Tag Archive for: Corporate Matching Gifts

Learn about the impact of matching gifts on employee engagement in this guide.

The Impact of Matching Gift Programs on Employee Engagement

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With a whopping 85% of employees actively disengaged at the workplace, implementing intentional engagement programs is crucial for ensuring your company’s success. By implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs into your company culture you can access benefits on multiple sides—workforce productivity, community impact, and customer satisfaction.

One of the top workplace giving program ideas is matching gifts. Starting a matching gift program boosts engagement by allowing you to invest in your employees’ passions. However, if you’re new to CSR or don’t know where to start with matching gifts, it can be difficult to know where to start. Don’t worry—this guide will provide you with everything you need to cultivate a more engaged and effective workforce by covering these topics:

Without further ado, let’s explore the valuable relationship between matching gift programs and employee engagement.Click here to learn more about how matching gift programs can boost employee engagement.

Matching Gift FAQs

Whether you’re a newcomer or a seasoned pro, you likely have some questions about the vast world of matching gifts. Let’s get you the answers you need before we move into our engagement strategies.

What are the key terms to know regarding matching gifts?

If you’re new to matching gifts, there are a lot of important terms that you might not be aware of. Here are some definitions to keep in mind:

  • A matching gift program is a corporate giving initiative that enables employees to get their donation to a nonprofit matched by their employer.
  • A match ratio is a company’s ratio of how much of an employee’s donation they’ll match. For example, most companies match $1 for each dollar contributed by the employee, but some even pledge $2 for each dollar given by the employee.
  • Matching gift program eligibility requirements are a company’s rules for which employees can leverage matching gifts and to what extent. For instance, some companies allow retirees and part-time employees to submit matching gift requests, where others only allow full-time employees to participate.
  • A maximum and minimum match amount are the upper and lower limits of an eligible matching gift. Most companies set the minimum amount around $25 and the maximum at several hundred dollars per year.
  • A CSR platform is a software solution that companies leverage to manage their matching gift programs. The best CSR platforms can integrate with matching gift processing software solutions like Double the Donation, which has auto-submission capabilities.

All of these terms (and a few more) will eventually be fully fleshed out in your corporate giving policy. If you’d like to more clarity on how other organizations define them, research companies that donate to nonprofits to get a more informed perspective on how you can tailor these ideas to your employee engagement goals.

What are the primary benefits of matching gift programs?

Matching gift programs offer a plethora of advantages for both companies and nonprofits alike. Besides feeling fulfilled after committing a good deed, companies who embrace matching gifts can boost:

  • Customer loyalty. Customers increasingly favor supporting companies who give back to their communities. In fact, corporate social responsibility can give your company an edge over competitors—70% of consumers want to know that the brands they support are socially responsible.
  • Brand reputation. With increased customer loyalty comes a stronger brand reputation. Not only will giving back to nonprofits boost customer retention but it can improve acquisition as well.
  • Employee productivity and loyalty. Employees want to feel supported in their professional and personal passions by their employer, and it shows in their job performance and loyalty. Matching gifts provide a perfect opportunity to invest in each employees’ interests, make a widespread impact on the community, and cultivate a more dedicated workforce.
  • Talent acquisition efforts. The same principles that boost employee productivity through corporate giving apply to talent acquisition. You can leverage your matching gift offerings to attract and acquire the talented applicants that your competitors want.
  • Tax breaks. Depending on where your company is based, you can get tax reductions from the IRS for your matching gift contributions.
  • Community relationships. A matching gift can open the door for your company to form valuable relationships with organizations in your community, especially with nonprofits. For instance, if you notice a high volume of donations going to one nonprofit, you might decide to officially sponsor them and reap even more benefits of corporate social responsibility.

That said, you can’t harness these benefits without putting a sincere effort towards making philanthropy a core value of your company. That means actively promoting your program to employees and iterating on it.

What can affect employee engagement with matching gift programs?

Numerous factors can impact a company’s employee matching gift engagement, such as:

  • Employee awareness. According to Double the Donation’s guide to matching gift statistics, 78% of donors are unaware if their company offers a matching gift program, and 1 in 3 donors indicate that they’d give more if a match was available. The more employees know about your program, the better participation metrics you’ll see.
  • Ease of submission. The easier it is to submit a matching gift request, the more employees will participate in your program. Leverage a platform that integrates with an auto-submission provider to keep the process straightforward.
  • Program guidelines. The stipulations that determine who can participate in the matching gift program and how they can get involved influences the participation rate.
  • Leadership support. Employees look to leadership to embody company culture and values. If there’s a lack of support or acknowledgment of matching gifts, employees might feel discouraged from participating.
  • Flexibility in gift types. Some employees might prefer giving all at once, but others might prefer to donate smaller gifts over time. Accommodating multiple giving preferences allows you to interest more employees in getting their gifts matched. After all, our corporate philanthropy trends research found that 39% of surveyed employees wish their companies would allow greater flexibility in when and how they can participate in workplace giving.
  • Quality of feedback mechanisms. Adapting your matching gift program over time is crucial for keeping it effective as your company changes. Leveraging comprehensive and accessible feedback mechanisms is how you can tailor your programs to be more suited to your employees’ preferences.

To gauge what influences your own company’s matching gift participation rate, survey your employees and ask what aspects are beneficial and where improvements can be made. These answers usually directly correlate with your program’s effectiveness and appeal to your employee community.

Tips for Maximizing Employee Engagement through Matching Gift Programs

Now that your initial questions are answered, you might be wondering how to launch your own matching gift program. Before we go over the details, let’s review the big-picture ways that you can increase engagement.

A diagram showing the tips for maximizing employee engagement through matching gifts as described below.

  • Create a culture of giving and volunteerism. Whether you ask potential hires about their interest in social responsibility or offer paid time off for company volunteering, you should integrate giving back into your regular schedule. You’ll attract passionate advocates to join your team and cultivate a community that values your CSR efforts, making implementing a matching gift program simple.
  • Leverage technology and software solutions. As mentioned above, using employee-facing CSR platforms streamlines program management and participation. For instance, using a CSR platform that integrates with an auto-submission platform can cut at least half of the steps in a matching gift submission process.
  • Sharing the program’s impact with participants. As donors, your employees are entitled to information about your corporate giving activities and progress. Ensure you report on your matching gift program’s metrics, such as the number of participants and the total amount donated by the company, so your employees stay informed about your progress.

Your company needs to do more than simply start a matching gift program to get employees excited about getting involved. Implementing these large-scale atmospheric and program shifts will make it easier for your matching gift program to make a lasting impact.

How to Start an Employee Matching Gift Program

These simple steps can help you start your matching gift program on the right foot:

an infographic that demonstrates the steps for starting a matching gift program, as highlighted below.

Develop a corporate giving policy

Before you lay out your specific matching gift policies, you should create a framework for your overall approach to corporate social responsibility and giving. Ensure you cover the following aspects in your policy:

  • Goals of your program
  • Bundle options, such as making a higher match ratio available when the employee have volunteered a certain amount
  • Match ratio
  • Minimum and maximum match amounts
  • Eligibility requirements
  • Types of gifts accepted
  • Affinity causes that you contribute more to
  • Tax deductibility information
  • Submission deadlines
  • Contact information for the program administrator
  • Feedback devices

Record all of these stipulations in a visible location, such as the employee handbook or in your employee-facing CSR platform, so your staff has the most essential information at their fingertips. If you make changes to your policy, communicate them to your entire team to keep your program running smoothly.

Pick a CSR platform

If you haven’t already settled on a CSR platform that supports matching gifts, now is the time to research your options and pick the best fit. Keep these important considerations in mind while you choose your platform:

  • Cost
  • Matching gift auto-submission integration
  • Employee access
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Mobile accessibility
  • Success stories/good reviews
  • Scalability
  • User-friendliness
  • Supports matching gifts and any other corporate giving initiatives you decide to take on
  • Robust reporting capabilities

Once you’ve narrowed down your prospective providers based on these criteria, schedule demos, consultations, and any other meetings to help you make your decision. Also, remember to include all relevant parties in your research and trial processes, such as your software experts, company leadership, and CSR program chairs, so you get a diverse array of perspectives on the available options.

Communicate the program’s impact to employees

As previously mentioned, one of the biggest barriers to employee participation in matching gift programs is a lack of awareness. To achieve maximum visibility, you should:

  • Create a matching gifts information page. Many companies have shared drives or Intranet pages where employees can share internal information. Create an internal information hub for your matching gift program where you can post updates and answer questions.
  • Leverage multiple channels. Whether you’re spreading the word about your program via email or in person at your all-hands meeting, pick company-wide channels to inform your employees about your program.
  • Host recognition and appreciation events. Leveraging peer feedback is a great way to get employees interested in your new program. Ask employees who have had their gifts matched before to speak to the program’s effectiveness in spreading social good. You could also ask nonprofit representatives from causes related to your company’s focus to speak about how matched donations impact their missions.

Similar to your external marketing efforts, your program will only be as popular as your communications are effective. Use marketing tools such as powerful calls to action and branded images to make your communications stand out.

Celebrate successes and recognize employee participation

Once the matching gift requests start rolling in, you should take the time to thank those who made the program successful—your employees. Showing your heartfelt gratitude can help employees feel more engaged and inspired to renew their involvement going forward. Share your thanks by:

  • Sending appreciation eCards. Make your thank-you message more memorable than a passing comment in the hallway by leveraging custom employee appreciation eCards. Take it a step further by giving peers the ability to recognize each other for their charitable activity so everyone has a chance to support each other.
  • Awarding prizes to participants. Creating a competitive, yet fun gamified atmosphere with prizes on the line helps employees get more absorbed in your program and allows you to show your thanks. For instance, let’s say you’re running a matching gift day coinciding with Giving Tuesday. Consider offering all participants a small prize as a thank-you gift and award the top five donors with more valuable gifts.
  • Creating a yearly award. You might already have a yearly awards ceremony where high performers are recognized for their contributions to the company. You could add an award for “biggest community contributor” or “advocate of the year” to show thanks to the most influential participants.

A little recognition can go a long way in securing long-term support for your matching gift program. As long as your sincerity comes through, your employees will feel the love and keep giving!

Click here to read about real companies who have leveraged matching gifts in our essential guide.

Wrapping Up + Additional Resources

Now that you know how and why matching gift programs can influence your employee engagement, it’s time to launch your own efforts! By keeping your employees at the center of your strategy and leveraging the right technology, you can achieve remarkable results for your company, both internally and externally.

Click the banner to learn more about how auto-submission impacts matching gift program participation.

 

Reference this sample job description when its time to hire a matching gift coordinator.

Finding A Matching Gift Coordinator: Sample Job Description

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Is your nonprofit organization missing out on potential funds from matching gift donations? Yes.

Does your development department have someone who is knowledgeable about matching gifts and the intricacies of the process? No.

Would you be interested in having someone on your staff who can bring added value to your annual fund? Yes.

If your answers match ours, then it might be time for your organization to bring on a dedicated matching gift coordinator. We’re going to explore hiring a matching gift coordinator through the following topics:

With the sample job description, we’ll look at a general overview, key responsibilities, and the characteristics of a qualified candidate. Follow along for a deep-dive into hiring a matching gift specialist.

Learn the basics of being a matching gift coordinator.

What is a matching gift coordinator?

A matching gift coordinator is simply the staff member in charge of all of your organization’s matching gift needs, from discovering which donors are match eligible to educating those donors about submitting match requests.

This is the staff member that, for a smaller nonprofit, directs donors to your organization’s searchable matching gift database or even searches donors’ information themselves. Or, on the other hand, if you’re a larger nonprofit– this is the staff member that manages your matching gift automation tool. Finally, after determining eligibility, this staff member follows-up with donors, starting the process.

Bonus! If your organization doesn’t currently have either of these tools and they seem like a good solution for you, visit Double the Donation to get started.

We’ve put together a sample job description for a matching gift coordinator that you can post on a multitude of great nonprofit job and career sites. Of course, you’ll need to add in the more specific elements that make your organization unique to help you stand out from the crowd. Use this template to get started, and customize it according to your organization’s specific successes!

Here is a sample job description for a matching gift coordinator.

Matching Gift Coordinator

Overview

The Matching Gift Coordinator is responsible for the oversight of the matching gift program, a component of fund development. This position entails communicating with individual donors to ensure knowledge about the possibility of matching gifts, as well as maintaining and updating appropriate information on the website and within relevant marketing materials.

The Matching Gift Coordinator reports to and works in collaboration with the Director of Development.

Key Responsibilities

  • Checking all individual donations against the donor’s employer to see if they are eligible for a corporate match.
  • Reaching out to individual donors to inform them of the possibility of a corporate matching gift.
  • Providing donors with appropriate information and guidelines to make the match process as effortless as possible.
  • Maintaining and updating the matching gift information on software such as Double the Donation as necessary.
  • Sending timely acknowledgments to individual donors and matching gift companies.
  • Maintaining the matching gift section on the fundraising pages of the website.
  • Marketing matching gift opportunities via various outlets including social media, email campaigns, and annual fund letters.

Characteristics of a Qualified Candidate

The Matching Gift Coordinator position requires an organized, proactive, and energetic individual who will work effectively with donors and corporations.

A successful candidate will have the following qualities:

  • At least 2 years of experience in fund development in nonprofit organizations.
  • An ability to think independently and communicate effectively.
  • Strong interpersonal skills.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • An ability to learn quickly, especially with regard to software management.

A matching gift coordinator can help your organization increase its incoming donations through matching gift programs. These programs present a huge opportunity, and you don’t want to miss out due to being understaffed!

If it’s time for your organization to bring on a matching gift coordinator, use the above job description to start your search.

 

Microsoft Matching Gift Figures

Directing Donors to Matching Gift Forms | 4 Standard Methods

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Does your organization have a strategy in place to maximize fundraising from employee matching gift programs? If not, taking donors and members to company specific matching gift forms is a great place to start.

Directing donors and members directly to matching gift forms is far more effective than suggesting they “reach out to HR”. In fact, it’s one of the most effective ways your organization can increase fundraising from corporate matching gift programs.

At Double the Donation, we utilize four different approaches to directing your organizations donors and members to the forms they need to submit matching gift requests. We know each method isn’t created equal, so we’ve prioritized the information we provide to donors to maximize the likelihood they’ll submit a matching gift request.

This post is designed to shed light on the prioritization process we use to ensure your donors can easily double their donations. Feel free to contact us via email or schedule time to chat with someone from our team if you have any questions.

Direct Donors to the Electronic Matching Gift Submission Process (1st Preference)

Many of the largest companies offer an electronic matching gift submission process. While a few companies have developed their own proprietary process, the majority of companies contract the matching gift administration process out to a vendor (ex. Easymatch, Cybergrant, etc.)

Fortunately for nonprofits, in the majority of instances the electronic login page is actually publicly available on a website which anyone can access. We direct donors to the login page where they enter their username and password and then proceed through the matching gift submission process.

Wondering what the electronic submission process is like for a donor? Read our article that includes a walkthrough of Home Depot’s electronic matching gift submission process.

Rationale: Your donors are already online and looking for company specific matching gift information. They’re most likely to submit a match request electronically, especially since once at the proper location, it only takes a few minutes.

View an example of Abbott Laboratories matching gift details page where we direct donors to an electronic submission process.

Link to the company’s matching gift website where forms are located  (2nd Preference)

While more and more companies continue to migrate over to an electronic submission process, many still require donors to print out / fill out a paper matching gift form. In many cases the form is posted out on a publicly accessible website so we direct donors to the company page where the matching form can be downloaded.

The two possible approaches were for us to download these forms and host them on Double the Donation’s servers or direct donors to the actual company page where the forms are hosted. After testing both strategies, we ultimately decided on the latter

Rationale: While directing donors to a company page to download the form involves an extra step, we see it as the preferred method for providing donors with the form. It ensures they have access to the most up-to-date form as well as reassures them the matching program is still active form.

Click here to view an example of Marathon Oil’s matching gift details page where we direct donors to an electronic submission page

Provide Donors with the Matching Gift Form on our Servers – (3rd Preference)

If a company requires employees to submit a paper matching gift form, we do our best to provide the donor with a copy of the form. If it isn’t posted publicly on the company’s website, we request that the company provide us with a copy of the form.

In these cases we host the form on our server (typically as a PDF) so your donors can easily download it.

Rationale: Providing a copy of the form enables a donor to submit the matching gift request without having to dig around for additional information.

Click here to view an example of Coca-Cola’s matching gift details page where we provide a copy of Coke’s matching gift form. 

Redirect Donors to the Company Intranet or HR / Community Relations Contact

Unfortunately we don’t always have the best access to the matching gift forms your donors need. Typically this is for one of the following two reasons:

  1. There’s an electronic submission process which can only be accessed over the company intranet.
  2. The form is posted on the company intranet, but the company didn’t want to share a copy with Double the Donation.

In these cases we typically redirect donors to the company intranet. If it’s an online submission process, we notify the donor of this and ask them to go to a specific location on the intranet or to search for “matching gifts.” If there’s a paper form, we provide it via a link or host the form on our servers.

Rationale: While this is less than ideal, just telling donors “Hey, company XYZ will match your donation up to $5,000 and your organization is eligible” increases the likelihood they’ll log into the company intranet to retrieve the form.

Learn How to Raise More Money from Employee Matching Gift Programs.

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.

To boost your nonprofit's revenue through corporate philanthropy, check out these San Diego matching gift companies.

San Diego Companies with Matching Gift Programs

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In previous articles, we dove into Atlanta matching gift companies and New York matching gift companies, but for this article, we’ll take a look at a west coast market.

California is home to many of the country’s most socially responsible companies. Because of this, California nonprofits are well-positioned to take advantage of matching gift programs.

As the 17th largest metropolitan area in the United States, San Diego is home to many leading companies. Nonprofits in San Diego can benefit from increased revenue by focusing on employee matching gift programs. If your nonprofit is located in the San Diego area, take a look at these major matching gift employers in your area:

  1. Qualcomm
  2. Kaiser Permanente
  3. Sempra Energy
  4. LPL Financial Services
  5. Raytheon (formerly United Technologies Corporation)

Matching gift and volunteer grant programs are widely offered employee benefits. In fact, 65% of Fortune 500 companies match employee donations while 40% offer volunteer grant programs. You don’t want to miss out on these important revenue opportunities.

Ready to get started? Let’s explore a few companies in San Diego which match employee donations!

1. Qualcomm

Qualcomm, a San Diego matching gift company, offers matching gifts and volunteer grants.

With approximately 13,000 employees in the San Diego area, Qualcomm is one of the largest employers in the San Diego community.

Even though Qualcomm matches donations made only by full-time employees, its program is still quite generous. Annually, a Qualcomm employee can request donation matches starting at a minimum of $50. If eligible, the company will match the donation at a 1:1 ratio, doubling the employee’s gift.

Qualcomm also provides grants worth $250 whenever an employee volunteers for at least 15 hours. Employees can apply for additional grants for the same or a different charitable organization once they volunteer for another 15 hours.

However, the company has a combined limit for each employee for both their matching gift program and their volunteer grant program. Depending on the employee’s level (e.g. associate, director, etc. ), the limit ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 per year.

Learn more about Qualcomm’s matching gift and volunteer grant programs.

2. Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente employs more than 7,000 individuals in the San Diego metropolitan area.Kaiser Permanente is a San Diego matching gift company that has an annual giving campaign.

Its matching gift program varies region-by-region, but fortunately for San Diego employees and nonprofits, they do offer a match program. Every year, Kaiser Permanente offers an employee giving campaign around September or November. The program is open to full-time and part-time employees. However, retirees are not eligible.

During the annual giving campaign, they match employee donations to most nonprofits. Match amounts range from $25 up to $5,000 at a 1:1 ratio.

Learn more about Kaiser Permanente’s matching gift program.

3. Sempra Energy

Sempra Energy, a San Diego matching gift company, also offers individual and team volunteer grants.

Sempra Energy employs more than 4,500 individuals in San Diego and serves approximately 3.7 million customers in southern California, making it the largest utility provider in the San Diego area.

The company is a strong supporter of local nonprofits and matches donations to most organizations. Donations eligible for matches range from $25 to $2,500. The program is open to both full-time employees and part-time employees.

Also, Sempra Energy offers two types of volunteer grant programs:

  1. Individual volunteer grants. Employees who volunteer at least 10 hours with a nonprofit or a school may request up to $1,000, depending on the number of hours volunteered.
  2. Season of Giving team volunteer grants. During the holiday season, when teams of employees volunteer together, they can request a Season of Giving grant.

Learn more about Sempra Energy’s matching gift program.

4. LPL Financial Services

LPL Financial Services is a San Diego matching gift company that gives back to its community through several programs.

LPL Financial offers a matching gift program for its financial advisors. Through LPL Financial’s program, full-time financial advisors can request matches for donations made to most nonprofits. They can request up to $500 in matching gift funds each year.

Outside of its matching gift program, LPL Financial finds additional ways to give back to its community. A few of these philanthropic strategies include:

  • Mentoring at-risk youth.
  • Teaching productive job search techniques to unemployed individuals.
  • The Employee Volunteer Corps that organizes volunteer events.
  • And many others.

Learn more about LPL Financial’s matching gift program.

5. United Technologies Corporation (UTC) (Now known as Raytheon)

United Technologies Corporation, a San Diego matching gift company, offers a generous matching gift program and a volunteer grant program.

In 2012, Goodrich merged with United Technologies, and as part of the merger process, the two companies combined their employee giving programs. Then more recently United Technologies joined Raytheon through a merger.

UTC used to match employee donations to most nonprofits. Each employee could request up to $10,000 in matching gift funds each year, as long as the request is made within 12 months of the initial donation. Now the program is under Raytheon’s employee giving program.

UTC also offers a volunteer grant program. When employees volunteer a minimum of 60 hours at eligible nonprofits, they can request a $250 donation. Each employee can submit grant requests for up to two nonprofits per year.

Learn more about Raytheon’s matching gift program.

Learn how Double the Donation can help your nonprofit pinpoint San Diego matching gift companies.

How a Matching Gift Database Can Help

Corporate philanthropy, such as matching gift programs and volunteer grant programs, represent a major revenue opportunity for nonprofits. With a matching gift database like Double the Donation, you won’t overlook much-deserved revenue. Here’s how it works:

  1. Your team embeds the tool across all your fundraising channels (e.g. matching gift pages and donation pages).
  2. A donor or volunteer starts typing their employer’s name.
  3. The tool generates autocomplete suggestions for the user to select.
  4. The donor receives up-to-date info on their employer’s giving program.

Double the Donation works with nonprofits across the country, including San Diego. In the database, there are more than 20,000 companies that represent over 15 million match-eligible employees, making it the industry’s leading matching gift database.

Plus, larger nonprofits can streamline the process even more with 360MatchPro by Double the Donation. It enables email automation and drives matches to completion with live match tracking.

Think your nonprofit could benefit from Double the Donation?

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While the above companies are major employers in San Diego, there are many other local companies that offer these programs. Pinpointing them takes some research, simplified with a matching gift database.

If you’re a nonprofit, check out this list of the top national companies that offer employee giving programs. Now that you know some of the major employers in your area that offer matching gifts, start boosting your revenue!

Learn how to determine the tax-deductible amount for events for corporate matching gift programs.

Determining the Tax-Deductible Amount for Matching Gifts

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If your organization derives a significant amount of funding from membership programs, annual fundraising galas, or special events, you may wonder whether those donations are eligible for corporate matching gift programs.

By not promoting matching gifts to donors, your organization may be leaving money on the table. In almost every case, the tax-deductible amount of nearly all cash and stock contributions is eligible to be doubled through employer matching gift programs.

To take advantage of these important revenue opportunities, go over the following key subjects:

  1. The Relationship Between Tax-Deductible Contributions and Matching Gifts
  2. Calculating the Tax-Deductible Amount for Matching Gifts
  3. How a Matching Gift Database Can Help

Need a refresher on corporate philanthropy? Visit our guide to learn more about corporate matching gift programs. Otherwise, let’s get started!
Tax-deductible donations are fairly straightforward when requesting matching gifts.

1. The Relationship Between Tax-Deductible Contributions and Matching Gifts

When nonprofits have membership programs or host special events, there should be a defined tax-deductible amount listed. This should be a specific dollar amount. Also, it should be above the fair market value (FMV) of any benefits received.

That way, attendees and their employers know the specific amount for IRS income tax reporting purposes. The tax-deductible amount of the donation, event ticket, or membership is also what donors should submit to their employers when requesting a match.

It’s the responsibility of the organization to determine the tax-deductible amount and inform event attendees or its program’s members.

For instance, for events, the tickets should have a line similar to the following: “Did you know that $X of your ticket is tax-deductible? If your employer has a matching gift program, this amount might be eligible to be matched.” To learn other ways to promote matching gifts to attendees, visit this guide about matching gifts for special fundraising events.

Now that you know the tax-deductible amount of contributions can be matched, let’s dive into how to calculate it.
Calculating the tax-deductible amount for matching gifts requires the nonprofit to determine the fair market value of the benefits.

2. Calculating the Tax-Deductible Amount for Matching Gifts

As previously stated, it’s up to the nonprofit organization to determine the tax-deductible amount of each contribution. The first step is to determine the FMV of the benefits received.

There are a few ways to do this. Start by comparing the benefits received by the donor with what those benefits would cost if it were not a fundraiser.

For example, let’s say you charge $500 for an annual gala ticket. At the gala, there’s a performance by a well-known band as well as a five-course dinner. Let’s say the nonprofit determines the dinner would cost $50 from a local restaurant while a ticket to see the band would cost $100. In this case, the fair market value of the gala ticket would be $150. Therefore, the tax-deductible amount of the ticket would be $350.

Donors should use this fair market value, rather than the overall purchase price, on their company’s matching gift form.

While each organization has full discretion in determining the FMV, the key is to ensure the values placed on each benefit are reasonable. For instance, is it reasonable for a steak and lobster dinner with dessert to cost $10 at a five-star restaurant?  Probably not. An appropriate method is to take a look at the menu of a local restaurant and use its pricing as guidance.

Calculating the FMV isn’t an exact science. It could vary by several dollars and any amount within a reasonable range would be acceptable for government reporting and matching gift requests. The important part is that your organization is taking a fair and honest approach when estimating the FMV.
A matching gift database simplifies the process of determining which donors have employers who will match gifts for the tax-deductible amount.

3. How a Matching Gift Database Can Help

When hosting event fundraisers or heading a membership program, nonprofits might overlook corporate giving opportunities. Corporate philanthropy is vital for nonprofits. Missing out on these opportunities can be detrimental to an organization. That’s where Double the Donation, the industry-leading matching gift database, can help!

By adding a matching gift database to your tech toolkit, your nonprofit won’t overlook revenue from corporate giving programs. For instance, Double the Donation:

Before your event, research your attendees’ employers. You’ll be able to pinpoint which donors are matching-gift eligible. That way, you’ll know who to approach about corporate giving at your event. Whenever someone signs up for your membership program, your team can see which donors might be match-eligible, too! Then, you can reach out to them.

Plus, larger nonprofits might benefit even more from 360MatchPro by Double the Donation. This tool streamlines the process by automatically identifying match-eligible donors in a comprehensive database, following up with them until they complete the match process, and even creating an automated plan for matching gifts! Either tool is great for pinpointing corporate giving opportunities.

Sign up for a free trial of our matching gift database!

Many different types of donations to your organization have a tax-deductible component that can be submitted to corporate matching gift programs. Make sure you’re communicating this with your donors.

Now that you know more about tax-deductible contributions, relay this information to your team and supporters. Start boosting your nonprofit’s matching gift revenue now!