A Handy Guide to Marketing Workplace Giving on Social Media

Nonprofit donors and volunteers generally want to maximize their impact, but rarely check their employers’ handbooks to see whether their companies will amplify their support. This means the biggest obstacle standing between your organization and significant additional funding is a lack of awareness.

Fortunately, social media provides the ultimate platform to transform this dynamic. By integrating workplace giving promotions throughout your digital strategy, you can regularly remind supporters that their professional affiliations can power your mission.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the various types of giving programs you should highlight, channel-specific social media tips, and helpful tools you can use to launch a campaign today.

Quick Brief: Why Does Workplace Giving Marketing Matter?

Every year, corporate philanthropy programs go underutilized because the average donor simply does not realize these opportunities exist. According to industry research, an estimated $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed annually. While more than 26 million individuals work for companies that offer matching gift programs, a staggering 78% of these employees have no idea their employer will match their charitable contributions.

This widespread awareness gap is a direct barrier to your fundraising success, and strategic communication is the most effective way to eliminate this bottleneck and drive engagement.

By marketing workplace giving on social media, you meet supporters right where they already are with byte-sized, visually engaging updates designed to prompt immediate action. When you teach a donor that their $50 gift can generate more than $100 worth of value, you transform their relationship with your cause.

Key Takeaway: Don’t treat corporate giving as a separate, seasonal fundraising initiative. Instead, use social media to weave workplace giving into the fabric of your daily storytelling.

Types of Workplace Giving Programs to Promote (+ Examples)

Workplace giving takes many shapes depending on the company, so a one-size-fits-all marketing approach will miss key audiences. To capture the widest possible group of supporters, your social content should regularly highlight the different ways businesses support their employees’ favorite causes.

Matching Gifts

Corporate matching gift programs are philanthropic initiatives in which companies match donations made by their employees to eligible nonprofits, often on a dollar-for-dollar basis.

When promoting these programs on social media, focus on the concept of doubling the impact without asking the donor for more money. Use strong visuals, clear calls to action, and direct links to your matching gift lookup tool so supporters can check their eligibility immediately.

Check out this post that Shriners Children’s shared for Matching Gift Month last year!

Bonus: One-Off Matching Gift Partnerships

One-off matching gift partnerships occur when a specific corporation agrees to match all employee donations made to your specific nonprofit during a set timeframe, often at a higher ratio.

If your organization secures an exclusive corporate matching gift partner, it’s important that you amplify this collaboration across your social channels. (Plus, encourage the matching partner to do the same!) This creates immense urgency, as donors know their gifts are worth significantly more for a limited time.

Here’s a post that spotlights the standout matching gift partnership between St. Jude Runs and the Caterpillar Foundation:

Volunteer Grants

Volunteer grants, also known as “Dollars for Doers” programs, are corporate giving initiatives where companies provide monetary grants to nonprofits where their employees regularly volunteer.

Social media marketing for volunteer grants should target your existing volunteer base. Remind them that their time is literally worth money, and provide clear step-by-step instructions on how they can log their hours with their employers to secure these corporate funds.

Here’s how Casa Hope Houston informed their supporters about volunteer grant programs:

Volunteer Time Off

Volunteer Time Off (or VTO for short) is a corporate benefit in which employers provide dedicated hours for workers to volunteer at eligible nonprofits.

When marketing VTO on social media, position your organization as the ideal destination for corporate team-building days or individual skills-based volunteering. Highlight your flexible scheduling and the immediate community impact corporate groups can make during their paid work hours.

See how St. Louis Area Foodbank promoted Volunteer Time Off as part of a “50 Ways in 50 Days” campaign!

Payroll Giving

Payroll giving allows employees to make automatic, recurring donations to charities directly from their paychecks, often before taxes are applied. To market payroll deductions effectively on social media, emphasize the convenience and consistency of this giving method.

Be sure to showcase how small, manageable deductions from each paycheck add up to a major, predictable source of support for your organization.

See how North Star Reach showcases payroll donations as an easy, impactful way to make a difference year-round:

[Bonus!] Multi-Program Promotions

Social media content does not have to be limited to just one corporate giving mechanism at a time. Marketing multiple programs simultaneously is an incredibly effective strategy for maximizing your reach, as it allows you to appeal to donors and volunteers within a single post. That way, you can ensure no corporate dollars are overlooked.

Here’s a post from the Warm Up America! Foundation that centers on corporate matching for employee donations and volunteer hours:

Best Practices & Sample Copy for Each Social Channel

The digital age offers a vast array of social platforms, meaning your organization should use all its active profiles to promote corporate philanthropy. However, pasting identical text across every channel dilutes your impact and ignores how different audiences consume media.

Tailoring your strategy to each platform maximizes engagement by matching each platform’s unique communication style.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn provides direct access to corporate professionals and company decision-makers who are already thinking about business philanthropy. Center your messaging on professional impact, corporate social responsibility, and the ease of executing employee matches. This platform is ideal for tagging local businesses and thanking them for their active employee engagement programs.

What This Example Does Well: This update effectively highlights three workplace giving mechanisms at once: matching gifts, payroll deductions, and volunteer hours. It highlights collective impact using tangible dollar amounts, and even tags individual employees to optimize platform engagement.

Best Practice: Share data-driven updates about corporate philanthropy trends to position your organization as a knowledgeable partner for corporate social good.

Sample Copy: To all the corporate professionals in our network: you can double the impact of your philanthropy without touching your personal bank account. Check out our company directory to see if your employer participates in workplace giving!

Facebook

Facebook remains a powerful tool for community building and peer-to-peer engagement. When promoting workplace giving here, encourage your peer-to-peer fundraisers to share matching gift links directly on their personal campaign pages. This expands your reach exponentially into networks of people who already trust your supporters.

What This Example Does Well: St. Jude clearly empowers its P2P fundraisers to market workplace giving opportunities across their own social media pages. By providing shareable graphics and recommended captions, the organization makes it easy for volunteer fundraisers to help spread program awareness.

Best Practice: Pin a dedicated corporate giving post to the top of your Instagram page during high-volume fundraising seasons to maintain visibility.

Sample Copy: Did you know your regular support for our shelter could go twice as far? Many local employers match donations dollar-for-dollar, meaning your impact doubles at no extra cost to you. Check your eligibility today at the link below!

Instagram

Instagram is a visual-first platform that requires striking imagery or graphics to capture users’ attention while they scroll. Use high-quality photos of your volunteers in action or clean infographics that break down how corporate gifts multiply. Keep your captions direct and use your bio link strategically since individual posts do not support clickable web addresses.

What This Example Does Well: Go Beyond Hunger is turning workplace philanthropy revenue into real constituent impact! By framing the matching gifts received as nearly 200,000 additional meals for their community, the organization can effectively inspire other eligible donors to make a larger difference, too.

Best Practice: Use Instagram Stories highlights to create a permanent, easily accessible archive of matching gift tutorials for new followers.

Sample Copy: Your time and donations are worth double! Swipe through to see how our corporate partners turn your volunteer hours into financial grants. Head to our link in bio to search for your company’s program:

X (Formerly Twitter)

X requires concise messaging due to strict character limits, so brevity is your primary goal. For the best results, focus on a single, compelling statistic or action item, and always include a direct link to your lookup tool. Not to mention, you can also employ relevant hashtags to join wider philanthropic conversations.

What This Example Does Well: Shines light on two key forms of corporate employee involvement: team volunteering and matching gifts! The group photo allows the organization to establish social proof, which can humanize the opportunity and inspire other corporate teams to get involved.

Best Practice: Tag corporate partners when their employees launch match campaigns to boost retweets and visibility.

Sample Copy: Want to double your impact for local students? Check if your employer matches charitable gifts using our quick search tool: [Insert Link]. It takes less than a minute to potentially double your donation!

Video Platforms

Video platforms like YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels offer unprecedented organic reach through short-form video content. Create 30-second clips featuring staff members explaining how matching gifts work, or film quick interviews with volunteers whose employers provide volunteer grants. Visual, human-centered storytelling on these networks makes complex corporate programs feel approachable and exciting.

What This Example Does Well: The matching gift video features multiple compelling statistics that demonstrate the widespread availability and potential impact of companies’ workplace philanthropy programs. One supporter even left a comment on the social post, “Such a fantastic opportunity presented so well!”

Expert Tip: Create a social media content calendar that spaces out your workplace giving posts across different channels, ensuring you maintain a steady drumbeat of corporate philanthropy reminders without overwhelming your audience on any single platform.

How to Use Double the Donation’s Pre-Made Marketing Templates

Double the Donation provides clients with immediate access to free, pre-made workplace giving marketing assets directly within the product platform. Finding and customizing these tools requires only a few straightforward steps:

• Locate the Assets: Log in to your Double the Donation account and navigate to the “Resources” tab found within the matching, volunteering, or payroll giving modules.
• Select the Templates: Choose “Marketing Assets” from the dropdown menu, then select “Show Templates” on the following page to browse the available options by use case.
• Customize in Canva: Select the asset you want to edit to open it directly in Canva, where you can apply your organization’s unique branding, colors, and logos. We recommend registering for Canva for Nonprofits to access premium subscription elements and team collaboration tools at no cost.

Success Story: Lehigh University Campaign Wins Circle of Excellence Award

Lehigh University recently proved itself to be a powerful force in workplace giving marketing. The institution earned a CASE Circle of Excellence Award in the Targeted Fundraising Campaigns category for its standout Matching Gift Month initiative.

The CASE judges praised the initiative as low-cost with high impact, noting its great visual marketing and easy-to-replicate framework.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

Actively marketing workplace giving to your audience bridges the massive awareness gap that prevents corporate funds from reaching your mission. By using social media to tell these stories, you empower your donors and volunteers to maximize their impact with corporate dollars already set aside for social good.

Start implementing these channel-specific strategies today to build a sustainable, recurring stream of corporate revenue.

Interested in learning more about effectively marketing workplace giving to your nonprofit audience? Check out these additional resources:

• 5 Steps to Market Workplace Giving on Your Nonprofit Website. Discover actionable strategies to optimize your website so that workplace giving involvement is easy and prominent. 
• Free eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts. Explore advanced email, direct mail, and digital outreach strategies designed to boost participation in matching gifts.
• Marketing Corporate Volunteerism | A How-To Guide For Orgs. Learn how to attract corporate volunteer groups and successfully secure volunteer grant revenue for your nonprofit or school.