Life needs water, but life craves flavor. I’m talking about pineapples that burst into a tingle of fresh blueberries that ripen on your tongue like the slight sour of a fresh, juicy apple. Similar to fruit punch, your fundraising constituency has many parts, and you need to correctly balance the ingredients to attain success.
At NonProfitEasy, we’re dedicated to boosting your fundraising outcomes, which is why we’re bursting to tell you about an oft-overlooked fundraising ingredient: Matching gifts. Also known as corporate giving, this is an easy way to get more out of donations and can provide a sizable increase in revenue.
Here are 5 things you need to know about matching gifts:
#1: WHAT ARE MATCHING GIFTS?
Matching gifts are corporate programs that match employee donations to eligible nonprofits. Depending on the company, gifts can be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled.
65% of Fortune 500 companies, and companies both big and small around the world, offer corporate giving programs, but the median employee participation rate is just 9%. Nonprofits lose out on a ton of free money due to this unfortunate lack of awareness.
As NonProfitEasy President Lomesh Shah puts it, “Matching gifts are the fundraising buried treasure that nonprofits need. Matching gifts are out there, and they can do wonders for an organization, but most donors don’t have a map to the gold.”
NonProfitEasy has the promotional map that your organization needs. We’ll get you started on how to set donors along the dotted path to matching gifts, so they submit more matching requests and your nonprofit receives more money to pursue its mission.
#2: MATCHING GIFTS FOR INDIVIDUAL DONORS
In 2013, 72% of charitable giving came from individuals. Not only does your nonprofit have a vast constituency of active donors, but active donors should be responsive to matching gift asks. They just gave money, and matching gifts are a convenient way for them to give more.
You can incorporate matching gift asks into current marketing materials, such as acknowledgement letters. Always say thank you first, but use the opportunity to encourage donors to keep the positive juices flowing by giving even more at no added cost to themselves.
#3: MATCHING GIFTS FOR PROSPECTS
It might seem counterproductive to promote matching gifts to people before they’ve donated, but doing so can be a boon for your campaign.
Donation response rates increase by 71% when matching gifts are mentioned in fundraising appeals, and the average donation amount jumps up by 51%. Something about knowing that donations can do more provokes greater generosity out of people.
Many of your prospects engage with your social media profiles, and one of your most important online outlets is Twitter. On Twitter, you can interact with prospects and share important information, such as matching gifts.
#4: MATCHING GIFTS FOR VOLUNTEERS
Many companies compensate employee volunteer hours through grants, which are charitable donations to the nonprofits at which employees volunteer. However, volunteers can also raise money through matching gifts.
This strategy involves soliciting friends and family, but if your volunteers demonstrate an uncommon passion for your nonprofit then encourage them to reach out to their peers. Friends and family might be apt to support a cause that a loved one so heavily favors, and this could mean more donations.
To make peer-to-peer solicitation easier, your nonprofit can supply volunteers with pre-written letters that include an ask for matching gifts, such as (and feel free to use this template!):
Dear [Friend],
As you may or may not know, I volunteer for [organization name] and I’m really excited about the work we’ve been doing.
Recently, we have [list a few events or initiatives that make the nonprofit stand out].
You might already know why I care so much about this cause, but I want to fill you in on some of the important details that frequently get lost in translation: [volunteer’s story].
I’m reaching out to you in the hope that you will consider supporting our cause through a tax-deductible donation. Any donation, however small, is much appreciated support that will be used to achieve our mission.
If you choose to donate, please take a few minutes to check if your employer offers a matching gift program. Thousands of companies nationwide match employee donations, dollar-for-dollar, which means that your donation can be doubled to eligible nonprofits, such as this one. Submitting a matching request should only take a few minutes of your time and will both double your donation and the impact of your gift.
If you have questions about matching gifts, please email [organization name] at: [matching gift email address]
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope to see you at an event soon.
Sincerely,
[Volunteer’s name]
Leveraging the connections of your volunteers is a great way to expand your fundraising, and, when you incorporate matching gifts, you can increase the amount of those new donations, too.
#5: MATCHING GIFTS FOR FUNDRAISERS
Sports keep people healthy, and they can also revitalize your fundraising campaign. Many people use charitable walks, runs, and bike rides to raise money for the causes they care about. Wouldn’t it be nice if those fundraising dollars could be doubled?
They can be! Hallelujah! Too much excitement? There can never be too much enthusiasm when your fundraising team finds a new way to increase revenue, and thus your organization’s ability to fight for its cause.
Companies donate to nonprofits in a variety of ways, and one of the methods that many donors don’t know about is matching gifts.
Corporate giving programs seek to empower employees to choose where companies donate while allowing businesses to screen nonprofits to make sure that they’re responsible, reliable organizations worthy of donations. If your nonprofit is eligible for matching gifts then don’t go another day without taking advantage of this easy way to increase fundraising.