Tag Archive for: IBM

Team volunteer grants

Team Volunteer Grants | Leveraging Company-Sponsored Events

You’ve probably already heard of employee matching gift and volunteer grant programs, but has your organization looked into the benefits of corporate team volunteer grants?

What are corporate team volunteer grants?

Team volunteer grants are corporate giving programs in which a company provides a monetary donation to nonprofits when a group of employees volunteer together.

Corporations offer these programs to promote team building and community service.

These corporate grant programs have the potential to be a win-win for everyone involved. If your organization can design appealing opportunities for groups of corporate employees to come out and volunteer, everyone wins!

  • Your organization receives volunteer support from a group of individuals
  • The group of employees has an enjoyable and rewarding team-building event
  • The corporation gets to give back to the community
  • Your organization receives a grant from the company

Examples of team volunteer grant programs:

AMD Team Volunteer Grants

AMD:

Through Advanced Micro Devices’ Grant Incentives for Volunteer Efforts (GIVE), the company provides grants of $15 per hour volunteered when individual employees volunteer with a nonprofit.

To make AMD’s volunteer incentive program even better, the company provides grants when groups of employees volunteer together. Through AMD’s Team Development Grants, when teams of five or more employees volunteer together for at least 10 total hours (2 hours each), the school / organization is eligible for a $500 grant.

Learn more about AMD’s volunteer grant programs.

 

CarMax:

CarMax Cares Team Volunteer GrantThrough The CarMax Foundation, an Associate can make a team-building event more impactful. When groups of employees volunteer together they’re able to earn a grant from The CarMax Foundation for the nonprofit they’re volunteering with.

Volunteer Team Building Grant amounts are:

  • $500 for eligible donation drives (excludes blood drives) or when five-24 Associates volunteer (see below for runs and walks)
  • $1,000 when five or more Associates participate in a run or walk benefiting an eligible non-profit
  • $1,000 when 25 or more Associates volunteer

Even better is that most of the above grants are doubled for activities taking place in June in celebration of CarMax Cares Month.

Learn more about CarMax’s volunteer grant programs.

 

IBM:

IBM offers both individual and team volunteer grants.

When IBM employees and retirees volunteer individually they are eligible for up to $3,500 in technology grants or $1,000 in cash awards a year for organizations where they regularly volunteer. Employees must volunteer for a minimum of 8 hours a month for five months.

Groups of IBMers or retirees who volunteer together may request up to $7,500 in IBM equipment grants for eligible schools and not-for-profit organizations.

Learn more about IBM’s volunteer grant programs. 

 

Xcel Energy Volunteer Grants

Xcel Energy:

Xcel Energy offers multiple types of employee giving programs. Through Xcel Energy’s individual volunteer grant program, the company provides grants worth $10 per hour volunteered when an employee volunteers with a nonprofit. The company also matches up to $2000 of employee donations to a wide range of nonprofits.

Through Xcel Energy’s team volunteer grant program, when teams of six or more employees participate in a community volunteer project, Excel Energy will donate $500 to the associated nonprofit.

Learn more about Xcel Energy’s volunteer grant programs.

 

Kohl's Volunteer GrantsKohl’s:

When a minimum of five Kohl’s Associates from one location volunteer at least three consecutive hours of their time with a qualifying organization, the nonprofit is given a $500 grant.

Learn more about Kohl’s team grants.

 

Verizon Volunteer GrantsVerizon:

Verizon provides individual volunteer grants worth $750 when an employee volunteers for 50 hours and matches donations up to $5,000 per employee per year.

But perhaps the greatest award comes through Verizon’s team program, where teams of 10 or more Verizon employees who collectively raise funds for a nonprofit or school can have their funds matched up to $10,000 per team and event.

Learn more about Verizon’s volunteer grant programs.

 

Walmart:

Walmart Team Volunteer Grants

Walmart provides $250 for each individual in their volunteer grant program who volunteers at least 25 hours and allows up to four individual grant requests per year.

When five or more associates volunteer at least an accumulated 25 hours, Walmart will grant the team $500. Also, Walmart associates from any department or any facility can volunteer together as a team. Walmart will grant up to $5,000 if associates make a team of 50 volunteers, and each department or facility may submit up to four team grant requests per year.

Learn more about Walmart’s volunteer grant programs.


Team volunteer grants can be a great way to raise additional funds for your organization. Did you know the easiest method for managing these opportunities is with Double the Donation Volunteering? See how our volunteer functionality can help your team uncover potential for individual and team volunteer grants, volunteer time off, and more here.

For more information on team volunteer grants, check out Double the Donation’s additional resources:

Small Companies Matching Gifts

Have Retirees who Volunteer? Receive Grants from their Former Employers!

Volunteer grants for retirees are one of the most overlooked sources of fundraising for nonprofits. But given that retirees are the most committed volunteers for many organizations, there’s value in promoting volunteer grants to these supporters.

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

Companies with Volunteer Grant Programs for Retirees

Chevron:chevron-matching-gifts

Like most major oil and gas producers, Chevron has generous employee giving programs. One aspect that differentiates the company from its peers is that its matching gift and volunteer grants are not limited to current employees. Retirees are also eligible to submit grant requests for much of their philanthropic giving.

Each employee or retiree who volunteers for at least 20 hours in a year can request a grant for $500. At $25 per hour, that makes Chevron’s volunteer grant program one of the top ones in the world. And to make it even better, each individual can request up to two grants (either for the same organization or different organizations) for a total of $1,000 annually.

Learn more about Chevron’s Volunteer Grant Program.

PNM Resources:pnm-volunteering

PNM Resources, which stands for Public Service Company of New Mexico, is an energy holding company headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The company owns both PNM and Texas-New Mexico Power (TNMP). As a long-time employer in both markets, the company has a strong passion for giving back.

In addition to PNM Resources’ matching gift program, the company also encourages employees and retirees to volunteer with nonprofit organizations by providing financial grants to the organizations as a way to recognize volunteerism. There are three tiers of grants:

  • 12 volunteer hours = $100 grant
  • 25 volunteer hours = $200 grant
  • 25 volunteer hours and employee or retiree serves on the board of directors = $500 grant

Learn more about PNM Resources’ Volunteer Grant Program.

Aetna:aetna matching gifts

As one of the nation’s largest insurers, Aetna has a presence in nearly all states. Given its size and scope, it’s great to hear that the company offers multiple employee giving programs.

In addition to Aetna’s matching gift program where the company matches donations to nearly any nonprofit, Aetna also provides grants to nonprofits when active employees and retirees volunteer. Once an individual volunteers for at least 20 hours, Aetna will provide a $300 grant to the nonprofit where the employee or retiree volunteered. Coming out to $15 per hour, Aetna’s program is on the upper end of volunteer grant rates!

Learn more about Aetna’s Volunteer Grant Program.

Pfizer:pfizer volunteer grants

Not many companies provide volunteer grants of $1,000 but Pfizer is one of them. In addition to matching up to $5,000 in employee donations at a 1:1 ratio and matching retiree contributions at a 50% ratio, the company also is a huge advocate for ongoing volunteerism.

At the heart of Pfizer’s volunteer grant program is a goal of encouraging regular and long-term volunteerism. Pfizer provides $1,000 grants to nonprofits where employees and retirees volunteer as long as the following requirements are met:

  • Volunteer for at least 6 month
  • Serve an average of six hours per month for a total of 72 hours in a calendar year

Learn more about Pfizer’s Volunteer Grant Program.

IBM – International Business Machines:ibm-volunteer-grants

As one of the largest and most respected companies in the world, it’s no surprise that IBM also excels in the corporate philanthropy space. In addition to providing matching gifts to thousands of organizations which employees donate to each year, International Business Machines also offers multiple forms of volunteer grants for both current employees and retirees.

Specifics vary, but IBM employees and retirees who volunteer for a minimum of eight hours a month for five months can apply for cash grants of up to $1,000 or technology grants worth up to $3,500 for their favorite nonprofit.

Learn more about IBM’s Volunteer Grant Program.

Additional Resources on Volunteer Grant Programs

Want to learn more about volunteer grant programs and how they benefit your organization? Check out the following resources:

  1. Volunteer grant basics
  2. Team volunteer grants
  3. Top volunteer grant companies
Birmingham Matching Gifts

Companies in Birmingham, Alabama with Matching Gift Programs

As a leading provider of employee matching gift tools for nonprofits, Double the Donation maintains a database of companies that match employee donations. Here are a few companies with a large employy presence in the Birmingham metropolitan area that match employee donations. 

Birmingham Matching Gift Corporations

Many large corporations call Birmingham home. These companies’ matching gift programs can make a difference for your nonprofit. Even though The University of Alabama Birmingham is the largest employer in the city the region is also known for its major banks and has a wide variety of Fortune 500 employers. Check out this list of top companies with employee matching programs.

IBM

IBM offers a generous matching program for with benefits for employees and retirees. The company will match donations from employees at a 1:1 ratio, or donate twice as much in IBM equipment. The company will match up to $5,000 per employee each year.

Read more about IBM’s matching gifts.

PNC Bank

PNC matches donations made by employees between $50 and $2,500. Unfortunately though the program is only open to full-time employees. Retirees and part-time workers are not eligible. PNC matches donations made to a variety of nonprofits.

Read more about the PNC’s matching gift program.

Regions Financial

Regions Financial, one of the largest banks in the Birmingham area, matches donations made by full and part-time employees to a wide variety of nonprofits. Each employee can request a match on donations between $25 and $1,000 annually.

Read more about Region’s matching gift program.

Vulcan

Vulcan offers a matching gift program to allow its employees to give back to the community. The company will match up to $10,000 in donations per employee at a 1:1 ratio to most organizations. But it gets even better. Donations made to educational institutions are matched at a 2:1 ratio.

Read more about Vulcan’s matching gift program.

Want to learn more about how Double the Donation can help your organization increase its fundraising?  Click here.

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

Social Media: 12 Matching Gift Posts to Schedule Today

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.