Matching gifts are a continuously underutilized funding source for nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising organizations. One of the biggest challenges leading to the underutilization is a significant and widespread knowledge gap. As a result, the solution to such a problem is strategic matching gift education with accessible resources for doing so.
And Double the Donation is here to help! Our primary objective is to provide organizations with the tools and understanding necessary to implement effective long-term matching gift strategies. To bridge the knowledge gap and empower nonprofit teams like yours, we’ve published (and continue to produce) a number of valuable resources on the topic.
Ready to explore our top recommended educational materials and see how they can guide your organization’s efforts? Let’s dive in.
(Hint: Use these resources to train your nonprofit staff and volunteers. An effective matching gift strategy often begins with your internal team!)
Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Academy
Interested in exploring matching gifts in an online learning environment? Double the Donation now offers the industry’s first-ever Matching Gift Academy.
Currently, this academy contains four built-out modules, more than seventeen lessons, three hours of video content, and exclusive downloadable resources to provide learners with a comprehensive look at all things matching gifts. Topics include:
Matching Gift Crash Course: The Basics
Understanding Common Matching Gift Challenges & Finding Solutions
Assessing Your Current Matching Gift Strategy: Improving Outcomes
Webinars have become a go-to resource for organizations seeking practical and engaging training opportunities. This type of “web-based seminar” offers a platform for experts to share their insights, strategies, success stories, and more. As a result, the Double the Donation team typically hosts a few webinar sessions each week, with a primary focus on matching gifts and corporate philanthropy opportunities for nonprofits!
Check out the quick overview video below to learn more:
If you’re looking for engaging matching gift educational resources, we strongly urge organizations like yours to participate live in our upcoming webinars or access recorded sessions by exploring the Webinar Hub on our site. We’ve even compiled a list of on-demand recordings below to ensure flexible training materials are available whenever you need them.
Free Matching Gift eBooks & Downloadable Resources
In addition to our live and on-demand webinar presentations, our team has also created numerous free downloadable resources to serve as practical guides and tools for supporting successful matching gift fundraising. Often taking the form of eBooks, checklists, templates, and more, these resources aim to provide nonprofits and other fundraising organizations with comprehensive knowledge surrounding corporate giving opportunities.
We recommend utilizing these resources for team-wide training and to aid in implementing a well-thought-out matching gift fundraising plan.
Double the Donation takes pride in our matching gift blog, which is intended to provide helpful knowledge regarding just about every aspect of the matching gift process for nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising institutions.
By exploring our in-depth blog, nonprofit staff and volunteers can gain a deeper understanding of the potential impact of matching gifts, discover creative strategies for donor engagement, and learn from real-life examples of successful appeals.
Not to mention, our blog is constantly being updated with timely insights into matching gift fundraising practices, current trends, success stories, and much more. So don’t forget to check back regularly to explore new posts each week.
Still looking to bring your matching gift strategy to new heights? Streamline matching for everyone involved with Double the Donation’s complete automation platform. You can even kickstart the process by requesting a personalized demo here!
Already a Double the Donation user and looking for specific insights regarding the software? Browse our Knowledge Base for answers to frequently asked questions, detailed integration guides, and more.
Bottom line: Equipping your team with essential knowledge and strategies can help inform and improve your organization’s matching gift plans. Good luck!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DTD_Smart-Resources-for-Essential-Matching-Gift-Education_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-06-16 19:25:412025-02-21 15:40:31Smart Resources for Essential Matching Gift Education
In the world of nonprofit fundraising, one valuable—yet often overlooked—resource is that of corporate matching gifts. These programs empower donors to multiply their contributions by requesting matching gifts from their employers. But, like any fundraising strategy, there are a few commonly faced matching gift roadblocks that nonprofits and other organizations must navigate in order to make the most of the opportunities available.
If you’re a fundraising team looking to generate additional revenue through employer matching gifts, you’ve come to the right place. Throughout this guide, we’ll delve into various roadblocks that nonprofits tend to face when it comes to matching gifts. Then, we’ll tackle each issue head-on and offer practical solutions that have proven successful for nonprofits like yours.
Whether you’re just starting to explore matching gifts or have already encountered these hurdles firsthand, this resource will provide you with the knowledge and strategies needed to unlock this valuable revenue stream.
Let’s get started!
Roadblock #1: Absence of an internal matching gift fundraising plan
Matching gifts can provide nonprofits and schools with a powerful and widely accessible form of revenue that brings their existing fundraising strategies to new heights. However, many organizations continue to take a passive, “If it happens, it happens” approach to matching gifts.
In reality, though, a proactive matching gift strategy can go a long way. In fact, if your organization’s whole team—including board members, fundraising professionals, marketers, and more—is not on board with corporate matching gifts, you’re likely to miss out on a ton of opportunities for your cause.
Solution #1: Establishing and communicating a strategic matching gift roadmap
Without a well-thought-out plan, it can be challenging to effectively leverage matching gifts and maximize fundraising. The answer? Developing a strategic matching gift roadmap to guide your team’s efforts toward success.
This should include:
Defining your goals: Begin by setting specific goals. Determine how much funding you aim to raise through matching gifts and identify the key areas or projects that will benefit from these additional resources. Having clear objectives will help inform the rest of the roadmap for your efforts.
Educating your team: Ensure that your staff, board members, and volunteers are aware of the potential of matching gifts and understand the process involved. Provide training and resources to familiarize them with the basics of matching gifts, including the benefits and impact they can have on your organization. When informed, your internal team can be some of your greatest proponents of matching gift opportunities!
Developing a communication strategy: Craft a clear and compelling message about matching gifts to communicate with your donors and supporters. Then, utilize various marketing channels such as email, social media, and your website to educate and motivate donors to participate.
Uncovering match-eligible donors: Identify and familiarize your team with companies that offer matching gift programs—including their eligibility criteria, match ratios, and submission procedures. From there, you’ll want to collect donor employment information and establish which individuals work for companies that match! This information will help you tailor your messaging and outreach efforts accordingly.
Monitoring and tracking matching gift success: Don’t forget to regularly monitor the progress of your matching gift program, either! Keep track of match-related metrics such as the number of matching gift requests received, total funds raised, the impact on your overall fundraising efforts, and more. Use this data to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy and make adjustments as needed.
Roadblock #2: Lack of donor awareness surrounding the initiatives
Despite more than 26 million individuals working for companies that match employee donations, studies indicate that an estimated 78% of the group has never been informed about the opportunity. And when match-eligible donors remain unaware of their employers’ match initiatives, they’re not able to participate in the programs!
Ultimately, this is one of the most significant matching gift roadblocks facing nonprofits and their donors. In fact, a lack of awareness is a significant factor in the resulting $4 to $7 billion worth of matching gift funds going unclaimed each year.
Solution #2: Marketing matching gift opportunities through multiple channels.
Many companies offer to match employee donations to qualifying causes but don’t actively promote the opportunity to their workforce. That’s why nonprofit organizations are increasingly taking the initiative to market matching gifts themselves.
We recommend taking a holistic marketing approach that incorporates all of your favorite donor communication channels. This might include your…
Website (with a detailed matching gifts page, a section in your “Ways to Give” page, blog posts, navigation menu, etc.)
Donation process (specifically with a company search tool on your giving forms and a blurb directing donors to take suggested next steps on the confirmation screen)
Email (through acknowledgment emails, dedicated matching gift follow-ups, staff email signatures, donor newsletters, end-of-year reminders, and more)
Social media (sharing posts, stories, and videos on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more)
Direct mail (including, but not limited to, matching gift letters, postcards, inserts, return envelopes, and welcome packets)
Regardless of the channels you choose, be sure to develop engaging content that highlights the impact of matching gifts for your mission. Craft persuasive messaging that communicates the value and importance of donor participation in matching gift programs and inspires individuals to take their next steps.
Once your supporters are familiar with the idea of matching gifts, they’ll be more likely to get involved.
Without knowing which companies your donors work for, it can be difficult to determine if their employers match—and whether they’d qualify for that program specifically.
After all, we previously mentioned that most eligible donors have no idea that their companies offer such programs. Thus, it’s a good idea for your organization to take the initiative to uncover match-eligible donors on your own.
Solution #3: Using numerous screening methods to determine employment information
When it comes to identifying matching gift opportunities, the most crucial piece of information you’ll need pertains to your donors’ current employment. Fortunately, there are a few key ways to collect this information.
These include…
Email domain screening — If a donor inputs their email address as “johndoe@waltdisney.com” when completing the giving process, you can likely assume that the individual works for the Walt Disney Company. Make a note of this information for future reference!
Donation page search tool — Embedding a company search tool on your donation form or confirmation screen empowers donors to look into their employers’ programming. Plus, it can record the company name that an individual inquires about and store the information in their donor record.
Post-transaction follow-ups — For donors who opt not to provide employment details while giving, you’ll want to trigger post-donation emails that encourage supporters to share the information after the fact. This can include a link to the same company search tool that records individuals’ responses to enable tailored outreach moving forward.
Employer appends — Working with a third-party data appends service can provide your team with access to additional employment information you were unable to uncover on your own. Typically, all you need to do is locate an employer appending company and share the data you do have regarding your donors with unknown employers. The service company scans the details provided against its comprehensive datasets and matches individuals with employment information with relatively high levels of accuracy.
You don’t have to choose just one method, either. According to our research, leveraging multiple approaches for obtaining employment information results in an average of 77% more match-eligible donations being identified. And once you have access to this information, you have what it takes to more effectively uncover and pursue matching gift opportunities.
Roadblock #4: Incomplete match requests by program deadlines
Another common matching gift roadblock occurs when donors, regardless of whether they’re aware of the opportunity, simply do not complete their employers’ submission forms prior to the associated deadlines.
Even when a company offers a matching gift program, if a donor fails to submit their request for a match in time, your organization is not going to receive a corporate gift in response.
Solution #4: Following up with post-transaction matching gift reminders
Sometimes all it takes is a well-planned reminder or two to encourage donors to complete the matching gift submission process.
By following up with donors soon after they make their initial gifts, your nonprofit can remind donors about the availability and impact of corporate matching. That’s usually enough to inspire qualifying individuals to complete the steps for their employers! And for unclaimed matches, you can even trigger end-of-year matching gift reminders as well, prompting donors to submit their matches before the year’s end—which is a popular request deadline.
Through a combination of donation acknowledgment emails, post-donation matching gift outreach, and more, you can ensure that donors are aware of matching gift opportunities, complete match requests, and meet program deadlines. Thus, maximizing your potential for funding.
Roadblock #5: Insufficient staff resources for pursuing matching gifts
Taking a manual approach to matching gift management and promotion typically requires a significant investment of an organization’s resources. Thus, short supplies of time, effort, personnel, and more can hinder an organization’s ability to fully leverage matching gift programs.
“80% of nonprofits said they have difficulty building strong corporate partnerships and workplace giving strategies with limited staff and resources.”
With many organizations’ fundraising and day-to-day operations already stretched thin, this finding highlights the challenges that teams often face when aiming to ramp up their matching gift efforts without the right tools in their toolkits.
Solution #5: Automating the matching gift experience with dedicated technology
No time to pursue matching gift opportunities on your own? No problem. Nowadays, there’s technology for that! Like many other aspects of the fundraising process, smart software solutions can streamline organizations’ efforts and ultimately raise more.
If a lack of time and energy is holding you back, it’s probably time to invest in a dedicated matching gift platform to automate the process from start to finish. These tools, like Double the Donation’s industry-leading solution, can help identify matching gift opportunities, trigger personalized donor outreach, and provide detailed reporting capabilities that drive results without you lifting a finger.
Employing such a tool ultimately empowers organizations like yours to reduce the manual effort required from their staffs, allowing them to focus on other critical fundraising and mission-focused activities.
Roadblock #6: Limited tracking through the match lifecycle
Another roadblock nonprofits often encounter has to do with a lack of tracking capabilities through the match lifecycle. Even after guiding donors directly to their online submission forms, many organizations ultimately have no idea whether their donors complete the process. Let alone whether their employers are approving and disbursing their matches.
Inadequate tracking can result in a lack of transparency, difficulty evaluating the effectiveness of an organization’s matching gift efforts, and missed opportunities to appreciate and acknowledge completed matches.
Solution #6: Using data and encouraging donor communication throughout the process
The #1 way you can utilize effective matching gift lifecycle tracking is to communicate with donors throughout the matching process. Plus, you’ll want to encourage supporters to keep your team informed, as well.
For example, when you send matching gift reminders encouraging recipients to submit their match requests, incorporate an easy way for them to let you know when they complete the process. It can be as simple as a button that says, “I’ve submitted my match!”
This way, you’ll know to thank the individual for taking steps to secure a match on your behalf, keep an eye out for additional information being asked of your organization (i.e., to verify the initial contribution), and better forecast incoming matching gift revenue. If you see that a potential match is stuck at a particular stage for any length of time, you can enlist targeted efforts to push that match to the next step.
You’ll want to implement tracking and reporting systems that capture and store data related to matching gift opportunities. Then, follow them through to completion. Ensure your systems track the status of match requests, identify funds received, and record the impact of matching on fundraising. From there, regularly review and analyze this data to gain insights and optimize your matching gift program accordingly.
Next Steps
Every matching gift roadblock presents an opportunity for growth. By proactively addressing these challenges, your nonprofit can tap into the immense potential of workplace giving to fuel your mission.
As you move forward, keep in mind that donors love participating in their employers’ matching gift initiatives. They typically just need a gentle push in the right direction!
Ready to learn more about overcoming matching gift roadblocks and enhancing your organization’s corporate fundraising strategy? Check out these recommended resources:
Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Academy. Our Matching Gift Academy provides a complete overview of corporate matching gifts. Specifically, dive into Course 1, Module 2 to dive deeper into common matching gift challenges and our expert recommendations for addressing them.
8 Ways to Encourage Donors to Submit Employee Matching Gift Requests. This comprehensive guide shares several methods for motivating donors to complete matching gift requests, thereby maximizing fundraising potential. Explore practical strategies to inspire action and secure additional revenue for your cause.
What You Need to Know About Retaining Matching Gift Donors. Dive into the importance of donor retention for matching gifts. Find out how to cultivate long-term relationships with matching gift donors, build personalized stewardship plans, express gratitude, and more. In the end, it helps ensure continued support and sustained impact.
5 Fundraisers with Standout Matching Gift Success. In this inspiring blog post, discover five real-life fundraising organizations that achieved remarkable success with matching gifts. Learn from the strategies that led to outstanding matching results and see which practices you can leverage for your cause!
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/DTD_Overcoming-Matching-Gift-Roadblocks-Helpful-Solutions_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-06-16 13:06:432025-02-21 15:47:28Overcoming Matching Gift Roadblocks [Helpful Solutions]
Advance from Gravyty and Double the Donation are proud to announce their new partnership together, servicing higher education institutions as they aim to raise more in revenue from corporate matching gifts.
“Advance from Gravyty focuses on helping educational institutions of all sizes and nonprofit organizations accept donations from their supporters with powerful technology and seamless, customized experiences,” said Sevonne Eliyahu, President of Gravyty. “It was a natural next step for us to empower our partners with the ability to fundraise with Double the Donation’s powerful and easy-to-use matching gift tools.”
The new integration, which places Double the Donation’s autocomplete search tool and matching gift plugin on Advance from Gravyty digital giving forms, empowers donors to discover their match eligibility and take their next steps toward matching gift success by guiding them through the process.
“Double the Donation is dedicated to helping close the awareness gap that surrounds matching gift knowledge,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Our partnership aims to educate donors while they give, resulting in a better experience and increased revenue for our mutual clients.”
Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!
Activating the Advance and Double the Donation integration is quick and easy. All a client will have to do is reach out to their Gravyty Client Success team to activate their integration using their Double the Donation API keys, and the connection will be established with no effort on the school’s side.
Once this is complete, schools and universities can now share matching gift and corporate giving details with their donors and supporters directly from the giving process by helping them discover their match eligibility on the donation page and take their next steps from a prompt on the confirmation page.
Double the Donation will also kick off matching gift follow ups to donors to ensure the highest conversion rate for matching gifts submissions as possible. These automated messages are sent at an optimal time set by the university or school to fit into their greater outreach strategy.
Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with Double the Donation!
Advance from Gravyty and Double the Donation integrate to give schools and universities a seamless matching gifts experience to increase donations through additional corporate participation. The possibilities are endless when these two platforms are connected–check out some extra benefits below!
Identify more matching gift revenue opportunities: Double the Donation enables you to automatically collect matching gift eligibility from donors using email domains, within donation forms, on confirmation screens, or by email. The more matching gift opportunities Double the Donation discovers and shares with donors, the more matching gift requests your donors will successfully submit.
Drive more matches to completion from form submission to corporate payment: Direct donors immediately to their matching gift forms after the donation process is complete. Then, provide the right information to the right donors at the right time with custom emails based on match eligibility. Target follow-ups drive more completed submissions than ever before, bringing exponentially more matching gift checks from companies through your door.
Reallocate your time from routine follow-up to your top opportunities: Your time is valuable, so why spend it chasing small dollar-value matching gifts? Let Double the Donation automate your matching gift outreach while flagging your highest-value opportunities, allowing your team to personalize follow-ups to the most valuable match-eligible donations. Rest easy knowing that Double the Donation can handle the rest.
Ready to get started with raising more from matching gifts? Request a demo today and let us know you use Advance by Gravyty for your fundraising!
About Gravyty: Gravyty is the leading provider of purpose-driven technology, providing nonprofits, organizations, educational institutions and corporations the tools they need to create an engaging community and fundraise smarter. Backed by K1 Investment Management, Gravyty has $72 million in funding and six strategic industry acquisitions to build a holistic, mission-driven ecosystem of solutions. Gravyty is headquartered in the United Kingdom, with operations in the United States, Canada, South America and Israel. For more information, visit https://gravyty.com/.
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 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 to capture employment information and follow up appropriately with donors about matching gifts.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Double-the-Donation-Advance-from-Gravyty-LinkedIn.png5501050Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-06-16 08:00:312025-02-28 15:50:04Advance from Gravyty and Double the Donation Partner with Double the Donation Matching Gifts Integration
Double the Donation and Click & Pledge have come together once again to enhance their existing matching gift integration. Now, mutual clients have the option to pass all donations from Click & Pledge to Double the Donation. This additional functionality will allow nonprofits to kick off automated matching gift emails to all of their donors, even those whose eligibility is unknown following the donation process! As a result, mutual clients are more likely to uncover match opportunities and drive those matches to completion by empowering donors with their matching gift next steps directly in their inbox.
This comes on the heels of our last enhancement which worked to provide all Click & Pledge CONNECT users corporate philanthropy insights from within their platform portal,
“Click & Pledge is proud to work with Double the Donation to simplify matching gift fundraising,” said Kamran Razvan, CEO of Click & Pledge. “By providing their matching gift tools to our clients, we know our users are accessing the most comprehensive solution on the market.”
That update allowed nonprofits using Click & Pledge to utilize a matching gift search widget embedded into the CONNECT portal. By simply navigating to the “matching gifts” section of their account, these users can search for their desired corporation and see matching gift and volunteer grant insights.
“We are committed to providing nonprofits and their donors with the most accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about corporate matching gift programs” said Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation. “The Double the Donation database is updated multiple times a day by our database team to ensure that all instructions, links, and program details delivered to donors actually result in increased revenue for nonprofits.”
The matching gift search tool is simple to use, and it pulls corporate philanthropy information from the industry’s largest matching gift database. Using this feature, nonprofits can still find fundraising opportunities related to their desired company program.
Both enhancements reflect the duo’s continued commitment to helping nonprofits harness more robust matching gift opportunities that engage their donors at every step of the way.
Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!
If mutual clients would like to update their integration settings so that all donations pass over to Double the Donation, they can follow seamless steps to get up and running. After navigating to Third Party Integrations within the Click & Pledge platform settings and entering in their Double the Donation public API key, they will see an option to “post all transaction data to Double the Donation.” Checking this box ensures that all donors receive automated matching gift outreach.
Once your Double the Donation account is fully activated on your forms of choice, donors are then able to search for their company name using the autocomplete search tool, equipped with Double the Donation’s comprehensive database of over 24,000 matching gift providers. From there, organizations can configure matching gift emails and trigger these messages to all donors. Those emails will lead donors directly to their matching gift request form, making gift matching simpler!
By streamlining the matching gift application process for donors, nonprofits are able to maximize the probability of driving those matches to completion.
Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with Double the Donation!
Click & Pledge is dedicated to helping their clients generate more impact with innovative features and integrations, and the integration with Double the Donation is the latest addition to that list of valuable tools.
Check out some of our favorite Double the Donation features:
Identify more matching gift revenue opportunities. Double the Donation enables you to automatically collect matching gift eligibility from donors using email domains, within donation forms, on confirmation screens, or by email. The more matching gift opportunities Double the Donation discovers and shares with donors, the more matching gift requests your donors will actually submit.
Drive more matches to completion, from form submission to corporate payment. Direct donors immediately to their matching gift forms after the donation process is complete. Then, provide the right information to the right donors at the right time with custom emails based on match eligibility. Target follow-ups drive more completed submissions than ever before, bringing exponentially more matching gift checks from companies through your door.
Reallocate your time from routine follow-up to your dop opportunities. Your time is valuable, so why spend it chasing small dollar-value matching gifts? Let Double the Donation automate your matching gift outreach while flagging your highest-value opportunities, allowing your team to personalize follow-ups to the most valuable match-eligible donations. Rest easy knowing that Double the Donation can handle the rest.
Interested in learning more about how your nonprofit could benefit from matching gifts? Schedule a demo with us today to get started.
About Click & Pledge: Generate more impact for your nonprofit with an all-in-one fundraising platform provided by Click & Pledge. The CONNECT platform has assisted over 20,000 organizations with campaigns and offers tools such as online donation forms, peer-to-peer fundraising, and integrations with Salesforce®. With CONNECT, nonprofit leaders can access the latest innovative features, including text message fundraising and integrative donor outreach at an industry-leading price. For more information regarding Click & Pledge, visit www.clickandpledge.com.
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 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 to capture employment information and follow up appropriately with donors about matching gifts. To learn more about Double the Donation, visit https://doublethedonation.com and request a demo at https://doublethedonation.com/get-a-demo/.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Double-the-Donation-ClickandPledge-feature.png5801550Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-06-13 17:24:132025-02-28 15:14:49Click & Pledge Expands Matching Gift Functionality with Double the Donation
It’s no secret that workplace satisfaction is important. To foster engagement and establish a positive work environment, any organization can (and should) establish employee engagement programs. These types of programs seek to reward hard workers and motivate peers to strive for greatness.
However, administrating recognition initiatives can be timely. That’s why we recommend turning to an employee recognition platform.
Recognition and rewards tools allow you to reinforce hard work and inspire everyone to contribute to a positive company culture. Leveraging a dedicated tool helps make your feedback more consistent, measurable, and strategic. Plus, some even allow you to send rewards alongside your words of encouragement, offering a tangible token of appreciation.
To help you locate the perfect employee recognition software for your organization, we’ve curated a list of some of the best platforms for 2023. We’ll also walk you through the basics of these platforms, so you know exactly what to look for in your search. Here’s what this guide will cover:
Whether you work at a small nonprofit or an enterprise-level corporation, there’s something on this list for everyone. The right platform can empower your employees to be the absolute best they can be in the workplace. Let’s dive into the essentials of these tools.
Employee Recognition Platform FAQ
Before sharing our favorite software, we thought it’d be helpful to cover the basics of these platforms. Whether you’re curious about what employee recognition software does or why you should use it, we’ll answer your questions below!
What Are Employee Recognition Platforms?
Employee recognition platforms or software refers to technology-based solutions that help organizations show appreciation for the work their employees do. These platforms provide a platform for managers and peers to recognize and reward employees for exceptional performance, milestones, and achievements.
Common features typically include peer-to-peer recognition capabilities, manager-to-employee recognition, rewards tracking, and performance metrics. The goal of these tools is to streamline the employee recognition process, boost employee satisfaction, and improve company culture by encouraging teams to recognize individuals’ workplace contributions.
Who Uses Employee Recognition Software?
Any organization can use it — whether you’re running a for-profit or nonprofit. Once you invest in an employee recognition platform, your organization’s HR department, leadership, and even employees can use it to call out exceptional employees.
This type of software is perfect for any organization looking to implement engagement programs and boost retention.
Why Should You Use Employee Recognition Platforms?
You want your employees to feel valued. Otherwise, they won’t feel compelled to stick around.
In fact, employee retention research has found that when employees don’t feel valued, 76% will look for another job opportunity. If you work in HR, you know that turnover costs employers a lot of money. It costs an average of 33% of an employee’s salary for their exit. Not only does turnover come with a hefty pricetag, but it also reflects poorly on your company if you have a high turnover rate.
An effective employee recognition platform that caters to your employees’ motivations can alleviate those concerns substantially. Here’s a quick rundown of why you should leverage employee recognition software:
What Features Should You Look for in Employee Recognition Platforms?
Though all employee recognition software solutions offer a different suite of features, there are some features that you should prioritize no matter what, such as:
Data analytics and reporting. Your software should be able to provide insights on recognition patterns so you can improve your tactics over time and boost overall employee engagement.
Security features. You’ll likely store lots of sensitive data in your platform, so your solution should protect you from internal and external hacks and data leaks. Ensure that your platform complies with all federal regulations and keeps communications secure.
Real-time feedback tools. Providing feedback allows you to reward positive behavior and offer constructive criticism to help employees grow. Useful feedback tools include secure communication channels and surveys that managers and employees can use to standardize feedback.
Integration with other tools. It’s important that your platforms are compatible with others in your toolbelt. Try to prioritize software that can seamlessly integrate with your existing solutions so nothing slips through the cracks. For example, you could integrate an eCard software plugin into a solution without a native peer-to-peer system to accommodate ad-hoc recognition.
Identifying robust software solutions that have these features and more that support your goals can help you streamline your employee recognition efforts and scale them up as your company grows.
From retention to recruitment, fostering a positive environment through the right software can have an incredible impact on any organization!
Overall Best Employee Recognition Platform
Without further ado, let’s dive into the best employee recognition software of 2023. While there’s plenty of great software out there, one of them takes the cake due to its creativity, versatility, and ease of use.
1. eCardWidget
If you’re looking for a creative way to recognize employees, look no further than eCardWidget! This innovative platform empowers you to create custom eCards that showcase your organization’s branding and values. Easily design eCards to showcase your company values or congratulate someone on a job well done.
To launch your employee recognition cards, create designs that infuse your organization’s branding, sort them by company value (or other internal goals), and share your collection with employees. Whenever someone goes above and beyond, their manager or peer can select one of the eCards, draft a quick recognition note, and send it directly to their inbox. As a tip, the personalized message is a great spot for attaching rewards like digital gift cards.
Landing the #1 spot as our favorite employee recognition platform, eCardWidget allows you to show employees they’re more than just a number. Check out the video below for a rundown on how it works:
eCardWidget’s Standout Features
Drag-and-drop design tools that allow you to upload your own graphics, choose from an array of fonts, and match your color scheme
Intuitive sending capabilities so anyone at your organization can recognize their coworkers, whether they’re managers or peers
An incredible list of integrations which means you can seamlessly embed your eCards into any website or intranet like your internal company portal
Why eCardWidget Is Our Favorite Employee Recognition Software
If you want to get creative with your employee recognition, eCardWidget is the solution for you! Everyone loves receiving greeting cards, and bringing them into the workplace can be a creative way to supercharge morale.
eCardWidget’s Pricing: eCardWidget includes options for every size organization. They range from free plans to Enterprise Options ($200 per month) to best fit your team’s size and internal recognition goals. Visit their pricing page for more information.
Employee Recognition Platforms for Small Organizations
If you lead a small organization, we’ve got some great, small-scale employee recognition platforms you can use. Whether you’re looking to solicit feedback or strictly give pats on the back, these engagement tools can be a huge help in streamlining your recognition efforts.
2. WorkTango
WorkTango is an employee feedback and recognition platform that helps organizations gather employee feedback and shine a light on employees’ standout efforts. It makes continuous appreciation, feedback, and growth a regular part of your routine instead of restricting it to annual performance reviews.
Trusted by more than 1,000 organizations, WorkTango empowers employees to recognize their colleagues and leaders to reward their hardworking directs. Say thank you in a million different ways whether you want to launch employee awards or post appreciation to your company recognition feed.
WorkTango’s Features
Thousands of at-cost, zero-cost, and experiential rewards like gift cards and products from popular brands like Amazon
A real-time employee recognition feed to drive morale across the organization
Nominations and awards tools so employees can vote for their peers for awards when they showcase company values
WorkTango’s Pricing: Schedule a demo with the WorkTango team to get pricing details and learn whether their solution fits your organization’s budget.
3. Motivosity
Motivosity is an employee recognition platform that aspires to foster positive work culture and build strong relationships among employees. It provides features such as employee feedback and social recognition.
Using the platform, employees can call attention to their colleagues’ contributions and share feedback. We love this platform since it encourages regular interactions and establishes a sense of community and collaboration. Thanks to its gamification-style framework, enhancing employee morale, strengthening relationships, and creating a productive workforce have never been more fun.
Motivosity’s Features
Public appreciation capabilities through a social-media-style interface
Customizable rewards including hundreds of gift cards, local offers, and branded swag
Custom awards and badges to incite some friendly competition across your organization
Motivosity’s Pricing: Contact Motivosity to get a custom quote based on your team’s size and employee recognition needs. They also promise a 6-month money-back guarantee.
4. HeyTaco
HeyTaco is a unique employee recognition platform designed to promote an appreciative and vibrant workplace culture. It uses a gamified approach to encourage peer-to-peer recognition and appreciation within teams.
Employees can send virtual “tacos” to colleagues as a way to shout out their achievements and helpful contributions. These tacos accumulate, creating a fun visual representation of employees’ contributions. There’s never been a more simple yet fun way to establish camaraderie and boost employee morale!
HeyTaco’s Features
Social peer-to-peer recognition with leaderboards that incite friendly competition
Custom-tailored rewards that team members can trade tacos for, like a taco trophy, taco dinners, company swag, and more
Integrations with popular tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams
HeyTaco’s Pricing: Try the platform for free for 30 days. If you like what you see, you’ll pay $3 per person per month. You can either pay for select employees or automatically add people whenever they give or receive their first taco.
5. Guusto
Rated as a top employee recognition software on G2 and Capterra, Guusto enables leaders to shape an enjoyable culture through real-time recognition programs and service awards.
Ideal for smaller workforces, Guusto allows organizations to build programs for recognizing any employee, whether they’re on the store floor, in the field, or at a desk. Easily recognize and reward employees by sending digital gift cards. With Guusto, employers can choose from a wide array of options to suit individuals’ preferences and even customize gift cards with personalized messages. Then, recipients can conveniently redeem their digital gift cards online or through the Guusto mobile app.
Guusto aims to make employee recognition easy, thoughtful, and rewarding, fostering a positive work environment and enhancing employee engagement. Not to mention, Guusto exercises corporate social responsibility by partnering with the One Drop Foundation. For every gift sent, they’ll donate one day of clean drinking water.
Guusto’s Features
Reward-sharing capabilities via a pay-forward feature that empowers recipients to pass a gift to someone else
Shoutout features for impactful non-monetary recognition
Actionable reports for tracking any recognition sent, taxable benefits, and core value performance
Guusto’s Pricing: Choose from three pricing plans for this employee recognition platform. Use the Free plan for a single-user account, the Essential plan for up to 35 team members for $80 per month, or the Premium plan for 100 team members for $350 per month. They also have custom enterprise plans. Note that these fees are based on annual plans. Prices vary if you pay on a monthly basis.
6. Snappy
Snappy is an all-in-one gifting platform that combines personal gifting experiences with advanced technology. Great for both customer and employee recognition, Snappy helps organizations show appreciation, spread smiles, and boost loyalty in one fell swoop.
Employers can send digital gift cards, physical gifts, or even experiential gifts to showcase gratitude. Offer gift recipients a collection of trending products, unique experiences, subscriptions, and charitable donations. Then, recipients can choose their preferred gift from the curated selection you send.
The platform makes it easy to create memorable and meaningful moments of recognition that make employees feel valued.
Snappy’s Features
Tracking statuses to see which gifts recipients pick
Various gift collections that include gift cards, experiences, sweets, snacks, and donation options
The ability to add personal greetings to make a reward extra meaningful
Snappy’s Pricing: Snappy offers three pricing plans. With the Essential plan, teams and small businesses only pay for claimed gifts. With the Elevated Plan, larger organizations pay $999 per year. For the Enterprise plan, large enterprises need to reach out for a custom quote.
7. EngageWith
EngageWith helps organizations celebrate any employee win, whether it’s big or small! Built for Slack and Microsoft Teams, the platform makes it easy to keep all of your systems updated.
Acknowledge coworkers publicly using your preferred channel. Be sure to encourage employees to tag each recognition with a company value! Then, employees can redeem points they acquire through recognition on preferred sites like Nike, Domino’s, Apple, Dunkin Donuts, and more.
EngageWith’s Features
Dynamic leaderboards that rank individuals based on appreciation sent and received
Birthday and work anniversary reminders to recognize people on their special days
Other employee engagement features like pulse surveys and anonymous feedback capabilities
EngageWith’s Pricing: Either choose the Standard plan for $4 per user per month or reach out for a custom quote if you’ll have more than 500 users. They also offer a 30-day free trial, so you know what you’re getting with this employee recognition software.
8. Compt
Dubbed as a top perk stipend software, Compt is an all-in-one reimbursement platform that enables organizations to offer personalized, flexible compensation and benefits programs. Use the platform’s reward and recognition features to send employee bonuses and make recognition easy and meaningful.
Make your employees feel seen, heard, and valued throughout the year with birthday bonuses, sales incentives, spot bonus recognition, and more.
Compt’s Features
Instant rewards that only take a few minutes to set up and send
Automated IRS compliance to ensure employees are taxed correctly for rewards and bonuses
Slack integration to help your team celebrate accomplishments together
Employee Recognition Software for Mid-Sized Organizations
If you work at a mid-sized organization, you need a more robust solution for employee recognition. From saying thanks to offering employee gifts, the following platforms are great options for powering your workplace engagement initiatives.
9. Terryberry
Terryberry is an employee recognition platform that aims to ignite workplace success. With its social recognition approach, Terryberry provides a centralized system for implementing and tracking recognition activities, empowering organizations to celebrate achievements and boost morale.
It also offers a wide array of reward options that are sure to delight employees. With thousands of merchandise, travel, experience, and charitable donation options to choose from, you’ll encourage employees to be their best selves in the workplace.
Terryberry’s Features
Plug-and-play modules so you only pay for the recognition tools you need
Custom milestone and service award programs to celebrate important occasions
Additional employee engagement features like wellness and activity challenges
Terryberry’s Pricing: You have three pricing plan options based on the features you want. Request a demo to receive pricing details.
10. Awardco
Designed to make rewarding people easier and more effective, Awardco is a top-rated employee recognition platform. Marketed as a “one-stop-recognition-shop,” Awardco is a comprehensive platform that allows you to create custom rewards catalogs personalized to your needs. They also partner with Amazon Business to bring millions of reward choices and lower vendor fees. If needed, they’ll work with you to manage multiple recognition programs from one dashboard.
With an emphasis on reporting, Awardco enables organizations to gain in-depth insights into their recognition programs and keep an eye on employee performance. That way, there’s never a question of whether your employee engagement efforts are working.
Awardco’s Features
A public feed where team members can like, comment, and react to recognition
A user-friendly interface where employees and managers can track rewards and provide feedback
Integrations with communication platforms like Slack to easily fold recognition into your workflow
Awardco’s Pricing: Small organizations receive reduced rates and can choose from two pricing plans, starting at $2,500 per year. Organizations with more than 300 employees will need to reach out for custom pricing.
11. Assembly
Trusted by more than 2,400 organizations, Assembly is a top-rated employee recognition platform that helps celebrate workplace achievements. Show people their contributions are valued, so you can retain your best talent with features like rewards, nominations, and work anniversary reminders. Best of all, your staff will never have to leave Slack or Microsoft Teams to use the software.
Assembly’s Features
An extensive catalog of awards like gift cards, custom swag, and personalized culture rewards
Integrations with Slack and Microsoft Teams to keep employee recognition where work already happens
Employee nominations to encourage employees to call out their peers for standout performance
Assembly’s Pricing: Small teams of fewer than 10 people can use the platform for free. Paid plans start at $2.80 per user per month for up to 50 people when you pay for the year in full. Get an unlimited number of users for $4.50 per user per month. For larger organizations needing a custom program, reach out to Assembly for a custom pricing plan.
12. Blueboard
Built around hand-curated experiences, Blueboard is an incentives platform for organizations. This employee recognition software makes it easy for organizations to reward employees in meaningful ways and give them one-of-a-kind experiences. Choose from memorable experiential rewards like spa days, concerts, plane flying lessons, and bucket-list travel adventures.
Long story short, the platform elevates employee recognition from generic gift cards to experiences your employees will never forget. Whether you’re building an anniversary award program, leveling up referral incentives, or reimagining your spot rewards, experiential rewards are a unique way to drive better outcomes.
Blueboard’s Features
Anniversary awards to celebrate important moments in each employee’s journey
Curated experiential rewards, perfect for spot recognition, referral incentives, sales incentives, onboarding gifts, and more
Program planning guides and budget calculators to help you design a well-thought-out recognition program
Blueboard’s Pricing: Due to the level of personalization needed, Blueboard provides custom quotes. Get a demo to receive a personalized pricing plan.
13. Recognize
Recognize is value-driven employee recognition software that offers a range of rewards and gifts. Designed to integrate into your existing workflows, the platform makes enhancing the workplace experience and improving company culture a breeze.
Leverage gamification components to drive community building and tap into peer-to-peer recognition, nominations, incentives, and anniversary reminders. Using the platform, employees can earn and redeem points for spot rewards or accumulate points for a bigger item.
Recognize’s Features
Tangible tasks that managers can set up for employees to complete to earn points
Reward catalogs filled with gift cards, experiences, and non-monetary rewards employees redeem with points
Recognition reporting to gain insight into top performers and teams
Recognize’s Pricing: Get started with a free trial. Then, choose from different paid plans, starting at $.20 per user per month. Pricing varies based on organization size and selected add-ons.
14. Cooleaf
Connect with your people with Cooleaf, a leading experience platform. Bring your employees together with recognition and virtual activities, making your workplace culture more fulfilling and engaging. Tap into features like automatic work anniversary rewards, and go beyond a thank-you note with fun rewards like merchandise, gift cards, and company swag.
Cooleaf’s Features
Peer and manager shoutouts for instant recognition
Public recognition to showcase meaningful stories and exceptional work
Manager dashboards to evaluate trends and help prepare for performance reviews
Cooleaf’s Pricing: Contact their team for pricing details and to see this employee recognition platform in action.
Employee Recognition Software for Enterprise Organizations
Large and enterprise organizations often have more complex needs than smaller ones. That goes for workplace engagement and retention, too. We’ve pulled together a list of scalable solutions that were designed for larger organizations.
15. Culture Cloud
Designed for enterprise and global workforces, O.C. Tanner’s Culture Cloud helps companies design large-scale employee recognition programs with unforgettable experiences. Every feature is backed by academic-grade research, ensuring organizations are equipped to maximize workplace satisfaction.
Whether you want to fuel peer-to-peer recognition or tie points to team goals, Culture Cloud offers plenty of ways to give, receive, and measure recognition.
Culture Cloud’s Features
An award store filled with unique experiences and everyday essentials
A points system that you can scale to suit your budget and needs
Yearbooks for team members to rally and honor a coworker’s contributions over time
Culture Cloud’s Pricing: Contact their team for a custom quote for its employee recognition software.
16. Fond
Created to enhance company culture across global workforces, Fond is straightforward employee recognition software. With it, employees can send points to one another to recognize hard work and major accomplishments.
Employees located around the world can redeem their points for useful rewards and corporate perks on Fond’s platform. Best of all, points never expire, and unused points are returned to your company if an employee leaves or is dismissed from their role.
Fond’s Features
Globally-redeemable rewards like gift cards and experiences
Customizable rewards and recognition events that embody your organization’s values
A mobile app so employees can send or redeem recognition points on-the-go
Fond’s Pricing: This employee recognition platform only charges the retail price for each item without markup. There aren’t any fulfillment charges or hidden fees either.
17. Achievers
Achievers is a cloud-based employee recognition platform designed to acknowledge your organization’s greatest asset: its employees. Drive retention, productivity, and key business outcomes by engaging your workforce, no matter where they are in the world.
Support your employees with best-in-class rewards and inclusive recognition. Achievers works to continuously expand its marketplace catalog with sought-after brands and fulfill reward redemptions across local centers through its reward partner networks. With the ability to support multiple recognition programs, you can reinforce priorities with high-frequency and high-impact recognition.
Achiever’s Features
3 million rewards options from 2,500+ global brands in 29+ languages
Flexible, modular recognition tools such as a points-based system, social recognition, or campaigns
Support and functionality in multiple languages and currencies
Workhuman is a leading employee recognition platform that aims to foster a more human workplace. Between peer-to-peer and manager recognition capabilities, employees can celebrate workplace accomplishments and big life events. After all, you want to show your employees you care about them on a personal level.
After being in the employee recognition business for over 20 years, Workhuman empowers organizations around the globe to deepen engagement and boost retention. With this platform, you can even tap into additional engagement tools like real-time feedback and performance management. In no time, you’ll foster a culture of appreciation, belonging, and gratitude.
Workhuman’s Features
Social recognition so employees can thank anyone in the organization and interact with others to celebrate their awards
Life event and service milestones to celebrate life’s big moments
Insights and analytics with real-time recommendations related to how and where work gets done
Workhuman’s Pricing: Contact Workhuman for a demo to see the software in action and get pricing details.
19. Empuls
Empuls is employee recognition software that makes it easy to reward your hardworking staff members. From setting up pulse surveys to motivating employees with digital gift cards, the platform comes equipped with everything you need to build an encouraging environment. Best of all, the platform is multilingual, making it easy to implement for your international employees.
Trusted by more than 1,000 organizations, Empuls helps make hard work visible to everyone, celebrate key milestones, promote participation in company initiatives, and reduce HR’s time in setting up rewards.
Empuls’ Features
Gamification features like activity scores and a leaderboard to encourage participation
Personalized recognition through custom spot awards, monetary rewards, and messaging
An AI-powered engagement bot that gives timely reminders about special occasions like peers’ birthdays and work anniversaries
Empuls’ Pricing: The Reward and Recognize plan is $3 per employee per month. Take a look at the pricing page to learn about other features’ pricing, like surveys, social intranet, and perks.
20. HALO
HALO offers scalable employee recognition and incentive solutions designed to fit your organization’s unique culture. Designed to deliver deep personalization, HALO offers comprehensive services like strategic design and program marketing support, giving you a single source for all your employee engagement efforts.
Great for hybrid and remote employee recognition, the platform can be accessed from anywhere. HALO offers a consistent experience for worldwide, remote, hybrid, and offline workforces alike.
HALO’s Features
A universal, points-based rewards currency that can be redeemed for gift cards, experiences, and gifts
Regional gift catalogs based on local tastes and customs
In-country fulfillment so you can avoid international shipping costs
HALO’s Pricing: Contact their team for pricing details and to get a rundown of the system.
21. Mo
Mo is an employee engagement and recognition platform that enables leaders to improve collaboration, reduce employee churn, and maximize morale. Backed by this software, create a recognition-rich culture by celebrating successes and shining light on those who go above and beyond.
Great for bringing distributed teams together, Mo empowers organizations to celebrate achievements with public and private recognition tools tied to fun GIFs and company values. Recognition can come from anyone, whether you want to give top-down feedback or peer-to-peer acknowledgment. Don’t forget about rewarding employees by letting them choose gift cards and custom rewards like organizational swag.
Mo’s Features
An extensive rewards catalog filled with meaningful gift options like gift cards from popular brands like Nike, Ticketmaster, and Amazon
Custom company awards like ‘most inspirational’ or ‘best team player’ that employees can nominate their peers to receive
Straightforward budget controls and rewards options so you can take charge of employee engagement
Mo’s Pricing: Choose from three pricing plans based on your organization’s needs. The Starter plan has basic recognition features and is $2.70 per user per month when billed annually. For more advanced recognition features, choose the Level Up plan, which is $4.50 per month per user when you pay annually. For a custom plan, reach out for a custom quote.
22. Fringe
Want to contribute to your employees’ lives in meaningful ways? Try out Fringe, the world’s first lifestyle benefits marketplace. Rewarding your employees with personalized lifestyle benefits is a fantastic way to show you care. Solidify a culture of well-being by offering unique rewards like financial planning services, student loan repayment, physical fitness, and virtual therapy.
Whether you’re acknowledging a 23-year-old intern or a 60-year-old long-term employee, Fringe has rewards for everyone!
Fringe’s Features
Lifestyle benefits whether you want to reimburse someone’s gym membership or give them la unch stipend
Wellbeing programs to promote health through virtual therapy, meditation apps, life coaching, and more
Peer giving so employees can award coworkers, friends, and family with services or points
You want your employees to stick around and feel valued for their hard work. That means taking the time to develop a thoughtful recognition program and selecting software to support your efforts.
Remember, you want a platform that aligns with your organization’s budget and its employees’ preferences. Choosing the right employee recognition software can go a long way in boosting retention, so don’t skimp through your selection process.
While you narrow down your options, keep learning about fostering a positive work environment by exploring these additional resources:
How to Start a Matching Gift Program [For Companies]. Corporate giving contributes substantially to workplace satisfaction. If you’re a leader at a company, communicate that you care about your employees’ passions outside the workplace by starting a matching gift program.
Employee Recruitment and Retention: 10 Winning Strategies. Acknowledging employees can help make your organization a great place to work. Learn more about boosting retention and improving recruitment with this guide from Astron Solutions.
A Complete Guide to Recognition Awards for Employees. A lot of the employee recognition software we covered allows you to create custom awards for top performers. Learn more about this engagement strategy with this guide from eCardWidget.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Employee-Recognition-Platforms_Feature.jpg3801000Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-06-08 10:00:002024-10-01 15:39:2322 Employee Recognition Platforms To Recharge Your Workplace
When nonprofits grow their donor base, they gain access to more revenue that can be used to launch new initiatives, expand current programs, and generally advance their mission. Growth requires acquiring new donors, but effective growth also means keeping current ones.
Nonprofits with high donor retention rates are sustainable nonprofits, and with that sustainability comes the ability to grow, try new projects, and weather setbacks.
With retention rates for both new and existing donors falling, now is the time to reassess your nonprofit’s retention strategy or create one if you haven’t yet. In this guide, we’ll answer essential questions nonprofits have about donor retention before diving into our top strategies for retaining donors.
Donor Retention FAQ
What is donor retention?
Donor retention measures how many donors who previously gave to your nonprofit continue to do so. Your donor retention rate is the percentage of donors who continue to contribute to your organization. Calculate this percentage by dividing the number of donors that gave this year by the number of donors that gave last year and multiplying that number by 100. The average repeat donor retention rate for nonprofits is 45%.
Donor Retention Rate = ((number of donors at the end of a period – number of new donors at the end of a period) / donors at start of the period) x 100
Donor retention is also useful for determining how financially healthy your nonprofit is. While nonprofits with poor finances can have a higher-than-average donor retention rate and vice versa, nonprofits that maintain their donors generally have the stability to expand their operations, make reliable fundraising estimates, and recover from financial setbacks.
How does donor retention fit into the donor lifecycle?
Consider your nonprofit’s view of the donor lifecycle. Is it a process wherein donors become familiar with your nonprofit, learn more, donate, and then are finished? Or does the cycle repeat?
Retained donors will go through the process of giving many times throughout their engagement with your nonprofit. Let’s compare the lifecycle for one-time donors, which even nonprofits with high retention rates will always have, and retained donors.
Donor acquisition involves marketing your nonprofit to prospective supporters and guiding them to make their first gift. This usually involves creating and maintaining outreach materials, such as your website, social media posts, flyers, and letters. Prospective supporters use this information to learn about your nonprofit and eventually navigate to your donation page to give.
Donor cultivation is the process of building relationships after their initial gift. From their first donation, you now have their contact information and can reach out to them to thank them for their support, invite them to participate in other activities, and provide updates on the campaign they contributed to.
Donor upgrade refers to when donors who have given to your nonprofit several times in the past increase their support level. For the average supporter, this usually entails a slight increase in their routine donations. However, this is also where donors you’ve identified as prospective major donors may begin to make major gifts.
Donor lapse occurs when a donor no longer gives to your nonprofit. Many supporters are interested in only giving once and will lapse immediately after their first gift. Nonprofits can take steps to retain more of these donors, but even the most sophisticated, donor-focused nonprofits won’t have 100% retention rates. Donor lapse is primarily a concern if many of your previously recurring donors begin to drop their support.
Nonprofits have the term “the golden rule of donating,” which refers to securing a second gift from donors. This is because, on average, only 20% of donors give again after their first gift, whereas 60% of donors continue giving after their second gift. This means donors who give multiple times are the most likely candidates for continuing to give far into the future.
Why is donor retention important?
We’ve already touched on a few positives of donor retention, and there are essentially no downsides to continuing to collect donations from the same supporters repeatedly.
However, there may be even more benefits to donor retention than you first assumed. Let’s look at just a few reasons nonprofits should focus on their retention rates:
It’s cost-effective: Consider how much it costs to acquire a single donor. This includes the expenses of buying advertising space, creating marketing materials, and spending time reaching out to prospective supporters. Ultimately, it’s much cheaper only to spend the cost of acquiring a donor once and continue to receive support from them than spending it again and again to find new donors to replace lapsed ones.
It prepares your operations for the future: When donors consistently give to your nonprofit, you can rely on their support as a regular revenue source. This makes planning your monthly budget easier as you can accurately predict how much you’ll bring in through donations. Plus, in the event of a setback, such as economic turbulence, you can likely hang on to the donors who are already committed to your cause.
It supports a positive reputation: Your donors don’t just give your nonprofit money; they also give you a positive reputation. Each supporter has the power to enhance your outreach through word-of-mouth marketing. When it comes to marketing channels, recommendations from friends and family are the most trusted source, with 93% of consumers choosing word-of-mouth as one of their most trusted sources of information. This also applies to nonprofits since individuals looking for good causes to support are likely to ask their friends and family for advice.
Nonprofits often prioritize donor acquisition and not without good reason. By attaining new donors, the nonprofit can increase revenue, gain more attendees for events, and have more supporters out in the world spreading awareness of their cause.
However, don’t think of donor acquisition and retention as opposites. Nonprofits don’t have to focus exclusively on one over the other. Rather, the two supplement each other to grow your donor base overall.
Key Donor Retention Metrics
Along with donor retention rate, your nonprofit should keep an eye on a few other metrics to ensure you are maintaining your donor base.
In particular, let’s look at two key measurements: donor lifetime value and donor attrition rate.
Donor Lifetime Value (DLV) calculates the projected total value of a donor’s contributions over their lifetime. It considers average gift size, donation frequency, and length of donor relationship. Nonprofits use this metric to identify high-value donors and determine when to request a donation upgrade.
DLV = Annual Donation Amount x Length of Relationship
Donor Attrition Rate measures the number of donors lost within a specific period as a percentage of the total number of donors at the beginning of that period. To find your attrition rate, you must first determine how many donors were lost over the course of the measured period. If this calculation results in a negative number, you have actually gained donors. However, be conscious that just because growth outpaces attrition does not mean donors are not lapsing.
# of Donors Lost = # of donors from last year – # of donors from this year
Donor Attrition Rate = (# of donors lost / # of donors from last year) X 100
Incorporate these metrics into your fundraising goals. Beyond raising a certain amount, set specific objectives related to decreasing attrition or raising donors’ lifetime value. For instance, you might set a goal of hosting more annual engagement events to strengthen donor relationships and encourage a certain percentage of existing donors to give more.
9 Strategies to Increase Donor Retention
1. Provide more ways to give
Offer donors a choice for supporting your nonprofit. This makes it more convenient for donors to give and provides them with more agency in the decision-making process, increasing retention rates. Select a payment processor that allows donors to give via credit and debit card, ACH check, PayPal, Apple Pay, and other options.
Additionally, consider different ways supporters can contribute to your nonprofit outside of normal donations. Expanding your giving opportunities helps retain supporters who may be unable to make regular donations while also creating methods to increase support value for those who can give more.
For instance, you might discuss planned giving with older donors who have been with your nonprofit for several decades, or you can promote real estate and stock donations to high-value donors.
For the average donor, take time to educate them about matching gift opportunities. Matching gifts are a form of corporate philanthropy in which companies match their employee’s donations at a 1:1 ratio. This can increase each donor’s impact and propel your nonprofit to new fundraising heights.
2. Offer recurring gifts
Recurring giving options make it simple for donors to become long-term supporters. Donors agree to make these gifts automatically on a recurring basis, usually monthly.
If your organization doesn’t already, offer a recurring giving option on your donation form, so new supporters can easily opt into making multiple donations without going through the donation process each time.
Try using these strategies to encourage supporters to become recurring donors.
Create suggested giving amounts. Encourage donors to choose a recurring gift rather than a one-time donation by creating suggested giving amounts for both options. Recurring giving options will be significantly lower than one-time amounts, subtly pushing donors towards recurring gifts. Consider how research on donor behavior found that when presented with multiple suggested giving amounts, the majority of individuals pick the second lowest option.
Make opting in easy. The process for becoming a recurring donor should be as easy as possible. On your initial donation form, provide a checkbox or button that allows donors to join your recurring gift program in a single click.
Provide perks. Recurring donors are your most reliable donors, and you can keep them around by showing your appreciation. Provide them with early access or discounted tickets to events, free merchandise, or even just a unique name for their group to make them feel special.
Not all donors will be interested in a recurring giving program right away, and that’s ok. Look for donors who have already given to your organization annually or on an irregular basis. Then, reach out to them with information about your recurring gifts program, including all of its perks.
3. Thank donors regularly
Not being acknowledged is one of the top reasons why donors churn. It’s not that donors are looking for a pat on the back. Rather, the lack of a thank-you message often causes donors to assume the causes they gave to don’t need their support.
Don’t let that happen! Instead, make an effort to show your appreciation, emphasize that each gift matters, and build relationships with your donors. You can do this through:
Appreciation emails. Email is the quickest way to get in touch with your supporters after they give. Set up your communication tools to send a thank-you message right after a supporter gives. This confirms the donation was received and gets your appreciation across immediately.
Mailed thank-you notes. Direct mail still has a place in nonprofit marketing, especially when it comes to your donor appreciation strategy. Send personalized cards and letters that donors will want to hold onto. Then, every time they see it, they’ll think of your nonprofit and potentially be motivated to give again.
eCards. eCards combine the best of email and direct mail. eCards can be delivered electronically in seconds via email, text, or social media, and they also contain fun, eye-catching designs your supporters will want to save. Partner with an eCard platform that lets you create custom designs that represent your nonprofit.
Thank-you videos. Record quick videos for supporters. These videos don’t need to be long—between 15 and 30 seconds should be more than enough time. Find a nice background, ensure your audio quality is clear, and record large batches of videos for loyal recurring supporters back-to-back.
Phone calls. A one-on-one chat on the phone with a supporter can go a long way toward building a connection. Create a script volunteers can use when making these calls, and designate which donors you want to go this extra mile for.
Donor walls. For your major recurring donors, you need to provide a lasting thank you. Donor walls are permanent physical constructions that express your nonprofit’s gratitude to a select number of donors.
Whatever method you use, be sure to thank donors promptly. Fundraising professionals advise that your first thank-you should be within 48 hours after a gift, usually through a text or email, and your second thank-you should be five to seven days after, often through slower forms of communication like mailed letters. Of course, there are exceptions to this, like donor walls.
Donors want concrete details about how their gifts are furthering your cause. For instance, if your mission is to build wells to provide clean water for families in need, update donors on how many wells your team has built and how many families have clean water access because of your supporters’ generosity.
Keep your impact stories personal and tangible. Anecdotes you collect from beneficiaries are unlikely to be structured, emotionally resonating stories right off the bat. Use what they tell you to construct stories with meaningful details, a followable structure, and the right emotional response.
Then, check whether beneficiaries approve of the story you’ve written. Editing is a natural part of storytelling, but avoid inventing new details, conflating supporter stories, or otherwise misrepresenting your beneficiaries’ experiences.
In addition to the stories themselves, help donors visualize how their contributions are affecting positive change by adding:
Beneficiary photos and quotes (with permission)
Video evidence of your team’s progress
Statistics showcasing impact
You can include these elements in your marketing materials such as weekly newsletters, social media posts, website pages, and blog posts. Doing so will prove to donors that your team is dedicated to goals, strengthening their trust in you.
5. Invite donors to get involved in your nonprofit outside of donating
Envision a supporter who donates to two nonprofits. Nonprofit A sends them regular requests for donations, thank-you messages for those donations, and little else. Nonprofit B also sends donation requests and thank-you letters but also highlights upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, how their advocacy campaigns are progressing, free workshops they’re hosting, and invitations to check out the latest news on their blog.
Which nonprofit do you think the average supporter has a better relationship with? Most donors will likely prefer organizations like nonprofit B that offer multiple ways to interact and learn more about their cause outside of donating.
In your messaging cadence with supporters, include invitations to explore other parts of your nonprofit. The more a supporter interacts with your organization, the stronger a connection they will feel, and the more likely they are to continue giving long-term.
6. Personalize communication
Your donors are individuals, and they’re more likely to stick with a nonprofit that treats them like they are. Of course, even small nonprofits still building their donor bases will find crafting unique messages for every supporter challenging.
Fortunately, there are a few personalization strategies any nonprofit with basic communication and marketing software can use:
Greet the donor by their preferred name. Use your donor database to organize your supporters’ personal information. Then, when you create your thank-you emails or letters, you can pull the correct names and physical or email addresses automatically.
Specify each contribution’s impact. Be specific about how you intend to use donors’ gifts and how they will make a difference for your cause. For example, a food bank might share how many families were fed, or a medical research foundation might emphasize how every bit of funding gets them closer to a cure.
Include compelling visuals. Communicating impact through text alone can be challenging, so make your donor thank-you letters more meaningful with visuals. Add infographics and photos related to the specific campaigns they contributed to. For instance, if an animal shelter’s donor specifies they are a big dog lover, they should prioritize sending stories about and pictures of dogs they’ve recently helped and maybe cool down on the number of cats included.
One way you can make personalization easier is via segmentation. Divide your donors into groups based on shared characteristics that are relevant to your messaging strategy. For instance, you might make a segment for new donors who only started giving this year and one for recurring donors.
The new donors would then get messages that focus on introducing them to your nonprofit and thanking them for their choice to support you. In contrast, recurring supporters might receive messages emphasizing brand new opportunities or highlighting how much fun an event was last year, along with being reliable partners your nonprofit can count on.
7. Leverage self-service donor tools
Sometimes donors lapse not out of a desire to stop giving but because their credit card on file expired. Alternatively, they may have moved or changed email addresses. When these life events happen, donors may simply forget to update their information. Plus, if they have to contact someone at your nonprofit to resolve the issue, they may put it off and potentially forget to do so.
One way you can prevent this is by putting the control in donors’ hands. With self-service tools, donors can manage their contact information and recurring giving amounts. This saves your team time updating information manually and enables donors to feel like active agents in how and when they give.
8. Analyze donor data
Your nonprofit fundraising software should integrate with your constituent relationship manager (CRM) to track donor information. With this information, you can better refine your communication strategies, know the optimal time to ask for donation upgrades, identify matching gift-eligible donors, and spot donors at risk of lapsing.
Decreased giving or have not given for several months
Negative feedback
Use this data to find patterns among at-risk donors. Do they tend to lapse after taking certain actions? Do the donors have anything in common? Have similar re-engagement strategies worked for multiple at-risk donors?
Remember, when reaching out to donors at risk of lapsing, it’s not the time to ask for another donation. Instead, emphasize their importance to your cause and invite them to get involved again in other ways.
9. Ask for feedback
The people who can provide you with the best perspective on what it’s like being a donor for your nonprofit are your donors. Reach out to new and long-term donors alike to request their feedback about how you can improve the donor experience.
Send them short surveys and ask questions like:
Why did you choose to support our mission?
How did you first learn about our organization?
Have you attended any of our recent events, and if so, how was your experience?
Is there anything we can do to improve your overall experience?
Are you satisfied with our communication cadence and depth?
What areas of our mission would you like to know more about?
When your nonprofit surveys your existing donors, it indicates that you value their opinions and will make changes to serve them better. Even if you can’t implement every suggestion, you may get some direction for how to improve your programs.
Additional Resources for Improving Donor Retention
Keeping donors invested in your cause is essential to your nonprofit’s growth. Focus on implementing the strategies we shared to practice careful donor stewardship and engagement tactics. Remember to provide compelling updates and convey genuine appreciation, so you can establish your nonprofit as one that highly values its supporters.
To learn more about improving the donor journey, check out these resources:
Matching Gift Auto-Submission + CSR Platforms: What to Know. The easier your matching gift process is, the more donors will participate. Check out the connection between auto-submission and CSR platforms to enhance your knowledge of this cutting-edge technology.
Educational institutions, public and private alike, rely on strategic fundraising to bankroll their academic programming, extracurricular activities, student scholarships, supplies and equipment, and more. And matching gifts for K-12 schools enables fundraisers to literally double the impact of their generous donations.
Here, we’ll walk through everything you need to know as an educational fundraiser to make the most of matching gifts.
Ready to bring your school’s fundraising to an A+ level? Let’s get started.
Multiplying Generosity with Matching Gifts: The Basics
Corporate philanthropy plays a vital role in supporting educational institutions like K-12 schools. Specifically, matching gifts are one of the most widely accessible forms.
Essentially, corporate matching gifts refer to a type of program in which a company matches the charitable contributions their employees make to eligible nonprofit organizations. The programs are designed to incentivize and amplify the generosity of a company’s employees, effectively doubling or even tripling their personal donations to worthwhile causes. And most often, these matching initiatives are inclusive of K-12 schools.
Donors who wish to participate in a matching gift program typically follow a straightforward process that looks like this:
After making a donation to their chosen K-12 school (or other organization), the donor inquires about matching gift opportunities with their employer.
The employer—or, in many cases, the school itself via a matching gift automation tool—provides the necessary forms and guidelines for the donor to complete.
The donor completes the submission process, providing details about the donation, such as the amount gifted and the recipient organization.
Once the paperwork is submitted, the company reviews and verifies the information before issuing a matching gift to the designated school.
Matching gifts present numerous benefits for K-12 schools, their donors, and the companies they work for—ultimately establishing a mutually rewarding experience. By leveraging corporate matching gifts, donors can significantly increase the impact of their contributions. From there, the additional funds received through matching gifts can support various programs, benefiting the school community as a whole.
However, billions of dollars worth of matching gifts go unclaimed each year—largely due to a lack of awareness and initiative. In fact, despite 26 million individuals working for companies that match gifts, more than 78% of the segment has never been informed about the programs! And even those who know their employer offers matching gifts are sometimes unaware of the process of getting involved, which is where strategic donor education comes in handy.
Companies That Match Gifts to K-12 Schools
Double the Donation offers the most comprehensive database of matching gift information, which contains records for more than 24,000 companies. And though each employer is able to set its own limits regarding organizations that qualify for matching, most businesses are willing to provide matching gifts for K-12 schools and other education-based institutions.
While there are tons to consider, we’ve opted to spotlight here a few businesses with heavy focuses on education and school philanthropy.
McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill is one of the largest American publishing companies. With a devotion to educational content, McGraw-Hill provides reading materials, software, and services for pre-kindergarten through postgraduate institutions. It’s also a dedicated supporter of a wide range of K-12 schools, including through a generous matching gift program.
Each year, employees working more than 20 hours a week qualify to request between $25 and $2,500 in matching gifts to eligible nonprofit causes. Organiations like those that focus on long-term solutions for educational issues, civic, arts and cultural organizations, museums, libraries, parks, zoos, and more tend to qualify.
Penguin Random House is another well-known publishing company and is currently the largest provider of general-interest paperback books across the globe. Its subsidiary Random House Children’s Books, which also encompasses Little Golden Books and Beginner Books, produces some of the most popular youth-focused books in the industry.
In addition to captivating young readers with its stories, Penguin Random House also aims to support educational efforts worldwide. One key example is its matching gift program! In addition to matching up to $2,500 worth of employee donations per team member per year, the company also offers to match contributions raised by their staff through peer-to-peer fundraising efforts in a fundraising match initiative.
As one of the most prominent art supply manufacturing companies, Crayola plays a significant role in equipping students and teachers in K-12 classrooms across the nation. And going a few steps further, the company also supports schools through its dedicated employee matching gift initiative.
Specifically, Crayola focuses its matching gift efforts on supporting key categories of nonprofits. This includes educational (both K-12 private and public schools and higher ed institutions) and those pertaining to arts and culture. Each year, full-time and part-time employees can request up to $500 worth of matching gifts in each category, incentivizing staff to support missions most closely related to Crayola’s own values.
Texas Instruments is a leading provider of educational technology, most commonly known for its innovative series of calculators and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) products. For decades, science and mathematics classes have relied on TI calculators to inspire academic success.
Facilitated through the TI Foundation, Texas Instruments also offers a particularly generous employee matching gifts program. Each year, full-time and part-time team members and employees can secure up to $30,000 in matches on behalf of the nonprofits they support. And, of course, the program is inclusive of education organizations such as K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.
Kaplan, a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company, is an international education services company that’s devoted to increasing access to education materials and transforming learning with new technologies. And one of the ways that they do so is through their matching gifts program!
Current full-time Kaplan employees (as well as other Graham Holdings staff members) can qualify for generous donation-matching to educational institutions at a 2:1 ratio of up to $2,000 per person per year. Other nonprofit organizations can also qualify for matching gifts from the company, though non-educational causes are limited to a standard dollar-for-dollar match rate.
Keep Learning! Best Practices for Effective K-12 Gift-Matching
Over the years, we’ve worked with a lot of educational institutions, K-12 schools included. From our experience, we’ve gleaned several tips and tricks along the way that have produced substantial results for organizations like yours.
All in all, we recommend implementing the following strategies as you craft and enact a matching gift fundraising plan for your school.
1. Integrate matching gift fundraising in your annual Giving Day.
Many schools host dedicated Giving Days, in which the school communities band together to raise significant funds in a 24-hour window. If that’s the case, bring your Giving Day to new heights by incorporating matching gifts in your strategy!
Integrating matching gift fundraising into your annual Giving Day can significantly boost the impact of donations for your K-12 school. All you need to do is highlight the opportunity for donors to have their contributions matched by their employers within your existing Giving Day promotions. Utilize various communication channels such as emails, social media posts, website banners, and more to spread the word about matching gifts leading up to, during, and following your Giving Day campaign.
Emphasize that their support can go twice as far, motivating them to give generously. This is proven to work, too. Recent studies show that 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, and 1 in 3 donors indicate they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation.
2. Identify popular local employers in your school’s community.
Schools are one type of nonprofit that tend to have a significant reach, particularly within the geographic areas in which they operate. After all, it’s most likely where their students and families live, and even community members without direct connections to the schools are often interested in supporting local education. So when it comes to pursuing matching gifts, it can help to seek popular employers in your school’s neighborhoods.
To do so, begin collecting employment information from parents and other donors if you haven’t already. Then, research the companies located in your area and compile a list of those offering matching gift programs. This can allow you to connect supporters with known matching gift companies and identify trends regarding companies that employ a significant portion of your network—and it’s especially easy to do with the aid of Double the Donation’s matching gift solution!
By focusing on local employers, you can tap into a potential pool of matching gift donors who have a personal connection to your school and are more likely to participate. And if a segment of donors works for a company that doesn’t match employee gifts, it might show an opportunity to seek a corporate sponsorship (or one-off matching gift initiative!) or empower your supporters to advocate for a program on your behalf.
3. Provide educational matching gift materials to parents and families.
To increase awareness and understanding of matching gift programs among your school’s supporter base, be sure to provide them with educational materials on the topic. Because a lack of awareness is a huge cause of the subsequent funding gap, a little education about the opportunity can go a long way!
We recommend developing clear, informational, and easy-to-understand brochures, flyers, and online resources that explain the basics of matching gifts.
These materials should include…
What matching gifts are;
How donors can participate;
The impact matching gifts can have on your school;
Examples of companies that match employee gifts;
Where to locate additional information.
Then, distribute these materials to your school’s donors—many of which are likely parents and other family members—during parent-teacher meetings, open houses, school events, and through digital communication channels.
By equipping your audience with the necessary information, you empower them to take advantage of matching gift opportunities and become active supporters of your school’s corporate fundraising efforts.
In addition to matching gifts for your K-12 school, another type of corporate philanthropy initiative you won’t want to overlook is volunteer grants. Schools, and K-12 schools in particular, frequently rely on devoted volunteers to support various academic and extracurricular activities and events. Oftentimes, volunteers are even leading school fundraising efforts!
In order to maximize the value of this much-appreciated support, be sure to explore the potential of volunteer grants for your K-12 school. After all, many employers offer volunteer grant programs that provide monetary donations to organizations based on their employees’ volunteer commitment.
Thus, encourage parents, alumni, and community members associated with your school to inquire if their employers have volunteer grant programs. Provide guidance on how to track and report volunteer hours to secure available grants, and be sure to emphasize the impact that these programs can have on your school’s overall fundraising results. Incorporating volunteer grants alongside matching gift fundraising expands the range of opportunities for individuals to contribute to your school’s success, whether through monetary donations, volunteer efforts, or a combination of both.
And if you’ve already invested in a matching gift tool like Double the Donation, you can uncover volunteer additional grant insights in the same search of a donor’s company!
Sample Matching Gift Messaging Templates for K-12 Schools
Raise awareness of matching gifts for your K-12 school with strategic fundraising outreach. These customizable templates can be an excellent place to start!
Matching Gift Email Template for K-12 Schools
Subject: Double Your Impact to [School Name] Today!
Dear [Supporter’s Name],
At [School Name], we believe in providing the best education and opportunities for our students. We are reaching out to let you know about an exciting opportunity to maximize the impact of your donation through a corporate matching gift program.
Did you know that thousands of employers offer matching gift programs where they match their employees’ charitable contributions? This means that your donation to [School Name] could be doubled—or even tripled! It’s a fantastic way to make an even greater difference in the lives of our students.
To find out if your employer offers a matching gift program, check out our online matching gift page (with a searchable company database!) here: [link]. This will provide you with the necessary forms and instructions to submit your matching gift request.
It’s a simple process that can have a tremendous impact on our community! If you have any questions or need assistance with the matching gift process, please don’t hesitate to contact our office at [contact information].
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make your support go even further. Your generosity helps us continue to provide exceptional education and enriching experiences for our school.
Thank you again for your support!
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title/Role]
[School Name]
Matching Gift Text Template for K-12 Schools
Hi [Supporter’s Name]! Did you know your donation to [School Name] could be doubled? Tons of employers offer matching gift programs. Click here to see if your donation can have double the impact! [Link to matching gifts page]
Matching Gift Facebook Template for K-12 Schools
🎓 Double Your Impact! 🎓
At [School Name], we believe in providing the best education for our students. You can help make an even greater difference through our matching gift program!
Many employers offer matching gift programs, where they match their employees’ donations to educational institutions like ours. This means your donation to [School Name] could be doubled or even tripled! 🌟
To find out if your employer offers a matching gift program, click here [link] to explore our matching gift page. This resource will provide you with the necessary forms and instructions to submit your matching gift request. It’s an easy process that can have a tremendous impact on our students’ education!
Double your impact today—More than 26 million people work for companies with matching gift programs. Search for your employer here [link to matching gifts page] or check with your HR department to see if your donation to [School Name] can be matched.
Together, we can make a difference! #MatchingGifts #SupportEducation
Matching Gift Postcard Template for K-12 Schools
Double Your Impact!
Have your gift to [School Name] matched to make twice the difference for our school community. Doing so allows us to provide better educational opportunities for the students in our care by making the most of every dollar we receive.
To find out more about corporate matching gift programs—which are widely available and offered by tens of thousands of businesses—scan the QR code below. You’ll be taken to our school’s matching gifts page, where you can discover details about your employer’s match offerings.
Bonus: Automate Your Matching Gift Outreach with Double the Donation!
Make matching gift messaging as easy as can be with matching gift automation tools. Double the Donation is designed to aid fundraising organizations, like K-12 schools, in streamlining the matching gift process from start to finish. This includes raising awareness of the opportunities, driving matches to completion, and more.
And with the software in your school fundraising toolkit—which integrates seamlessly with top school fundraising solutions—you won’t need to worry about manually sending matching gift reminders, either. After an individual gives to your school, Double the Donation triggers timely and personalized follow-ups that inform supporters about their employer’s programs with company-specific insights.
You’ll never have possible matches slipping through the cracks due to a stretched-too-thin fundraising team again!
Watch the video below to see how Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation uses Double the Donation to automate their matching gift efforts.
Top 24 Matching Gift Companies: Leaders in Philanthropy. Looking for even more examples of impressive matching gift companies? Browse this compilation of additional standout employers that engage their staffs with matching gift offerings.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DTD_Matching-Gifts-for-K-12-Schools-Multiplying-Generosity_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-06-02 21:25:532025-02-28 21:42:01Matching Gifts for K-12 Schools | A Crash Course
In the world of healthcare fundraising, effective revenue generation saves lives. After all, every dollar counts towards advancing medical research, providing patient care, and improving overall well-being. In order to make the most of each donation, matching gifts for health and medical services can go a long way.
And this guide will provide everything your team needs to get started with the opportunity! We’ll explore the concepts and strategies behind driving matching gifts specific to health and medical services, including:
Get ready to uncover the potential that matching gifts have to revolutionize fundraising for healthcare and related nonprofit causes.
Let’s dive in!
Matching Gifts for Health & Medical Services | The Basics
Matching gifts offer a powerful opportunity for health and medical services to multiply the impact of individual contributions. This powerful fundraising strategy combines individual and corporate giving to increase engagement and funding for a nonprofit’s mission.
And it’s easy! Essentially, the process looks like this:
An individual donor makes a contribution to a qualifying nonprofit cause (such as a healthcare facility or medical research organization).
The individual is informed about their employer’s matching gift program and determines their eligibility for a recent donation.
Upon determining that their gift qualifies for a match, the individual completes a (typically online) submission form for their employer.
The individual’s employer reviews the submission, verifies the initial donation was made, and approves the matching gift request.
The employing company sends a matching donation to the organization its employee supported.
Successful matching gift practices can effectively double or even triple the support for vital healthcare initiatives. This empowers donors to leverage their employers’ involvement to make an even greater difference in a cause they care about.
Companies That Match Gifts to Healthcare Organizations
Thousands of companies match employee donations to qualifying nonprofit causes. But here, we wanted to spotlight a few businesses in the healthcare industry that offer standout matching gift initiatives.
These include (but are certainly not limited to) the following…
CVS Health
CVS Health is dedicated to making a positive difference in the world. Through the CVS Health Foundation, the company gives back by offering generous in-kind donations, employee giving opportunities, volunteer grant programs, and more.
Currently, one of the CVS Foundation’s most prominent offerings is its employee matching gift program. Through this initiative, the company encourages team members to give to a variety of nonprofit causes. These include health and medical services, children’s and educational groups, environmental organizations, and more. Once completed, employee donations made through the company’s workplace giving portal qualify for generous matches by CVS Health!
UnitedHealth Group aims to revolutionize the healthcare system to improve health overall. And they do so not only through the company’s core offerings but also by participating in generous corporate philanthropy initiatives.
For example, its employee giving program, coined “United for Giving,” incentivizes team members to support their favorite nonprofit organizations with their dollars and their time. In 2022 alone, nearly $50 million was contributed through the program to more than 20,000 global charities.
Each employee qualifies to request up to $15,000 per year in company matches on behalf of the organizations they support.
Through the CIGNA Foundation, healthcare and insurance company CIGNA offers a standout matching gift program in which it encourages employees to participate. In fact, the foundation contributed more than $12.5 million worth of corporate grants to health and wellness-focused nonprofits in 2021 alone!
When qualifying employees give to medical organizations and many other registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, they can request an associated match from the CIGNA Foundation. This allows team members to amplify their giving impact and do more to make the world a better and healthier place.
With a generous matching gift cap set at $10,000 per employee per year, current full-time and part-time AmerisourceBergen team members can request matching gifts from the company corresponding to their own personal gifts. Donations are typically matched at a standard 1:1 (or dollar-for-dollar) ratio, though the company often promotes a heightened match rate to inspire Giving Tuesday participation at the end of the year.
Facilitated through the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, this company’s matching gift initiative is making a difference in producing healthier futures worldwide.
One thing that makes the McKesson matching gift program stand out is its open availability for current full-time, part-time, and retired employees! Of course, healthcare organizations qualify to receive associated matching gifts. Additionally, team members can support educational institutions, community organizations, volunteer fire rescue and emergency services, and more.
The McKesson Corporation also offers an impactful volunteer grant initiative known as the McKesson Volunteer Program—or MVP. After an individual makes their initial gift to an organization, they have 90 days (or approximately three months) post-donation to submit their match request.
Tips for Developing a Healthy Matching Gift Strategy for Your Org
Getting matching gifts for your healthcare or medical organization doesn’t have to be difficult. Find out how to do so as effectively as possible with these recommended practices.
1. Incorporate matching gifts in your grateful patient program.
For a healthcare or medical organization, a grateful patient program can be one of your most valuable fundraising strategies. This unique initiative provides medical-focused nonprofits, like hospitals and other facilities, an opportunity to engage donors who have experienced exceptional care.
Maximize the impact of your grateful patient program by incorporating matching gifts! To do so, ensure that materials provided to patients—such as thank-you letters, brochures, and discharge information—include details about matching gifts. This allows patients to leverage the opportunity to amplify their impact as they give back.
2. Highlight the medical impact of matching gifts.
As you enlist donor communications to promote the matching gift opportunity, be sure to emphasize the direct impact of matched donations on healthcare outcomes.
Showcase success stories, former patient testimonials, and statistics that demonstrate the transformative effect of your organization’s work. This will resonate with potential matching gift donors who want to make a tangible difference in the healthcare field. In other words, help your supporters imagine the tangible benefits of doubling your fundraising power.
3. Simplify the matching gift experience for donors.
Make it easy for donors to navigate the matching gift process. Offer step-by-step instructions on your website, provide donors with company-specific request forms for their employers, and be available to provide assistance throughout the submission steps.
Keep in mind that the more streamlined and accessible the process, the more likely donors will follow through with their matching gift requests. On the other hand, excessive roadblocks lead to missed matches and unclaimed funding for your team.
Luckily, the best way to streamline matching is by automating the experience from start to finish with the right technology! For example, Double the Donation’s software ecosystem enables nonprofits to embed their matching gift tools directly into the initial giving process.
This typically includes a brief mention of matching gift opportunities, alongside a field requesting a donor’s employer information, on the giving form. Then, an automatically populating matching gift widget on the confirmation screen provides eligibility information and submission forms for the company previously selected.
It’s as easy as can be, and donors are provided with easy access to the information they need—without having to search for it on their own!
4. Get inspired by other healthcare organizations’ matching practices.
See what other medically-focused nonprofits are doing to pursue matching gifts! Check out this case study compilation that highlights some of the largest healthcare organizations in the nation.
These include:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Lazarex Cancer Foundation
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Lung Cancer Research Foundation
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
By studying the matching gift strategies from these organizations (and more), you can identify common themes, glean creative approaches, and make a note of successful tactics. From there, you’ll be able to more effectively ingrain matching gifts into your own fundraising efforts.
Consider adapting and implementing tried-and-true strategies within the context of your own healthcare nonprofit to increase donor engagement, uncover corporate giving opportunities, maximize contributions, and make a greater impact on your mission.
Sample Matching Gift Messaging for Healthcare Nonprofits
Get started with effective matching gift outreach! Check out the following templates for powerful communications tailored to matching gifts for health and medical services organizations.
Top tip: Easily automate matching gift communications with Double the Donation! This ensures you’re able to provide timely correspondence to all donors—without worrying about any potential matches slipping through the cracks.
Matching Gift Email Template
Subject: Double Your Impact: Your Donation Can Make Twice the Difference!
Dear [donor],
I hope this email finds you in good health and high spirits. On behalf of [healthcare organization], I want to express our deepest gratitude for your recent generous contribution to support our mission. Your commitment to making a difference in the lives of patients and their families is truly inspiring.
Today, we wanted to share an exciting opportunity that can multiply the impact of your donation: employer matching gifts. Many companies have matching gift programs in place, which means they match donations made by employees to eligible nonprofit organizations like ours.
We kindly encourage you to check if your employer offers a matching gift program. And you can do so by browsing our matching gift page here! [Link to matching gift page] Simply type your employer’s name to determine eligibility and access the necessary information and forms. It’s a simple process that can significantly enhance the impact of your generosity and extend the reach of our vital healthcare programs.
With heartfelt appreciation,
[Name]
[Title/role]
[Healthcare nonprofit]
Matching Gift Tweet Template
Double the impact of your donation! Did you know your gift to [healthcare organization] may be matched by your employer? Take advantage of corporate matching programs and help us provide life-saving treatments, advance research, and improve healthcare outcomes.
Learn more at [link to matching gift page]. #MatchingGifts #HealthcareImpact
Matching Gift Facebook Template
🌟 Double the Impact! 🌟
We have some exciting news for our incredible supporters! Did you know that your generosity can go even further? 💙✨
Many employers have matching gift programs in place, which means they’ll match the donations made by their employees to eligible nonprofit organizations like ours. That’s right—your contribution can be doubled (or even tripled)!
By taking advantage of matching gift programs, you have the power to make an even greater difference in the lives of patients, their families, and the community as a whole. 💪💕
Ready to maximize your impact? Here’s how:
1️⃣ Check if your employer offers a matching gift program.
2️⃣ Visit our website or reach out to your human resources department to access the necessary forms and information.
3️⃣ Submit your matching gift request and watch as your contribution is multiplied!
Together, we can transform healthcare, advance medical breakthroughs, and provide exceptional care to those in need. Your support, combined with a matching gift, has the potential to create a lasting impact.
Thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to improving healthcare outcomes. Let’s make a difference together! ✨🙌
Hey there! Did you know your donation to [healthcare organization] can go twice as far? Many employers offer matching gift programs, meaning they’ll match your contribution! 🤝💰 It’s an easy way to double your impact and support vital healthcare initiatives. Check if your employer participates and make your gift go even further! Thank you for your generosity!
Wrapping Up
Matching gifts have the potential to revolutionize fundraising for all sorts of health and medical services. By harnessing the power of employer-matching initiatives, healthcare-focused nonprofits can tap into additional resources, amplify their impact, and accelerate their mission of increasing health and well-being.
The bottom line? Implement a comprehensive matching gift strategy to unlock a world of possibilities, inspire greater donor participation, and drive positive change in the realm of health and medical services.
Play the video below to hear how LuMind IDSC Foundation supercharges their matching gift strategy with Double the Donation’s matching gift automation.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DTD_Driving-Matching-Gifts-for-Health-Medical-Services_Feature.png6001600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-05-30 14:34:342025-02-19 14:27:38Driving Matching Gifts for Health & Medical Services
What comes to mind when you think about employee engagement? Excitement, enthusiasm, maybe meaningful team collaboration? All of those elements are the results of an effective engagement program. And they all contribute to an improved workplace culture where people not only have to work but enjoy doing so.
Employee engagement may make sense in theory, but how should your organization cultivate it on a daily basis? In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of employee engagement for your company and discuss 20 tools your organization can use to foster a positive work environment.
Your organization is most likely juggling a lot of different tasks—you have performance metrics to hit, clients to impress, and meetings to manage. That said, should employee engagement really be a priority? Recent statistics definitely suggest so.
Here are some combined polls that provide insights into employee engagement, including the good, the bad, and the ugly:
The Good
Highly engaged businesses achieve 59% less turnover.
77% of employees agree a strong culture allows them to do their best work.
Highly engaged employees result in a 23% increase in profitability.
The Bad
85% of employees are not engaged at work.
Only 22% of companies know what’s driving their employee disengagement.
The Ugly
Actively disengaged employees cost their organizations $483 to $605 billion per year.
As you can see, employee engagement can make or break a workplace in more ways than one. If your employees aren’t motivated and engaged, at best, you’re not efficiently achieving your goals, and at worst, you’re wasting resources.
On the other hand, engaged employees can be the secret weapon that lets your organization hit more performance benchmarks at a faster rate. They also stay at your organization longer and do their best work every day. So, how can you prioritize employee engagement? By leveraging dedicated employee engagement tools!
How Can We Boost Employee Engagement?
While every organization is different, there are some tried-and-true techniques that you can implement to energize and motivate your employees, including:
Listening and responding to employee feedback. Encouraging employees to provide feedback on your company culture and business practices allows you to tailor your workplace for employee satisfaction. Of course, you don’t need to implement all recommended changes, but simply acknowledging your employees’ ideas demonstrates that you value their input.
Giving employee recognition awards. Both formal and informal recognition initiatives are crucial to making employees feel accomplished and inspiring them to achieve their goals. You could implement a Bravo system where peers can recognize each other for outstanding work and highlight strengths that management might have missed. Or, you could deem a team member Employee of the Month, complete with a plaque and a gift card.
Offering employee wellness initiatives. According to Gallup, healthier employees are more engaged employees, and vice versa. Your organization can cultivate a healthy company culture by actively facilitating wellness initiatives. For example, you could hold a steps contest where the employee who walks the most in a month gets a prize. Additionally, you could offer time off for mental health days and respect work-life boundaries.
Providing competitive compensation and benefits. While fair compensation is crucial, you should consider how your other benefits contribute to employee engagement. Consider offering benefits such as flex work, PTO, corporate giving, health insurance, bonuses, continued education, and upward mobility to boost employee satisfaction.
Engaging in team-building activities. Tackling team activities outside of work helps your employees work better in-office. For instance, volunteer outings are a great way to strengthen teamwork across your organization. Also, embarking on company retreats is helpful for giving employees a change of scenery while still honing their professional skills.
Establishing a corporate social responsibility (CSR) program. Employees want to know that they’re working for companies that support the greater good. When you establish a CSR program, you demonstrate that your business cares about the same causes as its employees and wants to make the world a better place. As a result, employees will feel more empowered to continue working at a company that does more than just provide a product or service. Common initiatives in CSR programs include matching gifts and volunteer grants, both of which involve companies donating to the nonprofits their employees care about. If you’re looking to engage your employees in workplace giving, it’s important to provide them with a positive user experience. Working with a CLMA-certified CSR platform (or Certified Leader in Matching Automation) is a great way to ensure your program is optimized for success by enabling auto-submission functionality and driving more matches to completion overall.
Now that you have some ideas for improving your organization’s employee engagement, let’s review some of the software solutions that can help you make it happen.
What is an Employee Engagement Tool?
Employee engagement tools are software applications that a company uses to increase internal communication and boost employee satisfaction. There are a wide variety of tools available and choosing the right one will depend on your organization’s needs. For instance, a company that wants to streamline its project management process between separate departments might look at an engagement tool like Asana. Or, an organization looking to track employee productivity more effectively may invest in a timesheet software solution.
Usually, human resources departments take the lead when introducing employee engagement tools and recognition platforms. Eventually, if the platforms succeed at providing engagement value to your organization, they’ll become a part of your new employee onboarding materials and day-to-day workflow.
Employee Engagement Tool Benefits
What can you expect from an employee engagement tool? Depending on which provider you go with, the benefits will vary. However, here are a few common advantages:
Enhanced teamwork and collaboration. Employee engagement tools open the door for more productive team projects and simplified collaboration.
Increased employee retention. Part of employee engagement is employee satisfaction, and a useful tool will add value to your company’s work experience.
Stronger company culture. Engagement tools open lines of communication and can help reinforce company values leading to a stronger, more vibrant company culture.
Increased productivity. With the right tools, your company can break down silos and work together more efficiently.
Improved feedback and communication. Using employee engagement tools to recognize and reward employees can make them feel more valued. Additionally, employees can offer and receive more useful and recent feedback.
To help you discover which employee engagement tool is right for your company, we’ve broken down our top picks based on employee recognition, feedback, and internal communication. You can adopt one of these tools or several at a time depending on your budget and needs. Remember that as your team expands, you’ll also need a scalable tool to keep new and existing employees engaged.
Top Employee Engagement Tool: CSR Software
One of the best ways to engage employees is to develop a CSR program that highlights your company’s values and gives back to the causes your employees care about. For example, your hiking supplies business may focus on helping organizations that encourage sustainability and protect wildlife. When employees see their company making a positive difference in the world, they’ll be more motivated to stay at the company long-term.
Corporate social responsibility programs can have a lot of moving parts. Here are just a few examples of initiatives your program may include:
Matching gifts. Matching gifts occur when companies match the donations their employees make to nonprofits. Typically, employees donate and fill out a matching gift request form to notify their employer. Then, the company contributes to the nonprofit, helping the organization boost its donation revenue.
Volunteer grants. Volunteer grants function similarly to matching gifts, except instead of donating based on employee donations, companies donate based on employee volunteer hours. Employees can track their volunteer hours with their nonprofit of choice and fill out a volunteer grant request so their employer can contribute.
Fundraising matches. Let’s say an employee participates in a walk-a-thon and collects pledges based on the number of miles they intend to walk. Companies that offer fundraising matches would match the amount the employee raises and contribute it to the same cause.
Automatic payroll deductions. To make it easy for employees to get involved in your CSR program, offer automatic payroll deductions. That way, employees can contribute to their favorite causes each month without having to manually navigate to nonprofit donation pages.
You may be wondering how your company can juggle all of these components to properly engage employees. The answer is CSR software.
CSR software is specifically designed to help companies manage their CSR programs. With all the forms and information associated with your program in one place, you can keep track of all relevant data and make it easy for employees to get involved. Check out the CSR program elements that software can help you organize:
Employee donations
Automatic payroll deductions
Matching gift requests
Volunteer hour logs
Volunteer grant requests
Team volunteer opportunities
Company CSR metrics
The best CSR platforms go one step further in increasing employee engagement by integrating with nonprofit-facing tools. On the nonprofit side, many organizations use matching gift software to streamline matching gift requests, and some software providers even offer auto-submission functionality that submits matching gift request forms on the donors’ behalf. Look for CSR software that integrates with auto-submission tools to increase program participation and employee engagement.
Employee Engagement Tools for Employee Recognition
Annual or even biannual performance reviews are not enough to keep your employees active and engaged. They benefit from continuous feedback both from managers and peers. Managerial recognition helps directs know that they’re on target and keeps them motivated to keep going. Peer recognition boosts camaraderie and reinforces teamwork.
Additionally, employee recognition extends to celebrating milestones and anniversaries. If your employee has been working productively for five years, for instance, you can use an engagement tool to publicly applaud their impressive performance.
eCardWidget is a powerful digital retention tool built to prove to employees that they are more than just a number. These digital eCards are easy to make, send, and receive, making it easy for businesses to fold into their existing employee recognition programs. To start your engagement campaign, simply add your custom company branding, sort by company value (or any other internal goal), and draft a quick recognition note! Check out this video to learn more about how it works:
What we love about eCardWidget
eCardWidget is the perfect peer-to-peer eCard site that lets employees share good news and quickly celebrate one another for their accomplishments.
They have extensive experience as they have helped over 3500 organizations retain top talent and create a welcoming environment.
This tool works on all major platforms and seamlessly plugs into any website or intranet, making it easy to add to your internal company portal.
eCardWidget stands out because it’s extremely easy and enjoyable to use. With the ability to customize eCards using different fonts, colors, and images, you can personalize your recognition efforts and invite employees to use their creativity.
Additionally, eCardWidget provides insights into which employees are sending and receiving eCards. That way, you can gauge which of your employees are contributing to your internal company culture and which are being commended most often by their peers. You may want to recognize these employees more formally for improving the workplace environment.
Pricing: eCardWidget includes free options to Enterprise Options ($200) to best fit your team’s size and internal engagement goals. See the pricing page for more information.
Kudos is another workplace peer-to-peer recognition tool that provides actionable insights into employee performance and culture. You can also use Kudos to create rewards that reflect your company’s goals, values, and overall culture. That way, employees can feel motivated and acknowledged for their hard work.
What we love about Kudos
Kudos easily integrates with apps your team might already be using like Slack, Mircosoft Outlook, and Teams, so you don’t have to spend time learning a whole new platform.
Kudos uses fun gamification elements like badges, points, and rewards and can win real prizes like gift cards or even AirPods.
With anonymous monthly, Sentiment Surveys, your organization can get a feel for overall employee morale and make critical adjustments.
Pricing: Visit Kudos’ website and talk to their sales representatives for more pricing information.
Formally known as TinyPulse, Limeade Listening is a solution for enhanced listening, 1:1 coaching, and employee recognition. This data-backed tool provides opportunities for employees to provide regular, transparent feedback so that they can show up to work as their best selves every day.
What we love about Limeade Listening
You can easily discover and recognize your company’s cultural leaders with management-driven and cross-departmental recognition.
Limeade Listening lets you use data filters and insights to identify and reward those producing outstanding work.
Their tools help managers visualize problem areas and help facilitate regular one-on-one conversations.
Pricing: Visit the Limeade Listening contact page for more information or to book a demo.
Reward Gateway offers a tailored employee reward and recognition program that supports everyone. You can use their platform to quickly celebrate daily success through automation and endless redemption options. Their branded mobile app can even let you celebrate other employees on the go!
What we love about Reward Gateway
Reward Gateway offers on-the-spot rewards so managers can send immediate and trackable recognition that never lets good work go unnoticed.
With digital or in-person delivery, the sender can decide which method works best for their schedules and will make the recipient feel most valued.
Reward Gateway also offers employee wellness support content to support your company’s physical, mental, and financial goals.
Pricing: Browse Reward Gateway’s website and schedule a demo to find a pricing solution that suits your team.
Goody is an all-in-one platform for business gifting with no address needed. This simple solution lets recipients provide their shipping information once they accept your gift or they can easily swap it for something else if needed. Plus, with their regularly updated gift collections, you can choose from a selection of best-sellers or trending products.
What we love about Goody
Goody’s promise to provide “no tacky corporate gifts. Ever.” makes their gift selection unique and full of practical and meaningful gifts you can easily tailor to suit employee preferences.
With the ability to send gifts and gift cards to 140+ countries worldwide, Goody makes it easy to recognize global employees.
Goody also lets you access gift receipts, status updates, and thank-you notes in one platform so you can check and update your records accordingly.
Pricing: Goody’s plans vary from a free Starter Plan, a $20 Monthly Plan, or a customizable Team Plan for HR, Sales, and Marketing Teams.
WorkTango’s holistic employee recognition and rewards, employee surveys and insights, and goals platform provide an effective employee experience. Its recognition and rewards experience amplifies key organizational values and can help your organization foster connections across hybrid and in-person teams.
What we love about WorkTango
Worktango offers a customizable recognition option that your team can tailor to peer-to-peer, top-down, or bottom-up recognition initiatives.
You create and schedule custom nominations and rewards that reflect your company’s values and are budgeted within a single location.
Your team can use the metrics dashboards to identify key influencers and keep a pulse on culture with real-time analytics.
Pricing: Schedule a demo with the WorkTango team to learn more and see how their solution fits into your company’s budget.
Motivosity is a workplace solution built to help your team understand every stage of the employee journey. From recruitment to hiring to engagement and development, Motivosity helps your team understand your each of your employee’s career goals and make measurable progress by providing a meaningful growth path. Its employee rewards and recognition add-on helps your team make consistent employee appreciation a reality.
What we love about Motivosity
Motivosity’s automated gift card inventories and balances let your team participate in how employees are rewarded without having to keep track of bookkeeping.
Your team can automate company-wide initiatives with custom awards and badges like employee of the month.
Motivosity lets you easily implement spot recognitions for employee birthdays, milestones, and anniversaries.
Pricing: Contact Motivosity to get a pricing quote based on your team’s size and engagement needs. They promise to offer a 6-month money-back guarantee.
Awardco is an employee recognition platform that promises to offer millions of employee rewards with free shipping and zero markups. This recognition solution has partnered with Amazon Business to make rewarding effective and easy for both the sender and recipient. That means that your company can feel good about gifting your employees something that they actually love.
What we love about Awardco
Because of Awardco’s partnership with Amazon, they can offer service to over 100 countries with reliable delivery.
Awardco’s custom, meaningful rewards catalogs let your company curate the perfect rewards selections for your specific employees.
Integration with Slack and Microsoft Teams means sending support, recognition, and encouragement does not take extra time or effort.
Pricing: Book a time with Awardco’s sales team to schedule a demo and discover a pricing quote for your company.
Mo’s platform is built to improve retention, increase engagement, and boost productivity. Their software can help your company “drive change faster” with a long feature list from employee engagement and rewards and recognition to communication and insights. Specifically, Mo’s employee recognition can help your team create sustainable engagement habits and celebrate meaningful moments.
What we love about Mo
Mo incorporates automated Boosts to nudge teams to share and celebrate moments that align with your goals and reinforce positive habits.
With customizable habit tracking, Mo empowers leaders to create habits built for their specific teams using readymade templates.
This tool offers access to a variety of gift cards from popular brands to reward employees. Budget controls and assistant distribution also keep teams in line with budget constraints.
Pricing: Mo provides a $3 Monthly Starter Plan, a $5 Level Up Plan, or a Custom Plan with advanced security and advanced customer support.
Bonusly provides a streamlined, all-in-one engagement platform that fosters candid, social, and expressive recognition. The platform’s global catalog lets you select gift cards from popular brands like Nike, Apple, and Starbucks. You can also display digital signage showing recent bonuses in your workspace.
What we love about Bonusly
Bonusly’s organized monthly allowance gives employees the chance to give each other small bonuses to recognize their peer’s contributions.
The platform’s public feed lets everyone see and celebrate employee wins in real time.
With custom rewards, your company can tailor rewards to your company’s atmosphere from selecting memberships to gifting athletics shoes or even adding a personal recognition note from the CEO.
Pricing: Bonusly offers $2.70 monthly Core, $4.50 monthly Pro, and Custom Plans for mid-size to large organizations.
Employee Engagement Tools for Feedback
Employees want to know what they’re doing well and where they can improve on a regular basis. And with 36.2 million Americans working remotely, it’s a must to keep this feedback loop open and accessible. Additionally, incorporating reliable feedback is a way to safeguard against quiet quitting or the common practice of employees leaving unexpectedly. Providing consistent and reliable feedback is the perfect way to mitigate that risk while nurturing positive and candid relationships with managers and directs.
Feedback-based employee engagement tools can help your organization cultivate a rhythm of regular feedback that can put both managers and employees at ease. Browse through our top picks to find a platform that best fits your company’s reporting and communication needs.
A leader within the employee feedback space, Qualitrics offers three suites to create exceptional customer frontlines, high-performing teams, and products. Qualtrics Core XM, or teams-based performance management, has scalable goal-setting functionalities with automated pulsing for regular feedback.
What we love about Qualtrics CoreXM
Qualitric CoreXM provides a useful tool that can help your team predict future satisfaction rates and adjust current processes accordingly.
This performance management tool can be tailored to every point along the employee journey from onboarding to development and exit.
The end-to-end 360 Development tool makes it simple to analyze feedback and construct a personalized development program for every employee.
Pricing: Contact the Qualtrics CoreXM support team or request a demo to find the right Qualtrics solution for your organization.
Culture Amp’s employee engagement platform can help your organization build high-performing teams through an agile, trusted review process. Managers can review data based on the lifecycle stage of their employees, by demographics, or by time frame with customizable views. This tool is built to foster growth conversations for individual employees, teams, and whole companies wanting a culturally aligned performance process.
What we love about Culture Amp
You can access a custom “driver analysis” view to understand which employees are key contributors to office morale and engagement.
Account managers can set up specific surveys for teams to which only a designated manager has access to view the responses.
Culture Amp’s Skills Coach integrations with Slack, Email, and Teams make it simple to send daily micro-learnings for your team to develop new skills and foster positive habits.
Pricing: Culture Amp divides its pricing options between company sizes, from 25 to 1,000+ employees, so your organization can choose platform capabilities that align with your goals.
Officevibe is an intuitive platform that places managers at the center of their team’s success. Trusted by over 8,000 companies worldwide, Officevibe provides impactful performance and development tools that can be tailored to your team’s needs. Performance reviews, continuous performance monitoring, one-on-one meetings, and OKRs, and goal setting can be accessed and tracked in one place.
What we love about Officevibe
Officevibe gathers insights to identify both dissatisfaction sources and opportunities for increased efficiency, so your team can access a holistic view.
This tool offers a custom polling option to help you understand your team’s perspectives on current projects.
Your team can set weekly automated surveys to individual team members and package the results into a shareable report for the whole organization.
Pricing: Officevibe’s pricing ranges from a free package to a $5 per month package that can be billed annually or monthly.
15Five is a performance management tool that provides simple and effective reviews for your team to maximize productivity. This tool specializes in actionable engagement surveys that employees actually want to complete and managers can easily understand. These surveys take only 6 minutes and can be completed from anywhere, making engagement as easy as possible.
What we love about 15Five
Managers can customize their survey questions using 15Five’s list of valuable prompts so that they can get specific answers to their most crucial questions.
Managers can also set different viewers for each employee, so the right eyes are recording employee responses.
15Five provides a scalable solution that enables managers to create groups related to achieving team-wide and company-wide goals.
Pricing: 15Five offers four pricing options which range from $4 per month to $14 per month depending on your company’s platform needs.
Reflective’s performance management platform helps companies scale constructive and ongoing conversations to increase employee satisfaction. This platform includes solutions for 1:1 conversations, reviews and check-ins, and feedback cadences. That way, high performers can get their voices heard and receive actionable development insights.
What we love about Reflektive
Managers can easily conduct yearly, quarterly, or monthly performance reviews through the platform.
Employees can add peer feedback within the platform in addition to top-down feedback through manager-controlled morale polls.
Reflektive includes a handy feature that lists out your company’s organizational goals and team goals so directs can always reference what they are working towards.
Pricing: Talk with the Reflektive sales team to schedule a performance management consultation and discuss your company’s engagement goals.
Employee Engagement Tools for Internal Communication and Project Management
With more and more projects to manage, employees to onboard, and growth goals to hit, the need for highly efficient internal communication has dramatically increased. Additionally, with every new communication touchpoint, your company needs a project management solution that grows with you. To find a technical solution that streamlines your team and your work, you’ll need to research the top players. To help you get started, we’ve drafted our top picks:
Monday.com is a well-known engagement tool to boost your team’s alignment, efficiency, and productivity. This highly customizable platform can be tailored to suit creative and design, software development, marketing, project management, sales and CRM, task management, HR, and so much more.
What we love about Monday.com
Monday.com provides customizable views that allow individual team members, teams, and administrators to select a view that’s most optimal for them.
The platform includes convenient automation features that notify team members when they need to complete flagged tasks.
Monday.com’s campaigns dashboards, status tracker, monthly planning, date column, and a slack plugin can help your team keep tabs on every project’s status.
Pricing: Monday.com’s pricing ranges from a free to a $16 seat per month Pro Package to a deluxe Enterprise Package for larger teams.
Slack is a channel-based communication tool with organized systems built to connect your teams across departments, offices, and time zones. This tool also allows you to build your own workflows enabling you to switch between fewer tabs during your routine tasks. Plus, with Slack’s immediate and straightforward internal communication systems, your team can enjoy sending and receiving fewer emails.
What we love about Slack
Slack offers chat, audio, and video clips so your team can easily hop on a huddle or talk things out live.
Slack’s easy-to-use communication channels result in fewer meetings and faster team progress.
This communication tool has collaborative file and document sharing so that your team can seamlessly tell and show your work.
Pricing: Depending on your organization’s needs, you can select a Free Package or an Enterprise Grid Package for large-scale team collaboration.
GoogleMeet offers comprehensive video conferencing services ideal for remote, hybrid, and global employees. The video conferencing tools let individuals using different devices and screens connect from anywhere with a stable internet connection. Businesses can use GoogleMeet to conduct meetings with up to 500 internal or external participants.
What we love about GoogleMeet
Your team can access GoogleMeet from their phone, tablet, or laptop.
Anyone with a Google account can easily set up and access GoogleMeet, making it simpler than ever to attend meetings or hold conferences.
GoogleMeet provides live captioning, meeting host controls, screen sharing, and Google and Microsoft integrations to keep your meeting organized and efficient.
Pricing: GoogleMeet provides a $6 Business Starter Package, a $12 Business Standard Package, and a $18 Business Plus Package all billed monthly.
Asana is an effective platform for cross-functional work. With calendar tools, timeline charts, goal tracking, automation, and workload management, Asana offers a wide range of management and collaboration capabilities. You can also sync tasks across multiple projects, to see work in different contexts without creating duplicates.
What we love about Asana
Asana has Mind Maps, wireframes, and checklists to visualize progress for larger and more involved projects.
The real-time chatting features and task assignments can create clear management workflows and ensure everyone knows which objectives to focus on.
Asana’s time-tracking features and insights give your team an inside look into how your team divides time per project.
Pricing: Asana’s pricing plans range from a Basic free plan to a $24.99 Business Plan that includes advanced integrations with Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud, Tableau, and Power BI.
ClickUp is a work solution customizable to fit any type of work from personal tasks and team collaboration to company-wide organization. ClickUp’s nonprofit selection is especially useful for tracking funding and calculating budgets in addition to creating and sharing accessible volunteer schedules. ClickUp’s variety of project management, remote work, personal, CRM, and business operations make it really simple to find a solution that works best for your organization.
What we love about ClickUp
ClickUp’s virtual networking spaces make cross-departmental meetings a breeze.
Clickup offers beginner, intermediate, and advanced templates to structure your workflows the way you want.
Within the project management template, your team can create a sprint system that tracks performance with real-time reporting metrics.
Pricing: ClickUp’s pricing provides a Free Package that’s best for personal use along with four other pricing packages that range from $5 monthly to $19 monthly.
Employee Engagement Tools: Final Thoughts
Choosing the right employee engagement tool can be a powerful way to transform your organization’s recognition, feedback, communication, and project management. These tools help you also solve problems before they arise and maintain employee retention.
Did you enjoy this guide to employee engagement tools? Check out these resources to keep learning:
Top Corporate Giving Software to Drive Employee Engagement – Interested in engaging employees in corporate giving programs? Read this guide to discover a list of the top corporate giving software your company can use to build your corporate giving strategy.
Employee Gifts: A Complete Guide + Top 10 Gifts – Acknowledge and engage your employees with meaningful and practical gifts. Learn the most popular gifts and how your company can support a positive work environment with this ultimate guide.
https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Employee-Engagement-Tools_Feature-1.png6301600Adam Weingerhttps://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/logo-dtd.svgAdam Weinger2023-05-26 13:22:032024-10-01 15:13:53A Full Guide to Employee Engagement Tools + 20 Top Picks
Smart Resources for Essential Matching Gift Education
/in Learning Center, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerMatching gifts are a continuously underutilized funding source for nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising organizations. One of the biggest challenges leading to the underutilization is a significant and widespread knowledge gap. As a result, the solution to such a problem is strategic matching gift education with accessible resources for doing so.
And Double the Donation is here to help! Our primary objective is to provide organizations with the tools and understanding necessary to implement effective long-term matching gift strategies. To bridge the knowledge gap and empower nonprofit teams like yours, we’ve published (and continue to produce) a number of valuable resources on the topic.
These include:
Ready to explore our top recommended educational materials and see how they can guide your organization’s efforts? Let’s dive in.
(Hint: Use these resources to train your nonprofit staff and volunteers. An effective matching gift strategy often begins with your internal team!)
Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Academy
Interested in exploring matching gifts in an online learning environment? Double the Donation now offers the industry’s first-ever Matching Gift Academy.
Currently, this academy contains four built-out modules, more than seventeen lessons, three hours of video content, and exclusive downloadable resources to provide learners with a comprehensive look at all things matching gifts. Topics include:
Expert Workplace Giving Webinars
Webinars have become a go-to resource for organizations seeking practical and engaging training opportunities. This type of “web-based seminar” offers a platform for experts to share their insights, strategies, success stories, and more. As a result, the Double the Donation team typically hosts a few webinar sessions each week, with a primary focus on matching gifts and corporate philanthropy opportunities for nonprofits!
Check out the quick overview video below to learn more:
If you’re looking for engaging matching gift educational resources, we strongly urge organizations like yours to participate live in our upcoming webinars or access recorded sessions by exploring the Webinar Hub on our site. We’ve even compiled a list of on-demand recordings below to ensure flexible training materials are available whenever you need them.
A few of our favorite matching gift webinars
Free Matching Gift eBooks & Downloadable Resources
In addition to our live and on-demand webinar presentations, our team has also created numerous free downloadable resources to serve as practical guides and tools for supporting successful matching gift fundraising. Often taking the form of eBooks, checklists, templates, and more, these resources aim to provide nonprofits and other fundraising organizations with comprehensive knowledge surrounding corporate giving opportunities.
We recommend utilizing these resources for team-wide training and to aid in implementing a well-thought-out matching gift fundraising plan.
A few of our favorite matching gift eBooks
Our Continuously Updated Matching Gifts Blog
Double the Donation takes pride in our matching gift blog, which is intended to provide helpful knowledge regarding just about every aspect of the matching gift process for nonprofits, schools, and other fundraising institutions.
By exploring our in-depth blog, nonprofit staff and volunteers can gain a deeper understanding of the potential impact of matching gifts, discover creative strategies for donor engagement, and learn from real-life examples of successful appeals.
Not to mention, our blog is constantly being updated with timely insights into matching gift fundraising practices, current trends, success stories, and much more. So don’t forget to check back regularly to explore new posts each week.
A few of our favorite matching gift blog posts
Still looking to bring your matching gift strategy to new heights? Streamline matching for everyone involved with Double the Donation’s complete automation platform. You can even kickstart the process by requesting a personalized demo here!
Already a Double the Donation user and looking for specific insights regarding the software? Browse our Knowledge Base for answers to frequently asked questions, detailed integration guides, and more.
Bottom line: Equipping your team with essential knowledge and strategies can help inform and improve your organization’s matching gift plans. Good luck!
Overcoming Matching Gift Roadblocks [Helpful Solutions]
/in About Double the Donation /by Adam WeingerIn the world of nonprofit fundraising, one valuable—yet often overlooked—resource is that of corporate matching gifts. These programs empower donors to multiply their contributions by requesting matching gifts from their employers. But, like any fundraising strategy, there are a few commonly faced matching gift roadblocks that nonprofits and other organizations must navigate in order to make the most of the opportunities available.
If you’re a fundraising team looking to generate additional revenue through employer matching gifts, you’ve come to the right place. Throughout this guide, we’ll delve into various roadblocks that nonprofits tend to face when it comes to matching gifts. Then, we’ll tackle each issue head-on and offer practical solutions that have proven successful for nonprofits like yours.
These include the following common challenges:
Whether you’re just starting to explore matching gifts or have already encountered these hurdles firsthand, this resource will provide you with the knowledge and strategies needed to unlock this valuable revenue stream.
Let’s get started!
Roadblock #1: Absence of an internal matching gift fundraising plan
Matching gifts can provide nonprofits and schools with a powerful and widely accessible form of revenue that brings their existing fundraising strategies to new heights. However, many organizations continue to take a passive, “If it happens, it happens” approach to matching gifts.
In reality, though, a proactive matching gift strategy can go a long way. In fact, if your organization’s whole team—including board members, fundraising professionals, marketers, and more—is not on board with corporate matching gifts, you’re likely to miss out on a ton of opportunities for your cause.
Solution #1: Establishing and communicating a strategic matching gift roadmap
Without a well-thought-out plan, it can be challenging to effectively leverage matching gifts and maximize fundraising. The answer? Developing a strategic matching gift roadmap to guide your team’s efforts toward success.
This should include:
Defining your goals: Begin by setting specific goals. Determine how much funding you aim to raise through matching gifts and identify the key areas or projects that will benefit from these additional resources. Having clear objectives will help inform the rest of the roadmap for your efforts.
Educating your team: Ensure that your staff, board members, and volunteers are aware of the potential of matching gifts and understand the process involved. Provide training and resources to familiarize them with the basics of matching gifts, including the benefits and impact they can have on your organization. When informed, your internal team can be some of your greatest proponents of matching gift opportunities!
Developing a communication strategy: Craft a clear and compelling message about matching gifts to communicate with your donors and supporters. Then, utilize various marketing channels such as email, social media, and your website to educate and motivate donors to participate.
Uncovering match-eligible donors: Identify and familiarize your team with companies that offer matching gift programs—including their eligibility criteria, match ratios, and submission procedures. From there, you’ll want to collect donor employment information and establish which individuals work for companies that match! This information will help you tailor your messaging and outreach efforts accordingly.
Monitoring and tracking matching gift success: Don’t forget to regularly monitor the progress of your matching gift program, either! Keep track of match-related metrics such as the number of matching gift requests received, total funds raised, the impact on your overall fundraising efforts, and more. Use this data to evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy and make adjustments as needed.
Roadblock #2: Lack of donor awareness surrounding the initiatives
Despite more than 26 million individuals working for companies that match employee donations, studies indicate that an estimated 78% of the group has never been informed about the opportunity. And when match-eligible donors remain unaware of their employers’ match initiatives, they’re not able to participate in the programs!
Ultimately, this is one of the most significant matching gift roadblocks facing nonprofits and their donors. In fact, a lack of awareness is a significant factor in the resulting $4 to $7 billion worth of matching gift funds going unclaimed each year.
Solution #2: Marketing matching gift opportunities through multiple channels.
Many companies offer to match employee donations to qualifying causes but don’t actively promote the opportunity to their workforce. That’s why nonprofit organizations are increasingly taking the initiative to market matching gifts themselves.
We recommend taking a holistic marketing approach that incorporates all of your favorite donor communication channels. This might include your…
Regardless of the channels you choose, be sure to develop engaging content that highlights the impact of matching gifts for your mission. Craft persuasive messaging that communicates the value and importance of donor participation in matching gift programs and inspires individuals to take their next steps.
Once your supporters are familiar with the idea of matching gifts, they’ll be more likely to get involved.
Roadblock #3: Unknown donor eligibility regarding matching gifts
Without knowing which companies your donors work for, it can be difficult to determine if their employers match—and whether they’d qualify for that program specifically.
After all, we previously mentioned that most eligible donors have no idea that their companies offer such programs. Thus, it’s a good idea for your organization to take the initiative to uncover match-eligible donors on your own.
Solution #3: Using numerous screening methods to determine employment information
When it comes to identifying matching gift opportunities, the most crucial piece of information you’ll need pertains to your donors’ current employment. Fortunately, there are a few key ways to collect this information.
These include…
You don’t have to choose just one method, either. According to our research, leveraging multiple approaches for obtaining employment information results in an average of 77% more match-eligible donations being identified. And once you have access to this information, you have what it takes to more effectively uncover and pursue matching gift opportunities.
Roadblock #4: Incomplete match requests by program deadlines
Another common matching gift roadblock occurs when donors, regardless of whether they’re aware of the opportunity, simply do not complete their employers’ submission forms prior to the associated deadlines.
Even when a company offers a matching gift program, if a donor fails to submit their request for a match in time, your organization is not going to receive a corporate gift in response.
Solution #4: Following up with post-transaction matching gift reminders
Sometimes all it takes is a well-planned reminder or two to encourage donors to complete the matching gift submission process.
By following up with donors soon after they make their initial gifts, your nonprofit can remind donors about the availability and impact of corporate matching. That’s usually enough to inspire qualifying individuals to complete the steps for their employers! And for unclaimed matches, you can even trigger end-of-year matching gift reminders as well, prompting donors to submit their matches before the year’s end—which is a popular request deadline.
Through a combination of donation acknowledgment emails, post-donation matching gift outreach, and more, you can ensure that donors are aware of matching gift opportunities, complete match requests, and meet program deadlines. Thus, maximizing your potential for funding.
Roadblock #5: Insufficient staff resources for pursuing matching gifts
Taking a manual approach to matching gift management and promotion typically requires a significant investment of an organization’s resources. Thus, short supplies of time, effort, personnel, and more can hinder an organization’s ability to fully leverage matching gift programs.
In fact, according to statistics from Nonprofits Source…
With many organizations’ fundraising and day-to-day operations already stretched thin, this finding highlights the challenges that teams often face when aiming to ramp up their matching gift efforts without the right tools in their toolkits.
Solution #5: Automating the matching gift experience with dedicated technology
No time to pursue matching gift opportunities on your own? No problem. Nowadays, there’s technology for that! Like many other aspects of the fundraising process, smart software solutions can streamline organizations’ efforts and ultimately raise more.
If a lack of time and energy is holding you back, it’s probably time to invest in a dedicated matching gift platform to automate the process from start to finish. These tools, like Double the Donation’s industry-leading solution, can help identify matching gift opportunities, trigger personalized donor outreach, and provide detailed reporting capabilities that drive results without you lifting a finger.
Employing such a tool ultimately empowers organizations like yours to reduce the manual effort required from their staffs, allowing them to focus on other critical fundraising and mission-focused activities.
Roadblock #6: Limited tracking through the match lifecycle
Another roadblock nonprofits often encounter has to do with a lack of tracking capabilities through the match lifecycle. Even after guiding donors directly to their online submission forms, many organizations ultimately have no idea whether their donors complete the process. Let alone whether their employers are approving and disbursing their matches.
Inadequate tracking can result in a lack of transparency, difficulty evaluating the effectiveness of an organization’s matching gift efforts, and missed opportunities to appreciate and acknowledge completed matches.
Solution #6: Using data and encouraging donor communication throughout the process
The #1 way you can utilize effective matching gift lifecycle tracking is to communicate with donors throughout the matching process. Plus, you’ll want to encourage supporters to keep your team informed, as well.
For example, when you send matching gift reminders encouraging recipients to submit their match requests, incorporate an easy way for them to let you know when they complete the process. It can be as simple as a button that says, “I’ve submitted my match!”
This way, you’ll know to thank the individual for taking steps to secure a match on your behalf, keep an eye out for additional information being asked of your organization (i.e., to verify the initial contribution), and better forecast incoming matching gift revenue. If you see that a potential match is stuck at a particular stage for any length of time, you can enlist targeted efforts to push that match to the next step.
You’ll want to implement tracking and reporting systems that capture and store data related to matching gift opportunities. Then, follow them through to completion. Ensure your systems track the status of match requests, identify funds received, and record the impact of matching on fundraising. From there, regularly review and analyze this data to gain insights and optimize your matching gift program accordingly.
Next Steps
Every matching gift roadblock presents an opportunity for growth. By proactively addressing these challenges, your nonprofit can tap into the immense potential of workplace giving to fuel your mission.
As you move forward, keep in mind that donors love participating in their employers’ matching gift initiatives. They typically just need a gentle push in the right direction!
Ready to learn more about overcoming matching gift roadblocks and enhancing your organization’s corporate fundraising strategy? Check out these recommended resources:
Advance from Gravyty and Double the Donation Partner with Double the Donation Matching Gifts Integration
/in About Double the Donation /by Adam WeingerAdvance from Gravyty and Double the Donation are proud to announce their new partnership together, servicing higher education institutions as they aim to raise more in revenue from corporate matching gifts.
The new integration, which places Double the Donation’s autocomplete search tool and matching gift plugin on Advance from Gravyty digital giving forms, empowers donors to discover their match eligibility and take their next steps toward matching gift success by guiding them through the process.
“Double the Donation is dedicated to helping close the awareness gap that surrounds matching gift knowledge,” said Adam Weinger, President at Double the Donation. “Our partnership aims to educate donors while they give, resulting in a better experience and increased revenue for our mutual clients.”
Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!
Activating the Advance and Double the Donation integration is quick and easy. All a client will have to do is reach out to their Gravyty Client Success team to activate their integration using their Double the Donation API keys, and the connection will be established with no effort on the school’s side.
Once this is complete, schools and universities can now share matching gift and corporate giving details with their donors and supporters directly from the giving process by helping them discover their match eligibility on the donation page and take their next steps from a prompt on the confirmation page.
Double the Donation will also kick off matching gift follow ups to donors to ensure the highest conversion rate for matching gifts submissions as possible. These automated messages are sent at an optimal time set by the university or school to fit into their greater outreach strategy.
Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with Double the Donation!
Advance from Gravyty and Double the Donation integrate to give schools and universities a seamless matching gifts experience to increase donations through additional corporate participation. The possibilities are endless when these two platforms are connected–check out some extra benefits below!
Ready to get started with raising more from matching gifts? Request a demo today and let us know you use Advance by Gravyty for your fundraising!
About Gravyty: Gravyty is the leading provider of purpose-driven technology, providing nonprofits, organizations, educational institutions and corporations the tools they need to create an engaging community and fundraise smarter. Backed by K1 Investment Management, Gravyty has $72 million in funding and six strategic industry acquisitions to build a holistic, mission-driven ecosystem of solutions. Gravyty is headquartered in the United Kingdom, with operations in the United States, Canada, South America and Israel. For more information, visit https://gravyty.com/.
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 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 to capture employment information and follow up appropriately with donors about matching gifts.
Click & Pledge Expands Matching Gift Functionality with Double the Donation
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerDouble the Donation and Click & Pledge have come together once again to enhance their existing matching gift integration. Now, mutual clients have the option to pass all donations from Click & Pledge to Double the Donation. This additional functionality will allow nonprofits to kick off automated matching gift emails to all of their donors, even those whose eligibility is unknown following the donation process! As a result, mutual clients are more likely to uncover match opportunities and drive those matches to completion by empowering donors with their matching gift next steps directly in their inbox.
This comes on the heels of our last enhancement which worked to provide all Click & Pledge CONNECT users corporate philanthropy insights from within their platform portal,
That update allowed nonprofits using Click & Pledge to utilize a matching gift search widget embedded into the CONNECT portal. By simply navigating to the “matching gifts” section of their account, these users can search for their desired corporation and see matching gift and volunteer grant insights.
“We are committed to providing nonprofits and their donors with the most accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about corporate matching gift programs” said Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation. “The Double the Donation database is updated multiple times a day by our database team to ensure that all instructions, links, and program details delivered to donors actually result in increased revenue for nonprofits.”
The matching gift search tool is simple to use, and it pulls corporate philanthropy information from the industry’s largest matching gift database. Using this feature, nonprofits can still find fundraising opportunities related to their desired company program.
Both enhancements reflect the duo’s continued commitment to helping nonprofits harness more robust matching gift opportunities that engage their donors at every step of the way.
If you’d like to learn more about this new update, check out our full integration guide.
Activate in Seconds and Start Raising More from Matching Gifts!
If mutual clients would like to update their integration settings so that all donations pass over to Double the Donation, they can follow seamless steps to get up and running. After navigating to Third Party Integrations within the Click & Pledge platform settings and entering in their Double the Donation public API key, they will see an option to “post all transaction data to Double the Donation.” Checking this box ensures that all donors receive automated matching gift outreach.
Once your Double the Donation account is fully activated on your forms of choice, donors are then able to search for their company name using the autocomplete search tool, equipped with Double the Donation’s comprehensive database of over 24,000 matching gift providers. From there, organizations can configure matching gift emails and trigger these messages to all donors. Those emails will lead donors directly to their matching gift request form, making gift matching simpler!
By streamlining the matching gift application process for donors, nonprofits are able to maximize the probability of driving those matches to completion.
Looking to learn more? Check out our in-depth integration guide to get started!
Drive More Matching Gifts to Completion with Double the Donation!
Click & Pledge is dedicated to helping their clients generate more impact with innovative features and integrations, and the integration with Double the Donation is the latest addition to that list of valuable tools.
Check out some of our favorite Double the Donation features:
Interested in learning more about how your nonprofit could benefit from matching gifts? Schedule a demo with us today to get started.
About Click & Pledge: Generate more impact for your nonprofit with an all-in-one fundraising platform provided by Click & Pledge. The CONNECT platform has assisted over 20,000 organizations with campaigns and offers tools such as online donation forms, peer-to-peer fundraising, and integrations with Salesforce®. With CONNECT, nonprofit leaders can access the latest innovative features, including text message fundraising and integrative donor outreach at an industry-leading price. For more information regarding Click & Pledge, visit www.clickandpledge.com.
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 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 to capture employment information and follow up appropriately with donors about matching gifts. To learn more about Double the Donation, visit https://doublethedonation.com and request a demo at https://doublethedonation.com/get-a-demo/.
22 Employee Recognition Platforms To Recharge Your Workplace
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerIt’s no secret that workplace satisfaction is important. To foster engagement and establish a positive work environment, any organization can (and should) establish employee engagement programs. These types of programs seek to reward hard workers and motivate peers to strive for greatness.
However, administrating recognition initiatives can be timely. That’s why we recommend turning to an employee recognition platform.
Recognition and rewards tools allow you to reinforce hard work and inspire everyone to contribute to a positive company culture. Leveraging a dedicated tool helps make your feedback more consistent, measurable, and strategic. Plus, some even allow you to send rewards alongside your words of encouragement, offering a tangible token of appreciation.
To help you locate the perfect employee recognition software for your organization, we’ve curated a list of some of the best platforms for 2023. We’ll also walk you through the basics of these platforms, so you know exactly what to look for in your search. Here’s what this guide will cover:
Whether you work at a small nonprofit or an enterprise-level corporation, there’s something on this list for everyone. The right platform can empower your employees to be the absolute best they can be in the workplace. Let’s dive into the essentials of these tools.
Employee Recognition Platform FAQ
Before sharing our favorite software, we thought it’d be helpful to cover the basics of these platforms. Whether you’re curious about what employee recognition software does or why you should use it, we’ll answer your questions below!
What Are Employee Recognition Platforms?
Employee recognition platforms or software refers to technology-based solutions that help organizations show appreciation for the work their employees do. These platforms provide a platform for managers and peers to recognize and reward employees for exceptional performance, milestones, and achievements.
Common features typically include peer-to-peer recognition capabilities, manager-to-employee recognition, rewards tracking, and performance metrics. The goal of these tools is to streamline the employee recognition process, boost employee satisfaction, and improve company culture by encouraging teams to recognize individuals’ workplace contributions.
Who Uses Employee Recognition Software?
Any organization can use it — whether you’re running a for-profit or nonprofit. Once you invest in an employee recognition platform, your organization’s HR department, leadership, and even employees can use it to call out exceptional employees.
This type of software is perfect for any organization looking to implement engagement programs and boost retention.
Why Should You Use Employee Recognition Platforms?
You want your employees to feel valued. Otherwise, they won’t feel compelled to stick around.
An effective employee recognition platform that caters to your employees’ motivations can alleviate those concerns substantially. Here’s a quick rundown of why you should leverage employee recognition software:
What Features Should You Look for in Employee Recognition Platforms?
Though all employee recognition software solutions offer a different suite of features, there are some features that you should prioritize no matter what, such as:
Identifying robust software solutions that have these features and more that support your goals can help you streamline your employee recognition efforts and scale them up as your company grows.
From retention to recruitment, fostering a positive environment through the right software can have an incredible impact on any organization!
Overall Best Employee Recognition Platform
Without further ado, let’s dive into the best employee recognition software of 2023. While there’s plenty of great software out there, one of them takes the cake due to its creativity, versatility, and ease of use.
1. eCardWidget
If you’re looking for a creative way to recognize employees, look no further than eCardWidget! This innovative platform empowers you to create custom eCards that showcase your organization’s branding and values. Easily design eCards to showcase your company values or congratulate someone on a job well done.
To launch your employee recognition cards, create designs that infuse your organization’s branding, sort them by company value (or other internal goals), and share your collection with employees. Whenever someone goes above and beyond, their manager or peer can select one of the eCards, draft a quick recognition note, and send it directly to their inbox. As a tip, the personalized message is a great spot for attaching rewards like digital gift cards.
Landing the #1 spot as our favorite employee recognition platform, eCardWidget allows you to show employees they’re more than just a number. Check out the video below for a rundown on how it works:
eCardWidget’s Standout Features
Why eCardWidget Is Our Favorite Employee Recognition Software
If you want to get creative with your employee recognition, eCardWidget is the solution for you! Everyone loves receiving greeting cards, and bringing them into the workplace can be a creative way to supercharge morale.
eCardWidget’s Pricing: eCardWidget includes options for every size organization. They range from free plans to Enterprise Options ($200 per month) to best fit your team’s size and internal recognition goals. Visit their pricing page for more information.
Employee Recognition Platforms for Small Organizations
If you lead a small organization, we’ve got some great, small-scale employee recognition platforms you can use. Whether you’re looking to solicit feedback or strictly give pats on the back, these engagement tools can be a huge help in streamlining your recognition efforts.
2. WorkTango
WorkTango is an employee feedback and recognition platform that helps organizations gather employee feedback and shine a light on employees’ standout efforts. It makes continuous appreciation, feedback, and growth a regular part of your routine instead of restricting it to annual performance reviews.
Trusted by more than 1,000 organizations, WorkTango empowers employees to recognize their colleagues and leaders to reward their hardworking directs. Say thank you in a million different ways whether you want to launch employee awards or post appreciation to your company recognition feed.
WorkTango’s Features
WorkTango’s Pricing: Schedule a demo with the WorkTango team to get pricing details and learn whether their solution fits your organization’s budget.
3. Motivosity
Motivosity is an employee recognition platform that aspires to foster positive work culture and build strong relationships among employees. It provides features such as employee feedback and social recognition.
Using the platform, employees can call attention to their colleagues’ contributions and share feedback. We love this platform since it encourages regular interactions and establishes a sense of community and collaboration. Thanks to its gamification-style framework, enhancing employee morale, strengthening relationships, and creating a productive workforce have never been more fun.
Motivosity’s Features
Motivosity’s Pricing: Contact Motivosity to get a custom quote based on your team’s size and employee recognition needs. They also promise a 6-month money-back guarantee.
4. HeyTaco
HeyTaco is a unique employee recognition platform designed to promote an appreciative and vibrant workplace culture. It uses a gamified approach to encourage peer-to-peer recognition and appreciation within teams.
Employees can send virtual “tacos” to colleagues as a way to shout out their achievements and helpful contributions. These tacos accumulate, creating a fun visual representation of employees’ contributions. There’s never been a more simple yet fun way to establish camaraderie and boost employee morale!
HeyTaco’s Features
HeyTaco’s Pricing: Try the platform for free for 30 days. If you like what you see, you’ll pay $3 per person per month. You can either pay for select employees or automatically add people whenever they give or receive their first taco.
5. Guusto
Rated as a top employee recognition software on G2 and Capterra, Guusto enables leaders to shape an enjoyable culture through real-time recognition programs and service awards.
Ideal for smaller workforces, Guusto allows organizations to build programs for recognizing any employee, whether they’re on the store floor, in the field, or at a desk. Easily recognize and reward employees by sending digital gift cards. With Guusto, employers can choose from a wide array of options to suit individuals’ preferences and even customize gift cards with personalized messages. Then, recipients can conveniently redeem their digital gift cards online or through the Guusto mobile app.
Guusto aims to make employee recognition easy, thoughtful, and rewarding, fostering a positive work environment and enhancing employee engagement. Not to mention, Guusto exercises corporate social responsibility by partnering with the One Drop Foundation. For every gift sent, they’ll donate one day of clean drinking water.
Guusto’s Features
Guusto’s Pricing: Choose from three pricing plans for this employee recognition platform. Use the Free plan for a single-user account, the Essential plan for up to 35 team members for $80 per month, or the Premium plan for 100 team members for $350 per month. They also have custom enterprise plans. Note that these fees are based on annual plans. Prices vary if you pay on a monthly basis.
6. Snappy
Snappy is an all-in-one gifting platform that combines personal gifting experiences with advanced technology. Great for both customer and employee recognition, Snappy helps organizations show appreciation, spread smiles, and boost loyalty in one fell swoop.
Employers can send digital gift cards, physical gifts, or even experiential gifts to showcase gratitude. Offer gift recipients a collection of trending products, unique experiences, subscriptions, and charitable donations. Then, recipients can choose their preferred gift from the curated selection you send.
The platform makes it easy to create memorable and meaningful moments of recognition that make employees feel valued.
Snappy’s Features
Snappy’s Pricing: Snappy offers three pricing plans. With the Essential plan, teams and small businesses only pay for claimed gifts. With the Elevated Plan, larger organizations pay $999 per year. For the Enterprise plan, large enterprises need to reach out for a custom quote.
7. EngageWith
EngageWith helps organizations celebrate any employee win, whether it’s big or small! Built for Slack and Microsoft Teams, the platform makes it easy to keep all of your systems updated.
Acknowledge coworkers publicly using your preferred channel. Be sure to encourage employees to tag each recognition with a company value! Then, employees can redeem points they acquire through recognition on preferred sites like Nike, Domino’s, Apple, Dunkin Donuts, and more.
EngageWith’s Features
EngageWith’s Pricing: Either choose the Standard plan for $4 per user per month or reach out for a custom quote if you’ll have more than 500 users. They also offer a 30-day free trial, so you know what you’re getting with this employee recognition software.
8. Compt
Dubbed as a top perk stipend software, Compt is an all-in-one reimbursement platform that enables organizations to offer personalized, flexible compensation and benefits programs. Use the platform’s reward and recognition features to send employee bonuses and make recognition easy and meaningful.
Make your employees feel seen, heard, and valued throughout the year with birthday bonuses, sales incentives, spot bonus recognition, and more.
Compt’s Features
Compt’s Pricing: Request pricing from their team.
Employee Recognition Software for Mid-Sized Organizations
If you work at a mid-sized organization, you need a more robust solution for employee recognition. From saying thanks to offering employee gifts, the following platforms are great options for powering your workplace engagement initiatives.
9. Terryberry
Terryberry is an employee recognition platform that aims to ignite workplace success. With its social recognition approach, Terryberry provides a centralized system for implementing and tracking recognition activities, empowering organizations to celebrate achievements and boost morale.
It also offers a wide array of reward options that are sure to delight employees. With thousands of merchandise, travel, experience, and charitable donation options to choose from, you’ll encourage employees to be their best selves in the workplace.
Terryberry’s Features
Terryberry’s Pricing: You have three pricing plan options based on the features you want. Request a demo to receive pricing details.
10. Awardco
Designed to make rewarding people easier and more effective, Awardco is a top-rated employee recognition platform. Marketed as a “one-stop-recognition-shop,” Awardco is a comprehensive platform that allows you to create custom rewards catalogs personalized to your needs. They also partner with Amazon Business to bring millions of reward choices and lower vendor fees. If needed, they’ll work with you to manage multiple recognition programs from one dashboard.
With an emphasis on reporting, Awardco enables organizations to gain in-depth insights into their recognition programs and keep an eye on employee performance. That way, there’s never a question of whether your employee engagement efforts are working.
Awardco’s Features
Awardco’s Pricing: Small organizations receive reduced rates and can choose from two pricing plans, starting at $2,500 per year. Organizations with more than 300 employees will need to reach out for custom pricing.
11. Assembly
Trusted by more than 2,400 organizations, Assembly is a top-rated employee recognition platform that helps celebrate workplace achievements. Show people their contributions are valued, so you can retain your best talent with features like rewards, nominations, and work anniversary reminders. Best of all, your staff will never have to leave Slack or Microsoft Teams to use the software.
Assembly’s Features
Assembly’s Pricing: Small teams of fewer than 10 people can use the platform for free. Paid plans start at $2.80 per user per month for up to 50 people when you pay for the year in full. Get an unlimited number of users for $4.50 per user per month. For larger organizations needing a custom program, reach out to Assembly for a custom pricing plan.
12. Blueboard
Built around hand-curated experiences, Blueboard is an incentives platform for organizations. This employee recognition software makes it easy for organizations to reward employees in meaningful ways and give them one-of-a-kind experiences. Choose from memorable experiential rewards like spa days, concerts, plane flying lessons, and bucket-list travel adventures.
Long story short, the platform elevates employee recognition from generic gift cards to experiences your employees will never forget. Whether you’re building an anniversary award program, leveling up referral incentives, or reimagining your spot rewards, experiential rewards are a unique way to drive better outcomes.
Blueboard’s Features
Blueboard’s Pricing: Due to the level of personalization needed, Blueboard provides custom quotes. Get a demo to receive a personalized pricing plan.
13. Recognize
Recognize is value-driven employee recognition software that offers a range of rewards and gifts. Designed to integrate into your existing workflows, the platform makes enhancing the workplace experience and improving company culture a breeze.
Leverage gamification components to drive community building and tap into peer-to-peer recognition, nominations, incentives, and anniversary reminders. Using the platform, employees can earn and redeem points for spot rewards or accumulate points for a bigger item.
Recognize’s Features
Recognize’s Pricing: Get started with a free trial. Then, choose from different paid plans, starting at $.20 per user per month. Pricing varies based on organization size and selected add-ons.
14. Cooleaf
Connect with your people with Cooleaf, a leading experience platform. Bring your employees together with recognition and virtual activities, making your workplace culture more fulfilling and engaging. Tap into features like automatic work anniversary rewards, and go beyond a thank-you note with fun rewards like merchandise, gift cards, and company swag.
Cooleaf’s Features
Cooleaf’s Pricing: Contact their team for pricing details and to see this employee recognition platform in action.
Employee Recognition Software for Enterprise Organizations
Large and enterprise organizations often have more complex needs than smaller ones. That goes for workplace engagement and retention, too. We’ve pulled together a list of scalable solutions that were designed for larger organizations.
15. Culture Cloud
Designed for enterprise and global workforces, O.C. Tanner’s Culture Cloud helps companies design large-scale employee recognition programs with unforgettable experiences. Every feature is backed by academic-grade research, ensuring organizations are equipped to maximize workplace satisfaction.
Whether you want to fuel peer-to-peer recognition or tie points to team goals, Culture Cloud offers plenty of ways to give, receive, and measure recognition.
Culture Cloud’s Features
Culture Cloud’s Pricing: Contact their team for a custom quote for its employee recognition software.
16. Fond
Created to enhance company culture across global workforces, Fond is straightforward employee recognition software. With it, employees can send points to one another to recognize hard work and major accomplishments.
Employees located around the world can redeem their points for useful rewards and corporate perks on Fond’s platform. Best of all, points never expire, and unused points are returned to your company if an employee leaves or is dismissed from their role.
Fond’s Features
Fond’s Pricing: This employee recognition platform only charges the retail price for each item without markup. There aren’t any fulfillment charges or hidden fees either.
17. Achievers
Achievers is a cloud-based employee recognition platform designed to acknowledge your organization’s greatest asset: its employees. Drive retention, productivity, and key business outcomes by engaging your workforce, no matter where they are in the world.
Support your employees with best-in-class rewards and inclusive recognition. Achievers works to continuously expand its marketplace catalog with sought-after brands and fulfill reward redemptions across local centers through its reward partner networks. With the ability to support multiple recognition programs, you can reinforce priorities with high-frequency and high-impact recognition.
Achiever’s Features
Achiever’s Pricing: Request a demo for pricing information.
18. Workhuman
Workhuman is a leading employee recognition platform that aims to foster a more human workplace. Between peer-to-peer and manager recognition capabilities, employees can celebrate workplace accomplishments and big life events. After all, you want to show your employees you care about them on a personal level.
After being in the employee recognition business for over 20 years, Workhuman empowers organizations around the globe to deepen engagement and boost retention. With this platform, you can even tap into additional engagement tools like real-time feedback and performance management. In no time, you’ll foster a culture of appreciation, belonging, and gratitude.
Workhuman’s Features
Workhuman’s Pricing: Contact Workhuman for a demo to see the software in action and get pricing details.
19. Empuls
Empuls is employee recognition software that makes it easy to reward your hardworking staff members. From setting up pulse surveys to motivating employees with digital gift cards, the platform comes equipped with everything you need to build an encouraging environment. Best of all, the platform is multilingual, making it easy to implement for your international employees.
Trusted by more than 1,000 organizations, Empuls helps make hard work visible to everyone, celebrate key milestones, promote participation in company initiatives, and reduce HR’s time in setting up rewards.
Empuls’ Features
Empuls’ Pricing: The Reward and Recognize plan is $3 per employee per month. Take a look at the pricing page to learn about other features’ pricing, like surveys, social intranet, and perks.
20. HALO
HALO offers scalable employee recognition and incentive solutions designed to fit your organization’s unique culture. Designed to deliver deep personalization, HALO offers comprehensive services like strategic design and program marketing support, giving you a single source for all your employee engagement efforts.
Great for hybrid and remote employee recognition, the platform can be accessed from anywhere. HALO offers a consistent experience for worldwide, remote, hybrid, and offline workforces alike.
HALO’s Features
HALO’s Pricing: Contact their team for pricing details and to get a rundown of the system.
21. Mo
Mo is an employee engagement and recognition platform that enables leaders to improve collaboration, reduce employee churn, and maximize morale. Backed by this software, create a recognition-rich culture by celebrating successes and shining light on those who go above and beyond.
Great for bringing distributed teams together, Mo empowers organizations to celebrate achievements with public and private recognition tools tied to fun GIFs and company values. Recognition can come from anyone, whether you want to give top-down feedback or peer-to-peer acknowledgment. Don’t forget about rewarding employees by letting them choose gift cards and custom rewards like organizational swag.
Mo’s Features
Mo’s Pricing: Choose from three pricing plans based on your organization’s needs. The Starter plan has basic recognition features and is $2.70 per user per month when billed annually. For more advanced recognition features, choose the Level Up plan, which is $4.50 per month per user when you pay annually. For a custom plan, reach out for a custom quote.
22. Fringe
Want to contribute to your employees’ lives in meaningful ways? Try out Fringe, the world’s first lifestyle benefits marketplace. Rewarding your employees with personalized lifestyle benefits is a fantastic way to show you care. Solidify a culture of well-being by offering unique rewards like financial planning services, student loan repayment, physical fitness, and virtual therapy.
Whether you’re acknowledging a 23-year-old intern or a 60-year-old long-term employee, Fringe has rewards for everyone!
Fringe’s Features
Fringe’s Pricing: Contact Fringe’s team for current pricing plans.
Employee Recognition Platforms: Final Thoughts
You want your employees to stick around and feel valued for their hard work. That means taking the time to develop a thoughtful recognition program and selecting software to support your efforts.
Remember, you want a platform that aligns with your organization’s budget and its employees’ preferences. Choosing the right employee recognition software can go a long way in boosting retention, so don’t skimp through your selection process.
While you narrow down your options, keep learning about fostering a positive work environment by exploring these additional resources:
How to Boost Morale: 10+ Employee Recognition Program Ideas
/in About Double the Donation /by Adam WeingerDonor Retention: A Comprehensive Guide + 9 Strategies
/in Donor communications /by Adam WeingerWhen nonprofits grow their donor base, they gain access to more revenue that can be used to launch new initiatives, expand current programs, and generally advance their mission. Growth requires acquiring new donors, but effective growth also means keeping current ones.
Nonprofits with high donor retention rates are sustainable nonprofits, and with that sustainability comes the ability to grow, try new projects, and weather setbacks.
With retention rates for both new and existing donors falling, now is the time to reassess your nonprofit’s retention strategy or create one if you haven’t yet. In this guide, we’ll answer essential questions nonprofits have about donor retention before diving into our top strategies for retaining donors.
Donor Retention FAQ
What is donor retention?
Donor retention measures how many donors who previously gave to your nonprofit continue to do so. Your donor retention rate is the percentage of donors who continue to contribute to your organization. Calculate this percentage by dividing the number of donors that gave this year by the number of donors that gave last year and multiplying that number by 100. The average repeat donor retention rate for nonprofits is 45%.
Donor Retention Rate = ((number of donors at the end of a period – number of new donors at the end of a period) / donors at start of the period) x 100
Donor retention is also useful for determining how financially healthy your nonprofit is. While nonprofits with poor finances can have a higher-than-average donor retention rate and vice versa, nonprofits that maintain their donors generally have the stability to expand their operations, make reliable fundraising estimates, and recover from financial setbacks.
How does donor retention fit into the donor lifecycle?
Consider your nonprofit’s view of the donor lifecycle. Is it a process wherein donors become familiar with your nonprofit, learn more, donate, and then are finished? Or does the cycle repeat?
Retained donors will go through the process of giving many times throughout their engagement with your nonprofit. Let’s compare the lifecycle for one-time donors, which even nonprofits with high retention rates will always have, and retained donors.
Nonprofits have the term “the golden rule of donating,” which refers to securing a second gift from donors. This is because, on average, only 20% of donors give again after their first gift, whereas 60% of donors continue giving after their second gift. This means donors who give multiple times are the most likely candidates for continuing to give far into the future.
Why is donor retention important?
We’ve already touched on a few positives of donor retention, and there are essentially no downsides to continuing to collect donations from the same supporters repeatedly.
However, there may be even more benefits to donor retention than you first assumed. Let’s look at just a few reasons nonprofits should focus on their retention rates:
Nonprofits often prioritize donor acquisition and not without good reason. By attaining new donors, the nonprofit can increase revenue, gain more attendees for events, and have more supporters out in the world spreading awareness of their cause.
However, don’t think of donor acquisition and retention as opposites. Nonprofits don’t have to focus exclusively on one over the other. Rather, the two supplement each other to grow your donor base overall.
Key Donor Retention Metrics
Along with donor retention rate, your nonprofit should keep an eye on a few other metrics to ensure you are maintaining your donor base.
In particular, let’s look at two key measurements: donor lifetime value and donor attrition rate.
DLV = Annual Donation Amount x Length of Relationship
# of Donors Lost = # of donors from last year – # of donors from this year
Donor Attrition Rate = (# of donors lost / # of donors from last year) X 100
Incorporate these metrics into your fundraising goals. Beyond raising a certain amount, set specific objectives related to decreasing attrition or raising donors’ lifetime value. For instance, you might set a goal of hosting more annual engagement events to strengthen donor relationships and encourage a certain percentage of existing donors to give more.
9 Strategies to Increase Donor Retention
1. Provide more ways to give
Offer donors a choice for supporting your nonprofit. This makes it more convenient for donors to give and provides them with more agency in the decision-making process, increasing retention rates. Select a payment processor that allows donors to give via credit and debit card, ACH check, PayPal, Apple Pay, and other options.
Additionally, consider different ways supporters can contribute to your nonprofit outside of normal donations. Expanding your giving opportunities helps retain supporters who may be unable to make regular donations while also creating methods to increase support value for those who can give more.
For instance, you might discuss planned giving with older donors who have been with your nonprofit for several decades, or you can promote real estate and stock donations to high-value donors.
For the average donor, take time to educate them about matching gift opportunities. Matching gifts are a form of corporate philanthropy in which companies match their employee’s donations at a 1:1 ratio. This can increase each donor’s impact and propel your nonprofit to new fundraising heights.
2. Offer recurring gifts
Recurring giving options make it simple for donors to become long-term supporters. Donors agree to make these gifts automatically on a recurring basis, usually monthly.
If your organization doesn’t already, offer a recurring giving option on your donation form, so new supporters can easily opt into making multiple donations without going through the donation process each time.
Try using these strategies to encourage supporters to become recurring donors.
Not all donors will be interested in a recurring giving program right away, and that’s ok. Look for donors who have already given to your organization annually or on an irregular basis. Then, reach out to them with information about your recurring gifts program, including all of its perks.
3. Thank donors regularly
Not being acknowledged is one of the top reasons why donors churn. It’s not that donors are looking for a pat on the back. Rather, the lack of a thank-you message often causes donors to assume the causes they gave to don’t need their support.
Don’t let that happen! Instead, make an effort to show your appreciation, emphasize that each gift matters, and build relationships with your donors. You can do this through:
Whatever method you use, be sure to thank donors promptly. Fundraising professionals advise that your first thank-you should be within 48 hours after a gift, usually through a text or email, and your second thank-you should be five to seven days after, often through slower forms of communication like mailed letters. Of course, there are exceptions to this, like donor walls.
4. Share impact stories
Donors want concrete details about how their gifts are furthering your cause. For instance, if your mission is to build wells to provide clean water for families in need, update donors on how many wells your team has built and how many families have clean water access because of your supporters’ generosity.
Keep your impact stories personal and tangible. Anecdotes you collect from beneficiaries are unlikely to be structured, emotionally resonating stories right off the bat. Use what they tell you to construct stories with meaningful details, a followable structure, and the right emotional response.
Then, check whether beneficiaries approve of the story you’ve written. Editing is a natural part of storytelling, but avoid inventing new details, conflating supporter stories, or otherwise misrepresenting your beneficiaries’ experiences.
In addition to the stories themselves, help donors visualize how their contributions are affecting positive change by adding:
You can include these elements in your marketing materials such as weekly newsletters, social media posts, website pages, and blog posts. Doing so will prove to donors that your team is dedicated to goals, strengthening their trust in you.
5. Invite donors to get involved in your nonprofit outside of donating
Envision a supporter who donates to two nonprofits. Nonprofit A sends them regular requests for donations, thank-you messages for those donations, and little else. Nonprofit B also sends donation requests and thank-you letters but also highlights upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, how their advocacy campaigns are progressing, free workshops they’re hosting, and invitations to check out the latest news on their blog.
Which nonprofit do you think the average supporter has a better relationship with? Most donors will likely prefer organizations like nonprofit B that offer multiple ways to interact and learn more about their cause outside of donating.
In your messaging cadence with supporters, include invitations to explore other parts of your nonprofit. The more a supporter interacts with your organization, the stronger a connection they will feel, and the more likely they are to continue giving long-term.
6. Personalize communication
Your donors are individuals, and they’re more likely to stick with a nonprofit that treats them like they are. Of course, even small nonprofits still building their donor bases will find crafting unique messages for every supporter challenging.
Fortunately, there are a few personalization strategies any nonprofit with basic communication and marketing software can use:
One way you can make personalization easier is via segmentation. Divide your donors into groups based on shared characteristics that are relevant to your messaging strategy. For instance, you might make a segment for new donors who only started giving this year and one for recurring donors.
The new donors would then get messages that focus on introducing them to your nonprofit and thanking them for their choice to support you. In contrast, recurring supporters might receive messages emphasizing brand new opportunities or highlighting how much fun an event was last year, along with being reliable partners your nonprofit can count on.
7. Leverage self-service donor tools
Sometimes donors lapse not out of a desire to stop giving but because their credit card on file expired. Alternatively, they may have moved or changed email addresses. When these life events happen, donors may simply forget to update their information. Plus, if they have to contact someone at your nonprofit to resolve the issue, they may put it off and potentially forget to do so.
One way you can prevent this is by putting the control in donors’ hands. With self-service tools, donors can manage their contact information and recurring giving amounts. This saves your team time updating information manually and enables donors to feel like active agents in how and when they give.
8. Analyze donor data
Your nonprofit fundraising software should integrate with your constituent relationship manager (CRM) to track donor information. With this information, you can better refine your communication strategies, know the optimal time to ask for donation upgrades, identify matching gift-eligible donors, and spot donors at risk of lapsing.
The recapture rate for lapsed donors rests at just 4%, meaning your best strategy is to identify donors and intervene before they make their exit. A few signs to look for in your data include:
Use this data to find patterns among at-risk donors. Do they tend to lapse after taking certain actions? Do the donors have anything in common? Have similar re-engagement strategies worked for multiple at-risk donors?
Remember, when reaching out to donors at risk of lapsing, it’s not the time to ask for another donation. Instead, emphasize their importance to your cause and invite them to get involved again in other ways.
9. Ask for feedback
The people who can provide you with the best perspective on what it’s like being a donor for your nonprofit are your donors. Reach out to new and long-term donors alike to request their feedback about how you can improve the donor experience.
Send them short surveys and ask questions like:
When your nonprofit surveys your existing donors, it indicates that you value their opinions and will make changes to serve them better. Even if you can’t implement every suggestion, you may get some direction for how to improve your programs.
Additional Resources for Improving Donor Retention
Keeping donors invested in your cause is essential to your nonprofit’s growth. Focus on implementing the strategies we shared to practice careful donor stewardship and engagement tactics. Remember to provide compelling updates and convey genuine appreciation, so you can establish your nonprofit as one that highly values its supporters.
To learn more about improving the donor journey, check out these resources:
Matching Gifts for K-12 Schools | A Crash Course
/in Fundraising Ideas, Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerEducational institutions, public and private alike, rely on strategic fundraising to bankroll their academic programming, extracurricular activities, student scholarships, supplies and equipment, and more. And matching gifts for K-12 schools enables fundraisers to literally double the impact of their generous donations.
Here, we’ll walk through everything you need to know as an educational fundraiser to make the most of matching gifts.
This includes:
Ready to bring your school’s fundraising to an A+ level? Let’s get started.
Multiplying Generosity with Matching Gifts: The Basics
Essentially, corporate matching gifts refer to a type of program in which a company matches the charitable contributions their employees make to eligible nonprofit organizations. The programs are designed to incentivize and amplify the generosity of a company’s employees, effectively doubling or even tripling their personal donations to worthwhile causes. And most often, these matching initiatives are inclusive of K-12 schools.
Donors who wish to participate in a matching gift program typically follow a straightforward process that looks like this:
Matching gifts present numerous benefits for K-12 schools, their donors, and the companies they work for—ultimately establishing a mutually rewarding experience. By leveraging corporate matching gifts, donors can significantly increase the impact of their contributions. From there, the additional funds received through matching gifts can support various programs, benefiting the school community as a whole.
However, billions of dollars worth of matching gifts go unclaimed each year—largely due to a lack of awareness and initiative. In fact, despite 26 million individuals working for companies that match gifts, more than 78% of the segment has never been informed about the programs! And even those who know their employer offers matching gifts are sometimes unaware of the process of getting involved, which is where strategic donor education comes in handy.
Companies That Match Gifts to K-12 Schools
Double the Donation offers the most comprehensive database of matching gift information, which contains records for more than 24,000 companies. And though each employer is able to set its own limits regarding organizations that qualify for matching, most businesses are willing to provide matching gifts for K-12 schools and other education-based institutions.
While there are tons to consider, we’ve opted to spotlight here a few businesses with heavy focuses on education and school philanthropy.
McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill is one of the largest American publishing companies. With a devotion to educational content, McGraw-Hill provides reading materials, software, and services for pre-kindergarten through postgraduate institutions. It’s also a dedicated supporter of a wide range of K-12 schools, including through a generous matching gift program.
Each year, employees working more than 20 hours a week qualify to request between $25 and $2,500 in matching gifts to eligible nonprofit causes. Organiations like those that focus on long-term solutions for educational issues, civic, arts and cultural organizations, museums, libraries, parks, zoos, and more tend to qualify.
Learn more about the matching gift program for K-12 schools.
Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House is another well-known publishing company and is currently the largest provider of general-interest paperback books across the globe. Its subsidiary Random House Children’s Books, which also encompasses Little Golden Books and Beginner Books, produces some of the most popular youth-focused books in the industry.
In addition to captivating young readers with its stories, Penguin Random House also aims to support educational efforts worldwide. One key example is its matching gift program! In addition to matching up to $2,500 worth of employee donations per team member per year, the company also offers to match contributions raised by their staff through peer-to-peer fundraising efforts in a fundraising match initiative.
Learn more about the matching gift program for K-12 schools.
Crayola
As one of the most prominent art supply manufacturing companies, Crayola plays a significant role in equipping students and teachers in K-12 classrooms across the nation. And going a few steps further, the company also supports schools through its dedicated employee matching gift initiative.
Specifically, Crayola focuses its matching gift efforts on supporting key categories of nonprofits. This includes educational (both K-12 private and public schools and higher ed institutions) and those pertaining to arts and culture. Each year, full-time and part-time employees can request up to $500 worth of matching gifts in each category, incentivizing staff to support missions most closely related to Crayola’s own values.
Learn more about the matching gift program for K-12 schools.
Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments is a leading provider of educational technology, most commonly known for its innovative series of calculators and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) products. For decades, science and mathematics classes have relied on TI calculators to inspire academic success.
Facilitated through the TI Foundation, Texas Instruments also offers a particularly generous employee matching gifts program. Each year, full-time and part-time team members and employees can secure up to $30,000 in matches on behalf of the nonprofits they support. And, of course, the program is inclusive of education organizations such as K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.
Learn more about the matching gift program for K-12 schools.
Kaplan (Graham Holdings Company)
Kaplan, a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company, is an international education services company that’s devoted to increasing access to education materials and transforming learning with new technologies. And one of the ways that they do so is through their matching gifts program!
Current full-time Kaplan employees (as well as other Graham Holdings staff members) can qualify for generous donation-matching to educational institutions at a 2:1 ratio of up to $2,000 per person per year. Other nonprofit organizations can also qualify for matching gifts from the company, though non-educational causes are limited to a standard dollar-for-dollar match rate.
Learn more about the matching gift program for K-12 schools.
Keep Learning! Best Practices for Effective K-12 Gift-Matching
Over the years, we’ve worked with a lot of educational institutions, K-12 schools included. From our experience, we’ve gleaned several tips and tricks along the way that have produced substantial results for organizations like yours.
All in all, we recommend implementing the following strategies as you craft and enact a matching gift fundraising plan for your school.
1. Integrate matching gift fundraising in your annual Giving Day.
Many schools host dedicated Giving Days, in which the school communities band together to raise significant funds in a 24-hour window. If that’s the case, bring your Giving Day to new heights by incorporating matching gifts in your strategy!
Integrating matching gift fundraising into your annual Giving Day can significantly boost the impact of donations for your K-12 school. All you need to do is highlight the opportunity for donors to have their contributions matched by their employers within your existing Giving Day promotions. Utilize various communication channels such as emails, social media posts, website banners, and more to spread the word about matching gifts leading up to, during, and following your Giving Day campaign.
Emphasize that their support can go twice as far, motivating them to give generously. This is proven to work, too. Recent studies show that 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered, and 1 in 3 donors indicate they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation.
2. Identify popular local employers in your school’s community.
Schools are one type of nonprofit that tend to have a significant reach, particularly within the geographic areas in which they operate. After all, it’s most likely where their students and families live, and even community members without direct connections to the schools are often interested in supporting local education. So when it comes to pursuing matching gifts, it can help to seek popular employers in your school’s neighborhoods.
To do so, begin collecting employment information from parents and other donors if you haven’t already. Then, research the companies located in your area and compile a list of those offering matching gift programs. This can allow you to connect supporters with known matching gift companies and identify trends regarding companies that employ a significant portion of your network—and it’s especially easy to do with the aid of Double the Donation’s matching gift solution!
By focusing on local employers, you can tap into a potential pool of matching gift donors who have a personal connection to your school and are more likely to participate. And if a segment of donors works for a company that doesn’t match employee gifts, it might show an opportunity to seek a corporate sponsorship (or one-off matching gift initiative!) or empower your supporters to advocate for a program on your behalf.
3. Provide educational matching gift materials to parents and families.
To increase awareness and understanding of matching gift programs among your school’s supporter base, be sure to provide them with educational materials on the topic. Because a lack of awareness is a huge cause of the subsequent funding gap, a little education about the opportunity can go a long way!
We recommend developing clear, informational, and easy-to-understand brochures, flyers, and online resources that explain the basics of matching gifts.
These materials should include…
Then, distribute these materials to your school’s donors—many of which are likely parents and other family members—during parent-teacher meetings, open houses, school events, and through digital communication channels.
By equipping your audience with the necessary information, you empower them to take advantage of matching gift opportunities and become active supporters of your school’s corporate fundraising efforts.
Hint: Double the Donation offers some helpful materials here!
4. Consider volunteer grants as well.
In addition to matching gifts for your K-12 school, another type of corporate philanthropy initiative you won’t want to overlook is volunteer grants. Schools, and K-12 schools in particular, frequently rely on devoted volunteers to support various academic and extracurricular activities and events. Oftentimes, volunteers are even leading school fundraising efforts!
In order to maximize the value of this much-appreciated support, be sure to explore the potential of volunteer grants for your K-12 school. After all, many employers offer volunteer grant programs that provide monetary donations to organizations based on their employees’ volunteer commitment.
Thus, encourage parents, alumni, and community members associated with your school to inquire if their employers have volunteer grant programs. Provide guidance on how to track and report volunteer hours to secure available grants, and be sure to emphasize the impact that these programs can have on your school’s overall fundraising results. Incorporating volunteer grants alongside matching gift fundraising expands the range of opportunities for individuals to contribute to your school’s success, whether through monetary donations, volunteer efforts, or a combination of both.
And if you’ve already invested in a matching gift tool like Double the Donation, you can uncover volunteer additional grant insights in the same search of a donor’s company!
Sample Matching Gift Messaging Templates for K-12 Schools
Raise awareness of matching gifts for your K-12 school with strategic fundraising outreach. These customizable templates can be an excellent place to start!
Matching Gift Email Template for K-12 Schools
Matching Gift Text Template for K-12 Schools
Matching Gift Facebook Template for K-12 Schools
Matching Gift Tweet Template for K-12 Schools
Matching Gift Postcard Template for K-12 Schools
Bonus: Automate Your Matching Gift Outreach with Double the Donation!
Make matching gift messaging as easy as can be with matching gift automation tools. Double the Donation is designed to aid fundraising organizations, like K-12 schools, in streamlining the matching gift process from start to finish. This includes raising awareness of the opportunities, driving matches to completion, and more.
And with the software in your school fundraising toolkit—which integrates seamlessly with top school fundraising solutions—you won’t need to worry about manually sending matching gift reminders, either. After an individual gives to your school, Double the Donation triggers timely and personalized follow-ups that inform supporters about their employer’s programs with company-specific insights.
You’ll never have possible matches slipping through the cracks due to a stretched-too-thin fundraising team again!
Watch the video below to see how Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation uses Double the Donation to automate their matching gift efforts.
Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation- Matching Gift Success from Double the Donation on Vimeo.
Want to learn more? Check out these additional educational resources on fundraising and matching gifts for K-12 schools:
Driving Matching Gifts for Health & Medical Services
/in Learning Center, Fundraising Ideas, Matching Gift Companies, Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerIn the world of healthcare fundraising, effective revenue generation saves lives. After all, every dollar counts towards advancing medical research, providing patient care, and improving overall well-being. In order to make the most of each donation, matching gifts for health and medical services can go a long way.
And this guide will provide everything your team needs to get started with the opportunity! We’ll explore the concepts and strategies behind driving matching gifts specific to health and medical services, including:
Get ready to uncover the potential that matching gifts have to revolutionize fundraising for healthcare and related nonprofit causes.
Let’s dive in!
Matching Gifts for Health & Medical Services | The Basics
Matching gifts offer a powerful opportunity for health and medical services to multiply the impact of individual contributions. This powerful fundraising strategy combines individual and corporate giving to increase engagement and funding for a nonprofit’s mission.
And it’s easy! Essentially, the process looks like this:
Successful matching gift practices can effectively double or even triple the support for vital healthcare initiatives. This empowers donors to leverage their employers’ involvement to make an even greater difference in a cause they care about.
Companies That Match Gifts to Healthcare Organizations
Thousands of companies match employee donations to qualifying nonprofit causes. But here, we wanted to spotlight a few businesses in the healthcare industry that offer standout matching gift initiatives.
These include (but are certainly not limited to) the following…
CVS Health
CVS Health is dedicated to making a positive difference in the world. Through the CVS Health Foundation, the company gives back by offering generous in-kind donations, employee giving opportunities, volunteer grant programs, and more.
Currently, one of the CVS Foundation’s most prominent offerings is its employee matching gift program. Through this initiative, the company encourages team members to give to a variety of nonprofit causes. These include health and medical services, children’s and educational groups, environmental organizations, and more. Once completed, employee donations made through the company’s workplace giving portal qualify for generous matches by CVS Health!
Learn more about the matching gift program here.
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
UnitedHealth Group aims to revolutionize the healthcare system to improve health overall. And they do so not only through the company’s core offerings but also by participating in generous corporate philanthropy initiatives.
For example, its employee giving program, coined “United for Giving,” incentivizes team members to support their favorite nonprofit organizations with their dollars and their time. In 2022 alone, nearly $50 million was contributed through the program to more than 20,000 global charities.
Each employee qualifies to request up to $15,000 per year in company matches on behalf of the organizations they support.
Learn more about the matching gift program here.
CIGNA
Through the CIGNA Foundation, healthcare and insurance company CIGNA offers a standout matching gift program in which it encourages employees to participate. In fact, the foundation contributed more than $12.5 million worth of corporate grants to health and wellness-focused nonprofits in 2021 alone!
When qualifying employees give to medical organizations and many other registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits, they can request an associated match from the CIGNA Foundation. This allows team members to amplify their giving impact and do more to make the world a better and healthier place.
Learn more about the matching gift program here.
AmerisourceBergen
With a generous matching gift cap set at $10,000 per employee per year, current full-time and part-time AmerisourceBergen team members can request matching gifts from the company corresponding to their own personal gifts. Donations are typically matched at a standard 1:1 (or dollar-for-dollar) ratio, though the company often promotes a heightened match rate to inspire Giving Tuesday participation at the end of the year.
Facilitated through the AmerisourceBergen Foundation, this company’s matching gift initiative is making a difference in producing healthier futures worldwide.
Learn more about the matching gift program here.
McKesson Corporation
One thing that makes the McKesson matching gift program stand out is its open availability for current full-time, part-time, and retired employees! Of course, healthcare organizations qualify to receive associated matching gifts. Additionally, team members can support educational institutions, community organizations, volunteer fire rescue and emergency services, and more.
The McKesson Corporation also offers an impactful volunteer grant initiative known as the McKesson Volunteer Program—or MVP. After an individual makes their initial gift to an organization, they have 90 days (or approximately three months) post-donation to submit their match request.
Learn more about the matching gift program here.
Tips for Developing a Healthy Matching Gift Strategy for Your Org
Getting matching gifts for your healthcare or medical organization doesn’t have to be difficult. Find out how to do so as effectively as possible with these recommended practices.
1. Incorporate matching gifts in your grateful patient program.
For a healthcare or medical organization, a grateful patient program can be one of your most valuable fundraising strategies. This unique initiative provides medical-focused nonprofits, like hospitals and other facilities, an opportunity to engage donors who have experienced exceptional care.
Maximize the impact of your grateful patient program by incorporating matching gifts! To do so, ensure that materials provided to patients—such as thank-you letters, brochures, and discharge information—include details about matching gifts. This allows patients to leverage the opportunity to amplify their impact as they give back.
2. Highlight the medical impact of matching gifts.
As you enlist donor communications to promote the matching gift opportunity, be sure to emphasize the direct impact of matched donations on healthcare outcomes.
Showcase success stories, former patient testimonials, and statistics that demonstrate the transformative effect of your organization’s work. This will resonate with potential matching gift donors who want to make a tangible difference in the healthcare field. In other words, help your supporters imagine the tangible benefits of doubling your fundraising power.
3. Simplify the matching gift experience for donors.
Make it easy for donors to navigate the matching gift process. Offer step-by-step instructions on your website, provide donors with company-specific request forms for their employers, and be available to provide assistance throughout the submission steps.
Keep in mind that the more streamlined and accessible the process, the more likely donors will follow through with their matching gift requests. On the other hand, excessive roadblocks lead to missed matches and unclaimed funding for your team.
Luckily, the best way to streamline matching is by automating the experience from start to finish with the right technology! For example, Double the Donation’s software ecosystem enables nonprofits to embed their matching gift tools directly into the initial giving process.
This typically includes a brief mention of matching gift opportunities, alongside a field requesting a donor’s employer information, on the giving form. Then, an automatically populating matching gift widget on the confirmation screen provides eligibility information and submission forms for the company previously selected.
It’s as easy as can be, and donors are provided with easy access to the information they need—without having to search for it on their own!
4. Get inspired by other healthcare organizations’ matching practices.
See what other medically-focused nonprofits are doing to pursue matching gifts! Check out this case study compilation that highlights some of the largest healthcare organizations in the nation.
These include:
By studying the matching gift strategies from these organizations (and more), you can identify common themes, glean creative approaches, and make a note of successful tactics. From there, you’ll be able to more effectively ingrain matching gifts into your own fundraising efforts.
Consider adapting and implementing tried-and-true strategies within the context of your own healthcare nonprofit to increase donor engagement, uncover corporate giving opportunities, maximize contributions, and make a greater impact on your mission.
Sample Matching Gift Messaging for Healthcare Nonprofits
Get started with effective matching gift outreach! Check out the following templates for powerful communications tailored to matching gifts for health and medical services organizations.
Top tip: Easily automate matching gift communications with Double the Donation! This ensures you’re able to provide timely correspondence to all donors—without worrying about any potential matches slipping through the cracks.
Matching Gift Email Template
Matching Gift Tweet Template
Matching Gift Facebook Template
Matching Gift Text Message Template
Wrapping Up
Matching gifts have the potential to revolutionize fundraising for all sorts of health and medical services. By harnessing the power of employer-matching initiatives, healthcare-focused nonprofits can tap into additional resources, amplify their impact, and accelerate their mission of increasing health and well-being.
The bottom line? Implement a comprehensive matching gift strategy to unlock a world of possibilities, inspire greater donor participation, and drive positive change in the realm of health and medical services.
Play the video below to hear how LuMind IDSC Foundation supercharges their matching gift strategy with Double the Donation’s matching gift automation.
LuMind IDSC Foundation – Matching Gift Success from Double the Donation on Vimeo.
Interested in learning more about making the most of matching gifts? Check out the following recommended resources:
A Full Guide to Employee Engagement Tools + 20 Top Picks
/in Corporate Consulting /by Adam WeingerWhat comes to mind when you think about employee engagement? Excitement, enthusiasm, maybe meaningful team collaboration? All of those elements are the results of an effective engagement program. And they all contribute to an improved workplace culture where people not only have to work but enjoy doing so.
Employee engagement may make sense in theory, but how should your organization cultivate it on a daily basis? In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of employee engagement for your company and discuss 20 tools your organization can use to foster a positive work environment.
Why Does Employee Engagement Matter?
Your organization is most likely juggling a lot of different tasks—you have performance metrics to hit, clients to impress, and meetings to manage. That said, should employee engagement really be a priority? Recent statistics definitely suggest so.
Here are some combined polls that provide insights into employee engagement, including the good, the bad, and the ugly:
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly
As you can see, employee engagement can make or break a workplace in more ways than one. If your employees aren’t motivated and engaged, at best, you’re not efficiently achieving your goals, and at worst, you’re wasting resources.
On the other hand, engaged employees can be the secret weapon that lets your organization hit more performance benchmarks at a faster rate. They also stay at your organization longer and do their best work every day. So, how can you prioritize employee engagement? By leveraging dedicated employee engagement tools!
How Can We Boost Employee Engagement?
While every organization is different, there are some tried-and-true techniques that you can implement to energize and motivate your employees, including:
Now that you have some ideas for improving your organization’s employee engagement, let’s review some of the software solutions that can help you make it happen.
What is an Employee Engagement Tool?
Employee engagement tools are software applications that a company uses to increase internal communication and boost employee satisfaction. There are a wide variety of tools available and choosing the right one will depend on your organization’s needs. For instance, a company that wants to streamline its project management process between separate departments might look at an engagement tool like Asana. Or, an organization looking to track employee productivity more effectively may invest in a timesheet software solution.
Usually, human resources departments take the lead when introducing employee engagement tools and recognition platforms. Eventually, if the platforms succeed at providing engagement value to your organization, they’ll become a part of your new employee onboarding materials and day-to-day workflow.
Employee Engagement Tool Benefits
What can you expect from an employee engagement tool? Depending on which provider you go with, the benefits will vary. However, here are a few common advantages:
To help you discover which employee engagement tool is right for your company, we’ve broken down our top picks based on employee recognition, feedback, and internal communication. You can adopt one of these tools or several at a time depending on your budget and needs. Remember that as your team expands, you’ll also need a scalable tool to keep new and existing employees engaged.
Top Employee Engagement Tool: CSR Software
One of the best ways to engage employees is to develop a CSR program that highlights your company’s values and gives back to the causes your employees care about. For example, your hiking supplies business may focus on helping organizations that encourage sustainability and protect wildlife. When employees see their company making a positive difference in the world, they’ll be more motivated to stay at the company long-term.
Corporate social responsibility programs can have a lot of moving parts. Here are just a few examples of initiatives your program may include:
You may be wondering how your company can juggle all of these components to properly engage employees. The answer is CSR software.
CSR software is specifically designed to help companies manage their CSR programs. With all the forms and information associated with your program in one place, you can keep track of all relevant data and make it easy for employees to get involved. Check out the CSR program elements that software can help you organize:
The best CSR platforms go one step further in increasing employee engagement by integrating with nonprofit-facing tools. On the nonprofit side, many organizations use matching gift software to streamline matching gift requests, and some software providers even offer auto-submission functionality that submits matching gift request forms on the donors’ behalf. Look for CSR software that integrates with auto-submission tools to increase program participation and employee engagement.
Employee Engagement Tools for Employee Recognition
Annual or even biannual performance reviews are not enough to keep your employees active and engaged. They benefit from continuous feedback both from managers and peers. Managerial recognition helps directs know that they’re on target and keeps them motivated to keep going. Peer recognition boosts camaraderie and reinforces teamwork.
Additionally, employee recognition extends to celebrating milestones and anniversaries. If your employee has been working productively for five years, for instance, you can use an engagement tool to publicly applaud their impressive performance.
1. eCardWidget
eCardWidget is a powerful digital retention tool built to prove to employees that they are more than just a number. These digital eCards are easy to make, send, and receive, making it easy for businesses to fold into their existing employee recognition programs. To start your engagement campaign, simply add your custom company branding, sort by company value (or any other internal goal), and draft a quick recognition note! Check out this video to learn more about how it works:
What we love about eCardWidget
eCardWidget stands out because it’s extremely easy and enjoyable to use. With the ability to customize eCards using different fonts, colors, and images, you can personalize your recognition efforts and invite employees to use their creativity.
Additionally, eCardWidget provides insights into which employees are sending and receiving eCards. That way, you can gauge which of your employees are contributing to your internal company culture and which are being commended most often by their peers. You may want to recognize these employees more formally for improving the workplace environment.
Pricing: eCardWidget includes free options to Enterprise Options ($200) to best fit your team’s size and internal engagement goals. See the pricing page for more information.
2. Kudos
Kudos is another workplace peer-to-peer recognition tool that provides actionable insights into employee performance and culture. You can also use Kudos to create rewards that reflect your company’s goals, values, and overall culture. That way, employees can feel motivated and acknowledged for their hard work.
What we love about Kudos
Pricing: Visit Kudos’ website and talk to their sales representatives for more pricing information.
3. Limeade Listening
Formally known as TinyPulse, Limeade Listening is a solution for enhanced listening, 1:1 coaching, and employee recognition. This data-backed tool provides opportunities for employees to provide regular, transparent feedback so that they can show up to work as their best selves every day.
What we love about Limeade Listening
Pricing: Visit the Limeade Listening contact page for more information or to book a demo.
4. Reward Gateway
Reward Gateway offers a tailored employee reward and recognition program that supports everyone. You can use their platform to quickly celebrate daily success through automation and endless redemption options. Their branded mobile app can even let you celebrate other employees on the go!
What we love about Reward Gateway
Pricing: Browse Reward Gateway’s website and schedule a demo to find a pricing solution that suits your team.
5. Goody
Goody is an all-in-one platform for business gifting with no address needed. This simple solution lets recipients provide their shipping information once they accept your gift or they can easily swap it for something else if needed. Plus, with their regularly updated gift collections, you can choose from a selection of best-sellers or trending products.
What we love about Goody
Pricing: Goody’s plans vary from a free Starter Plan, a $20 Monthly Plan, or a customizable Team Plan for HR, Sales, and Marketing Teams.
6. WorkTango
WorkTango’s holistic employee recognition and rewards, employee surveys and insights, and goals platform provide an effective employee experience. Its recognition and rewards experience amplifies key organizational values and can help your organization foster connections across hybrid and in-person teams.
What we love about WorkTango
Pricing: Schedule a demo with the WorkTango team to learn more and see how their solution fits into your company’s budget.
7. Motivosity
Motivosity is a workplace solution built to help your team understand every stage of the employee journey. From recruitment to hiring to engagement and development, Motivosity helps your team understand your each of your employee’s career goals and make measurable progress by providing a meaningful growth path. Its employee rewards and recognition add-on helps your team make consistent employee appreciation a reality.
What we love about Motivosity
Pricing: Contact Motivosity to get a pricing quote based on your team’s size and engagement needs. They promise to offer a 6-month money-back guarantee.
8. Awardco
Awardco is an employee recognition platform that promises to offer millions of employee rewards with free shipping and zero markups. This recognition solution has partnered with Amazon Business to make rewarding effective and easy for both the sender and recipient. That means that your company can feel good about gifting your employees something that they actually love.
What we love about Awardco
Pricing: Book a time with Awardco’s sales team to schedule a demo and discover a pricing quote for your company.
9. Mo
Mo’s platform is built to improve retention, increase engagement, and boost productivity. Their software can help your company “drive change faster” with a long feature list from employee engagement and rewards and recognition to communication and insights. Specifically, Mo’s employee recognition can help your team create sustainable engagement habits and celebrate meaningful moments.
What we love about Mo
Pricing: Mo provides a $3 Monthly Starter Plan, a $5 Level Up Plan, or a Custom Plan with advanced security and advanced customer support.
10. Bonusly
Bonusly provides a streamlined, all-in-one engagement platform that fosters candid, social, and expressive recognition. The platform’s global catalog lets you select gift cards from popular brands like Nike, Apple, and Starbucks. You can also display digital signage showing recent bonuses in your workspace.
What we love about Bonusly
Pricing: Bonusly offers $2.70 monthly Core, $4.50 monthly Pro, and Custom Plans for mid-size to large organizations.
Employee Engagement Tools for Feedback
Employees want to know what they’re doing well and where they can improve on a regular basis. And with 36.2 million Americans working remotely, it’s a must to keep this feedback loop open and accessible. Additionally, incorporating reliable feedback is a way to safeguard against quiet quitting or the common practice of employees leaving unexpectedly. Providing consistent and reliable feedback is the perfect way to mitigate that risk while nurturing positive and candid relationships with managers and directs.
Feedback-based employee engagement tools can help your organization cultivate a rhythm of regular feedback that can put both managers and employees at ease. Browse through our top picks to find a platform that best fits your company’s reporting and communication needs.
11. Qualtrics CoreXM
A leader within the employee feedback space, Qualitrics offers three suites to create exceptional customer frontlines, high-performing teams, and products. Qualtrics Core XM, or teams-based performance management, has scalable goal-setting functionalities with automated pulsing for regular feedback.
What we love about Qualtrics CoreXM
Pricing: Contact the Qualtrics CoreXM support team or request a demo to find the right Qualtrics solution for your organization.
12. Culture Amp
Culture Amp’s employee engagement platform can help your organization build high-performing teams through an agile, trusted review process. Managers can review data based on the lifecycle stage of their employees, by demographics, or by time frame with customizable views. This tool is built to foster growth conversations for individual employees, teams, and whole companies wanting a culturally aligned performance process.
What we love about Culture Amp
Pricing: Culture Amp divides its pricing options between company sizes, from 25 to 1,000+ employees, so your organization can choose platform capabilities that align with your goals.
13. Officevibe
Officevibe is an intuitive platform that places managers at the center of their team’s success. Trusted by over 8,000 companies worldwide, Officevibe provides impactful performance and development tools that can be tailored to your team’s needs. Performance reviews, continuous performance monitoring, one-on-one meetings, and OKRs, and goal setting can be accessed and tracked in one place.
What we love about Officevibe
Pricing: Officevibe’s pricing ranges from a free package to a $5 per month package that can be billed annually or monthly.
14. 15Five
15Five is a performance management tool that provides simple and effective reviews for your team to maximize productivity. This tool specializes in actionable engagement surveys that employees actually want to complete and managers can easily understand. These surveys take only 6 minutes and can be completed from anywhere, making engagement as easy as possible.
What we love about 15Five
Pricing: 15Five offers four pricing options which range from $4 per month to $14 per month depending on your company’s platform needs.
15. Reflektive
Reflective’s performance management platform helps companies scale constructive and ongoing conversations to increase employee satisfaction. This platform includes solutions for 1:1 conversations, reviews and check-ins, and feedback cadences. That way, high performers can get their voices heard and receive actionable development insights.
What we love about Reflektive
Pricing: Talk with the Reflektive sales team to schedule a performance management consultation and discuss your company’s engagement goals.
Employee Engagement Tools for Internal Communication and Project Management
With more and more projects to manage, employees to onboard, and growth goals to hit, the need for highly efficient internal communication has dramatically increased. Additionally, with every new communication touchpoint, your company needs a project management solution that grows with you. To find a technical solution that streamlines your team and your work, you’ll need to research the top players. To help you get started, we’ve drafted our top picks:
16. Monday.com
Monday.com is a well-known engagement tool to boost your team’s alignment, efficiency, and productivity. This highly customizable platform can be tailored to suit creative and design, software development, marketing, project management, sales and CRM, task management, HR, and so much more.
What we love about Monday.com
Pricing: Monday.com’s pricing ranges from a free to a $16 seat per month Pro Package to a deluxe Enterprise Package for larger teams.
17. Slack
Slack is a channel-based communication tool with organized systems built to connect your teams across departments, offices, and time zones. This tool also allows you to build your own workflows enabling you to switch between fewer tabs during your routine tasks. Plus, with Slack’s immediate and straightforward internal communication systems, your team can enjoy sending and receiving fewer emails.
What we love about Slack
Pricing: Depending on your organization’s needs, you can select a Free Package or an Enterprise Grid Package for large-scale team collaboration.
18. GoogleMeet
GoogleMeet offers comprehensive video conferencing services ideal for remote, hybrid, and global employees. The video conferencing tools let individuals using different devices and screens connect from anywhere with a stable internet connection. Businesses can use GoogleMeet to conduct meetings with up to 500 internal or external participants.
What we love about GoogleMeet
Pricing: GoogleMeet provides a $6 Business Starter Package, a $12 Business Standard Package, and a $18 Business Plus Package all billed monthly.
19. Asana
Asana is an effective platform for cross-functional work. With calendar tools, timeline charts, goal tracking, automation, and workload management, Asana offers a wide range of management and collaboration capabilities. You can also sync tasks across multiple projects, to see work in different contexts without creating duplicates.
What we love about Asana
Pricing: Asana’s pricing plans range from a Basic free plan to a $24.99 Business Plan that includes advanced integrations with Salesforce, Adobe Creative Cloud, Tableau, and Power BI.
20. ClickUp
ClickUp is a work solution customizable to fit any type of work from personal tasks and team collaboration to company-wide organization. ClickUp’s nonprofit selection is especially useful for tracking funding and calculating budgets in addition to creating and sharing accessible volunteer schedules. ClickUp’s variety of project management, remote work, personal, CRM, and business operations make it really simple to find a solution that works best for your organization.
What we love about ClickUp
Pricing: ClickUp’s pricing provides a Free Package that’s best for personal use along with four other pricing packages that range from $5 monthly to $19 monthly.
Employee Engagement Tools: Final Thoughts
Choosing the right employee engagement tool can be a powerful way to transform your organization’s recognition, feedback, communication, and project management. These tools help you also solve problems before they arise and maintain employee retention.
Did you enjoy this guide to employee engagement tools? Check out these resources to keep learning: