Author Simon Sinek once said, “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” This quote perfectly illustrates how vital it is to engage your employees. By doing so, they will be happier and perform to the best of their abilities.
Unfortunately, employee engagement is sometimes an afterthought in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. However, many of these organizations might wonder: why exactly does employee engagement matter?
In this guide, we’ll answer that question by covering the following topics:
By the end of this guide, you’ll see that employee engagement is not only beneficial for your organization in the short term but also necessary for its continued success. So let’s dive in!
What is employee engagement?
In general, employee engagement refers to the level of mental and emotional connection an employee feels toward their work, their team, and their organization. It represents employees’ commitment to staying involved with their organization and helping it achieve its goals.
Keep in mind that employee engagement doesn’t just refer to an employee’s overall enthusiasm—it has to relate to your organization. An individual can have a positive attitude, yet not be very engaged as an employee.
What are the levels of employee engagement?
While it’s possible for all of your employees to have similar engagement levels, it’s more likely that their attitudes are at different locations on the engagement spectrum. Usually, they will fall into one of the following levels of engagement:
- Highly engaged. These employees have very favorable opinions of their work and their organization. They’re passionate, enthusiastic, and more likely to go above and beyond to push forward their company’s goals. They also motivate the employees around them to do their best.
- Engaged. Engaged employees like their work, their team, and their organization. However, they may feel less satisfied about certain aspects of the organization, leading to a slightly lower level of engagement. These individuals may sometimes go above and beyond their call of duty, but for the most part, they will simply fulfill their responsibilities.
- Unengaged. When your employees are unengaged, they feel unattached to their work and their organization. They’re not unhappy, but neither are they happy. They put time into their work, but not their energy or passion. Individuals in this category usually fulfill little more than the bare minimum of their responsibilities.
- Disengaged. Disengaged employees are actively unhappy with their work and their organization. They may even be resentful that their engagement needs aren’t being met. These individuals not only underperform in their roles but may also undermine what their coworkers accomplish.
Having unengaged or disengaged employees is not necessarily indicative of an issue with your company culture—it’s difficult to capture the enthusiasm of everyone who works at your organization, and sometimes engagement is impacted by factors outside of your control, such as major events in your employees’ lives. However, if the majority of your employees fall in the unengaged and disengaged categories, then you may need to re-evaluate your existing employee engagement strategies.
10 Benefits of Employee Engagement
To give you a concrete idea of why employee engagement is important, we’ll cover the top ten benefits of employee engagement.
1. Productivity
According to Gallup’s employee engagement survey, businesses with engaged employees were 18% more productive than companies with unengaged teams. When employees are engaged at work, they feel a connection with the company. They believe the work they’re doing is important and therefore work harder.
By establishing engagement initiatives that improve your employees’ connection to their work, you’ll foster a more positive relationship between your organization and your employees.
2. Profitability
With increased productivity comes increased profitability. When comparing organizations with unengaged versus engaged employees, Gallup found that the latter group was 23% more profitable.
However, not only do unengaged employees not contribute to increasing profitability, but their presence actively increases costs as well. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report asserts that unengaged and disengaged employees cost the world about $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, the equivalent of 9% of global GDP.
3. Employee retention
When your team members are engaged and feel appreciated, they will be less inclined to look for other employment opportunities. Fostering a culture of employee engagement can be the key to reducing turnover and boosting retention.
Retention has an impact on your organization’s bottom line, too. The Work Institute estimates that losing an employee costs about $15,000 per employee. This estimated loss includes costs such as unemployment tax, lost business, and interviewing and training replacements.
If employees feel wanted when they go to work each day, they’re likely to form strong connections with the company and other employees. By cultivating and maintaining these relationships, you reduce the risk of employee turnover and the costs associated with it.
4. Creativity
Innovation is the key to growing your business. Engaged employees find creativity to be essential. They thrive on knowing they can find new ways to complete projects and are always looking for fresh takes on old ideas. Plus, if they discover a way to improve your existing processes, they’ll be more likely to advocate for them to improve your organization’s operations as a whole.
On the other hand, disengaged employees rarely produce new solutions or bring fresh ideas to the table simply because their passions don’t lie with their work. They have little interest in contributing to the bigger picture or being creative with their job.
5. Satisfaction and positivity
Remember that boosting engagement isn’t simply about creating more productive employees and increasing profits. Employee engagement is advantageous for both parties and should be treated as a two-way street.
Employees who are engaged at work feel satisfied with their careers and are generally happy individuals. Their positive energy will suffuse your workplace, creating a more positive culture that empowers high performers to create high-quality work.
This is particularly important for remote employees. Since they’re physically distant from their workplace, it’s more difficult for them to form positive relationships and connections with coworkers. Find engagement strategies employees can participate in from home to bring them into your company’s culture.
6. Mental wellness
Stress is an inevitable part of a working professional’s life. However, too much of it can lead to burnout, decreasing productivity, work quality, and eventually profitability. That’s why it’s essential to minimize stress and promote mental wellness for your employees. Additionally, stress is detrimental to both physical health and mental health, making mental wellness even more important.
With the right employee engagement initiatives, your team members will be more self-aware of their stress levels. Plus, they’ll be more likely to seek support from their coworkers and managers if they need it. This leads to a more supportive and positive work environment that everyone benefits from.
7. Decreased absenteeism
Absenteeism in the workplace refers to when employees fail to show up for work or fail to complete their job responsibilities regularly. This should not be confused with taking paid time off or one-off situations such as family emergencies—the key to absenteeism is its frequency and unplanned nature.
According to Gallup’s employee engagement survey, organizations that scored in the lowest quartiles of employee engagement were also 81% more likely to experience employee absenteeism. By focusing on employee engagement, your employees will be more satisfied with their work and less likely to be absent.
8. Brand advocacy
Satisfied employees will help to boost your organization’s reputation—and best of all, it’ll happen without any prompting from you! Happy employees will likely brag about their jobs to customers or tell friends and family how much they enjoy working at your organization. By doing so, they’ll spread good news about your company and improve your overall reputation.
On the other hand, workers who feel disconnected and disengaged are more likely to have negative things to say about your company. If disengaged employees leave or are fired, they may vent their frustrations publicly. Because negative feedback tends to be magnified more than positive, your company’s reputation and credibility could be damaged due to disengaged, disgruntled employees.
You can measure the brand advocacy that employees bring to your organization through an employee net promoter score (eNPS). Ask your employees: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend this company’s products and services to others?” If they answer 9-10, they’re a promoter, and if they answer 0-6, they’re a detractor. Calculate eNS by deducting the percent of detractors from the percent of promoters, and ignore those who score 7-8. This will give you a good idea of how strongly your employees advocate for your organization.
9. Recruitment
Attracting top talent is important to any organization that has open roles or hiring opportunities. This is especially true if the job market is saturated with openings, allowing candidates to more freely pick and choose which organizations they’d like to work for.
When a majority of existing employees at your organization are engaged, they’re more likely to speak positively about their work and the benefits you offer. This helps attract top talent as they’ll have heard about the positive points of your organization through word of mouth.
When potential employees apply to your organization, make sure to leave a positive impression. This could mean responding to their emails in a timely manner, promptly following up about interview times, and sending respectful and appreciative rejection letters.
10. Philanthropy
Corporate citizenship is a growing trend for companies of all sizes and industries. This trend asks organizations to consider themselves as citizens, a singular individual existing in a larger community, and to ask: “Am I a good citizen?” One of the ways businesses and corporations have chosen to give back to their community is through philanthropy.
If corporate citizenship is one of your company’s priorities, try engaging your employees with it. Employees want to know that the company they work for cares about the community. If your company offers volunteer grants or matching gifts, engaged employees are likely to take advantage of these opportunities to donate their time and money toward worthy causes. This helps your company be a better corporate citizen in your community.
5 Tips for Improving Employee Engagement
Now that you know the benefits of employee engagement, let’s move on to actionable advice for improving engagement at your organization.
1. Survey existing levels of employee engagement.
The first step to establishing employee engagement initiatives is to assess the existing engagement levels at your organization. If you already have established programs and want to examine their efficacy, this is also a great place to start.
It’s difficult to approach employee engagement quantitatively, so lean into qualitative data collection by sending out a survey. Here are a few examples of questions you can include in your survey:
- How satisfied are you with your work?
- How satisfied are you with the direction [Organization Name] is taking?
- Do you feel your opinions and ideas are valued by your manager and leadership?
- How satisfied are you with your work-life balance?
- What do you think could be improved about your work?
- What challenges do you face in your day-to-day tasks?
- How likely are you to recommend [Organization Name] as a place of work to friends or family?
Collect the results of the survey and consolidate the information. Review the general level of employee engagement, but also examine the long-form answers on the survey. If there are any common challenges that your employees face, endeavor to address them to create a better work experience.
Upon review, if you find that the majority of your employees are unsatisfied with their work and feeling unengaged, then you may need to make operational changes to improve employee engagement. However, even if most of your employees are engaged, you should still do your due diligence and review how you can improve existing engagement. For example, if multiple employees express interest in a structured recognition program, look into starting one.
2. Approach compensation holistically.
To keep your employees engaged, re-examine the root of their work: compensation. With the proper compensation, employees will be happy to work and perform at their best.
Take a total rewards philosophy to compensation, where you characterize compensation as either direct or indirect. Direct compensation is financial and can include salary, bonuses, and overtime pay. Indirect compensation, on the other hand, encompasses the non-financial ways an employer gives back to their employees.
Support employee engagement with the following methods of indirect compensation:
- Paid time off. Outperform the competition by offering more time off than other businesses in your sector. By allowing your employees to take breaks, they’ll be able to rest and recharge, ensuring they come back refreshed and ready to work.
- Workplace giving. More than ever, employees expect their employers to give back to the community and support social good. Support this desire by allowing them to decide which causes receive your funds through workplace giving programs and campaigns. Plus, word of your philanthropy will result in an improved reputation for your company.
- Wellness programs. Help your employees stay physically and mentally healthy by incorporating wellness programs into their compensation. This can range from a monthly gym membership stipend to discounted massages to catered healthy work lunches.
By re-evaluating compensation for your employees and taking a total rewards approach, you’ll show team members that their happiness and well-being matter to you. When employees’ well-being and financial needs are secure, they’ll have the mental space to focus on their work and engage with your organization.
3. Prioritize employee recognition.
Everyone, especially high performers, wants to be complimented on their good work. If they don’t receive the praise or recognition they’re expecting, they may feel overlooked or disregarded by their managers and leadership. This can lead to resentment and disengaged employees.
To avoid this, implement employee recognition programs such as the following:
- Employee of the month. Every month, choose a top-performing employee to feature in your company newsletter. You can also give them a trophy or a certificate for the employee wall of fame so that they have a tangible reminder of their accomplishments.
- Social media shoutouts. Don’t be afraid of telling your customers and your greater community about your high-performing workers! Shoutout your employees on social media for a job well done. This can be done as part of your employee of the month program or as a way to celebrate a particular achievement.
- Employee Appreciation Day. National Employee Appreciation Day falls on the first Friday of March every year. Show your appreciation for all your employees by hosting an office party on this day with catered food and drinks. Go above and beyond by preparing small gifts for all attendees.
- Peer-to-peer recognition. Although leadership appreciation may be highly impactful, your company’s leaders aren’t tapped into the day-to-day responsibilities of all employees. That’s why peer-to-peer recognition is so important for ensuring all your employees receive the appreciation they deserve. Plus, it’ll create a more positive work environment that encourages engagement.
Not only does proper employee recognition prevent resentment, but it can support your goal of creating more engaged and productive employees. By recognizing high performance, you incentivize employees to do their best work. And this, in turn, will improve the profitability of your business.
4. Offer professional development opportunities.
With about 76% of employees looking for opportunities to expand their careers, professional development is an essential offering. Plus, 58% of employees say professional development contributes to their job satisfaction.
You may be thinking: If I offer my employees more training, then they’ll leave for better employment opportunities after the training is complete.
Studies have found that’s not true. 94% of employees won’t quit if they’re offered training and development opportunities, and retention rates are 34% higher among organizations that offer development programs.
To reap these benefits, offer professional development through mentorship programs, training and resource databases, networking opportunities, and more. You might even pay for employees to attend industry-related conferences to broaden their horizons and expand their knowledge about cutting-edge industry innovations.
5. Implement corporate philanthropy initiatives.
54% of employees in the United States said that they would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a company that shares their values. And 56% of them say they wouldn’t even consider a job at a company that has values they disagree with.
A value that’s increasingly significant to employees is philanthropy. In fact, 71% of employees indicate that it’s very important to work at a company that partakes in philanthropy. Show employees that you share their values by investing in corporate giving initiatives.
Common workplace giving programs that you can implement include:
- Matching gifts
- Volunteer grants
- Employee grant stipends
- In-kind donations
When developing your company’s charitable giving policy, prioritize convenience for employees. To facilitate a streamlined corporate philanthropy process, consider investing in workplace giving software. The right platform will allow you to:
- Manage employee donations and matching gift requests.
- Track employee volunteer hours and volunteer grant requests.
- Arrange automatic payroll deductions so employees can donate a portion of their paycheck to a nonprofit of their choice.
By creating an atmosphere of corporate philanthropy, you’ll not only help employees contribute to nonprofit organizations but also help them feel more engaged and fulfilled at work. And when it’s easy for them to take part in workplace giving, you’ll get more out of the programs you’ve already invested in.
Additional Resources
By prioritizing employee engagement, you’ll not only boost productivity and your company’s profits but also help your employees reach their full potential and look forward to coming to work each day.
Looking for more engagement strategies? Check out the resources below:
Download the Ultimate Guide to Corporate Philanthropy
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerThe Ultimate Guide to Corporate Philanthropy Created by Double the Donation
(Updated July, 2019)
Use this guide to get up to speed on all there is to know about corporate philanthropy! In this downloadable eBook, we will:
Click the image below to download The Ultimate Guide to Corporate Philanthropy!
[Free Download] The Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants
/in About Double the Donation, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerWhat is the Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants?
Double the Donation’s Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants is designed to be your go-to resource for understanding, leveraging, and maximizing corporate volunteer grant opportunities for your nonprofit. Volunteer grants, often overlooked, are an incredible source of funding for organizations—offered by companies to financially reward nonprofits for their employees’ volunteer hours. However, many nonprofits aren’t fully aware of how these programs work, or how to tap into them effectively.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about volunteer grants, from understanding the basics and eligibility requirements to actionable tips on how to increase participation and track volunteer hours. We’ll provide examples of companies offering generous volunteer grant programs, best practices for educating and engaging volunteers, and strategies for fostering relationships with corporate partners.
Whether you’re new to the concept of volunteer grants or looking to refine your existing approach, this resource offers detailed insights to help you unlock additional funding and deepen your engagement with both volunteers and corporate supporters.
Why download the Ultimate Guide to Volunteer Grants?
Incorporate easy-to-follow strategies.
Our guide breaks down the steps to implement successful volunteer grant campaigns, helping you engage both volunteers and their employers effectively.
Maximize volunteer impact for your cause.
See how volunteer hours can transform into tangible financial support, motivating volunteers to contribute more time and effort to your cause.
Boost funding to support your efforts.
Learn how to tap into corporate volunteer grant programs that can increase your nonprofit’s revenue without needing additional donations.
Expand corporate relationships.
Discover how to strengthen relationships with corporate partners by utilizing volunteer grants, which can lead to long-term support and sponsorships.
Additional Recommended Resources
What to Know About Volunteer Time Off
Strategies for Corporate Volunteer Incentives
Matching Gifts in the Donor Journey
Download Our Pre-Written Articles!
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerPre-Written Articles Created by Double the Donation
Use these articles on your website and in newsletters to inform your donors about matching gifts and volunteer grants. This download includes three articles:
Conduct a Fundraising Feasibility Study: 7 Steps to Success
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerPlanning a major fundraiser is exciting, and the potential payout can provide the funding to launch your nonprofit’s mission forward by leaps and bounds. But is your nonprofit ready to run such a large-scale fundraising campaign? To find out, conduct a feasibility study.
As the name implies, this study essentially determines whether your fundraiser is feasible, making sure your nonprofit is equipped to launch a successful fundraising campaign. These studies not only inform you whether your campaign is viable but also help nonprofits cultivate a fundraising strategy based on direct feedback from key stakeholders.
Due to the important role these studies play in nonprofit management, we’ve provided a list of seven steps that will help your organization conduct a successful fundraising feasibility study:
But before jumping straight in, let’s do a bit of preparation of our own and review a few feasibility study basics.
Fundraising Feasibility Study FAQ
What is a feasibility study?
A fundraising feasibility study is a tool nonprofits use to determine whether a fundraising campaign is viable. Most often, feasibility studies are enacted in preparation for large public initiatives like capital campaigns.
The study itself involves interviewing key stakeholders to determine their perceptions of a nonprofit’s reputation, the need for a proposed project, and the level of support they would be willing to offer. These stakeholders vary depending on the nonprofit’s connections and proposed project the major campaign is meant to fund but often include:
Through these interviews, the feasibility study essentially determines if the nonprofit’s proposed fundraiser is likely to find success and will ultimately be a worthwhile endeavor for the nonprofit and its beneficiaries.
When should a feasibility study be conducted?
Feasibility studies are useful tools, but there is no need to conduct one prior to every fundraiser. While it’s upsetting when a routine fundraiser falls short of its goal, most nonprofits can ultimately move past the disappointment and pledge to donors and beneficiaries alike to do better in the future with little fallout.
However, sometimes nonprofits need much more funding than normal, often to launch new initiatives, construct new buildings, or significantly expand operations. In these situations, it makes sense to call for a capital campaign.
In contrast to small fundraisers, these large fundraising endeavors failing poses distinct risks. The possibility of failure for a major campaign wouldn’t just be detrimental to a nonprofit’s mission, but a public affair that could undermine the organization’s legitimacy to donors.
For instance, let’s say a nonprofit only manages to collect half of its target from major donors by the campaign’s deadline. At that point, what action should the nonprofit take? Attempt to fulfill the project despite lacking startup funds? Return the gifts to the donors? Extend the deadline and try to find new fundraising sources? All of these options are less than ideal and can harm a nonprofit’s relationships with its donors and beneficiaries.
Who conducts feasibility studies?
Nonprofits will need to look internally for part of the feasibility study, but ultimately, these studies should be conducted by a trained third-party representative. For your feasibility study, hire an experienced capital campaign consultant. This consultant can provide an objective perspective on your nonprofit’s current fundraising capabilities, ensuring you receive an honest answer as to whether your proposed campaign is possible.
After the feasibility study is conducted, your capital campaign consultant can help you in one of two ways:
We’ll explore how to find the right consulting service for your nonprofit later on. But for now, let’s hit the ground running and jump into the first step of your fundraising feasibility study.
1. Set clear goals for your fundraising campaign
Before you can determine whether a project is feasible, you need to know exactly what hope to achieve. The more specific you can be about what your fundraising campaign will achieve for your organization and mission, the better.
The amount of work you’ll need to put into this step depends on the nature of your fundraising campaign.
For example, let’s say you’re looking to grow your endowment or earn major gifts on your nonprofit’s anniversary. In this case, you simply need to determine whether financial stakeholders are supportive and how best to market your campaign to them. As such, your goals can simply be a target fundraising amount or a percentage of donor engagement.
In contrast, if you’re planning a capital campaign, you need an in-depth understanding of the associated costs and logistical details for completing the project. These specifics allow you to set an accurate fundraising goal and better explain your case for support to donors.
Let’s take a look at an example of how to outline your capital campaign’s purpose:
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Nonprofits should follow this example and perform the needed legwork to outline the details of the project their major fundraiser will support before the feasibility study is conducted.
In this example, the nonprofit would likely consult with construction firms or contractors to determine how exactly the kitchen areas would be expanded, as well as the costs and challenges that the project would entail. These initial details are helpful for informing the following feasibility study, which would determine the best course of action for raising funds to make this project happen.
2. Understand the true purpose of the feasibility study
A truly successful feasibility study will do more than determine your fundraising goal. While these studies can and should be used to outline your campaign’s logistics, they are also a support cultivation and planning tool.
Think of it this way: a feasibility study is a formalized opportunity to ask donors and key community leaders for their thoughts and opinions on your nonprofit and cause. By asking them for their reactions and feedback to your proposed campaign, your nonprofit showcases how much you value these leaders, increasing the odds they will support you during your fundraiser.
Nonprofits who use feasibility studies strategically can reap huge rewards, regardless of the results of the study. For example, a fundraising feasibility study can actively help you:
These benefits can help you build sustainable relationships and stronger messaging, not just for the campaign in question but for your nonprofit as a whole.
3. Consider outside assistance
A feasibility study involves interviewing key stakeholders and asking questions to gauge their perception of both your nonprofit and your proposed fundraising campaign.
As mentioned, nonprofits should seek fundraising counsel in the form of a fundraising consultant or consulting firm. These experts can help you approach your feasibility study strategically to get the information you need and set up a framework that will strengthen your campaign.
Since hiring outside assistance is another expense, you may be wondering whether a feasibility study can be conducted in-house. While nonprofits can oversee their own feasibility studies, there are a few reasons why they should seriously consider opting for third-party assistance:
A fundraising consultant can assist you with nearly every aspect of the study, from conducting interviews to using the results to develop campaign strategies.
However, while you should hire an external consultant, your team can and should still be part of the process.
An example of seeking expert advice
Capital Campaign Toolkit’s campaign experts have created a Guided Feasibility Study that campaign directors can use to improve their donor relationship-building skills. Specifically, campaign directors can work with one of the Toolkit’s expert advisors to:
The Capital Campaign Toolkit empowers these leaders to build relationships before the campaign begins, encourage early donor engagement, and even secure early gift commitments.
4. Prepare your case statement
Once you know the details of your project, you need to communicate them to donors in a cohesive, brief, and persuasive manner. A case statement, or a case for support, takes a nonprofit’s goals and outlines them clearly for stakeholders.
Often, your capital campaign leadership and marketing staff will develop your case statement. This document should generally be created soon after you set your campaign goals as it directly affects the rest of your planning.
To convey your goals, your case statement contextualizes your proposed campaign within your organization’s larger purpose and vision. Essentially, it explains why your campaign advances your mission, is necessary for your work, and needs to be conducted at this time.
Specifically, a case statement should include:
Send your case for support to interviewees prior to your meetings with them so that they can review the information thoroughly in advance. Then, when you sit down to interview them, they’ll be ready to provide feedback and ask questions about your project.
Keep in mind that a case for support can (and should) be refined based on the feedback that you receive during the feasibility study. That way, your case for support is as strong as possible when it’s time to release it to the public.
5. Determine key stakeholders
Feasibility studies largely revolve around the interviewees’ feedback, questions, and concerns. Ensure these interviews are core stakeholders whose opinions have a meaningful impact on your nonprofit.
When considering candidates to interview, think about people who’ve actively contributed to your campaigns. These candidates should “walk the walk.” Avoid individuals who are spread too thin or who tend to gravitate toward any and all community campaigns.
To put it simply, candidates should have a strong, genuine connection to your cause and organization. You also want a good mix of candidates who can provide insight into various aspects of your proposed project and fundraising campaign.
Specifically, you should consider these key types of individuals:
Along with having the necessary insight into your nonprofit to provide useful advice, these candidates are also highly likely to contribute to your campaign once it’s launched. The feasibility study is the perfect time to start cultivating corporate giving opportunities such as challenge grants, as well as major gifts from individual donors.
6. Be open to the feasibility study’s results
When you receive the results of your fundraising feasibility study, there are three likely outcomes:
It’s much better to refrain from conducting a campaign than to conduct one that fails. An unsuccessful fundraiser can bring negative publicity to your organization, undermining your legitimacy to donors.
No matter the outcome, the next step is to share the results with your board. Be fully transparent about the study to ensure your board members have a thorough understanding of the results.
You can also share your findings with other stakeholders if you deem it necessary, though you’re only obligated to do so with your board. For example, a major donor who was excited about your campaign may need to know if the initiative doesn’t launch, or they may be thrilled to learn that you’re moving forward.
7. Implement strategies based on the fundraising feasibility study’s results
Now that your fundraising feasibility study is complete and your team has assessed the results, you’re ready to start implementing smart strategies to make your next campaign your best one yet.
As discussed, there are two major paths you will take depending on whether your study determined if your organization is able to launch your fundraiser at this time.
If your study finds that it’s not the right time to move forward with your campaign, your consultant may suggest:
If the study shows that a few strategic areas need to be addressed before the campaign kicks off, your consultant can also help your team identify how to implement these adjustments. For example, these strategic shifts might include:
Remember, your nonprofit consultant can offer your organization unique insight into how to prepare for the campaign you envision, even if that means heading back to the drawing board.
Now that you know how to conduct a successful fundraising feasibility study, you’re ready to tackle this beginning stage in your next campaign!
Fundraising Feasibility Studies Wrap-Up
Major fundraising initiatives like capital campaigns can give your nonprofit the boost it needs to propel its mission forward by leaps and bounds. However, before getting wrapped up in the excitement of future fundraising, feasibility studies make sure your organization is ready to accomplish your goals.
One way to shore up fundraising support and keep your organization financially healthy is through corporate giving. From sponsoring your campaigns to providing support throughout the year through matching gifts, philanthropy is an untapped source of revenue that helps many nonprofits better position themselves for future fundraising.
To discover more about corporate philanthropy, check out these resources:
4 Ways to Incorporate Matching Gifts into Text-to-Give Campaigns
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerIt’s 4 o’clock. You run to the vending machine with a dollar and some change in your hand. All you’re hoping for is that little afternoon pick-me-up: a shiny, red bag of Skittles.
But when you press A7, the gears turn a little too far, and (gasp) you’ve got two bags of Skittles. You only paid for one. It’s your lucky day!
This is exactly how matching gifts work. Your nonprofit gets twice as much instantaneously.
You’re asking yourself: “How do I use text-to-give to get twice as many donations?”
Below are four easy ways to incorporate matching gifts into your text-to-give campaign.
In this article, we’ll explore the following strategies for making matching gifts a part of your nonprofit’s mobile fundraising campaign:
1. Start with the Heart
Above all else, your nonprofit should keep in mind the basic principles of asking for donations of any kind. Chief among those is remembering that people give most often with their hearts.
When incorporating matching gifts into your text-to-give campaign, it’s important to remind your donors of the compassionate reasons they’re giving in the first place.
How you do this is entirely up to you, but it’s good to note that most people enjoy genuine, from-the-heart approaches.
When you’re asking people to take the time to fill out the necessary paperwork to get their employers to double their donations, you want to make sure you’re being as intentional as possible.
Not only should you tap into your donors’ sense of compassion, you should also make your plans clear.
Churches are extremely successful with the way they use text-to-give. This has, in part, to do with the fact that churches make their intentions known.
If you take a cue from the pew, your nonprofit can let donors know about your text-to-give campaign and matching gifts component by:
Takeaway: If you make your plans known, keep your approaches focused on individuals, and keep in mind that people give with their hearts over their heads, you’re well on your way to raising twice as much in no time.
Check out more church fundraising ideas.
2. Appeal to the On-the-Go Donor
When you launch a mobile giving or text-to-give campaign, you’re hoping to reach:
With that in mind, the way you spread the word about your text-to-give campaign with regards to matching gifts needs to translate well across all mobile platforms.
What does that mean?
Basically, it means:
All on a tiny screen.
This is all a part of an effective strategy for asking for donations.
It may seem intimidating, but it’s really quite simple if you have the right mobile fundraising platform.
For an example of what a succinct Facebook mobile donation plea looks like, check out this post:
As you can see, they’ve used a picture that appeals to donors’ hearts; they haven’t used too many words, and they give the donor all of the important information they need to donate.
Takeaway: Making your mobile asks short and sweet is the most effective way to reach more donors on the move.
3. Choose Your Words Wisely
On top of keeping track of how frequently you’re reminding your donors of your fundraising campaign, you also need to be aware of the words you’re using.
Action words incite action.
Some price examples of action words:
The more specific and actionable your words are, the more likely your donors are to donate to your text-to-give campaign and seek out matching gifts.
In addition to picking the right words for your campaign, it’s also useful and important to choose the perfect picture to accompany those words.
Pictures really are worth 1,000 words, and best of all, they spark an emotional response like nothing else.
When you’re marketing matching gifts during your text-to-give campaign, be sure to take advantage of the fact that donors are far more likely to take action if there’s a compelling picture attached to the message.
Takeaway: Action words and compelling pictures propel your efforts beyond belief. So choose each one carefully.
4. Make it Simple
The fewer clicks, the better.
The best way to help people learn more about matching gifts through your text-to-give campaign is to make it as easy as possible.
There are about a hundred accessible ways to explain matching gifts in a very mobile-friendly way. Feel free to use the vending machine example!
If that metaphor doesn’t work for your organization, there’s also:
As long as your donors have a good visual comparison for what’s being marketed to them, they’re going to be more willing to listen.
Text-to-give is already so simple. Matching gifts can be, too!
All you have to do is provide only the most pertinent information about matching gifts with your mobile giving information.
Takeaway: Making the concept of matching gifts super simple makes it far more likely that your donors will look into your mobile matching gift program.
Now that you have all of these tips in mind, you’re ready to hit the ground running and get twice as far in no time at all!
Why is Employee Engagement Important: 10 Top Benefits
/in Corporate Consulting, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerAuthor Simon Sinek once said, “When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” This quote perfectly illustrates how vital it is to engage your employees. By doing so, they will be happier and perform to the best of their abilities.
Unfortunately, employee engagement is sometimes an afterthought in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. However, many of these organizations might wonder: why exactly does employee engagement matter?
In this guide, we’ll answer that question by covering the following topics:
By the end of this guide, you’ll see that employee engagement is not only beneficial for your organization in the short term but also necessary for its continued success. So let’s dive in!
What is employee engagement?
In general, employee engagement refers to the level of mental and emotional connection an employee feels toward their work, their team, and their organization. It represents employees’ commitment to staying involved with their organization and helping it achieve its goals.
Keep in mind that employee engagement doesn’t just refer to an employee’s overall enthusiasm—it has to relate to your organization. An individual can have a positive attitude, yet not be very engaged as an employee.
What are the levels of employee engagement?
While it’s possible for all of your employees to have similar engagement levels, it’s more likely that their attitudes are at different locations on the engagement spectrum. Usually, they will fall into one of the following levels of engagement:
Having unengaged or disengaged employees is not necessarily indicative of an issue with your company culture—it’s difficult to capture the enthusiasm of everyone who works at your organization, and sometimes engagement is impacted by factors outside of your control, such as major events in your employees’ lives. However, if the majority of your employees fall in the unengaged and disengaged categories, then you may need to re-evaluate your existing employee engagement strategies.
10 Benefits of Employee Engagement
To give you a concrete idea of why employee engagement is important, we’ll cover the top ten benefits of employee engagement.
1. Productivity
According to Gallup’s employee engagement survey, businesses with engaged employees were 18% more productive than companies with unengaged teams. When employees are engaged at work, they feel a connection with the company. They believe the work they’re doing is important and therefore work harder.
By establishing engagement initiatives that improve your employees’ connection to their work, you’ll foster a more positive relationship between your organization and your employees.
2. Profitability
With increased productivity comes increased profitability. When comparing organizations with unengaged versus engaged employees, Gallup found that the latter group was 23% more profitable.
However, not only do unengaged employees not contribute to increasing profitability, but their presence actively increases costs as well. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report asserts that unengaged and disengaged employees cost the world about $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, the equivalent of 9% of global GDP.
3. Employee retention
When your team members are engaged and feel appreciated, they will be less inclined to look for other employment opportunities. Fostering a culture of employee engagement can be the key to reducing turnover and boosting retention.
Retention has an impact on your organization’s bottom line, too. The Work Institute estimates that losing an employee costs about $15,000 per employee. This estimated loss includes costs such as unemployment tax, lost business, and interviewing and training replacements.
If employees feel wanted when they go to work each day, they’re likely to form strong connections with the company and other employees. By cultivating and maintaining these relationships, you reduce the risk of employee turnover and the costs associated with it.
4. Creativity
Innovation is the key to growing your business. Engaged employees find creativity to be essential. They thrive on knowing they can find new ways to complete projects and are always looking for fresh takes on old ideas. Plus, if they discover a way to improve your existing processes, they’ll be more likely to advocate for them to improve your organization’s operations as a whole.
On the other hand, disengaged employees rarely produce new solutions or bring fresh ideas to the table simply because their passions don’t lie with their work. They have little interest in contributing to the bigger picture or being creative with their job.
5. Satisfaction and positivity
Remember that boosting engagement isn’t simply about creating more productive employees and increasing profits. Employee engagement is advantageous for both parties and should be treated as a two-way street.
Employees who are engaged at work feel satisfied with their careers and are generally happy individuals. Their positive energy will suffuse your workplace, creating a more positive culture that empowers high performers to create high-quality work.
This is particularly important for remote employees. Since they’re physically distant from their workplace, it’s more difficult for them to form positive relationships and connections with coworkers. Find engagement strategies employees can participate in from home to bring them into your company’s culture.
6. Mental wellness
Stress is an inevitable part of a working professional’s life. However, too much of it can lead to burnout, decreasing productivity, work quality, and eventually profitability. That’s why it’s essential to minimize stress and promote mental wellness for your employees. Additionally, stress is detrimental to both physical health and mental health, making mental wellness even more important.
With the right employee engagement initiatives, your team members will be more self-aware of their stress levels. Plus, they’ll be more likely to seek support from their coworkers and managers if they need it. This leads to a more supportive and positive work environment that everyone benefits from.
7. Decreased absenteeism
Absenteeism in the workplace refers to when employees fail to show up for work or fail to complete their job responsibilities regularly. This should not be confused with taking paid time off or one-off situations such as family emergencies—the key to absenteeism is its frequency and unplanned nature.
According to Gallup’s employee engagement survey, organizations that scored in the lowest quartiles of employee engagement were also 81% more likely to experience employee absenteeism. By focusing on employee engagement, your employees will be more satisfied with their work and less likely to be absent.
8. Brand advocacy
Satisfied employees will help to boost your organization’s reputation—and best of all, it’ll happen without any prompting from you! Happy employees will likely brag about their jobs to customers or tell friends and family how much they enjoy working at your organization. By doing so, they’ll spread good news about your company and improve your overall reputation.
On the other hand, workers who feel disconnected and disengaged are more likely to have negative things to say about your company. If disengaged employees leave or are fired, they may vent their frustrations publicly. Because negative feedback tends to be magnified more than positive, your company’s reputation and credibility could be damaged due to disengaged, disgruntled employees.
You can measure the brand advocacy that employees bring to your organization through an employee net promoter score (eNPS). Ask your employees: “On a scale of 0-10, how likely are you to recommend this company’s products and services to others?” If they answer 9-10, they’re a promoter, and if they answer 0-6, they’re a detractor. Calculate eNS by deducting the percent of detractors from the percent of promoters, and ignore those who score 7-8. This will give you a good idea of how strongly your employees advocate for your organization.
9. Recruitment
Attracting top talent is important to any organization that has open roles or hiring opportunities. This is especially true if the job market is saturated with openings, allowing candidates to more freely pick and choose which organizations they’d like to work for.
When a majority of existing employees at your organization are engaged, they’re more likely to speak positively about their work and the benefits you offer. This helps attract top talent as they’ll have heard about the positive points of your organization through word of mouth.
When potential employees apply to your organization, make sure to leave a positive impression. This could mean responding to their emails in a timely manner, promptly following up about interview times, and sending respectful and appreciative rejection letters.
10. Philanthropy
Corporate citizenship is a growing trend for companies of all sizes and industries. This trend asks organizations to consider themselves as citizens, a singular individual existing in a larger community, and to ask: “Am I a good citizen?” One of the ways businesses and corporations have chosen to give back to their community is through philanthropy.
If corporate citizenship is one of your company’s priorities, try engaging your employees with it. Employees want to know that the company they work for cares about the community. If your company offers volunteer grants or matching gifts, engaged employees are likely to take advantage of these opportunities to donate their time and money toward worthy causes. This helps your company be a better corporate citizen in your community.
5 Tips for Improving Employee Engagement
Now that you know the benefits of employee engagement, let’s move on to actionable advice for improving engagement at your organization.
1. Survey existing levels of employee engagement.
The first step to establishing employee engagement initiatives is to assess the existing engagement levels at your organization. If you already have established programs and want to examine their efficacy, this is also a great place to start.
It’s difficult to approach employee engagement quantitatively, so lean into qualitative data collection by sending out a survey. Here are a few examples of questions you can include in your survey:
Collect the results of the survey and consolidate the information. Review the general level of employee engagement, but also examine the long-form answers on the survey. If there are any common challenges that your employees face, endeavor to address them to create a better work experience.
Upon review, if you find that the majority of your employees are unsatisfied with their work and feeling unengaged, then you may need to make operational changes to improve employee engagement. However, even if most of your employees are engaged, you should still do your due diligence and review how you can improve existing engagement. For example, if multiple employees express interest in a structured recognition program, look into starting one.
2. Approach compensation holistically.
To keep your employees engaged, re-examine the root of their work: compensation. With the proper compensation, employees will be happy to work and perform at their best.
Take a total rewards philosophy to compensation, where you characterize compensation as either direct or indirect. Direct compensation is financial and can include salary, bonuses, and overtime pay. Indirect compensation, on the other hand, encompasses the non-financial ways an employer gives back to their employees.
Support employee engagement with the following methods of indirect compensation:
By re-evaluating compensation for your employees and taking a total rewards approach, you’ll show team members that their happiness and well-being matter to you. When employees’ well-being and financial needs are secure, they’ll have the mental space to focus on their work and engage with your organization.
3. Prioritize employee recognition.
Everyone, especially high performers, wants to be complimented on their good work. If they don’t receive the praise or recognition they’re expecting, they may feel overlooked or disregarded by their managers and leadership. This can lead to resentment and disengaged employees.
To avoid this, implement employee recognition programs such as the following:
Not only does proper employee recognition prevent resentment, but it can support your goal of creating more engaged and productive employees. By recognizing high performance, you incentivize employees to do their best work. And this, in turn, will improve the profitability of your business.
4. Offer professional development opportunities.
With about 76% of employees looking for opportunities to expand their careers, professional development is an essential offering. Plus, 58% of employees say professional development contributes to their job satisfaction.
You may be thinking: If I offer my employees more training, then they’ll leave for better employment opportunities after the training is complete.
Studies have found that’s not true. 94% of employees won’t quit if they’re offered training and development opportunities, and retention rates are 34% higher among organizations that offer development programs.
To reap these benefits, offer professional development through mentorship programs, training and resource databases, networking opportunities, and more. You might even pay for employees to attend industry-related conferences to broaden their horizons and expand their knowledge about cutting-edge industry innovations.
5. Implement corporate philanthropy initiatives.
54% of employees in the United States said that they would be willing to take a pay cut to work at a company that shares their values. And 56% of them say they wouldn’t even consider a job at a company that has values they disagree with.
A value that’s increasingly significant to employees is philanthropy. In fact, 71% of employees indicate that it’s very important to work at a company that partakes in philanthropy. Show employees that you share their values by investing in corporate giving initiatives.
Common workplace giving programs that you can implement include:
When developing your company’s charitable giving policy, prioritize convenience for employees. To facilitate a streamlined corporate philanthropy process, consider investing in workplace giving software. The right platform will allow you to:
By creating an atmosphere of corporate philanthropy, you’ll not only help employees contribute to nonprofit organizations but also help them feel more engaged and fulfilled at work. And when it’s easy for them to take part in workplace giving, you’ll get more out of the programs you’ve already invested in.
Additional Resources
By prioritizing employee engagement, you’ll not only boost productivity and your company’s profits but also help your employees reach their full potential and look forward to coming to work each day.
Looking for more engagement strategies? Check out the resources below:
What Happens After a Donor Makes a Matching Gift Submission?
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerHURRAH! You’ve done it.
Your nonprofit has gotten a donor to see the light and submit a matching gift request.
Now what?
The most difficult work is done. Your promotional effort has worked. The responsibility is now in the hands of the donor’s employer — at least momentarily.
Well, you can sit back and twiddle your thumbs … but not for long. Pretty soon the ball will be back in your court, and it’ll be your turn to handle things. The donor’s company is not going to blindly accept their employee’s submission.
The donor’s submission process is going to vary from company to company, but it will roughly follow similar patterns:
After a donor makes a matching gift request submission to his or her employer, that company then needs to process the request.
Your nonprofit is going to have to be involved, albeit rather peripherally, in that process.
What should your nonprofit expect to receive from a company that’s just received a matching gift request from one of your organization’s donors?
Well, expect a letter for starters. It may come by mail, email, fax, plane, train, or automobile. Okay, so maybe not those last three, but definitely mail, email, or fax.
The letter will basically be asking for verification that the employee made the donation and that you’re the nonprofit that the employee says you are. It will be a quick and painless process. The letter will usually come through a third party company that handles matching gift requests for the employer at hand and it will ask you take a few verification steps.
It should be quick and painless for your nonprofit.
To help clear up any potential questions you may have, let’s walk through a sample letter from a company to a nonprofit.
In the case of this sample:
As you can see from that letter template, it is not going to take much to confirm a matching gift request and see those extra funds come in, but you will need to essentially verify that the employee making the request did in fact make the donation that he or she reported. And the letter will give you all the information needed to do so.
To help track your progress, a matching gift best practice that we recommend, keep records of any confirmations your organization makes.
That way, you know to be expecting funds and can cross them off the list when the employers donate them.
It is quite common that donors will submit a matching gift request without telling the nonprofit that they are doing so. They are certainly not required to tell the nonprofit anything. Therefore, the first chance your organization has to begin tracking these submission requests is when the employer contacts you. Take advantage of that knowledge.
One of the best and most proactive steps a nonprofit can take to keep donors around is thanking quickly and often.
Don’t officially thank the donor until you receive the matching gift donation from that donor’s employer; however, if you are keeping careful records of matching gift submissions in progress you will be able to prepare to send out acknowledgments sooner and you will be less likely to lose track of a donor, and / or that donor’s records, in the shuffle.
The matching gift submission process is by no means brain surgery. In fact, many of the third party vendors that corporations use have handled submissions for so long the whole experience is as streamlined and timely as possible.
It never hurts to know what to expect though, and now you do. Make sure those letters do not get mixed up in the wrong place or filed away before anyone has had a chance to make the confirmation! They are your key to converting matching gift requests into matching gift funds. Don’t let your organization be the bottleneck holding up the process.
If your organization is going to seriously pursue matching gifts, it should assign the processing of requests to one staff member, probably on your development team. That way, when letters like the sample above come in, your whole office knows exactly who to send them to. And, that person will quickly gain familiarity with the process and be able to make and track the confirmations as efficiently as possible.
NationBuilder Integration with Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Service
/in Learning Center /by Adam WeingerDoes your nonprofit use NationBuilder? Are you looking to incorporate matching gift information into both your website as well as the NationBuilder donation forms?
If so then this guide is for you. Please follow the below steps to get Double the Donation’s plugin up and running with NationBuilder.
Double the Donation’s Relationship with NationBuilder:
NationBuilder is a leading platform for nonprofits and communities and envisions a world where everyone has the freedom and opportunity to create what they were meant to create. NationBuilder builds the infrastructure for a world of creators by helping leaders develop and organize thriving communities.
Double the Donation is a leading provider of employee matching gift data and tools to nonprofits.
This guide was put together to help organizations who use NationBuilder platform incorporate Double the Donation’s employee matching gift plugin. NationBuilder and Double the Donation are two separate and unrelated companies.
Requirements:
At risk of stating the obvious, the below steps and screenshots are applicable to organizations which already have an account with Double the Donation and NationBuilder.
If you don’t have an account with Double the Donation you can:
If you don’t have an account with NationBuilder you can:
Integrate Double the Donation’s Matching Gift Plugin into NationBuilder:
Method #1: On a dedicated NationBuilder matching gift page
Step #1: Go to your NationBuilder control panel.
Step #2: Add a new page. We recommend:
Step #3: Under the page’s content tab, write the core matching gift content for the page. This is your opportunity to explain matching gifts to your donors. For example:
Did you know many companies match donations from their employees to our organization? It’s true. In fact last year we raised $10,000 from matching gifts. Below you can access our matching gift search tool which will enable you to access information on your company’s matching gift program along with forms, guidelines, and instructions.
Thanks for taking the time to check if your company offers employee giving programs which can double the impact of your donation.
Click “Save Content”
Step #4: In a separate browser window log into your Double the Donation account and copy the standard Double the Donation plugin code.
Step #5: Add the Double the Donation plugin code to your page’s Template panel then click save. Please note:
Step #6: Verify that Double the Donation’s plugin is up and running on your dedicated matching gift page.
Method #2: On a NationBuilder donation form
Step #1: Go to your NationBuilder control panel.
Step #2: Go to your NationBuilder donation page.
Step #3: In a separate browser window log into your Double the Donation account and copy the standard Double the Donation plugin code.
Step #4: Add the Double the Donation plugin code to your page’s Template panel then click save. Please note:
Step #5: Verify that Double the Donation’s plugin is up and running on your donation form.
Method #3: In NationBuilder’s autoresponder emails that go out after a donation is made
Step #1: Navigate to your organization’s donation page
Step #2: Navigate to the “Autoresponse” option under “Donation Settings”
Step #3: Feature matching gifts in the autoresponder email that gets sent out when someone makes a donation. We suggest:
Did you know many companies match donations from their employees to our organization? It’s true. In fact last year we raised $10,000 from matching gifts.
Please click here to see if your company will match your donation and to access the appropriate forms, guidelines, and instructions.
Want to Get Started with Double the Donation’s Service?
Click here to sign up >
Have Questions?
Use one of the following methods to uncover additional information about Double the Donation’s services:
Companies That Offer Fundraising Matches for Run/Walk/Rides
/in Lists and Rankings, Learning Center, Company Spotlights, Matching Gift Companies, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerAt Double the Donation, we often discuss corporate matching gifts—or initiatives through which employers financially match the donations made by individual employees to qualifying nonprofits. However, there’s another powerful (yet even lesser-known) opportunity to keep an eye out for. And that is companies that offer fundraising matches!
Fundraising match programs also involve employer matching. However, unlike typical matching programs that solely cover financial donations made from an employee’s own wallet, fundraising match programs involve a company matching all of the funds raised by an employee during a fundraising activity. This is particularly important to consider in regard to one of the most popular fundraisers in the nonprofit world: the Run/Walk/Ride event.
These events involve participants running/walking/cycling (or partaking in another activity!) for a certain distance and collecting pledges on your organization’s behalf according to the distance they cover. And for volunteer fundraisers that work for a company offering fundraising matching, these fulfilled pledges can be doubled for even greater impact.
Now, you might be wondering what kinds of employers offer these initiatives—and how your team can locate donors who qualify. Lucky for you, there are a ton of available programs.
We’ve selected a selection of companies that offer fundraising matches, which we’ll discuss below:
Keep in mind that there are a ton more participating businesses, too. These are just a sample!
But before diving into the above companies, we’re going to look at the easiest way to uncover these opportunities—with dedicated matching gift tools.
The Best Way to Discover Matching Gifts
To best capitalize on these fundraising matching programs, you first need to discover where they exist. The easiest way to do that is by using dedicated matching gift software.
Matching gift software allows your organization to easily uncover and pursue these opportunities within your network of support. For example, Double the Donation’s matching gift software is a fully automated matching gift platform that uncovers a donor’s match eligibility once a donation is made and triggers automated outreach with company-specific program guidelines to drive next steps. Thousands of nonprofits trust Double the Donation to fuel their matching gift fundraising needs—including more than 70% of the nation’s largest organizations!
And, built on the industry’s most comprehensive database of employee giving program information, it doesn’t just provide insights on individual matching opportunities, either. Double the Donation enables donors to seamlessly locate details regarding their employers’ volunteer grant and fundraising match programs as well! And it’s made easy to get started thanks to technology integrations with most online donation forms and CRMs.
With that, check out these top examples of companies that offer fundraising matches.
Companies that Match Gifts to Run/Walk/Ride Events
Tons of companies participate in fundraising match programs which ultimately amplify the result of individual (or team) employee fundraising efforts. A few standout programs that we’ve selected to highlight include the following:
Intuit, Inc.
Intuit is a software company that develops financial and tax preparation software. It employs over 17,000 team members and offers a comprehensive matching gift program to its employees.
Intuit’s matching gift program includes an individual match, in which the company will match an employee’s donation of up to $5,000 to a nonprofit organization or educational institution of their choosing. In addition, Intuit’s corporate giving programs include a fundraising match. Intuit matches funds personally raised by an employee for a fundraising event.
Learn more about Intuit’s matching gift program.
BP (Formerly British Petroleum)
As one of the top 20 largest companies in the world by revenue, BP is an international oil and gas company headquartered in London. BP employs nearly 80,000 people across the world with a large presence in the United States.
With employee grant programs that include traditional personal donation matches, as well as matches for money raised from employees’ friends and family members, BP will match a maximum of $5,000 per employee, per year.
Learn more about BP’s matching gift program.
State Street Corporation
State Street is a financial services holding company founded in Boston in 1792. After many years of successful growth, the company now employs more than 42,000 people internationally.
State Street offers a matching gift program for employee donations called GiveMore, which matches at a 1:1 ratio. Within this program, annual matching limits are extremely generous, varying by role. For example…
State Street also offers a fundraising match program called CollectMore, where the company will match an employee’s fulfilled fundraising pledges as they partake in walk, bike, or ride types of events benefiting qualifying nonprofits. CollectMore is available up to $10,000 per team member, inclusive of the GiveMore total as well.
Learn more about State Street’s matching gift program.
Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House engages employees by matching donations of up to $2,500 per employee per year to most 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
To sweeten their program even further, Penguin Random House has also established a Fundraising Match Program. With this initiative, the company will match up to $1,500 per employee (included in the $2,500 per employee annual maximum), per calendar year. This essentially allows employees to double the money raised via fundraising events to qualifying nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status.
Types of qualifying events include (but are not limited to) walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, and 5K’s, though Penguin Random House indicates that each fundraising request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Learn more about Penguin Random House’s matching gift program.
CVS Health
But they don’t stop there! The company also offers a generous fundraising match program for individuals and team participants. When an individual staff member participates in a Run/Walk/Ride fundraising challenge, CVS Health agrees to match the funds raised between $250 and $1,000.
And when a team of five or more CVS Health employees participate in a similar type of fundraising event, the company offers to match fulfilled pledges up to $5,000.
Learn more about CVS Health’s matching gift program.
Boeing
Each year, a team member is eligible to request up to $10,000 at a 1:1 match rate to a wide range of nonprofit organizations—including educational institutions, health and human services, arts and cultural organizations, civic and community organizations, environmental nonprofits, and more.
Learn more about Boeing’s matching gift program.
Numerator
Every year, employees are encouraged to participate in the company’s fundraising match program. When doing so, funds raised through peer-to-peer fundraising efforts to most nonprofit causes—including schools, health and human services, community organizations, and tons more—are matched, dollar-for-dollar.
Each employee (full- and part-time alike) qualifies to request up to $500 in fundraising match grants on a rolling annual basis, with no minimum amount required to get involved!
Learn more about Numerator’s matching gift program.
The Estee Lauder Companies
These include—but are not limited to—matching individual staff donations, offering volunteer grants to the nonprofits their team members volunteer with, and providing impactful fundraising matches when employees partake in events or other peer-to-peer fundraising challenges.
Each year, qualifying members of the Estee Lauder Companies’ workforce can request up to $5,000 in corporate funding, inclusive of their matching gifts, dollars for doers, and fundraising match initiatives.
Learn more about The Estee Lauder Companies’ matching gift program.
Northstrat
Qualifying nonprofit recipients include accredited public and private K-12 institutions, junior and community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, professional and graduate schools, and select other organizations.
Learn more about Northstrat’s matching gift program.
How Can Your Organization Make the Most of These Opportunities?
Now that you’re aware of the vast array of fundraising matching gift programs available to your organization through qualifying donors, you’re likely wondering what actionable steps your team can take to make the most of the opportunity.
Ultimately, the most critical component of a fundraising matching strategy involves driving supporter awareness! Like traditional matching gifts, tons of qualifying supporters remain unaware of the programs in place by their employers. So in order to drive participation, it’s important that you inform them.
Check out a few of our favorite ideas for doing so:
Share general information on social media. Post a fun graphic that states, “Many companies match donations collected by employees for peer-to-peer fundraising events. Find out how to get involved here!” Then, be sure to link to your organization’s dedicated matching gift page where they can learn more about their employers’ programs.
Reach out to existing P2P volunteers directly. Send an email or text—or make a phone call—to supporters who are already fundraising on your nonprofit’s behalf. Let them know how they can find out if they qualify for a fundraising match from their employer and how to get started. As you do, remember to emphasize the increased impact that fundraising match initiatives can bring!
Wrapping Up
Fundraising match programs are the perfect addition to any Run/Walk/Ride or other peer-to-peer giving based event. And being aware of the companies that offer fundraising matches is an essential first step.
If you’re planning such an event, check to see if any of your donors work for the above companies. If your participants qualify, you may ultimately receive twice the fundraised donations for that supporter!
However, keep in mind that they themselves may not be aware of the opportunity at hand. Thus, it helps to provide guidance and resources throughout the process to drive more available fundraising matches to completion.
CyberGrants: Employee Giving and Grant Management Tools
/in Company Spotlights, Learning Center /by Adam WeingerAre you a nonprofit or corporation looking for information on CyberGrants?
Good news! While Double the Donation is a separate company that specializes in helping nonprofits raise more money from matching gift programs, we can share much of the information on CyberGrants you’re looking for.
It’s essential that companies encourage participation in their workplace giving programs, including matching gifts. CyberGrants is one of the leading corporate giving vendors that can help companies do just that. Here’s what you need to know:
About CyberGrants
For over 20 years, CyberGrants has been a leader in the online grantmaking space. In 1995, back when AOL was just starting to hand out those infamous free sign-up CDs, CyberGrants was already launching online grants management and employee giving software for corporations. Over time, the company has recorded many firsts in the grantmaking space, including:
These ongoing innovations have positioned CyberGrants as a leading provider of online grantmaking and employee giving tools.
Quick fact: CyberGrants’ corporate customer base includes more than 40 of the Fortune 100, and nearly 70% of the public companies tracked in the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
What CyberGrants Does
CyberGrants specializes in two areas: employee giving systems and grants management for corporate, family, and private foundations.
Employee Giving Systems for Corporations
Whereas Double the Donation provides matching gift tools to nonprofits, CyberGrants provides services to corporations looking to streamline their employee giving systems.
The platform offers corporations a suite of services based around managing and administering:
Consider the CyberGrants Employee Giving System if you’re looking to create, manage, and administer every aspect of your employee giving program.
Grants Management for Corporations and Foundations
As one of the original players in the corporate foundation software space, CyberGrants provides end-to-end solutions for corporations looking to take grantmaking to the next level.
The company’s web-based software enables nonprofits to submit their grant applications online while providing corporations and foundations with the tools they need to manage the grant cycle.
Features of their software include:
When it’s easy for companies and nonprofits to manage and submit grant applications, this creates an opportunity for nonprofits to get the funding they need and for companies to do good in their communities.
Companies That Use CyberGrants
Double the Donation’s services enable nonprofits to increase their fundraising revenue from matching gift programs. To do so, we stay in contact with companies that offer matching gift and volunteer grant programs to understand their program guidelines and procedures.
Since CyberGrants is one of the largest providers of employee grant software to corporations, it’s no surprise that many of the companies in our matching gift database use their software.
A few of CyberGrants’ Employee Giving System corporate users include:
Here’s what the CyberGrants portal for Walmart looks like:
CyberGrants offers the above companies and many others an easy way for their employees to access their workplace giving programs and log their donations online. If your company wants to make it easy for employees to participate in corporate giving, CyberGrants is an excellent vendor to consider.
Double the Donation’s Relationship with CyberGrants
Double the Donation is a separate company from CyberGrants, but both serve corporate philanthropy efforts.
While CyberGrants manages matching gift programs for corporations, Double the Donation works with nonprofits to help them raise more money from companies with matching gift and volunteer grant programs. We sell an easy-to-use tool to nonprofits that helps an organization’s donors submit match requests.
Our database of employee giving programs includes those administered by corporate giving vendors, such as:
All of these corporate giving vendors help companies manage their workplace giving programs. This way, it’s easier for their employees to participate and the companies can benefit from the programs they’ve already invested in.
How Do I Contact CyberGrants?
If you’re a corporation interested in learning more about CyberGrants, you can contact the company in one of three ways:
Reach out to learn more about CyberGrants’ services!
Additional Workplace Giving Tool Resources
If you’re looking for additional information about corporate giving vendors, check out these excellent resources: