From recurring donors to annual fundraisers to merchandise sales, the more income streams your nonprofit has, the more financially secure your organization will be. The key source of revenue that can bring in reliable funding year after year is grants.
Grant funding amounts and requirements vary wildly as every grantmaking organization has their own unique application process. While there are skills and knowledge, like grant writing, that carry over from application to application, your nonprofit will need to learn the specific requirements of each organization you apply to.
This is where grant research tools come in. Along with helping you find grants, these tools provide insight into the application process, potential funding amounts, and contact information for the grantmaker.
To help your nonprofit build relationships with funders and earn your next grant, we’ll explore our top recommended grant research tools.
Grant Research Tools FAQ
What are grant research tools?
For the most part, grant research tools are searchable databases of available grants. Given that most grant databases have several thousand grants listed at a minimum, these databases have an extensive array of filters for users to narrow their search to grants applicable to their purposes.
Different grant databases often overlap in content. After all, if one grant database provider is aware of a foundation’s new grant opportunities, chances are many other providers are as well. However, one way to sort grant databases by content is to split them into three categories:
- Government grant databases. Many grant databases include both government and foundation grants. However, databases run by government entities usually only have information on government-offered grants.
- Foundation grant databases. Most third-party grant databases focus on grants provided by foundations. Many foundations lack an online presence or may rely entirely on trusted grant databases to promote their grant opportunities. Since these types of foundation grants are much more difficult to find and apply for than government grants, most independent grant databases focus on promoting opportunities from foundations.
- Research grant databases. Academics use specialized grant databases that focus on research grants and fellowships. These databases usually require a fee to access or can be accessed through a university. For the most part, these databases are irrelevant to nonprofits.
Note that specialty grants may not be listed in these databases. For example, the Google Ad Grant is a unique type of grant that rewards recipients with ad credits rather than dollars. For the Google Ad Grant and other highly specialized types of grants, it’s best to explore their websites directly rather than using a database for information.
Why do grant research tools matter?
Nonprofits can search for individual foundations and open grants they are aware of without needing any specific tool. However, grant research databases compile all the information your nonprofit needs to apply for grants in one place, allowing you to:
- Discover grants. Approximately 90% of grantmaking foundations do not have websites, meaning nonprofits need third-party tools to learn they exist in the first place. Grant research tools can help you refine your search and uncover foundations you may not have known about but are a good fit for your nonprofit.
- Evaluate your nonprofit’s fit. There are thousands of foundations across the United States alone, and deciding which grants to apply for is essential for maximizing your potential funding. Use grant research tools to identify which foundations are the most likely to approve your grant application so you can focus your time and resources.
- Get grantmakers’ contact information. Cultivating relationships with grantmakers is a major part of securing grant revenue long-term. Many foundations prefer nonprofits, especially if they do not have a previous relationship with their organization, reach out to introduce themselves before submitting a grant application. Grant research tools can provide you with the email address or phone number of grantmaking organizations’ point of contact so you can connect and formally introduce your nonprofit.
Some grant research tools have even more features that help streamline the grant application process. For instance, some tools are just databases for finding grant information, while others provide grant management tools that allow you to track specific grant deadlines, organize applications, and manage your awards.
What should my nonprofit look for in a grant research tool?
Grant research tools vary in the features they provide, the depth of information for grants in their database, and the costs of accessing their services. Before conducting grant research, consider what types of grants you intend to apply for and what tools you’ll need to complete your applications.
For instance, if you intend to apply for many grants, it may be worthwhile to invest in a paid but comprehensive grant management tool. In contrast, if you just need basic information about a few grants and would like to avoid extra fees, there are free resources your nonprofit can rely on.
With that, let’s explore our top grant research tools and what types of nonprofits can benefit from each option.
What about matching gift grants?
Corporate giving programs like matching gift grants and volunteer grants are additional funding that your nonprofit can earn from corporate sponsors. While these types of contributions could be considered grants, nonprofits don’t use traditional grant research tools to find them. Instead, you need a matching gift database.
Matching gift databases contain information about a wide range of companies’ matching gift grant programs. Your nonprofit can use this tool to look up specific businesses that employ many of your supporters. You can also provide supporters with access to the database via a matching gift search tool you embed in your website. This way, supporters can look up their own eligibility and apply for a matching grant themselves.
1. Candid
Overview
Formerly known as GuideStar, Candid’s Foundation Directory is one of the most comprehensive grant databases available. Candid’s team uses over 35 distinct information sources, including IRS returns, grantmaker websites, annual reports, philanthropic news, and connections with individual grantmakers, to keep their directory up-to-date on the latest grants.
Candid’s Foundation Directory is primarily meant for registered 501(c)(3) organizations and unregistered nonprofits with fiscal sponsors. These groups can use the directory to search for grants based on:
- Subject
- Location
- Grantmaker type
- Type of support
- Trustee names
The Foundation Directory is ultimately a search tool for nonprofits interested in finding grants relevant to their cause. Candid’s data visualization tools also allow nonprofits to view giving trends and assess whether a specific grantmaker is likely to fund their organization.
Costs
Candid has Enterprise, Professional, and Essential plans available. Foundations, academic institutions, and large organizations are encouraged to explore custom-priced Enterprise plans, but other nonprofits can jump right into Candid via the Professional plan ($133.25 per month) or the Essential plan ($37.42 per month).
2. Grants.gov
Overview
Grants.gov is the United States government’s main resource for organizations seeking federal grant funding. Grants.gov is specifically for United States-based organizations, including nonprofits, educational institutions, Native American organizations, city governments, and small businesses. There are even a few grants individuals can apply to.
The main draw to Grants.gov, of course, is the ability to discover government-backed grants. Organizations looking to apply for a government grant should use this database like they would other grant research tools and narrow their search to the most relevant opportunities. Once you discover a grant that fits your organization, you can hit the red “Apply” button in the top right corner of each grant’s information page to begin your application.
Along with the searchable database, Grants.gov also has a wealth of information on grants in general, including basics on grant terminology, eligibility requirements, fraud, and even career development in the grant space.
Costs
Organizations can sign up with Grants.gov for free. However, there are multiple steps to take before completing their registration. Specifically, nonprofits must register their organization at SAM.gov, the United States registry for organizations that do business with the federal government. Registering for SAM.gov is also free.
Signing up with SAM.gov takes an average of 7-10 business days, after which you will receive a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you can use to sign up for Grants.gov. Nonprofits will need to renew their registration with SAM.gov annually.
3. GrantStation
Overview
GrantStation is a grant database that contains grants from the following types of organizations:
- Independent, family, community, and corporate foundations
- Corporations
- Faith-based grantmakers
Additionally, GrantStation includes grants from U.S. federal and state governments as well as Canadian government grants and some international grants. GrantStation encourages users to select their specific country and state and then enter several terms related to their cause to narrow their search results.
GrantStation also offers several resources related to grant writing, such as examples of past winning proposals, a grants calendar, and grant-related webinars. Some of these resources are available for free while others require a membership.
Costs
Organizations signing up for access to GrantStation’s database can choose between a one-year $179 membership or a two-year $249 membership. GrantStation also offers a newsletter with grant resources that nonprofits can subscribe to for free.
4. Instrumentl
Overview
Instrumentl is a grant management and research tool for nonprofit organizations and grant writing consultants. Nonprofits can use Instrumentl to find, track, and apply for grants, while grant writers can use it as a tool for managing the various grants they are writing for clients.
For each grant opportunity listed in Instrumentl, users can click in and see an overview of the specific grant and a detailed breakdown of the grantmaker’s 990 report. While nonprofits can find 990s themselves with enough research, Instrumentl displays the information in a user-friendly format, allowing users to easily discover grantmakers’ total assets, total giving, giving per year, contact information, and which organizations have received previous grants.
Instrumentl also aims to help nonprofits navigate one of the most common hurdles in finding grant opportunities: discovering and making contact with invite-only grantmakers. These grantmakers only allow select organizations to apply for their grants and often lack a web presence, making introducing your nonprofit and building a relationship a challenge.
Instrumentl provides invite-only grant organizations’ contact information, as well as their history of past grant recipients. This allows nonprofits to better assess their networks to determine if they have an in with these exclusive grantmakers and begin building a relationship.
Costs
Instrumentl offers access to its grant management tools and full grant database at three price points depending on your organization’s size and level of need. Nonprofits can also sign up for a 14-day free trial to see if Instrumentl is right for them before subscribing.
5. GrantScape
Overview
Finding and applying for grants are only the first steps to an effective grant management strategy. To avoid penalties and receive future funding, nonprofits also need to maintain grant compliance. For nonprofits looking for assistance managing their grants, GrantScape is a grant database powered by the grant compliance experts at Thompson Grants.
GrantScape provides subscribers with access to its comprehensive database of more than 11,000 grant opportunities from foundations and government agencies. Additionally, subscribers can access GrantScape’s “knowledge center,” which provides online modules dedicated to various aspects of the grant process. With backing from Thompson Grants, these modules discuss complex legal parts of grant management, such as how to handle grant expenditures, monitor federal subawards, and understand audit law and policy.
Plus, to make sure you know how to use the grant database to its maximum potential, GrantScape provides new users with a 30-minute consultation to answer questions and provide tips for effective grant research strategies.
Costs
Users have the option to subscribe just to GrantScape or get a package deal that includes GrantScape database access by signing up with Thompson Grants. Nonprofits interested solely in the GrantScape database can purchase access at a monthly or annual rate. In contrast, those interested in training rather than a database alone can subscribe to Thompson Grants’ webinar training pass to attend grant-related webinars and subscriber events.
6. GrantForward
Overview
Universities and colleges need specialized grant databases focused on academic funding and research opportunities. Higher education institutions can find what they’re looking for with GrantForward.
GrantForward has a database of over 63,000 grants for researchers. To avoid getting overwhelmed, researchers at your institution can also create individual profiles on GrantForward that state their field of study and research interests. Then, GrantForward will recommend funding opportunities that fit their profiles.
To help train everyone at your higher education institution to use the database, GrantForward provides instructional tools that universities can share with researchers as well as resources for how to roll out GrantForward’s grant research tools to your team.
Costs
The price to access GrantForward is determined by institution size. Contact their team to receive a detailed pricing plan.
7. National Endowment for the Humanities
Overview
Government grants can be divided based on the agency or department funding them. One notable organization to discuss is the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH is an independent federal government agency and one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States.
NEH grants typically are awarded to:
- Museums
- Archives and libraries
- Higher education institutions
- Public television
- Radio stations
- Individual scholars
The available grants also range widely in specificity from a fellowship for social science research in Japan to a grant meant for strengthening universities’ humanities programs. Each grant has a unique application process that can be explored through Grants.gov.
Costs
NEH is essentially an offshoot of Grants.gov and has the same sign-up requirements and no extra costs.
8. Catholic Funding Guide
Overview
Religious-based nonprofits sometimes struggle to find grants they are eligible for. Fortunately, Catholic organizations and grantmakers alike have the Catholic Funding Guide to connect with one another.
Using highly specialized grant databases like the Catholic Funding Guide can help your nonprofit instantly find more grants that are relevant to your cause. Organizations using the Catholic Funding Guide already start off knowing funders are interested in their organization type and can then further refine their search based on interest area, geographic location, funding amount, and more.
Along with helping grantees find funding, the Catholic Funding Guide helps grantmakers find potential grantees. With the Amplify feature, grantees can create posts about their projects. Then, grantmakers can review proposals and reach out to nonprofits about projects they want to fund.
Costs
Interested Catholic organizations can sign up for either the Standard $229 annual or the Professional $299 annual plans.
9. Local Government Resources
Overview
Sometimes one of the best places to look for grant resources is your own backyard. Check your town, city, or county’s website for grant information. The number of resources and available grants will depend on the size and population makeup of your city.
For example, Atlanta, Georgia is such a strong supporter of the arts that art-related grants have an entire website dedicated to them.
On the other hand, Portland, Oregon has a dedicated grant specifically for small organizations, allowing nonprofits of all types that support the community in some way to receive funding. Additionally, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has a special grant for emergency funding that only opens up when disasters hit the city.
Research your local government’s grant resources to see if there are opportunities that fit your nonprofit. If your organization is new to applying for grants, these smaller-scale grants are valuable opportunities in and of themselves and also useful stepping stones for earning larger grants. After all, federal grant applications are often long and detailed, so get practice in applying for a local grant to ensure you’re ready when the time comes to level up your grant strategy.
Costs
Just like with Grants.gov, your local government resources are most likely to be free. You may need to create an account or provide proof of your organization’s nonprofit status, but it’s unlikely there will be any fees.
10. Grantmakers.io
Overview
Not every grant database is a business designed for enterprise-size nonprofits. For instance, Grantmakers.io is a free grant database run by a one-man team. The site scans and formats foundations’ publicly available Form 990s. As a result, nonprofits can conveniently search through basic profiles for over 100,000 foundations.
At a glance, each foundation has essential information displayed, including:
- Number of grants offered
- Average grant amount
- Whether the foundation has recently offered grants
- Whether the foundation has paid staff or is operated by volunteers
- The foundation’s website
- Whether the foundation potentially accepts unsolicited grant applications
- Total assets
In addition to foundations, users can also explore grant recipients. Seeing what organizations foundations are giving to and in what quantities can help set your nonprofit’s expectations when seeking grant funding. After all, if a foundation gives to many nonprofits similar to yours, then your grant proposal is more likely to align with their mission.
Costs
Grantmakers.io promises to be, in the website’s creator’s own words, “Free as in freedom and free as in food.” If you would like to, you can even donate to Grantmakers.io to help keep the content free and support the site.
More Grant Research Tools
Grant research tools are essential for helping your nonprofit find the funding opportunities you need to power your mission. Use grant databases that fit your budget and contain information on the types of grant funding relevant to your nonprofit.
However, keep in mind that there’s more to grants than just receiving funding through foundations and government programs. To discover other types of grants your nonprofit can tap into now, explore these resources:
GivenGain and Double the Donation Build New Double the Donation Integration for Matching Gifts Automation
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerDouble the Donation and GivenGain are excited to announce a new partnership in the form of integration between GivenGain forms and Double the Donation, the leading matching gift automation software from Double the Donation.
The integration educates donors about their match eligibility as they give, guiding them to their next steps and closing the gap of $4-7 billion in funds left on the table each year.
“We’re excited to team up with GivenGain to boost campaigns with advanced matching gifts automation,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Now, nonprofits have the power to get more value from every donor interaction.”
The GivenGain and Double the Donation integration is now available to users with GivenGain and Double the Donation accounts. Follow our integration guide and get connected in minutes.
Are you a GivenGain user ready to start your matching gifts automation journey? Request a demo of Double the Donation and let us know you use GivenGain for event fundraising!
Want additional resources to help you take your matching gifts strategy to the next level? Enroll today in our Matching Gift Academy for in-depth content about growing your matching gift revenue.
About GivenGain: GivenGain was founded in 2001 on one simple belief, and one global mission: that humans are amazing, and to put the fundraising in the hands of the supporters. Since then, we’ve been the online home of global generosity and we’re just getting started. GivenGain is unlike any other fundraising platform, we’re different. As a nonprofit ourselves, we’re driven by purpose, not profit, and have been shaping the world of giving for over two decades.
About Double the Donation: Automate your matching gift fundraising with the industry-leading solution from Double the Donation. The Double the Donation platform provides nonprofits and educational institutions with tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. Double the Donation integrates directly into donation forms, CRMs, social fundraising software, and other nonprofit technology solutions, and even partners with select CSR platforms to further streamline matching gifts for donors. Through Double the Donation by Double the Donation, the matching gift process has never been simpler.
Get on the Path to Earning Grants: 10 Grant Research Tools
/in Lists and Rankings, Fundraising Ideas /by Adam WeingerFrom recurring donors to annual fundraisers to merchandise sales, the more income streams your nonprofit has, the more financially secure your organization will be. The key source of revenue that can bring in reliable funding year after year is grants.
Grant funding amounts and requirements vary wildly as every grantmaking organization has their own unique application process. While there are skills and knowledge, like grant writing, that carry over from application to application, your nonprofit will need to learn the specific requirements of each organization you apply to.
This is where grant research tools come in. Along with helping you find grants, these tools provide insight into the application process, potential funding amounts, and contact information for the grantmaker.
To help your nonprofit build relationships with funders and earn your next grant, we’ll explore our top recommended grant research tools.
Grant Research Tools FAQ
What are grant research tools?
For the most part, grant research tools are searchable databases of available grants. Given that most grant databases have several thousand grants listed at a minimum, these databases have an extensive array of filters for users to narrow their search to grants applicable to their purposes.
Different grant databases often overlap in content. After all, if one grant database provider is aware of a foundation’s new grant opportunities, chances are many other providers are as well. However, one way to sort grant databases by content is to split them into three categories:
Note that specialty grants may not be listed in these databases. For example, the Google Ad Grant is a unique type of grant that rewards recipients with ad credits rather than dollars. For the Google Ad Grant and other highly specialized types of grants, it’s best to explore their websites directly rather than using a database for information.
Why do grant research tools matter?
Nonprofits can search for individual foundations and open grants they are aware of without needing any specific tool. However, grant research databases compile all the information your nonprofit needs to apply for grants in one place, allowing you to:
Some grant research tools have even more features that help streamline the grant application process. For instance, some tools are just databases for finding grant information, while others provide grant management tools that allow you to track specific grant deadlines, organize applications, and manage your awards.
What should my nonprofit look for in a grant research tool?
Grant research tools vary in the features they provide, the depth of information for grants in their database, and the costs of accessing their services. Before conducting grant research, consider what types of grants you intend to apply for and what tools you’ll need to complete your applications.
For instance, if you intend to apply for many grants, it may be worthwhile to invest in a paid but comprehensive grant management tool. In contrast, if you just need basic information about a few grants and would like to avoid extra fees, there are free resources your nonprofit can rely on.
With that, let’s explore our top grant research tools and what types of nonprofits can benefit from each option.
What about matching gift grants?
Corporate giving programs like matching gift grants and volunteer grants are additional funding that your nonprofit can earn from corporate sponsors. While these types of contributions could be considered grants, nonprofits don’t use traditional grant research tools to find them. Instead, you need a matching gift database.
Matching gift databases contain information about a wide range of companies’ matching gift grant programs. Your nonprofit can use this tool to look up specific businesses that employ many of your supporters. You can also provide supporters with access to the database via a matching gift search tool you embed in your website. This way, supporters can look up their own eligibility and apply for a matching grant themselves.
1. Candid
Overview
Formerly known as GuideStar, Candid’s Foundation Directory is one of the most comprehensive grant databases available. Candid’s team uses over 35 distinct information sources, including IRS returns, grantmaker websites, annual reports, philanthropic news, and connections with individual grantmakers, to keep their directory up-to-date on the latest grants.
Candid’s Foundation Directory is primarily meant for registered 501(c)(3) organizations and unregistered nonprofits with fiscal sponsors. These groups can use the directory to search for grants based on:
The Foundation Directory is ultimately a search tool for nonprofits interested in finding grants relevant to their cause. Candid’s data visualization tools also allow nonprofits to view giving trends and assess whether a specific grantmaker is likely to fund their organization.
Costs
Candid has Enterprise, Professional, and Essential plans available. Foundations, academic institutions, and large organizations are encouraged to explore custom-priced Enterprise plans, but other nonprofits can jump right into Candid via the Professional plan ($133.25 per month) or the Essential plan ($37.42 per month).
2. Grants.gov
Overview
Grants.gov is the United States government’s main resource for organizations seeking federal grant funding. Grants.gov is specifically for United States-based organizations, including nonprofits, educational institutions, Native American organizations, city governments, and small businesses. There are even a few grants individuals can apply to.
The main draw to Grants.gov, of course, is the ability to discover government-backed grants. Organizations looking to apply for a government grant should use this database like they would other grant research tools and narrow their search to the most relevant opportunities. Once you discover a grant that fits your organization, you can hit the red “Apply” button in the top right corner of each grant’s information page to begin your application.
Along with the searchable database, Grants.gov also has a wealth of information on grants in general, including basics on grant terminology, eligibility requirements, fraud, and even career development in the grant space.
Costs
Organizations can sign up with Grants.gov for free. However, there are multiple steps to take before completing their registration. Specifically, nonprofits must register their organization at SAM.gov, the United States registry for organizations that do business with the federal government. Registering for SAM.gov is also free.
Signing up with SAM.gov takes an average of 7-10 business days, after which you will receive a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) that you can use to sign up for Grants.gov. Nonprofits will need to renew their registration with SAM.gov annually.
3. GrantStation
Overview
GrantStation is a grant database that contains grants from the following types of organizations:
Additionally, GrantStation includes grants from U.S. federal and state governments as well as Canadian government grants and some international grants. GrantStation encourages users to select their specific country and state and then enter several terms related to their cause to narrow their search results.
GrantStation also offers several resources related to grant writing, such as examples of past winning proposals, a grants calendar, and grant-related webinars. Some of these resources are available for free while others require a membership.
Costs
Organizations signing up for access to GrantStation’s database can choose between a one-year $179 membership or a two-year $249 membership. GrantStation also offers a newsletter with grant resources that nonprofits can subscribe to for free.
4. Instrumentl
Overview
Instrumentl is a grant management and research tool for nonprofit organizations and grant writing consultants. Nonprofits can use Instrumentl to find, track, and apply for grants, while grant writers can use it as a tool for managing the various grants they are writing for clients.
For each grant opportunity listed in Instrumentl, users can click in and see an overview of the specific grant and a detailed breakdown of the grantmaker’s 990 report. While nonprofits can find 990s themselves with enough research, Instrumentl displays the information in a user-friendly format, allowing users to easily discover grantmakers’ total assets, total giving, giving per year, contact information, and which organizations have received previous grants.
Instrumentl also aims to help nonprofits navigate one of the most common hurdles in finding grant opportunities: discovering and making contact with invite-only grantmakers. These grantmakers only allow select organizations to apply for their grants and often lack a web presence, making introducing your nonprofit and building a relationship a challenge.
Instrumentl provides invite-only grant organizations’ contact information, as well as their history of past grant recipients. This allows nonprofits to better assess their networks to determine if they have an in with these exclusive grantmakers and begin building a relationship.
Costs
Instrumentl offers access to its grant management tools and full grant database at three price points depending on your organization’s size and level of need. Nonprofits can also sign up for a 14-day free trial to see if Instrumentl is right for them before subscribing.
5. GrantScape
Overview
Finding and applying for grants are only the first steps to an effective grant management strategy. To avoid penalties and receive future funding, nonprofits also need to maintain grant compliance. For nonprofits looking for assistance managing their grants, GrantScape is a grant database powered by the grant compliance experts at Thompson Grants.
GrantScape provides subscribers with access to its comprehensive database of more than 11,000 grant opportunities from foundations and government agencies. Additionally, subscribers can access GrantScape’s “knowledge center,” which provides online modules dedicated to various aspects of the grant process. With backing from Thompson Grants, these modules discuss complex legal parts of grant management, such as how to handle grant expenditures, monitor federal subawards, and understand audit law and policy.
Plus, to make sure you know how to use the grant database to its maximum potential, GrantScape provides new users with a 30-minute consultation to answer questions and provide tips for effective grant research strategies.
Costs
Users have the option to subscribe just to GrantScape or get a package deal that includes GrantScape database access by signing up with Thompson Grants. Nonprofits interested solely in the GrantScape database can purchase access at a monthly or annual rate. In contrast, those interested in training rather than a database alone can subscribe to Thompson Grants’ webinar training pass to attend grant-related webinars and subscriber events.
6. GrantForward
Overview
Universities and colleges need specialized grant databases focused on academic funding and research opportunities. Higher education institutions can find what they’re looking for with GrantForward.
GrantForward has a database of over 63,000 grants for researchers. To avoid getting overwhelmed, researchers at your institution can also create individual profiles on GrantForward that state their field of study and research interests. Then, GrantForward will recommend funding opportunities that fit their profiles.
To help train everyone at your higher education institution to use the database, GrantForward provides instructional tools that universities can share with researchers as well as resources for how to roll out GrantForward’s grant research tools to your team.
Costs
The price to access GrantForward is determined by institution size. Contact their team to receive a detailed pricing plan.
7. National Endowment for the Humanities
Overview
Government grants can be divided based on the agency or department funding them. One notable organization to discuss is the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). NEH is an independent federal government agency and one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States.
NEH grants typically are awarded to:
The available grants also range widely in specificity from a fellowship for social science research in Japan to a grant meant for strengthening universities’ humanities programs. Each grant has a unique application process that can be explored through Grants.gov.
Costs
NEH is essentially an offshoot of Grants.gov and has the same sign-up requirements and no extra costs.
8. Catholic Funding Guide
Overview
Religious-based nonprofits sometimes struggle to find grants they are eligible for. Fortunately, Catholic organizations and grantmakers alike have the Catholic Funding Guide to connect with one another.
Using highly specialized grant databases like the Catholic Funding Guide can help your nonprofit instantly find more grants that are relevant to your cause. Organizations using the Catholic Funding Guide already start off knowing funders are interested in their organization type and can then further refine their search based on interest area, geographic location, funding amount, and more.
Along with helping grantees find funding, the Catholic Funding Guide helps grantmakers find potential grantees. With the Amplify feature, grantees can create posts about their projects. Then, grantmakers can review proposals and reach out to nonprofits about projects they want to fund.
Costs
Interested Catholic organizations can sign up for either the Standard $229 annual or the Professional $299 annual plans.
9. Local Government Resources
Overview
Sometimes one of the best places to look for grant resources is your own backyard. Check your town, city, or county’s website for grant information. The number of resources and available grants will depend on the size and population makeup of your city.
For example, Atlanta, Georgia is such a strong supporter of the arts that art-related grants have an entire website dedicated to them.
On the other hand, Portland, Oregon has a dedicated grant specifically for small organizations, allowing nonprofits of all types that support the community in some way to receive funding. Additionally, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has a special grant for emergency funding that only opens up when disasters hit the city.
Research your local government’s grant resources to see if there are opportunities that fit your nonprofit. If your organization is new to applying for grants, these smaller-scale grants are valuable opportunities in and of themselves and also useful stepping stones for earning larger grants. After all, federal grant applications are often long and detailed, so get practice in applying for a local grant to ensure you’re ready when the time comes to level up your grant strategy.
Costs
Just like with Grants.gov, your local government resources are most likely to be free. You may need to create an account or provide proof of your organization’s nonprofit status, but it’s unlikely there will be any fees.
10. Grantmakers.io
Overview
Not every grant database is a business designed for enterprise-size nonprofits. For instance, Grantmakers.io is a free grant database run by a one-man team. The site scans and formats foundations’ publicly available Form 990s. As a result, nonprofits can conveniently search through basic profiles for over 100,000 foundations.
At a glance, each foundation has essential information displayed, including:
In addition to foundations, users can also explore grant recipients. Seeing what organizations foundations are giving to and in what quantities can help set your nonprofit’s expectations when seeking grant funding. After all, if a foundation gives to many nonprofits similar to yours, then your grant proposal is more likely to align with their mission.
Costs
Grantmakers.io promises to be, in the website’s creator’s own words, “Free as in freedom and free as in food.” If you would like to, you can even donate to Grantmakers.io to help keep the content free and support the site.
More Grant Research Tools
Grant research tools are essential for helping your nonprofit find the funding opportunities you need to power your mission. Use grant databases that fit your budget and contain information on the types of grant funding relevant to your nonprofit.
However, keep in mind that there’s more to grants than just receiving funding through foundations and government programs. To discover other types of grants your nonprofit can tap into now, explore these resources:
Maximizing Your Giving Day Revenue with Matching Gifts
/in Learning Center, About Double the Donation, Fundraising Ideas /by Adam WeingerHundreds of institutions are gearing up for their yearly Giving Days, many of which are rapidly approaching come springtime. But what you might not know is that Giving Days and matching gifts go hand in hand.
This is especially true when nonprofit or university fundraisers are able to effectively align the two ideas—and that’s why we’ve created this resource to guide organizations like yours through the process of doing so.
Specifically, this guide will cover everything you need to know about Giving Days and matching gifts, the impact of each on overall fundraising, and what your team can do to set your cause up for success.
We’ll walk you through the following key topics:
If your organization hosts an annual Giving Day (or is looking to organize one), you’d be remiss if you didn’t incorporate matching gift practices into your overall plan.
Ready to find out how? Let’s jump in.
Giving Days + The Importance of Matching Gifts
Giving Days are often some of an institution’s biggest money-makers. These campaigns enable fundraisers to collect large amounts of much-needed revenue that help sustain their missions throughout the rest of the year.
Matching gifts can work to elevate the ROI on these strategically planned efforts. At the same time, they provide a positive experience for donors and fundraisers alike.
Here’s what you need to know in order to make the most of each fundraising tool:
What are Giving Days?
A Giving Day is generally a 24-hour period in which an educational institution or nonprofit cause drastically ups its fundraising efforts in order to engage with donors and solicit a large amount of revenue in a short time. Giving Days typically rely heavily on online fundraising and may encompass a number of events as well.
Comprising a relatively small portion of the year (typically 1/365), Giving Days tend to see significant results—with some organizations collecting the majority of their fundraising revenue during the limited amount of time.
What organizations host Giving Days?
Although fundraising groups of all shapes and sizes might establish an annual Giving Day tradition, these tend to be particularly popular among school fundraisers. This typically includes:
Higher ed institutions and K-12 schoools alike often produce incredible results with academic-focused Giving Day fundraising efforts. In fact, many education-based causes even utilize their Giving Days as one of their most primary sources of revenue each year. And doing so is a fantastic opportunity to engage alumni and leverage school spirit to drive a sense of community toward a common goal.
Where do matching gifts come in?
Corporate matching gifts enable organizations like educational institutions and other 501(c)(3) nonprofits to maximize existing support and increase revenue. And this happens without having to ask your donors for more of their hard-earned dollars. All you have to do is encourage them to participate in their employers’ workplace giving initiatives!
At a critical time like your annual Giving Day, support will likely be at an all-time high. That means getting those contributions doubled (and sometimes even tripled) is more important than ever.
Not to mention, fundraising studies report that the existence of matching gift opportunities is often a driving factor in donor decision-making. For example, 84% of donors stated that they’re more likely to give charitably if their employer offers to match their dollars. At the same time, 1 in 3 individuals surveyed indicated that they’d make a larger donation should a match be applied.
While each company that matches employee donations chooses which types of charitable efforts it will support, the good news is that education institutions (which are often the primary organizer of annual Giving Days) are almost always included as an eligible cause.
The bottom line is that you don’t want to miss out on the key benefits of matching gifts at any time—let alone your most important fundraising day of the year.
Raising More with Double the Donation Matching: A Feature Overview
The right software can be the difference between a fruitful, goal-surpassing Giving Day campaign and one that ultimately falls short—and surely, you’re looking to establish the former.
Find out what Double the Donation can offer, and see why it’s the leading solution in the education and nonprofit fundraising spaces.
Let’s walk through an overview of top features, functions, and benefits:
User-Friendly Company Search Tool
Millions of donors who work for companies with employee gift-matching programs are never made aware of the opportunities through their employers. One of the best ways to counteract this knowledge gap is by providing your supporters with Double the Donation’s intuitive matching gift company search tool.
This widget—which can be embedded within your online donation form, confirmation page, dedicated matching gift web page, Giving Day campaign page, and more—prompts donors to enter their employer’s name in an optional search box. As the donor begins typing, the smart tool auto-fills suggested company names, taking into account typos, spelling variations, and subsidiaries.
The donor selects the correct company from the search tool, which then pulls employer-specific matching gift program information from an extensive matching gift company database. Now, the individual has access to their donation eligibility criteria and online match request forms (if available) and is encouraged to take the next steps.
Double the Donation also provides nonprofit users with unique custom matching gift program functionality that empowers organizations to add and manage “one-off” match programs in their own database tool. So if your organization secures a custom matching gift partner ahead of your Giving Day (which we’ll cover in more depth below), you’ll be able to easily configure the program to populate when your donors search the company name.
*As a note, this feature is designed specifically for fundraisers looking to manage custom matching gift initiatives—Double the Donation does not work directly with corporations. If you’re a company interested in creating a matching gift program, contact us, and we’ll share information about our corporate vendor partners.
Match-Eligible Donor Screening
Studies show that employing more than one approach to donor eligibility screening results in an average of 77% more identified match-eligible gifts. Luckily, Double the Donation Matching utilizes four main identification methods—donation form search tools, confirmation pages, donor communications, and email domain screening.
The more opportunities you have to determine whether a particular donor is eligible for a corporate match, the more likely you are to ultimately receive a match from that individual.
Automated Email Follow-Ups
Following up in the first 24 to 48 hours after a donor makes a gift can be a great way to inform or remind individuals about matching gift opportunities, share program guidelines, and keep your organization and its mission at the forefront of their minds. However, managing a ton of donor follow-up emails can be a huge undertaking on a typical day—let alone on a Giving Day when you’ll likely process multiple times the normal number of donations.
That’s where automated email communication comes in! With Double the Donation’s email streams, organizations can enable customizable follow-up messages that trigger at just the right time to drive matching gifts while ensuring no donations fall through the cracks.
Streamlined Data Management
Effective matching gift fundraising relies on the ability to collect, track, and analyze key data points. For this reason, Double the Donation allows organizations to view where donors are in the gift-matching process, determine percentages and totals of matching gift eligible dollars, forecast matching gift revenue for the future, and more.
This functionality provides users with real-time data that can be used to measure current success, identify areas with room for improvement, and locate the highest-value revenue opportunities going forward.
Top-Notch Customer Support
Any software can have a bit of a learning curve, and ensuring you have the help you need to learn the ropes effectively is of utmost importance. This is especially true when you have a huge upcoming fundraising initiative like a Giving Day.
At Double the Donation, each new client has an onboarding specialist of its own to get up and running quickly—sometimes in less than 24 hours! These matching gift fundraising experts are ready to guide you through the process of getting started, provide you with tips and tools for optimal practices, and be there to answer any questions your team may have.
5 Key Tips for Matching Gifts on Giving Days
Looking for practical and actionable steps you can take to improve your nonprofit or school’s fundraising strategies regarding both Giving Days and matching gifts? You’ve come to the right place!
Here are some tried-and-true practices that we recommend for optimal engagement success:
1. Highlight matching gifts in all Giving Day communications.
More than likely, you’re already planning your upcoming Giving Day communication plan, which will comprise a number of different marketing channels and strategies to spread the word. Be sure to incorporate matching gift information in all of them!
Remember, donors are more likely to give—and to give in larger quantities—if a matching gift is available. Providing additional touchpoints about matching gifts during your Giving Day can be exactly what some of your supporters need to encourage them to make their donations.
This might include email blasts, social media posts, digital newsletters, blog posts, text messages, phone calls, fundraising appeals, and more.
2. Collect employment information during the giving process.
In order to provide donors with employer-specific matching gift guidelines, you’ll first need to have a record of the companies for which individuals work. And the best—and fastest—way to uncover this information is by simply asking them.
Donors already provide you with a ton of information during the donation process, such as their name, contact information, payment details, and more. What more is one additional, optional question?
When you prompt your supporters to provide the name of their employer directly within your online giving form, you can store that information with each donor record to use for effective matching gift communication strategies in the future. And if you already have access to this information for your school’s alumni, you can leverage those data points as well.
Then, you’ll be able to communicate to a donor not only whether their employer matches donations but whether their particular gift is eligible for the program and how soon they must submit a match request. And for companies whose matching gift request forms are available online, you can even provide the donor with the exact form they’ll need to complete!
3. Prioritize your highest-value prospective match donors.
When you automate your low and mid-level donor communications through Double the Donation, you allow your team to retain more time and effort to put toward your particularly high-value prospective matching gifts. That might mean making a personal phone call to explain the importance of matching gifts, walking through the process of requesting a gift match, writing a personalized thank-you letter that highlights the increased influence of matching gifts, and more.
You already know the effect that a major gift can have on your institution’s Giving Day. Now, just imagine that impact being doubled when a huge donor participates in their company’s gift-matching initiative. It’s certainly worth going a few steps further to ensure these individuals are aware of the programs in place and how they can plan a role in your success.
Thus, you’ll want to keep an eye out for major donors who work for top matching gift companies, and see what you can do to go above and beyond in driving those match requests to completion.
4. Identify corporate partners to organize custom matching gift programs.
Another often-underutilized type of matching gift initiative called a custom or “one-off” matching gift program, has the potential to bring your Giving Day matching strategy to new heights. After all, not all companies have widely available matching gift programs. However, many are willing to consider the practice, especially in a smaller-scale initiative.
In the months or weeks leading to your upcoming Giving Day campaign, consider reaching out to donors’ employers who don’t currently match gifts and propose the opportunity for a unique, limited-scale program instead. Rather than matching donations its employees make to any nonprofit or educational institution, the company would commit only to matching gifts made to your specific group.
Since custom match programs are generally time-limited campaigns in the first place, they work particularly well when aligned with Giving Day (or week, month, etc.) efforts. And if you use Double the Donation’s matching gift platform (as highlighted above)—or are looking to get running with it before your Giving Day (as recommended below)—there’s a built-in functionality for managing custom programs now available to all standard account users!
5. Get your fundraising tools set up ASAP.
It’s not too late to get set up with the matching gift tools you need, even if your organization’s Giving Day is quickly approaching. But you certainly don’t want to wait any longer! The sooner you plan to get your Giving Day software up and running, the more time your team will have to prepare for the big event and get acquainted with the solution.
The first step is to take a good look at your organization’s tech stack. If you’re lacking a matching gift software solution—such as the industry-leading platform described above—it’s time to make that investment. Even better, Double the Doantion integrates seamlessly with tons of top donation platforms, including some of the largest school and higher ed fundraising tools. This allows your institutions to get started easier than ever before!
(Tip: Many organizations have reported raising several times the initial subscription cost on their Giving Days alone, providing a positive ROI sometimes within the first 24 hours of purchasing!)
Once you have your matching gift solution in hand, ensure it’s live and functioning within your online donation pages by the time your Giving Day rolls around, and you’ll be all set for success.
Final Thoughts
Giving Days and matching gifts share a lot of the same goals: to raise substantial amounts of revenue, provide donors with new and exciting ways to support their favorite causes, and equip fundraising teams with more efficient practices, to name a few. When the two fundraising components are intertwined, education and nonprofit fundraisers tend to see better results than they could have imagined.
With so many dollars flowing to organizations like yours on these special days, it would be a huge missed opportunity not to get those gifts matched when eligible. And luckily, Double the Donation is here to help!
To learn more about Giving Days and matching gift efforts, check out some of our other resources below:
Los Angeles Companies that Match Employee Donations
/in Lists and Rankings, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam WeingerDouble the Donation may be based in Atlanta, but we serve nonprofit clients all across the country. In fact, in the U.S. we offer our services to those as far east as Miami, Florida, and as far west as Los Angeles, California!
In California, our clients range from educational foundations (ex. Lafayette Partners in Education), health and human service organizations (ex. Lazarex Cancer Foundation), civic and community-based nonprofits (ex. YMCA of Orange County), and everything in between.
Today, we want to take a trip to the west coast to highlight some LA-based companies that match employee donations via matching gifts and volunteer grant programs.
We’re going to look at some basic statistics surrounding corporate philanthropy in Los Angeles as well as our favorite method for discovering matching gift opportunities. Then, we’ll examine the matching gift programs of the following top LA-based companies:
Follow along for a look at matching gift programs in Los Angeles, CA.
Quick Statistics on Los Angeles Matching Gift Companies
Due to the wealth of companies in Los Angeles focusing their philanthropic efforts on educational institutions, many nonprofits and K-12 public schools are raising tens of thousands of dollars annually just via matching gifts. These opportunities extend to other nonprofit organizations as well.
In order to best target these corporate philanthropy opportunities, it helps to get a sense of the Los Angeles business market. Let’s take a look!
If your organization isn’t informing donors of the opportunities presented by matching gift programs, you may be missing out.
How do I market matching gifts?
If you have a large donor base in Los Angeles (though these opportunities can be found throughout many other cities, as well), you might be wondering how you can begin spreading the word about matching gifts. It’s an amazing opportunity, and you certainly don’t want to miss out!
Luckily, there are tools to help your organization market matching gift opportunities, such as Double the Donation. For organizations looking to make the most of the matching gift solicitation process, Double the Donation Matching is a useful resource. As a matching gift automation software, the tool detects when a donor is match-eligible and educates them via email, if so.
With that in mind, continue reading for a look at the top companies in Los Angeles offering matching gift programs.
Major Companies in Los Angeles with Employee Giving Programs
Check out these top companies participating in matching employee donations in Los Angeles, California!
Capital Group Companies
Capital Group Companies is a financial investment services company with assets upward of $1 trillion. With about 7,000 employees worldwide, CGC offers a very generous matching gift program, providing a 2:1 match on donations anywhere from $25-$5,000. That’s essentially tripling a donation!
CGC also offers a volunteer grant program that encourages employees to volunteer at least 10 hours with an organization, after which it will provide a grant of $10 per hour for up to 50 hours.
Click here for additional details on The Capital Group Companies’ matching gift program.
Edison International
Today, current full-time and part-time employees qualify for donation matches between $25 and $2,000. Made at a dollar-for-dollar rate, Edison International supports organizations across a wide range of sectors, including educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, health and human services, environmental groups, and more.
Plus, the company and its employees serve their communities in hands-on ways, including environmental clean-up excursions and volunteer events alongside local food banks. In 2021, Edison International employees contributed over $1.9 million to over 2,000 different organizations!
Click here for additional details on Edison International’s matching gift program.
Mattel, Inc.
And they offer a generous employee matching program that encourages team members to give back to nonprofit causes in key sectors that align with the Mattel brand. Each year, full-time and part-time staff qualify for matching donations of between $25 and $5,000 at a 1:1 ratio to charitable organizations that focus on children and youth services, elementary and secondary schools, and select other groups.
Click here for additional details on Mattel, Inc.’s matching gift program.
Walt Disney Corporation
Currently, the Walt Disney Corporation matches full-time employee and part-time team member donations made to most nonprofit causes in a 1:1 ratio. Donation matches are offered on a yearly basis of between $25 and $25,000 per employee. Plus, Disney staff are also eligible to participate in the Disney VoluntEARS programs, where the company provides generous monetary grants to the nonprofit organizations to which team members dedicate their time.
Click here for additional details on The Walt Disney Corporation’s matching gift program.
Additional Los Angeles Matching Gift Programs
There are countless other major employers with a significant presence in the Los Angeles area that match employee donations. These include companies such as:
We highly encourage your nonprofit organization to share the above companies with your fundraising staff, making sure they’re at least familiar with the companies that will match donations made by employees. For more opportunities, check out this list of the top companies providing matching gift programs.
Nonprofit Operating Reserves: The Key to Financial Fortitude
/in Fundraising Ideas /by Adam WeingerImagine this: Your museum must temporarily close its doors while making intensive repairs to the building’s entrance. Or, a decrease in animal adoptions causes a lull in your shelter’s main source of revenue. How do you continue funding your mission?
45% of nonprofits have no emergency fund at all. Of those with cash reserves, more than half of them have less than enough to cover 3 months of their operating expenses for the year. This means that most nonprofits depend on continual fundraising efforts to operate and otherwise have little to no backup plan.
If you’re a nonprofit leader looking to prepare for the unexpected and establish financial fortitude for your organization, this guide is for you! Let’s take a closer look at how you can prepare for times of need with nonprofit operating reserves.
What are nonprofit operating reserves?
Nonprofit operating reserves are funds set aside to sustain an organization through economic uncertainty. These funds serve as a nonprofit’s financial cushion, stabilizing its finances on a “rainy day.”
Financial hardship can crop up almost instantly, such as a roof replacement needed after damage from a storm. These situations can also last for a long time, like the COVID-19 pandemic’s enduring effects years after social distancing mandates were lifted. To prepare for unanticipated costs, your nonprofit must have access to a healthy amount of emergency funding.
How much does your nonprofit need in reserves?
All nonprofits are different, especially when it comes to their funding and operating expenses. Using the examples from earlier, a museum must pay for utilities, but an animal shelter has the added costs of feeding and providing medical services for the animals in its care.
For this reason, no single standard for nonprofit operating reserves applies to all organizations. The key is to have adequate cash resources available to cover time-sensitive expenses, such as payroll, and to account for unforeseen costs or increases.
Some general guidelines include saving three to six months’ worth of expenses, but no more than two years’ worth. At a minimum, nonprofits should be able to cover one full payroll, including taxes.
Where do nonprofit operating reserves come from?
Just like building a savings account for personal finances, nonprofits can develop their operating reserves over time by generating a surplus and designating the excess to be part of a reserve fund. Some organizations include contributions to their operating reserves as a line item in their budget to ensure they’re regularly growing this fund.
Sometimes, nonprofits also receive grants or donations specifically meant to build their operating reserves. This is especially helpful when nonprofits have no surplus and need an extra boost to get started.
What is an operating reserves policy?
Beyond merely growing your operating reserve funds, your nonprofit needs a designated policy to ensure these funds are used properly. An operating reserves policy defines the guidelines and goals of a nonprofit’s operating reserves, including important details such as:
While these guidelines protect funds from being spent unnecessarily, your policy must be flexible to allow for ease of access in times of need.
How to build your nonprofit operating reserves
Nonprofit operating reserves should be a top priority in every organization’s budget, but how should you begin building this fund? Let’s take a closer look at the steps your nonprofit can take to create an operating reserves policy and start saving.
1. Calculate your operating reserves ratio.
Before creating your policy, determine where your nonprofit’s finances currently stand by calculating your operating reserves ratio. Using either the previous year’s actual expenses or your projected expenses for the current year, divide your operating reserves by your annual operating cost.
As a result, you’ll see what percentage of your annual operating costs could be covered by your savings fund if needed.
2. Set a goal amount.
While there is no standard amount that all nonprofits should adhere to, The NORI Workgroup suggests that 25% of an organization’s annual operating expenses (or 3 months of expenses on average) is a good baseline. To set your target to this amount, multiply your total annual expense by 0.25. For other goals, adjust the percentage as necessary.
The most important element of this goal amount is ensuring it meets your nonprofit’s needs. Rather than choosing a percentage at random, consider the potential uses for this fund and your plan for what to do in such a situation.
For example, even if your museum can’t raise funds through ticket sales during its roof repair, donations from miscellaneous fundraisers might provide extra funding to help your organization get by. Consider any supplementary revenue like this and the intentions for using your operating reserves.
3. Determine your strategy to build the fund.
Depending on your nonprofit’s financial situation, some strategies may be more effective than others for building your operating fund. However, there are a variety of ways you can contribute to your reserves, including:
If you choose to raise funds for your operating reserves through a dedicated fundraising campaign, consider which type of fundraiser will help you raise the most. Then, boost the amount you earn by promoting matching gifts. This corporate giving opportunity can increase not just your nonprofit’s revenue, but donor participation and donation amounts, too.
In fact, 84% of donors are more likely to give and 1 in 3 donors would give more if a match was offered, meaning this fundraising strategy can effectively maximize the amount your nonprofit raises for its operating reserves. For more information on how to make the most of matching gifts, watch the following video:
As the video explains, matching gifts offer twice the funding for the time and effort your nonprofit puts into acquiring one gift. To double the amount you raise for your nonprofit operating reserves, look further into matching gifts and how you can promote them to willing donors.
4. Create rules for using the fund.
While you won’t be able to determine the specific circumstances under which the operating reserves fund may be used, you can establish a distinct purpose for the funding that guides any future usage of it. For example, the fund’s purpose might be to:
You’ll want to write out this purpose as part of your policy to ensure everyone is held accountable. Additionally, it could be helpful to mention anything the fund should not be used for to provide extra clarity.
Be sure to also put an individual or team in charge of reviewing and approving requests to use the funds, such as the Executive Director of the board of directors.
5. Assign authority for using the fund.
Along with the circumstances for using the fund, your nonprofit should have a clear chain of command when it comes to who is allowed to access the reserves. Assign authority for using the reserves, including who can request usage and who can authorize it.
In this phase of the process, you should also determine how you’ll report and monitor the fund. Who will be responsible for ensuring the operating reserve is properly used and what accountability measures are in place? For example, a nonprofit operating reserve fund may be kept in a segregated bank account and referred to in financial records by a unique name.
Operating reserves policy template
To effectively outline the necessary guidelines and protect your operating reserve funds from misuse, your operating reserves policy should include the following essentials:
While these policies are unique to each nonprofit, there are some general guidelines any organization can follow to develop one. For a comprehensive view of what this policy should look like, use this template:
Additional resources for developing an operating fund
It’s no mystery that your nonprofit needs operating reserves. Using the tips in this guide, you can start building an emergency fund to sustain your organization in the most unexpected of situations. For more tips and strategies to maximize your fundraising and build your operating reserves, check out the following resources:
Creative Marketing Ideas for Charity Golf Tournaments
/in Marketing Strategies, Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerAs a nonprofit professional, you likely already understand the importance of marketing in collecting funds and making your cause known. From attracting donors and pursuing matching gift opportunities to promoting your services to your target audience, marketing is a key strategy for successful nonprofits.
Your nonprofit’s fundraising events are no different. Successfully marketing your fundraiser is crucial to the event’s success, not to mention positive fundraising outcomes, and gets your community excited about participating.
When it comes to your charity golf tournament, it’s important to cast a wide net to attract new supporters to your cause. Golf events have a unique appeal. The sport is more popular than ever, so getting the word out about your golf fundraiser lets folks know that they can play the game they love while supporting a great cause.
Ready? Start spreading the word about your golf fundraiser today with these five creative marketing tips:
Without further ado, let’s dive in with our first recommendation.
1. Use an Event Website
An event website for your charity golf tournament serves as the homepage for the event and where folks can go to find more information and get involved. Customize the site with pertinent information about your nonprofit, its mission, and what the tournament is raising funds for. It’s also a good idea to include the tournament’s schedule, recognize sponsors, and give visitors the chance to donate.
The best thing about an event website is that it makes promotion as simple as sharing a link in all your online channels—social media, email campaigns, your nonprofit’s website, or even online ads. You’ll also end up saving a ton of time by collecting registrations and selling sponsorships right on the website.
2. Choose a Memorable Event Name
A catchy tournament name is a great way to brand the event and your marketing campaign. A tournament logo is another option you can leverage in a variety of ways to help connect folks to the event and what it’s raising money for. For example, use the tournament logo and its branding on t-shirts for organizers and volunteers, hole signage, banners, email campaigns, promotional graphics, giveaways, and more. Of course, it should be front and center on the event website.
Get your planning team, staff, or board together for a brainstorming session to settle on a tournament name that makes a lasting impression. Some ideas to get your creative juices flowing might include:
If you’d rather stick to a traditional tournament name, such as a “Charity Golf Classic” or “Memorial Golf Tournament” that’s perfectly fine—but consider a specific tournament logo that makes your event stand out.
3. Incorporate Gamification Elements
Competition is a natural part of a charity golf tournament. You can leverage friendly competition in your marketing to help engage supporters about your event. In fact, integrating gamification into your golf tournament gets supporters and participants invested before they even tee off. Try these gamification ideas to get started!
Use a fundraising thermometer or donation tracker on your event website and in social media materials. Post updates and graphics in the days and weeks leading up to the tournament so people can see how their donation can help move the needle towards your goal.
Launch a contest to encourage people to recruit additional teams to play in the tournament. Not only does this help spread awareness about your tournament and cause, but you can stoke a little friendly competition by offering prizes to those who bring in the most number of teams. You might offer mulligans, raffle tickets, and drink tickets as prizes.
Implement user-generated content challenges. Leveraging user-generated content in your marketing provides a great opportunity to broaden your campaign’s reach. For example, you could have golfers share posts with a photo of their teams in the lead-up to the event and have social media followers vote on their favorite team names or costumes by liking, commenting, or sharing posts.
Add an auction to your tournament and promote it in your pre-tournament marketing. Silent and live auctions can certainly be competitive—in the best way possible—because they drive more dollars for your nonprofit. High-end prizes like a donated stay-and-play opportunity at a destination golf club get donors excited and engaged before, during, and after the golf tournament.
4. Collaborate With Local Celebrities & Influencers
Influencer marketing is another tool in your nonprofit toolkit to spread awareness about your nonprofit and your golf event to new audiences who otherwise might not have known about it. Plus, online channels have made it easier than ever to connect with celebrities and influences who can help amplify your event. Consider these options:
Once you’ve made contact with them, work together to outline a mutually beneficial partnership. Perhaps in exchange for promoting your tournament on their socials and appearing at the event, they receive a complimentary team registration or two. Consider devoting a specific part of the event to the VIP, such as a hole-in-one contest hosted by them or a signed raffle prize or auction item donated by them. Highlight their presence in your marketing materials to get the most out of the partnership.
5. Leverage Cause Marketing With Corporate Sponsors
You might think of sponsorships primarily in the context of monetary donations. But in fact, you can leverage your corporate partnerships for marketing purposes, too. Cause marketing is marketing carried out by a for-profit business to advance a charitable cause or better society—in this case, your charity golf tournament.
Reach out to your nonprofit’s current corporate partners with a mutually beneficial proposal, providing positive exposure and outcomes for both parties. Your matching gift software can help here, too, when you use donor employment insights to identify top prospects for marketing partnerships.
Then, much like with influencer marketing, think of ways to sweeten the deal in exchange for their partnership, like offering a complimentary team registration for promoting the tournament to their employees or clients.
If leveraging corporate sponsorships isn’t an option for your nonprofit, you might consider offering sponsorship packages for your golf tournament that include cause marketing components. For example, a local business might underwrite paid social media campaigns or television or radio spots in exchange for exposure to your tournament’s field. GolfStatus recommends targeting businesses that are interested in getting in front of the golfer demographic. In either case, you should work closely with the sponsor or partner to determine how you can meet each other’s needs.
Bonus: Double Event Donations with Matching Gifts
As a nonprofit fundraiser, you’re surely looking to get the biggest bang for your buck with your upcoming golf event. Fortunately, integrating employee matching gifts into your overall fundraising strategy can go a long way. And there are a few key ways to do so. These include:
Corporate matching gifts not only supply nonprofits and their events with an additional source of fundraising revenue, but they also incentivize greater individual generosity. In fact, Double the Donation studies indicate that 84% of donors are more likely to give if a match is offered (resulting in a 71% increase in response rate). At the same time, 1 in 3 donors would give a larger gift if a match were available, leading to a 51% increase in average gift size.
In other words, incorporating matching gifts is one of the best ways to supercharge your efforts and bring your fundraising event success to new heights.
Wrapping Up
Once you have a date and location locked in for your charity golf tournament, you’ll want to start planning your marketing efforts so you can start gaining traction as soon as possible. Your planning team should play a crucial role in marketing your golf tournament. You might even appoint someone to take charge of marketing efforts to ensure campaigns are moving forward. A robust marketing campaign is critical to the success of your golf tournament.
MISSION CRM and Double the Donation Partner for Integration in Donation Page Flow
/in News /by Adam WeingerMISSION CRM and Double the Donation are proud to announce a new integration between MISSION CRM donation forms and Double the Donation. The collaboration will help nonprofit organizations to boost their fundraising revenue through corporate matching gifts automation.
When a donor makes a gift on a MISSION CRM donation page, they can be prompted to enter their employer name in the Double the Donation autocomplete search field, discovering their match eligibility during the giving process. On their MISSION CRM confirmation pages, they can learn more about their company details and take their next steps toward completing their match.
“While we’ve made great strides toward closing the matching gift awareness gap over the years, millions of donors are still unaware of the corporate philanthropy programs available to them,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Our integration with MISSION CRM answers nonprofits’ requests to continue spreading the word on matching gifts and how they can help donors deepen their impact.”
MISSION CRM and Double the Donation’s new integration with Double the Donation can now be accessed by mutual clients of the solutions. Follow our integration guide for more details on how to get connected.
Ready to add matching gifts to your MISSION CRM donation experience? Request a demo with us and make sure to share you’re a MISSION CRM user!
Want additional resources to help you take your matching gifts strategy to the next level? Enroll today in our Matching Gift Academy for in-depth content about growing your matching gift revenue.
About MISSION CRM: MISSION CRM is the game-changing donor management and fundraising system built on Microsoft Cloud for nonprofits. Designed for nonprofits with sophisticated development and fundraising operations, MISSION CRM delivers a unified view of donors, fundraising, financials, marketing, volunteering, and more. MISSION CRM is proud to be a part of the Sylogist family of solutions serving nonprofits, government, and public sectors worldwide – visit www.missioncrm.ca to learn more.
About Double the Donation: Automate your matching gift fundraising with the industry-leading solution from Double the Donation. The Double the Donation platform provides nonprofits and educational institutions with tools to identify match-eligible donors, drive matches to completion, and gain actionable insights. Double the Donation integrates directly into donation forms, CRMs, social fundraising software, and other nonprofit technology solutions, and even partners with select CSR platforms to further streamline matching gifts for donors. Through Double the Donation, the matching gift process has never been simpler.
A Closer Look at Key Alumni Donation Statistics for 2024
/in Nonprofit Basics /by Adam WeingerAlumni giving is a powerful force that propels educational institutions forward, allowing them to provide exceptional experiences to current and future students. It also serves as a testament to the enduring bond between graduates and their alma mater, one that extends far beyond the years spent on campus.
Whether you want to enhance your fundraising strategies, forge savvy partnerships, or stay informed about the latest developments in the field, these insights will help you better understand alumni giving.
Why Are Alumni Donation Statistics Important?
Alumni donation statistics help institutions make informed decisions about:
Alumni giving statistics are constantly changing due to shifting donor behaviors and institutional factors. Remain informed to maintain effective alumni engagement in response to evolving trends.
Top Alumni Giving Trends to Keep an Eye on
To stay ahead of the higher ed fundraising curve, attend conferences, join professional associations, and review alumni donation statistics.
1. Matching gifts are on the rise.
Over 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs. For these programs, employers commit to matching their employees’ charitable contributions to nonprofits and educational institutions, typically at a 1:1 ratio. That means if an alum donates $100 to their college and their employer participates in gift matching, the college would receive $200 total.
Matching gifts are beneficial to higher education institutions for several reasons, as they lead to:
To streamline the matching gift process, implement matching gift software like 360MatchPro by Double the Donation. The solution will automatically identify eligible donors, send reminders, and provide real-time tracking of matching gift submissions, making it easy for alumni to participate in the program and for fundraisers to monitor and optimize matching gift participation.
For more information on 360MatchPro and how it can support your alumni giving efforts, watch the video below:
2. Giving is closely tied to stock market fluctuations.
Studies have shown a strong correlation between stock market performance and alumni donations. When the stock market performs well, individuals with investments experience increased wealth and make larger charitable donations, including to their alma mater. During this time, higher ed fundraisers should consider launching more ambitious campaigns or approaching donors with larger gift requests.
Monitor market forecasts closely. If there is a prediction of an economic downturn, donors may be more cautious with their giving. Be sensitive to donors’ financial situations and tailor your appeals accordingly. This could involve focusing on smaller, more frequent gifts or emphasizing the importance of sustaining ongoing support, even if at reduced levels, to weather financial uncertainties.
Additionally, diversifying fundraising efforts to include planned giving, endowments, and major gifts can provide stability and resilience to an institution’s fundraising efforts, as these sources of revenue are often less susceptible to short-term market volatility.
3. Alumni giving will no longer be factored into college rankings.
Each year, the U.S. News & World Report compiles a list of the “best” colleges and universities based on a variety of factors, including graduation rates, full-time faculty, and student debt. High levels of alumni participation in giving were once considered a sign of alumni satisfaction and therefore factored into the list for many years. However, the publication recently announced that it will no longer take alumni giving into account, citing inconsistencies in how the metric was reported across institutions.
Some higher ed fundraisers are concerned that the change will impact how donors perceive the importance of giving to their alma mater. As a result, it might be necessary to shift focus from using rankings as a motivation for alumni giving.
Instead, they should emphasize the broader impact that alumni contributions have on:
While rankings may no longer consider alumni giving, a robust alumni giving program can still significantly benefit an institution by strengthening its financial stability, reputation, and overall ability to provide a high-quality education.
4. Crowdfunding is a preferred form of giving among young alumni.
Nearly 8% of current students give to crowdfunding initiatives. This trend continues among young alumni and new donors, who are more likely to give smaller amounts.
To create compelling crowdfunding campaigns that appeal to young donors, higher ed fundraisers should use popular social media platforms, such as Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Facebook, to promote the campaign. Create interactive and shareable content that encourages young alumni to participate and spread the word. This can include challenges, contests, or virtual events that foster a sense of community and excitement.
Keep donors informed about the campaign’s progress and share updates on milestones, achievements, and the impact of contributions. Regular communication helps build trust and encourages continued support.
5. Alumni want mobile-friendly benefits.
In a recent survey, 75% of alumni said they would engage more with their school if their benefits were mobile-friendly. Here are three types of mobile-friendly benefits that alumni organizations can provide to donors:
By offering these mobile-friendly benefits, alumni organizations can cater to the preferences and lifestyles of their alumni, making it easier for donors to support their alma mater.
This statistic also reinforces the importance of providing intuitive, streamlined online experiences to your entire community, not just students. Unclear navigation, clunky portals that require logins, and jumbled web design should all be avoided on your donor-facing web assets.
6. Experiential recognition should be a top priority.
It is 10 to 20 times more expensive to acquire a new donor versus retaining an existing donor. Showing appreciation and providing regular updates on how donations are being used is essential to retaining donors. However, 72% of donors discard physical forms of recognition like letters and gifts.
90% of donors prefer experiential recognition instead. As such, your organization should consider providing unique experiences as rewards for certain donation levels. These could include virtual alumni reunions, behind-the-scenes campus tours, access to exclusive events, or alumni networking opportunities.
7. Donor-advised funds are growing.
Last year, grants from donor-advised funds (DAFs) increased 9% to $52.16 billion. DAFs are charitable giving vehicles that allow individuals, families, or organizations to make contributions to a fund, receive an immediate tax deduction, and then recommend grants from the fund to eligible nonprofit organizations, including educational institutions. Experts project that DAFs will become more common as they provide donors with flexibility and control over their funds.
To take advantage of this type of sustainable funding, encourage alumni to think about the long-term legacy they can create by establishing a DAF. Explain how their contributions can support future generations of students and contribute to the institution’s growth and success.
Share success stories of alumni who have set up DAFs and made meaningful contributions to the university. These testimonials can inspire others to follow suit, knowing that their philanthropic efforts can have a lasting impact on their alma mater.
A Final Note About Alumni Donation Statistics
Remember, alumni giving is not just about keeping up with the trends; it’s about forging a lasting and impactful connection between your institution and its alumni, one that benefits both parties for years to come.
With a deep understanding of both external benchmarks and your unique path to success, you can build a stronger, more vibrant community that supports your institution today and paves the way for a brighter future.
For more information on higher ed fundraising, review these additional resources:
Employee Recognition at Double the Donation: Sharing Our Strategy!
/in About Double the Donation /by Adam WeingerLike so many modern businesses, our team at Double the Donation has had to navigate the same obstacles of adapting to rapid industry changes, growing a business in times of economic uncertainty, and building a positive work culture while adapting to a hybrid work environment.
Fortunately, we’re proud to announce we’ve more than exceeded on all of these fronts, and we want to pull back the curtain a bit to share our secret to forging a reliable, loyal, and engaged team: peer-to-peer recognition.
How Double the Donation Uses Peer-to-Peer Recognition
In 2020, our business went remote and then eventually transitioned to a hybrid environment. During this time, we also made leaps and bounds in expanding our team and exploring new ways we could improve our products and customer experience.
But there was a question: how could we make new employees feel like a part of the Double the Donation team when they only see their co-workers for a few minutes a day online? And what about maintaining relationships with employees hired previously?
The answer? Peer-to-peer recognition.
With a peer-to-peer recognition strategy, all team members have the power to reach out to and appreciate each other for a job well done. Plus, with our use of eCards and public appreciation, we made sure everyone gets the recognition they deserve immediately while also sharing their accomplishments with the whole team.
Here’s how we did it:
Use eCards that highlight specific company values.
eCards are the perfect format for reinforcing the values we want to instill in our team. After partnering with the eCard platform eCardWidget, we created a series of eCards that highlight the behaviors we want to encourage in our team:
When employees send an eCard, they can choose between eight designs, each representing one of our values. This helps guide them in sending meaningful eCards to one another, creating a cohesive peer-to-peer recognition system.
Through eCards, we regularly reinforce our values at Double the Donation and celebrate employees following them, encouraging more employees to follow suit. With this strategy, we have cultivated a team that treats clients respectfully, acts with urgency, is open to new ideas, and constantly strives to improve.
Employees add their custom messages.
After choosing what value to recognize a fellow employee for, our team members just click on the eCard they want to use and fill it out.
Along with recognizing a specific value, employees add a personal message. Though this is optional, we highly encourage employees to share the specific actions the team member they’re recognizing took. This way, the employee being recognized knows exactly what they did that was appreciated and will be motivated to continue doing it into the future.
Also, notice the checkboxes right above the button to send the eCard. We make sure all eCards have a copy sent to our leadership and team administrators. This ensures leadership is aware of the positive actions employees take every day and allows us to take our next step in appreciating our team.
eCards are presented at all-hands meetings.
Once a month, we host an all-hands meeting. This meeting goes over various business updates from each team and ends by sharing our “Bravo Board,” which is a series of virtual slides showing some of the best eCards sent that month.
This strategy ensures that everyone at the Double the Donation is aware of the good work the entire team is doing. For team members who work in different departments or entirely from home, this gives them a glimpse into what other team members are doing and how important their work is.
Plus, publicly recognizing team members creates the best kind of feedback loop. Employees who want to be recognized will work harder to go above and beyond to get recognized, and employees who see how happy their peers are about being appreciated will continue to recognize even more team members. Everyone works harder, and everyone gets appreciated!
How Peer-to-Peer Recognition Has Impacted Double the Donation
It’s easy to get disconnected when you only see your co-workers in person a few times a day. But we’ve found that peer-to-peer recognition fills in the gaps. Team members are always on the lookout for ways they can help others and take extra notice of the ways others help them.
Since implementing our new peer-to-peer recognition strategy, Double the Donation has seen:
But numbers are only one way to measure the impact peer-to-peer recognition has had. Double the Donation’s president Adam Weinger had this to say about the improvements the company’s seen since adopting our new strategy:
It’s not just leadership who appreciates this approach to peer-to-peer recognition, either.
Takeaways from Double the Donation
At Double the Donation, we know our team is one of our most important assets. We appreciate them, and we’ve given them the tools to appreciate each other.
We’re proud of the work we’ve done to build a supportive, high-performing team and plan to continue finding new ways to strengthen our work environment now and into the future.
Building Trust and Loyalty: Mid-Level Donor Program Basics
/in About Double the Donation /by Adam WeingerBecause they don’t exist in the same spotlight as your major donors, it can be easy to leave mid-level donors out of your stewardship plans. However, their reliable support can contribute substantially to your nonprofit’s success.
Learn how to identify this donor group and build a compelling program to retain their support in this comprehensive guide. Here’s what we’ll cover:
By strengthening your relationships with mid-level donors, nonprofits can eventually deepen their connection to this consistent, generous donor type. Over time this can benefit your organization by garnering regular contributions or by transforming, mid-level donors into major donors
Who are your mid-level donors?
Defining mid-level donors
Mid-level donors or recurring donors refer to the category of supporters who give more than the average donor, but less than major donors or sponsors. Visually, this group of donors falls in the middle of the donor pyramid between first-time donors and planned givers:
The amount that defines this in-between donor category will differ depending on your nonprofit’s size and should be updated regularly based on your donor data. However, a general estimate of mid-level donation amount would range from $1,000 to $10,000 given annually.
Importance of mid-level giving
Mid-level donors can easily be overlooked in the stewardship process because they don’t fall into the major donor category and usually aren’t an integral part of your nonprofit’s donor acquisition strategy. Don’t make this mistake! Mid-level donors can be game-changing for your nonprofit in several ways. Check out these statistics to learn why:
Characteristics and giving patterns of mid-level donors
Mid-level donors have recognizable giving characteristics and patterns that set them apart. Here’s how you can spot one:
To make these characteristics more tangible, let’s look at an example mid-level donor profile:
Name: Sarah Mitchell
Giving History: She typically donates between $500 and $1,000 per year to your organization. Her contributions have steadily increased, starting with a modest $250 donation when she first discovered your organization.
Background and Involvement: She attends your annual fundraising gala and participates in volunteer events organized by your nonprofit. She has also signed up for your monthly newsletter and follows your social media updates to stay informed about your initiatives.
The above profile indicates that this donor has the affinity and capacity markers that would define her as a mid-level donor. Mid-level donors also tend to be more involved with your cause than the average one-time donor.
Mid-level donors vs. major donors
Because mid-level donors can be on the cusp of becoming major donors, it can sometimes be challenging to tell them apart. Fortunately, a few key distinctions can help you differentiate between mid-level donors and major donors.
Major donors typically migrate up the giving pyramid more quickly than mid-level donors. They also tend to give larger gifts less frequently. On the other hand, mid-level donors settle into giving over time and renew their gifts consistently or choose to give through multiple channels. After some time, mid-level donors usually stay at their giving rate and they rarely lapse.
How can you identify mid-level donors?
Your nonprofit CRM or donor database plays a pivotal role in identifying mid-level donors. You can segment your existing database and get a better understanding of who your mid-level donors are. For instance, you can use the following markers to characterize this group:
In addition to using your CRM, you can also leverage a matching gift database like Double the Donation’s to identify match-eligible donors collect even more data, and create on-demand actionable reports. With help from Double the Donation, you can identify upcoming trends, optimize mid-level donor communication channels, and establish realistic fundraising goals for every donor type. A few reports Double the Donation offers include:
Despite these benefits, many nonprofits skip cultivating mid-level donors so they can focus their time and energy on stewarding major gifts or planning direct marketing efforts. A mid-level donor program can help you intentionally steward this group. Let’s explore the basics in the next section.
Why should you create a mid-level donor strategy?
You should prioritize stewarding mid-level donors for the following reasons:
Despite these benefits, many nonprofits skip cultivating mid-level donors so they can focus their time and energy on stewarding major gifts or planning direct marketing efforts. This is where a mid-level donor program can help you intentionally steward this group. Let’s explore the basics in the next section.
How to create a mid-level donor program
1. Define mid-level donors
Using your CRM, segment your donors to find mid-level donors that fit your predefined criteria. Choose relevant indicators such as donation amount, frequency, and involvement. For example, you might ask the following questions to identify your mid-level donors:
Consistently review and update your donor profiles based on this information. As giving habits evolve, be sure to update a donor’s status, such as when a mid-level donor has achieved a major donor status.
Additionally, the criteria with which you identify your mid-level donors will change as your organization grows. Therefore, be sure to check your nonprofit’s objectives and align your team on which characteristics they can count on to spot a mid-level donor.
2. Create personalized communication plans
Personalize your communication to connect with mid-level donors in a way that acknowledges their level of giving and demonstrates impact. Take a multi-channel marketing approach to invite donors to take the next step in engaging with your organization. For example, you might launch the following initiatives as a part of your mid-level donor cultivation strategy:
Rely on your donor data to pinpoint which communication channels your mid-level donors are most likely to respond best to. Find out where most of them are located as well. For instance, if most of your donors are local, an in-person gala could offer a memorable way for them to engage with you.
3. Offer exclusive access
Distinguish your mid-level donors by providing events or exclusive content that are just for them. This will encourage first-time donors to increase their engagement while recognizing the impact of mid-level donors. Some examples of this may include:
By offering these perks and benefits, you can effectively retain mid-level donors. Just be sure to distinguish your mid-level donor stewardship program from your major gifts stewardship program. For instance, you may dedicate more formal, exclusive galas to major donors and plan quarterly volunteer workshops and lunches for mid-level donors.
4. Promote relevant opportunities
Once you’ve consulted your database, you have a better idea of your mid-level donors’ giving capacities and interests. Tailor your program to highlight relevant giving opportunities that your mid-level donors would likely agree to.
For example, if a mid-level donor has been offering a recurring gift for multiple years, you might approach them to discuss how planned gifts could help them leave a lasting legacy. Or, if a mid-level donor has a substantial social media following, you may invite them to participate in your next peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Another option would be to invite a committed mid-level donor onto your nonprofit board to involve them in your decision-making processes.
Each of these next steps will differ depending on a donor’s giving and engagement history. However, it’s always a good idea to invite donors to get more experience with your cause to deepen their understanding and connection.
5. Use metrics to measure progress
To measure your program’s success, identify which metrics you’ll track. This will help you assess your mid-level giving program’s return on investment and help you adapt your program over time. Key metrics to keep an eye on include:
In addition to these metrics, you may also choose to calculate donor lifetime value, which estimates a mid-level donor’s value based on their potential future contributions. This metric is especially relevant to assess the long-term impact of your program and can convince your team to hone their mid-level cultivation strategy.
Best practices for mid-level donor retention
To properly select and cultivate mid-level donors, there are a few techniques to keep in mind. Following these will save your team time while maximizing each connection you make and leading your donors further down the pipeline. Let’s review them below!
Lean into automation
Planning and executing informed marketing campaigns can take time. That’s why nonprofits should lean into automation to do some of the heavy lifting for them. Email marketing, social media posting, and SMS messaging are all examples of automated marketing you can tap into to get your messages across promptly.
Another game-changing automated process is matching gift auto-submission. This technology facilitates the donor-matching gift submission process by embedding directly into a nonprofit’s donation form. All donors have to do is provide their company email address and the software will handle the rest of the matching gift process on their behalf. Check out this video for a quick overview of Double the Donation’s automation platform:
As the video explains, matching gift auto-submission has an easy setup with integrations, no developer time, no custom coding, and no additional complications. Plus, recent statistics indicate that auto-submission is projected to yield an 80% increase in matching gift revenue.
By incorporating auto-submission into your nonprofit tech stack, you can make donating matching gifts easier than ever and retain more mid-level donors.
Demonstrate impact
By reminding mid-level donors of how their giving translates into real-world impact, you’ll foster greater transparency and trust among them. Here are a few strategies you can use to effectively demonstrate impact:
These techniques will keep your mid-level donors informed and excited about offering their support. And, over time, you can inspire your mid-level donors to pursue major gift status by keeping your mission top of mind.
Prioritize recognition
Did you know that 41% of donors will give again when they receive personalized outreach on the impact of their support? Providing recognition goes hand in hand with demonstrating impact and can show that your nonprofit is grateful for gifts of all sizes.
Recognize your mid-level donors as soon as the gift is received or within a 48-hour window to show your appreciation in a timely manner. An easy way to make your recognition both prompt and personalized is by using digital eCards. A platform like eCardWidget’s easy customization makes it the perfect donor recognition tool.
For example, look at how Youth For Understanding’s colorful thank-you eCards illustrate the level of creative freedom you can get with the platform:
Use quick and meaningful updates like these to thank donors, invite them to dedicated events, or even send them a happy birthday message to signal their importance to your organization.
Conclusion + Additional Resources
Mid-level donors are often the loyal sustainers of your organization. Their consistency can help you stay afloat or level up your existing programs. Use the tools and techniques listed in this article to zero in on your mid-level donors and launch an engaging program that keeps them enthusiastic about your cause.
Did you enjoy this guide to mid-level donor programs? Check out these related resources to learn more: