Implementing Matching Gift Programs
Matching gift programs are one of the most effective ways to increase donations without asking your donors for more money. These programs, offered by employers, allow companies to match the donations made by their employees to nonprofit organisations. By educating your donors and streamlining the process, you can significantly boost your organisation’s fundraising efforts. Let’s explore how you can implement and promote matching gift programs to maximise your donations.
1. Understand How Matching Gift Programs Work
Many corporations offer matching gift programs as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. These programs match charitable donations made by employees, often dollar for dollar, though some companies may offer a 2:1 or even 3:1 match. This means that a $100 donation could easily turn into $200 or more, making a huge impact with minimal extra effort from your donors.
For example, if a donor contributes $500 to your organisation and their employer offers a 1:1 matching program, your organisation can receive an additional $500 from the employer, effectively doubling the donation.
2. Identify Companies That Offer Matching Gift Programs
The first step to successfully implementing a matching gift strategy is identifying which companies offer these programs. Many large corporations have well-established matching gift policies, including companies like: Apple, Google, and Microsoft.
In fact, over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs, and many smaller businesses do as well. However, many donors are unaware that their employers offer such programs. This is where your organisation can step in to educate them.
3. Make It Easy for Donors to Participate
One of the biggest barriers to matching gifts is the complexity of the process. Often, donors are willing to request a match, but they don’t know where to start. It’s crucial to make it as easy as possible for donors to take advantage of these programs.
Create a matching gifts page on your website: Provide clear instructions on how donors can check if their company offers a matching gift program. You can include a search tool like Double the Donation or Benevity where donors can enter their employer’s name to see if a match is available.
Offer a step-by-step guide: Outline the process donors need to follow to request a match from their employer. This may include filling out a form, submitting receipts, or logging into an employee portal. The easier you make it, the more likely donors are to follow through.
Provide templates: Give your donors a pre-written template or email they can use to request a match from their employer. This saves time and reduces friction in the process.
4. Promote Matching Gift Programs Across Channels
To maximise participation, you need to actively promote matching gift opportunities. Many donors aren’t even aware that their company offers such programs, so it’s important to communicate this option regularly and clearly.
Website: Add a dedicated section on your donation page that highlights the opportunity to double donations through matching gifts.
Email: Include matching gift reminders in your donor thank-you emails. After a donor makes a contribution, send them a follow-up email encouraging them to check if their employer offers matching gifts.
Social Media: Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to remind your supporters about matching gift programs. Share success stories of donors who doubled their donations through these programs to inspire others to do the same.
Newsletters: Dedicate a section of your newsletters to explain matching gift programs, provide examples of companies that participate, and share simple steps to get involved.
5. Recognise and Thank Matching Gift Donors
When a donor takes the extra step to request a matching gift from their employer, it shows their commitment to your organisation. Acknowledging these efforts can build stronger relationships and encourage further engagement.
Send a personal thank-you note: Recognise both the initial donation and the matched gift. Let donors know how their contributions, along with their employer’s match, are helping your organisation achieve its goals.
Publicly recognise donors: With their permission, feature matching gift donors in your newsletters or on social media. This highlights the impact of matching gifts and encourages other donors to follow suit.
6. Track and Measure Matching Gift Success
Tracking the success of your matching gift program will help you understand where you can improve and what’s working well.
Monitor donations: Keep track of which donations have been matched by employers and measure the total impact these matching gifts have on your overall fundraising.
Set goals: Establish specific goals to increase the percentage of donations matched by employers over time. For instance, aim to have 10-20% of donations matched by the end of the year.
Refine your strategy: Based on your tracking data, refine your matching gift strategy. Focus on promoting the program through the channels that drive the highest participation.
7. Expand Your Efforts with Matching Gift Software
If your organisation is growing and you receive a large volume of donations, using matching gift software can streamline the process and ensure you’re maximising the potential of every donation.
Double the Donation: This platform provides a matching gift database where donors can search for their company’s program. It also offers automated follow-ups, helping you remind donors about matching gifts after they make a donation.
360MatchPro: This tool automates the matching gift process and integrates with your CRM, allowing you to track matching gifts easily and follow up with donors who haven’t yet submitted requests.
Key Takeaways:
Maximise impact: Matching gift programs are a powerful way to double your donations with little extra effort from your donors.
Educate your donors: Many donors are unaware of their employer’s matching gift programs. Proactively educate them to encourage participation.
Make it easy: Provide clear, simple instructions and templates to streamline the process for donors.
Track and promote: Continuously track matching gift donations, and promote the opportunity across your website, email, and social media channels.
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