Your volunteers work hard to fulfill your nonprofit’s mission. The value they provide is already incalculable, but what if there was a way for them to provide even more support at no additional cost? With Dollars for Doers grant programs, they can. 

Dollars for Doers grants can substantially boost your fundraising revenue. To tap into this funding source, your organization needs to understand the basics. In this article, we’ll break down the definition of Dollars for Doers grants and guide you through effective strategies for raising more.

Specifically, we’ll cover:

1. What are Dollars for Doers Grants?
2. How Dollars for Doers Programs Work
3. Key Dollars for Doers Program Statistics
4. Top Dollars for Doers Companies
5. How to Get Dollars for Doers Grants

You’ll discover tips to educate your volunteers, necessary tools to invest in, and how to take advantage of Dollars for Does programs. Let’s first start by providing a definition for Dollars for Doers.

1. What are Dollars for Doers Grants?

A Dollars for Doers program is a corporate giving program in which a company provides monetary grants to nonprofits where its employees volunteer based on the number of hours contributed.

Dollars for Doers grants are also frequently referred to by other names, such as: 

• Volunteer Grants
• Matching Time Programs
• Dollar-for-Hour Programs
• Grants for Time Programs

Dollars for Doers programs are often overlooked due to a lack of awareness by both nonprofits and volunteers. Nonprofits don’t always know whether their volunteers work for companies that offer Dollars for Doers grants, and volunteers are often unaware their companies even offer such a program.

2. How Dollars for Doers Programs Work

While every company has its own participation requirements, all Dollars for Doers programs generally follow the same blueprint. Here’s how they work:

1. An individual volunteers with a nonprofit. Dollars for Doers is a corporate volunteer program that requires employees to initiate by volunteering like normal. At this stage, eligible supporters volunteer like any other member of your team. 
2. The individual submits a request for a Dollars for Doers grant to their employer. To earn funding from a Dollars for Does program, employees need to alert their employer to their volunteer hours, usually by submitting an application through their employers’ CSR software.
3. The employer verifies the hours volunteered with the nonprofit. During this stage, some employers may accept employees’ reported volunteer hours without further question while others might reach out to you for confirmation. In either case, be prepared by having accurate volunteer hour reports. 
4. The employer sends a check to the nonprofit. If the volunteer’s request is approved, your nonprofit should receive a payment from their employer. This payout may come from the business or a CSR software vendor depending on what technology they use to manage their Dollars for Doers program. 

While most Dollar for Doers programs follow similar processes, each company that offers a Dollars for Doers program has unique requirements and guidelines.

These guidelines typically outline:

• Nonprofit eligibility requirements. Typically, most types of nonprofits, such as arts organizations, health and human services groups, and environmental organizations, will be accepted. The most common types of ineligible nonprofits are political organizations, churches and religious groups, and nonprofits owned by the participating employee or a member of the employee’s family. 
• The minimum number of volunteer hours required to be eligible. There are usually two types of minimum-hour requirements. Some volunteer grant companies provide contributions based on a per-hour basis. Others require employees to volunteer for a certain number of hours and then make a flat donation. 
• Grant amounts per volunteer hour or per threshold passed. Most companies put a cap on the number of volunteer hours or the total amount they will donate per employee per year. 
• Eligibility of employees. Not every employee who works for a company with a volunteer grant program will be eligible. For instance, some companies may only offer the program to full-time employees who have worked for their business for a certain number of years. In contrast, other organizations may make their program available to part-time employees and retirees. 

Dollars for Doers grants depend on a few factors like the above, and it might not be apparent how much of an impact they can make on your nonprofit. In the next section, we’ll outline some eye-opening statistics that demonstrate why your organization should tap into this powerful form of corporate philanthropy.

3. Key Dollars for Doers Program Statistics

Not convinced that Dollars for Doers programs should be part of your fundraising strategy? Check out these stats that our team at Double the Donation has uncovered:

• 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer Dollars for Doers programs.
• The average corporate volunteer rate participation rate is 33%.
• About 63 million Americans volunteer each year, totaling 7.7 billion hours, which equates to approximately $175 billion annually.
• 80% of companies with Dollars for Doers programs provide between $8-15 per volunteer hour.

These statistics show how common Dollars for Doers programs actually are and how many individuals volunteer annually. Chances are good that at least a few of your volunteers are eligible for a volunteer grant and just need your help in learning about them.

4. Top Dollars for Doers Companies

Many companies offer generous Dollars for Doers grants. For examples of what Dollar for Doers programs look like in action, check out these examples from three top companies:

Google

Overview of This Dollars for Doers Company

Google needs little introduction, but for reference, it’s a multinational technology company specializing in Internet services and products, including a search engine, online advertising, software, hardware, and more. 

To cultivate a positive reputation, create a positive work environment, and do good in the world, Google has multiple CSR programs, such as volunteer grants and the Google Ad Grant. 

Dollars for Doers Grant Information

For every hour of volunteer work a Google employee performs, the company will provide a $10 grant to the nonprofit. The minimum hours requirement is just 1 hour, meaning volunteers start earning for your cause immediately. 

Microsoft

Overview of This Dollars for Doers Company

Microsoft is also a major international player in the technology space. It’s a multinational company that develops computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and more.

Similar to Google, Microsoft also offers a range of CSR initiatives to engage employees, including a Dollars for Doers program. 

Dollars for Doers Grant Information

With no minimum amount of hours required for a grant, Microsoft awards $25 per hour to nonprofits where their employees volunteer.

Verizon 

Overview of This Dollars for Doers Company

Verizon is the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving more than 140 million customers.

Dollars for Doers Grant Information

Verizon offers a Dollars for Doers program with unique requirements. Employees are required to volunteer for 50 hours to earn a $750 grant for a nonprofit. However, each employee can then volunteer another 50 hours at a different nonprofit to earn $750 for that organization each year. This encourages employees to work with multiple causes. 

5. How to Get Dollars for Doers Grants

Now that you understand the fundamentals, the next step is to determine whether any of your volunteers work for a Dollars for Doers company.

To ensure as many eligible volunteers as possible earn volunteer grants, nonprofits should invest in software. Specifically, nonprofits should research matching gift databases that also contain information on Dollars for Doers programs. 

Matching gift software provides your volunteers with access to an extensive database of corporate giving programs, including matching gifts and Dollars for Doers program. The database can help volunteers discover guidelines, grant amounts, minimum hours required, and more, so they have exactly the information they need.

When it comes to comprehensive, up-to-date, and user-friendly software, we have to recommend our matching gift solution 360MatchPro.

360MatchPro by Double the Donation

360MatchPro by Double the Donation is an extensive database that contains up-to-date information on corporate giving programs for 99% of United States businesses and 95% of Canadian companies. It’s the ideal solution for all sorts of nonprofits and universities looking to double their matching gift revenue and tap into Dollars for Doers programs.

When supporters donate on your website, 360MatchPro automatically scans the information they provide, such as their email domain or employer details, to determine their eligibility for corporate giving programs. Depending on their eligibility, the platform triggers customizable emails to the supporter detailing the appropriate next steps to submit either a matching gift or Dollars for Doers grant request. 

Our software will alert supporters about their eligibility, follow up to drive requests to completion, and thank supporters for submitting an application to their employer, so you don’t have to.

Marketing Dollars for Doers Grants

Matching gift software ensures these revenue opportunities don’t slip through the cracks, but it’s still important to promote Dollars for Doers grants to your volunteers. After all, many supporters are likely unfamiliar with volunteer grants and will need your nonprofit to give them that initial push to check their eligibility. 

Here are some helpful ways to market Dollars for Doers grants:

• On your website. Create informational content on your website about Dollars for Doers grants. You might include details about these programs on your volunteer information page, add a section to your Ways to Give page about volunteer grants, or create a new page dedicated to corporate giving programs like Dollars for Doers. 
• In your email outreach. In your newsletters, spotlight Dollars for Doers programs to encourage your subscribers to research their eligibility. Link them to educational content on your website and let them know they can reach out to you if they have any questions. 
• On social media. Regularly post information about Dollars for Doers grants, and just like with your email outreach, link to your informational content on your website.
• In direct mail outreach. Include an insert in your direct mail outreach that explains Dollars for Doers grants and how volunteers can search for their company’s program guidelines.

Use software like 360MatchPro to embed an employer search tool into your website. By directing your supporters to it, they’ll be able to find their employers’ Dollars for Doers program information and successfully submit grant requests. Essentially, the easier it is to submit an application, the more supporters will do it, and 360MatchPro can make the process as streamlined as possible.

Additional Dollars for Doers Resources

Dollars for Doers programs are underutilized funding resources. Set your nonprofit up to secure the grants your volunteers have earned with proper hours recording policies, a volunteer grant education campaign, and the right matching gift database. 

To learn more about volunteer grants and how they impact the social good sector, explore these resources: 

• Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs: Learn the Basics. Break down even more of the basics of Dollars for Doers programs with our essential guide.
• Team Volunteer Grants | Volunteers and Grants, the Best of Both Worlds. Want to learn more about team volunteer grants? Check out this article.
• Top Volunteer Grant Companies: Do You Work for One? Find out if any of your volunteers are linked to top Dollars for Doers companies with this helpful list.