How to Move Matching Gifts from the Back Burner to Top of Mind

Matching gifts are one of the most overlooked and neglected parts of fundraising, but they don’t have to be.

What Is A Matching Gift?

When corporations financially match donations that their employees make to a nonprofit or charity, that is referred to as a matching gift. For years, matching gifts were thought of as nice to have but not essential. Checks would trickle into an organization. Staff might be aware of a few opportunities where corporations match the gifts. But who had the time to follow up on that?

Major gifts, digital engagement, phonathon, planned giving, events, direct mail—these were the programs and priorities topping the agenda of most fundraising teams. Matching gifts sat on the backburner. Was it because they require too much effort? Or did organizations simply not have enough data? I always wondered why.

What’s The Value Of A Matching Gift Program?

I once asked a close colleague, a VP of Advancement for a small college, “If you know more matching gift donors are out there, why don’t you proactively pursue them?”

His answer alarmed me: “Because even if we can identify the 11% of our donors who can double their gift, how will we possibly reach out and engage them? We don’t have time for that. We have fundraising to do!”

I suggested that he look at ROI, engagement metrics, and overall donor loyalty. How much harder is it to acquire 11% new donors than it is to ask the 15% of your loyal donors who work for matching gift companies to simply submit their request to have their gift doubled or even tripled? To me, it was a no-brainer.

How HEPdata’s Matching Gifts Program Can Help You

Well, that was then, and this is now. HEPdata works with thousands of colleges, universities, and nonprofits to proactively pursue matching gifts. Using our Matching Gift Solutions, we help organizations raise hundreds of millions of dollars every year that were previously anonymous and ultimately unclaimed.

HEPdata certainly would help my colleague, and it can help you. Here’s how:

  • First, matching gifts should be an integral part of your fundraising strategy. This means when you’re having conversations with your donors, matching gifts should be an integrated, intentional part of that conversation. Think about that 15% of donors and how their match can boost your fundraising.

There are two main challenges with matching gift fundraising campaigns:

  • Identification—How do you identify which of your donors work for companies that offer corporate matching gift programs? Seems like a tedious process, right? To us at HEPdata, that’s the easy part. No matter how the gift comes in, our first step is to identify where those matching gift opportunities lie so that we can engage them. The days of waiting for checks to trickle in are over. We don’t let our clients wait for matching gifts to come to them. We go out and bring our clients to those matching gift donors.
  • Conversion—As my close colleague suggested, the resources and time needed to engage donors around matching gifts is often the most daunting task. Often organizations are not equipped to follow up with donors to ensure they submit their match requests. HEPdata to the rescue! We can build out an automated engagement plan with fully customized and branded emails to deliver everything the donor needs to take action.

We make it as easy for donors to double their gift and provide our clients’ development staff with valuable insights into where their donors are in the matching gift process, reporting and analytics, and any next steps required. It’s like having a team of matching gift coordinators working for you!

Matching Gift Programs Don’t Have To Be Hard

As we’ve continued to work with clients and fine-tune our solutions, we’ve realized that matching gifts don’t have to be hard. Using technology and automated tools for matching gifts should no longer be something that would be nice. Rather, it should be an important part of your fundraising operation, unlocking “free money” to help move your mission forward.

So, now that you know matching gifts don’t have to take a lot of time and toil, schedule an exploration discussion with us, so we can help you turn opportunity into revenue.

Double the Love: February is Matching Gift Month

Did you know February is Matching Gift Month? This can be a great way to build awareness around matching gifts for your cause. Research suggests that your donors are more likely to contribute to a cause and make a larger donation if they know their employer will match their gift. Below are several tips on how you can make the most of Matching Gift Month!

Tip 1: Automate your matching gift engagements with Auto Match from HEPdata

  • Seamlessly integrate into your online donation forms.
  • Store and update all matching gift policy information in your CRM in real time.

Tip 2: Give a shout out to your Corporate Donors

  • Take this opportunity to publicly thank all of your corporate donors for their support.
  • Share a story of how a corporate partnership made a difference to your constituents and mission.

Tip 3: Use social media to remind your donors about matching gifts

  • It’s free advertising to those constituents who engage with you digitally (and often!).

Tip 4: Add a Matching Gifts reminder to your email signature

  • Add the following reminder to your email, customizing the link as needed: “Your donation may be eligible for a matching gift from your employer. Click here to search our matching gift database.”
  • The reminder also includes a place for you to insert your HEPdata eMatch Donor Link.

Tip 5: Screen your data for matching gift eligibility

  • HEPdata can not only screen your organization’s data but also identify employment info on your donors first.
  • You can then determine exactly which donors are matching gift eligible. Of course, they can then be loaded into the Auto Match portal for automated engagement.
  • Remember, a well-thought-out strategy for Matching Gift Month is your opportunity to send a well-crafted message to your donors promoting the benefits of matching gifts.

If you are interested in learning more about our matching gift solutions, or how we can fully automate your entire matching gift program, please contact us. The HEPdata team is here to help you meet your goals for Matching Gift Month and beyond.

12 Best Practices for Matching Gifts in Higher Education

1. Create a Strategic Plan for Matching Gifts

If you plan for it, the donations will come. Take time this year to create a Matching Gift strategic plan that includes annual Matching Gift goals, action items on how to meet those goals, and deadlines to keep your team on task. HEPdata’s Matching Gift Solution offers a user-friendly home page that lists the status of all gift-match eligible donations with real-time updates to make keeping up with your strategic plan a breeze.

2. Foster a Regular Dialogue with Donors

How often do you follow up on incomplete matching gift donation opportunities? If you do not have a plan to do this regularly until the paperwork crosses the finish line, you’re leaving a lot of funding to chance. Follow up every month until the paperwork is complete. If this task seems burdensome, remember that platforms like HEPdata’s Auto Match can track, monitor, and follow up on your behalf.

3. Segment and Customize Your Communications

Not all donors are the same. The messages you send to students will be different from the messages going to new alumni, alumni ages 70+, alumni from the top 50 matching gift employers, and donors who have given $100 or less. Take your database and segment each donor based on various factors, then create highly targeted marketing campaigns for each.

4. Stay Up to Date on Matching Gift Companies

Do you know the latest updates on the top Matching Gift corporations? Who is no longer offering Matching Gifts? HEPdata’s Auto Match offers exhaustive tracking of Matching Gift companies with 7,000 more monitored than the nearest competitor (for a total of 20,000!). It also includes direct access to Fortune 500 companies for accurate information and updates on guidelines.

5. Add a Website Feature that Gives Donors a Way to Look Up Employer Matching Gift Info

This is the easiest, fastest way to connect your donors to information without them needing to ask HR or research on their own. Part of the HEPdata’s Match Lookup, the eMatch Donor Link has been a top resource for higher education institutions for the past 20 years.

6. Quantify How a Donation Will Make an Impact

No one wants to imagine their donation going towards the electric bill, however necessary it may be. Inspire donations by letting donors know exactly what their dollars will go to, such as $25 providing 10 meals for a student or $100 going toward books for the new student library.

7. Use Actionable Language During Follow Up

What headline grabs your interest more: “Complete your matching gift paperwork” or “Help us turn your $25 donation into $50?” Write headlines that spark action and offer tangible outcomes.

8. Make Outreach Calls Personal and Conversational

When your fundraising team hits the phones for donations, be sure they make a donor feel recognized and appreciated. How are they doing? Where are they working? How are they involved with the university? These questions can also uncover important database info. If they’re with a company offering Matching Gifts, solicit that on the phone. Also, be sure to recognize that they’re a Matching Gift donor during the call.

9. Celebrate Matching Gift Donors

Recognize and celebrate donors who have their gifts matched. This acknowledgment can encourage others to participate and shows appreciation for their contribution.

10. Educate Your Staff About Matching Gifts

Ensure that all staff members, especially those interacting with donors, are well-informed about matching gift programs and can effectively communicate their benefits.

11. Leverage Technology to Streamline the Process

Utilize software solutions that can automate the identification, tracking, and follow-up of matching gift opportunities, reducing manual effort and increasing efficiency.

12. Regularly Review and Update Your Matching Gift Strategy

Periodically assess the effectiveness of your matching gift initiatives and make necessary adjustments to improve outcomes and adapt to changing circumstances.

Three Reasons Why Matching Gifts Go Unclaimed

Matching gifts offer the opportunity to double any donation received, all for just the handful of minutes required to complete the necessary paperwork.

If it’s so easy, why does an estimated $4-7 billion in matching gift revenue go unclaimed every year?

The reason isn’t a lack of corporate generosity.

In our 25 years of experience, the top three reasons why matching gifts go unclaimed are:

  1. Donors don’t know their company will match a gift;
  2. Organizations don’t follow up with donors after they donate; and
  3. Organizations are working off of out-of-date information.

Here are a few solutions to these challenges that will help boost your revenue opportunities moving forward.

1. Donors don’t know their company will match a gift.

By far, this is the biggest reason behind unclaimed matching gifts. Research shows 80% of matching gift-eligible donors are unaware that their company will match their gift.

Why does this matter? Because approximately 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered and 1 in 3 donors are willing to give more if a match is offered.

Solution: Your best opportunity to double a gift is to introduce matching gifts at the point of donation. Adding an online search tool such as Match Lookup with eMatch Donor Link in the donation process allows your donors to search their employer before, during, and after a gift to see if their company will match. This tool is configurable to the preferred look and feel of your website, can be placed on as many web pages as needed, and offers metrics to ensure you’re maximizing the tool.

2. Organizations don’t follow up with donors after they donate.

Manually following up individually with donors to ask if they are eligible for a matching gift is a time-consuming process. The same amount of work is required for a $10 donation as compared to a $10,000 donation. We have spoken to organizations with dedicated teams spending upwards of 30 hours per week managing their matching gifts program, only to feel they are barely making a dent in their follow-ups.

Solution: Automating the manual steps in the matching gift process can save countless hours and quickly reap significant revenue increases. Auto Match is a simple, easy-to-use platform that automatically identifies matching gift eligible donors, tracks their donations, and follows up until the necessary paperwork is complete. The system seamlessly integrates with many fundraising platforms and most organizations see an average 53% increase in matching gift revenue the first year.

3. Organizations work off outdated or incorrect matching gift policy data.

With tens of thousands of companies offering matching gift programs, all with policies being updated regularly, keeping track of each change can quickly become daunting. But with 65% of Fortune 500 companies offering a matching gift program, millions of people are eligible, making this a worthy fundraising pursuit.

Solution: HEPdata Matching Gift Solutions offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date matching gift database available. Our team of researchers constantly updates our database of over 23,000 companies, ensuring you have access to the most current information. This allows you to confidently promote matching gifts to your donors, knowing you have accurate and timely data to support your efforts.

By addressing these three common challenges, organizations can significantly increase their matching gift revenue and make the most of this often-overlooked fundraising opportunity.

8 Matching Gift Trends to Boost Revenue for Nonprofits & Higher Education Institutions

If you’re a nonprofit or higher education institution, you’ve likely had to get a lot more creative in your fundraising efforts as of late. With everyone looking for new solutions to similar issues, it’s also key to keep abreast of industry trends and see how others are successfully adapting to changing times.

But you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. In fact, you may already have what you need waiting in your donor database.

Here are 8 matching gift trends that can help boost revenue for your organization:

1. Donors Are Increasingly Unaware of Matching Gift Programs

If you ask the average donor if their employer offers a matching gift program, the odds are that they won’t know. It is usually not covered in a benefits program and unless HR is promoting this as an option, people won’t know and likely won’t take the initiative to find out. Which is why organizations are educating donors on what a matching gift is and how to find out if they are eligible. Even better, some organizations are doing the heavy lifting for donors and checking employers in a database.

2. Large Companies Are Expanding Their Matching Gift Programs

The changing times have proven to work in favor of non-profits and higher education institutions. Large companies are expanding their matching gift programs to include larger donations and opportunities for giving. Companies such as Google and Facebook have garnered multiple headlines for their matching gift donation opportunities.

3. Smaller Companies Are Starting Matching Gift Programs

Every single day, more and more small companies are starting matching gift programs. The pandemic hasn’t caused companies to miss a beat. It’s built into the values of the staff and companies themselves. People want to work for employers who value community and altruism, and this has made CSR much more than just a corporate buzz term.

4. Matching Gift Automation Is Becoming the Norm

Organizations are realizing that manually tracking matching gifts is time-consuming and prone to errors. As a result, many are turning to automated solutions that integrate with their existing systems to streamline the process, ensuring no matching gift opportunities are missed.

5. Increased Focus on Donor Education

Nonprofits and educational institutions are investing more in educating their donors about matching gifts. This includes providing information on their websites, in newsletters, and during fundraising events, ensuring donors are aware of the potential to double their impact.

6. Integration with Online Donation Platforms

To make the process seamless, organizations are integrating matching gift tools directly into their online donation platforms. This allows donors to check their eligibility and initiate the matching gift process at the point of donation.

7. Personalized Follow-Up Strategies

Recognizing that donors may need reminders, organizations are implementing personalized follow-up strategies. Automated emails and communications are sent to eligible donors, guiding them through the matching gift submission process.

8. Leveraging Data Analytics

By analyzing donor data, organizations can identify patterns and opportunities for matching gifts. This data-driven approach helps in targeting communications and maximizing the potential of matching gift programs.

By staying informed about these trends and implementing strategies that align with them, nonprofits and higher education institutions can significantly boost their revenue through matching gifts.

Automating the Matching Gift Proces

Matching gifts are a straightforward, surefire way to boost fundraising revenue. But for many organizations, it is an underutilized revenue tactic due to the manual resources it requires.

You’ve done all the hard work of securing a donation – so why not double it for free?

Here are a few things you can do to automate your matching gifts process:

Promote matching gifts at the point of donation.

Did you know that 80% of matching gift-eligible donors do not know their company will match their gift?

Promoting matching gifts at the point of donation is your best opportunity to double a gift, because 84% of donors say they’re more likely to donate if a match is offered.

Give donors the opportunity to quickly search to see if their employer offers a matching gift program and whether or not their donation is eligible.

Clients who use the eMatch Donor Link, an embedded search tool with HEPdata’s Matching Gift Solutions, can look up their employer before, during, and after a gift to see if their company will match.

Once the donor selects their employer, the search tool populates the company’s matching gift policy and guidelines that include minimum and maximum gift amount, eligible employees, contact information for submitting paperwork, and more.

Modernize your matching gift database.

The old way of determining whether a donor was matching gift-eligible is time-consuming and labor-intensive. For each donation, organizations had to look up the donor in the database, see who their employer was, and look up their matching gift policy in your company database or do your own research to find out if an employer has a program.

HEPdata lets users tap into our proprietary Auto Match database of 23,000 corporate matching gift policies that are updated in real-time. This database enables your staff to focus on driving donations instead of manual, time-consuming research and data entry.

Append donors’ employer information.

Research shows that 20% of a donor database will experience a change in job title or employer within one year.

Without the right tools, job changes and other employee-related challenges can create barriers for your team when you’re trying to maintain database accuracy.

Without this employer information for your donors, you are likely missing out on understanding your true matching gift potential. Using HEPdata’s data enrichment services, you can append up-to-date employer names and job titles to your donor records.

Set automatic email reminders until the paperwork is complete.

As a follow-up from the donation, schedule automated emails to remind donors to complete and submit the required paperwork to get their gift matched. Helpful resources to include in these emails are the company match policies, guidelines, and contact information.

Organizations that use HEPdata can manage all their matching gift-related emails in one place with a quick, one-time setup. The email feature lets you configure your reminder emails’ look, feel, and timing and populate all the information your donor needs to submit their paperwork.

Once a donor clicks the button in the reminder emails to mark the paperwork complete, all the organization has to do is wait for a check to arrive.

Automate matching gift reporting.

It can be challenging to report on matching gifts, much less automate the process when so many systems are in the mix.

Auto Match’s seamless integrations with your fundraising software and processing system make it easy to report on matching gifts, including potential matching gift amounts and an average donation. Auto Match also automatically generates reports for your reminder emails so you can track engagement indicators such as clicks, opens, and unsubscribes.

Bonus: Sync CRM to Auto Match.

Once a donation gets processed through your organization’s CRM, Auto Match will flag the gift and whether that donor works for a matching gift company, then send the matching gift opportunity over to the HEPdata Auto Match portal to activate the workflows.

This automation gives your team the ability to identify previously anonymous matching gift revenue from online and offline giving.

Learn more about HEPdata Matching Gift Solutions

Would you like to see some of these tools in action or uncover your organization’s matching gift potential? HEPdata can run a Matching Gift Scorecard on a sample file from your donor database for free to see how much matching gift revenue you could be leaving on the table or give you a demo of HEPdata Matching Gift Solutions including Auto Match and Match Lookup. Contact us to learn more.

The Matching Gift Strategy You Want Might Not Be The One You Need

Almost weekly, I get told by fundraising and nonprofit organizations, “I want to do what (insert organization name) is doing to raise more matching gift funds.”

The belief is that if they work with the same vendor and use the same data and technology, their results will be the same. The truth is, maybe they will be, maybe they won’t.

Why?

The general rule is that 10% of donors are matching gift eligible, so the common assumption is that 10% of your fundraising revenue should come from matching gifts. But think of all the other variables that make your organization different from the one you admire. Things like location, demographics, how you engage your constituents, fundraising campaigns, and even your mission all play into your potential for matching gift revenue.

This common assumption has formed the entire basis for HEPdata’s Matching Gift Solution set. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we’ve developed a customizable solution tailored to your organization’s unique needs.

What platforms are you using?

The fundraising tools you use—digital engagement, peer-to-peer, day of giving, calling software, and general online donation platforms—all play a massive part in your ability to reach fundraising goals. Making matching gifts part of every fundraising conversation ensures maximum exposure and integration into your donation processes.

HEPData Matching Gift Solutions offer an easy-to-use platform that identifies matching-gift-eligible donors, tracks their donations, and automatically follows up until paperwork is complete. Implementing HEPdata can free up significant staff hours and provide a reliable, consistent revenue stream. Most organizations see a 53% increase in matching gift revenue in the first year.

How does your data look?

Employment data isn’t always readily available or easy to maintain, yet knowing a donor’s employer is critical for matching gift identification. HEPdata helps by screening constituent data to identify eligible matching gift donors proactively.

For example, consider an organization with 10,000 constituents. Typically, around 10% are matching gift eligible. Initially, you’d identify about 1,000 opportunities. With additional employer screenings provided by HEPdata, you can uncover even more eligible donors, significantly boosting your matching gift revenue.

Matching gifts require timely attention

Corporate matching programs often include deadlines. If an employee donation isn’t matched within a set period (usually one year), the opportunity expires. HEPdata ensures timely follow-ups to prevent missed revenue.

Customize donor engagement to build loyalty

84% of donors say they’re more likely to give when a match is available. HEPdata allows complete customization of branding, messaging, and timing, enabling tailored donor communication strategies that maximize responses and build loyalty.

The bottom line

Proactively managing matching gifts can significantly boost fundraising outcomes, but success requires tailored solutions. HEPdata provides comprehensive tools to make matching gifts a cornerstone of your fundraising strategy, helping your organization achieve—and exceed—your fundraising goals.

To learn more about HEPdata’s Matching Gift Solutions and see how we can help your organization grow matching gift revenue, contact us today.

5 Tips to Get Matching Gift Paperwork Across the Finish Line

You’ve completed your fundraiser, raised loads of money, and with the help of pending matching gift donations, the numbers are looking good. All you need is for donors to complete their matching gift paperwork. Easier said than done, right?

With an infinite number of day-to-day tasks to manage and the constant need to develop new fundraising efforts, it can be hard to find the time to track and manage past donations. Matching gifts can literally double a donation, providing additional revenue without asking for more from your donors. Losing those funds can put a big dent in revenue projections if paperwork never crosses the finish line.

In our work with over 1,000 colleges, universities, and nonprofits across the country, we wanted to share five best practices to help you make the most of your matching gift opportunities.

1. Assign a Team Member for Follow-Up

A dedicated team member responsible for managing matching gift donations can help ensure this revenue doesn’t fall through the cracks. Using monthly status reports for pending donations can help keep the team informed and updated.

2. Keep Tabs on Matching Gift Opportunities

The more you track each matching gift status, the better off you will be. Knowing where each matching gift opportunity is in the process ensures funds do not go unclaimed. With Auto Match from HEPdata Matching Gift Solutions, all matching gift opportunities are automatically identified and tracked, allowing you to monitor the status of each with ease.

3. Create a Follow-Up Protocol and Stick to It

Attention spans have never been shorter, with many receiving hundreds of emails a day. Don’t be discouraged if emails go unnoticed; be tenacious and create a follow-up strategy. We recommend reaching out immediately after the gift is received, then following up on a set cadence until it’s complete. HEPdata’s Auto Match allows you to create personalized, automated follow-up emails to stick to your plan with minimal effort.

4. Educate Donors With Thank You Notes

Donors don’t always understand that they can make a donation and their matching gift funds don’t reach your organization until months later. Once a matching donation is complete, send a thank you email that includes the date of their donation and the date you received the matching gift donation. Let them know you appreciate their dedication to your cause, patience with the process, and are grateful for their support.

5. Tell People How Long It Will Take

Most forms are online and can be submitted quickly with minimal effort.

Are you ready to optimize matching gifts? Request a demo to see how your organization can use HEPdata to identify, automate, and maximize matching gifts.

What are Matching Gifts

Thousands of companies across the country have programs where they match their employees’ donations to eligible charitable organizations. Typically, an employer will match a donation dollar for dollar, but in some cases, organizations may even match a donation up to triple the original amount.

For higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations, matching gifts are a vital revenue stream and a critical component of their fundraising. Matching gifts are essentially free money for the organization and allow donors to give at least twice as much by simply completing the necessary paperwork in a matter of minutes.

As any fundraising organization knows, driving donations is hard work. Once you’ve spent the time and resources to secure a gift, matching gifts present an opportunity to double its value.

Billions in Unclaimed Donations

It is estimated that up to $10 billion in matching gift revenue goes unclaimed every year. Roughly 8-15% of an organization’s donors are matching gift eligible, and surprisingly, a whopping 80% of matching gift eligible donors do not know their company will match their gift.

Generous Corporate Giving Programs

With thousands of corporations offering matching gift programs, including 65% of Fortune 500 companies, there are millions of people who are eligible. Corporate giving programs and guidelines are always changing, which is why a dedicated team at HEPdata tracks the policies of over 23,000 companies.

An Underutilized Revenue Stream

With so many donors unaware of their employer’s matching gift policy, the responsibility of identifying these opportunities, notifying the donor, and ensuring paperwork is complete falls squarely on the shoulders of an organization. For anonymous donations, additional research and outreach are involved to convert an opportunity. The process is time-consuming, complicated to manage, and requires daily attention.

Donations with a Deadline

Many corporate matching gift policies come with a deadline. If an employee donation is not matched by a corporation within one year, it is no longer eligible for a matching gift.

Giving That Grows Donor Loyalty

84% of donors say they’re more likely to give if a match is offered. Once they’ve completed a matching gift, they know how easy it is to complete. As donor loyalty increases, matching gift revenue grows as well.

Solutions That Simplify and Scale Matching Gift Strategy

HEPdata’s Matching Gift Solutions offer a simple, easy-to-use platform that identifies matching gift eligible donors, tracks their donations, and automatically follows up until the necessary paperwork is complete. Implementing a proven matching gift management strategy with AffinityX2 frees up countless staff hours and creates a reliable, constant revenue stream. Most organizations see a 53% increase in matching gift revenue in the first year.

One of the tools in the AffinityX2 suite of matching gift solutions is Match Lookup. It includes eMatch Donor Link, which allows your donors to search their employer before, during, and after a gift to see if their company will match. This tool will help you configure the look and feel, place it on your web pages, and give you access to metrics to ensure you’re maximizing the tool.

To learn more about AffinityX2 and the Auto Match and Match Lookup tools, request a demo with the HEPdata team.

3 Types of Matching Gifts to Help You Double the Love and the Giving

Increase Your Fundraising Revenue with Matching Gifts

Did you know there’s an easy way to increase fundraising revenue while also boosting the likelihood your prospects will donate? Matching gifts achieve both.

Data shows prospective donors are 84% more likely to make a gift when they know it will be matched by their employer or another entity. Plus, one in three donors say they would give more if a match was available.

People enjoy making a big impact—and they like it even more when it requires little or no additional investment.

For nonprofits, matching gifts significantly increase revenue without increasing solicitations. Employers benefit as well: social initiatives strengthen affinity among the company, employees, and customers. In fact, 75% of workers value corporate cultures supporting philanthropy and volunteerism. Corporate social responsibility initiatives can positively impact corporate revenue too.

Three Types of Matching Gifts and How HEPdata Can Help

1. Corporate Employee Matches

When people refer to “matching gifts,” they typically mean corporate employee matches. In these programs, when an employee donates to a charity, their employer donates an equivalent amount.

About 65% of companies offer matching gift programs, and approximately 15% of donors are eligible. Each company’s matching policies vary. Matches typically range from 1:1 to 3:1. Some companies also match gifts from retirees or donor-advised funds.

How Employee Matches Work

An employee donates to a charity, submits a form to their employer, and after verification, the company sends the matched donation to the charity.

Examples of Employee Matching Gift Programs

  • Soros Fund Management: 3:1 match up to $100,000.
  • IBM: 1:1 match up to $10,000.
  • General Electric: 1:1 match up to $10,000, plus volunteer programs.
  • Johnson & Johnson: 2:1 match for employees (up to $10,000), 1:1 for retirees.

Benefits of Employee Matching Gift Programs

  • Donors double their impact without additional costs.
  • Organizations significantly increase donation amounts.
  • Companies support various charitable causes important to their employees.

Barriers to Matching Gifts and How HEPdata Can Help

Despite their ease, up to $10 billion in matching gift revenue goes unclaimed each year, primarily due to lack of awareness or follow-up. HEPdata provides a comprehensive matching gift database and tools to ensure accurate and updated matching gift information, automates donor follow-ups, and streamlines the matching process.

2. Volunteer Matching Gifts & Grants

Volunteer matching and grants reward employees’ donated time with corporate financial contributions. Policies and rewards vary widely by company.

How Volunteer Matches Work

Employees track volunteer hours, submit them to their employer, and the company sends a matched donation based on hours volunteered.

Examples of Volunteer Grant Programs

  • ConocoPhillips: $500 grant per 20 volunteer hours (up to two grants per year).
  • Bank of America: $500 grant per 50 volunteer hours (up to two per year).
  • Principal Financial Group: “Dollars for Doers” matches volunteer hours with mini-grants.

Benefits of Volunteer Matching Gift Programs

  • Employees contribute financially and through time, amplifying their impact.
  • Nonprofits receive increased funds and valuable volunteer hours.
  • Companies strengthen relationships with communities and enhance corporate culture.

3. Challenge Grant Matching Gifts

Unlike employee matches, challenge grants proactively encourage donations. These grants come from individuals, foundations, or corporations and motivate others to contribute by matching new donations during specific fundraising campaigns.

How Challenge Grants Work

Donors pledge a match, and the nonprofit promotes it publicly to inspire additional giving. Donations made during the challenge period are matched according to pre-established criteria.

Benefits of Challenge Grants

  • Motivate new and existing donors to give more.
  • Increase visibility and urgency around campaigns.
  • Maximize total fundraising impact beyond original grants.
  • Enhance donor engagement and community involvement.

Make Matching Gifts Part of Your Fundraising Strategy with HEPdata

Matching gifts are essential for maximizing fundraising potential. HEPdata’s comprehensive matching gift solutions remove the guesswork, enabling organizations to effectively identify eligible donors, streamline the matching process, automate follow-ups, and ultimately secure more matching funds. With over $10 billion left unclaimed annually, implementing a robust matching gift strategy with HEPdata can substantially boost your organization’s fundraising outcomes.