the company’s giving portal or corporate philanthropy platform. This site will generally house a range of corporate giving information, including the forms required for employees to complete their matching gift requests.
Once on the page, they’ll log in using credentials provided by their employer. Most online portals have contact information for the company’s program administrator, should a donor have difficulty accessing the platform on their own.
Step 3: The donor initiates a matching gift request.
Within the company’s giving portal (or externally, for companies that don’t use them), a donor should locate the option to initiate a matching gift request.
This may be presented as a specific form or an online application within the portal.
Step 4: The donor provides donation details on the online form.
The donor should now follow the instructions provided by the portal to complete their matching gift request form properly. They should expect to supply information about…
Themselves (i.e., employee ID number, corporate email address)
The organization they supported (there will typically be some kind of search field or dropdown menu from which to choose)
Their recent transaction details (gift format, amount, date, etc.)
Once approved, the company makes its own donation to the nonprofit, effectively doubling (or, in some cases, tripling) the impact of the original gift.
What to Know About Matching Gift Request Deadlines ⌛
Matching gift requests are not generally required to be submitted immediately following the initial giving transaction. However, nearly all companies establish some sort of deadline by which employee matching gift requests must be completed.
The dates themselves vary, generally coinciding with the calendar year (e.g., December of the year in which the donation was made; the end of the calendar year plus a grace period into the following one) or a set amount of time post-donation.
Top tip:Encouraging timely submissions from donors is integral to an optimized strategy. The more time passes after an individual’s donation, the less likely they are to complete the match. Not to mention, the sooner your nonprofit receives the extra funds, the sooner it can put those funds to good use.
See How Matching Gift Automation Can Help
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution from Double the Donation.
Familiarize yourself with the following types of program deadlines. Plus, review leading matching gift company guidelines to see when their employees’ matching gift requests are due!
Deadline #1: A Set Number of Days or Months Post-Donation
The first type of deadline is based on the amount of time elapsed since the individual completed their initial donation. While most companies offer flexible submission windows for matching gift requests, deadlines can range from 30 days to an entire year post-transaction.
Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae currently matches part-time and full-time employee donations up to $5,000. Unfortunately, some donors miss out on this funding opportunity, largely due to a lack of program awareness, which results in missed matching gift requests.
Match request deadline: Fannie Mae donors must submit their matching gift requests within 30 days of their donation date or by December 31st of each year (whichever is sooner).
Altria offers a generous matching gift program (up to $30,000 per employee per year) along with sizable volunteer grants (up to $500 after 25 hours of volunteering).
Match request deadline: Altria’s program administrator must receive all matching gift requests within 90 days of the donations being made.
Apple offers a generous matching gift program for full-time and part-time employees. Each year, team members are encouraged to request between $1 and $10,000 in matches from qualifying gifts!
Match request deadline: Employees should be sure to submit their matching gift requests swiftly, as Apple requires gifts to be registered within one month of the transaction date.
Microsoft matches between $1 and $15,000 per team member per year. Plus, employees can earn grants for their favorite organizations worth $25 for each hour they spend volunteering.
Match request deadline: Employees are welcome to request matching gifts for any qualifying donations made in the past 12 months!
Fast food corporation YUM Brands, including employees at Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell restaurants, matches gifts at a dollar-for-dollar rate up to $1,000 per associate per year.
Match request deadline: All YUM Brands employees should complete their matching gift requests within six months of their initial donations.
The other main type of matching gift request deadline is one that aligns with the calendar year (running from January 1st to December 31st). That means tons of companies set their deadlines at December 31st.
Here are a few examples:
AVON
AVON matches employee donations up to $15,000 per year. And the first $500 donated is matched at a 2:1 rate, thus tripling the initial donation value.
Match request deadline: AVON employees should mark their calendars! While the deadline indeed falls in December of each year, team members are required to complete their requests prior to December 11th rather than the standard 31st.
Freeport-McMoRan matches donations of up to $40,000 to a wide range of nonprofits. While the first $1,000 donated is matched at a 2:1 rate (thus tripling each initial dollar’s value), donations above $1,000 are matched dollar-for-dollar.
Match request deadline: While Freeport-McMoRan encourages employees to submit matching donation requests at the time of the initial donation, employees can submit matches until Dec. 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
SAP America gives charitably through the SAP Together Program. Within this initiative, SAP employees are incentivized to donate to nonprofits to unlock matching gifts for their favorite organizations.
Match request deadline: Matching gifts must be requested of the company by December 31st of the year in which the initial donation is made. However, donors should be encouraged to submit their matches as soon as possible due to a company-wide annual limit.
The last group of companies establishes their matching gift deadlines according to the calendar year as well. But they also tack on an additional month or so.
Boeing
Boeing offers a monetary match, a volunteer grant match, and a fundraising match. And while full-time and part-time employees qualify to have their gifts matched dollar-for-dollar, retirees of the company are eligible to request a 0.5:1 match.
Match request deadline: Boeing employees (or retirees) participating in any matching gift program must submit their matching gift requests by January 31st of the year following the one in which the initial contribution/volunteerism/event took place.
Each year, Verizon matches employee donations of up to $5,000 to the educational institutions of their choice. Meanwhile, all other nonprofits qualify for up to $1,000 in match funding, along with $750 grants for organizations with which employees volunteer.
Match request deadline: Matching gift requests must be entered into the electronic matching gift system before January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
Adobe matches donations of up to $10,000 per employee per year. Additionally, employees can submit volunteer or “dollars for doers” grant requests worth $250 for every 10 hours they volunteer.
Match request deadline: All matching gift requests must be submitted by January 31st of the year following the one in which the gift was made, regardless of the donation date.
Coca-Cola generously matches employee gifts at a 2:1 ratio. That means for every $1 an employee contributes, Coke gives $2 up to a maximum corporate contribution of $20,000.
Match request deadline: All employee matching gift requests should be completed and returned to The Coca-Cola Company by February 28th of the following year.
Bank of America (including the investment management and wealth management division, Merrill Lynch) matches employee donations to nearly all nonprofit causes. Each year, team members can request between $24 and $5,000 worth of matches for personal donations of equal amounts.
Match request deadline: Employees must complete an application and have the recipient organization verify the gift. This information must be received by January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
Fun fact: General Electric was the first company to implement an employee matching gift program in 1954. Today, it matches millions of dollars worth of gifts to approved charities around the world. Each team full or part-time team member is encouraged to request between $25 and $5,000 per year!
Match request deadline: General Electric offers one of the most extended matching gift program deadlines, with employees being able to request matches until April 15th(tax day!) of the year after their gifts were made.
Unfortunately, matching gift deadlines mean little if your organization isn’t informing donors about matching gifts first. After all, the vast majority of match-eligible employees (approximately 78%) have no idea their company even matches gifts.
How will a donor know to submit a request on time if they don’t know to submit one in the first place?
Luckily, marketing matching gifts to your donors is easier than ever (check out our free downloadable resource for more tips and tricks!). Proper software can help screen for match-eligible transactions, inform donors of their eligibility, and supply individuals with actionable information to initiate the process, too.
As the fundraising sector’s top matching gift tool, Double the Donation identifies matching gift opportunities and triggers personalized marketing emails. It also integrates with nearly all of the leading fundraising solutions, allowing it to supercharge the donation process and make implementation and management quick and easy.
Watch the following 60-second overview video to learn more:
Streamlining Matching Gift Requests With Auto-Submission
Traditionally, an employee wanting to file a matching gift request had to determine their eligibility for a match before identifying and completing the correct forms for their employer. Then, as outlined above, the matching gift request process typically requires an individual to log into a separate portal. There, they supply donation data and submit their matching gift form.
But today, the matching gift request process is being transformed. And it’s beginning with a shift toward Double the Donation’s groundbreaking auto-submission functionality! Now, companies that enable this option through their CSR platforms empower employees with a one-click request opportunity directly from their favorite organizations’ giving pages.
When requesting a match is as simple as selecting a checkbox on a confirmation screen, more donors will be inclined to do it—which is why auto-submission is such an invaluable tool.
Wrapping Up
Effectively navigating the world of matching gift requests can seem like a daunting task. But armed with the right knowledge and resources, donors can maximize the impact of their contributions to nonprofits like yours.
Keep in mind that as the fundraising organization, it’s your responsibility to ensure your audience is informed and encouraged to participate. And that means recognizing the potential for matching gifts and taking proactive steps to supply donors with company forms and guidelines.
Interested in learning more about effective matching gift fundraising practices? Check out these additional recommended resources:
Corporate Matching Gift Forms | The Ultimate Guide. From understanding the process to maximizing your submissions, this resource equips you with the knowledge to navigate and optimize matching gifts for your nonprofit.
Consider the following scenario: You’re listening to your regularly scheduled radio show when it’s interrupted for the station’s annual pledge drive. You hear the on-air host making an appeal—“Fundraising is an essential part of what we do at Public Broadcasting Station, and it’s the most efficient way to source funds needed to supply our listeners with educational, inspirational, and entertaining content. Not to mention, thousands of employers offer matching gifts for public media like us, meaning your contributions can go twice as far for your favorite programs.”
Pledge drives and other revenue-generation efforts are crucial for obtaining sustainable funding and delivering high-quality content to widespread communities. Incorporating matching gift opportunities into your media organization’s outreach can go a long way!
In this post, we’ll explore how nonprofits in the media sector can leverage matching gifts to amplify their impact, enhance donor engagement, and ultimately boost their broadcasts. We’ll cover the following topics below:
The Basics of Matching Gifts for Public Media Groups
Matching gifts for public media groups is a category of philanthropy in which companies match donations to the public broadcasting services their employees financially support. This makes it an essential form of workplace giving for these organizations, empowering donors to double or even triple the value of their gifts without reaching back into their own wallets.
All a donor generally has to do is complete a brief online request form for their employer to review and disburse match funding to your cause.
The benefits of matching gifts for public media organizations are significant and widespread. Successful donation-matching ensures that public media outlets, such as radio programs and television networks, are more sustainably funded to better serve the community’s needs and interests. Meanwhile, donors feel more deeply connected to the broadcasts they play a direct role in supporting through financial donations and matching gifts!
Match More Gifts With Double the Donation
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution.
5 Companies to Know That Match Gifts to Public Media
Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies provide donation matches to the nonprofits their employees support. Check out the examples below to explore top programs that actively match gifts to public broadcasting organizations like yours!
Warner Bros. Discovery
Minimum donation amount: $10 Maximum donation amount: $1,000 Match ratio: 1:1 Eligible employees: Part-time, full-time Eligible nonprofits: Many nonprofits, including public media
Warner Bros. Discovery is a prime example of an employer engaging its workforce through collaborative philanthropy. The company offers two generous giving programs in which its staff are encouraged to donate their money and time to qualifying nonprofits: matching gifts and volunteer grants, respectively.
Each year, full-time and part-time employees have the chance to request up to a combined $1,000 in matches and grants for their favorite causes—of which your public media organization may be included.
The Walt Disney Company (incl. Hulu, Marvel Entertainment, ABC)
Minimum donation amount: $25 Maximum donation amount: $25,000 Match ratio: 1:1 Eligible employees: Part-time, full-time Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
The Walt Disney Company is another leading corporation known for maximizing employee participation in philanthropy. With a lofty maximum threshold of $25,000, current team members are encouraged to give generously to their favorite nonprofit causes—and to have those gifts matched, dollar-for-dollar.
Disney’s matching gift program is also inclusive of its subsidiaries, too, meaning Hulu, Marvel Entertainment, and ABC employees are welcome to participate.
Minimum donation amount: $10-$50 Maximum donation amount: $1,000-$2,000 Match ratio: 1:1 Eligible employees: Full-time, select retirees Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
Sony Corporation, encompassing subsidiaries such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Corporation of America, and Sony Electronics, operates a few generous matching gift programs that your team might want to take advantage of. These efforts aim to support employees’ charitable giving and reinforce the company’s commitment to social responsibility
Keep in mind that the eligibility criteria and submission processes vary across Sony’s different entities, so it’s important to select the correct employer from the database search tool!
Minimum donation amount: None Maximum donation amount: $1,000 Match ratio: 1:1 Eligible employees: Full-time Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
Fox Corporation is dedicated to engaging its employees and supporting the communities it serves through its matching gift program. As part of the initiative, the program matches the gifts its current full-time employees make to a wide range of nonprofits. And your public media organization is likely included!
By empowering its employees to give back and amplifying their charitable efforts, Fox Corporation reinforces its commitment to doing good, creating positive change in its staffs’ communities around the world.
Minimum donation amount: None Maximum donation amount: $10,000 Match ratio: 1:1 Eligible employees: Part-time, full-time, board members Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
In addition to its standout Google Ad Grants program, one of the primary ways Google participates in philanthropy is by matching employees’ charitable gifts. With its matching gift program, the company doubles donations to thousands of nonprofits, effectively multiplying the impact of team members’ contributions.
Then, going a step further, Google also offers an additional $10,000 match limit for donations going to disaster or international relief! Not to mention, matching funds that employees raise through peer-to-peer fundraising events like runs, walks, and rides.
Tips & Tricks for Spreading the Word About Matching Gifts
Implementing a well-thought-out matching gift fundraising plan is an integral step in bridging the knowledge and funding gaps many organizations see. The following tips and tricks will empower public broadcasters like you to maximize donations, build stronger relationships with individual and corporate donors, and reach fundraising goals more effectively and efficiently than ever before.
1. Incorporate matching gift info in pledge drives and on-air appeals.
Public media stations often heavily rely on annual pledge drives to generate the funding needed to power their operations. Thus, you’ll want to heavily promote matching gifts throughout such efforts.
For this strategy, we recommend incorporating information about matching gift programs directly into your on-air appeals. As you introduce your campaign and make the ask of your viewers and listeners, mentioning the opportunity for gifts to be doubled can go a long way. In fact, matching gift research indicates that 84% of donors would be more likely to give if a match is offered, while 1 in 3 say they’d give a larger amount.
Top tip: Kickstart your efforts using our free matching gift appeal script below!
2. Leverage and enhance supporter loyalty with matching gifts.
Matching gifts not only increase the financial impact of one-time individual gifts but also serve as a powerful tool for building supporter loyalty. When donors see that their contributions are going twice as far, they feel double the sense of connection and pride in their support of the organization. And it makes them want to stay involved in the long run, ultimately lengthening and improving the donor journey.
For public media groups, this is essential—as nonprofit broadcast services are often powered by a group of committed, long-term supporters. Additionally, highlighting matching gift opportunities demonstrates the station’s dedication to stewarding its financial assets responsibly, further strengthening the bond between the station and its donors.
3. Offer unique incentives for matching gift participation by donors.
One way to encourage donors to take advantage of matching gift opportunities is by rewarding them for doing so. Offer unique incentives for match-eligible donors who ultimately take the steps to request a match from their employer on your behalf. These might include:
Branded apparel (such as t-shirts, hats, and hoodies)
Other branded merchandise (pens, stickers, mugs, etc.)
Not to mention, as a less tangible incentive, let your audience know that participating in matching gifts will allow your team to reach its fundraising goals sooner. You may even be able to wrap up your pledge drive and return to viewers’ and listeners’ regularly scheduled programming early.
4. Integrate a matching gift solution into your fundraising toolkit.
To streamline the process of capturing matching gifts for public media organizations like yours, it’s essential that teams integrate an automation solution into their software toolkits. Luckily, Double the Donation integrates with the leading public media fundraising platforms to ensure quick and easy implementation.
Once equipped with a matching gift solution, your organization will be set to automatically identify matching gift opportunities, educate donors about the process, and facilitate the submission of matching gift requests. The tool simplifies the administrative burden on broadcast staff and even ensures that no matchable gifts slip through the cracks.
Match More Gifts With Double the Donation
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution.
Sample Scripts | Marketing Matching Gifts to Your Public Media Audience
Kick off your organization’s matching gift promotional efforts with these customizable scripts and templates. Remember: educating your audience about the matching gift opportunity increases the likelihood that donors request their matches.
On-Air Pledge Drive Script: Template #1
“Good [morning/afternoon/evening], [viewers/listeners]! As we embark on our annual pledge drive, I want to start with a pop quiz: What do companies like Disney, Google, and SONY Corporation (along with thousands of others) have in common?
If you said that they all match employees’ donations to nonprofit groups like ours, you’d be correct. That means your donation to [Public Media Organization] could be matchable, stretching twice as far for your favorite broadcast programs.
To check if your employer participates in matching gifts, head to our Match Page at [URL] to search for your company. Then, make your pledge online or by calling now at [station phone number]. Thank you for all your support, and let’s make this pledge drive one for the books!”
Phonathon Script: Template #2
“Good [Morning/Afternoon/Evening], [Recipient]! My name is [Name], and I’m calling on behalf of [Public Media Organization]. We’re reaching out to our valued supporters like you today to share an exciting opportunity to support our station.
Did you know that your donations to [Public Media Organization] may be eligible for a match from your employer? That’s right! Thousands of companies match team members’ gifts, doubling or sometimes tripling the value of each dollar an employee donates.
If you provide the name of your employer, I can do a quick search of our company database to see if you qualify for a match! Then, I’ll walk you through the process of giving and completing the request process to maximize your support for our organization.
Your generosity is instrumental in helping us deliver enriching content to our community, and we deeply appreciate your dedication to [Public Media Organization]!”
Email: Template #3
Subject: Double your support for public media like [Public Media Organization]
Dear [Recipient],
I hope this email finds you well. As a valued supporter of the [Public Media Organization] family, we wanted to see if you were familiar with corporate matching gift opportunities. If not, here’s a brief overview:
Tons of businesses double or even triple their employees’ contributions to causes like ours. This means every dollar you give could be matched by your employer, effectively doubling the impact of your support for our programming and community initiatives.
Interested? Here’s how you can participate:
Visit our donation page at [URL] to make your contribution.
Check if your employer offers a matching gift program on our website search tool: [URL]
If eligible, submit a matching gift request to double your impact on our community.
Your ongoing generosity plays a crucial role in sustaining our mission to produce and supply informative, entertaining, and enriching content. Thank you for considering this opportunity to maximize your support for [Public Media Organization]!
Warm regards,
[Name]
[Title/Position]
[Public Media Organization]
Tweet: Template #4
Exciting news—your support for [Public Media Organization] might be able to make an even bigger impact! Thanks to corporate matching gift programs, thousands of donors’ gifts are matchable by their employers. See if your company matches by using the search tool here: [URL]
Top tip:Make the most of the resources available to you! Double the Donation users are encouraged to leverage the platform’s library of pre-written emails and pre-made graphic design templates to scale up their matching gift marketing efforts with ease.
Final Thoughts
Harnessing the power of matching gifts presents an invaluable opportunity for public media organizations. When integrated into a fundraising strategy effectively, broadcasters are equipped to amplify impact, engage supporters, and ultimately elevate programming. And this opportunity is only expected to grow. That means now’s your chance to ramp up your efforts, invest in technology, and drive more matching gifts to completion.
Watch the video below to see how Maine Public has boosted matching gifts at their organization by leveraging Double the Donation!
Interested in more tips and tricks to drive matching gifts for public media groups like yours? Keep reading these additional recommended resources:
40+ Matching Gift Companies: Find Your Match Today. Grow your matching gift fundraising by familiarizing yourself with more top employers offering matching gift programs. Overview guidelines from Apple, General Electric, Google, and others.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/DTD_Boost-Your-Broadcasts-Matching-Gifts-for-Public-Media-Orgs_Feature.png4501200Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-03-15 23:14:402025-02-21 14:52:48Matching Gifts for Public Media Orgs | Boost Your Broadcasts
In major election years, political campaigns are at the top of everyone’s minds. Your organization’s supporters receive political advertisements and donation appeals alongside those from your nonprofit, and donors may even wonder where your organization stands on key election issues.
While 501(c)(3) nonprofits are prohibited from participating in or supporting specific political campaigns, that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. Not only can election results impact your organization’s work in the future, but there are also plenty of lessons you can learn from political campaign strategies to improve your own fundraising and marketing campaigns.
We’ll cover five concepts that political campaign staff understand well and explore how you can apply them to your nonprofit’s strategies.
1. Time is of the Essence
Since every political campaign runs on a hard deadline, they understand the importance of urgency in every facet of their operations. Political campaign staff plot out detailed field plans, campaign timelines, and editorial calendars to ensure that every action contributes to the ultimate goal of winning the election. They hit the ground running, leveraging volunteers to speak with hundreds of voters at a time about supporting their candidate.
You can approach your fundraising campaigns with the same mindset to increase their momentum and drive results. Try infusing more urgency into your nonprofit’s campaigns by:
Writing urgent calls to action. The calls to action (CTAs) that you include in fundraising appeals, social media posts, and emails should convey the importance of your nonprofit’s work and empower supporters to act now. For instance, the CTA “Donate to save a turtle today!” inspires more urgency than “Donate here.”
Hosting a phonathon. Political campaigns use phone and text banking to connect with many voters in short time spans. Your nonprofit can do the same by hosting a phonathon in which volunteers call and connect with numerous donors in one day using a standardized script.
Leveraging automation to connect with donors immediately. Marketing automation tools can help you increase the speed at which you reach out to supporters and drive more action. By automatically sending emails or texts immediately after a donor gives, for example, you can quickly strengthen that relationship and inspire further involvement.
Additionally, make sure to frequently update donors on the progress of your campaigns, projects, and programs to show them that your nonprofit is working urgently to put their donations to good use.
2. Public Opinion is Paramount
Political campaign strategists spend plenty of time and resources researching the opinions of voters and crafting messages that will resonate with them. They understand that voters get a candidate elected, just like a nonprofit’s donors enable it to further its mission, and they prioritize voter opinion effectively.
Donors’ opinions, priorities, and concerns should play a central role in your nonprofit’s strategy development, guiding how you approach marketing and fundraising campaigns.
To better understand and speak to your audience’s motivations, send out periodic surveys to ask for their feedback directly. Ask questions like:
Why do you donate to our nonprofit?
What do you consider to be the most important aspects of our cause?
What other causes are you interested in?
What kinds of programs do you want to see from us in the future?
If you could change one thing about our organization, what would it be?
Along with asking your donors directly, take into account research on the opinions of the general public. For example, 77% of consumers want to purchase from companies with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives like matching gift programs. With this in mind, your nonprofit might prioritize your matching gift fundraising campaigns to appeal to the public’s interest in CSR.
3. Volunteers are Drivers of Change
Similar to nonprofits, most political campaigns don’t have large teams and therefore have to rely on volunteers for major efforts like canvassing and phone banking.
Because these efforts are so critical to the success of political campaigns, campaign staff understand and value their volunteers’ power to enact change. Some campaigns even use distributed organizing tactics, giving leadership positions to select volunteers and empowering them to lead their own volunteer teams on behalf of the campaign.
Your nonprofit can take inspiration from these tactics by improving your volunteer program and empowering volunteers to act. Use the following strategies to do so:
Emphasize skill development. No matter what kind of volunteer opportunities you offer, they involve certain skills that volunteers get to develop when they participate. Highlight the opportunity to improve soft skills like leadership and communication along with relevant hard skills like gardening or teaching.
Host peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns. Let volunteers take the lead on fundraising by hosting a peer-to-peer campaign in which they raise money on behalf of your nonprofit. These campaigns give volunteers a chance to develop their fundraising skills and deepen their relationship with your nonprofit.
Show appreciation to volunteers often. Volunteers are more likely to stay involved with your organization when they feel like their participation is appreciated and makes a genuine difference to your mission. Appreciate volunteers by sending thank-you emails, giving them small gifts, and regularly asking for their feedback.
With a more empowered, involved volunteer force at your disposal, your nonprofit can start taking advantage of corporate volunteering programs, too. Invite volunteers to tap into their employers’ volunteer grant initiatives to make an even greater impact on your cause.
4. Digital Channels Make a Difference
Your nonprofit likely already uses a variety of digital communication channels to connect with donors and spread greater awareness of your nonprofit’s work. But are you leveraging these channels to their full extent?
For political campaigns, digital marketing and outreach is a top priority. They use digital tools like text banking software, canvassing apps, and social media outreach tools to get their message in front of voters across as many channels as possible. They also use a mix of paid and non-paid advertising methods to reach new online audiences.
Think about the digital channels your organization hasn’t yet explored and how they could give your fundraising campaigns a boost. You might try tapping into video marketing, for instance. Or, you could leverage free programs like the Google Ad Grant to try out search advertising. Take stock of the resources you have at your disposal, then choose a few new digital avenues to tap into.
5. Mobilization Requires Multiple Touchpoints
Political campaigns don’t stick to one canvassing or volunteer recruitment method — they use a combination of phone banking, door-to-door canvassing, text messages, social media advertising, email, and more. Campaign staff understand that one message or conversation isn’t enough to mobilize voters and volunteers.
The same is true for nonprofits. To truly inspire action from your supporters, you need a multi-channel fundraising strategy that provides plenty of touchpoints with current and prospective donors. This may include channels like email, text, social media, direct mail, your website, and more.
For the best results, segment your audience based on factors like their donation histories, past involvement, and communication preferences. Then, tailor your outreach and fundraising appeals to the interests of each group to make every touchpoint more meaningful.
Applying These Lessons to Matching Gift Fundraising
Political campaigns and nonprofits may seem different on the surface, but both aim to enact change by touching the hearts and minds of their supporters. This is especially true when it comes to matching gifts — by mobilizing your donors to request matching gifts from their employers, you’ll inspire them to double their impact on the causes they care about.
To apply these political campaign lessons to your matching gift fundraising strategy, try taking the following steps:
Use a matching gift automation tool to immediately follow up with match-eligible donors and instill urgency in your appeals.
Solicit feedback from donors who have requested matching gifts before and use their opinions to guide your matching gift fundraising strategy.
Promote matching gifts across all your online channels to create multiple digital touchpoints with match-eligible donors.
By incorporating these lessons into your organization’s next matching gift fundraising campaign, you can find new ways to engage supporters and mobilize them to act.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/NGP-VAN_Double-the-Donation_Political-Campaign-Lessons-That-Nonprofits-Can-Learn-From_Feature.png5761536Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2024-03-15 19:12:242024-03-15 19:12:245 Political Campaign Lessons That Nonprofits Can Learn From
10+ Higher Education Fundraising Conferences to Attend
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerHigher education fundraising professionals work hard every day to generate the revenue that keeps their schools running. By doing so, they offer a better educational experience to students, provide scholarships and financial aid, fund research projects, and more.
Since fundraising is so essential, higher education professionals need to stay up-to-date on new trends and best practices. That’s where fundraising conferences come in. These events provide a venue for you to develop your fundraising skills and discover cutting-edge knowledge.
To help you decide on which conferences to attend, we’ve put together a list of the top higher education fundraising conferences. No matter which conference you decide on, you’re sure to come away with a wealth of knowledge you can use to grow the wealth of your higher education organization.
1. Academic Impressions
Date: Year-Round
Location: Varies
Academic Impressions is dedicated to providing leadership, personal development, and skills-based training opportunities to higher education faculty and staff members. As part of their goal, they regularly offer training opportunities and conferences to members and non-members alike. Many of these events occur virtually, making Academic Impressions’ offerings a great choice for higher education professionals who prefer not to travel.
Training sessions and conferences offered by Academic Impressions focus on a range of topics relevant to higher education professionals. Aside from fundraising, they also cover academic leadership, faculty success, academic planning, enrollment management, and more.
2. AFP Icon
Date: April 7-9, 2024
Location: Toronto, Ontario
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is a member-based group that empowers individuals and organizations to practice ethical fundraising. AFP Icon is their annual fundraising conference and one of the biggest around with over 3,000 attendees each year. This conference offers fundraising training to professionals from all types of organizations, providing an opportunity to network and build relationships with other prestigious nonprofits in addition to attending educational workshops.
From executive coaching to affinity group meetings to speed networking, AFP Icon is sure to boost your knowledge of fundraising.
3. CASE District IV Annual Conference
Date: April 14-16, 2024
Location: San Antonio, Texas
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) is a global nonprofit association dedicated to education advancement professionals. It hosts a variety of annual conferences, including the District IV Annual Conference.
At this conference, higher education fundraising professionals can attend speaker sessions and workshops focused on various topics related to nonprofit education organizations. Regardless of your experience level or the type of higher education institution you belong to, you can find a track that you will benefit from, such as fundraising, alumni relations, development, communications and marketing, professional development, and more.
4. CASE Drive
Date: March 25-27, 2025
Location: Washington, DC
Also hosted by CASE, Drive is an annual conference that creates a focused learning and networking experience for higher education institutions and other nonprofits that work with data and analytics. If you wish to improve your knowledge of collecting, managing, and analyzing donor data for fundraising, Drive is a valuable conference to attend.
In today’s constantly developing technological landscape, this conference empowers you to stay ahead of evolving data tools and gain insights into harnessing the power of data to improve fundraising and other aspects of your operations.
5. Elevate: A Conference for Fundraising Events
Date: March 12-13, 2025
Location: Portland, Oregon and online
Elevate is a collaborative community of industry experts and thought leaders dedicated to creating a learning hub for individuals who want to expand their knowledge of fundraising events. Elevate’s annual conference serves as a masterclass in fundraising events, bringing together nonprofit and fundraising professionals from a variety of sectors to network, share resources, and learn about best practices.
By being held in a hybrid format, this conference provides the flexibility of attending at a location of your preference. You can either go in person to the venue in Portland, Oregon or attend virtually from another location. Either way, you’re sure to pick up tips on storytelling and fundraising strategy that will help you elevate the donor experience at your higher education organization’s fundraising events.
6. Fundraising Day in New York
Date: June 14, 2024
Location: New York, New York
Another conference hosted by the AFP, Fundraising Day in New York is a one-day fundraising conference. Whether you’re a newcomer to the fundraising industry or a seasoned veteran, you’re sure to benefit from this conference’s diverse range of sessions, including ones on the most current trends and developments. Plus, these sessions are presented by respected leaders and experts in the fundraising industry.
At Fundraising Day in New York, you’ll connect with a community of dedicated fundraisers who are eager to share their knowledge, form new connections, and advance their fundraising expertise.
7. NASPA Annual Conference
Date: March 9-13, 2024
Location: Seattle, Washington
NASPA is an association for student affairs administrators in higher education, supporting a network of 15,000 professionals and over 1,200 institutions across the globe. They’re dedicated to helping colleges and universities fulfill the promise of higher education by placing students at the center of their work.
At the NASPA Annual Conference, you’ll participate in professional development workshops that will inspire you and your work. Attend educational sessions and connect with exhibitors to aid in your professional development and your organization’s fundraising efforts. If you’re a first-time attendee, participate in the Mentor Program to connect with experienced professionals who can serve as a resource for networking and conference navigation.
8. One Day Development
Date: June 21, 2024
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Hosted by Academic Advancement Partners, One Day Development is a conference for professionals who work in higher education fundraising. These individuals are encouraged to attend alongside deans and provosts, as the focus of the conference is on major donors.
This conference features speakers who are experts in academic fundraising and storytelling, some of whom currently serve on the fundraising committees of higher education organizations. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to network with other higher education fundraising professionals.
9. Planet Philanthropy
Date: June 3-5, 2024
Location: Orlando, Florida
Planet Philanthropy is a premier fundraising conference in Florida. Hosted by the Florida Caucus of AFP, it attracts fundraising professionals from all over the United States and Puerto Rico. Over 300 nonprofit leaders attend this conference to learn about the latest and greatest fundraising news and strategies.
Planet Philanthropy addresses topics ranging from grant writing to leveraging AI to assessing legacy pipelines. On top of keynote speeches and workshops, Planet Philanthropy also offers a social event that you can attend for fun or to network with other professionals.
10. RNL Advancement Innovation Summit
Date: March 23, 2023
Location: Online
Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) is an organization dedicated to making colleges, universities, and other nonprofit organizations successful and vibrant. RNL does this by helping these organizations learn how to build lifelong relationships with donors at their Advancement Innovation Summit.
Although RNL hosts a plethora of events, including the RNL National Conference, if your focus is on higher education fundraising, the Advancement Innovation Summit is the conference you should attend. At this event, you’ll learn key insights into maximizing donor engagement, increasing fundraising results, and providing a better donor experience. From annual giving to alumni relations to legacy gifts, this conference will help you build a fundraising strategy that works.
11. SEC/ACC Annual Giving Conference
Date: January 24-26, 2024
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
The SEC/ACC Annual Giving Conference brings together annual giving professionals from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to discuss topics related to higher education fundraising. The conference is hosted at a different university each year within the SEC or ACC.
This conference offers two days of learning, networking, and inspiration. At it, you’ll participate in roundtable discussions and presentations focused on advancing and enhancing annual giving operations and solicitations. Their topics range from giving days to CRM conversions to crowdfunding, covering valuable fundraising insights sure to help your annual giving strategy.
Fundraising with Matching Gifts
If you’re looking for a quick way to augment your higher education organization’s fundraising, matching gifts provide a great opportunity for you to double the donations you receive. This is how matching gifts work:
The greatest barrier to obtaining matching gifts funding is awareness. After all, it’s estimated that over $4 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year. To leverage this source of funding, promote educational content about matching gifts through your marketing channels.
Additionally, you may want to purchase a dedicated matching gifts software solution. The right tool will allow you to embed a matching gift database that donors can use to check their matching gift eligibility. These platforms also allow you to send automated emails to encourage donors to fill out a matching gift request with their employer and create reports to determine if you are making the most of matching gifts. Plus, some solutions include auto-submission features, simplifying the matching gift process even further for donors through automation.
Additional Resources
If your organization has been looking to improve your fundraising strategy, higher education fundraising conferences are great opportunities for you and the other professionals on your team. Through these events, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the best ways to fundraise, empowering you to generate more fundraising revenue for your organization.
If you’re interested in learning more about higher education fundraising, check out these resources:
10+ Best eCard Websites for Nonprofits to Raise More
/in Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerWhether someone is celebrating a birthday or needs a pick-me-up, greeting cards show you care. As technology advances, we can bring this joy into the digital space via eCard websites.
Nonprofits, in particular, can sell branded charity eCards to raise money, encourage supporters to send personalized cards to spread awareness, or send greeting cards directly to supporters to show appreciation.
However, you shouldn’t just pick any eCard software. Your organization needs special features like the ability to embed eCards into your website or bulk discounts to stay within your budget.
To narrow down your options, this guide will help your team make smart buying decisions when selecting an eCard website. We’ll cover the following:
If you’re ready to take advantage of all the great benefits eCards offer, let’s get started on our journey. Alternatively, go ahead and launch your efforts forward with our favorite platform!
What eCard Websites Are and How They Work
Before getting too deep into your search, learn the fundamentals of these platforms. Simply put, eCard websites are online platforms that enable users to design and send electronic greeting cards. These websites typically offer pre-designed templates, graphics, and customization options, allowing users to personalize digital cards for different occasions.
For nonprofits, you can sell cards to raise money or send them to supporters during key times to let them know you’re thinking about them.
When leveraging eCard software, here’s how the process typically looks:
That’s the gist of how these platforms work. Now, let’s take a closer look at the nonprofit-specific benefits of these websites.
Why You Should Leverage eCard Sites
For one, eCard websites provide a convenient, eco-friendly alternative to traditional paper greeting cards. Not to mention, they offer more design options, customization features, and delivery tracking options than direct mail.
Beyond convenience and creative control, online greeting cards have so many great uses for nonprofits. Here’s a quick overview of how you can leverage eCard sites to amplify your work:
In short, the best eCard websites make it easy for organizations to fundraise, expand brand awareness, or express appreciation for volunteers and donors through digital cards. Think carefully through your approach, and you’ll make up whatever you invest in your platform in the form of fundraising dollars or supporter engagement.
How To Choose The Right eCard Website
Before spending your hard-earned fundraising dollars on a website, make sure you know what you’re looking for. Your chosen platform should equip you with everything you need to design branded eCards that stimulate brand awareness and push your fundraising forward.
Let’s dive into some of the key features nonprofit leaders should prioritize.
User-Friendly Design Tools
Chances are, you’re not a nonprofit graphic design pro. With the right nonprofit eCard software, you don’t have to be!
Consider each eCard site’s ease of use and design capabilities when narrowing down your options. Here are some key features that indicate whether a site’s design tools will be intuitive:
Each eCard’s design is imperative, so ensure your nonprofit will have no problem creating ones that capture your brand and its cause.
Integrated Fundraising Capabilities
As a nonprofit leader, you’re constantly thinking about how to raise money to support your work. As we touched on, charity eCards are a fantastic way to do that, so make sure the eCard website you choose has integrated fundraising abilities.
In other words, you should be able to offer online greeting cards in exchange for donations. For this approach, we recommended looking for eCard software that enables you to set suggested giving amounts. Alternatively, you might be able to add them as fundraising products in an online store.
You may even be able to tap into advanced features like tribute donations, where supporters can donate on behalf of a loved one and send an eCard letting them know.
Multi-Language Support
Especially if your work spans multiple countries, you should choose a platform that allows you to change the translation of your eCards.
That way, everyone can enjoy your eCards, no matter where they’re located in the world!
Reporting and Insights
Ensure you can track sender and recipient email addresses to know who’s sending and receiving eCards. This is a fantastic way to measure supporter engagement and build a pipeline of likely supporters.
Senders may also be able to enable read receipts. That way, there’s no question as to whether the recipient opened their eCard.
Fair Pricing and Subscription Models
Nonprofits must be thoughtful about how they spend their money. As with any software you purchase, choose an eCard website within your budget.
These types of sites typically follow one of two pricing models:
Choose the model that’s right for your organization based on how many eCards you’ll send.
The Best eCard Website: eCardWidget
Without further ado, we present our favorite eCard platform: eCardWidget. This highly versatile platform makes it incredibly easy to boost audience engagement, build brand loyalty, and add an interactive element to your online presence.
Designed for organizational use, eCardWidget comes equipped with all the features you need to fundraise, spread the word about projects, or let donors know you’re thinking about them on important occasions.
Once you’ve perfected your designs with the user-friendly designer, organize your eCards into campaigns like donation eCards for Valentine’s Day or volunteer thank-you eCards. Then, easily embed the widget into your website or fundraising store. From here, your team can send custom greeting cards to supporters or enable supporters to send them to loved ones. Either way, you’ll have plenty of sending options, including email, social media, and text messages.
Image Source
Standout Features of This eCard Site
When you get started with eCardWidget, you’ll gain access to plenty of useful features, including:
Why We Love This eCard Site
Designing and selling eCards has never been easier. They’ve really thought of everything with this eCard website! Between easy implementation and mobile responsiveness, you’ll have whatever you need to design interactive greeting cards that spark joy and bolster brand awareness.
eCardWidget Pricing: Get started with a free plan, which offers up to 4 eCards and 15 emails per month. All the paid plans offer unlimited eCards and start at just $30 per month.
Other Top eCard Software for Organizations
While eCardWidget checks off all our boxes, there are some other great platforms out there. To give you a sense of your options, here are 10 other top eCard sites that work for nonprofits.
eCard Website 2) Smilebox
If your nonprofit sells fundraising products, this eCard website might be the solution for you.
Smilebox enables users to create animated eCards when they purchase a gift from your online store. At checkout, they’ll be asked if their purchase is a gift. If they select “yes,” they’ll be prompted to create a personalized card to send alongside it. They can also schedule a time to send it, correlating it with the gift’s estimated delivery date.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
Gift recipients can track their package, making it the perfect retargeting strategy for your organization’s marketing efforts.
Sitebox’s Pricing: Request a demo to receive pricing information for this platform.
eCard Website 3) Open Me
Looking for a collaborative approach to eCards? Try out Open Me. This eCard site allows you to send thoughtful digital greeting cards via Facebook and email. You can send them directly to supporters, but our favorite feature is the ability to create group eCards.
With this feature, choose an eCard, sign it with a personal note, and share it with anyone else before it’s sent to the recipient. You’ll be able to select the send date, click the ‘Invite to Sign’ button, and select your delivery method. Thanks to this unique feature, this eCard site is perfect for sending eCards from your team to beneficiaries, supporters, and stakeholders.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
This eCard website features eCards designed by artists around the globe, giving you a hand-curated boutique of different styles. When you explore the site, you’ll notice that each eCard includes the artist’s name, so you can find ones whose styles speak to you.
Open Me’s Pricing: Send unlimited eCards for free via Facebook or email by signing up.
eCard Website 4) Evite
Known for virtual event invitations, Evite now offers eCard templates you can customize with text, images, and other visual elements. Whether you want to get ahead of things or a special occasion sneaks up on you, you can use scheduled sending or instant sharing.
Great for spreading event awareness or sending just-because eCards, Evite makes it easy to design custom cards or choose from its premade selection of cards. Customize each design by adding a message or attaching a photo or video.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
Your thoughtful words are what will stand out to supporters you send these eCards to. Evite makes it easy to add a message to the front of the card or flip it over to write a longer message on the other side. If you’re at a loss for words, check out the suggested message options that’ll help craft the perfect message. Plus, you can choose from different fonts and adjust the text size to make your eCard look exactly how you want it to.
Evite’s Pricing: Either choose the free version, which includes ads on eCards, or upgrade to a paid account, starting at $15.99 for up to 15 cards. Paid accounts are priced based on how many recipients will receive your cards.
eCard Website 5) Hallmark eCards
We couldn’t leave the company that revolutionized the greeting card business off this list. Since 1910, Hallmark has empowered people to convey their emotions through thoughtful cards. Over a century later, they’re bringing that tradition into the virtual space with its video eCards.
Upload your photos and videos to create a memorable, one-of-a-kind video greeting card. Then, instantly share it via text or email. You also have the option to send a real card, which they can scan with their phone to play your video. How innovative!
With tons of designs to personalize, you can create eCards to send to supporters for any occasion, whether you’re looking for a silly card, a serious design, or something in between.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
Hallmark is ideal for nonprofits that want to send highly personalized eCards, making this platform a great source for volunteer or donor appreciation gifts. As explained in re:Charity’s donor appreciation gift guide, greeting cards can be personalized with custom messages, perfect for highlighting an individual supporter’s impact.
Hallmark’s Pricing: Purchase video eCards individually. Most video eCards cost $4.99 and $5.99 depending on whether you purchase a physical card too.
eCard Website 6) Paperless Post
Similar to Evite, Paperless Post is known for its invitation services, but it also offers a selection of greeting cards, too. Featuring world-class brands like Rifle Paper Co. and Kate Spade, Paperless Post has a range of beautifully-designed eCard templates for events and special occasions.
Browse the selection to find your favorite designs. Then, make each eCard your own by customizing everything from the text and images to the virtual envelope lining and stamps. Your supporters will appreciate the extra effort you put into customizing your cards!
The user-friendly interface enables you to easily choose from various themes, styles, and layouts to match your nonprofit’s aesthetics — whether you’re sending event invites or holiday greetings. You can even add animated elements to make your eCards more engaging and memorable. Then, send your eCards to recipients via email, text, or shareable link.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
Keep an eye on delivery statuses and gather RSVPs for events thanks to Paperless Post’s tracking and RSVP management features. That way, you’ll know whether your eCards are being delivered and can accurately gauge attendance for nonprofit events.
Paperless Post’s Pricing: Most cards are free for up to 50 emails. To send more than that, you’ll pay a flat fee of $20 for up to 15,000 recipients. Purchase eCards with credits called Coins, starting at $0.12 per coin each depending on how many you buy. Each eCard displays a “starting at” number of coins, which indicates the starting pricing. The final price includes any additional Premium elements you opt to include, like the envelope, liner, stamp, or backdrop.
eCard Website 7) Adobe Creative Cloud Express
For a do-it-yourself approach to your charity eCards, check out Adobe Creative Cloud Express. Design custom eCards that feature your organizations branding — even on the go thanks to the mobile app.
If you’re limited on graphic design experience, select from a wide array of online templates to get started. Then, handpick graphics from their libraries or upload your own photos, icons, and graphics. The platform supports high-resolution graphics and offers precise control over your details, so you can create impactful charity eCards.
Once you’ve perfected your design, hit the download button to save your project and instantly share your eCard across virtual platforms.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
You gain complete creative freedom with Adobe’s extensive customization options. Because of its flexible design tools, you can personalize every aspect of your eCards including colors, typography, illustrations, and animations.
Adobe’s Pricing: Adobe is a great free option, but paid premium plans unlock features like the option to auto-apply your nonprofit’s logo, fonts, and colors. Note that verified nonprofits can receive Adobe Express Premium for free as part of the company’s commitment to CSR.
eCard Website 8) Canva
Canva is a well-known graphic design platform that offers a wide range of features, making it well-suited for designing eCards. Its popularity stems from how quickly users can create designs, which applies to designing eCards too.
With this design site, you gain access to a library of more than 420,000 templates, 75 million images, 3.5 million graphic elements, and 3,000 fonts. With countless customizability options, you can create designs perfect for celebrating any occasion with supporters or inviting people to your events.
Note that Canva doesn’t offer an eCard-sending service. Instead, you’ll need to share your eCards directly from the platform or download your designs to use across other channels. Alternatively, go the snail mail route by designing physical cards.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
If you want to take a collaborative approach to your eCards, Canva is a solid choice. This eCard website enables collaboration among team members, allowing multiple users to pitch in on the design process.
Canva’s Pricing: Canva’s premium design tools are free for verified nonprofits.
eCard Website 9) Jacquie Lawson
If you love the idea of art-inspired eCards, Jacquie Lawson may be the eCard website for you!
Whether you want watercolor creations or colorful celebratory designs, you’ll have plenty of options. Purchase a membership, then send as many eCards as you want for the duration of your membership.
You’ll also get everything you need from a professionally-run eCard site: an address book, birthday reminders, and a helpline on top of the unique, artfully-drawn designs.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
Break out of the traditional eCard realm with Jacquie Lawson. This eCard website offers beautiful, artful designs you can’t get anywhere else. These visually-compelling cards are ideal for propelling your nonprofit’s relationships forward, especially if the unique look correlates with your brand.
Jacquie Lawson’s Pricing: Become a member for the equivalent of four traditional paper cards per year. Monthly plans are $9, annual plans are $30, and 2-year plans are $45.
eCard Website 10) Acme Ecards
Put plenty of thought into your eCard strategy with Acme Ecards. Formerly known as Ecard Mint, this eCard website works to reimagine your nonprofit marketing ideas with bespoke cards designed to grow your brand
Communicate your strategy and digital marketing goals to their team. Then, let them curate your eCard collection by designing animated eCards based on supporter data and history. They’ll handle your email campaigns for you, making every email feel personal to recipients.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
For cards fully tailored to your recipients, Acme Ecards is a reliable solution. Humanize your email marketing by letting them take charge of your card designs. They’ll pull from their wide range of pre-designed greeting cards which can be rebranded and worked into any campaign. In no time, you’ll have on-brand bespoke eCards that make your outreach stand out in supporters’ inboxes.
Acme Ecards’ Pricing: Acme’s pricing starts at $90 for first-time customers. Pricing tiers increase primarily based on the number of individuals on your contact list. This site offers discounts for nonprofits, so contact their sales team to learn more.
eCard Website 11) Postable
Postable offers a different take on eCards. While the experience is virtual on your end, recipients will receive a physical card in the mail. Browse their massive collection or create your own unique designs. That means you can fully infuse your nonprofit’s brand. Then, they’ll handwrite the address and eCard’s note for you. They even help curate your online address book, making sending your cards incredibly easy.
If you’re worried about eco-friendliness, it might ease your concerns to know that their cards and envelopes are 100% recycled.
Image Source
Why We Like This eCard Software
Make your greeting cards even more personal by maintaining the traditional feel of direct mail. The design is fully your own, and you can even choose the handwritten font that each note and address uses.
Postable’s Pricing: An account is totally free. The cards vary in pricing depending on how many you send. Generally, 1-19 cards cost $3.99 each plus stamp fees, while 20 or more cards cost $3.29 plus stamp fees. This eCard site also offers discounted volume pricing, making it great for organizations.
Final Thoughts on eCard Websites
When it comes to fundraising and supercharging supporter relations, nothing quite matches up to eCards. Personalized and visually appealing eCards can strengthen your nonprofit communication and engagement in a snap — but only if you use the right eCard platform!
The right website can make eCards a viable fundraising and marketing avenue for your cause. Keep the key features we mentioned in mind, and you’ll be set to choose the site that best fits your organization’s needs.
While you make your decision, check out some of these helpful resources we hand-curated for you to continue learning:
The Art of Persuasion: How to Build a Case for Support
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerConvincing an audience to take any kind of action requires making an effective pitch. Nonprofits know this all too well. When you rely on people’s donated support to push your work forward, you must be able to confidently explain to your donors what you need, why, and what the benefit will be.
A nonprofit case for support is at the root of how you make a compelling pitch to donors. It’s an essential part of running fundraising campaigns and effectively communicating your mission.
What’s more, a case for support can (and should) be an active tool for better fundraising—not just a pre-campaign task to get out of the way, but a real asset that will fuel your success.
So how do you create one? What should your case for support contain? What mistakes should you avoid? We’ve got you covered. This crash course will cover all the essentials, including:
Nonprofit Case for Support FAQs
Let’s start by establishing some context:
What is a case for support?
A nonprofit case for support is the core set of reasons why donors should support a particular campaign, project, or organization’s work as a whole. It’s a fundamental fundraising framework or concept on which you can build your campaigns.
Cases can be developed for a wide variety of contexts and audiences, making them extremely flexible tools to guide the fundraising process in any situation. They essentially seek to answer the questions, “Why should someone care, and what are we asking them to do?”
While a case will be distilled into various printed and digital resources during a fundraising campaign, overly fixating on a specific document can ultimately limit a nonprofit’s vision and the overall effectiveness of its case.
Why are cases for support important?
Cases for support give your fundraising team a clear roadmap and talking points to use when promoting your campaigns or overall mission to donors.
When created and used well, a case for support will standardize your messaging and ensure that you communicate a clear, unified, and compelling vision to potential supporters. Then, with the scaffolding in place, your team can use it to create tailored variations, individualized pitches, and all kinds of helpful resources that will support the overall vision of your fundraising campaign.
When do nonprofits create and use cases for support?
Nonprofits develop cases for support in a range of different situations. They might be created to support:
They’re most commonly discussed in the context of capital campaigns as a critical early step in the campaign planning process.
But note that you’ll benefit from a case for support in any situation in which your team will need to make a clear pitch to donors to solicit support. As long as you understand what a case for support is and what it should accomplish, you can use its framework to support your goals.
Who in a nonprofit should create a case for support?
A case for support should be created by the fundraising or development team that will be directly involved in running that particular campaign. An overarching case for support for the organization’s work as a whole should also be owned by the fundraising team.
However, the overall development process should be collaborative. Gathering input and suggestions is an important part of developing a compelling case. Many organizations also seek the direct input of major donors when crafting their cases. Plus, you’ll usually need to secure leadership buy-in on the finalized case for support.
Essential Elements of an Effective Case for Support
A compelling case for support should cover a few essentials. By including these core talking points or sections, you’ll ensure that your team has the strong framework they need to make an effective fundraising pitch.
You might think that these key talking points might sound like the sections of a grant proposal, and you’re not wrong.
However, keep in mind that, unlike a grant proposal, a case for support can be more flexible and adapted to your specific goals. There’s no one specific format to follow—this will be shaped by the specific fundraising context once you’ve established the core set of arguments and details listed above.
Developing a Case for Support: 9 Steps
You’re ready to develop your next case for support and drive your best fundraising results yet. How do you get started? We break it down into these key steps:
Expert Tips for a More Compelling Case for Support
Now that you understand the process and purpose of creating a case for support for your campaign, what are the tactical tips to keep in mind when actually drafting it? We’ve got some recommendations.
1. Make it impact-centric.
Your case for support should revolve around the positive impacts of your success. This is the ultimate reason for the campaign and its objective, so there should be a crystal-clear throughline from the ask to the objective to the impact.
Not only will this ensure coherent, compelling messaging across your campaign later, but it’s also increasingly thought of as a prerequisite by many donors. If donors are unclear on what exactly will happen with their gift and how it will go towards the problem at hand, it’ll be harder to secure their support. In fact, younger generations are much more likely to say they will not donate if they’re unsure what the charity will do with the money (37.8% of Gen Z donors vs. 15.2% of Mature age donors).
2. Gather compelling storytelling details.
While your core case for support should be concise, aim to embed compelling storytelling elements that will help make the ask and impact real to your donors. Help them understand and feel the urgency surrounding the problem that your campaign’s objective will solve.
While preparing a case for support, gather a range of storytelling details that you can use later when developing more fleshed-out and tailored variations for your campaign marketing materials. These could include:
Assembling this kind of “case for support kit” will be extremely helpful once it’s time to create campaign materials like web pages, brochures, email templates, and more—see the examples below for this strategy in action.
3. Boost your persuasion power with clear writing.
Persuasive writing is direct, clear, and evocative—set your fundraising materials up for success by baking these qualities into your case for support from the very start. Consider these best practices:
4. Understand your audience and context.
Actively think about who your case for support is speaking to and why they should care about your mission and ask.
For many cases for support, you’ll be writing to a general audience of supporters. In others, you’ll be targeting a more specific segment from the get-go, like
Draft your case for support with the interests and motivations of your audience in mind. For example, positive brand awareness is a prime motivator for corporate partners, so make sure your core case statements highlight the size of your audience and the public reach that your organization has. Tax incentives often motivate major and non-cash donors, so you can mention these when discussing the positive impacts (both for your mission and your donors) that your fundraising initiative will have.
Getting Specific: Using Data to Take Your Case for Support to the Next Level
Concrete details make for more effective pitches. When compiling a new case for support and any associated kits of details and stories, don’t forget the data.
For a case for support, this supporting data might include information like:
Why gather this information? Depending on the audience and context of your case for support, being prepared with this data can be extremely helpful.
For example, major donors might want to know it to gauge your organization’s effectiveness before committing to a large gift. Foundations and sponsors might require this information. In very specific circumstances, like if you’re laying out the case to recruit sponsors for a special donation match challenge, information about the scope of your fundraising efforts will be integral to the agreement.
By having this data on hand and baked into the messaging guidelines of your case for support, you’ll be able to easily create detailed, custom pitches for your prospects.
You might already have much of this information in your CRM. For data specific to your grants or corporate philanthropy efforts, be sure to use dedicated grant management and corporate philanthropy tools that make it easy to generate reports and projections (and to raise more of these funds in general).
Check out this video to learn more about how the right platform, like Double the Donation, can not only unlock new revenue streams for your nonprofit but also equip you with the tools you need to build and report more thriving giving programs all around:
Watch Out! 5 Case for Support Pitfalls to Avoid
Creating a case for support should become second nature anytime your organization takes on a significant new fundraising campaign or launches a new giving program. What are the common mistakes to avoid along the way?
Nonprofit Case for Support Examples
Let’s take a look at some strong examples of case for support documents created by leading nonprofits. We’ll examine them from both sides:
Public-Facing Case for Support: UNICEF
Read the case for support document
This is the public-facing case for support for an ambitious 10-year initiative, The UNICEF and WHO Joint Programme on Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-being and Development of Children and Adolescents. This campaign seeks to raise $50 million in donation commitments to achieve its crystal-clear objective:
This is a “global” case for support document for the campaign, meaning it can serve as the single source of truth for fundraisers to create new campaign materials and have more targeted discussions with prospective donors. Its high quality also means it could easily be shared directly with prospects and news outlets as-is, too.
What this Case for Support Does Well
Internal Case for Support: YMCA
This is an internally-facing case for support written by the team at the Santa Monica Family YMCA to support an annual fundraising campaign.
This particular case document could be an extremely helpful example for your nonprofit. It gives us a direct glimpse into what a working case for support looks like and what kind of information yours should include.
We love how mission-centric this example is—every section clearly connects back to the organization’s mission of strengthening communities through supporting youth and fostering healthy living. With this resource in hand, it would be easy for YMCA fundraisers to craft compelling gift solicitations and promotional materials.
What this Case for Support Does Well
Writing a case for support (for a campaign, event, or just for your fundraising efforts in general) is one of the most important things you can do to set your nonprofit up for success.
With an easy-to-use guide on how to talk about your objectives, needs, goals, and plans, your team will be able to tackle any fundraising challenge with ease. If you need to draft a case of support of your own, start by working through the “Essential Elements” explained above and following our recommended steps. You’ll be engaging your prospects, funders, and corporate partners with compelling fundraising pitches in no time.
To keep learning, explore these additional fundraising guides:
Nonprofit Basics: Matching Gifts & How They Double Funds
/in Nonprofit Basics /by Adam WeingerCorporate giving is a big deal for nonprofits. Giving USA’s latest report estimates that companies gave an incredible $29.48 billion to charities in the U.S. in just one year, showing how generous businesses can be. Matching gifts are a special part of this, and these programs provide the easiest way to tap into that funding.
You can multiply your donors’ contributions just by having them fill out a simple form for their employers. However, a jaw-dropping $4-$7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year. Charities have a huge chance to get more support, and we’re excited to shed some light on the basics of matching gifts.
What Are Matching Gifts?
Matching gifts are a type of philanthropy program where companies match donations their employees make to eligible nonprofits, effectively doubling the contribution to the charity. For example, if a Home Depot employee donates $50 to an eligible charity, the company will also donate $50, doubling the total contribution.
This workplace giving program not only amplifies the impact of the original donation but also encourages a culture of giving within the company, aligning corporate resources with employees’ charitable interests. It’s a win-win-win for companies, their employees, and nonprofits!
How Do Matching Donations Work?
When an employee donates to a nonprofit, they can submit a request with details about their gift to their employer, typically through an online portal. Then, the company reviews the donation against their program criteria. If the donation qualifies, the company makes an equivalent donation to the same organization. After receiving the matching donation, the nonprofit should acknowledge the individual donor and their employer.
Note that donation and eligibility requirements will vary depending on the company. When launching a matching gift program, a company will define specifics such as:
A matching gift database can help you quickly find these guidelines. You can easily search for specific companies where your donors work and pull up these criteria.
Benefits of Corporate Matching Gifts For Nonprofits
At its core, matching gifts amplify nonprofits’ fundraising revenue without requiring additional donations from supporters. Here are just some of the ways pursuing matching gifts can impact your nonprofit:
Best of all, companies are being more generous with matching gifts. Our research on corporate philanthropy trends found that more companies are matching donations at higher rates, lowering minimum donation amounts, and increasing maximum donation amount requirements. That means higher employee participation and more dollars for your nonprofit!
Benefits of Matching Gift Programs For Companies
Corporate giving is intended to be mutually beneficial. By understanding how these programs also impact companies, you can advocate for them when approaching your corporate partners. Here are some of the enticing reasons companies launch these programs:
From improved brand reputation to happier employees, matching gift programs have many positive implications for companies. Nonprofits Source’s corporate giving trends article shares that many companies are developing year-round strategies as a way to experience these benefits and make an enduring difference!
How Nonprofits Can Identify Matching Gift Opportunities
It all starts with spreading the word. Educate your donors about matching gifts by urging them to check their eligibility in all fundraising appeals, sending informative matching gift letters, featuring matching gifts on your ‘Ways to Give’ page, and posting about matching gifts on social media. You can even have your corporate partners promote matching gifts to their employees!
As we mentioned, a matching gift database is your best bet for identifying match-eligible donors. For example, the Double the Donation database puts the most up-to-date forms, guidelines, and instructions at your fingertips. It covers 99.68% of matching gift-eligible donors, which is more than 26.8 million individuals.
Easily embed our search tool into your donation form, a dedicated matching gift page, your Ways to Give page, and post-donation emails. That way, donors can search for their employers and determine their eligibility during key parts of their journey.
Our matching gift software automates the process of finding matching gift donors, so you can monitor match status and follow up automatically on all opportunities.
Create custom emails that follow up with donors based on their eligibility for corporate matching gifts. For instance, match-eligible donors will be prompted to submit their matching gift requests to their employer. Meanwhile, donors with unknown match status may be prompted to research their eligibility.
Examples of Matching Gift Programs
Here are several examples of matching gift programs that’ll give you a sense of how different these programs can be across different companies:
Every company’s matching gift program is different, which shows why nonprofits should use matching gift software to locate companies’ guidelines.
Other Resources to Explore
Nonprofit Basics – Learn more nonprofit management essentials by exploring other expert resources.
The Expert’s Guide to Corporate Matching Gift Programs – From common nonprofit eligibility requirements to the submission process, discover everything you need to know about matching gift programs.
How to Win At Corporate Philanthropy: A Nonprofit Guide – Matching gifts are just one piece of the corporate philanthropy puzzle. Explore other top programs and learn how to tap into corporate giving.
Why Workplace Giving Matters for Nonprofits + Companies
/in Corporate Consulting, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerToday, companies are diving deep into social good causes in large part due to the rise of corporate social responsibility (CSR), which reflects a company’s efforts toward improving society. One of the biggest programs to come from CSR is workplace giving.
Workplace giving programs are important to more organizations than just the companies that run them. Nonprofit organizations all over the world benefit from CSR initiatives, with workplace giving at the forefront, raising approximately $5 billion every year.
Both companies and nonprofits should focus on workplace giving to reap its unique benefits. That’s why we’re going to cover the following topics:
Workplace giving can have a huge impact on society as a whole, benefiting nonprofits all over the globe. But there’s more to it than that. Let’s get started.
1. What is workplace giving?
Workplace giving is a company-sponsored program that provides its employees with the opportunity to financially support nonprofit organizations.
Through workplace giving, employees can make charitable donations to the nonprofits they care about.
Workplace giving is an umbrella term, which means it can refer to multiple types of programs. Diversifying workplace giving can encourage greater employee participation. When you provide multiple ways to get involved, employees have the freedom to choose how they want to give and actively take part in the process as a result.
As part of workplace giving, companies can choose to:
Of these programs, corporate matching gifts are arguably the most effective and important giving channel to focus on as both a company and a nonprofit. Most companies match at a 1:1 ratio (a dollar for a dollar), but ratios can range from 0.5:1 to 4:1. Many companies also match donations to a wide range of organizations, with few restrictions.
Workplace giving can be enhanced by any of the programs we’ve already mentioned. But the most important thing to remember is that when companies offer multiple ways to give to charities, employee participation as a whole will rise.
2. Why workplace giving matters for companies
Beyond the social good workplace giving promotes all around, there are specific benefits for companies:
Your company has spent a lot of time and energy setting up its workplace giving program, and you can start reaping its benefits faster the easier employee participation is. After all, the more your employees take part in workplace giving, the happier they’ll be.
For that reason, finding software that makes participating in workplace giving easy can help you get the most out of your program. Read more about workplace giving software solutions below!
How auto-submission helps
When an employer leverages a workplace giving platform equipped with auto-submission functionality, which recently came out of beta for all Double the Donation users, it makes workplace giving participation easier than ever before. Not only is it quicker for employees to get involved, but it’s also simpler for companies to organize, establish, and maintain their programs.
Employers can spend less time tracking and reporting on employee giving and matching gift submissions, reducing the administrative workload it takes to manage workplace giving. And it’s all while making a larger impact on the causes their employees care about!
3. Why workplace giving matters for nonprofits
It’s obvious that workplace giving campaigns help nonprofits financially. But the benefits go deeper than that.
When companies emphasize corporate matching gifts and other workplace giving programs, nonprofits benefit tremendously. This is because:
When companies do everything they can to encourage employees to participate in workplace giving programs, nonprofits gain more than just monetary support. They’ll become part of a larger community that helps them reach their goals.
How auto-submission helps
With higher participation rates by companies and their employees, auto-submission leads to greater revenue for the nonprofits on the receiving end of the relationship. More matching gifts are processed with auto-submission, meaning charitable organizations in need of support earn more revenue.
Not to mention, matching gift auto-submission directly addresses obstacles that nonprofit fundraisers have been facing for years! Common roadblocks, such as a lack of donor awareness of workplace giving programs and non-completed submission forms, are eliminated with auto-submission. Donors are more inclined to complete their end of the process when it’s as easy as a single click, and they’re also likely to keep giving and matching year after year.
4. Why workplace giving matters for employees
Workplace giving doesn’t just benefit companies and nonprofits. As previously mentioned, companies that participate in workplace giving maintain a higher employee engagement rate and lower turnover.
Let’s look at how workplace giving programs can further benefit employees specifically:
There are many reasons why workplace giving matters, and for employees, being able to donate effectively to worthy causes is a big one.
How auto-submission helps
A nonprofit’s donors want to make a significant impact on their favorite organizations’ missions. Additionally, a company’s staff appreciates the opportunity to involve their employer in the causes they care about. Luckily, auto-submission makes every step in the process easier.
When an employee who qualifies for auto-submission gives to an organization equipped with Double the Donation’s tools, a matching gift request can be completed in mere seconds—no website redirects, separate login processes, or repetition of donation information.
This empowers more employees to get involved in their companies’ workplace giving programs that would have otherwise been deterred by a complicated process.
5. How can companies implement and maintain workplace giving programs?
For companies, reporting tools are crucial to their workplace giving programs’ success. If a company doesn’t have a set process in place for tracking matching gifts, volunteer grant requests, payroll deduction options, and other components of their giving programs, measuring what impact the company has made becomes challenging.
Reporting enables your company to maintain transparency, which tends to be low among corporate philanthropy programs. As a result, only 1 in 10 consumers state that they trust corporate giving programs as compared to nonprofit programs.
That’s why many companies invest in workplace giving solutions to effectively track each task, their CSR initiatives, their goals, and any pending requests. There are many types of workplace giving platforms, so be sure to look for tools that meet your company’s needs.
More specifically, if you’re running a matching gift, volunteer grant, or payroll deduction program, below are key features to look for in your workplace giving solution:
When you choose workplace giving software that offers the tools you need to manage each component of your giving program, it’ll be much easier for your employees to get involved and for your company to track your overall CSR initiatives and progress.
How can companies offer the best workplace giving programs for employees?
According to corporate giving research, one of the largest considerations as to whether employees will participate in a workplace giving program revolves around how easy it is for them to get involved. For many donors, that idea is based heavily on the different ways that they’re able to give.
For example, our studies show the following:
This idea boils down to the fact that employees do not want to participate in an employee giving program that is restricted to gifts made through just their employer’s workplace giving platform. The more options a company has for employees to support the nonprofits they care about, the more likely they are to partake.
Along similar lines, if you want more employees to get involved with your matching gifts initiatives, adjust your requirements to offer low minimum donations, high maximums, and liberal submission deadlines, and expand the types—full-time, part-time, and retired—of employees who can have their gifts matched.
Once a match-eligible donation has been made, it’s equally (if not more) important that the match submission process is quick and easy. Again, this is where matching gift auto-submission—made available through Double the Donation in partnership with select workplace giving platforms—can come in handy.
How can companies actively promote workplace giving programs?
The best thing a company can do to promote workplace giving—and to help nonprofits in the process—is to educate their employees.
Feature your workplace giving programs in employee onboarding materials. More specifically, you should highlight:
Educating your employees when you first launch your program and offering reminders throughout the year will keep your CSR initiatives at the forefront of your company culture.
Of course, it’s always a good practice to get employee feedback on your workplace giving programs. This will help you determine whether your program is accessible and effective. Send out surveys and allow employees to vote on the types of nonprofits or causes they want to support or even the types of workplace giving programs they want to see offered.
Additional workplace giving resources
If you’re interested in starting a workplace giving program, hopefully, this guide has served as a helpful start to learning more about employee giving opportunities and why workplace giving matters in the long run. Whether you’re part of a company or nonprofit, the benefits of taking part in workplace giving programs are endless.
To learn more about this extensive topic, we’ve compiled a few of our favorite resources below:
Corporate Gift-Giving Laws: How to Make Policies on Presents
/in About Double the Donation /by Adam WeingerCorporate leaders oversee relationship management on many fronts, including employee engagement and customer satisfaction, and corporate gift-giving is an effective strategy to tackle it. After all, 57% of employees and 52% of consumers are more likely to be loyal to companies that provide gifts.
However, companies must give gifts fairly and responsibly for them to have the desired effect—and that’s where corporate gift-giving laws come in. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about these policies on presents, including:
Let’s begin by taking a closer look at gift-giving basics!
Corporate Gift-Giving Laws FAQS
What are corporate gift-giving laws?
Corporate gift-giving laws are policies created by a company to standardize internal and external gift-giving, helping prevent bribery, favoritism, and other conflicts of interest. These policies generally outline the circumstances in which the company’s employees can give or receive gifts, including:
With a policy that lays out these details, your company will be equipped to start exchanging gifts with clients, employees, business partners, and other contacts to strengthen relationships with your professional network. Let’s break this down further by examining the essentials of gift-giving and receiving.
What is an employee gift policy?
Giving employees gifts can have a significant impact on your company’s efforts to recognize, engage, and retain employees. Generosity can also increase productivity, with 81% of employees stating they are more likely to work harder when an employer appreciates their efforts.
This means your company should craft an employee gift policy that outlines how you’ll show appreciation through gifts and under what circumstances. This policy will depend on the following elements:
Tax implications of employee gifts
The IRS states businesses can deduct $25 of the gift value per recipient per tax year. For example, let’s say leadership gives each employee a $35 snack box. $25 of that cost would be tax-deductible for each gift.
To deduct these expenses, your company must have records that include the details of the amount spent and prove the business purpose of the gift. This also applies to gifts given indirectly to an employee, such as to a spouse or family member.
However, some types of gifts, such as gifts that can be considered entertainment, are not tax deductible. For example, if you were to gift clients bottles of wine and take them to an orchestra performance, the wine bottles would be tax deductible but the orchestra tickets would not.
Employee gift reporting
For the sake of accountability and to keep your books in order, determine how your company will report the gifts it gives. This will be an important part of your policy, which not only lays out the gift-giving process but also how you’ll report and track gifts.
Be sure to keep thorough records including:
Determine who will be in charge of recording employee gifts and where these records should live.
What are corporate gift acceptance policies?
Aside from giving gifts, your company may also receive gifts from clients, customers, or other corporations. To account for this, create a gift acceptance policy that determines which gifts are given and under what circumstances they’re acceptable on behalf of your company.
How to Create Corporate Gift-Giving Laws
So how do you get started, and what should you include? Create corporate gift-giving laws for your company using the following steps:
Make provisions for this policy to be adjusted in the future, if necessary. It’s difficult to include everything, and you may encounter a unique situation in the future that calls for you to revisit your policy. To visualize how you might put these key elements together in one, comprehensive policy, let’s go over a template!
Corporate Gift-Giving Policy Template
If you need help getting started, fill in this template with your company’s unique information:
[Company’s name] recognizes gifting as a customary practice and a meaningful way to show appreciation. To avoid perceptions of bribery, favoritism, and other conflicts of interest, this policy will outline the guidelines and acceptable norms for giving and receiving gifts.
“Gift” refers to cash, goods, or services of commercial value that are given to an individual for personal benefit without any expected return of payment.
This policy applies to [list roles that should follow this policy]. At [Company’s name], the following individuals are authorized to give or receive gifts on behalf of the company:
[List individuals allowed to give or receive gifts]
The following gifts are unacceptable to be given or received on behalf of [Company’s name]:
Gifts of expensive electronic items, such as mobile phones, laptops, or TVs.
Personal gifts of clothing or jewelry are inappropriate and strictly prohibited.
[List any other unacceptable gifts]
[Company’s name] shall adhere to the following price ranges when giving gifts:
Employee recognition gifts should not exceed [Amount].
Work anniversary gifts for any employee should not exceed [Amount].
Gifts accepted from clients/customers should not exceed [Amount].
After giving or receiving a gift, any employee at [Company’s name] should record the gift by [Process for recording gifts].
Consider also creating a gift refusal letter template that employees or leadership can use to appropriately represent your company in the event they must decline a gift.
Corporate Gift Ideas
Coming up with a list of acceptable gifts can help you further standardize the process of rewarding employees and stewarding customers. Consider the following gift ideas.
Matching gifts
While matched donations aren’t tangible or deliverable via a gift bag, they’re a great way to show employees that your company cares about the same causes they do. Incorporate a matching gift program into your company’s existing philanthropic efforts and add guidelines to your employee handbook or portal so your team knows how to participate.
To encourage employees to participate in your program, invest in CSR software with auto-submission capabilities. This will connect your company’s information and matching gift request form to matching gift databases, allowing employees to automatically submit a match request upon making a donation.
As a result, your company will see the following benefits:
Add to the impact of your matching gift program by further building out your CSR initiatives. For example, you might launch a corporate volunteer program in which your team can volunteer for nonprofits together or a volunteer grant to donate monetarily in response to their individual volunteer hours.
eCards
Whether you’re celebrating an employee’s birthday, wishing a customer a happy holiday season, or thanking a team leader for their hard work, thank-you messages can be simple yet meaningful gifts.
eCard software allows you to create customizable, digital greeting cards for any occasion, meaning your company can develop an arsenal of greeting cards for birthdays, work anniversaries, celebrating accomplishments, or any other situation warranting a gift.
For example, let’s say you want to recognize an employee for going above and beyond in their urgency and responsiveness. Here’s how you could create an eCard to thank them:
With these features, you’ll be able to send unique eCards to employees and clients alike. Plus, by making the tool available to your team, you’ll encourage your staff to send eCards to each other and recognize their peers.
Tangible gifts
While any tangible gifts you give will be unique to the occasion and the recipient, here are a few ideas to kickstart your shopping:
Tangible gifts are tricky to navigate since they require a careful balance between being personally meaningful and professional. Be sure to outline any relevant requirements for choosing tangible gifts in your corporate gift-giving laws to provide clear guidelines for choosing these gifts.
Tribute gifts
Aside from matching employees’ donations, your business can also give on their behalf to the causes they care about! For example, if you know that an employee volunteers at a local animal shelter, consider donating to that shelter on their behalf as an appreciation gift.
Additional Resources for Creating Corporate Gift-Giving Laws
Corporate gift-giving laws are unique to the organization that creates them, which is why your policy should foremost address your organization’s needs. For example, smaller, close-knit teams might have more flexibility while larger companies will need strict guidelines to ensure gift-giving is fair.
Consider where your company aims to be in the future and leave room in your policies to adapt to these changes. For example, do you plan to double your staff? Will you serve a new client base? As you consider your company’s growth and the policies that you’ll need in place to account for it, look over the following resources for more tips:
Matching Gift Opportunities: Top Companies in Baltimore
/in Lists and Rankings, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam WeingerAt Double the Donation, we partner with nonprofits across the country to help them increase their revenue through corporate matching gift programs and volunteer grants. We frequently receive requests from nonprofits asking for information on companies local to their area that offer such programs.
Today, we’re examining the largest city in Maryland– Baltimore– and the matching gift opportunities it holds. We’ve pulled together a shortlist of the city’s top opportunities, and are going to detail the programs of the following companies:
The above list is by no means comprehensive, and if you have a large donor base in the Baltimore area, consider doing some outside research on the city’s top programs. The best way to do this is by using a dedicated matching gift tool– read on to learn more!
Using Matching Gift Tools
Dedicated matching gift tools can improve the solicitation processes for both small and large nonprofits alike. Whether you’re just building your matching gift discovery procedures, or improving your existing processes, these tools can aid in the process.
For example, Double the Donation’s comprehensive matching gift software can help streamline and automate the matching gift process from beginning to end. With this tool, a donor’s match eligibility is automatically searched upon their donation. Further, as the software is fully automated, the communications following the discovery of eligibility are handled for you as well.
With that, continue reading for a look at corporate philanthropy in Baltimore.
Top Baltimore Companies with Matching Gift Programs
Check out this list of some of the top companies in the Baltimore area that currently offer corporate matching gifts. Familiarize your fundraising team with these companies to increase awareness among the donors who work for these companies.
Black & Decker
Stanley Black and Decker will match employee donations at a $10 minimum and up to $10,000. The company will match to most nonprofit organizations.
Read more about the Black and Decker matching gift program.
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin will match employee donations between $25 and $10,000 to US colleges and universities. Part-time employees are also eligible for this program.
Read more about the Lockheed Martin matching gift program.
T. Rowe Price
T. Rowe Price has one of the more generous programs in the area. They will match gifts between $25 and $20,000 to most nonprofit organizations.
Read more about the T. Rowe Price matching gift and volunteer grant program.
Matching gift programs are a great way to increase donations to your nonprofit with minimal effort. Whether you’re in Baltimore or elsewhere, you should be actively seeking these programs.
While this list is a great place to get started, consider also employing a matching gift tool as you build upon your matching gift processes.
Matching Gift Requests | Deadlines, Forms & Auto-Submission
/in Donor communications, Learning Center, Company Spotlights, Matching Gift Companies, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerYou likely have a number of matchable donations in your CRM at any given time. If you’re looking to revamp your strategy, you might wonder if gifts made last week, month, or quarter remain eligible for the giving programs. Fear not—many contributions from the past year (give or take) should still qualify for company matching. Now, you’re just waiting for your donors to complete their matching gift requests!
The problem is that many donors remain unaware of the matching gift opportunity entirely. When an individual has no idea their employer matches, they won’t take the necessary steps to request associated funding and secure additional revenue for your nonprofit.
That’s why educating your team and your donors about the importance of matching gift requests is essential. And we’ve provided this expert guide to help you do so!
In this blog post, we’ll cover the following key topics:
Let’s get started!
What Are Matching Gift Requests?
A matching gift request is a submission made by a donor to their employer as part of the company’s matching gift program. The request aims to secure a corporate match for the individual’s donation to a nonprofit cause, making it an essential part of the matching gift process.
The Matching Gift Fundraising Process
Though the request itself can vary from one company to the next, these forms generally source information on the employee, the recipient organization, and transaction details.
How Do Donors Complete Matching Gift Requests?
The actual task of submitting a matching gift request is going to fall on each individual donor. However, it helps to ensure your fundraising team is familiar with the process and prepared to assist donors in completing it.
Here’s how it generally works:
Step 1: A donor receives a link to their matching gift form.
After a donor contributes to a nonprofit, the organization should take proactive steps to encourage the individual to complete the matching gift request process. This might mean promoting matching gifts from the confirmation screen or in a separate email follow-up (as pictured below).
For the best results, the reminder should include an acknowledgment of the donor’s initial donation along with a direct link to their company forms.
Step 2: The donor logs into their company’s giving portal.
After the donor receives a link to their employer’s matching gift form, they should navigate to the company’s giving portal or corporate philanthropy platform. This site will generally house a range of corporate giving information, including the forms required for employees to complete their matching gift requests.
Once on the page, they’ll log in using credentials provided by their employer. Most online portals have contact information for the company’s program administrator, should a donor have difficulty accessing the platform on their own.
Step 3: The donor initiates a matching gift request.
Within the company’s giving portal (or externally, for companies that don’t use them), a donor should locate the option to initiate a matching gift request.
This may be presented as a specific form or an online application within the portal.
Step 4: The donor provides donation details on the online form.
The donor should now follow the instructions provided by the portal to complete their matching gift request form properly. They should expect to supply information about…
Once approved, the company makes its own donation to the nonprofit, effectively doubling (or, in some cases, tripling) the impact of the original gift.
What to Know About Matching Gift Request Deadlines ⌛
Matching gift requests are not generally required to be submitted immediately following the initial giving transaction. However, nearly all companies establish some sort of deadline by which employee matching gift requests must be completed.
The dates themselves vary, generally coinciding with the calendar year (e.g., December of the year in which the donation was made; the end of the calendar year plus a grace period into the following one) or a set amount of time post-donation.
See How Matching Gift Automation Can Help
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution from Double the Donation.
Familiarize yourself with the following types of program deadlines. Plus, review leading matching gift company guidelines to see when their employees’ matching gift requests are due!
Deadline #1: A Set Number of Days or Months Post-Donation
The first type of deadline is based on the amount of time elapsed since the individual completed their initial donation. While most companies offer flexible submission windows for matching gift requests, deadlines can range from 30 days to an entire year post-transaction.
Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae currently matches part-time and full-time employee donations up to $5,000. Unfortunately, some donors miss out on this funding opportunity, largely due to a lack of program awareness, which results in missed matching gift requests.
Match request deadline: Fannie Mae donors must submit their matching gift requests within 30 days of their donation date or by December 31st of each year (whichever is sooner).
Click here for additional details on Fannie Mae’s matching gift program.
Altria
Altria offers a generous matching gift program (up to $30,000 per employee per year) along with sizable volunteer grants (up to $500 after 25 hours of volunteering).
Match request deadline: Altria’s program administrator must receive all matching gift requests within 90 days of the donations being made.
Click here for additional details on Altria’s matching gift program.
Apple
Apple offers a generous matching gift program for full-time and part-time employees. Each year, team members are encouraged to request between $1 and $10,000 in matches from qualifying gifts!
Match request deadline: Employees should be sure to submit their matching gift requests swiftly, as Apple requires gifts to be registered within one month of the transaction date.
Click here for additional details on Apple’s matching gift program.
Microsoft
Microsoft matches between $1 and $15,000 per team member per year. Plus, employees can earn grants for their favorite organizations worth $25 for each hour they spend volunteering.
Match request deadline: Employees are welcome to request matching gifts for any qualifying donations made in the past 12 months!
Click here for additional details on Microsoft’s matching gift program.
YUM Brands
Fast food corporation YUM Brands, including employees at Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell restaurants, matches gifts at a dollar-for-dollar rate up to $1,000 per associate per year.
Match request deadline: All YUM Brands employees should complete their matching gift requests within six months of their initial donations.
Click here for additional details on YUM Brands’ matching gift program.
Deadline #2: End of Calendar Year
The other main type of matching gift request deadline is one that aligns with the calendar year (running from January 1st to December 31st). That means tons of companies set their deadlines at December 31st.
Here are a few examples:
AVON
AVON matches employee donations up to $15,000 per year. And the first $500 donated is matched at a 2:1 rate, thus tripling the initial donation value.
Match request deadline: AVON employees should mark their calendars! While the deadline indeed falls in December of each year, team members are required to complete their requests prior to December 11th rather than the standard 31st.
Click here for additional details on AVON’s matching gift program.
Freeport-McMoRan
Freeport-McMoRan matches donations of up to $40,000 to a wide range of nonprofits. While the first $1,000 donated is matched at a 2:1 rate (thus tripling each initial dollar’s value), donations above $1,000 are matched dollar-for-dollar.
Match request deadline: While Freeport-McMoRan encourages employees to submit matching donation requests at the time of the initial donation, employees can submit matches until Dec. 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
Click here for additional details on Freeport’s matching gift program.
SAP America
SAP America gives charitably through the SAP Together Program. Within this initiative, SAP employees are incentivized to donate to nonprofits to unlock matching gifts for their favorite organizations.
Match request deadline: Matching gifts must be requested of the company by December 31st of the year in which the initial donation is made. However, donors should be encouraged to submit their matches as soon as possible due to a company-wide annual limit.
Click here for additional details on Sap’s matching gift program.
Deadline #3: End of Calendar Year + Grace Period
The last group of companies establishes their matching gift deadlines according to the calendar year as well. But they also tack on an additional month or so.
Boeing
Boeing offers a monetary match, a volunteer grant match, and a fundraising match. And while full-time and part-time employees qualify to have their gifts matched dollar-for-dollar, retirees of the company are eligible to request a 0.5:1 match.
Match request deadline: Boeing employees (or retirees) participating in any matching gift program must submit their matching gift requests by January 31st of the year following the one in which the initial contribution/volunteerism/event took place.
Click here for additional details on Boeing’s matching gift program.
Verizon
Each year, Verizon matches employee donations of up to $5,000 to the educational institutions of their choice. Meanwhile, all other nonprofits qualify for up to $1,000 in match funding, along with $750 grants for organizations with which employees volunteer.
Match request deadline: Matching gift requests must be entered into the electronic matching gift system before January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
Click here for additional details on Verizon’s matching gift program.
Adobe
Adobe matches donations of up to $10,000 per employee per year. Additionally, employees can submit volunteer or “dollars for doers” grant requests worth $250 for every 10 hours they volunteer.
Match request deadline: All matching gift requests must be submitted by January 31st of the year following the one in which the gift was made, regardless of the donation date.
Click here for additional details on Adobe’s matching gift program.
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola generously matches employee gifts at a 2:1 ratio. That means for every $1 an employee contributes, Coke gives $2 up to a maximum corporate contribution of $20,000.
Match request deadline: All employee matching gift requests should be completed and returned to The Coca-Cola Company by February 28th of the following year.
Click here for additional details on Coke’s matching gift program.
Bank of America
Bank of America (including the investment management and wealth management division, Merrill Lynch) matches employee donations to nearly all nonprofit causes. Each year, team members can request between $24 and $5,000 worth of matches for personal donations of equal amounts.
Match request deadline: Employees must complete an application and have the recipient organization verify the gift. This information must be received by January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.
Click here for additional details on Bank of America’s matching gift program.
General Electric
Fun fact: General Electric was the first company to implement an employee matching gift program in 1954. Today, it matches millions of dollars worth of gifts to approved charities around the world. Each team full or part-time team member is encouraged to request between $25 and $5,000 per year!
Match request deadline: General Electric offers one of the most extended matching gift program deadlines, with employees being able to request matches until April 15th (tax day!) of the year after their gifts were made.
Click here for additional details on GE’s matching gift program.
Driving Matching Gift Requests to Completion
Unfortunately, matching gift deadlines mean little if your organization isn’t informing donors about matching gifts first. After all, the vast majority of match-eligible employees (approximately 78%) have no idea their company even matches gifts.
How will a donor know to submit a request on time if they don’t know to submit one in the first place?
Luckily, marketing matching gifts to your donors is easier than ever (check out our free downloadable resource for more tips and tricks!). Proper software can help screen for match-eligible transactions, inform donors of their eligibility, and supply individuals with actionable information to initiate the process, too.
As the fundraising sector’s top matching gift tool, Double the Donation identifies matching gift opportunities and triggers personalized marketing emails. It also integrates with nearly all of the leading fundraising solutions, allowing it to supercharge the donation process and make implementation and management quick and easy.
Watch the following 60-second overview video to learn more:
Streamlining Matching Gift Requests With Auto-Submission
Traditionally, an employee wanting to file a matching gift request had to determine their eligibility for a match before identifying and completing the correct forms for their employer. Then, as outlined above, the matching gift request process typically requires an individual to log into a separate portal. There, they supply donation data and submit their matching gift form.
But today, the matching gift request process is being transformed. And it’s beginning with a shift toward Double the Donation’s groundbreaking auto-submission functionality! Now, companies that enable this option through their CSR platforms empower employees with a one-click request opportunity directly from their favorite organizations’ giving pages.
When requesting a match is as simple as selecting a checkbox on a confirmation screen, more donors will be inclined to do it—which is why auto-submission is such an invaluable tool.
Wrapping Up
Effectively navigating the world of matching gift requests can seem like a daunting task. But armed with the right knowledge and resources, donors can maximize the impact of their contributions to nonprofits like yours.
Keep in mind that as the fundraising organization, it’s your responsibility to ensure your audience is informed and encouraged to participate. And that means recognizing the potential for matching gifts and taking proactive steps to supply donors with company forms and guidelines.
Interested in learning more about effective matching gift fundraising practices? Check out these additional recommended resources:
Matching Gifts for Public Media Orgs | Boost Your Broadcasts
/in Company Spotlights, Matching Gift Companies, Volunteer Grant Companies, Lists and Rankings /by Adam WeingerConsider the following scenario: You’re listening to your regularly scheduled radio show when it’s interrupted for the station’s annual pledge drive. You hear the on-air host making an appeal—“Fundraising is an essential part of what we do at Public Broadcasting Station, and it’s the most efficient way to source funds needed to supply our listeners with educational, inspirational, and entertaining content. Not to mention, thousands of employers offer matching gifts for public media like us, meaning your contributions can go twice as far for your favorite programs.”
Pledge drives and other revenue-generation efforts are crucial for obtaining sustainable funding and delivering high-quality content to widespread communities. Incorporating matching gift opportunities into your media organization’s outreach can go a long way!
In this post, we’ll explore how nonprofits in the media sector can leverage matching gifts to amplify their impact, enhance donor engagement, and ultimately boost their broadcasts. We’ll cover the following topics below:
Let’s get started!
The Basics of Matching Gifts for Public Media Groups
Matching gifts for public media groups is a category of philanthropy in which companies match donations to the public broadcasting services their employees financially support. This makes it an essential form of workplace giving for these organizations, empowering donors to double or even triple the value of their gifts without reaching back into their own wallets.
All a donor generally has to do is complete a brief online request form for their employer to review and disburse match funding to your cause.
The benefits of matching gifts for public media organizations are significant and widespread. Successful donation-matching ensures that public media outlets, such as radio programs and television networks, are more sustainably funded to better serve the community’s needs and interests. Meanwhile, donors feel more deeply connected to the broadcasts they play a direct role in supporting through financial donations and matching gifts!
Match More Gifts With Double the Donation
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution.
5 Companies to Know That Match Gifts to Public Media
Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies provide donation matches to the nonprofits their employees support. Check out the examples below to explore top programs that actively match gifts to public broadcasting organizations like yours!
Warner Bros. Discovery
Minimum donation amount: $10
Maximum donation amount: $1,000
Match ratio: 1:1
Eligible employees: Part-time, full-time
Eligible nonprofits: Many nonprofits, including public media
Warner Bros. Discovery is a prime example of an employer engaging its workforce through collaborative philanthropy. The company offers two generous giving programs in which its staff are encouraged to donate their money and time to qualifying nonprofits: matching gifts and volunteer grants, respectively.
Each year, full-time and part-time employees have the chance to request up to a combined $1,000 in matches and grants for their favorite causes—of which your public media organization may be included.
Learn more about the matching gift program.
The Walt Disney Company (incl. Hulu, Marvel Entertainment, ABC)
Minimum donation amount: $25
Maximum donation amount: $25,000
Match ratio: 1:1
Eligible employees: Part-time, full-time
Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
The Walt Disney Company is another leading corporation known for maximizing employee participation in philanthropy. With a lofty maximum threshold of $25,000, current team members are encouraged to give generously to their favorite nonprofit causes—and to have those gifts matched, dollar-for-dollar.
Disney’s matching gift program is also inclusive of its subsidiaries, too, meaning Hulu, Marvel Entertainment, and ABC employees are welcome to participate.
Learn more about the matching gift program.
Sony Corporation
Minimum donation amount: $10-$50
Maximum donation amount: $1,000-$2,000
Match ratio: 1:1
Eligible employees: Full-time, select retirees
Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
Sony Corporation, encompassing subsidiaries such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Corporation of America, and Sony Electronics, operates a few generous matching gift programs that your team might want to take advantage of. These efforts aim to support employees’ charitable giving and reinforce the company’s commitment to social responsibility
Keep in mind that the eligibility criteria and submission processes vary across Sony’s different entities, so it’s important to select the correct employer from the database search tool!
Learn more about the matching gift program.
Fox Corporation
Minimum donation amount: None
Maximum donation amount: $1,000
Match ratio: 1:1
Eligible employees: Full-time
Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
Fox Corporation is dedicated to engaging its employees and supporting the communities it serves through its matching gift program. As part of the initiative, the program matches the gifts its current full-time employees make to a wide range of nonprofits. And your public media organization is likely included!
By empowering its employees to give back and amplifying their charitable efforts, Fox Corporation reinforces its commitment to doing good, creating positive change in its staffs’ communities around the world.
Learn more about the matching gift program.
Google
Minimum donation amount: None
Maximum donation amount: $10,000
Match ratio: 1:1
Eligible employees: Part-time, full-time, board members
Eligible nonprofits: Most nonprofits, including public media
In addition to its standout Google Ad Grants program, one of the primary ways Google participates in philanthropy is by matching employees’ charitable gifts. With its matching gift program, the company doubles donations to thousands of nonprofits, effectively multiplying the impact of team members’ contributions.
Then, going a step further, Google also offers an additional $10,000 match limit for donations going to disaster or international relief! Not to mention, matching funds that employees raise through peer-to-peer fundraising events like runs, walks, and rides.
Learn more about the matching gift program.
Tips & Tricks for Spreading the Word About Matching Gifts
Implementing a well-thought-out matching gift fundraising plan is an integral step in bridging the knowledge and funding gaps many organizations see. The following tips and tricks will empower public broadcasters like you to maximize donations, build stronger relationships with individual and corporate donors, and reach fundraising goals more effectively and efficiently than ever before.
1. Incorporate matching gift info in pledge drives and on-air appeals.
Public media stations often heavily rely on annual pledge drives to generate the funding needed to power their operations. Thus, you’ll want to heavily promote matching gifts throughout such efforts.
For this strategy, we recommend incorporating information about matching gift programs directly into your on-air appeals. As you introduce your campaign and make the ask of your viewers and listeners, mentioning the opportunity for gifts to be doubled can go a long way. In fact, matching gift research indicates that 84% of donors would be more likely to give if a match is offered, while 1 in 3 say they’d give a larger amount.
Top tip: Kickstart your efforts using our free matching gift appeal script below!
2. Leverage and enhance supporter loyalty with matching gifts.
Matching gifts not only increase the financial impact of one-time individual gifts but also serve as a powerful tool for building supporter loyalty. When donors see that their contributions are going twice as far, they feel double the sense of connection and pride in their support of the organization. And it makes them want to stay involved in the long run, ultimately lengthening and improving the donor journey.
For public media groups, this is essential—as nonprofit broadcast services are often powered by a group of committed, long-term supporters. Additionally, highlighting matching gift opportunities demonstrates the station’s dedication to stewarding its financial assets responsibly, further strengthening the bond between the station and its donors.
3. Offer unique incentives for matching gift participation by donors.
One way to encourage donors to take advantage of matching gift opportunities is by rewarding them for doing so. Offer unique incentives for match-eligible donors who ultimately take the steps to request a match from their employer on your behalf. These might include:
Not to mention, as a less tangible incentive, let your audience know that participating in matching gifts will allow your team to reach its fundraising goals sooner. You may even be able to wrap up your pledge drive and return to viewers’ and listeners’ regularly scheduled programming early.
4. Integrate a matching gift solution into your fundraising toolkit.
To streamline the process of capturing matching gifts for public media organizations like yours, it’s essential that teams integrate an automation solution into their software toolkits. Luckily, Double the Donation integrates with the leading public media fundraising platforms to ensure quick and easy implementation.
Once equipped with a matching gift solution, your organization will be set to automatically identify matching gift opportunities, educate donors about the process, and facilitate the submission of matching gift requests. The tool simplifies the administrative burden on broadcast staff and even ensures that no matchable gifts slip through the cracks.
Match More Gifts With Double the Donation
Get a sneak peek of the industry-leading matching gift automation solution.
Sample Scripts | Marketing Matching Gifts to Your Public Media Audience
Kick off your organization’s matching gift promotional efforts with these customizable scripts and templates. Remember: educating your audience about the matching gift opportunity increases the likelihood that donors request their matches.
On-Air Pledge Drive Script: Template #1
Phonathon Script: Template #2
Email: Template #3
Tweet: Template #4
Top tip: Make the most of the resources available to you! Double the Donation users are encouraged to leverage the platform’s library of pre-written emails and pre-made graphic design templates to scale up their matching gift marketing efforts with ease.
Final Thoughts
Harnessing the power of matching gifts presents an invaluable opportunity for public media organizations. When integrated into a fundraising strategy effectively, broadcasters are equipped to amplify impact, engage supporters, and ultimately elevate programming. And this opportunity is only expected to grow. That means now’s your chance to ramp up your efforts, invest in technology, and drive more matching gifts to completion.
Watch the video below to see how Maine Public has boosted matching gifts at their organization by leveraging Double the Donation!
Maine Public- Matching Gift Success from Double the Donation on Vimeo.
Interested in more tips and tricks to drive matching gifts for public media groups like yours? Keep reading these additional recommended resources:
5 Political Campaign Lessons That Nonprofits Can Learn From
/in Learning Center, Donor communications, Fundraising Ideas, Marketing Strategies /by Adam WeingerIn major election years, political campaigns are at the top of everyone’s minds. Your organization’s supporters receive political advertisements and donation appeals alongside those from your nonprofit, and donors may even wonder where your organization stands on key election issues.
While 501(c)(3) nonprofits are prohibited from participating in or supporting specific political campaigns, that doesn’t mean you should ignore them. Not only can election results impact your organization’s work in the future, but there are also plenty of lessons you can learn from political campaign strategies to improve your own fundraising and marketing campaigns.
We’ll cover five concepts that political campaign staff understand well and explore how you can apply them to your nonprofit’s strategies.
1. Time is of the Essence
Since every political campaign runs on a hard deadline, they understand the importance of urgency in every facet of their operations. Political campaign staff plot out detailed field plans, campaign timelines, and editorial calendars to ensure that every action contributes to the ultimate goal of winning the election. They hit the ground running, leveraging volunteers to speak with hundreds of voters at a time about supporting their candidate.
You can approach your fundraising campaigns with the same mindset to increase their momentum and drive results. Try infusing more urgency into your nonprofit’s campaigns by:
Additionally, make sure to frequently update donors on the progress of your campaigns, projects, and programs to show them that your nonprofit is working urgently to put their donations to good use.
2. Public Opinion is Paramount
Political campaign strategists spend plenty of time and resources researching the opinions of voters and crafting messages that will resonate with them. They understand that voters get a candidate elected, just like a nonprofit’s donors enable it to further its mission, and they prioritize voter opinion effectively.
Donors’ opinions, priorities, and concerns should play a central role in your nonprofit’s strategy development, guiding how you approach marketing and fundraising campaigns.
To better understand and speak to your audience’s motivations, send out periodic surveys to ask for their feedback directly. Ask questions like:
Along with asking your donors directly, take into account research on the opinions of the general public. For example, 77% of consumers want to purchase from companies with corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives like matching gift programs. With this in mind, your nonprofit might prioritize your matching gift fundraising campaigns to appeal to the public’s interest in CSR.
3. Volunteers are Drivers of Change
Similar to nonprofits, most political campaigns don’t have large teams and therefore have to rely on volunteers for major efforts like canvassing and phone banking.
Because these efforts are so critical to the success of political campaigns, campaign staff understand and value their volunteers’ power to enact change. Some campaigns even use distributed organizing tactics, giving leadership positions to select volunteers and empowering them to lead their own volunteer teams on behalf of the campaign.
Your nonprofit can take inspiration from these tactics by improving your volunteer program and empowering volunteers to act. Use the following strategies to do so:
With a more empowered, involved volunteer force at your disposal, your nonprofit can start taking advantage of corporate volunteering programs, too. Invite volunteers to tap into their employers’ volunteer grant initiatives to make an even greater impact on your cause.
4. Digital Channels Make a Difference
Your nonprofit likely already uses a variety of digital communication channels to connect with donors and spread greater awareness of your nonprofit’s work. But are you leveraging these channels to their full extent?
For political campaigns, digital marketing and outreach is a top priority. They use digital tools like text banking software, canvassing apps, and social media outreach tools to get their message in front of voters across as many channels as possible. They also use a mix of paid and non-paid advertising methods to reach new online audiences.
Think about the digital channels your organization hasn’t yet explored and how they could give your fundraising campaigns a boost. You might try tapping into video marketing, for instance. Or, you could leverage free programs like the Google Ad Grant to try out search advertising. Take stock of the resources you have at your disposal, then choose a few new digital avenues to tap into.
5. Mobilization Requires Multiple Touchpoints
Political campaigns don’t stick to one canvassing or volunteer recruitment method — they use a combination of phone banking, door-to-door canvassing, text messages, social media advertising, email, and more. Campaign staff understand that one message or conversation isn’t enough to mobilize voters and volunteers.
The same is true for nonprofits. To truly inspire action from your supporters, you need a multi-channel fundraising strategy that provides plenty of touchpoints with current and prospective donors. This may include channels like email, text, social media, direct mail, your website, and more.
For the best results, segment your audience based on factors like their donation histories, past involvement, and communication preferences. Then, tailor your outreach and fundraising appeals to the interests of each group to make every touchpoint more meaningful.
Applying These Lessons to Matching Gift Fundraising
Political campaigns and nonprofits may seem different on the surface, but both aim to enact change by touching the hearts and minds of their supporters. This is especially true when it comes to matching gifts — by mobilizing your donors to request matching gifts from their employers, you’ll inspire them to double their impact on the causes they care about.
To apply these political campaign lessons to your matching gift fundraising strategy, try taking the following steps:
By incorporating these lessons into your organization’s next matching gift fundraising campaign, you can find new ways to engage supporters and mobilize them to act.