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Tag Archive for: Matching Gifts

Learn about matching gift deadlines here.

It’s Never Too Late for Donors to Submit Matching Gift Requests

June 5, 2015/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies /by Adam Weinger

Are you just jumping on the matching gift bandwagon? Worried about having to build a program from the ground up with all new donations?

Fear not, many of your past donors are still eligible for matched gifts.

Matching gifts don’t have to be submitted immediately after the donation is made. Although, it is to your benefit to encourage your donors to make the request as soon as possible because:

The farther from the donation a supporter gets, the less likely he will be to follow-up with a matched gift
The sooner your nonprofit receives the extra funds, the sooner it can put those funds to good use

Matching gift deadlines vary by company, so there’s still time to promote matching gifts to donors who contributed to your organization this year.

Donors simply have to fill out and submit their employer’s matching gift request forms. However, you need to inform donors of this opportunity first.

How Do I Promote Matching Gifts?

Matching gift request submission deadlines mean little if your organization isn’t informing donors of the opportunity presented to them through matching gift programs. How will a donor know to submit a request on time, if they aren’t aware they’re supposed to submit one in the first place?

Luckily, marketing matching gifts to your donors is easier than ever with the help of matching gift tools. With proper software, you can both inform donors of their match eligibility and provide them with information regarding starting the matching process. When updating your matching gift processes, be sure to consider Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro.

This matching gifts automation software automatically discovers which of your contributors are match-eligible. Then, after identifying these opportunities, the software sends match-eligible donors marketing emails detailing how to begin the gift request process! 360MatchPro is a robust solution, best suited for larger nonprofits looking to improve already-existing processes.

Matching gift deadlines typically fall under one of three types:

Within a set number of months — A company will stipulate that it will match a gift up to, for example, 3, 6, or 12 months following the initial donation.
By the end of the calendar year — This option is fairly straightforward. Employees must submit for a match within the calendar year of the donation.
By the end of the calendar year with an extended grace period — In this instance, a company will grant matched gifts through the end of the calendar year and then tack on an additional month or two for employees to submit their matching gift requests. Standard extensions go through end of January, February, or March, but rarely go past the 31st of March.

To get a better understanding of what the guidelines look like in practice, let’s look at some examples.

Deadline #1: Within a Set Number of Months

While most companies allow donations to be submitted far after the date a donation was made, deadlines do vary. Some major companies have much more time-sensitive deadlines for their matching gift programs.

Here are four companies with matching gift submission deadlines ranging from 30 days to 365 days from the donation date:

Adobe

Adobe offers a matching gift program wherein the company matches donations up to $10,000 per employee per year. Employees are also able to submit grant requests for $250 per every 10 hours they volunteer with a nonprofit.

The company offers an easy to use online portal for employees to submit their matching gift requests and to log their volunteer hours.

Match request deadline: All matching gift requests must be submitted by employees within one year of the donation date.

Click here for additional details on Adobe’s matching gift program.

DirectTV

DirectTV matches donations of up to $20,000 per employee per year and provides grants of $10 per hour (max $250) volunteered by an employee. DirectTV has an easy-to-use online submission process for both programs.

Match request deadline: All matching gift requests must be submitted by employees within six months of the donation date.

Click here for additional details on DirecTV’s matching gift program.

Altria

Altria offers a generous matching gift program (up to 30K annually per Altria employee) as well as large volunteer grants ($500 after 25 hours of volunteering).

Match request deadline: All matching gift requests must be received by Altria’s program administrator within 90 days from the date of the gift.

Click here for additional details on Altria’s matching gift program.

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae matches employee donations up to $2,500 and offers grants up to $500 when employees volunteer. Unfortunately, some organizations miss out on this funding since they aren’t ensuring donors submit matching gift requests in a timely manner.

Match request deadline: Fannie Mae donors and volunteers must submit a matching gift request within 30 days of the date of the donation, or by December 31st of each year, whichever is sooner.

Click here for additional details on Fannie Mae’s matching gift program.

Deadline #2: End of Calendar Year

Many companies ask that employees submit their match requests in a timely manner but will still match donations made in a calendar year, or by December 31st of that year.

Here are a few examples:

Aetna

Aetna matches donations from employees and retirees up to $5,000 to approved organizations. Aetna also enables employees to allocate a $300 grant to a nonprofit after they volunteer for 20 hours in a year.

Match request deadline: Employees are encouraged to submit the matching gift request as soon as possible but have until December 31st to submit their matching gift requests.

Click here for additional details on Aetna’s matching gift program.

Freeport-McMoRan

Freeport-McMoRan matches donations of up to $40,000 to a wide range of nonprofits. The first $1,000 donated is matched at a 2:1 rate. Anything above $1,000 is matched at a dollar for dollar rate.

Match request deadline: While Freeport-McMoRan encourages employees to submit matching donation requests at the time of the initial donation, employees can submit matches until Dec. 31st of the year following the date of the donation.

Click here for additional details on Freeport-McMoRan’s matching gift program.

Deadline #3: End of Calendar Year + Grace Period

Here are three companies that extend their calendar year deadline with a grace period.

Boeing

Boeing offers a monetary match, a volunteer grant match, and a grant when employees participate in a fundraising event such as a walk or run for a cause. The deadlines for all three of Boeing’s employee giving programs are as follows:

Employee deadline: Boeing employees must submit gift match requests no later than January 31st of the year following the contribution/participation.

Click here for additional details on Boeing’s matching gift program.

Verizon

Verizon matches donations up to $5,000 to educational institutions and up to $1,000 to all other nonprofits.

The Verizon Foundation also provides grants of $750 to organizations where an employee volunteers for at least 50 hours in a calendar year.

Employee deadline: Matching gift requests must be entered into the electronic matching gift system before January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.

Click here for additional details on Verizon’s matching gift program.

Bank of America / Merrill Lynch

Bank of America (including Merrill Lynch) matches employee donations to nearly all nonprofits. The company also provides grants when employees volunteer on a regular basis.

Employee deadline: Employees must complete an application and have the recipient organization verify the gift. This information must be received by January 31st of the year following the date of the donation.

Click here for additional details on Bank of America’s matching gift program.

Matching Gift Online Submission Process Example | Home Depot

February 10, 2015/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Have you ever wondered what the actual online matching gift submission process is like for donors?

If so, this article is designed to shed light on the steps your nonprofit’s donors take when submitting a matching gift online.

Typical Online Matching Gift Submission Process for Donors:

While the online submission process can vary by company, it typically involves the following steps:

Employees log into the company’s matching gift submission website
Employees search for the nonprofit they donated to
Employees select the nonprofit from the search results (if not found, they enter the organization’s information)
Employees register their donation
Employees submit the matching gift request

Step-by-Step Overview of Home Depot’s Online Matching Gift Process:

While some employers develop their own matching gift submission process internally, most contract it out to one of the main companies that administers matching gift programs on behalf of companies.

The following screenshots are for Home Depot’s electronic submission process and are representative of the process for employees of most large companies with matching gift programs.

Step #1: Employees log into the company’s online matching gift submission website.

Step #2: Employees search for the nonprofit they donated to.

Step #3: Employees select the nonprofit from the search results.

Step #4: Employees enter information about their donation.

Step #5: Employees submit the matching gift request.

That’s it! Just those quick five steps and the donors have done their parts. The rest of the process involves your nonprofit verifying to the companies that the donations were made and then the companies issuing the matching funds.

Incorporate Matching Gifts Into Your Prospect Research

February 9, 2015/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

If prospect research is the eyes that spot the prospects then matching gifts are the hands that grab the donations. Of course, you can receive gifts without doubled donations, but you shouldn’t let easy money slip through your grasp. Prospect research can unveil a world of new prospects, and matching gifts allow you to maximize those generous gifts.

Matching Gift Basics

Matching gift programs are charitable giving programs run by corporations in which the companies match employee donations to eligible nonprofit organizations.

For example, if a donor works for Bank of America and donates $250 to a K-12 school, university, or 501(c)(3) organization, Bank of America will “double the donation” by writing a check for $250 to the same nonprofit.

Learn more about the basics of matching gifts >

Prospect Research Basics

Prospect research educates your organization about donors and potential donors, so you may evaluate an individual’s potential to support a specific nonprofit. Data is the key to allocating your limited resources such that you generate the largest ROI for your nonprofit organization.

Consider this example from Ryan Woroniecki:

“A donor with major giving potential may have given an average-sized gift to a crowdfunding campaign (say, $50). This donor may be willing to give a lot more to your nonprofit but hasn’t so far because crowdfunding campaigns generally ask for smaller donations.

If you base your appeal on their current giving, rather than their potential, you may ask for a gift in the same range ($50 – $70). A donor isn’t likely to give a gift that’s significantly larger than what you ask for. As such, you’d be leaving hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on the table simply because you didn’t ask for more.”

Missed opportunities like the example above are the exact reason why it is crucial that organizations take the time to examine their donor pool. With the help of prospect research, you’ll be able to sift through your donor database and segment supporters based on giving potential.

A variety of information is examined when conducting proper prospect research. This includes:

Previous donations to your nonprofit – Who has donated to your nonprofit? How often do these people donate? How much do they give?
Donations to other nonprofits – Where else does the prospect make philanthropic contributions?
Political giving – Does the prospect donate to political campaigns?
Nonprofit involvement – Is the prospect a board member for other nonprofits?
Real estate ownership – If the prospect owns real estate, what is the value of that property?
Business affiliations – What does the prospect do for a living? Is he involved in subsidiary ventures or corporate boards?
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) insider stock transactions – In what companies and how heavily does the prospect invest?
Personal information – Hit the basics: contact information, marital status, and personal interests.

This prospect research data provides valuable fundraising benefits, such as:

Refines major gift prospect outreach – Your hardworking staff only has so much time. With prospect screening, your organization can quickly prioritize outreach efforts to donors according to their affinities for your nonprofit and their capacities to give. This permits staff to focus more of their efforts on bonding with major donors.
Converts annual fund donors into major gift prospects — With the time you’re not spending on prospect research, your team can focus on donors who can or have made large charitable donations.
Identifies planned or deferred giving prospects – If planned giving is not one of your strong suits, prospect screening reveals solid candidates for bequests.
Generates new prospects – Donation lists from other nonprofits and colleagues of your existing major gift donors are great places to discover new prospects.
Analyzes donor giving patterns – Donors, as well as their families and foundations, support various causes. You can see what organizations they support and unearth donation patterns.
Optimizes ongoing fundraising opportunities – Hospitals, universities, and similar organizations experience constant influxes of potential donors. Prospect screening enables your staff to pinpoint potential donors and individually tailor pitches.

Learn more about Prospect Research with DonorSearch’s ultimate guide to Prospect Research >

Multiply Prospects’ Potential with Matching Gifts:

With over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offering employee matching gift programs, there is potential to use matching gifts to turn even the smallest gifts into bigger donations. Major gift donors become even more important when they have the potential to give twice as much thanks to corporate matching gift programs.

A key insight of prospect research is the potential donors’ business affiliations, such as where they work and where their spouses work. Perhaps the individual’s spouse works for a company such as GE, which will match donations up to $50,000. If this spouse has the potential to give then she shoots to the top of the potential donors list.

Not only do matching gifts present the opportunity to increase gifts, but, when combined with prospect research, you can identify more sources of doubled donations.

Four Key Prospect Research & Matching Gift Statistics:

More than 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer matching gift programs — Matching gifts represent an easy way for donors to multiply the impacts of their donations. The best part is that matching gifts don’t cost the prospect any additional money and they only take five minutes to submit. Many smaller employers offer matching gift programs, too, so use prospect screening to identify if prospects work for such companies and remind them of matching gift opportunities.
Matching gift participation rates range from 3% to 65% depending on how widely a company promotes matching gifts to its employees — Companies must share vast amounts of business, personal, and charitable giving information with employees without overwhelming them. It should come as no surprise that many employees have no idea if their company offers a matching gift program or how to submit a match.
An estimated $6-$10 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed per year — Because matching gift participation rates are low across companies and industries, nonprofits miss out on substantial amounts of donations. Incorporating matching gift information into your conversations with high quality prospects will help close the gap for your nonprofit.
Mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals results in a 71% increase in the response rate and a 51% increase in the average donation amount (prior to receiving any matching gift funds) — Did you know that highlighting a prospect’s matching gift eligibility results in an increased likelihood that he or she will make a donation? Even better, when they do donate, they’ll likely give a larger amount than if there wasn’t a match available. Empower your prospect researchers to include matching gift information in their asks as a method for helping them to secure a major gift.

View additional matching gift statistics >

Learn how you can receive matching gifts for your nonprofit's special fundraising events.

Matching Gifts for Special Fundraising Events

April 25, 2014/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies /by Adam Weinger

Many nonprofits host special event fundraisers like galas to boost them toward their revenue goals. However, only a few organizations realize that tickets and donations made during the event might be eligible for corporate matching gifts.

When brainstorming ideas for your next fundraiser, don’t steer clear of special events. Instead, research your donors’ employers and your corporate match opportunities. To kick off your research, review the following key examples and commonalities between companies’ giving programs:

Examples of Donations at Annual Galas and Special Events.
Eligibility of Donations Made at Galas and Special Events.
Matching Gifts for Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers.
Tips for Promoting Matching Gifts to Special Event Attendees.
How a Matching Gift Database Can Help.

Ready to learn more about matching gifts for special event fundraisers? Let’s get started!

1. Examples of Donations at Annual Galas and Special Events

Because of your familiarity with the nonprofit world, you likely know that organizations typically incorporate donations with their special events.

Let’s take a look at some notable special events hosted by some major, well-known organizations:

The Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association gives individuals an opportunity to name one of its animals. For donations between $1,000-$50,000, you can name an animal, receive recognition in the zoo publication, have your photo taken with the animal, and get a VIP tour.
The Atlanta Botanical Garden has its Garden of Eden Gala, the organization’s largest annual fundraiser. Tickets range in price from a few hundred dollars to $25,000 if you want to be the presenting sponsor. Benefits include tickets to the organization’s Ball, a Patron Party, and much more.
NEXT for Autism (formerly New York Collaborates for Autism) hosts its annual “Night of Too Many Stars”. Celebrities such as Jon Stewart, Katie Perry, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Seth Rogan, and many others auction off once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hang out with them. For instance, becoming “best friends with Amy Poehler & Tina Fey” for an evening was auctioned for thousands of dollars a few years ago.

Most nonprofits aren’t quite on this huge event level, but it’s a great place to start researching. Take the time to look at special events hosted by major nonprofits whose missions are similar to yours. Who knows? Their major fundraisers may inspire your next event!

Looking to host your own charity auction? Check out these great platforms.

2. Eligibility of Donations Made at Galas and Special Events

It may come as a surprise, but many companies that offer matching gift programs will match donations made at special events!

When reviewing a company’s matching gift form, you may notice a sentence similar to “the corporation will not match tickets or subscriptions.” For instance, if your organization is a symphony selling a concert ticket or a science museum selling an IMAX ticket, companies won’t match the ticket price.

The reason for this is that donors are receiving a tangible benefit that would be charged by other for-profit organizations. For example, an IMAX movie could be compared to a regular movie ticket while the symphony could be compared to a sporting event ticket.

If that’s the case, then why are gala tickets and special event tickets often eligible?

If you look at the fine print on many nonprofits’ special event tickets, you’ll notice that it mentions a tax-deductible amount for each ticket. The tax-deductible dollar amount is what’s eligible to be matched.

In general, at galas, you must subtract the cost of a similar meal and any gifts that guests receive. Otherwise, it won’t be considered matching-gift eligible. For instance, if you host a gala and sell $500 tickets, you have to determine the fair market value of the benefits. In other words, how much would someone spend on the event if it wasn’t a fundraiser?

Let’s say people would typically spend $100 for a gala like yours plus $50 on the meal at a local restaurant. That makes the fair market value $150, meaning the tax-deductible amount is $350. In this case, $350 is the amount that would eligible for matches.

If you’re interested in learning more, we wrote an entire article on calculating the tax-deductible matching gift value.

The Bottom Line: A significant percentage of a gala ticket’s price is tax-deductible and is often eligible to be matched by an employee’s company. However, corporate guidelines do vary by company.

3. Matching Gifts for Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers

When researching corporate match programs, you may come across some companies that match the fundraising efforts of its employees. In other words, if their employees voluntarily fundraise for your cause (i.e. peer-to-peer fundraising), a company that offers this program will match the entire amount up to a certain limit.

Some of the major companies that offer these generous programs are:

Peer-to-peer fundraising is a common strategy for boosting nonprofit revenue. With these campaigns, your volunteer fundraisers receive their own personalized webpages where they raise money for your cause. The most common example of these effective fundraisers is walkathons. Though these campaigns are heavily reliant on online tactics, once you master the peer-to-peer approach, you’ll boost your fundraising potential!

Learn more about fundraising match programs.

4. Tips for Promoting Matching Gifts to Special Event Attendees

Unfortunately, for organizations, it’s less common to receive employee matching gifts for galas and special events than it is for regular donations or annual fund contributions.

As with all donations, you have to raise awareness and make it easy for donors to submit matching gift requests. However, there’s an extra component when it comes to galas and special events.

Even if an individual knows about their company’s matching gift program, they rarely realize a portion of their recently purchased ticket is tax-deductible and often match-eligible. Therefore, you need to promote this. Start by doing the following:

Include the tax-deductible amount on the ticket with a line such as “Did you know $X of your ticket is tax-deductible? If your employer offers a matching gift program, it may be eligible to be matched.”
If you subscribe to Double the Donation’s matching gift service, consider setting up a laptop with your organization’s page about matching gifts that’s easily accessible at your event.
At payment stations where donors pay for auction items, make sure your staff asks each individual or his or her spouse if they work for a company with a matching gift program.
Do you give donors an acknowledgement card after they buy a ticket or make an additional donation? If so, this is a great time to encourage donors to see if their employer or their spouse’s employer offers a matching gift program.

Before creating your promotion plan, make sure to review our list of top ways to promote employee matching gifts year-round.

5. How a Matching Gift Database Can Help

In addition to helping your day-to-day fundraising strategy, a matching gift database (like Double the Donation) can help your organization pinpoint additional revenue opportunities at special events.

Your nonprofit should promote corporate giving at any special fundraising event. Before going into ways to do this, here’s how Double the Donation works:

A nonprofit embeds the tool on its website or online donation page.
A donor (or volunteer) starts typing his/her employer’s name.
The database autocompletes the search, suggesting companies for the user to click.
The user receives all available updated information on his/her employer’s giving program.

Best of all, the tool easily integrates with other fundraising software. Larger nonprofits might benefit more from 360MatchPro by Double the Donation, which streamlines the process even more through email automation and email domain screening.

There are multiple ways you can promote corporate philanthropy with Double the Donation’s services:

At your event, set up a laptop with your page that has the search tool embedded.
Analyze your guest list prior to the event and research attendees’ employers. That way, you’ll have more insight on who to approach at your event.
For your event, create and hand out educational pamphlets on matching gifts and local employers that offer them.

Get creative with your matching gift promotion! Think your nonprofit can benefit from Double the Donation?

Corporate philanthropy represents a major opportunity for nonprofits. By taking the time to incorporate it into your fundraising and outreach strategies, you set your nonprofit up for success. Few nonprofits take the time to do proper research on these programs. Because of that, they overlook major revenue opportunities.

Now that you know special event tickets and donations can be matched by most employers, get started boosting your revenue!

Nonprofit and Corporate Relationships Matching Gifts

Leverage Matching Gifts to Strengthen Nonprofit-Corporate Relationships

April 23, 2014/in Learning Center, Marketing Strategies /by Adam Weinger

We recently had a reader ask Double the Donation about how to strengthen relationships with corporations that offer generous matching gift contributions to their organization. She said she wished she had more ways to reach out to these companies post-matching gift donation to show them how a strong relationship could provide some great public relations benefits.

This is a great point! When corporations offer matching gift donations to a nonprofit organization, they may not realize how positive of an impact the contributions are having on the work of the nonprofit. It’s important for nonprofits to leverage matching gifts into positive PR for both you and the corporation to ensure future collaboration, and therefore, a stronger nonprofit-corporate relationship.

Suggestions of “Extra Thanks” for Generous Matching Gift Donations

Does your organization have one corporation in particular (or even a few!) that really stands out in the field of matching gift donations? It’s important that this company knows how big of an impact they are having on the work you do, and sometimes a simple, albeit wonderful, acknowledgement letter (that acts as a tax-deductible receipt, too) is not going to emphasize your thanks enough. So, what else can you do?

Press Releases

A simple and highly visible form of extra thanks is a press release to local publications. This could include information about the circumstances of the donation, how big of a matching gift partner they are (if, for example, you have many donors who work for one company that offers matching gifts on a recurring basis), and the kind of programs and nonprofit work the donations help progress.

And don’t forget to highlight the company on your own website. It’s not only positive publicity for the company but also encourages your other donors to see if their employers will match their donations.

The important thing here is that the company or companies providing matching gifts to your nonprofit organization are getting a public, positive recognition for the donations they make. They are more likely to donate in other capacities in the future, as well, when they see the kind of public acknowledgement they can get by donating to your organization.

Social Media

This one is seemingly a no-brainer, but it’s always amazing what kind of far-reaching impacts a Facebook or Twitter post can have on relationships. By thanking a corporation for their generosity with matching gifts and including the positive impact they are having on the community, your nonprofit is taking an extra (and again, simple) step to show the company and the public how thankful you are for their commitment to the cause.

Here’s a sample thank you post from the Children’s Craniofacial Association:

In case you can’t read the text on the image it says

It’s #ThankfulThursday & CCA thanks @Corning Inc. for the Foundation Matching Gifts Program, doubling employee donations to CCA!

It was retweeted four times and favorited six times, including from the main Corning account.

Donation Page Acknowledgements

On your website’s donation pages, you could include information about some of the benefits of matching gifts (for your donors), and also mention some of the top-giving companies in the area. This shows many donors the commitment of their employers to the community, which in turn increases the chances an individual will donate to your cause and also ask their company for a matching gift. Increasing the number of eyes that see a corporation’s name in a positive light also increases the likelihood of forming a stronger relationship with a company. Positive PR for a company (by a nonprofit organization) is a huge key for ensuring future collaboration.

Event Recognition

This is another easy way to recognize some of the major community players in the matching gift arena. Even if these companies are not sponsoring your charitable event, just mentioning the impact they are having on the work you do (without outshining the actual corporate sponsors, of course) is going to make a difference. Every company wants a positive image in the community because this increases their like-ability, and therefore their success. When your nonprofit organization is a key factor in increasing their success, the bond between the two will be stronger than ever.

Creating a Stronger Relationship

The above suggestions are just a few extra ways to say thanks to the corporations who have a strong commitment to matching gift donations. When a company sees the effort your nonprofit organization is putting forth to thank them for their generosity, it increases the chances of future giving, whether it’s with more matching gifts, grants, or even some form of sponsorship.

Make sure you’re saying thank you – it really can make all the difference!

Volunteer Grants and Matching Gifts from Board Members of Nonprofits

February 13, 2014/in Volunteer Grant Companies, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

Many nonprofit organizations have a Board of Directors that make annual monetary contributions. Did you know that certain companies offer bonus matches or higher ratios and limits on matching gifts if their employees serve on nonprofit boards?

Here are some of these companies that offer higher limits on matching gifts from board members:

U.S. Companies Corporate Giving Policies

US Bancorp/US Bank

US Bancorp is the parent company of U.S. Bank National Association (based in Minneapolis, Minnesota), ranked the fifth largest bank in the U.S. based on assets ($364 billion), and fourth largest based on total branches. The company employs over 64,000 people.

US Bancorp/US Bank Matching Gift Policy

US Bank offers a 1:1 matching ratio of gifts up to $1,000 by all employees. When a board member makes a donation, this limit is raised to $3,000 (still a 1:1 match ratio). US Bank matches donations to most nonprofit organizations.

Learn more about US Bank’s matching gift program.

WestRock

WestRock is an American packaging company based in Richmond, Virginia. It has approximately 23,000 employees.

WestRock Matching Gift Policy

WestRock matches all employee donations up to $2,500 to education institutions (K-12 included). It also matches donations from employees who serve on the board of directors (or other governing body) of the organization to which the contribution is being made.

Learn more about WestRock’s matching gift program.

Dominion Resources, Inc.

Dominion Resources, Inc. (aka Dominion), is a power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia and North Carolina, and supplies natural gas to parts of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and eastern North Carolina. As of 2012, Dominion employed 15,500 people.

Dominion Matching Gift Policy

When Dominion employees or retirees serve on the board of directors for a nonprofit organization, Dominion will make a 2:1 match up to $2,500. So, if the employee donated $2,500, Dominion will make a $5,000 donation, totaling $7,500!

Learn more about Dominion’s matching gift program.

PNM Resources

PNM Resources, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serves electricity to 498,000 homes and business in northern New Mexico and parts of west Texas. PNM employs about 2,000 people.

PNM’s Volunteer Grant Program

PNM provides 3 different levels of monetary grants for volunteer service provided by an employee:

For every 12 volunteer hours donated, PNM will provide a $100 donation to an eligible nonprofit organization.
For every 25 volunteer hours, PNM will provide a $300 donation.
If an employee volunteers at least 25 hours AND serves on the nonprofit’s board of directors, PNM will provide a $500 donation.

Learn more about PNM’s volunteer grant program.

Blue Shield of California

With 4,500 employees, Blue Shield of California is based in San Francisco. It is a nonprofit health plan provider that serves more than 3.4 million health plan members and almost 65,000 physicians across California.

BSOC Volunteer Grant Program

Healthcare Organizations:

When a BSOC employee volunteers at a healthcare organization and makes a monetary donation up to $3,000, BSOC will match the donation at a 2:1 ratio, effectively making the total donation $9,000! When a BSOC employee serves on the nonprofit’s organization governing board and makes a monetary donation up to $5,000, BSOC will also match the donation at a 2:1 ratio, totaling $15,000!

Civic and Community Organizations:

BSOC employee volunteers at civic and community organizations can have donations of $1,500 matched at a 1:1 ratio. BSOC employee volunteers who are on the governing body of these organizations can have donations up to $2,500 matched at a 1:1 ratio.

Learn more about BSOC’s volunteer grant program.

Global Companies Corporate Giving Policies

Schneider Electric, Square D NOAD & Subsidiaries

Schneider Electric is a France-based multinational corporation with nearly 10 U.S. business acquisitions that specializes in electricity distribution and automation management. It employs more than 152,000 people as of 2012.

Schneider Electric Matching Gift Policy

Schneider Electric, Square D NOAD & its subsidiaries provide a 1:1 match on all donations up to $10,000! If an employee is also an active member of a nonprofit organization’s board of directors, the match ratio is increased to a 1.5:1 ratio (that would total a $25,000 donation for a board member!)

Learn more about Schneider Electric’s matching gift program.

Takeda Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Takeda is the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and Asia, boasting 30,000 employees worldwide. It is focused on metabolic disorders, gastroenterology, neurology, and inflammation. Despite being headquartered in Osaka, Japan, Fortune Magazine ranked the Takeda Oncology Company as one the 100 best companies to work for in the United States in January 2012.

Takeda Volunteer Grant Program

When an employee of Takeda Pharmaceuticals serves on the board of directors for eligible nonprofit organizations, said employee can request a $2,500 volunteer grant for the organization.

Learn more about Takeda’s volunteer grant program.

Novartis International AG

Novartis is a Swiss multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland. In 2010 it ranked number two among the worldwide pharmaceutical industry in sales ($46.8 billion). Novartis employs nearly 120,000 people.

Novartis Volunteer Grant Program

Novartis offers three types of volunteer grants:

Individual Volunteer Grants: employees who volunteer at least 40 hours with an eligible nonprofit organization can request a $250 volunteer grant.
Board Service Grants: employees who serve on the board of directors of an eligible organization can request a $750 volunteer grant after one year of board service. These grants are renewable every year for up to three years.
Team Volunteer Grants: when five or more employees volunteer as a team on a special project for an eligible nonprofit, Novartis will donate $500 to the organization. (This is exclusive of Community Partnership Day.)

Learn more about Novartis’ volunteer grant program.

Reference this sample job description when its time to hire a matching gift coordinator.

Finding A Matching Gift Coordinator: Sample Job Description

February 7, 2014/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Is your nonprofit organization missing out on potential funds from matching gift donations? Yes.

Does your development department have someone who is knowledgeable about matching gifts and the intricacies of the process? No.

Would you be interested in having someone on your staff who can bring added value to your annual fund? Yes.

If your answers match ours, then it might be time for your organization to bring on a dedicated matching gift coordinator. We’re going to explore hiring a matching gift coordinator through the following topics:

What is a matching gift coordinator?
Matching Gift Coordinator: Sample Job Description

With the sample job description, we’ll look at a general overview, key responsibilities, and the characteristics of a qualified candidate. Follow along for a deep-dive into hiring a matching gift specialist.

What is a matching gift coordinator?

A matching gift coordinator is simply the staff member in charge of all of your organization’s matching gift needs, from discovering which donors are match eligible to educating those donors about submitting match requests.

This is the staff member that, for a smaller nonprofit, directs donors to your organization’s searchable matching gift database or even searches donors’ information themselves. Or, on the other hand, if you’re a larger nonprofit– this is the staff member that manages your matching gift automation tool. Finally, after determining eligibility, this staff member follows-up with donors, starting the process.

Bonus! If your organization doesn’t currently have either of these tools and they seem like a good solution for you, visit Double the Donation to get started.

We’ve put together a sample job description for a matching gift coordinator that you can post on a multitude of great nonprofit job and career sites. Of course, you’ll need to add in the more specific elements that make your organization unique to help you stand out from the crowd. Use this template to get started, and customize it according to your organization’s specific successes!

Matching Gift Coordinator

Overview

The Matching Gift Coordinator is responsible for the oversight of the matching gift program, a component of fund development. This position entails communicating with individual donors to ensure knowledge about the possibility of matching gifts, as well as maintaining and updating appropriate information on the website and within relevant marketing materials.

The Matching Gift Coordinator reports to and works in collaboration with the Director of Development.

Key Responsibilities

Checking all individual donations against the donor’s employer to see if they are eligible for a corporate match.
Reaching out to individual donors to inform them of the possibility of a corporate matching gift.
Providing donors with appropriate information and guidelines to make the match process as effortless as possible.
Maintaining and updating the matching gift information on software such as Double the Donation as necessary.
Sending timely acknowledgments to individual donors and matching gift companies.
Maintaining the matching gift section on the fundraising pages of the website.
Marketing matching gift opportunities via various outlets including social media, email campaigns, and annual fund letters.

Characteristics of a Qualified Candidate

The Matching Gift Coordinator position requires an organized, proactive, and energetic individual who will work effectively with donors and corporations.

A successful candidate will have the following qualities:

At least 2 years of experience in fund development in nonprofit organizations.
An ability to think independently and communicate effectively.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
An ability to learn quickly, especially with regard to software management.

A matching gift coordinator can help your organization increase its incoming donations through matching gift programs. These programs present a huge opportunity, and you don’t want to miss out due to being understaffed!

If it’s time for your organization to bring on a matching gift coordinator, use the above job description to start your search.

Donor-advised funds can make a difference in your nonprofit fundraising strategy. Learn more with this post!

Donor-Advised Funds: Are DAFs Eligible for Matching Gifts?

August 16, 2013/in Learning Center /by Adam Weinger

Donor-advised funds (DAF), which make giving charitable donations simple and easy, are quickly gaining popularity, but because nonprofits don’t know the ins and outs, they might not be fully taking advantage of them.

As a nonprofit professional, you likely know the DAF basics, such as how they allow donors to give today and receive a tax deduction now, rather than waiting for tax season. However, what if you could double these gifts through donors’ employers?

To fully answer this question, there are a few key points you need to review:

Typical Eligibility Requirements.
Corporate Examples.
How a Matching Gift Database Can Help.

If you’re ready to boost your nonprofit’s revenue, let’s get started!

Learn about the matching gift opportunities in Detroit.

Matching Gift Opportunities: Top Companies in Detroit

May 6, 2013/in Lists and Rankings, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

At Double the Donation, we help nonprofits across the country increase their revenue through corporate matching gifts and volunteer grants. Through these programs, employers match the financial donations (or, provide a financial donation corresponding to volunteer hours) given by their employees to qualifying nonprofit organizations.

We’ve found that the best place to start is by discovering the top companies in your area offering these corporate philanthropy programs. After receiving several calls from the Detroit area we decided to write an article on a few of the big corporations in Michigan willing to match donations made by their employees.

We’re going to examine corporate philanthropy, in general, for Detroit before going into further detail on the following companies:

Ally Financial
Eaton Corporation
DTE Energy
Fifth Third Bank
PricewaterhouseCoopers

This list is by no means comprehensive when it comes to all of the companies offering match programs in Michigan, and you should consider supplementing it with your own outside research. If you do, consider using a dedicated matching gift tool to supplement your search.

The Best Way to Discover Matching Gift Programs

Whether you’re just beginning to solicit matching gifts or you already have procedures in place, a dedicated matching gift tool is a valuable resource. These tools can not only help you discover matching gift opportunities but also educate donors on submitting a match request in the process.

360MatchPro is the leading matching gift software that serves the needs of nonprofits large and small. This matching gift automation platform is perfect for nonprofits looking to grow their already-existing solicitation processes. By automatically searching for a donor’s eligibility upon donation, and sending marketing communications once eligibility is established, this software decreases the workload for nonprofits receiving matched gifts.

Now, continue reading for a look at corporate philanthropy in Detroit.

Detroit Matching Donations List

Detroit is the largest city in Michigan and, as such, is the financial and cultural center of the state.

The city has long been known as the nation’s leader in the automotive industry. Even after the financial downturn of many automotive staples, many strong companies with philanthropic roots remain tied to the city.

Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. will match donations between $1 and $250. Ally is unique in that it matches donations as low as one dollar. If you have a large number of donors making smaller donations, a matching program like Ally’s could make a significant difference.

Eaton Corporation

Eaton will match donations to many nonprofits, including arts and civic organizations and educational institutions. The company will double donations made by employees that are up to $5,000.

DTE Energy

DTE will match up to $5,000 per employee, with the minimum gift matched at $25. DTE Energy also has a generous volunteer grant program.

Fifth Third Bank

Both full and part-time employees of Fifth Third Bancorp are elligible to take part in the matching gift program. Bancorp will match gifts between $25 and $1500.

PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers has one of the more generous matching gift programs in Detroit. They will match gifts up to $10,000 per employee each year. They will match donations made to higher education.

Just as Detroit offers many opportunities to increase your revenue through matching gifts, other cities across North America do as well. Check out the following list of top companies offering these programs, and consider using a matching gift tool to do further research for yourself:

Top companies throughout the US and Canada offering matching gift programs.

Companies in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida which Double Donations through Employee Matching Gift Programs

May 1, 2013/in Lists and Rankings, Matching Gift Companies /by Adam Weinger

At Double the Donation, we’re often asked about companies with matching gift programs in specific areas. We help nonprofits increase fundraising by optimizing potential matching gifts from their donors.

The first place to start when trying to increase your organization’s matching gifts is to familiarize yourself with some of the top companies in your area that offer these programs.

Miami Matching Gift Companies

Miami is a financial and cultural center in the state of Florida. With multiple, philanthropic companies in the area, it pays to know which corporations have matching gift programs. The city is also headquarters for many multinational corporations.

We’ve compiled a short list of some of the top companies in Miami and Fort Lauderdale area that have great employee matching gift programs.

Assurant

Assurant will match donations between $25 and $1,000. They will match to most nonprofits. Part-time and retired employees are eligible to take part in the program.

General Motors

General Motors doesn’t offer a matching gift at the moment, but they do have a volunteer grant program. Organizations can receive $200 for employees who spend 50 hours volunteering for their nonprofits.

In the coming years we look forward to GM joining the trend among US automakers in offering their employees the option of a matching gift program.

Google

Google has one the more generous employee giving programs out there. They match between $50 and $12,000 made by employees and board members. They also have an employee volunteer program that pays nonprofits $10 for every hour an employee volunteers.

Office Depot

Office Depot will match between $25 and $10,000 per employee, making it the top matching employer on this list. Part-time employees are eligible for this program.

Want to learn more about corporate matching gift programs?

Tag Archive for: Matching Gifts

How Do I Promote Matching Gifts?

Matching gift deadlines typically fall under one of three types:

Deadline #1: Within a Set Number of Months

Adobe<img decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-76673 " src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Matching-Gift-Deadlines_Adobe.png" alt="Learn about Adobe's matching gift program submission deadline." width="175" height="174" />

DirectTV<img decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-76674 " src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Matching-Gift-Deadlines_DirecTV.png" alt="Learn about DirecTV's matching gift program submission deadline." width="173" height="172" />

Altria<img decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-76675 " src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Matching-Gift-Deadlines_Altria.png" alt="Learn about Altria's matching gift program submission deadline." width="174" height="173" />

Fannie Mae<img decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-76676 " src="https://doublethedonation.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Matching-Gift-Deadlines_FannieMae.png" alt="Learn about Fannie Mae's matching gift program submission deadline." width="173" height="172" />