According to recent studies, more than 26 million individuals work for companies that match employee gifts. However, an estimated 78% of the group has never been informed about the available philanthropic programming. Thus, in order to maximize funding, it’s important to increase matching gift awareness across your network of support.
In this guide, we’ll touch on some impactful marketing efforts to get your donors ramped up to submit those matching gift forms to their employers. But we’ll also cover why awareness is crucial to matching gift success, how you can set your staff up to champion your efforts, and what to do after educating donors about the opportunities at hand.
Specifically, you’ll learn:
Surely, your organization aims to maximize the impact of each donation you receive. Matching gifts are one of the best ways to do so—but in order to drive results, your supporters need to know about them.
Let’s get started!
Why increasing matching gift awareness matters
Ensuring donors are aware of matching gifts is one of the biggest obstacles your organization will face. However, it’s essential for increasing funding through these programs.
There are billions (yes, billions—to the tune of $4,000,000,000 to $7,000,000,000 worth) of corporate giving dollars left unclaimed each year. Why? Largely because the majority of eligible donors have never been informed of the opportunity.
In fact, without a strategic approach to increase matching gift awareness…
- 78% of donors do not know if their company offers a matching gift program;
- 15% of donors know their company has a program but are unsure if they’re eligible or how to submit a matching gift request;
- Only 7% of donors are aware that their company matches gifts, know they’re eligible, and understand how to submit their matching gift requests.
Not to mention, donors love participating in matching gift programs—so long as they know they exist. These initiatives allow them to double or even triple the impact of their giving to the charitable organizations they support. And they don’t even have to reach back into their own wallets to do so!
An analysis of donor behavior even indicates that nonprofit supporters are more likely to give—and to give more—when they know their donations will be matched. In fact, 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered. And 1 in 3 donors would give a larger gift if matching is applied!
As a result, organizations saw a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average donation amount when matching gifts were mentioned.
That means when donors are aware of the opportunities, your organization can benefit not only from more corporate matches but from increased individual giving altogether.
Starting with your staff; driving awareness internally
Increasing matching gift awareness among donors is critical for a nonprofit to maximize its fundraising potential. However, before a nonprofit can effectively communicate the benefits of matching gifts to donors, it is crucial that its internal team fully understands the opportunity themselves.
After all, a nonprofit’s staff (or volunteers) are likely the primary point of contact with supporters. Therefore, it’s essential that the internal team understands the concepts behind corporate matching gifts and is equipped to support donors interested in participating.
Here’s what we recommend:
- Conducting regularly scheduled dedicated matching gift training sessions for all donor-facing staff and volunteers;
- Incorporating matching gift information in new team member onboarding materials going forward;
- Developing easily accessible internal materials that provide an overview of matching gifts, frequently asked questions and answers, benefits, and more;
- Establishing a matching gift team leader to whom the rest of the team can direct inquiries regarding matching gifts to learn more.
Luckily, Double the Donation offers a wide range of free resources that can help guide you through the process—from educational blog posts to immersive webinars and more.
Staff members who are familiar with matching gift programs can best serve as advocates for the opportunity to eligible donors. By equipping staff members with the knowledge and tools necessary to promote corporate matching, a nonprofit can effectively communicate the benefits of matching gifts to donors and maximize its fundraising potential.
10 marketing methods to increase matching gift awareness among donors
Now it’s time to make your donors aware of the available programming that can double their impact on your cause.
There are a ton of ways to do so—but we’ve selected a few of our favorite marketing strategies to increase matching gift awareness for your audience here.
1. Create a matching gift web page.
To make it easy for donors to learn about matching gift programs, create a dedicated matching gift web page on your nonprofit’s website.
This centralized hub of matching gift information should provide an overview of corporate donation-matching, explain the tangible benefits of these programs for your cause, and include an intuitive database search tool for donors to uncover their own eligibility.
You’ll also want to include basic information about your organization, including contact details for your matching gift coordinator, your tax ID number, and more.
In doing so, you can target supporters who are perusing your website—which can actually drive them further down the donation funnel and encourage them to give more—and provide donors with a trusted resource with everything they need to get started.
Then, you can link to this hub in your other marketing materials, demonstrating how donors can learn more about the opportunity. You might even use your match page to train your internal staff on matching gifts!
2. Highlight matching in fundraising appeals.
We mentioned previously that when donors are informed of matching gift opportunities prior to making their contributions, they’re more likely to give and give in larger amounts. In order to drive awareness beforehand, your fundraising appeals can really come in handy.
As you craft your next donation appeal, incorporate a quick blurb about matching gifts and the amplified impact they bring. This can be just what you need to drive on-the-fence supporters into action-taking donors!
Here’s an example: “Dear [donor], Do you work for a match-maker? Thousands of companies—employing millions of qualifying donors—agree to match the charitable gifts their team members contribute to nonprofits like ours. Find out if your company participates by searching here. Then, head to our donation form to make a match-eligible gift (or request a match from a previous and still-eligible donation)!”
3. Embed in online donation pages.
If an individual navigates to your nonprofit donation page, chances are that they’d like to support your cause. That makes your online giving forms the perfect place to promote gift-matching.
And it’s also one of your best opportunities to request employment information. [Hint: Once collected, this detail can directly aid your team in uncovering and pursuing match-eligible donations.]
We recommend embedding Double the Donation’s smart company search tool that allows donors to choose from auto-completing search results. It even takes into account common typos and company subsidiaries for the most accurate results, ensuring users can quickly select their employer from our robust database and move on to the next steps without slowing down the giving experience.
To encourage donors to complete the optional field, you’ll also want to include a short blurb about matching gifts that provides context as to why you’re asking for employment data. Here’s an example: “Millions of donors qualify to have their charitable gifts matched by their employers. See if your company offers such a program by entering your employer’s name in the box.”
4. Mention on your confirmation screen.
Immediately after completing an online donation, nonprofit supporters typically remain at a high level of engagement. It’s important to take advantage of this momentum and immediately encourage eligible donors to secure a matching gift.
And your donation confirmation or thank-you screen is a great place to begin! After all, matching gifts make a great “Next Steps” option for supporters looking to increase their impact after they submit their donations.
Consider adding a message to your confirmation screen such as this: “Thanks for your donation! Did you know your employer may match your gift and double its impact? Check if your contribution is eligible by searching for your company here.”
And when you embed Double the Donation’s matching gift plugin, you can provide quick and easy access to company-specific guidelines, forms, and more. Plus, if the individual provides their employer’s name during the giving process, the plugin tool will automatically populate with that company’s program details and direct links to submission forms!
This allows individuals to quickly move from the “general awareness of matching gift programs as a concept” phase to the “specific knowledge of their company’s initiatives and guidelines” in no time. And remember—the latter is where you want your donors to be!
5. Include matching gift information in donation acknowledgments.
If your nonprofit organization is not already including information about matching gift opportunities in donor acknowledgment letters, it’s super easy to start. Keep in mind, though, that you won’t want this to be your sole matching gift promotion. Automated donation acknowledgments and gift receipts are often quickly discarded and may ultimately end up in a “trash” box before the donor arrives at the included matching gift mention.
Still, including a brief section about corporate matching gift opportunities can be an excellent way to whet your supporters’ appetites regarding the programs. Direct donors to your aforementioned matching gift web page, and let them know that they should soon expect to receive an additional email follow-up dedicated to matching gifts.
It can be as simple as this: “Did you know that many corporations offer employee giving programs where they match donations to [your organization’s name]? Search for your company on our matching gift page to see if they provide matching gifts! Or keep an eye out for detailed next steps in a separate email.”
6. Send separate matching gift follow-up emails.
Chances are, some donors are likely to miss out on your confirmation page and/or acknowledgment promotions. But you still want to ensure that all of your supporters are exposed to matching gift information so they can make an informed decision about their next steps.
The best way to do this? Send dedicated matching gift emails after each donation you receive.
(This is also a great reminder avenue for donors who did become aware of matching gifts previously but ultimately opted to procrastinate their requests.)
If you have a record of a donor’s employer, you can even incorporate detailed and company-specific program guidelines. This will help recipients quickly determine match eligibility and lead them directly to their companies’ online submission forms to complete the request. If you’ve yet to identify a supporter’s employer, encourage them once again to provide that information so you can guide them through the matching process.
By highlighting matching gifts while your organization and its cause are still fresh on donors’ minds, you increase the likelihood that they will take action to double their gifts. That’s why we recommend sending these follow-up messages within 24 hours of receiving the initial gift. In fact, organizations that do so see an estimated 53% open rate, which is more than two to three times the average nonprofit email open rate.
7. Engage on social media.
Social media sites can be a great way to increase matching gift awareness across a wider audience. Plus, you can encourage supporters to interact with and share your content with their own followers.
Make sure to schedule regular messages throughout the year, noting occasions like Matching Gift Month and more. Use your social platforms to share stories about how the money raised for your organization is helping grow your mission—and how doubling those gifts helps amplify impact.
For the best results, adjust your messaging based on the platform on which you plan to share it. For example…
- Twitter is great for short-and-sweet blurbs about matching gifts;
- Facebook posts can be a bit longer and more in-depth;
- Instagram is designed for image-sharing—so be sure to choose eye-catching graphics that help demonstrate the power of matching gifts.
- And don’t forget about vide0-sharing sites, either—YouTube and even TikTok offer excellent opportunities for sharing matching gift videos and more.
Regardless of what you post or where you post it, you’ll want to provide direct links to resources users can access for additional information.
8. Enlist snail-mail promotions.
While electronic communication is speedy and efficient, there are still donors who would still rather the personal touch of a tangible mailing. If your organization employs direct mail outreach in your fundraising, consider exploring the tactic to increase matching gift awareness among your direct-mail-preferred donor segment.
However, you’ll want to keep in mind that the investment for this strategy can add up quickly—so make sure you’re still expecting an appropriate return.
There are a number of ways to keep your costs low, too. For example, if you’re already hosting a direct mail campaign, you might include an insert on matching gifts into your existing fundraising packet. Or similarly, you can even print matching gift information directly onto your donation return envelopes!
Still, we recommend retaining physical mailings for only your most lucrative matching gift opportunities.
9. Host a live-stream event.
If they’ve never heard of the programs before, your donors are likely to have a number of questions about matching gifts. As you begin to integrate donation-matching promotions into your overall fundraising efforts, consider hosting a live-stream event.
This will allow you to engage with your audience in real-time, encouraging supporters to attend, ask questions, and learn more about getting involved with their employers’ corporate giving programs.
Not to mention, it will also provide a unique opportunity for your team to show the persons behind your organization with a virtual, yet face-to-face experience.
10. Employ end-of-year reminders.
Unfortunately, donations typically have a limited time span during which they qualify for corporate matching. Though it can differ from company to company, many program windows close at the end of the year. Thus, it’s critical that you increase matching gift awareness among donors before it’s too late.
And end-of-year reminders can be a great way to do so.
As the year comes to a close, consider sending additional outreach that reiterates the availability of matching gifts. This can be especially beneficial for those who had been marked match-eligible despite not seeming to have submitted their matches.
Remember: the urgency at the end of the year can be an excellent tool for driving action along with awareness. So make the most of it!
After awareness — next steps to consider
Informing individuals about matching gift opportunities is phase one in securing additional financial support. But you can’t stop there!
After ensuring awareness of matching gifts, there are a few next steps we recommend to ultimately drive matches to completion, determine success, and thank donors for their above-and-beyond support.
Remind supporters about matching gifts.
Sometimes the initial steps you take to inform your audience about matching gifts won’t be enough to actually produce results. In those cases, take the extra step to remind qualifying donors about their matching gift eligibility after the fact.
To do so, it helps to track which identified matches have been submitted by donors and which ones appear to remain unclaimed. Then, follow up on incomplete matches by reminding donors about the opportunity and how easily they can get involved.
Here’s a hint: manually tracking and following up on matching gifts can be quite the undertaking. We recommend employing automation software like 360MatchPro to identify, pursue, and monitor matches throughout the process.
Thank donors for their submissions.
| Once you’re notified that an individual has completed their end of the matching gift request process, be sure to thank them for doing so. Communicate the amplified impact of an individual donation when matched, and show your appreciation accordingly.
To make your gratitude stand out in your recipients’ inboxes, consider employing customizable donor recognition eCards. It’s a fun and creative way to thank your matching gift donors for taking the next steps to amplify their giving impact. And it will keep your organization at the forefront of the recipient’s mind for longer, too! |
|
|
Communicate gratitude for completed matches.
Your supporters also want to know if and when your organization receives the associated match to their donation. Despite the matching gift not coming from an individual’s own wallet, it’s important to recognize that the additional contribution would not have been possible without their actions on your behalf.
Plus, it helps close the loop with the original donor, confirming with them that the match was ultimately successful. Otherwise, they might never know it was completed, and they wouldn’t be as likely to request a match in the future. |
Bonus tip: In your acknowledgments, you can even link a survey that asks donors how they learned about matching gifts. Consider listing your primary marketing efforts along with an “other” field or free response option. This will help determine which efforts are worth prioritizing in the future as well as which may be less impactful for your particular audience.
Identify ongoing opportunities.
Your organization should also be able to determine if a majority of matching gifts are coming from one company in particular or from a wide array of employers.
This is noteworthy because if your matching gifts seem to be coming from a few major employers, consider publicly recognizing the company as a valuable partner to your organization.
You can even reach out to pursue additional corporate sponsorships. This might include upcoming events, cause marketing opportunities, in-kind donations, workplace giving campaigns, and more.
Measure matching gift marketing impact.
Our final recommended step involves ensuring that your above-mentioned marketing efforts are actually working. One key piece of advice we have is to visualize your data with a chart or graph. This way, you can easily view the total (number, revenue, or percentage) of matching gifts received in a set time period.
Then, compare that figure to your previous month, year, etc., to show the difference between your results pre- and post-marketing strategy. Can you see a discernible difference in the number of matching gifts being sent in?
To get started, you can download our free, editable Matching Gift Dashboard here >
But to scale up your reporting capabilities, the right matching gift software can make a big difference here as well. For example, Double the Donation empowers organizations to easily track metrics such as their:
- Total individual donations
- Percentage of donations flagged as match-eligible
- Total number of matching gifts submitted
- Number of matching gifts verified by your organization
- Number of matching gifts ultimately received
- Percentage of matching gifts completed
- Value of received matching gifts
- Percentage increase due to matching gift revenue
- And more!
From there, you can take a look at your data, locate apparent trends, identify successes, and explore areas with room for improvement.
Wrapping Up
There are a variety of ways to market matching gifts to your donors, and increasing awareness of the opportunity can go a long way.
Too much money goes unclaimed by nonprofits and their donors due to a lack of awareness about corporate giving initiatives. This shouldn’t be the case!
Make sure you’re educating your supporters on a consistent and ongoing basis, and you could be well on your way to a substantial increase in matching gift fundraising success.
Interested in learning more about matching gift opportunities and how to drive participation for your nonprofit cause? Check out these additional recommended resources:
- 8 Ways to Encourage Donors to Submit Employee Matching Gift Requests. Increasing awareness of matching gifts is the first key step. But then you’ll need to drive matching gift requests to completion in order to receive funding. Dive into eight recommended practices here.
- How to Get Matching Gifts Trending at Your Organization. How can you use current marketing trends to get the word out about matching gift opportunities? We share several innovative ideas, from social media usage to artificial intelligence, in this recent blog post.
- Top Matching Gift Practices | Actionable Insights & Examples. Explore real-world examples of matching gift success. This guide walks through tried-and-true tips from the nation’s leading nonprofits—and how they promote matching gifts to their audiences.
- Interested in learning more about communicating the value of matching gifts and securing buy-in from your stakeholders? Check out our immersive webinar on the topic!
Increase Matching Gift Awareness [And Revenue!]
/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies, About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerAccording to recent studies, more than 26 million individuals work for companies that match employee gifts. However, an estimated 78% of the group has never been informed about the available philanthropic programming. Thus, in order to maximize funding, it’s important to increase matching gift awareness across your network of support.
In this guide, we’ll touch on some impactful marketing efforts to get your donors ramped up to submit those matching gift forms to their employers. But we’ll also cover why awareness is crucial to matching gift success, how you can set your staff up to champion your efforts, and what to do after educating donors about the opportunities at hand.
Specifically, you’ll learn:
Surely, your organization aims to maximize the impact of each donation you receive. Matching gifts are one of the best ways to do so—but in order to drive results, your supporters need to know about them.
Let’s get started!
Why increasing matching gift awareness matters
Ensuring donors are aware of matching gifts is one of the biggest obstacles your organization will face. However, it’s essential for increasing funding through these programs.
There are billions (yes, billions—to the tune of $4,000,000,000 to $7,000,000,000 worth) of corporate giving dollars left unclaimed each year. Why? Largely because the majority of eligible donors have never been informed of the opportunity.
In fact, without a strategic approach to increase matching gift awareness…
Not to mention, donors love participating in matching gift programs—so long as they know they exist. These initiatives allow them to double or even triple the impact of their giving to the charitable organizations they support. And they don’t even have to reach back into their own wallets to do so!
An analysis of donor behavior even indicates that nonprofit supporters are more likely to give—and to give more—when they know their donations will be matched. In fact, 84% of survey participants say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered. And 1 in 3 donors would give a larger gift if matching is applied!
As a result, organizations saw a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average donation amount when matching gifts were mentioned.
That means when donors are aware of the opportunities, your organization can benefit not only from more corporate matches but from increased individual giving altogether.
Starting with your staff; driving awareness internally
Increasing matching gift awareness among donors is critical for a nonprofit to maximize its fundraising potential. However, before a nonprofit can effectively communicate the benefits of matching gifts to donors, it is crucial that its internal team fully understands the opportunity themselves.
After all, a nonprofit’s staff (or volunteers) are likely the primary point of contact with supporters. Therefore, it’s essential that the internal team understands the concepts behind corporate matching gifts and is equipped to support donors interested in participating.
Here’s what we recommend:
Luckily, Double the Donation offers a wide range of free resources that can help guide you through the process—from educational blog posts to immersive webinars and more.
Staff members who are familiar with matching gift programs can best serve as advocates for the opportunity to eligible donors. By equipping staff members with the knowledge and tools necessary to promote corporate matching, a nonprofit can effectively communicate the benefits of matching gifts to donors and maximize its fundraising potential.
10 marketing methods to increase matching gift awareness among donors
Now it’s time to make your donors aware of the available programming that can double their impact on your cause.
There are a ton of ways to do so—but we’ve selected a few of our favorite marketing strategies to increase matching gift awareness for your audience here.
1. Create a matching gift web page.
To make it easy for donors to learn about matching gift programs, create a dedicated matching gift web page on your nonprofit’s website.
This centralized hub of matching gift information should provide an overview of corporate donation-matching, explain the tangible benefits of these programs for your cause, and include an intuitive database search tool for donors to uncover their own eligibility.
You’ll also want to include basic information about your organization, including contact details for your matching gift coordinator, your tax ID number, and more.
In doing so, you can target supporters who are perusing your website—which can actually drive them further down the donation funnel and encourage them to give more—and provide donors with a trusted resource with everything they need to get started.
Then, you can link to this hub in your other marketing materials, demonstrating how donors can learn more about the opportunity. You might even use your match page to train your internal staff on matching gifts!
2. Highlight matching in fundraising appeals.
We mentioned previously that when donors are informed of matching gift opportunities prior to making their contributions, they’re more likely to give and give in larger amounts. In order to drive awareness beforehand, your fundraising appeals can really come in handy.
As you craft your next donation appeal, incorporate a quick blurb about matching gifts and the amplified impact they bring. This can be just what you need to drive on-the-fence supporters into action-taking donors!
Here’s an example: “Dear [donor], Do you work for a match-maker? Thousands of companies—employing millions of qualifying donors—agree to match the charitable gifts their team members contribute to nonprofits like ours. Find out if your company participates by searching here. Then, head to our donation form to make a match-eligible gift (or request a match from a previous and still-eligible donation)!”
3. Embed in online donation pages.
If an individual navigates to your nonprofit donation page, chances are that they’d like to support your cause. That makes your online giving forms the perfect place to promote gift-matching.
And it’s also one of your best opportunities to request employment information. [Hint: Once collected, this detail can directly aid your team in uncovering and pursuing match-eligible donations.]
We recommend embedding Double the Donation’s smart company search tool that allows donors to choose from auto-completing search results. It even takes into account common typos and company subsidiaries for the most accurate results, ensuring users can quickly select their employer from our robust database and move on to the next steps without slowing down the giving experience.
To encourage donors to complete the optional field, you’ll also want to include a short blurb about matching gifts that provides context as to why you’re asking for employment data. Here’s an example: “Millions of donors qualify to have their charitable gifts matched by their employers. See if your company offers such a program by entering your employer’s name in the box.”
4. Mention on your confirmation screen.
Immediately after completing an online donation, nonprofit supporters typically remain at a high level of engagement. It’s important to take advantage of this momentum and immediately encourage eligible donors to secure a matching gift.
And your donation confirmation or thank-you screen is a great place to begin! After all, matching gifts make a great “Next Steps” option for supporters looking to increase their impact after they submit their donations.
Consider adding a message to your confirmation screen such as this: “Thanks for your donation! Did you know your employer may match your gift and double its impact? Check if your contribution is eligible by searching for your company here.”
And when you embed Double the Donation’s matching gift plugin, you can provide quick and easy access to company-specific guidelines, forms, and more. Plus, if the individual provides their employer’s name during the giving process, the plugin tool will automatically populate with that company’s program details and direct links to submission forms!
This allows individuals to quickly move from the “general awareness of matching gift programs as a concept” phase to the “specific knowledge of their company’s initiatives and guidelines” in no time. And remember—the latter is where you want your donors to be!
5. Include matching gift information in donation acknowledgments.
If your nonprofit organization is not already including information about matching gift opportunities in donor acknowledgment letters, it’s super easy to start. Keep in mind, though, that you won’t want this to be your sole matching gift promotion. Automated donation acknowledgments and gift receipts are often quickly discarded and may ultimately end up in a “trash” box before the donor arrives at the included matching gift mention.
Still, including a brief section about corporate matching gift opportunities can be an excellent way to whet your supporters’ appetites regarding the programs. Direct donors to your aforementioned matching gift web page, and let them know that they should soon expect to receive an additional email follow-up dedicated to matching gifts.
It can be as simple as this: “Did you know that many corporations offer employee giving programs where they match donations to [your organization’s name]? Search for your company on our matching gift page to see if they provide matching gifts! Or keep an eye out for detailed next steps in a separate email.”
6. Send separate matching gift follow-up emails.
Chances are, some donors are likely to miss out on your confirmation page and/or acknowledgment promotions. But you still want to ensure that all of your supporters are exposed to matching gift information so they can make an informed decision about their next steps.
The best way to do this? Send dedicated matching gift emails after each donation you receive.
(This is also a great reminder avenue for donors who did become aware of matching gifts previously but ultimately opted to procrastinate their requests.)
If you have a record of a donor’s employer, you can even incorporate detailed and company-specific program guidelines. This will help recipients quickly determine match eligibility and lead them directly to their companies’ online submission forms to complete the request. If you’ve yet to identify a supporter’s employer, encourage them once again to provide that information so you can guide them through the matching process.
By highlighting matching gifts while your organization and its cause are still fresh on donors’ minds, you increase the likelihood that they will take action to double their gifts. That’s why we recommend sending these follow-up messages within 24 hours of receiving the initial gift. In fact, organizations that do so see an estimated 53% open rate, which is more than two to three times the average nonprofit email open rate.
7. Engage on social media.
Social media sites can be a great way to increase matching gift awareness across a wider audience. Plus, you can encourage supporters to interact with and share your content with their own followers.
Make sure to schedule regular messages throughout the year, noting occasions like Matching Gift Month and more. Use your social platforms to share stories about how the money raised for your organization is helping grow your mission—and how doubling those gifts helps amplify impact.
For the best results, adjust your messaging based on the platform on which you plan to share it. For example…
Regardless of what you post or where you post it, you’ll want to provide direct links to resources users can access for additional information.
8. Enlist snail-mail promotions.
While electronic communication is speedy and efficient, there are still donors who would still rather the personal touch of a tangible mailing. If your organization employs direct mail outreach in your fundraising, consider exploring the tactic to increase matching gift awareness among your direct-mail-preferred donor segment.
However, you’ll want to keep in mind that the investment for this strategy can add up quickly—so make sure you’re still expecting an appropriate return.
There are a number of ways to keep your costs low, too. For example, if you’re already hosting a direct mail campaign, you might include an insert on matching gifts into your existing fundraising packet. Or similarly, you can even print matching gift information directly onto your donation return envelopes!
Still, we recommend retaining physical mailings for only your most lucrative matching gift opportunities.
9. Host a live-stream event.
If they’ve never heard of the programs before, your donors are likely to have a number of questions about matching gifts. As you begin to integrate donation-matching promotions into your overall fundraising efforts, consider hosting a live-stream event.
This will allow you to engage with your audience in real-time, encouraging supporters to attend, ask questions, and learn more about getting involved with their employers’ corporate giving programs.
Not to mention, it will also provide a unique opportunity for your team to show the persons behind your organization with a virtual, yet face-to-face experience.
10. Employ end-of-year reminders.
Unfortunately, donations typically have a limited time span during which they qualify for corporate matching. Though it can differ from company to company, many program windows close at the end of the year. Thus, it’s critical that you increase matching gift awareness among donors before it’s too late.
And end-of-year reminders can be a great way to do so.
As the year comes to a close, consider sending additional outreach that reiterates the availability of matching gifts. This can be especially beneficial for those who had been marked match-eligible despite not seeming to have submitted their matches.
Remember: the urgency at the end of the year can be an excellent tool for driving action along with awareness. So make the most of it!
After awareness — next steps to consider
Informing individuals about matching gift opportunities is phase one in securing additional financial support. But you can’t stop there!
After ensuring awareness of matching gifts, there are a few next steps we recommend to ultimately drive matches to completion, determine success, and thank donors for their above-and-beyond support.
Remind supporters about matching gifts.
Sometimes the initial steps you take to inform your audience about matching gifts won’t be enough to actually produce results. In those cases, take the extra step to remind qualifying donors about their matching gift eligibility after the fact.
To do so, it helps to track which identified matches have been submitted by donors and which ones appear to remain unclaimed. Then, follow up on incomplete matches by reminding donors about the opportunity and how easily they can get involved.
Here’s a hint: manually tracking and following up on matching gifts can be quite the undertaking. We recommend employing automation software like 360MatchPro to identify, pursue, and monitor matches throughout the process.
Thank donors for their submissions.
To make your gratitude stand out in your recipients’ inboxes, consider employing customizable donor recognition eCards. It’s a fun and creative way to thank your matching gift donors for taking the next steps to amplify their giving impact. And it will keep your organization at the forefront of the recipient’s mind for longer, too!
Communicate gratitude for completed matches.
Your supporters also want to know if and when your organization receives the associated match to their donation. Despite the matching gift not coming from an individual’s own wallet, it’s important to recognize that the additional contribution would not have been possible without their actions on your behalf.
Plus, it helps close the loop with the original donor, confirming with them that the match was ultimately successful. Otherwise, they might never know it was completed, and they wouldn’t be as likely to request a match in the future.
Bonus tip: In your acknowledgments, you can even link a survey that asks donors how they learned about matching gifts. Consider listing your primary marketing efforts along with an “other” field or free response option. This will help determine which efforts are worth prioritizing in the future as well as which may be less impactful for your particular audience.
Identify ongoing opportunities.
Your organization should also be able to determine if a majority of matching gifts are coming from one company in particular or from a wide array of employers.
This is noteworthy because if your matching gifts seem to be coming from a few major employers, consider publicly recognizing the company as a valuable partner to your organization.
You can even reach out to pursue additional corporate sponsorships. This might include upcoming events, cause marketing opportunities, in-kind donations, workplace giving campaigns, and more.
Measure matching gift marketing impact.
Our final recommended step involves ensuring that your above-mentioned marketing efforts are actually working. One key piece of advice we have is to visualize your data with a chart or graph. This way, you can easily view the total (number, revenue, or percentage) of matching gifts received in a set time period.
Then, compare that figure to your previous month, year, etc., to show the difference between your results pre- and post-marketing strategy. Can you see a discernible difference in the number of matching gifts being sent in?
To get started, you can download our free, editable Matching Gift Dashboard here >
But to scale up your reporting capabilities, the right matching gift software can make a big difference here as well. For example, Double the Donation empowers organizations to easily track metrics such as their:
From there, you can take a look at your data, locate apparent trends, identify successes, and explore areas with room for improvement.
Wrapping Up
There are a variety of ways to market matching gifts to your donors, and increasing awareness of the opportunity can go a long way.
Too much money goes unclaimed by nonprofits and their donors due to a lack of awareness about corporate giving initiatives. This shouldn’t be the case!
Make sure you’re educating your supporters on a consistent and ongoing basis, and you could be well on your way to a substantial increase in matching gift fundraising success.
Interested in learning more about matching gift opportunities and how to drive participation for your nonprofit cause? Check out these additional recommended resources:
Matching Gifts for Special Fundraising Events
/in Marketing Strategies, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerMany nonprofits host special event fundraisers like galas to boost them toward their revenue goals. However, only a few organizations realize that tickets and donations made during the event might be eligible for corporate matching gifts.
When brainstorming ideas for your next fundraiser, don’t steer clear of special events. Instead, research your donors’ employers and your corporate match opportunities. To kick off your research, review the following key examples and commonalities between companies’ giving programs:
Ready to learn more about matching gifts for special event fundraisers? Let’s get started!
1. Examples of Donations at Annual Galas and Special Events
Because of your familiarity with the nonprofit world, you likely know that organizations typically incorporate donations with their special events.
Let’s take a look at some notable special events hosted by some major, well-known organizations:
Most nonprofits aren’t quite on this huge event level, but it’s a great place to start researching. Take the time to look at special events hosted by major nonprofits whose missions are similar to yours. Who knows? Their major fundraisers may inspire your next event!
Looking to host your own charity auction? Check out these great platforms.
2. Eligibility of Donations Made at Galas and Special Events
It may come as a surprise, but many companies that offer matching gift programs will match donations made at special events!
When reviewing a company’s matching gift form, you may notice a sentence similar to “the corporation will not match tickets or subscriptions.” For instance, if your organization is a symphony selling a concert ticket or a science museum selling an IMAX ticket, companies won’t match the ticket price.
The reason for this is that donors are receiving a tangible benefit that would be charged by other for-profit organizations. For example, an IMAX movie could be compared to a regular movie ticket while the symphony could be compared to a sporting event ticket.
If that’s the case, then why are gala tickets and special event tickets often eligible?
If you look at the fine print on many nonprofits’ special event tickets, you’ll notice that it mentions a tax-deductible amount for each ticket. The tax-deductible dollar amount is what’s eligible to be matched.
In general, at galas, you must subtract the cost of a similar meal and any gifts that guests receive. Otherwise, it won’t be considered matching-gift eligible. For instance, if you host a gala and sell $500 tickets, you have to determine the fair market value of the benefits. In other words, how much would someone spend on the event if it wasn’t a fundraiser?
Let’s say people would typically spend $100 for a gala like yours plus $50 on the meal at a local restaurant. That makes the fair market value $150, meaning the tax-deductible amount is $350. In this case, $350 is the amount that would eligible for matches.
If you’re interested in learning more, we wrote an entire article on calculating the tax-deductible matching gift value.
The Bottom Line: A significant percentage of a gala ticket’s price is tax-deductible and is often eligible to be matched by an employee’s company. However, corporate guidelines do vary by company.
3. Matching Gifts for Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers
When researching corporate match programs, you may come across some companies that match the fundraising efforts of its employees. In other words, if their employees voluntarily fundraise for your cause (i.e. peer-to-peer fundraising), a company that offers this program will match the entire amount up to a certain limit.
Some of the major companies that offer these generous programs are:
Peer-to-peer fundraising is a common strategy for boosting nonprofit revenue. With these campaigns, your volunteer fundraisers receive their own personalized webpages where they raise money for your cause. The most common example of these effective fundraisers is walkathons. Though these campaigns are heavily reliant on online tactics, once you master the peer-to-peer approach, you’ll boost your fundraising potential!
Learn more about fundraising match programs.
4. Tips for Promoting Matching Gifts to Special Event Attendees
Unfortunately, for organizations, it’s less common to receive employee matching gifts for galas and special events than it is for regular donations or annual fund contributions.
As with all donations, you have to raise awareness and make it easy for donors to submit matching gift requests. However, there’s an extra component when it comes to galas and special events.
Even if an individual knows about their company’s matching gift program, they rarely realize a portion of their recently purchased ticket is tax-deductible and often match-eligible. Therefore, you need to promote this. Start by doing the following:
Before creating your promotion plan, make sure to review our list of top ways to promote employee matching gifts year-round.
5. How a Matching Gift Database Can Help
In addition to helping your day-to-day fundraising strategy, a matching gift database (like Double the Donation) can help your organization pinpoint additional revenue opportunities at special events.
Your nonprofit should promote corporate giving at any special fundraising event. Before going into ways to do this, here’s how Double the Donation works:
Best of all, the tool easily integrates with other fundraising software. That means Double the Donation Matching streamlines the process even further by autoamting matching gift outreach to donors who contribute to your organization.
There are multiple ways you can promote corporate philanthropy with Double the Donation’s services:
Get creative with your matching gift promotion! Think your nonprofit can benefit from Double the Donation?
Corporate philanthropy represents a major opportunity for nonprofits. By taking the time to incorporate it into your fundraising and outreach strategies, you set your nonprofit up for success. Few nonprofits take the time to do proper research on these programs. Because of that, they overlook major revenue opportunities.
Now that you know special event tickets and donations can be matched by most employers, get started boosting your revenue!
Finding A Matching Gift Coordinator: Sample Job Description
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerIs your nonprofit organization missing out on potential funds from matching gift donations? Yes.
Does your development department have someone who is knowledgeable about matching gifts and the intricacies of the process? No.
Would you be interested in having someone on your staff who can bring added value to your annual fund? Yes.
If your answers match ours, then it might be time for your organization to bring on a dedicated matching gift coordinator. We’re going to explore hiring a matching gift coordinator through the following topics:
With the sample job description, we’ll look at a general overview, key responsibilities, and the characteristics of a qualified candidate. Follow along for a deep-dive into hiring a matching gift specialist.
What is a matching gift coordinator?
A matching gift coordinator is simply the staff member in charge of all of your organization’s matching gift needs, from discovering which donors are match eligible to educating those donors about submitting match requests.
This is the staff member that, for a smaller nonprofit, directs donors to your organization’s searchable matching gift database or even searches donors’ information themselves. Or, on the other hand, if you’re a larger nonprofit– this is the staff member that manages your matching gift automation tool. Finally, after determining eligibility, this staff member follows-up with donors, starting the process.
Bonus! If your organization doesn’t currently have either of these tools and they seem like a good solution for you, visit Double the Donation to get started.
We’ve put together a sample job description for a matching gift coordinator that you can post on a multitude of great nonprofit job and career sites. Of course, you’ll need to add in the more specific elements that make your organization unique to help you stand out from the crowd. Use this template to get started, and customize it according to your organization’s specific successes!
Matching Gift Coordinator
Overview
The Matching Gift Coordinator is responsible for the oversight of the matching gift program, a component of fund development. This position entails communicating with individual donors to ensure knowledge about the possibility of matching gifts, as well as maintaining and updating appropriate information on the website and within relevant marketing materials.
The Matching Gift Coordinator reports to and works in collaboration with the Director of Development.
Key Responsibilities
Characteristics of a Qualified Candidate
The Matching Gift Coordinator position requires an organized, proactive, and energetic individual who will work effectively with donors and corporations.
A successful candidate will have the following qualities:
A matching gift coordinator can help your organization increase its incoming donations through matching gift programs. These programs present a huge opportunity, and you don’t want to miss out due to being understaffed!
If it’s time for your organization to bring on a matching gift coordinator, use the above job description to start your search.
Benevity: Workplace Giving Tools for Corporations
/in Learning Center, Corporate Consulting /by Adam WeingerLooking for information on Benevity, or trying to figure out which companies use Benevity’s corporate giving software?
Good news! While Double the Donation is a separate company (we provide employee matching gift tools for nonprofits, whereas Benevity provides services to corporations), we can share much of the information you’re looking for.
It’s important for companies to put an emphasis on workplace giving programs—especially corporate matching gifts—and do what they can to encourage employees to participate. Benevity is one of the leading corporate giving vendors that can help companies do just that.
About Benevity’s Workplace Giving Software
Almost all major companies have philanthropic giving programs in place. Sometimes they’re managed internally, but many use a corporate giving vendor for their program’s administration.
One such corporate giving vendor, Benevity, was founded in Calgary in 2008 by Bryan de Lottinville. Since then, it has become one of the leading providers of CSR software in both the U.S. and Canada.
Benevity offers a full suite of technical solutions to help companies power their corporate giving programs. These include:
It’s also worth noting that Benevity is a registered B Corp (meaning, they use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems). Benevity helps companies make a difference while achieving greater business impacts from their cause marketing, community investment, workplace giving, and volunteering programs.
Companies That Use Benevity
Benevity provides corporate giving software to many U.S. and Canadian-based corporations. A few clients include:
Here’s what the Benevity portal for Nike looks like:
Benevity offers employees an easy way to access their company’s workplace giving program and log their donations online. If you want to make it easy for employees to participate in your corporate philanthropy efforts, consider using a vendor like Benevity!
Benevity Causes for Nonprofits
Benevity Causes is a portal that Benevity runs for nonprofits. It offers organizations direct access to customize their interactions with companies around the world.
Some of the benefits Benevity Causes provides include:
Since Benevity provides the software that powers many large companies’ corporate philanthropy efforts, we recommend that all nonprofits register with Benevity Causes.
Double the Donation’s Relationship with Benevity
Benevity and Double the Donation are separate businesses, but both serve corporate philanthropy efforts.
While Benevity provides workplace giving tools to companies, Double the Donation helps nonprofits raise money from the employee matching gift programs offered by companies across the world.
Double the Donation’s database of matching gift companies includes matching gift programs either managed internally at companies or outsourced to one of the many corporate vendors, including:
These workplace giving solutions help companies manage their matching gift and volunteer programs, while streamlining the entire process so their employees can easily participate.
How Do I Contact Benevity?
If you’re a corporation interested in learning more about Benevity’s workplace giving software solutions, you can contact the company in one of three ways:
Reach out to learn more about Benevity’s services!
About Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Software
Double the Donation sells an easy-to-use tool to nonprofits to help them promote matching gifts to donors (if you’re a nonprofit rather than a company, check out our service to see if it can help your organization increase its matching gift revenue). Our database of matching gift companies includes those administered by Benevity, as well as those managed by other corporate giving vendors.
Double the Donation’s team researches and manages a database of matching gift company guidelines, forms, and contact information that nonprofits and their donors can access. If you’re a nonprofit looking to improve your matching gift fundraising, test out our service.
Additional Workplace Giving Tool Resources
There are many resources at your disposal when it comes to corporate giving. Check out these additional articles to find out more!
3 Keys for Private Schools to Maximize Matching Gift Programs
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerAre you a K-12 private school looking to raise more money from employee matching gift programs? If so, this article is for you!
A significant percentage of the companies that offer to match employee donations will double donations to K-12 private schools. But just because companies offer these programs, doesn’t mean your school’s parents and donors are following through with their match requests.
There are three keys to increasing the amount of money you’re raising from employee grant programs.
#1 – Know Which Companies Match Gifts to Private Schools
At the most basic level, we see some independent schools suggesting that parents “reach out to their HR departments.” But that’s just the beginning. If your private school wants to increase matching gift revenue, make sure you’re aware of the many companies that match employee donations.
In fact, hundreds of companies in nearly every major city match employee donations. While we can’t list out our entire database, here are a few examples to help your independent school’s staff get a better feel for the standard match programs offered by companies,
Disney
The Walt Disney Corporation will match donations made to a variety of nonprofits, including private schools (K-12 and higher education institutions). Disney offers to match up to $25,000 a year per employee for both full and part-time staff members.
And don’t forget about your volunteers! Through the Disney VoluntEARS program, the company offers up to a $2,000 grant for an employee who volunteers for between 10 and 150+ hours in a year.
Read more about the Walt Disney matching gift program.
Pepsi Cola
And don’t forget about grandparents! Pepsi’s employee match program is open to current employees as well as retirees or their surviving spouses and domestic partners.
Read more about the Pepsi matching gift program.
#2 – Raise Awareness
Unfortunately donors must be the ones to actually initiate the matching gift process. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t play a role in prompting donors to think about and submit matching gifts.
We encourage you to take a few minutes to review your fundraising efforts (ex. check your website, email templates, paper letters, etc.) to see where you’re promoting matching gifts. You’ll surely find a number of places where you should be including matching gifts. For instance:
If you have a few minutes look through our matching gift marketing resources for ideas and examples of how other organizations are effectively promoting match programs to parents and donors.
#3 – Make It Easy:
Let’s face it, parents and donors are busy. While they clearly care about your school, between carpool, coaching their kids’ sports teams, PTA duties, and of course their own jobs, time is their most precious asset. So ensure you’re making it as easy as possible for your donors to submit matching gifts.
Providing parents with company specific matching gift information so they don’t need to go to their HR departments can go a long way. This could include information such as:
Consider reaching out to major employers in your area to obtain the appropriate forms or subscribing to a matching gift service (such as Double the Donation).
Have Retirees who Volunteer? Receive Grants from their Former Employers!
/in Lists and Rankings, Volunteer Grant Companies /by Adam WeingerVolunteer grants for retirees are one of the most overlooked sources of fundraising for nonprofits. But given that retirees are the most committed volunteers for many organizations, there’s value in promoting volunteer grants to these supporters.
At Double the Donation, we help nonprofits raise more money from employee matching gift and volunteer grant programs. While we’re the first to admit that many company programs are geared exclusively towards current employees, some companies extend their grant programs to retirees who volunteer on a regular basis.
Companies with Volunteer Grant Programs for Retirees
Chevron:
Like most major oil and gas producers, Chevron has generous employee giving programs. One aspect that differentiates the company from its peers is that its matching gift and volunteer grants are not limited to current employees. Retirees are also eligible to submit grant requests for much of their philanthropic giving.
Each employee or retiree who volunteers for at least 20 hours in a year can request a grant for $500. At $25 per hour, that makes Chevron’s volunteer grant program one of the top ones in the world. And to make it even better, each individual can request up to two grants (either for the same organization or different organizations) for a total of $1,000 annually.
Learn more about Chevron’s Volunteer Grant Program.
PNM Resources:
PNM Resources, which stands for Public Service Company of New Mexico, is an energy holding company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company owns both PNM and Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP). As a long-time employer in both markets, the company has a strong passion for giving back.
In addition to PNM Resources’ matching gift program, the company also encourages employees and retirees to volunteer with nonprofit organizations by providing financial grants to the organizations as a way to recognize volunteerism. There are three tiers of grants:
Learn more about PNM Resources’ Volunteer Grant Program.
Aetna:
As one of the nation’s largest insurers, Aetna has a presence in nearly all states. Given its size and scope, it’s great to hear that the company offers multiple employee giving programs.
In addition to Aetna’s matching gift program where the company matches donations to nearly any nonprofit, Aetna also provides grants to nonprofits when active employees and retirees volunteer. Once an individual volunteers for at least 20 hours, Aetna will provide a $300 grant to the nonprofit where the employee or retiree volunteered. Coming out to $15 per hour, Aetna’s program is on the upper end of volunteer grant rates!
Learn more about Aetna’s Volunteer Grant Program.
Pfizer:
Not many companies provide volunteer grants of $1,000 but Pfizer is one of them. In addition to matching up to $5,000 in employee donations at a 1:1 ratio and matching retiree contributions at a 50% ratio, the company also is a huge advocate for ongoing volunteerism.
At the heart of Pfizer’s volunteer grant program is a goal of encouraging regular and long-term volunteerism. Pfizer provides $1,000 grants to nonprofits where employees and retirees volunteer as long as the following requirements are met:
Learn more about Pfizer’s Volunteer Grant Program.
IBM – International Business Machines:
As one of the largest and most respected companies in the world, it’s no surprise that IBM also excels in the corporate philanthropy space. In addition to providing matching gifts to thousands of organizations which employees donate to each year, International Business Machines also offers multiple forms of volunteer grants for both current employees and retirees.
Specifics vary, but IBM employees and retirees who volunteer for a minimum of eight hours a month for five months can apply for cash grants of up to $1,000 or technology grants worth up to $3,500 for their favorite nonprofit.
Learn more about IBM’s Volunteer Grant Program.
Additional Resources on Volunteer Grant Programs
Want to learn more about volunteer grant programs and how they benefit your organization? Check out the following resources:
Matching Gifts: Requests for Non-Personal Donations
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerCorporate philanthropy is a tricky topic for most nonprofit professionals, because there are so many guidelines and restrictions that come with them. However, that does not mean your nonprofit should give up on developing a corporate giving strategy.
Oftentimes, both potential donors and nonprofits run into the issue of non-personal donations. From the donor perspective, some employers don’t offer matching gift donations. Because of this, they may consider giving their money to a friend whose employer does offer matching gifts to donate for them.
From the nonprofit perspective, some donors work at companies with fewer matching gift limits, so they wonder if they can funnel donations through these individuals to make sure all donations are matched.
To fully understand situations pertaining to non-personal donations, let’s look into a few key questions:
If you’re ready to learn more about match-eligibility for non-personal donations, let’s get started.
1. Are Non-Personal Donations Eligible for Matching Gift Programs?
Nonprofits often have a strong desire to maximize donations from matching gift programs, and rightfully so! However, we strongly recommend that donors only take advantage of their own employers’ match programs.
Typically, company guidelines specifically state something like the following: “Gifts must be personal contributions paid either in cash or securities.” Oftentimes, matching gift programs are designed for personal contributions from employees only.
Thus, from a corporate standpoint, passing donations through a supporter who works for a matching gift company is at least frowned upon. The actual reprimands for doing this aren’t always clear, but the next section goes into a few possible consequences.
Hopefully, the nonprofit community recognizes that corporate philanthropy programs are intended to democratize the corporate giving process. In other words, companies want their employees to direct how the giving budget gets spent. Businesses want to give to causes that employees care about, not employees’ friends. These programs are completely optional, so hopefully, everyone utilizes them in the spirit for which they were designed.
2. Why Shouldn’t Donors Give Non-Personal Donations?
In addition to going against the spirit of corporate philanthropy, there are a few other reasons to avoid matching gift requests for non-personal donations. For more context, let’s go into a few of those reasons.
Potential Fraud
Whenever a matching gift request is submitted, the employee has to sign the form, indicating that the donation adheres to the company’s guidelines. Additionally, whenever a nonprofit verifies a donation, the nonprofit confirming the donation is also signing that it agrees the donation meets the company’s guidelines.
In other words, if someone donates a friend’s money and claims that it’s theirs, that’s a non-personal donation. Therefore, it goes against most company guidelines. By signing the form, both the nonprofit and the donor are agreeing that it adheres to the guidelines, which is not the case.
While we certainly aren’t legal experts, there’s a strong chance that both the employee and the nonprofit would be committing fraud by submitting or verifying match requests for non-personal donations. Doing so could put the employee’s job at risk while also jeopardizing the nonprofit’s eligibility for future matches and grants.
Tax Implications
By submitting a matching gift request for a non-personal donation, there are certainly tax implications. For instance, who gets to claim the charitable tax deduction on the original donation? Should it be the individual who gave his money to a friend to donate, or the friend who donated the money and submitted the match request?
Even if you don’t get into legal trouble for submitting a matching gift request, you’ll certainly run into issues when tax season comes around.
Takeaway: While these obstacles are difficult to overcome, they can be avoided altogether. Simply don’t submit or verify matching gift requests for non-personal donations.
3. How Can a Matching Gift Database Identify Other Revenue Opportunities?
While it may not be wise to submit a matching gift request for non-personal donations, you can pinpoint other corporate philanthropy opportunities. This is done with a matching gift database like Double the Donation.
By adding Double the Donation’s services to your tech toolkit, your nonprofit won’t miss out on important revenue opportunities. For instance, the tool:
This full matching gift software from Double the Donation can also automatically identify match-eligible donors, follow up with them, drive matches to completion, and even put an automated match plan in place!
Think your nonprofit can benefit from Double the Donation?
We always encourage organizations to stick to the spirit of the match programs. In other words, these programs are designed for personal donations, so employees should use them for personal donations. This answer might not be what most individuals and nonprofits want to hear, but it’s best to steer clear of these situations.
Even if your nonprofit doesn’t have many matching gift opportunities, using a database can enhance your corporate fundraising strategy. Plus, there might be more match opportunities than you thought!
Learn more about companies that match the nonprofit fundraising efforts of employees.
Companies that Match Gifts to Elementary Schools
/in Learning Center, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam WeingerOften, educational institutions have avid supporters who make major donations. However, pinpointing which employers will match these donations can be difficult. This is because of the multitude of guidelines surrounding eligible organizations.
High schools and higher education institutions often receive matching gift funds, but elementary schools and PTAs can also be major recipients of match-eligible donations.
If your school is fortunate enough to have a large donor base, make sure you’re researching large employers in your area. To revamp your fundraising strategy, you’ll need to raise awareness and make it easy for donors to submit match requests.
It’s well-known that almost all companies with matching gift programs will match donations made to higher education. However, the policies surrounding K-12 schools can be confusing. Let’s review a few companies that match employee donations to elementary schools, such as:
Elementary schools have a lot to gain from corporate matching. Companies want to actively support their local elementary schools, and there’s no better way to do that than matching donations made to them by employees. Let’s take a look at a few of these major matching gift corporations.
The Home Depot
Home Depot matches up to $1,000 annually per employee for each organization to which they donate. However, there’s a maximum amount of $3,000, too. Also, they simplify the match process by allowing employees to submit their requests electronically—no paperwork necessary!
Both full-time employees and part-time employees are eligible, so be on the lookout for this popular employer.
Read more about Home Depot’s matching gift program.
McDonald’s Corporation
The company will match corporate employee donations a year to elementary schools. While full-time and part-time corporate employees are eligible to participate, franchise employees are not eligible.
Additionally, McDonald’s will match up to $5,000 per employee per year and $10,000 per vice president and board of director member per year. There are a few more restrictions surrounding eligible employees, so make sure to do a bit more research on the company before submitting a request.
Read more about the McDonald’s matching gift program.
Texas Instruments
The company matches donations of between $25 and $10,000 per employee each year. As an added benefit, Texas Instruments also matches donations from retirees. Double the Donation has a full list of Texas Instruments’ matching gift guidelines for educational institutions.
In addition to its matching gift program, TI encourages its employees to volunteer. After an employee volunteers 20 hours with an eligible educational institution (K-12 included), they can request a $250 grant for the school. Employees and retirees can request up to four volunteer grants (i.e. $1,000) each year.
Read more about the Texas Instruments matching gift program.
The Walt Disney Corporation
Additionally, Walt Disney offers a volunteer grant program, called Disney VoluntEARS. Once an employee volunteers a minimum of 10 hours, they can request a grant. Like most corporate giving programs, the amount received depends on the number of volunteer hours. In other words, 10-24 hours equals a $100 grant, 25-49 hours represents a $250 grant, and so on. Once an employee exceeds 150 hours, they receive a $2,000 grant.
Also, the company recognizes exceptional individual volunteers with its “VoluntEARS of the Year” grants of $2,500.
However, Walt Disney’s grant request process is slightly different from other companies. Employees register their donations online and then email the certificate to the nonprofit. The certificate includes a “Gift ID” which the nonprofit uses to claim the matching gift funds.
Read more about Walt Disney’s matching gift program.
Additional Matching Gift Companies
While these companies offer generous matching gifts to educational institutions, they aren’t the only companies that do this. Here are a few other major employers that match gifts made to elementary schools:
When developing your corporate philanthropy fundraising plan, make sure to research all your donors’ employers, not just those listed here. However, these are great companies to consider when kicking off your research!
How a Matching Gift Database Can Help
A matching gift database ensures that your elementary school, along with most other organizations, isn’t missing out on any corporate philanthropy opportunities.
Double the Donation works with organizations (including K-12 schools) across the country. The search tool, which can be embedded across online fundraising tools, has information on over 20,000 companies. Here’s what it does:
This tool automatically recognizes match-eligible donors, follows up with them until the match process is complete, and even creates an automated matching gift plan for you.
Determine which tool is best for your elementary school (or other organization) and start boosting your matching gift revenue!
Matching gift programs are an additional source of funding for elementary schools that most individuals overlook. By identifying all of your match opportunities, you maximize your revenue potential. Plus, a lot of companies also have volunteer grant programs, where your generous volunteers can receive grant money for your school!
By knowing about employers in your area that offer matching gifts, you set your school up for fundraising success. Start looking for these opportunities, and maximize your revenue now!
If you’re looking to learn more about corporate giving programs, make sure to check out these useful articles:
Donor-Advised Funds: Are DAFs Eligible for Matching Gifts?
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerDonor-advised funds (DAF), which make giving charitable donations simple and easy, are quickly gaining popularity, but because nonprofits don’t know the ins and outs, they might not be fully taking advantage of them.
As a nonprofit professional, you likely know the DAF basics, such as how they allow donors to give today and receive a tax deduction now, rather than waiting for tax season. However, what if you could double these gifts through donors’ employers?
To fully answer this question, there are a few key points you need to review:
If you’re ready to boost your nonprofit’s revenue, let’s get started!
Read more
Spotlight on YourCause: Manage Matching Gifts
/in Learning Center, Corporate Consulting /by Adam WeingerLooking for information on YourCause or companies which use YourCause’s corporate philanthropy platform?
Good news! While Double the Donation is a completely separate and non-related company, we can share much of the information you’re looking for on YourCause.
What Does YourCause Do?
YourCause is the provider of the CSRconnect Employee Engagement Platform. CSRconnect is an online platform for corporations to manage one or multiple philanthropic programs (including employee matching gift and volunteer grant programs).
Almost all major companies have philanthropic giving programs in place, but many use a vendor for the corporate philanthropy software and administration. YourCause was founded by Matt Combs in 2008 and has become a leader in the CSR space.
YourCause provides companies with the ability to:
Who Uses YourCause’s Corporate Giving Platform?
YourCause provides corporate philanthropy, matching gift, and volunteer grant tools to many of the world’s leading companies.
A few of its clients include:
What’s the difference between YourCause and CSRconnect?
YourCause L.L.C. is the official company name while CSRconnect is the name of their corporate employee giving and volunteering platform.
The CSRconnect platform provides functionality for corporations including:
CSRconnect is a highly customizable tool for corporations of all sizes. Businesses big and small can easily adopt this tool to help streamline fund management, corporate philanthropy tools, and more.
The CSRconnect Employee Engagement Platform is YourCause’s online giving system for corporate employees.
How Do Nonprofits Benefit From YourCause?
YourCause provides a Nonprofit Portal which has free tools to help organizations leverage YourCause’s network of corporate clients. By registering on the Nonprofit Portal to become the administrator, you can increase your organization’s exposure to the donations and volunteer hours being transacted on the platform.
The tools include:
How Do I Contact YourCause?
YourCause is happy to help you with any question or concern you might have!
If you fall into one of the following three categories, you should contact the company’s matching gift and volunteer grant hotline for assistance:
There are three ways to contact YourCause:
Double the Donation’s Relationship with YourCause:
YourCause and Double the Donation are two completely separate businesses.
While YourCause provides tools and manages matching gift programs for companies, Double the Donation helps nonprofits raise more money from the matching gift programs offered by companies across the world.
Double the Donation’s database of matching gift companies includes matching gift programs managed either internally at companies or outsourced to one of the many corporate vendors such as:
Click here for more information on these matching gift vendors.
Double the Donation sells an easy-to-use tool to nonprofits to help them promote matching gifts to donors (check out our service to see if it can help your organization increase matching gift fundraising). Our database of matching gift companies includes those administered by YourCause as well as those managed by the many other matching gift vendors.