Dollars for Doers grants can substantially boost your fundraising revenue, but first, your organization should understand the basics. In this article, we’ll break down the definition of Dollars for Doers grants and walk you through effective strategies to raise more.

Specifically, we’ll cover:

1. What are Dollars for Doers Grants?
2. How Dollars for Doers Programs Work
3. Key Dollars for Doers Program Statistics
4. Top Dollars for Doers Companies
5. How to Get Dollars for Doers Grants

Read on to find out how to maximize this awesome source of funding!

1. What are Dollars for Doers Grants?

A Dollars for Doers program can be defined as: a corporate giving program in which a company provides monetary grants to nonprofits where its employees regularly volunteer.

Dollars for Doers grants are also frequently referred to by other names, such as: 

• Volunteer Grants
• Matching Time Programs
• Dollar for Hour Programs
• Grants for Time Programs

Dollars for Doers programs are often overlooked due to a lack of awareness by both nonprofits and volunteers. Nonprofits don’t always know whether their volunteers work for companies that offer Dollars for Doers grants, and volunteers are often unaware their companies may even offer such a program.

But Dollars for Doers grants are an essential source of funding for organizations. Interested in how they work? Keep reading!

2. How Dollars for Doers Programs Work

Dollars for Doers programs generally follow the same process across the board. Here’s how they work:

1. An individual volunteers with a nonprofit.
2. The individual submits a request for a Dollars for Doers grant to their employer.
3. The employer verifies the hours volunteered with the nonprofit.
4. The employer sends a check to the nonprofit.

While the process of Dollar for Doers programs is fairly generic, each company that offers a Dollars for Doers program defines the specific requirements and guidelines differently.

These guidelines typically outline:

• Types of eligible organizations (e.g., educational institutions, health and human services, environmental organizations, etc.)
• Minimum number of volunteer hours required to be eligible for a Dollars for Doers grant
• Grant amounts per volunteer hour or per threshold passed
• Eligibility of employees (full time vs. part time vs. retirees)

Dollars for Doers grants depend on a few factors, like the above, but it might not be apparent how big of an impact they make. In the next section, we’ll outline some important statistics that demonstrate why your organization should tap into this powerful form of corporate philanthropy!

3. Key Dollars for Doers Program Statistics

Not convinced that Dollars for Doers programs should be part of your fundraising strategy? Check out these stats:

• 40% of Fortune 500 companies offer Dollars for Doers programs.
• The average corporate volunteer rate participation rate is 33%.
• About 63 million Americans volunteer each year, totaling 7.7 billion hours, which equates to approximately $175 billion annually.

Source: Double the Donation Volunteer Grant and Volunteering Statistics

(https://doublethedonation.com/statistics/) 

These statistics go to show how common Dollars for Doers programs actually are, and how many individuals volunteer annually. It’s essential that your organization puts forth its best effort to tap into this corporate giving program as a way to both boost revenue and cultivate relationships with your supporters.

The amounts of Dollars for Doers grants also vary. While 80% of companies with Dollars for Doers programs provide between $8-$15 per volunteer hour, this differs widely by company. Learn more about some of these top programs next!

4. Top Dollars for Doers Companies

Many companies offer generous Dollars for Doers grants. To get started, here are a few of the top programs!

Google

Overview of Dollars for Doers Company

Google is a multinational technology company specializing in Internet services and products, including a search engine, online advertising, software, hardware, and more.

Dollars for Doers Grant Information

For every hour of volunteer work a Google employee performs, the company will provide a $10 grant to the nonprofit.

Learn more about Google’s corporate giving programs!

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Microsoft

Overview of Dollars for Doers Company

Microsoft is a multinational technology company that develops computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and more.

Dollars for Doers Grant Information

With no minimum amount of hours required for a grant, Microsoft awards $25 per hour to nonprofits where their employees volunteer.

Learn more about Microsoft’s corporate giving programs!

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ConocoPhillips

Overview of Dollars for Doers Company

ConocoPhillips is a multinational energy corporation that works to safely find and deliver energy to the world. 

Dollars for Doers Grant Information

ConocoPhillips offers two types of Dollars for Doers grants: individual and team grants. For individuals, the company will provide $500 grants after 20 volunteer hours and $1,000 grants after 40 volunteer hours.

When teams of four or more ConocoPhillips employees volunteer together for a total of 40 combined hours, the company will give the nonprofit a Dollars of Doers grant of $1,000.

Learn more about ConocoPhillips’ corporate giving programs!

5. How to Get Dollars for Doers Grants

You may have a starting point for researching Dollars for Doers programs, but how can you determine if any of your volunteers are linked to a Dollars for Doers company?

In order to ensure the most volunteer hours possible are converted into grants, nonprofits of all sizes can and should invest in intuitive corporate giving software. 

Corporate giving software provides your volunteers with access to an extensive database of corporate giving programs, including Dollars for Doers. The database offers information about guidelines, grant amounts, minimum hours required, and more, so your volunteers have exactly the information they need.

Looking for the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and easy-to-use software solution? Check out Double the Donation.

360MatchPro by Double the Donation

360MatchPro by Double the Donation grabs its information from Double the Donation’s extensive database while taking it a step further by automating the Dollars for Doers process. It’s the ideal solution for all sorts of nonprofits and universities.

When supporters donate on your website, 360MatchPro automatically scans the information they provide, such as their email domain or employer details, to determine their eligibility for corporate giving programs. Depending on their eligibility, the platform triggers customizable emails to the supporter detailing the appropriate next steps to submit either a matching gift request or Dollars for Doers grant request. This is a great way to automate outreach to supporters who volunteer with your nonprofit!

Marketing Dollars for Doers Grants

Corporate giving software ensures these opportunities for revenue won’t fall through the cracks, but it’s still important to promote Dollars for Doers grants to your volunteers. By directing your supporters to the search tool on your website, for example, more volunteers will successfully submit grant requests because it’s easy and straightforward to do so!

Here are some helpful ways to market Dollars for Doers grants:

• On your website. Embed the search tool plugin throughout your website, such as on your donation page, so supporters can search for their company’s guidelines.
• In your email outreach. Send out newsletters or acknowledgement emails with a link that directs volunteers to the search tool on your website.
• On social media. Post information about Dollars for Doers grants on a regular basis and feature a link to your search tool.
• In direct mail outreach. Include an insert in your direct mail outreach that explains Dollars for Doers grants and where volunteers can search for their company’s program guidelines.

Combining the power of corporate giving software with effective marketing will substantially boost your Dollars for Doers grant revenue. Make it easier to secure these opportunities for more funding so you can focus on serving your mission.

Additional Dollars for Doers Resources

Hopefully you’ve learned a lot about Dollars for Doers grants today! Looking to discover even more? Check out the additional resources below:

• Corporate Volunteer Grant Programs: Learn the Basics. Break down even more of the basics of Dollars for Doers programs with our essential guide.
• Team Volunteer Grants | Volunteers and Grants, the Best of Both Worlds. Want to learn more about team volunteer grants? Check out this article.
• Top 10 Volunteer Grant Companies: Increase Corporate Dollars. Find out if any of your volunteers are linked to top Dollars for Doers companies with this helpful list.