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Nonprofit Leadership Traits

Matching Gift Participation Rates

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Has your organization ever taken a look at which companies are consistently providing matching gift donations to your organization?

If you have, you may notice that a disproportionate number of matching gifts come from a select few companies.

Survey Results | Participation Varies Widely by Company:

The Chronicle of Philanthropy released a report entitled “How America’s Biggest Companies Give” which was compiled from their Corporate Giving Survey.

Employee Matching Gift Participation Rates

Key Insights on Matching Gift Participation Rates:

Insight #1: 65% of Microsoft employees request a match from the company compared to less than 15% for Xerox, Dell, and Verizon. This is a direct result of Microsoft being one of the best at communicating matching gift information to employees.

Insight #2: Pfizer leads companies in the pharmaceutical industry with over 30% of employees participating in the company’s matching gift program.

Insight #3: Matching gift programs are widely utilized by employees in the financial services sector. American Express leads the pack with 70% of employees requesting the company match at least one charitable donation.

Insight #4: Based on this sample of companies, the consumer goods sector has the lowest employee participation rates. Of the companies that provided data, Johnson & Johnson leads the sector with 25% of employees having one or more donations matched by the company.

 

Impact on your Organization’s Matching Gift Revenue: Home Depot vs. Coca-Cola:

For instance, both Home Depot (~13K Atlanta employees) and Coca-Cola (~5K Atlanta employees) are headquartered in Atlanta and offer similar matching gift programs.

One would expect Atlanta based nonprofit organizations to receive a significant number of matching gift donations from each of these companies. Unfortunately that doesn’t appear to be the case. The majority of nonprofits we’ve spoken to self-report far more matching donations from Coca-Cola compared to Home Depot each year. **

 

So what causes this discrepancy?

Organizations typically explain this phenomenon by talking about the number of employees each company has in the area. While it’s true that a company with a major presence in a city is more likely to provide a larger number of matching gifts, there’s an even more important factor.

How well a company internally promotes matching gifts dictates how likely an employee is to know about the program and submit matching gift requests.

We know it doesn’t take a genius to come up with the above statement, but it’s true. So many employees at companies with matching gift programs have no idea their employer offers a program. If an employee / donor lacks knowledge of their company program, there’s no way they’ll submit a matching gift request.

 

Closing the Gap:

Although your organization can’t change how widely companies promote matching gifts to their entire employee base, you can greatly influence the percentage of your donors who submit matching gift requests.

If you raise awareness and make it easy for your donors / their spouses to submit matching gifts, you can increase matching revenue.

We recommend nonprofits promote matching gifts in three locations:

  1. In the donation process
  2. Across your website
  3. In your communications

If you effectively promote employee matching gifts to your donors, you can overcome low participation rates.

Data Sources:
*Based upon a publicly available survey of companies which was conducted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
**Based on our conversations with membership and development managers at select Atlanta organizations.

Donor-advised funds can make a difference in your nonprofit fundraising strategy. Learn more with this post!

Donor-Advised Funds: Are DAFs Eligible for Matching Gifts?

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Donor-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:

  1. Typical Eligibility Requirements.
  2. Corporate Examples.
  3. How a Matching Gift Database Can Help.

If you’re ready to boost your nonprofit’s revenue, let’s get started!

Read more

Learn about the top companies in Charlotte that offer matching gift programs.

Matching Gift Opportunities: Companies in Charlotte, NC

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At Double the Donation, we help nonprofits across the country discover and capitalize on corporate philanthropy programs such as matching gifts and volunteer grants. These fundraising opportunities are great opportunities for organizations to receive two donations for the effort of one.

While these programs exist across the nation, we’re going to examine one city, in particular, today–Charlotte, NC.

To help steer organizations in the right direction, we’ve listed some of the top companies located in Charlotte that offer matching gift programs. We’re going to look at the programs of the following companies:

  • Aon
  • AT&T
  • Bank of America
  • Duke Energy
  • Goodrich Corporation
  • Home Depot

First, however, we’re going to explore how your organization can discover these opportunities using matching gift software.

Matching gift tools are the best way to discover matching gifts.

The Best Way to Discover Matching Gift Opportunities

It’s difficult to capitalize on matching gift opportunities if your organization, and its donors, are unaware that these opportunities exist!

While many corporations offer these programs, not everyone does. Further, of those that do, each has different requirements for receiving a matched gift. Matching gift software handles much of the guesswork in building and managing your organization’s matching gift solicitation processes, whether you’re a large, established nonprofit or a smaller organization just beginning.

For example, a nonprofit that’s intent on improving its existing processes would benefit from software such as 360MatchPro. This matching gift automation platform not only searches a donor’s match eligibility upon donation but also sends follow-up communications to eligible donors informing them how to begin the process. By embedding this searchable matching gift database directly on your website and donation form, you can instruct donors to search their eligibility when giving.

If your organization is on the market for matching gift tools, visit Double the Donation to learn more about their pricing plans. With that, continue reading to learn about Charlotte’s corporate philanthropy.

These are the top companies in Charlotte with matching gift programs.

Corporate Philanthropy in Charlotte

Charlotte, often called the Queen City, is the largest in North Carolina. It is a major financial center, with the 2nd most financial assets behind New York City. Bank of America is headquartered here, along with several other Fortune 500 employers. 75% of the motorsports industry is located in Charlotte, and it is home to the NASCAR hall of fame.

Charlotte has recently become a major player in the energy field and freight transportation. With this growing industry inside the city, there are ample opportunities for nonprofits to double their donations through corporate matching.

AonAon is a top company in Charlotte with a matching gift program.

Aon, a human capital and management consulting service, will match employee donations up to $1,000. The company donates to health and human services, community and civic organizations, and many more.

Read more about Aon’s matching gift program.

 

AT&TAT&T is a top company in Charlotte that offers a matching gift program.

Full-time employees and retired board members can have their donations matched through AT&T up to $250. All education institutions, excluding K-12, are eligible, in addition to arts and cultural institutions.

Read more about AT&T’s matching gift program.

 

Bank of AmericaBank of America is a top company in Charlotte that offers a matching gift program.

Bank of America, including Merrill Lynch, matches employee donations between $25 and $5,000. The company also offers a volunteer grant program which both current employees and retirees can participate in.

Read more about Bank of America’s matching gift program.

 

Duke EnergyDuke Energy is a top company in Charlotte with a matching gift program.

Donations made by employees to a wide range of nonprofits between $100 and $5,000 will be matched by the Duke Energy company. Educational institutions are matched on a dollar for dollar basis; all others will be matched at half the employee donation.

Read more about the Duke Energy matching gift program.

 

Goodrich CorporationGoodrich is a top company in Charlotte with a matching gift program.

Goodrich Corporation (now part of United Technologies) matches employee donations to most nonprofits up to $10,000 per employee per year.

Read more about Goodrich’s matching gift program.

 

Home DepotHome Depot is a top company in Charlotte with a matching gift program.

Home Depot has a large presence in Charlotte, and its matching gift program is one for the ranks. Home depot will match from a minimum of $25 to a maximum of $3,000 per employee per year. The company matches gifts at a 1:1 ratio.

Learn more about Home Depot’s matching gift program.

 

Matching gift programs are a great way for nonprofits to increase their donations with minimal extra effort.

Charlotte has quite a few of these corporate philanthropy programs, and the above list is by no means comprehensive. Familiarize your staff with these opportunities and seek them out during your next fundraiser.

 

Learn how to use social media to promote matching gifts today.

Social Media: 12 Matching Gift Posts to Schedule Today

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Social media – we all use it in one way or another. Whether we’re connecting with friends or catching up on the latest breaking news, social media has become an integral part of the daily routines of many.

But are you maximizing the impact of your social media platforms for your fundraising efforts, specifically in regards to matching gift programs?

Remember: With corporate matching gift programs, your organization is able to collect two donations for the price of soliciting one. Through these programs, employers pledge to match the donations made by their employees to nonprofit organizations such as yours, effectively doubling the impact of the original gift. These programs present a huge opportunity to increase your fundraising revenue,and you want to capitalize on them whenever possible.

Promoting corporate matching gift options using Twitter, Facebook, and the like is a quick, easy and cost-effective way (read: free)  to reach your digitally savvy masses.

Social media is incredibly efficient, as you’re able to schedule posts in advance and on a recurring basis. This means you don’t have to remember to continue posting– the networks will do it for you! This paired with the extensive network available to you through these platforms makes social media an opportunity to use to the fullest.

We’re going to examine marketing matching gifts on social media through the following:

  • Sample Matching Gift Posts for Twitter
  • Sample Matching Gift Posts for Facebook

However, before you begin posting about matching gifts on social media– which will inevitably bring forth donors interested in the programs– ensure your internal matching gifts processes are comprehensive.

Learn the best way to market matching gifts.

The Best Way to Market Matching Gifts

Once you begin posting about matching gifts on social media, there’s a decent chance you’ll have a few interested donors inquiring about their eligibility. The easiest way to push donors in the right direction and get them started with the matching gift process is by simply directing them to a comprehensive matching gift tool!

For example, Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro is the perfect tool for nonprofits looking to build their matching gifts solicitation processes. Embed this comprehensive, searchable database directly on your donation form and website, and then link to it in your social media posts. Then, when donors see your posts and are interested, they know exactly where to look to search for their own eligibility!

Additionally, this automated matching gifts tool allows for the immediate searching of a donor’s eligibility upon making a donation. Once an eligible donor is identified, the software sends automated marketing communications to inform the donor of matching gift opportunities.

Matching gift software provides you with an easy way to manage the influx of interest generated by social media posting. Now, let’s check out the following 12 sample posts to inspire your Twitter and Facebook-based matching gift marketing.

Twitter is a great tool to market matching gifts.

Learn how to use Twitter in your matching gift marketing.Sample Matching Gift Posts for Twitter

Because of Twitter’s 280-character limitation, be concise and to-the-point in your communications. Further, include a quick link to your organization’s giving page, website, or dedicated matching gift page so interested donors can access it on-the-fly via tweet

Here are some example matching gift tweets:

1. Did you know your gift can be doubled, tripled & even quadrupled? Your employer might offer matching gift programs.

 

2. Did you donate to us this year? There’s still time to submit a matching gift request from your employer!

 

3. It’s February – do you love us? We love you, too! Click here to see if your company will double your donations:  <insert URL>

 

4. Ever wonder if your employer matches donations? Search our database to learn more about your employer at <insert URL>.

 

5. Last year, we raised $X from corporate matching gift programs – help make 20XX a better year!

 

6. Did you know that tons of organizations offer matching gift opportunities? Check to see if yours does.

 

7. It takes just a few minutes to submit corporate employee matching gift forms… have you submitted yours?

 

Additionally, with retweets, donors can also easily share the word about your organization’s offering. The platform was made with efficiency in mind—so if you want to simply and quickly inform your donors, Twitter is a great place.

However, to educate donors about matching gifts through more in-depth communications, consider using Facebook.

Facebook is a great tool for marketing matching gifts.

Learn how to use Facebook when marketing matching gift programs.Sample Matching Gift Posts for Facebook

Facebook doesn’t present the challenge of character limitations as Twitter does, but that doesn’t mean you can ramble on. The following examples balance offering more in-depth information with catering to the shorter attention span associated with the internet.

Here are some example matching gift posts for Facebook:

1. We sincerely appreciate all donations to <Your Organization’s Name>! Did you know that your generosity has the potential to be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled? Check to see if your employer offers a matching gift program!

 

2. What do Microsoft, Bank of America, IBM, and Verizon all have in common? Each one matches donations made by their employees’ to nonprofit organizations. This means that if you donate, or have donated to <Your Organization’s Name>, and work for one of these four companies, the company will double your donation. Many major employers offer similar programs. Search <insert URL> to find out if your employer offers something like this, as well as to access program guidelines, how-to instructions, and relevant forms.

 

3. A huge thanks to all of our donors, and a double thanks to those who submit matching fund requests from their employers! Does your employer offer a program like this? Check today!

 

4. Help us <Your Organization’s Mission>. Ask your employer to match, double, or even triple your donation today! Check out your organization’s matching gift options here: <insert URL>

 

5. We like to brag that our donors are the best. Not only do they contribute to us, but they also take the extra step to see if their employer offers a matching gift program that may double the total donation to our organization! Have you checked to see if your company offers a matching gift option? Thanks for being a super donor if so! Check here to see if your company has a program like this: <insert URL>

 

Just as with Twitter, donors can easily share your Facebook posts with their friends and family. It’s a great way to get in front of new donors you might not reach otherwise!

If used correctly, social media can be a valuable resource in marketing matching gift opportunities. For more information on how to use social media to market matching gift programs, check out some additional social media ideas.

Small Companies Matching Gifts

Five Companies Providing Volunteer Grants when Retirees Volunteer

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If your organization has a large number of volunteers, you’ve probably received volunteer grants, also known as Dollar for Doer grants.

Not familiar with volunteer grant programs?
Check out this article which outlines the basics of volunteer grant programs. It also provides an overview on how organizations can benefit from this source of corporate giving.

At Double the Donation, we help nonprofits raise more money from employee matching gift and volunteer grant programs. While we recognize that many company programs are geared exclusively towards current employees, some companies extend their grant programs to retirees who volunteer on a regular basis.

Five Companies which Provide Grants when Retirees Volunteer

Bank of AmericaBank of America Retiree Volunteer Grants

Bank of America offers both a matching gift and volunteer grant program. Through Bank of America’s dollars for doers program, the bank offers the following two different thresholds of volunteer grants:

  • 50 volunteer hours = $250 grant
  • 100 volunteer hours = $500 grant

Learn more about Bank of America’s Volunteer Grant Program.

ConocoPhillipsVolunteer Grants for ConocoPhillips Employees and Retirees

Like many other energy providers, ConocoPhillips offers generous employee giving programs. In addition to the ConocoPhillip’s matching gift program, the company also provides donations to nonprofits where employees volunteer on a regular basis. ConocoPhillips also offers two different levels of volunteer grants:

  • 20 volunteer hours = $500 grants
  • 40 volunteer hours = $1,000 grants

Learn more about ConocoPhillips’ Volunteer Grant Program.

Prudential

In addition to matching up to $5,000 of each employee’s donations, Prudential also offers grants when employees volunteer on a regular basis.

Specific grant amounts vary between $250-$1,000 and are based upon the number of hours and type of volunteer work performed. Each employee must volunteer for a minimum of 40 hours before being eligible for a volunteer grant.

Learn more about Prudential’s Volunteer Grant Program.

Alliant EnergyAlliant Energy Grants for Employee and Retiree Volunteerism

Through Alliant Energy’s Volunteer Program, the company recognizes personal volunteerism performed by employees and retirees by providing grants to the nonprofit. The company has three different volunteer grant thresholds:

  • 50-149 volunteer hours = $100 grants
  • 150- 199 volunteer hours =  $300 grants
  • 200+ volunteer hours = $400 grants

Learn more about Alliant Energy’s Volunteer Grant Program.

ExxonMobilVolunteer Grants for ExxonMobil Employees and Retirees

In addition to ExxonMobil’s generous matching gift program to higher education and arts & cultural organizations, Exxon Mobil also offers two types of volunteer grant programs:

ExxonMobil Individual Volunteer Grants

  • 20 volunteer hours = $500 grants
  • 40 volunteer hours = $1,000 grants
  • 60 volunteer hours = $1,500 grants
  • 80 volunteer hours = $2,000 grants

Spouses and dependent children (ages 12-25) of both employees and retirees are also eligible to participate and request volunteer grants for their volunteer hours.

ExxonMobil Team Volunteer Grants

A $500 grant is awarded to nonprofit organizations when a team of at least five ExxonMobil employees and retirees volunteer together for at least 20 combined hours. Click here to read about other companies providing grants when groups of employees volunteer.

Learn more about Exxon Mobil’s Volunteer Grant Program.

We also encourage you to explore Double the Donation’s matching gift and volunteer grant service to see if it can help your nonprofit raise more money from employee giving programs.