This ultimate guide walks through everything you need to know about nonprofit advertising.

Nonprofit Advertising: The Best Advice & Persuasive Examples

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The online space grows more competitive each day. Nonprofits are up against big-name companies, vying for consumers’ attention. If you’re grasping at straws and still aren’t capturing prospects’ attention, it might be time to try nonprofit advertising.

Advertising is often perceived as a misuse of donations, but it’s surprisingly effective. There’s a reason companies invest in paid advertising – it works! Where traditional marketing approaches fall short, paid advertising can elevate your cause and extend your reach to new audiences.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to refine your existing efforts, this guide will provide everything you need to create a high-ROI nonprofit advertising strategy, including everything from common types of ads to real-world examples you can emulate. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Whether you’re investing in digital nonprofit advertising or creating newspaper ads, get ready to brainstorm how ads can support your cause and get your services in front of new audiences.

Explore this guide to learn about one of the most powerful nonprofit advertising platforms: Google Ad Grants.

Understanding Nonprofit Advertising

The world of nonprofit advertising is expansive, so let’s start with the fundamentals, kicking off with a basic definition.

What Are Nonprofit Ads?

Also referred to as charity advertising, nonprofit ads are paid ads that nonprofits use to promote their services and fundraisers. Advertising includes digital platforms such as paid search ads and social media ads, as well as traditional advertising methods such as community radio and print ads.

While paid ads can make a notable difference in your outreach, know they’re just one part of your marketing strategy. “Nonprofit marketing” refers to all the activities your nonprofit leverages to promote its brand and mission, while advertising is a specific subset of nonprofit marketing that refers strictly to paid channels.

In the for-profit world, companies create billboards, promotional materials for TV, and digital ads to promote goods and services. Advertising looks a little different for nonprofits, though. Instead of promoting a tangible product, nonprofit advertising is used to “sell” a cause. When done effectively, charity ads educate target audiences about the mission, goals, and services of the organization, as well as solicit donations or other forms of support.

What’s The Difference Between Inbound and Outbound Marketing?

Inbound and outbound marketing are two distinct approaches in the marketing world, each with unique strategies and benefits. For a balanced marketing plan, you’ll need to use both paid and free channels, so you can reach your audience without blowing your budget out of the water. Let’s compare these two strategies:

This table compares the inbound marketing (i.e., organic content) and outbound marketing (i.e., nonprofit advertising).

  • Inbound marketing is often referred to as “pull marketing” and is designed to attract potential supporters. Common inbound channels include search engine optimization, blogs, videos, podcasts, and organic social media content. While inbound marketing targets interested prospects, it requires time to develop and share quality content.
  • Outbound marketing is commonly called “push marketing” since it involves pushing messages out to a wide audience, regardless of whether the audience has expressed interest in your mission. Typically associated with paid strategies, common outbound channels include TV commercials, pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, direct mail campaigns, newspaper ads, and social media ads

Both inbound and outbound marketing have their place in a comprehensive marketing strategy. To strike a balance, we suggest using inbound tactics like optimizing your nonprofit’s website for SEO. Then, you can advertise that content using paid ads.

Why Should Nonprofits Use Advertising?

Nonprofit advertising is undoubtedly worth the investment. From securing new donors to connecting with beneficiaries, you can achieve a lot with persuasive ads.

If you’re not convinced you should spend your hard-earned donations on promoting your work, here are a few common reasons why you should:

Use nonprofit advertising to build brand awareness and experience a high ROI.

  • Drive high-quality conversions. Getting Attention’s nonprofit advertising guide explains that with powerful ads, “you can convert an ordinary viewer into a valuable supporter. You might shoot for conversions like donations, volunteer sign-ups, contact form completions, event registrations, or shares to social media sites.” Plus, many platforms have audience targeting capabilities, allowing you to narrow your audience and deliver valuable content to likely supporters.
  • Build a stronger, more recognizable brand. Nonprofit advertising puts your digital content in front of more prospects than word-of-mouth alone. Existing supporters will also be met with your charitable ads, keeping your cause front of mind even when they haven’t interacted with you for a while.
  • See major returns on low-cost efforts. In some cases, you only pay when a user clicks your ad. Many platforms, like Google Ads, offer discounts and free platform use to verified nonprofits. Even when you pay out of pocket for ads, you don’t have to pay to generate revenue from nonprofit ads. This Google Ad Grant Impact Report explains that view-through revenue—revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad—accounts for 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads.

For positive results, put in time and effort into creating authentic ads. Otherwise, you’ll waste your budget that could be better used supporting other areas of your mission.

What Are the Challenges of Charity Advertising?

When used efficiently, nonprofit ads can help you make incredible strides for your mission. However, you’ll need to overcome some hurdles.

Here are some challenges you’ll want to get in front of when planning your promotional strategies:

  • Donors want their funds to go directly toward your mission. They might resist the idea of their contributions being spent on paid ads. That’s why some nonprofits are hesitant to pay for advertising — they’re worried about what existing prospective donors will think of them.
  • You’ll need to dedicate time to managing your ads. Some organizations don’t have the staff or time to create their ads. That goes for monitoring your campaigns and making adjustments to maximize results, too. You shouldn’t use a set-it-and-forget-it approach. Not to mention, some advertising platforms have a considerable learning curve. We recommend working with a nonprofit advertising expert to mitigate these challenges.
  • Conveying your message can be challenging. Ads are notorious for seeming inauthentic. When possible, use storytelling components like original images to make your ads appear genuine.

To preemptively overcome these challenges, choose affordable advertising channels and be authentic in your promotion. We also recommend working with a nonprofit advertising agency. These professionals devote their time to managing campaigns backed by their technical expertise, so you can focus on other activities.

How Can I Work Nonprofit Ads Into My Budget?

Considering that nonprofit advertising is a paid form of marketing, you’ll need to allocate sufficient funds toward it.

A common misconception is that paid advertising is unattainable for nonprofits with limited budgets. In reality, many paid advertising platforms offer free or discounted access to verified organizations. Here are some ways your nonprofit can tap into advertising for free, minimizing the negative reactions donors might have:

  • Through the Google Ad Grants program, you can receive $10,000 in free ad credits every month. You’ll spend your credits on promoting your website’s most important content, like your donation form or volunteer registration page.
  • A rule by the Federal Communications Commission can help you leverage free radio ads if you format them as public service announcements.
  • Through business sponsorships, companies may promote your nonprofit to customers free of charge as part of their corporate philanthropy practices.

Beyond these free opportunities, let’s look at how organizations break down their nonprofit advertising budgets across different platforms. According to M+R Benchmarks’ annual study, organizations allocate their advertising budgets in the following percentages:

  • 22%  on display ads
  • 35% on search ads
  • 36% on social media
  • 8% on video ads and other forms of advertising

This chart shows how organizations divide their nonprofit advertising budgets between channels.

Use these percentages to guide you when allocating money toward advertising in your annual budget. Considering that search ads yield the highest return on ad spend, we recommend investing most of your budget in that area. According to that same M+R Benchmarks Study, it generates an incredible $2.75 return for every dollar spent, while display ads generate $0.33.

7 Types of Nonprofit Ads

Promote your cause using these charity advertising channels.

 

Considering that paid advertising incurs costs, be strategic about which platforms you use. Decide which ones will align with your goals and will help you reach your target audience. To help you grasp your options, let’s walk through seven of the most common nonprofit advertising platforms, starting with our favorite.

Type 1: Google Search Ads

Create nonprofit ads for Google to connect with users searching for your cause.

Paid search ads are online advertisements that promote an organization’s web content. These ads are displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) and are triggered by keywords related to the advertiser’s organization.

Advertisers pay each time someone clicks their ad, so they’re not overpaying for advertising space. This makes it cost-effective for reaching and driving qualified leads.

Google Ad Grants

When eligible for Google Ad Grants, nonprofits can tap into this nonprofit advertising channel for free. So long as they comply with the program’s rules, they’ll receive $10,000 each month to spend on amplifying their web content on Google Search. If you’re a visual learner, watch this video from the Google Ad experts at Getting Attention:

If this sounds like an irresistible offer, here’s how to get started with this nonprofit advertising platform:

  1. Check your nonprofit’s eligibility. Google limits participation to those with valid charity status. Governmental, healthcare, and educational organizations are ineligible. You’ll also need a website that meets the program’s requirements. Explore our Google Grants eligibility guide to determine your eligibility status.
  2. Create a Google for Nonprofits account. Through Google for Nonprofits, you can access the Google Ad Grant application and a range of helpful tools like Google WorkSpace and the YouTube Nonprofit Program. You’ll provide information like your tax identification number and contact information.
  3. Wait for Verification. Percent works with Google to verify organizations’ legitimacy and help maintain the integrity of Google’s program. They may reach out for additional documentation, so keep an eye on your email.
  4. Apply for the Google Grant. Once approved, you’ll gain access to the Google Ad Grant application. Fill out the eligibility form and wait for approval. In no time, you’ll receive $10,000 to spend on Google Ads every month.

We recommend working with a Google Grants agency like Getting Attention to maximize this charity advertising opportunity. They’ll work to understand your mission, choose the right keywords, and craft compelling nonprofit ads that drive results.

Improve your charity advertising on Google with our recommended agency.

Type 2: Social Media Ads

Create charity ads for social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Did you know that 59% of Gen Zers are inspired to donate by a message they saw on social media? You’re missing out if you’re not promoting your cause through this channel!

Most nonprofits recognize this digital marketing channel is effective for leveraging social proof to build trust. Unless you have a large following consistently sharing your content, it can be challenging to gain traction, though. That’s why we recommend allocating money toward social media ads.

Social Media Advertising Platforms

To avoid stretching your nonprofit advertising budget too thin, consider the platforms from which you’ll purchase ad space. As you get started, keep these charity advertising platforms in mind:

  • Instagram ads appear throughout the app in users’ feeds, between Stories, and on their explore pages. While designed similarly to normal posts, each ad contains a “sponsored label.” Use this method to tap into additional features unavailable for traditional posts. Include links, CTA buttons, and product catalogs. Then, track ad performance with the insights Instagram provides.
  • Facebook ads allow you to tap into the world’s most popular social network. With the ability to target people based on their interests, demographics, and location, nonprofits can create highly targeted campaigns that will likely reach their desired audience. Use Facebook ads to boost engagement, build brand awareness, and even solicit donations with integrated fundraising features.
  • X (formerly Twitter) ads allow you to connect with younger audiences. Nonprofits can create targeted campaigns based on user interests and location. Use these to tailor messaging to different audiences, drive website traffic, increase brand visibility, and engage with followers.
  • TikTok ads, available through TikTok for Good, offer a dynamic way to reach a younger, highly engaged audience through video ads. Your nonprofit can tell its story, raise awareness, and drive action in a creative, visually engaging format.

These nonprofit advertising channels allow you to leverage user-friendly features and reach supporters where they already are: scrolling through social media. Plus, social media has an incredible reach. Sources estimate there will be 5.8 billion social media users worldwide by 2027.

When creating messages, remember social media tends to be trend-based, so monitor what’s trending to create timely ads for your cause.

Type 3: Sponsored Retargeting

Sponsored retargeting is a type of nonprofit advertising that requires companies to purchase ads from an organization.

Sponsored retargeting is a collaborative advertising approach where a business or organization sponsors your nonprofit by purchasing ads from you. These ads typically feature co-branded elements. The reasons a company might engage in sponsored retargeting include:

  • Improved Reputation: Companies can bolster their reputation by aligning their image with your nonprofit, positioning them as a socially responsible company.
  • Audience Overlap: The overlap in audience demographics between the company and your nonprofit makes this an attractive opportunity to promote the company’s services to relevant individuals.

Both your nonprofit and the sponsor can share these advertisements on your respective platforms, increasing visibility and audience engagement for both parties. Overall, this mutually beneficial arrangement not only serves immediate advertising goals but also strengthens the long-term relationship between your nonprofit and its corporate sponsors.

Type 4: Community Radio

Create radio ads for your nonprofit.

Community radio can be ideal for advertising your mission to a local audience. Radio ads can be tailored to specific demographics and areas. Plus, you can physically speak to your audience, showing passion for your cause.

Some nonprofits qualify for free public service announcements on community radio stations. Thanks to the Federal Communications Commission, radio stations must allot some radio time to charitable organizations.

If you’re filling free nonprofit advertising space, there’s one caveat: you’ll need to format your messages as announcements rather than ads.

In other words, you can’t explicitly request donations. However, you can use radio ads to drive website traffic and generate buzz. Then, if your social media posts or website are optimized, visitors may wind up clicking the ‘Donate’ or ‘Volunteer’ button.

Type 5: Print Advertising for Nonprofits

Post nonprofit ads in newspapers and other publications.

If you want to go a more traditional route with your nonprofit ads, try print advertising. Print ads, such as newspaper and magazine placements, target specific geographic areas, allowing nonprofits to reach their desired audience effectively.

Relatively inexpensive and adaptable, print ads can be placed in various publications, from local newspapers to national magazines. You can even create banners and flyers to promote your cause at local events.

This method works for a few reasons. For instance, print ads tend to be:

  • Memorable. You can provide readers with a tangible message to reference later, making it easy to save and circle back.
  • Tailored to the cause. Print ads can be designed to match a specific aesthetic. By incorporating your organization’s branding, these types of nonprofit ads can convey your message in a visually appealing, unique way.
  • Great for establishing credibility. Print ads can be placed in specific publications or at events your target audience will likely attend. By appearing in a respected publication or at a reputable event, your nonprofit can establish its legitimacy.

In your nonprofit advertising strategy, consider the role of print ads for reaching specific audiences. For example, nature organizations might use publications like National Geographic to connect their cause with respected, influential scientific content.

Type 6: Influencer Advertising

Strengthen your charity's advertising with help from influencers.

Influencers have an established web presence, usually due to social media or a blog. They’ve created a trustworthy brand and amassed a highly engaged audience.

Companies work with social media influencers to promote their products every day. Have you thought about how working with an influencer can amplify your nonprofit’s brand?

Influencers have a large, engaged audience that trusts their opinion and is likelier to engage with their content. Like you do when choosing corporate partners, choose someone who aligns with your brand.

For example, let’s say you work for a food security organization. You might partner with a food blogger or an influencer who publishes recipes. This will help:

  • Convert and activate new supporters. By asking their followers to donate, follow, or show support in some other way, influencers can drive like-minded people to support your cause.
  • Draw attention to your work. Influencers can promote engaging content that can spark conversations and encourage people to look into your work.

When leveraging these ads, develop materials for influencers to work with. Then, they can make it their own to give it a more authentic feel that aligns with their brand.

Type 7: Retargeted Advertising

Retargeted nonprofit ads are great for driving users to revisit your website.

We’ve all experienced this at some point. While online shopping, we add something to our cart like a comfy new shirt. We get distracted and leave the site, only to be met with ads on other websites for that same exact shirt. This is what we refer to as a “retargeted ad.”

While primarily used to promote products, retargeted ads allow nonprofits to engage people who have already shown interest in the mission.

Retargeted advertising places a cookie on a user’s device and then displays relevant ads based on their prior online activity. These ads can effectively reach people who have already visited your nonprofit’s website or interacted with you on social media. They’re tailored to the individual user, making them an effective way to drive conversions.

How to Use Retargeted Ads

If you’re unsure how retargeting ads fit into your nonprofit advertising strategy, let’s review a few examples.

Retargeted ads can remind people of a nonprofit’s mission, encourage donations, and promote events or services. Here are a few use cases for this strategy:

  • Abandoned donations: Retarget someone who left your donation page before submitting their donation. They were already considering donating, and it’s up to you to determine why they didn’t follow through. Think through common reasons why someone might abandon a gift. For example, maybe they wanted to research your services more before submitting a donation. If that seems like a viable reason someone would’ve walked away, create retargeted ads that explain your work.
  • Event reminders: Create a retargeting ad campaign to re-engage anyone who didn’t complete their event registration. Let’s say someone left to check their calendar but then forgot to return and finish registering. This type of ad can be a great reminder to revisit your event registration page!

This type of nonprofit ad is a fantastic way to engage users, even if they’ve never actually donated or taken any other action. At some point, users who receive these ads showed interest in your cause online, and a little reminder might be just what they need.

Steps to Creating Your Nonprofit Advertising Strategy

So you’ve decided nonprofit advertising is a smart move. Great! Now, let’s walk through easy steps to create an effective nonprofit advertising plan:

  1. Define your campaign objectives. What are you hoping to achieve by purchasing ad space? Do you want to boost volunteer numbers, secure more volunteer grants, increase digital donations, or educate the public about your cause? Knowing this will help you pick which content to promote to drive users to take the most meaningful actions.
  2. Set a budget. If you’re not careful, nonprofit advertising can quickly add up. Determine how much money you’ll budget for ads. Think back to the industry-standard distributions we discussed earlier when dividing your budget across different charity advertising platforms.
  3. Identify your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your charity’s ads? Are you attempting to re-engage lapsed donors, connect with first-time volunteers, or get in front of a different group? Get specific here, and consider the demographics of who you’re attempting to reach.
  4. Choose platforms for ad distribution. What platforms will put your nonprofit’s ads in front of the appropriate audiences? For example, maybe you’ll use social media ads to connect with Millennial or Gen Z donors across the country while using radio and print ads to reach a local audience.
  5. Create ad content. Now comes the fun part! Create ads that communicate your cause and persuade people to take a specific action to support your work. When possible, add compelling visuals like images and videos to spark an emotional response. Advertising platforms often limit the length of ads, so make the most of the characters you’re allotted. We’ll explore nonprofit advertising examples in the next section to spark inspiration.

Following these steps will help generate some influential ads for your cause. The work’s not over yet, though!

Assessing Your Nonprofit Advertising Strategy

For effective nonprofit advertising, actively monitor your campaigns using tracking systems, rather than just setting them and forgetting them.

To gauge ad performance, focus on metrics like clicks and reach. Most advertising platforms, including Google Ads, have built-in tools for tracking these key performance indicators (KPIs):

Use these key performance indicators to monitor your nonprofit ads' performance.

  • Impressions refer to how many times your ad was shown to users. It can help you gauge how large your reach is.
  • Click-through-rate (CTR) measures how many clicks your charity’s ad received divided by how many impressions it received. This metric indicates how relevant your ad is to users. For reference, if your Google Ad had 5 clicks and 100 impressions, your CTR would be 5%.
  • Conversion rate refers to the number of visitors who complete a desired goal, like registering for an event or donating. The higher your conversion rate, the better. Just ensure the action is meaningful to your work.
  • Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who click through to your site and leave before viewing any other pages. This can indicate page quality. A low bounce rate is always best!

Using these KPIs, you can proactively gauge your nonprofit ad performance at any point. Throughout your campaign, make adjustments based on results.

3 Nonprofit Advertising Examples

You can research charity ad ideas all you want, but nothing measures up to seeing examples from real organizations. Let’s walk through some nonprofit ad examples to see paid marketing in action.

American Heart Association

Type of Nonprofit Ad: Google Ad

This nonprofit advertising examples shows how the American Heart Association uses Google Ads.

Google Ad Grants have the power to transform any nonprofit’s marketing. Available to verified 501(c)(3) organizations, it can help amplify the most important pages on your website on Google Search.

For this nonprofit advertising example, the American Heart Association targeted terms like “donate to fight heart disease.” Their ad works for a few reasons:

  • Users searching donation-related terms are likely to convert.
  • The pages the American Heart Association featured correlate with this search intent.

Notice how they offered a few ways for users to engage. Since they’re clearly prospective donors at this stage, users can visit different giving-focused pages, such as the organization’s “ways to give” page, a page showcasing donations in action, or pages about monthly giving. If you’re feeling creative, take a similar approach and promote matching gifts by featuring your ‘ways to give’ page or including matching gifts on your donation form.

To take this ad one step further, the American Heart Association could use extensions to append their phone number, giving users another way to engage. This strategy is more technical, and working with a Google Grants agency can help you take full advantage of this nonprofit advertising opportunity.

Read this guide to working with a Google Grants agency to learn how an expert can help your nonprofit advertising.

Doctors Without Borders

Type of Nonprofit Ad: Facebook Ad

This nonprofit advertising example shows how Doctors Without Borders used Facebook Ads.

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization delivering emergency aid and healthcare to in-need populations. Seeking the most effective way to amplify their Giving Tuesday efforts, they turned to Facebook Ads and created a Facebook Fundraiser. The combination yielded twice as much revenue as its Giving Tuesday campaign the previous year.

The organization ran its ads for less than 2 weeks and generated impressive metrics:

  • Ad spend for Giving Tuesday ads: $26,000
  • Donation value from ads: $72,000
  • Return on ad spend: 2.8x
  • Donors: 60% new, 40% recurring

This campaign exemplifies the power of social sharing and timely nonprofit ads. It also boosted our all-time favorite fundraising strategy: matching gifts.

While this is a great example of nonprofit advertising for a large organization, smaller nonprofits can also tap into this strategy at lower rates. Even when spending a lot less, you can achieve impressive results. You just have to leverage targeting features and create persuasive messages.

Girls Inc.

Type of Nonprofit Ad: Influencer Ad

For this nonprofit advertising example, Girls Inc. partnered with Saks OFF 5th and an influencer.

For this nonprofit advertising example, Girls Inc. partnered with popular lifestyle blogger Vanessa Scott and Saks OFF 5th to create and market an exclusive t-shirt.

Capitalizing on National Women’s Day, the charity created a shirt with its brand colors. Reading “Every Day is Women’s Day,” the shirt’s core message aligns with its mission to empower girls to overcome environmental challenges.

To support the campaign, Vanessa shared an Instagram post sporting the t-shirt. She explained what the awareness day meant to her, why Girls Inc. is important, and how 100% of the shirt’s proceeds would support the cause.

Not only does this example show the power of influencer ads, but it also demonstrates how nonprofits can partner with socially responsible corporations to amplify their causes.

Wrapping Up

When you create genuine ads, you can inspire more people than ever to support your cause.

There are a lot of nonprofit advertising platforms out there, though. Carefully think through which platforms will connect you with the right audiences before purchasing ad space. Whether you leverage Google Ads or partner with influencers, you’ll surely gain traction for your cause.

As you get started, stay updated with marketing trends and best practices to craft the best ads possible. Here are some helpful resources to get started:

Work with our recommended Google Ads agency to improve your charity advertising.

Learn how a Google Grants agency can transform your digital marketing.

Hiring a Google Grants Agency in 2024: A Guide & 5 Agencies

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Through the Google Ad Grants program, nonprofits have the potential to amplify their marketing and connect with prospects searching for causes like theirs. The program empowers nonprofits to share their missions with people around the globe, but only if they’re strategic about how they allocate their funds.

Google Ad Grant agencies dedicate their time to helping nonprofits make the most of the opportunity. From applying for the program to pinpointing the right keywords, they cover every aspect of the process and eliminate the learning curve that comes with this opportunity. That way, you can focus on pursuing your mission and engaging the new constituents you connect with through your ad campaigns.

Whether you’re just now learning about Google Ad Grants or you’re looking to refresh your account management strategies, a Google Grants agency knows what it takes to keep your account compliant and make your ad campaigns excel. To help you effectively leverage your grant money, we’ll cover everything you need to know, from the basics of the program to our recommended Google Grants agencies that will help you make the most of your $10,000 every month. Here’s what we’ll cover:

Here at Double the Donation, we spend plenty of time working with nonprofits to maximize their fundraising revenue and make a greater impact on their causes. We’ve seen organizations do some pretty incredible things for their missions when they put thought behind their fundraising strategies and leverage corporate giving programs like Google’s. While we work exclusively with matching gifts, other powerful funding opportunities like Google Ad Grants impact the difference an organization can make, so let’s explore how specialized agencies can streamline that.

To improve your Google Ad Grants management, get started with our recommended Google Grants agency: Getting Attention.

An Overview of Google Ad Grants Management

Before researching specific Google Grants agencies, make sure you know what Google is offering eligible nonprofits through the program. This will help you understand whether outsourcing the work to a professional is the right move. If you’re already well-versed in Google Ad Grants, feel free to jump ahead to learn how an agency fits into your strategies.

What is the Google Ad Grant?

The Google Ad Grants program is a corporate giving initiative that gives 501(c)(3) organizations $10,000 every month to spend on amplifying their pages in Google search results. That adds up to $120,000 every year that qualifying nonprofits can invest directly into marketing their missions.

Nonprofits pick the landing pages they’d like to amplify, then build ad campaigns that target different keywords related to their mission. The goal of the program is to help nonprofits scale their impact by getting in touch with more donors, volunteers, and advocates online.

So long as your nonprofit complies with the program’s guidelines, the grant will automatically renew each month. The program has pretty strict guidelines for eligibility and ongoing compliance. That’s why organizations typically outsource account management to Google Ad Grant agencies who will oversee their campaigns and ensure their accounts remain compliant.

Are Google Ad Grants worth it?

While it can be challenging to create winning ad campaigns, any organization can (and should) apply for the program. It’s $10,000 of free funding every month that can really amplify your cause if you allocate it strategically. With proper Google Ad Grants management, the program empowers all sorts of nonprofits to:

  • Increase online conversions such as event signups, donations, and volunteer registrations
  • Connect with lifelong supporters who are motivated by their cause
  • Bid on competitor’s keywords so their ads can show up alongside their listings
  • Build brand awareness and spread awareness for worthwhile causes

Effective account management from a Google Grants agency offers these competitive advantages.

To really make the most of the program, the best approach you can take is to have someone at your organization spend at least a few hours each week learning about Google Ad Grants management once you receive your funding. If you face limited staff bandwidth and can’t invest the time you want into creating your campaigns, you might want to outsource the work to a dedicated Google Ad Grant management agency.

Either way, $10,000 a month is a good chunk of change that will pale in comparison to the amount of staff time you spend or the money you pay an expert to manage your campaigns actively.

Why should I invest in Google Ad Grants management?

This Google Ad Grants impact report explains that the return nonprofits see can be incredible with proper Google Ad Grants management. In fact, search ads have the highest ROI for nonprofits using paid advertising among any other paid advertising platform.

With billions of search queries processed per day, Google is the world’s most popular search engine. Advertising your cause on Google can put you in touch with a world of prospects, and properly managing the grant means you can deliver the right content to these individuals.

When you first get started, there’s a huge learning curve you’ll have to overcome. Between conducting keyword research and keeping up with Google’s compliance standards, newcomers have a lot to learn! And with an already-busy schedule, your team might not have enough time to devote to managing your Google Ad Grant.

Investing in professional Google Ad Grants management can help you overcome the learning curve, so you can make the most of your grant money from the start. Especially when you work with a Google-certified agency, you’ll have access to the best advice possible and have a direct line line to Google in case something goes wrong with your account.

Bonus! If you want to learn more about the basics of the program, explore our beginner’s guide to Google Ad Grants. It breaks down the essentials of the program, so you can determine if it’s a smart move for your nonprofit.

How A Google Grants Agency Can Help

From determining your eligibility to finding the right keywords, there’s a lot that goes into effective Google Ad Grants management. That’s where a dedicated Google Grants agency comes into play.

Agencies will take the guesswork out of account management and help you develop winning campaigns that supercharge your marketing efforts. They spend all of their time understanding the program’s requirements and learning how to leverage relevant tools that will maximize their clients’ results. Specifically, they help nonprofits with the following:

  • Google Grant application. If you’ve yet to apply for the program, a dedicated agency will help you do so by creating your Google For Nonprofits account, getting verified by Percent, ensuring your website has promotable content, and submitting your application for review.
  • Keyword research. A Google Grants agency will help you develop ad campaigns that target the right keywords. They’ll spend plenty of time researching the keywords associated with your cause and pinpointing the ones that qualified prospects are searching online.
  • Campaign management. A healthy account will have anywhere from 3-5 campaigns going at once to drive results. An agency will actively track these campaigns, report on performance, and make adjustments to your online content to maximize results. Through Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, they can create live dashboards and reports that keep you looped into your campaigns’ performance whenever you want.
  • Monthly compliance. The program’s guidelines are pretty extensive, and by not complying, your account will potentially be deactivated. One of the main priorities of your Google Ad Grants agency is to make sure you’re complying with the program’s guidelines at any given point. Some of these include maintaining a 5% clickthrough rate, avoiding single-word or generic keywords, and responding to the annual program survey. When you use a Google-certified agency, you’ll have access to the program’s latest guidelines, even if they haven’t been formally announced.
  • Landing page optimization. Your grant money will go to waste if the pages you’re promoting don’t inspire users to convert. Some agencies provide tips for improving your landing pages for campaigns to help boost traffic and conversions.
  • Reactivation if needed. Ideally, your Google Grants agency will help keep your account in good standing. However, things happen, especially considering the program has pretty strict guidelines. If your account ever lapses or gets suspended, your agency will help reactivate it. Better yet, an agency certified by Google will give you direct access to the Google Grants team, making it easier to resolve any issues.

These are some of the most common services you'll need from a Google Grants agency.

If you’re curious about any of these common services, Getting Attention’s Google Grant agency guide explores how agencies help nonprofits in-depth. That way, you can understand if investing in an agency is the right move for you.

It’s best not to leave it up to chance. A Google Grants agency knows what it takes to create winning campaigns that inspire users to click through to your website. And like we mentioned, the money you spend on hiring a professional will be well worth it compared to the $10,000 in marketing money you’ll receive every month.

Getting Started With A Google Ad Grant Agency

At this point, you’re almost ready to kickstart your buying journey and explore different agencies. As you explore your options, bear in mind that you should walk through a few steps to make sure you find a Google Grants agency that you can fully depend on to make the most of this CSR opportunity.

For instance, you’ll want to:

  1. Find Google Ad Grants agencies that meet your criteria. For one, many nonprofits look specifically for partners who are certified by Google. That’s because these professional Google Grants agencies have been vetted by the Google Grants team. When exploring these agencies, look for partners that offer services for the specific areas you need help with. For instance, if you want full transparency into your campaigns’ performance, double-check that your Google Ad Grant agency will provide comprehensive reports to your team. If you’re seeking help because your account’s been deactivated, make sure you find agencies that offer account reactivation services.
  2. Explore their website and offerings. An agency’s website is the first resource you can leverage to understand their approach and specializations. Read through their offerings thoroughly to make sure you agree with their approach. Oftentimes, an established agency might also include testimonials or case studies that display the work they’ve completed for their clients.
  3. Reach out to learn more about their approach to Google Ad Grant management. Before you decide to work with an agency, reach out to them to make sure they’re a good fit. This gives you the opportunity to ask any lingering questions and see if their team will mesh well with yours. Many agencies start with a complimentary audit of your account, so you can get a feel for what working with them will look like.

Finding the right Google Grants agency starts with these three steps.

By walking through these steps, you’ll be able to narrow down your options in no time. Remember, the right Google Ad Grants agency will act as an extension of your team and do everything it can to champion your cause. We recommend going with a Google-certified agency since these agencies demonstrate a clear understanding of the program. For reference, becoming a Google Partner involves requirements such as meeting a minimum optimization score of 70%, maintaining a 90-day ad spend of $10,000 USD across managed accounts, and being certified in Google Ads.

Whoever you choose, spending time to find a good fit up front will pay off in the long run as you’ll be able to fully rely on them to make the most of your grant money.

5 Recommended Google Ad Grants Agencies

To help simplify the extensive vetting process, we’ve put together a list of recommendations, so you can get an idea of which ones might be a good fit for your team. Each of these partners works with nonprofits to enhance their Google Ad Grants management and displays in-depth knowledge of the program’s requirements and opportunities. Use this list to narrow down your options and request their support as soon as you’re ready.

Getting Attention is our top recommended Google Ad Grant agency.

Getting Attention

Getting Attention specializes solely in Google Ad Grants management. They’re committed to maximizing your grant money, keeping your account compliant, and connecting you with lifelong prospects through powerful marketing campaigns. Backed by a team of seasoned professionals, they’ll act as an extension of your team and work with you to make sure you’re experiencing the results you expect. By managing every aspect of your Google Ad campaigns, they’ll help get your cause in front of qualified prospects who want to make an impact on your cause.

This agency is also a certified Google Partner, meaning the Google Ads team has personally reviewed their team’s abilities to manage Google Ad accounts properly. Their core services include:

  • Google Ad Grant Application. If you haven’t already applied for the program, let Getting Attention’s experts handle your application. They’ll check your eligibility for the program and walk you through every step necessary to get your account reviewed and accepted.
  • Campaign Management. They’ll maintain up to 5 active ad campaigns per month, do ample keyword research, consistently monitor ad performance, and make adjustments as needed. Not to mention, they’ll stay on top of reporting and pinpoint the most useful opportunities and goals for your team.
  • Ongoing Compliance. Proper Google Ad Grants management means staying on top of the latest rules. As Google Partners, Getting Attention is one of the first ones to hear about compliance rule updates, so you can keep your account in good standing.
  • Account Reactivation. Their team has extensive knowledge of the program’s compliance requirements. Plus, they have a direct line to the Google Grants team thanks to their certification. If your account is currently lapsed or ever gets suspended, they’ll get everything up to code, so you can continue amplifying your mission.

Getting Attention is the best Google Grants agency for all your Google Ad Grants management needs.

Getting Started With This Google Grants Agency

Getting Attention strives to be fully transparent with its clients, which is why they don’t charge any upfront fees and instead only charge a monthly fee of $500. Compared to the $10,000 in grant money they’ll secure for you, that’s a small price to pay for expert Google Ad Grants management, especially from a certified agency!

If you require additional services beyond what’s included in their pricing package, they’re open to discussing their experience with you to find a plan that will work. Reach out to discuss your needs with their team today.

Get a free consultation with Getting Attention!

DNL OmniMedia is a Google Grants agency that specializes in nonprofit technology.

2. DNL OmniMedia

DNL OmniMedia is a nonprofit technology consultant. Their mission is to help your nonprofit leverage technology in ways that amplify your cause and focus on goals rather than getting bogged down with code and data. While they don’t specialize solely in Google Grants, they do offer services that will help enhance your Google Ad Grants management.

Their Google Ad Grants services include:

  • Google Grant strategy. DNL OmniMedia can make sure that your Google Ad Grant strategy aligns with other aspects of your nonprofit’s strategy. They’ll help you create a keyword strategy that makes sense for your cause and connects you with the right prospects.
  • Ad copy development. Their digital marketing experts will write and test ads that are designed for optimum impressions and clicks. That way, you can inspire readers to click through to your site.
  • Website development. Backed by a team of skilled developers, DNL OmniMedia will help you create your website and amplify your online presence. That way, you can create valuable landing pages for your Google Ad Grant campaigns that drive users to get involved.
  • Reporting. With Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, DNL OmniMedia will report back to your team on campaign performance and interpret the data for your team. That way, you can improve your site and campaign’s content.

DNL OmniMedia is another great Google Grants agency that will manage your account and set your Google Ad Grants management strategy.

Getting Started With This Google Grants Agency

DNL OmniMedia makes it easy to learn about their services and contact their team. Whether you’re looking to improve your Google Ad landing pages or better understand campaign data, this Google Grants agency is a reliable choice!

Learn more about DNL OmniMedia!

Allegiance Group is a professional Google Ad Grant agency that helps nonprofits leverage technology.

3. Allegiance Group

Formerly known as Beaconfire RED, Allegiance Group works with nonprofits and associations to transform their digital strategies and grow their impact. Whether you’re focused on fundraising, advocacy, stewardship, or content marketing, they’ll tailor your digital marketing plan to do more good for your cause. One of their primary digital marketing offerings is Google Ad Grants management.

Their core Google Ad services include:

  • Website content optimization. They’ll leverage data to evaluate your website’s existing content and teach you how to create valuable content that you can then amplify through your ad campaigns. The Allegiance team has plenty of experience with A/B testing, too, so they can pinpoint what elements drive users to complete your online forms that you want to promote as well.
  • Keyword research. This Google Grants agency will help you find the keywords that your supporters are searching online and develop campaigns that target those terms. Aside from your Google Ad campaigns, they’ll also monitor your organic traffic and rankings to help create a more holistic SEM strategy.
  • Reporting. Allegiance Group takes data seriously. With custom implementations of Google Analytics using Google Tag Manager, they deliver reports and real-time dashboards that display your marketing performance, like page views, entrances, and goal assists. That way, you can continuously refine your campaigns.

Allegiance Group is a trusted Google Grants agency for nonprofits.

Getting Started With This Google Grants Agency

Allegiance Group empowers you to create a more holistic approach to your nonprofit’s digital marketing. Explore their site to get a sense of whether their offerings align with your Google Ad Grant needs.

Learn more about Allegiance Group!

RKD Digital is a Google Grants agency that helps nonprofits enhance their digital marketing strategies.

4. RKD Digital

RKD Digital is a certified Google Grants agency that empowers nonprofits to get the most out of their grant money. They understand that nonprofits often have trouble making the most of their free advertising money without professional help and aim to eliminate those obstacles for them. They were the first full-service direct-response company to be added to the Ad Grants Certified Professional Community, so you know you’re in good hands if you choose them to handle your Ad Grant needs.

Their team of experts will work closely to manage all aspects of your account through services such as:

  • Account Activation. Between filling out applications and securing validation tokens, RKD Digital will help you get your account up and running, so you can secure your free grant money.
  • Ad Creation. Their professional Google Ad Grants team will build high-level campaigns with ad groups and keywords. They’ll even write the ad copy for you.
  • Campaign Optimization. Once your campaigns go live, the work doesn’t stop there! Their Google Ad Grant agency will monitor your campaigns’ performance and make adjustments to boost conversions.

RKD Digital is a Google Grants agency that offers other digital marketing services, too.

Getting Started With This Google Grants Agency

RKD Digital makes it easy to amplify your work and take advantage of the opportunities available to your nonprofit. Before lining up a consultation with their team, check out their services to make sure they offer what you need.

Learn more about RKD Digital!

TrueSense Marketing is a Google Grants agency that helps nonprofits grow supporter relationships.

5. TrueSense Marketing

As a certified professional Google Ad Grant agency, TrueSense Marketing is a smart addition to your marketing efforts. They’re made up of a team of more than 200 professionals who have extensive search engine marketing (SEM) experience that can take your Google Ad Grants management to the next level. They’ll handle everything from application to ongoing maintenance, so you can focus on other aspects of your mission.

Their core services include:

  • Google Analytics. Their team will implement tracking to view how users interact with your site, so you can pinpoint and optimize your most important content.
  • Hands-On Management. TrueSense Marketing will actively manage your account to ensure it stays compliant, edit your campaigns to maximize ad performance, and collaborate closely with your team to highlight the most valuable opportunities for your nonprofit.
  • Comprehensive Campaigns. With help from this Google Grants agency, you won’t be confined to only donor-based ad campaigns. They’ll help you leverage your grant money to reach an entire community of prospective clients, volunteers, advocates, and other supporters.

TrueSense Marketing is a Google Grants agency with Google Ad Grants management and search engine marketing experience.

Getting Started With This Google Grants Agency

TrueSense Marketing is devoted to helping you make the most of your $10,000 each month. You can explore their full list of services on their website and determine if they’d be a good fit for your nonprofit.

Learn more about TrueSense Marketing!

Additional Google Ad Grant Resources

The Google Ad Grant program offers an immensely valuable marketing opportunity for your team. You can amplify your work and expedite your mission, but only if you choose the right keywords and deliver optimized landing pages to prospects.

A professional Google Grants agency eliminates the guesswork and makes it incredibly easy to get your content in front of the right audiences.

Plus, agencies that are fully devoted to Google Ad Grants management spend their time learning the ins and outs of the program. They fully understand everything from compliance requirements to keyword research best practices. That way, you can rest assured that you’re creating winning campaigns and that your account will stay compliant. In turn, you can keep receiving your free $10,000 grant every month.

As the only agency fully dedicated to Google Ad Grants on our list, we highly recommend you check out Getting Attention. They offer everything you need to get your account activated and create optimized campaigns. Plus, they’re a certified Google Partner, so you know you’re receiving professional guidance.

Looking to learn more about the program? As you start researching different agencies, check out these educational resources:

 

Get a free consultation with Getting Attention, the best Google Grants agency for nonprofits.

Cause Marketing Examples Most Effective Campaigns

Cause Marketing Examples | 14+ Effective Campaigns

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Cause marketing is a great way for nonprofits and corporations to join together for a similar mission. As a result, it’s becoming a key way for corporations to express their philanthropic side while also benefiting their own bottom line.

And if you’re a business or fundraising organization looking for some of the best cause marketing examples to get inspired by, you’ve come to the right place!

In this guide, we’ll walk through several standout campaigns and the ideas that brought each one success. But first, we have to cover the basics.



What is cause marketing?


Falling under the umbrella of corporate philanthropy, cause marketing (or cause-related marketing) looks something like this:

Corporations partner with nonprofit organizations to help them raise money and awareness. In return, this publicly philanthropic action generates more business for the company.

In other words, it’s a win-win situation!



What is corporate philanthropy?


Corporate philanthropy encompasses any actions a business takes to benefit the world around them. Along with (and sometimes in tandem with) cause marketing, corporate donations through matching gift programs are another popular arm of this generosity.

When a company offers a matching gift program, it essentially pledges to match the donations their employees contribute to qualifying nonprofit organizations. Effectively functioning as a “buy one, get one free” sale on nonprofit fundraising, matching gifts allow organizations and their donors to double (and sometimes even triple!) the impact of the original donation.



How to implement smart corporate giving strategies


For nonprofits

The easiest way for nonprofits to capitalize on corporate giving programs is by investing in workplace giving automation. When you leverage an automation platform like Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro, you can scale up your revenue while minimizing the operational lift required of your team.

This allows you to screen your supporter information to uncover available opportunities, trigger personalized outreach that drives participation in such programs, and track and report on corporate giving impact from start to finish.

Plus, you can even use the data collected through matching gift efforts to inform your broader corporate partnerships, such as identifying ideal prospects for which to pitch cause marketing initiatives and more.

For companies

There is also a range of corporate giving management software designed to aid companies in organizing and facilitating their end of a philanthropic partnership. These tools, also known as CSR or social impact platforms, can streamline management of initiatives like matching gifts, corporate volunteerism, annual giving campaigns, nonprofit sponsorships, cause marketing campaigns, and more.

Plus, it’s important to seek the right mission-driven partners and build strong relationships with the organizations a business chooses to support. While Double the Donation is not a corporate-facing vendor, feel free to contact us and we’d love to get you in touch with one of our CSR partners!

With that, let’s dive into some of the most inspirational examples cause marketing that we’ve seen in recent years. Take notes from these successful partnerships, and see which strategies might benefit your team.



CampaignCampaign Type
Light the NightCustom Matching Gifts
Red Kettle CampaignPoint of Sale
Red Nose DayPortion of Purchase
100% for the Planet100% of Sales
Promotions That Give BackSponsorships
Buy a Pair, Give a PairBuy One Give One
PurposeFULLPoint of Sale
Soar With ReadingProud Supporter
Arctic HomeMatching Gifts
Vodka for Dog PeoplePortion of Purchase
Miracle BalloonPoint of Sale
Dawn Saves WildlifeIn-Kind Giving
Empower MintPortion of Purchase
Create-A-PepperInteractive Giving




Cause marketing example - Light the Night


1. Light the Night


Who are the partners?

Light the Night is an annual fundraising campaign hosted by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and sponsored by Danaher Corporation.

Campaign Overview

Danaher Corporation hosted a custom matching gift program in partnership with LLS as a way to give back to its community while engaging with its employees. As a part of the company’s Giving Tuesday Now campaign, the company encouraged team members to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night fundraising walk. And in return, Danaher matched employees’ contributions dollar-for-dollar to double team members’ giving impact and grow support for the organization.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Danaher’s support of LLS started out as a custom matching gift partnership. But since the success of their original initiative, the company decided to establish a standard matching gift program that’s open to nearly all nonprofit causes!

This inspiring cause marketing example illustrates the way that a one-off campaign can develop into a long-term, widely impactful opportunity for both the company and the organizations it supports.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society also boasts a complete matching gift strategy in partnership with Double the Donation’s automation platform. This empowers the team to raise even more for their cause through all sorts of corporate giving opportunities available to them.

Interested in learning more? Check out our LLS case study to see how matching gift automation brought the organization’s corporate fundraising strategy to new heights.


Cause Marketing Example - Light the Night and Danaher Corporation

Cause marketing example - Red Kettle Campaign

2. Red Kettle Campaign


Who are the partners?

The Salvation Army Southern Territory partnered with DipJar and local retailers to improve the traditional Red Kettle cause marketing campaign.

Campaign Overview

You’re probably familiar with The Salvation Army’s Red Kettle campaign, which usually takes place during the holidays. Typically, these red kettles or buckets are placed outside department stores and other shops to receive donations.

While this tried-and-true cause marketing strategy has been successful for many years, The Salvation Army realized they were missing out on a large pool of potential donors that don’t carry cash.

To improve their Red Kettle campaign, they partnered with the giving kiosk company DipJar so that they could start accepting donations via credit cards. 

The branded DipJars were placed beside registers at local coffee shops and other retail partners. With these, The Salvation Army was able to gather donations from all interested donors, cash-carrying or not.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

This campaign makes our top spot because The Salvation Army saw a gap in their fundraising potential amidst a significant digital shift, and effectively provided donors with a quick and easy solution. And the companies that partnered with The Salvation Army were happy to implement the new and forward-thinking ideas!

Not to mention, online donations pair well with corporate matching gifts, and The Salvation Army Southern Territory employs 360MatchPro to effectively pursue donation-match opportunities without lifting a finger!


Cause marketing example - Red Nose Day


3. Red Nose Day


Who are the partners?

This campaign was a collaboration between Red Nose Day and Walgreens.

Campaign Overview

This iconic cause marketing campaign originated in the United Kingdom and is now taking the United States by storm.

Last year, the campaign raised a record-breaking $49 million through the sale of over 12 million “red noses” at 9,000+ Walgreens stores nationwide. 

The six-week campaign starts with Walgreens customers purchasing red noses and wearing them to pose for and share pictures as well as to other Red Nose Day fundraising events to spread awareness.

The proceeds from the red nose sales, and additional fundraising events orchestrated by companies and individuals during the campaign, go toward helping lift children out of poverty in the United States.

The campaign is held yearly and experiences great success.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Red Nose Day cause marketing campaign stands out because of its fun and playful nature. Plus, it’s so shareable. Donors want to buy a red nose (and many look forward to the campaign each year!) so that they can take pictures and share them with the hashtag #rednoseday.


Cause marketing example - Fundraiser for the Planet


4. 100% for the Planet


Who are the partners?

Patagonia organized this cause marketing campaign with various grassroots environmental organizations.

Campaign Overview

For Black Friday, Patagonia announced that they would give 100% of the day’s sales to support grassroots organizations working to protect our air, water, and soil.

To help support the planet, customers just needed to make a purchase at one of Patagonia’s many stores on Black Friday.  With the help of many loyal customers as well as first-time shoppers, the company was able to raise more than $10 million in sales.

The funds were then contributed to numerous underfunded and off-the-radar nonprofits, ultimately going a long way to make a positive difference for our planet.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Donating to the cause took no additional effort—donors just had to shop at Patagonia on Black Friday to show their support. Since all the money spent was going toward a good cause, it’s likely that many people purchased more than normal just to support the environmental organizations.

Not to mention, Patagonia demonstrates its devotion to social and environmental good all year round, too. Although the 100% For The Planet campaign was a single-day event, the company commits to contributing 1% of all sales to environmental causes. Plus, Patagonia offers up to $10,000 in matching gifts for all current employees year-round, empowering their own workforce to give back in impactful ways!


Cause Marketing Example - Patagonia's 100% For The Planet

Cause marketing example - Promotions That Give Back


5. Promotions That Give Back


Who are the partners?

Promotions That Give Back is an ongoing partnership between the American Diabetes Association and a number of corporations that support their efforts. Contributors include WeightWatchers, Healthyr, Hilton HHonors, and Survey Monkey!

Campaign Overview

As a multi-faceted campaign, the ADA’s Promotions That Give Back involves several key partnerships with companies’ whose mission statements align with the organizations’ own values. Each partnership is structured in a slightly different way, though they generally all follow a ‘portion of sales’ model of cause marketing.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

This campaign stood out because of the successful collaboration between the American Diabetes Association and their range of corporate partners. Because their missions and visions align so well, each team is able to benefit greatly from the overlapping audiences reached through their ongoing cause marketing efforts.

Plus, the ADA takes a proactive approach to employee matching gift opportunities, too, using Double the Donation’s automation system to identify, tailor outreach for, follow up with, and track available corporate gifts.


Cause Marketing Example - ADA's Promotions That Give Back partnerships

ADA Matching Gifts Page - sample cause marketing campaign

Cause marketing example - Buy Pair, Give Pair


6. Buy a Pair, Give a Pair


Who are the parnters?

Warby Parker partners with various healthcare and medical-related organizations, including VisionSpring.

Campaign Overview

Warby Parker uses the buy-one-give-one model to promote the company’s philanthropic side and give back to communities in need. 

The premise is very simple: for every pair of glasses that Warby Parker sells, the company donates to cover the cost associated with sourcing a pair for someone who would otherwise be unable to obtain them. 

In addition to the donation, their nonprofit partners train individuals in developing countries on how to give basic eye exams and sell glasses at affordable prices, thus making vision care more readily available in the long run.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Buy a Pair, Give a Pair campaign is so successful because of its marketing strategy and the ability to capture donors’ attention and raise awareness. And Warby Parker has pulled off one of the most well-known instances of this particular cause marketing strategy!

To market the effort, the company shares information about the program, along with beneficiary stories, on its website and other promotional materials.


Cause marketing example - PurposeFULL


7. PurposeFULL


Who are the partners?

The PurposeFULL cause marketing campaign is a collaboration between Arby’s and Share Our Strength.

Campaign Overview

Since the establishment of the program, Arby’s restaurants across the nation have raised more than $27 million for the organization Share Our Strength. Centered around four key pillars of corporate giving, the PurposeFULL program is designed to support YouthFULL, SkillFULL, ResourceFULL, and FlavorFULL efforts for social and environmental good.

PurposeFULL is a point of sale campaign, meaning that Arby’s asks for donations during the sale of an item usually through a screen prompt, sign, or a direct ask from the cashier. 

The money raised through its PurposeFULL campaign each year goes to provide meals to youth in need throughout America. And it has an overall vision of eradicating childhood hunger and food insecurity!

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Because the PurposeFULL campaign lets donors know how much just $1 can contribute (up to 10 meals!), supporters are able to visualize and understand the tangible impact of their monetary donations.

Plus, Arby’s⁠—under the Inspire Brands umbrella⁠—gives back all year long with its generous matching gift program⁠.


Cause Marketing Example - Arby's PurposeFULL

Cause marketing example - Soar With Reading


8. Soar With Reading


Who are the partners?

The Soar With Reading campaign is a partnership between JetBlue and the nonprofit organization FirstBook.

Campaign Overview

The Soar With Reading program was designed to inspire and encourage children’s imaginations.

JetBlue donates money to FirstBook to help provide books to children in low-income neighborhoods, including through free book vending machines.

Additionally, the Soar With Reading program helps provide schools and educators with diverse reading materials to promote and encourage learning among students.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Soar With Reading campaign is successful because the whole company is involved in supporting JetBlue’s partner organization. JetBlue employees are encouraged to volunteer with the Soar With Reading program and make a difference in children’s lives, or even donate toward the cause themselves.

And the company also offers a unique volunteer grant program in which team members are eligible to request free flight vouchers on behalf of the organizations (FirstBook and others) with which they volunteer! So not only are JetBlue employees empowered to get involved with their cause marketing partner in a hands-on way, but they’re also able to provide additional resources at no cost.


Cause marketing example - Arctic Home


9. Arctic Home


Who are the partners?

The Arctic Home Cause Marketing Campaign was created by Coca-Cola and World Wildlife Fund.

Campaign Overview

Coca-Cola has used polar bears as their unofficial mascot for years, so it makes sense that they would partner with World Wildlife Fund to support the conservation of the polar bear and its habitat.

Thus, the Arctic Home campaign was all about building awareness and raising funds through merchandise and online fundraising.

Coca-Cola introduced Arctic Home Coke cans to raise funds and awareness for the organization. With a package code leading to an online donation form, consumers could quickly and easily make a gift to the organization. And Coca-Cola stretched these gifts even further by matching every donation its buyers made!

Why Their Campaign Made the List

By matching the $1 donations of customers who purchased an Arctic Home can, Coco-Cola financially supported and motivated its own audience to give to the World Wildlife Fund. Those small-dollar donations added up quickly, especially since they were being doubled.

Coca-Cola also matches gifts made by its employees of up to $10,000 per team member per year at a 2:1 ratio⁠—effectively tripling its workforce’s donation impact year-round!


Cause marketing example - Vodka for Dog People


10. Vodka for Dog People


Who are the partners?

Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Emancipet partnered together to create the Vodka for Dog People cause marketing campaign.

Campaign Overview

Tito’s Handmade Vodka started their partnership with Emancipet to help care for dogs. And out of that relationship, with a goal to raise both money and awareness for the organization, Tito’s cause-related website, Vodka for Dog People, was born.

On the site, supporters can purchase Tito’s-branded items such as leashes, toys, and t-shirts, making it the perfect pairing of product fundraising and cause marketing.

For the Tito’s product fundraising campaign, all the proceeds from the website go to Emancipet. Meanwhile, the added benefit of fundraising through the sale of branded items means that after someone makes their purchase, they’re promoting the branded nonprofit any time they use the product.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

The Vodka for Dogs campaign uses both online and local fundraising efforts to raise money and awareness for pet care. In addition to the website, Tito’s works with bars and liquor stores to host yappy hour fundraisers for its nonprofit partner. And the company matches donations its employees make to qualifying organizations⁠—including Emancipet and beyond!


Cause marketing example - Miracle Balloon


11. Miracle Balloon


Who are the partners?

The Miracle Balloon campaign is a collaboration between Walmart and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

Campaign Overview

The Miracle Balloon campaign has been an ongoing partnership between Walmart (and Sam’s Club) and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for years.

For six weeks of every year, Walmart employees ask for donations from customers at checkout. If donors contribute a dollar or more, they can place their names on a paper Miracle Balloon and place it on the honor wall.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

This cause marketing campaign is effective because it leverages the idea of social proof particularly well. When customers see how many donors have already supported the cause, they’ll be increasingly motivated to participate themselves.

Additionally, while most Walmart and Sam’s Club locations participate, the campaign focuses on locations near a Children’s Miracle Hospital. That way, the organization can encourage grateful patients or those with a loved one who received care at one of the hospitals to donate.


Cause Marketing Example - Miracle Balloon

Cause marketing example - Dawn Saves Wildlife


12. Dawn Saves Wildlife


Who are the partners?

The Dawn Saves Wildlife campaign is organized by Dawn Dish Soap in support of its environmental advocacy partners, International Bird Rescue and the Marine Mammal Center.

Campaign Overview

Since the inception of the campaign in 2006, Dawn Dish Soap has helped save 150,000 marine animals (and counting!) through its generous and ongoing support of the International Bird Rescue and Marine Mammal Centers. And the support the company offers takes place in a few key ways: including donating more than 50,000 bottles of its product and over $4.5 million in cash gifts.

Dawn’s donated dish soap is then used by its environmental partners in direct rescue and rehabilitation efforts of aquatic birds and mammals in need. This includes the organizations’ responses to oil spills and other wildlife emergencies!

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Over the years, Dawn’s cause marketing efforts, specifically in the realm of environmental conservation and wildlife care, has become so completely engrained into its brand. In fact, many of the company’s products now feature the wildlife it’s devoted to—including seals, ducklings, and more. This goes on to further demonstrate Dawn’s commitment to making a difference in the long-term.


Cause Marketing Example - Dawn Saves Wildlife

Cause marketing example - Empower Mint


13. Empower Mint


Who are the partners?

Empower Mint is a key element of Ben & Jerry’s cause marketing campaign designed to benefit the NAACP.

Campaign Overview

Ben & Jerry’s launched a limited-time ice cream flavor that was marketed as a “flavor to benefit democracy.” The campaign that went along with the treat was developed as a way to fight against a voter suppression law and aid in the restoration of the Voting Rights Act.

During the time that the flavor was offered, a portion of proceeds from each sale was donated to the NAACP.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

In addition to its punny naming conventions, Ben & Jerry’s is well-known for being a particularly opinionated brand. And the company has been willing to stand up to its beliefs by supporting a variety of nonprofit causes in order to do so. This is just one example!


Cause Marketing Example - Empower Mint

Cause marketing example - Create-A-Pepper


14. Create-A-Pepper


Who are the partners?

The Create-A-Pepper campaign is a popular example of cause marketing organized by Chili’s Bar and Grill as a way to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Campaign Overview

Held during National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month each year since 2002, Create-A-Pepper is an interactive fundraising campaign taking place at the Tex-Mex dining chain nationwide. Over the last few decades, the initiative has raised more than $100 million for St. Jude, enabling the research hospital to make great strides in its research, treatment, and support of those affected by life-threatening childhood illnesses.

Why Their Campaign Made the List

Kids and adults of all ages love the opportunity to complete a coloring sheet while waiting for their meals at a restaurant. This cause marketing campaign turns a fun and simple activity into a profitable fundraising initiative that goes to support the patients and families at St. Jude hospital.

St. Jude Hospital also makes it easy for individual donors and corporate partners to get involved in supporting their efforts. This includes a dedicated matching gifts page to promote workplace giving on an individual basis and a corporate sponsorship interest page that promotes mutually beneficial partnerships like cause marketing efforts, one-off match programs, and more!


Cause Marketing Example - Create-A-Pepper

Wrapping Up

As you can see from these examples, cause marketing is an effective way to raise both funding and awareness for a nonprofit cause. Plus, the nonprofit and the for-profit business involved receive significant benefits from the relationship.

If you’re ready to begin seeking such corporate giving initiatives for your organization, we recommend pulling ideas and inspiration from the above successes. And existing donor data—such as your supporters’ employer information and matching gift eligibility—can help you uncover and pursue the best opportunities for your team.

To learn about more nonprofit funding strategies, check out these bonus resources:

  • Full List of Fundraising Ideas.Didn’t find what you were looking for? Check out our complete list of more than 200+ fundraising ideas. You’re bound to find the perfect fundraiser for your organization!
  • Top Companies for Donation Requests. Whether you’re looking for businesses with which to organize a cause marketing campaign or seeking sponsors for an upcoming event, check out this list of over 30 companies that have existing philanthropic programs in place.
  • The Complete Guide to Matching Gift Automation. Many cause marketing programs include matching gift components. Corporate donation-matches are a great way to partner with businesses, engage individual donors, and double your funds! Learn more with this ultimate guide.
Make the most of matching gifts for your organization.
Explore everything you need to know about hosting phonathons and read advice from phonathon professionals in this guide.

The Ultimate Phonathon Playbook for Nonprofits: 16 Pro Tips

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In the world of nonprofit fundraising, few strategies have stood the test of time as effectively as the phonathon. While technology has transformed the fundraising landscape, the power of a well-placed phone call can still work wonders.

Phonathons may seem like a relic of the past, but they remain a tried-and-true resource for all sorts of nonprofits and higher education institutions to engage donors and raise money. While the benefits of a phonathon campaign are straightforward, running a successful campaign isn’t easy. A lot of hard work goes into powering these campaigns, but they can generate incredible results for your cause — especially when you know how to identify donors eligible for matching gifts from their employer⁠s.

So, how do you optimize your phonathons and drive even greater results with matching gifts? We’ve compiled a number of tips and tricks to effectively communicate with your donors about matching gifts and raise more in phonathon revenue overall. By the end of this guide, you’ll be a phonathon pro and ready to start dialing!

This graphic explains several steps and tips for hosting a phonathon.

Want to find out how to optimize your organization’s upcoming phonathon to raise more? Let’s cover the basics before diving into tips that will transform your next campaign.

Download your free matching gifts guide, so you can leverage corporate giving during your phonathon.

The Fundamentals of Phonathons

Making the most of any type of campaign requires you to understand the basics of how they work. Let’s make sure you have the background knowledge you need before crafting your phonathon plans.

What is a phonathon?

This graphic provides the definition of the word phonathon, written out below.

A phonathon is a fundraising campaign in which organizations call supporters to solicit donations and engage with them. During a phonathon, trained staff or volunteers make outbound calls to donors to encourage contributions, share mission updates, and strengthen relationships via personalized conversations.

Often hosted by nonprofits and educational institutions, phonathons are a valuable tool for connecting with supporters, increasing donor retention, and boosting fundraising revenue. Successful phonathons require effective training, well-prepared scripts, and donor management systems to track and manage interactions.

What role do matching gifts play in phonathons?

Corporate matching gifts have the power to double (or sometimes even triple) the contributions your donors make. Through these CSR programs, companies offer to match their employees’ donations to charitable organizations. However, they often implement eligibility criteria alongside minimum and maximum donation amounts they’re willing to match.

By adding matching gifts to your phonathon strategy, your campaign will see even greater success. If you can capitalize on that potential during your phonathon, you’ll see a massive increase in raised funds. In fact, our matching gift research found that 84% of donors are more likely to donate if a match is offered. Meanwhile, 1 in 3 donors actually indicate they’d give a larger gift if matching is applied to their donation.

If you play your cards right, you can raise a lot more during your phonathon with corporate giving. You’ll just need to let donors know how to check their eligibility and submit a match request to their employers. After all, who wouldn’t want to double their contributions without reaching back into their own wallet?

1. Focus on the larger mission.

The most successful fundraising campaigns are focused on more than raising a certain dollar amount. If you can help donors understand why your cause is a worthy one, then you are far more likely to succeed. By highlighting the larger purpose of the campaign, you can motivate both donors and callers to feel good about what they’re doing!

To illustrate our point, take a look at two possible phonathon script introductions:

  • Phonathon Script Introduction #1: “I’m calling on behalf of University X to raise money for our annual phonathon campaign. Would you consider making a donation of $100 to the university’s endowment fund?”
  • Phonathon Script Introduction #2: “I’m calling on behalf of University X to raise money for our annual phonathon campaign. Would you consider making a donation of $100 to the university’s endowment fund? Every dollar you donate will go to scholarships for students in financial need!”

See the difference? In both cases, the caller is asking for the same dollar amount. But in our second example, the donor understands how their donation will be helping someone in need.

2. Create a standardized script for your phonathon.

For many of your callers, this will be their first phonathon campaign. The idea of getting on the phone with prospective donors or school alumni to ask for donations can be extremely intimidating.

Creating a detailed and interactive script can help ease the nerves of new callers when requesting contributions and standardize the giving experience. Here are the key components to any phonathon script:

This graphic outlines a typical phonathon script that callers can use.

  • Introduction: Answer the most basic questions: Who are you? What is your relationship to the organization running the campaign? Why are you calling?
  • Statement of purpose: Why is your organization asking for donations? What will the contributions be used for?
  • First ask: Make the initial request for a donation. What is the suggested donation amount? If the donor has made a donation previously, how much should the caller suggest they donate this year?
  • Gift confirmation: Success! How do we close the deal? How do we accommodate different payment methods?
  • Answers to common objections: Not everyone wants to donate. How do we respond to common objectives such as a lack of interest, recent issues with the organization, or other giving priorities?
  • Non-pledge close: For those calls that don’t end in success, it’s important to help close the conversation gracefully to maintain the relationship with the donor.

A great script is arguably the most important component of a successful phonathon, as it’s a resource that every caller will use. Spend significant time working with your organization’s communication director to put this resource together.

3. Include matching gifts in your phonathon’s scripts.

With over 26 million individuals working for companies with matching gift programs, many of your phonathon donors are bound to be eligible for a corporate match. Your callers should always ask donors if their employer offers a matching gift program.

Here’s how (it’s as easy as A-B-C!):

  • A: Ask every time. Few donors are thinking about (or are even aware of) matching gifts. In fact, 78% of those 26 million match-eligible individuals don’t know whether their companies offer these programs. Introduce the concept to see if they have any information about their employers’ corporate giving opportunities off-hand.
  • B: Be persistent. Donors sometimes default to, “I don’t think so,” when asked if their company will match their donation. Have callers ask for their employer’s name and then quickly research that specific company using our database.
  • C: Come prepared. If a donor has submitted a matching gift in the past, come to the call prepared with the company’s matching gift information. Make the process simple and easy for your donors.

Being well-versed in matching gifts and anticipating donors’ questions can go a long way in driving more matches to completion! You’ll be impressed by how much you raise in matching gifts during your phonathon.

An Example of This Strategy in Action

Let’s walk through an example of how to properly incorporate matching gifts into your script. A normal phonathon call will consist of the following steps:

  1. The caller introduces themself and the organization that’s fundraising.
  2. The caller asks the potential donor if they are willing to donate.
  3. The potential donor says yes/no.
  4. If the answer is no, the caller politely thanks the prospect for their time and ends the call.
  5. If the answer is yes, the caller begins the donation process with the new donor and helps guide them through the experience.

Once the donation is secured, have your caller make the matching gift ask. Use a template similar to this:

Many companies actually match donations made by their employees to schools and other nonprofits. Do you know if you or your spouse works for a company that offers a matching gift program? I’m happy to do a quick check to see if your company will double or possibly triple your donation.

Scripts take the guesswork and pressure out of calls. Plus, if you standardize your request process, you’re in a better position to evaluate and adjust it according to the results.

4. Practice for your phonathon with mock calls.

Having a team of well-trained callers is the secret to any successful phonathon campaign.

Prepare callers by organizing mock calls. During this time, they’ll read through the provided script and respond to a variety of different “donor personas.” See how they respond when a donor has questions about the campaign, voices objections, or wants to complete their transaction. Include some matching gift-related questions to ensure volunteers are prepared, too.

Proper preparation will help callers feel more at ease when it comes time to dial a real donor’s phone number. Plus, it can help get some of the roadblocks and uncertainties out of the way early!

5. Schedule calls when donors are home.

One of the most common challenges for phonathon callers is simply reaching donors in the first place.

To improve the chances that your donors pick up the phone, consider calling during the hours when they are most likely to be home and available. These are some of our recommended times to do so:

This graphic explains the best times to call to reach donors during a phonathon.

  • Monday – Thursday, 6-9 p.m. If you call within this time window, most donors will be home from work. Yet, it’s early enough that you reduce the risk of waking anyone up. After all, cranky donors rarely give donations.
  • Sunday, 4-9 p.m. At this time on a Sunday, most donors will be finished with their weekend errands and are likely available for a conversation.

Make sure that you’re planning to reach donors when they’re ready and able to chat for the greatest fundraising success.

6. Set nightly/weekly fundraising goals for your phonathon.

Setting goals greatly increases your chances of fundraising success. Encourage your callers to set nightly or weekly donation goals to instill a sense of accomplishment when they reach and exceed their objectives.

Then, there are plenty of opportunities to use these metrics to improve your fundraising results. We suggest that you:

  • Identify any knowledge gaps and situations where additional training is needed.
  • Assign your most effective callers to your highest-value prospective donors.
  • Communicate the concrete donation impact of your callers’ fundraising goals.

Setting detailed objectives helps your organization keep track of how many donations you bring in within a certain timeframe. You can even leverage some friendly competition among callers this way!

7. Use phonathon management software.

Consider purchasing phonathon software from a well-established vendor, such as industry leader Wilson-Bennett Technology’s DonorConnect. This type of tool can save you time, money, and many of the technical headaches that would ordinarily get in the way of a successful campaign.

Common tasks that phonathon software handles include:

  • Managing and updating your donor database.
  • Automating pledge verification via email.
  • Tracking call results.
  • Issuing reports on campaign progress.

By automating these time-consuming tactical steps, you can spend your time managing callers, increasing donations, and engaging in deeper relationships with supporters.

8. Train phonathon callers on matching gifts.

Using matching gifts to boost phonathon funds starts and ends with your callers. These individuals are the voice of your campaign, working hard to help you fulfill your mission. They need to be prepared to explain matching gifts and answer any questions a prospect may have.
While you may understand the value of capturing employer data and pursuing a matching gift from your donors, your caller and digital engagement teams may not. Make sure the people who will engage in those real-time conversations understand the what, why, and how of matching gifts.

Invest in a matching gift database to make researching donors’ eligibility a breeze. Then, consider these four components of effective matching gift phonathon training:

  1. Materials: Document how callers should ask about matching gifts and the process by which they should share company rules, guidelines, and instructions.
  2. Speakers: Who at your organization is responsible for matching gifts? Invite this team member to speak with your callers.
  3. Practice: Have your callers pair up and do trial runs on a few matching gift companies. Provide feedback as needed.
  4. Coaching: Like with anything, there’s always room for improvement. Listen for matching gift asks during calls and provide guidance to improve techniques.

Ensuring your team is on the same page about matching gift goals will make the ask that much easier when the opportunity arises. Check out this video for ideas to integrate matching gifts into your phonathons and everyday fundraising efforts:


You’ll need to teach them about the latest technology, such as matching gift auto-submission, too. This feature cuts out a few steps in the request process when donors fill out your online donation form. They’ll click a checkbox to opt into auto-submission. If their employer uses CSR software that integrates with our tools, our software will automatically fill out their match request to their employer.

Overall, being a caller for a phonathon is no easy task. But with proper training, you’ll situate your callers in the best possible position to make matching gift asks.

Make sure you prepare your phonathon volunteers to talk about matching gifts. Click here to read a guide to the fundamentals.

9. Implement screening and segmentation.

Make the most of your callers’ (and your donors!) time by pre-screening and segmenting your calling list beforehand in terms of matching gift prospects.

Think of it this way: would you rather call 10 people and have one person respond positively, or call five and have three people respond positively? By segmenting your contacts prior to reaching out, you ensure that each call is a valuable use of your team’s time and resources.

For matching-gift-related segmentation, you’ll enact a three-point process:

  1. Pre-screen your file for matching gift eligibility. It is likely that a sizable percentage of your existing prospects are matching gift-eligible. Know who they are in advance by researching local matching gift businesses and determining donors’ eligibility.
  2. Append relevant information to your file. Append employer data and phone numbers to either your entire file or best prospects.
  3. Segment your calling list accordingly. Assign your best callers to high-value match-eligible prospects. Not only are those candidates’ donations likely to get matched, but they are likely to have higher average donation amounts. If they don’t respond the first time, this group might even be worth a second call!

Increasing matching gift eligibility awareness is only going to help your campaign. Give your callers the information they need to have the biggest impact.

Of course, call volume is always going to be crucial for successful phonathons. But if your organization can be even 10% more deliberate about who you’re calling, you can significantly increase your call conversion rate.

10. Prepare for donor questions.

Some donors will be hesitant to give, especially if they’ve never contributed to your organization before. If they have questions about your mission, your particular fundraising need, or anything else that might be holding them back, you’ll want to have the answers prepped and ready.

Additionally, your donors might have questions about matching gift opportunities. Be sure your callers are able to provide basic information on company gift-matching by answering questions such as these:

  • What is a matching gift?
  • How do I figure out if my company will match my gift?
  • What’s the submission process, and how does auto-submission work?

Making sure that everyone is on the same page with regard to these questions ensures that your callers give supporters the most thorough, accurate information and drive as many donations as possible.

11. Equip callers with matching gift resources.

Do your callers have the information they need to help donors? You can’t expect them to memorize the program guidelines for all the thousands of companies that offer matching gifts⁠—so where can they find that information to pass along?

That’s where your matching gift company database comes in! This type of tool allows users to conduct a quick search of an employer’s name and receive detailed guideline information in seconds. Equip callers with access to this comprehensive database to uncover the following:

Before your phonathon, give your volunteers access to this relevant matching gift information with a comprehensive database.

  • Employee eligibility
  • Types of qualifying nonprofits
  • Match ratios
  • Match minimums and maximums
  • Forms and guidelines
  • Submission deadlines and instructions

Providing callers with ample information will help them quickly and easily answer common questions from donors. Once a donor has expressed interest in requesting a matching gift, you want your caller to be able to help in any way they can. Don’t miss out on a matching gift due to a technical or otherwise avoidable issue!

12. Follow up with match-eligible donors.

If a donor has expressed interest in matching gifts on the phone, your organization should follow up afterward to increase the likelihood of turning that interest into action.

Immediately after the conversation, send an email with matching gift request instructions for the individual’s employer. You’ll also want to include matching gift reminders across various donor communications, including:

  • Pledge acknowledgments: When confirming a donor completed their pledge, encourage them to check their eligibility, or if you know they’re eligible, direct them to their employer’s form.
  • Thank yous: When showing appreciation for your donors, include matching gift reminders, encouraging them to take their impact even further.
  • End-of-year reminders: Many companies set deadlines for match requests at the end of the calendar year. Remind donors to submit their requests before time runs out!

Telling donors their gift is eligible for a match is only one component of boosting matching gifts. It’s far more valuable if you pair that information with actionable next steps.

We also recommend embedding matching gift information into your website. Give your alumni and supporters a trusted place to find their matching gift information and next steps on an easy-to-find webpage, so they can take action after speaking with your ambassadors. This helps interested supporters discover gift matching and double their own donations!

Click here to learn more about marketing matching gifts year-round and during specific campaigns like phonathons.

13. Track and incentivize successful conversations.

Are your callers held accountable and rewarded for their overall fundraising and matching gift performance? One of the best ways to ensure that callers know how important matching gifts are to your phonathon is by implementing incentives.

Giving your callers something to work towards will only help your fundraising efforts. Then, once they reach and surpass their goal, provide them with a small token of appreciation⁠, such as a t-shirt, hat, mug, or even public recognition!

Tracking and incentivizing fundraising results also gives you a positive metric for tracking caller proficiency and efficiency. This enables you to define where your phonathon is doing well and where it has room for improvement. Once you’ve isolated those areas, you’ll be in a great position to adjust your efforts as needed.

14. Keep an eye on trends in employer information.

As you start to collect employer information from your alumni and supporters, you may notice trends in company data. Be sure to ask questions like these:

  • Do a lot of your donors work for the same companies?
  • In similar industries?
  • In specific locations?
  • Do those common companies your donors work for have strong matching gift programs?
  • Is there a concentrated area of match-eligible donors you could target for your next campaign?

These are all characteristics you can determine with greater accuracy the more donors you collect employer data from. While these are nice-to-know facts for general fundraising initiatives, they can also have a more significant impact on your greater matching gifts strategy.

Therefore, make sure you’re considering matching gifts when analyzing those trends for future initiatives. You never know when that information could come in handy for future events, digital outreach, or even a future phonathon!

15. Integrate your fundraising and matching gift tools.

Phonathons and other digital engagement events can be huge operations, and a lot can get lost in the shuffle if you don’t have the right tools. Luckily, providing a scalable system for your fundraising ambassadors and callers is an easy and effective way to organize your donor data. With matching gifts added to the mix, you’ll want an automated system to take care of all the nitty-gritty details for you.

Phonathon Software Integration

We recommend using a phonathon system to manage all your digital engagement needs⁠—particularly one that integrates with powerful gift-matching tools! Donor Connect by Wilson-Bennett Technology and 360MatchPro by Double the Donation offer an integrated solution that allows callers to retrieve and communicate valuable matching gift information when speaking to donors in real time.

It takes virtually no effort from your team to set up the integration, and you’ll be able to start using it right away in your next digital engagement event. Automate the best practices listed above by incorporating the autocomplete search tool within Donor Connect scripts, automated email outreach, and regularly updated donor data.

Matching Gift Auto-Submission Integrations

A big part of driving greater matching gift revenue is simplifying the process for donors and their employers. That’s where matching gift auto-submission comes in handy.

Many companies leverage CSR software to manage employee giving programs. When these companies use platforms that integrate with our tools, this is how streamlined the match request process is:

  1. A donor gives using your organization’s online donation page.
  2. They enter their corporate email address and click a checkbox to opt into auto-submission.
  3. If eligible, our tools will automatically complete their match request.

It’s that simple! Otherwise, they’d need to fill out the form themselves. Leading CSR software like Givinga, Millie, POINT, and Selflessly enable auto-submission, so be aware of donors who work for companies that use these platforms. From here, make sure your phonathon volunteers know the basics of how this software works, too!

Bonus! Fundraising advice from phonathon experts

Hear from the phonathon fundraising experts at Wilson-Bennett Technology: a phonathon management services and software company serving nonprofits since 1998.

Todd Smith

Founder and CEO – Wilson-Bennett

Todd Smith is the CEO and founder of Wilson-Bennett Technology, which provides phonathon services.

Ensure training is ongoing throughout the campaign and each caller receives assistance, along with reminders, before calling begins each session.

We always encourage callers to excel while teaching methods to overcome negative comments.

During training, be sure to explain campaign policies and procedures, ensuring callers make the highest quality call on behalf of your institution.

Rob Schlitts

Former President – Wilson-Bennett

Rob Schlitts was the president of Wilson-Bennett Technology, a phonathon service company for charitable organizations.

“Play chess with your phonathon.”

Matching the right prospects up with the right caller makes for a great connection, conversation, and ultimately a gift. Your alumni and student callers will both enjoy the ability to connect with prospects who share similar traits and experiences.

A well-trained student caller will always be the engine of a successful phonathon.

Wrapping Up

In an age of social media, texting, and online transactions, the human element of fundraising can get lost in the shuffle. Thankfully, phonathons offer a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between technology and personal connection.

Many organizations recognize that traditional phonathons remain a smart fundraising strategy. However, most don’t think about the potential of incorporating matching gift promotions into those invaluable donor conversations.

By following these tried-and-true phonathon fundraising tips, you can set up your team⁠—and your mission⁠⁠—for long-term success. Looks like it’s time to get calling!

For more information, be sure to check out our other educational fundraising resources below:

Click here to download a resource about matching gifts and learn how you can multiply money raised during your phonathons.

Marketing matching gifts in your digital communications

Marketing Matching Gifts In Your Digital Communications

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The #1 reason why donors don’t submit matching gift requests is that they don’t know their employers offer such programs. Corporate giving can be a significant source of revenue for nonprofits, and promoting these engagement opportunities to donors can substantially increase your giving revenue. That’s why more and more organizations like yours are crafting strategies to drive this funding source⁠—including marketing matching gifts in your digital communications.

In fact, studies show that mentioning matching gifts in fundraising appeals results in a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average donation amount. Not only do matching gift programs double individual donations, but they also encourage more donors to give in the first place and to increase their original contribution. In the end, that makes the matched gift larger, too!

In this guide, we’ll discuss a few of the most impactful and efficient ways to inform donors about gift-matching programs by utilizing digital communications. These typically include:

Incorporating corporate giving into your digital outreach strategy can put you on the path to reaching your fundraising goals in a fraction of the time. Let’s get started!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Emails

Email outreach is a vital component of digital communications and overall fundraising. Email provides instantaneous outreach to donors, so you can essentially ask “Have you thought about doubling donations with matching gifts today?” Then, people can reply (or request their match!) just as quickly.

Best practices for marketing matching gifts with your email streams include:

  • Embedding a text link and a visual graphic within your email that directs readers to your matching gift page, attracting supporters’ attention and guiding them to additional information to continue growing their knowledge on the topic.
  • Encouraging supporters to perform a search to see if their company matches donations. If so, your embedded database tool makes it easier than ever for users to access the appropriate forms, guidelines, and instructions to complete their match submissions.

This will allow you to capture donors’ continued support while they’re in the giving mindset⁠. Not to mention, meet them right where they are: on their mobile devices or computers!

A successful email marketing strategy hinges on a well-paced, steady procession of the right moves rather than a reckless bombardment of emails. With enough space to write a quick blurb and/or link to a full-length article, email messages are a great place to educate donors about matching gifts.

Keep in mind that a personalized email or digital newsletter dedicated to matching gifts is likely going to be the most effective strategy. However, incorporating matching gifts in a larger email resource can work well, too. Loyal donors will likely read your regular emails, so it’s a good place to provide in-depth information about the benefits of corporate giving.

Example Content:

  • “Do you work for a match-maker? Instantly find out if your employer will double or even triple your donation to the National Kidney Foundation with a quick search of our online database!”
  • “Thousands of companies will match donations made by their team members, retirees, and even employee spouses. Search now to access your employer’s matching gift forms and complete the simple, minutes-long process to drive additional support toward our cause.”

Example of marketing matching gifts in your digital communications via email

When it comes to timing, we recommend following up with donors soon after they complete their initial gifts. However, you don’t want to include your matching gift messaging within an existing thank-you email, as those are more likely to be overlooked.

Our matching gift research indicates that emails sent within 24 hours of a donation produce a 53% open rate. That’s 2-3x times higher than the average nonprofit open rate!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Email Signatures

Chances are that your organization sends a ton of emails⁠—including fundraising messages, mission-related content, and more. But did you know that every message you send can be an opportunity to promote matching gifts? Just use your email signature!

An email signature typically includes an individual’s personal contact details, nonprofit information, and even a relevant image or organization logo⁠—but it’s also a great place to promote matching gifts.

Best practices for marketing matching gifts with your email signatures include:

  • Modifying the email signatures for everyone on your membership and/or development teams to promote matching gifts at as many touch points as possible.
  • Linking to additional resources to which recipients can navigate to learn more about matching gift opportunities (such as your dedicated matching gift page on your website).

A simple blurb alongside a flashy graphic about corporate giving can increase awareness and be the needed push for donors to take a quick five minutes to submit matching gift requests. It’s one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to promote matching gifts year-round.

Example Content:

  • “Your donation may be eligible for a matching gift from your employer. Find out at catrescueclub.com/matching-gifts/.”
  • “Your membership contribution may be eligible for a matching gift from your employer. Find out at doublethedonation.com/CRC/.”

Example of marketing matching gifts in your digital communications via email signature
Marketing matching gifts effectively involves making the most of every opportunity and resource at your disposal. And your staff email signatures offer a valuable source of promotional real estate that can go a long way in your day-to-day interactions!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Social Media Posts

People flock to social media to discover the internet’s best content. Though you don’t need to produce viral posts every day, you do need to provide compelling and engaging information on a consistent basis. And some of the most impactful content you can share has to do with corporate gift-matching opportunities!

There are nearly as many social media outlets as there are stars in the universe, so it’s best to focus on really optimizing your strategy on just a few sites. Depending on your organization and its typical donor base, this might include Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and more. Regardless of the platforms you choose, each networking site requires a nuanced approach to get your information out there and best engage with your audience.

Best practices for marketing matching gifts with your social media platforms include:

  • Sharing educational resources about matching gift programs and the companies that offer them to educate and empower donors to take action.
  • Engaging your digitally savvy donors and volunteers and encouraging them to submit matching gifts to increase the likelihood of submission.
  • Scheduling messages on a recurring basis as a way to appeal to supporters without asking for an additional donation.

Whether or not you employ a matching gift service, a simple tweet, Facebook post, or LinkedIn article can spread the word about these programs to thousands of donors.

Social media sites like these offer a great way to keep people up-to-date on your nonprofit’s campaigns, inform your audience about matching gift opportunities, and encourage donors to look into the process. Just be sure to include a direct link to a location where users can uncover additional information and the next steps!

Example Content:

  • “It takes just a few minutes to submit a corporate employee matching gift form…have you submitted yours?”
  • “What do Microsoft, Bank of America, IBM, and Verizon all have in common? Each one matches donations made by their employees to nonprofit organizations. Many major employers offer similar employee matching gift programs. Search atlantauniversity.edu/employer-matching-gifts/ to find out if your employer offers something like this, as well as to access program guidelines, how-to instructions, and relevant forms.”

Example of marketing matching gifts in your digital communications via social media
Social media offers an excellent opportunity to get matching gift information in front of a wide audience at a time. Not to mention, it allows supporters to interact with your content in personal ways, strengthening their connections with your cause and allowing them to spread the word even further.

Marketing Matching Gifts With Text Messages

Another form of digital communication that is becoming increasingly popular among nonprofits and their donors is texting. In fact, studies show that SMS marketing reports average open and response rates of 98% and 45%, respectively. As a result, text messaging, or SMS, can be a fantastic way to reach donors quickly and affordably using direct marketing strategies.

Best practices for marketing matching gifts with SMS communications include:

  • Automating your organization’s outgoing text messaging efforts to donors identified as matching gift eligible to save time while growing revenue.
  • Keeping your texts short and sweet to get your message across quickly (typically 1,000 characters or less) and grab your audience’s attention.
  • Utilizing personalizable SMS templates and customizing names, donation amounts, employing companies, and more to increase likelihood of engagement.

Luckily, there are a number of tech solutions designed to streamline and simplify the processes involved with mass, pre-scheduled text messaging. For example, Double the Donation utilizes programmable communications company, Twilio to offer automated matching gift text marketing services for its enterprise clients.

Example Content:

  • “David, thank you for your generous donation of $200 to the Cat Rescue Club. Did you know that your gift is likely eligible for a corporate match from Johnson & Johnson? View your employer’s matching gift guidelines and forms here!”
  • “Have you submitted your matching gift request for your most recent contribution? Get your donation doubled and increase the impact brought to Atlanta University.”

Example of marketing matching gifts in your digital communications via text
SMS marketing continues to grow in popularity as text is a quick, easy, and effective way to get your message in front of donors. And with a mobile-friendly matching gift solution like 360MatchPro, supporters can choose to take the next steps and submit matches from their smart phones from wherever they are!

Marketing Matching Gifts With Start / End-of-Year Reminders

Matchable donations have limited lifespans, so you need to promote matching gifts to eligible donors before the clock runs. In other words, a supporter can’t donate and submit a matching gift request for that donation half a decade later.

Although program specifics vary by company, most corporations adhere to one of the following types of standards for matching gift submission deadlines:

  1. A set number of months from the date of the donation (the standard is one year, though it can range from one to twelve months)
  2. The end of the calendar year
  3. The end of January or February in the year following when the donation was made

That’s why year-end and new-year appeals can be such a great way to remind donors about impending matching gift deadlines.

Best practices for marketing matching gifts with your start or end-of-year reminders include:

  • Providing context about matching gift programs and the importance of submitting matching gift requests before it’s too late.
  • Stressing that previously made donations are often eligible to be matched for up to a year after being submitted.
  • Ramping up your matching gift marketing efforts with increased communications during the year-end giving season.
  • Utilizing social media as a great way to spread the word to your supporters and reach the widest audiences possible.
  • Optimizing communications by staying up-to-date on your donors’ employers and their specific deadline requirements.

Ideally, your organization will encourage donors to submit their matching gifts at the time of their initial donation. However, many companies have an extended grace period during which they’ll accept requests. Ending or starting a new year is a fantastic chance to remind donors about an opportunity they may have overlooked.

Don’t miss out on a final chance to double donations from the year!

Example Content:

  • “Did you donate to us this year? There’s still time to submit a matching gift request from your employer⁠—submit your match here before the end of the year!”
  • “Many matching gift companies offer a several-month grace period in the year following the year a donation was made. Now, many deadlines are quickly approaching at the end of January and February! Find out how to access your employer’s guidelines and complete your match request here.”

Example of marketing matching gifts in your digital communications via year-end reminder
Check out our matching gift marketing guide

Bonus: Multiply your impact with these recommended marketing resources!

According to Nonprofits Source research, an estimated 80% of nonprofits report having difficulty building strong workplace giving strategies due to limited staff and resources. That’s where we come in at Double the Donation. Our aim is to equip organizations with the tools they need to successfully market matching gifts through digital engagement.

Read on to explore our suggested ways to elevate matching gift results with these available assets.

360MatchPro automation platform

First things first, you don’t want to have to schedule and send each digital correspondence on your own. Nor do you want to be tasked with the manual research involved with screening and identifying match-eligible donors.

Instead, Double the Donation’s complete automation solution, 360MatchPro, equips organizations to trigger the right messaging at the right time. This ensures more donors are being informed of their matching gift opportunity and encouraged to take part when eligible⁠—helping you to grow funding at your mission!

Check out this 60-second overview to see how it works:

And incorporating eye-catching and attention-grabbing visual elements in your outreach can go a long way!

Double the Donation’s customizable digital marketing templates

A lot of successful digital outreach involves content creation⁠—written, video, graphic, and more. This is especially true when it comes to engaging your audience with a multimedia marketing strategy. For example, one study indicates that social media content with video produces more than 10x the engagement rate of content without video. Meanwhile, another report found that including images in social posts results in over 650% higher engagement than text-only content. And these findings are consistent across views, clicks, likes, replies, shares, and more.

Yet many organizations don’t feel they have the time to devote to the creation of such materials. That’s why the Double the Donation team provides its users with access to free, editable marketing templates. This includes pre-designed graphics and customizable animations for email, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn⁠. And this arsenal of marketing materials should make it quick and easy to promote matching gifts online.

Note: For current clients looking to obtain these assets, log into your 360MatchPro account at https://doublethedonation.com/members/login/. From there, navigate to the “Resources” tab and select the option for “Marketing Assets.”

Market matching gifts in your digital communications with Double the Donation's helpful templates

Then, scroll to browse our library of more than 24 pre-made Canva templates, eBooks, and graphics⁠—and begin editing to your liking!

Market matching gifts in your digital communications with Double the Donation's helpful templates

Not familiar with Canva? Check out our walkthrough here to get started—and register your organization for free access to Canva Premium here!

Plus, 360MatchPro users also have the opportunity to download a free matching gift video or purchase a custom-branded 60-second overview that can be implemented across digital marketing channels.

For those who do not yet employ Double the Donation’s services, request a demo to get in touch with our team and explore our top matching gift marketing tools.

Matching gift learning materials and expert insights

Finally, Double the Donation is proud to provide a wide array of educational resources⁠—including blog posts, live and on-demand webinars, downloadable guides, templates, and more⁠⁠—for nonprofit fundraisers looking to get better acquainted with matching gifts. After all, your team will be able to market matching gifts to supporters more effectively when those behind the scenes are intimately familiar with the programs.

And one of our top recommended resources for organizations is our online Matching Gift Academy. As the industry’s first and only digital learning platform centered on effective match fundraising, this content on building a matching gift strategy, overcoming common pitfalls, best practices for identifying eligible donors, and an entire module dedicated to matching gift marketing efforts.

Plus, we offer free access to the Academy for all current Double the Donation users as another way to boost our clients’ success.

Wrapping Up & Further Reading

Nonprofits need every dollar they can grab. Luckily, matching gifts are an effective way to increase fundraising without demanding too much out of donors. The first step is simply making donors aware of the opportunities⁠. And one of the best ways to do so is by marketing matching gifts in your digital communications.

You may choose to promote matching gifts using social media, texts, emails, and more (or a combination of such methods). Incorporating online outreach in your strategy allows you to showcase matching gifts in a simple, affordable, and effective way.

Get ready to maximize your matching gift funding! Explore our other suggested educational resources on the topic below:

Make the most of matching gifts for your organization. Learn more about how Double the Donation can help market matching gifts in your digital communications.

In this guide, we’ll cover best practices for writing fundraising letters and provide effective templates to set you up for success.

14 Fundraising Letters & Templates to Inspire More Support

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Your nonprofit needs funds to power its mission, but how do you communicate this need to potential donors? Fundraising letters are a time-tested, impactful way to reach out to supporters and encourage them to play a role in your impact.

Whether you choose to send them via email or direct mail, if you’re looking for smart and effective appeal letters, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled common types of donation requests, plus carefully crafted templates that your team can use to jumpstart your outreach.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

With the right tips, tricks, and tools, your team can connect with more donors and cultivate lasting relationships to strengthen your work. Let’s cover the basics of writing fundraising letters, then explore the specific types of requests your nonprofit may decide to send.

Click through to learn more about how 360MatchPro can help your nonprofit earn more from its fundraising letters with matching gifts.

How to Send Fundraising Letters

Before crafting your letters, you’ll want to know how you’re going to deliver each one. That way, you can tailor the formatting appropriately. Certain outlets lend themselves better to letters than others. Of course, you’ll want to deliver your solicitation letters using each recipient’s preferred contact method. Bearing that in mind, let’s explore the most common channels nonprofits use to solicit donations.

Via eCards

Who doesn’t love receiving a thoughtful greeting card? From special occasions to “just because,” there’s a card for everything! With a bit of creativity, you can elevate your fundraising letters by sending them as digital greeting cards. Each donor will receive a virtual greeting card alongside your letter. Delivering them in this format is more creative and effective than a plain letter.

Here’s a peek into why nonprofits use this approach to drive greater fundraising results:

  • Visual Appeal: eCards are visually captivating since you can use images, graphics, and videos to grab the recipient’s attention. This enhances the overall impact of the message and encourages the recipient to read more of your message.
  • Interactivity: Using this format, you can incorporate interactive elements like animations that activate when hovered over and clickable links to your donation page. Not only do these features make letters more engaging, but they also make it convenient for recipients to donate.
  • Timeliness: You can deliver eCards instantly, ensuring that the message reaches your recipient promptly. There’s no need to wait for it to be delivered in the mail, making eCards especially valuable for time-sensitive appeals.
  • Shareability: Recipients can forward eCards to friends, family, and anyone else who might be interested in supporting your cause. This amplifies the reach of your fundraising letter!

Not to mention, this approach is extremely cost-effective, eco-friendly, and personable. No need to waste paper or money on printing and postage. You’ll get the speed of email and the authenticity of direct mail!

To leverage this approach, choose an online eCard platform. We recommend using eCardWidget. The platform enables nonprofits to create digital greeting cards that communicate their missions. To fundraise with them, you can either sell them to supporters or send them directly to donors to solicit gifts.

Click here to design eCards to send with your fundraising letters.

Via Email

Many nonprofits connect with donors by delivering fundraising letters via email. Regular email communication allows you to build relationships over time by keeping supporters informed about your organization’s initiatives and fostering a sense of belonging to a larger cause.

Through targeted email campaigns, you can reach your entire donor base while customizing solicitation messages to resonate with individual donors. You’ll want to:

  • Craft compelling subject lines that grab attention and encourage recipients to read your letters.
  • Segment email lists based on donor history, interests, and engagement levels.
  • Include clear calls to action, guiding recipients to take action by either donating or sharing the campaign with their networks.
  • Review performance metrics such as open rates and click-through rates to gauge the success of your fundraising letters.

The versatility, speed, and cost-effectiveness of email make it an essential tool in your nonprofit’s fundraising and digital marketing arsenal. You’ll have everything you need to deliver thoughtful fundraising letters and drive contributions that support your work.

Via Direct Mail

Deliver your fundraising letters via direct mail to donors who prefer a more personable touch. Known for its authenticity, direct mail allows you to connect with donors on a more intimate level.

Fundraising via direct mail makes it a bit more challenging to segment your outreach, but still take donor-specific details like giving history into account when crafting your letters. Then, you’ll want to vary your approach slightly by including easy response components. For example, include a pre-addressed envelope or QR code that leads to your donation page. This will simplify the donation process, enhancing the effectiveness of your solicitations.

Overall, the tactile nature of direct mail makes it a valuable tool for your nonprofit to engage donors, reinforce its mission, and drive meaningful contributions.

How to Write a Fundraising Letter

When crafting a fundraising letter for your nonprofit, the key to success lies in not only communicating your funding needs clearly, but inspiring recipients to take action and make a gift. To set your appeal up for success, follow these essential steps:

Follow these steps to write a compelling fundraising letter, explored in more detail below.

  1. Address the donor by their preferred name. Including the recipient’s name demonstrates that you value their support as an individual, rather than a nameless source of revenue.
  2. Incorporate storytelling. Make it easy for potential donors to understand the importance of your mission by sharing a story that elicits empathy and demonstrates how your nonprofit makes a real difference in the lives of those you serve. For instance, a wildlife rescue nonprofit might introduce an injured fox that it’s working to rehabilitate and release.
  3. Add compelling visuals. Adding an image or two can immediately grab the attention of your recipients, enhance your messaging, and allow them to better understand why they should contribute to your cause.
  4. Emphasize the impact of donations. Empower potential donors to act by situating them at the center of your nonprofit’s impact. Be specific as to how their gifts will further your mission. For example, a nonprofit that trains and provides assistance dogs to military veterans might communicate that a $25 gift will provide a month’s worth of food for one dog, and a $100 gift will cover all of its vaccination costs.
  5. Include a call to action. Once you’ve emphasized the importance of donations, use a call to action to encourage recipients to act immediately. Then, include a link to your donation page or, if you’re sending the letter via direct mail, add a QR code along with a pre-addressed return envelope.

To make your fundraising appeals stand out from the crowd, consider sending them as fundraising eCards. These online cards provide an efficient, memorable, and sustainable⁠ way to engage your supporters—not to mention they’re low-cost.

14 Types of Fundraising Letters (+ Templates)

Now that you have a clearer understanding of what it takes to draft a compelling fundraising letter, let’s take a closer look at some common types and templates that may come in handy:

1. Nonprofit Fundraising Letters 8. Event Fundraising Letters
2. Seasonal Fundraising Letters 9. Recurring Gift Fundraising Letters
3. School Fundraising Letters 10. Capital Campaign Fundraising Letters
4. Church Fundraising Letters 11. Annual Fund Fundraising Letters
5. Individual Fundraising Letters 12. Corporate Sponsorship Letters
6. In-Kind Donation Request Letters 13. Donor Thank-You Letters
7. Matching Gift Fundraising Letters 14. Fundraising Update Letters

1. Nonprofit Fundraising Letters

What are nonprofit fundraising letters?

Nonprofit fundraising letters are typically sent by charitable organizations to individual donors and/or prospects in order to solicit donations for a cause. They can be sent on their own or included in a welcome packet that contains pamphlets, booklets, and additional information.

Typically, an effective donation request letter will include:

  • A summary of your mission and vision
  • How you’ll use donated funds
  • A direct and specific call to action that creates urgency

Bonus: We suggest giving donors the option to reply to your letters by mailing a traditional check or directing them to give through your organization’s website.

To whom should you send them?

Send your nonprofit fundraising letters to anyone in your network of support, including:

  • Current and past supporters
  • Prospective donors
  • Volunteers
  • Event attendees
  • Board members

In other words, reach out to anyone who has previously expressed interest in your cause. Tailor your messaging to different groups based on their relationship with your organization. Keep in mind that while older generations of donors may prefer direct mail communications, younger millennials and Gen Z supporters may prefer a digital approach.

When should you use them?

You can send nonprofit fundraising letters at any time of the year! However, they are particularly effective toward the end of the calendar year when donors are calculating their pre-tax season finances. People also tend to be more charitable in December, which means that your appeal has a better chance of securing a donation.

Nonprofit fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor],

[Begin with an emotional appeal: A success story or a narrative that tugs on donors’ heartstrings and hooks your readers. Keep it short and sweet, though!]

Our community/nation/world is facing [problem(s) your organization aims to solve]. While we are actively [insert current solutions or related programming], we need your help to make our efforts go even further.

Your support is crucial to our efforts to improve the world around us by [tangible steps toward your overall mission]. We’d love it if you could make a donation of $[suggested amount] to help us achieve our mission and [solve the problem].

Thank you in advance for your contribution. Your donation will go toward [insert ongoing effort, recent accomplishment, or current project].

Here are the ways you can make a donation:

  • Donate online at [URL to donation page]
  • Call us at [phone number]
  • Send a check in the pre-stamped envelope
  • Text [keyword] to [text-to-give phone number]

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

[Signature of Organization Leader]

[Name of Organization Leader]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

P.S. [End with an update about an upcoming event, volunteer opportunity, or other information on how to get further involved].

Nonprofit fundraising eCard example

This eCard would work perfectly for a disaster relief organization that wants to send fundraising letters.

The eCard above depicts two hands uniting through flood waters. This creative design is ideal for a disaster relief organization seeking support for communities affected by flooding. While a simple design, the hands communicate the impact just one donor could have.

2. Seasonal Fundraising Letters

What are seasonal fundraising letters?

Seasonal fundraising letters are sent during specific times of the year and are typically aligned with holidays, annual events, or seasons that hold significance for the cause or donors.

These letters play into the emotional and thematic connections associated with specific seasons to engage donors and encourage contributions. Since these fundraising letters are time-oriented, the timing and context help foster a sense of urgency and prompt recipients to take action.

To whom should you send them?

These types of fundraising letters are ideal for anyone who’s shown interest in your cause, including:

  • Existing donors
  • Lapsed donors
  • Prospective donors
  • Volunteers
  • Event attendees
  • Board members

If you’re sending a holiday-themed letter, just make sure that the recipient celebrates the holiday. For example, you wouldn’t want to send a Christmas card to someone who celebrates Hanukkah instead.

When should you use them?

By considering the timing of each seasonal fundraising letter, you can maximize the impact of your outreach and encourage meaningful contributions. Key times to send seasonal fundraising letters include:

  • Around holidays: From Valentine’s Day to the Fourth of July, any holiday is the perfect time to send a solicitation letter. Whether you’re fundraising during Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Thanksgiving, you can encourage people to give back.
  • At year-end: Considering that December accounts for 30% of annual giving, the end of the year is the perfect time to send seasonal fundraising letters. Capitalize on the spirit of giving during the year-end holiday season, and emphasize the importance of making a last-minute tax-deductible donation.
  • During cause awareness months: Determine if there’s an awareness month, week, or day devoted to your cause. If so, send fundraising letters during that time. For example, Breast Cancer Awareness Month is October, Earth Day is April 22nd, and National Suicide Prevention Week falls in September each year.
  • Back-to-School (August/September): As the school year begins, nonprofits focused on education or youth development can send letters that emphasize the importance of investing in children’s futures.
  • Summer Campaigns (June-August): Summer months can be a great time to send letters, especially for environmental causes, youth programs, and other outdoor initiatives that align with the season’s themes of growth, adventure, and relaxation.

There are plenty of other times you can send your seasonal fundraising letters beyond these. In any case, the timing should align with the occasion’s theme and your nonprofit’s mission. This will ensure the message resonates.

Seasonal fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor’s Name],

Greetings from [Your Nonprofit’s Name]! As the [Season] season unfolds, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible journey we’ve embarked upon and are humbled by the unwavering support of individuals like you who have been a beacon of hope for our cause.

This [Season], we are excited to share the remarkable strides we’ve taken toward [Mission]. With your support, we’ve been able to [Highlight a specific achievement, project, or initiative]. We invite you to join us once again in making a profound difference in the lives we touch.

Your generosity has been instrumental in [Describe the impact of their previous contributions]. With every dollar you contribute, you are sowing the seeds of positive change and empowerment.

As we approach [Specific Occasion or Date], consider making a [Seasonal] donation to [Your Nonprofit’s Name]. Your gift, no matter the size, will help us [Highlight the purpose or project that the seasonal campaign is supporting].

Here’s how you can contribute:

  • Online: Visit our website at [Website Link] to donate.
  • Mail: Fill out the enclosed donation form and send it to [Your Nonprofit’s Address].
  • Phone: Call us at [Phone Number] to make a donation over the phone.

Your belief in our mission is the foundation upon which we build a brighter future. Together, we can create lasting change that resonates far beyond [Season].

Thank you for being a pillar of support for [Your Nonprofit’s Name]. Your generosity is a gift that keeps on giving, and we are deeply grateful for your commitment to making the world a better place.

Wishing you and your loved ones a meaningful [Season] season!

With gratitude,
[Signature]
[Name]
[Nonprofit]

Seasonal fundraising eCard example

This Valentine’s Day eCard would pair well with a seasonal fundraising letter.

Valentine’s Day is one of the best holidays for sending seasonal fundraising appeals since people are in a loving state of mind. If you need examples to spark your inspiration, the Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County designed a collection of Valentine’s eCards that donors could purchase to send to loved ones. Each design featured one of their furry residents, the nonprofit’s logo, heart graphics, and animal puns.

While you can always sell eCards like this, try sending them alongside your fundraising letters to donors!

3. School Fundraising Letters

What are school fundraising letters?

School fundraising letters are a popular way for educational institutions (K-12 and higher ed, public and private alike) to solicit support for various school-related purposes. They generally provide a summary of the school’s specific fundraising needs, such as:

  • Upcoming field trips
  • Extracurricular activities and clubs
  • Scholarships and financial aid offerings
  • Educator training and professional development
  • New equipment and technology purchases
  • Classroom supplies
  • Athletic programs and facilities

To maximize results, highlight your school’s recent accomplishments, specify how the funding will make an impact on your student body and community, and provide instructions on how the letter recipient can choose to give.

To whom should you send them?

Send school fundraising letters to your school’s supporters—and those you think may be interested in getting involved. Often, this will include:

  • Students’ parents
  • PTA members
  • Other volunteers
  • Alumni
  • Community members

You can even take a peer-to-peer approach, encouraging students to send their own fundraising letters to family members and friends who may be interested in giving.

When should you use them?

Send your fundraising appeals at any time during the school year!

However, popular campaign periods include the beginning of the school year, leading up to the holiday season, and prior to large-scale events and initiatives.

School fundraising letter template

Dear [Name],

We hope this letter finds you well. As we begin the new school year here at [School Name], we are excited to share with you some of the exciting initiatives we have planned for our students.

At [School Name], we are committed to providing the best possible education and learning opportunities for our students. We believe every student deserves access to the resources and support they need to succeed, regardless of their background or financial situation.

To help us achieve this goal, we are launching a fundraising campaign to support various school-related initiatives, such as [list specific initiatives].

We are reaching out to our dedicated parents, alumni, and supporters to ask for your help in achieving our fundraising goals. Your generosity can make a significant impact on the lives of our students, helping us to provide them with the best possible education and prepare them for a bright future.

Any contribution, no matter the size, will be greatly appreciated and put to good use. [Include instructions on how to donate, e.g., online donation platform, mailing a check, etc.]

We value your continued support. Thank you in advance for considering a donation to [School Name] and for committing to helping us create a brighter future for our students.

Best wishes,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

Seasonal fundraising eCard example

Schools can create eCards like this one to pair with their fundraising letters to families.

If you’re designing an eCard for school fundraising, create an engaging design like the one above. Your eCard platform will likely provide plenty of graphics related to education, like graduation caps, apples, and anything else you need. Be sure to incorporate childlike elements like handwritten font to make your design more authentic.

4. Church Fundraising Letters

What are church fundraising letters?

Church fundraising letters can take many forms. They can be used to ask for general church-related contributions, as well as fundraising efforts such as:

  • Charity auction item requests
  • Fundraising event donations
  • Sponsorship requests
  • Mission trip funding
  • Church building funds
  • Missionary support

Churches commonly send out fundraising letters to notify congregants when church events or other fundraising initiatives are occurring. These types of fundraising letters can be used to share the details—date, time, location, etc.—of the event and encourage those who can’t attend to give in advance.

To whom should you send them?

Depending on your specific needs, you can send church fundraising letters to your congregation or to a broader community audience.

For instance, a fundraising appeal to collect donations in support of a new church building will likely be sent only to those involved with the church, while a campaign to raise funds for sending youth to a summer camp might solicit donations from students’ family members and friends, regardless of their affiliation with your ministry.

When should you use them?

You can send out church letters whenever you have a fundraising need! Churches rely on the generosity of their congregants to keep the doors open and the lights on.

Of course, you’ll want to limit your fundraising letters to a few per year and rely on in-person appeals during a church service for the majority of your fundraising efforts.

Church fundraising letter template

Dear [Name],

We hope this letter finds you well. Because you’re an important part of our church family, and we’ve so appreciated your support in the past regarding our [example campaign the individual supported] initiatives, we thought you’d want to know about our big plans for this new year.

As you surely know, our congregation is growing. Just like any family, the more members you have, the more room you need. We’re pleased to invite you to be an important part of this exciting process!

[Church Name] is raising money for a brand-new sanctuary and bell tower. How blessed are we to have so many members like yourself that we need to build an entirely new structure?

That said, we are currently accepting donations that will make this exciting new project possible, and we ask that you consider giving to support our efforts.

Your donation, no matter the size, will be greatly appreciated and put to good use. We invite you to be a part of this new chapter in our church’s history and help us create a space where we can come to worship, learn, and grow together.

If you would like to contribute, please visit our website at [URL] or mail or drop off a check to [church office address].

Feel free to reach out to our special projects coordinator, [Name], at [phone number] or by email at [email address] if you have any questions about our fundraising initiatives or the new sanctuary or bell tower.

As always, have a blessed week. We hope to see you Sunday!

In Him,

[Pastor’s Signature]

[Pastor’s Name]

Church fundraising eCard example

Create religious eCards to send alongside your fundraising letters to congregation members.

When designing an eCard for a church, be sure to infuse spiritual elements like this eCard does. The graphic on the card design shows stained glass in the shape of a cross, helping the reader to draw a connection between eCard Recipients will immediately understand what the rest of the email is about by simply reading “In Every Act of Giving, We Feel God’s Grace.”

Explore more church fundraising letters

5. Individual Fundraising Letters

What are individual fundraising letters?

Nonprofits aren’t the only ones with fundraising needs! Sometimes, individuals aim to raise money for a cause, project, or life event, whether on their own or as part of a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign.

Common individual fundraising letter needs include:

  • Personal medical expenses
  • Disaster relief
  • Political campaign funding
  • Grassroots advocacy needs
  • Travel or education expenses

Make it as easy as possible for supporters to contribute. You can set up a crowdfunding campaign to supplement your fundraising efforts and use the fundraising letter to direct people to your campaign page to give. This can be highly impactful, as in North America alone, crowdfunding generates around $17.2 billion each year.

To whom should you send them?

Depending on the specific fundraising need, an individual may send personal fundraising letters to their family members, friends, acquaintances, colleagues, and more.

Consider tailoring your recipient list based on the purpose behind your efforts. For example, an individual raising funds to go on a religious mission might prioritize individuals within their church community.

When should you use them?

You can send individual fundraising letters whenever you need to raise money for a cause that means a lot to you. If you’re collecting donations for an upcoming event or project, be sure to start planning, drafting, and sending your letters at least a few weeks in advance.

Individual fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor],

My name is [Name], and I am [describe your position/situation/background]. I am looking to raise [amount of money] to help me pay for [project/expense/cause/etc.].

[Include information about why the cause or project is important to you and how it could potentially impact the reader or those you serve].

I’m writing to ask you to support me and my [cause/project/etc.]. Just a small donation of [amount] can help me [accomplish task/reach a goal/etc.].

Your donation will go toward [describe exactly what the contribution will be used for].

[When possible, add a personal connection to tie the donor to the cause. For example, if you’re raising money to help build a school in a developing country and you’re writing to a teacher, emphasize the fact that everyone deserves a quality education].

Thank you in advance for your contribution. You have no idea how much it means to me to have your support.

Here are the ways you can make a donation:

  • Donate online at [URL of your crowdfunding page]
  • Send a check in the pre-stamped envelope I’ve included

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

Individual fundraising eCard example

Use images of the beneficiary when sending individual fundraising letters.

While you can use drawings and graphics for individual fundraising eCards, you’ll evoke emotional connections by featuring a picture of who the donations will impact. This eCard is the perfect example of this strategy in action! The sender draws an emotional reaction instantly and can use their fundraising letter to dive into storytelling and their request for support.

6. In-Kind Donation Request Letters

What are in-kind donation request letters?

In-kind donation requests are often sent by nonprofit groups that ask for gifts of tangible goods or services instead of traditional monetary donations.

Most often, these letters will request a specific gift from the recipient, such as:

Nonprofits often ask for these resources in their in-kind donation request letters, discussed in more detail below.

  • Office equipment or technology
  • No-cost meeting spaces or venue rentals
  • Food supplies
  • New or gently used clothing or shoes
  • Pro bono services like free marketing, accounting, or legal assistance from an associated firm

In-kind donations can allow charitable organizations to offset some of their largest operational costs with goods and services made available by supporters. A well-written donation request letter lets your audience know what kinds of things you’re looking for and how they can be of assistance!

To whom should you send them?

You can send in-kind donation letters to individual supporters as well as corporations, foundations, and even other nonprofit groups.

Remember: these letters should be specific. If you’re seeking free marketing assistance, be sure to reach out to a local marketing agency. If you’re looking for appealing items to auction off in your upcoming fundraising event, you might reach out to a wider range of individuals or businesses. This might include restaurants, travel agencies, salons, retail stores, and more.

When should you use them?

You can send these types of letters whenever you have a specific need! Some of the most common use cases include fundraising events (e.g., requesting auction item donations), community food or clothes drives, or a new campaign or initiative that would benefit from in-kind gifts.

In-kind donation request letter template

Dear [Individual Donor or Corporate Sponsorship Manager],

I hope this letter finds you in good health and spirits. I am writing to request your support for [Nonprofit], a nonprofit organization that is committed to [mission statement or general purpose of the organization].

As we strive to fulfill our mission, we rely heavily on the generosity of donors like you. We are reaching out to request an in-kind donation of [specific goods or services needed], which we believe would make a significant impact on our efforts by [description of benefits made available by such a donation].

Your contribution would be an invaluable asset to our organization and would help us to [achieve a specific goal or outcome]. In return, we would be happy to offer [recognition or publicity for the donor, such as inclusion in event materials or social media shoutouts]. We will also provide a receipt for the value of the donation for tax purposes.

We appreciate your consideration of our request, and we welcome the opportunity to discuss this further with you. If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact us at [phone number or email address].

Thank you for your generosity and support.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

In-kind donation request eCard

This eCard is ideal for food banks to send alongside its fundraising letters to solicit food donations.

This eCard is perfect for food banks seeking in-kind donations of food. Within the design, the depiction of people working together communicates the collective effort necessary to end hunger. The text really drives that point home by saying, “From your pantry to their plates, every meal matters.” In turn, the organization can retain donors by emphasizing the vitality of their continued support.

7. Matching Gift Fundraising Letters

What are matching gift fundraising letters?

Matching gift fundraising letters are a specific type of outreach that nonprofits send donors to inform or remind them about relevant matching gift opportunities.

Matching gifts are a popular (yet continually underutilized) type of corporate giving program. In fact, it’s estimated that $4 to $7 billion in matching gift funds goes unclaimed every year. The process typically follows these basic steps:

  • After an employee donates to an eligible nonprofit, they submit paperwork to their company to match
  • If the donation meets the company’s predetermined requirements, the business will make a contribution to the nonprofit as well.
  • Though companies often match gifts at a dollar-for-dollar ratio, many are willing to triple or even quadruple their employees’ gifts!

Unfortunately, many donors are unaware that their employer offers a matching gift program.

That’s where a matching gift fundraising letter comes in!

In this letter, you’ll inform the donor about their employer’s specific workplace giving initiatives and how to get involved. If you don’t have a record of a supporter’s employer, simply use your matching gift letter to direct them to your online matching gift web page and company search tool.

To whom should you send them?

All donors should receive matching gift letters after making their initial gifts to your organization.

However, since direct mail can be costly, we recommend sending email follow-ups to the majority of your supporters. Reserve your direct mail letters for your most lucrative matching opportunities or for particularly high-value donors who have a known preference for physical communications.

When should you use them?

The best time to promote matching gifts is immediately after a donor gives. Your nonprofit is still fresh in their minds, so they’ll be more likely to submit a matching gift request when encouraged to do so promptly.

After a donor makes a gift, send out an email that:

  1. Thanks them for their donation
  2. Encourages them to submit a matching gift request

Furthermore, you can consider leveraging matching gift auto-submission to streamline the process even further and make it easier for donors to submit their requests. Once they’re determined to be eligible for matching gifts, all they need to do is provide a few key pieces of information, and the software automatically completes the request for them. Check out this video to see how auto-submission simplifies the match-fulfillment process:

Matching gift fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor],

Thank you for your generous support in the amount of $[gift size]. Your donation is helping us make a real impact in the lives of those we serve.

We wanted to let you know about an exciting opportunity to make your gift go even further. Did you know that many employers offer matching gift programs? This means that they will match their employees’ charitable donations, doubling or even tripling the impact of your gift.

We encourage you to visit our matching gift page here [URL] to see if your employer participates in a matching gift program. This resource provides an intuitive company search tool with easy-to-follow instructions on how to take advantage of this opportunity and make your donation do more.

By taking a few minutes to submit a matching gift request, you can make an even greater impact on our mission. Thank you again for your generous support, and we look forward to continuing to work together to make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Matching Gifts Coordinator]

[Nonprofit]

Check out our matching gift marketing guide

8. Event Fundraising Letters

What are event fundraising letters?

A fundraising event can be a highly impactful way for nonprofits to generate revenue. However, before the event takes place, it’s crucial to mobilize donors and the greater community to participate.

You can achieve this through event fundraising letters. These letters provide details about the event and encourage the recipient to attend in support of the nonprofit’s mission.

When drafting the letter, include a clear and persuasive case for support, as well as an explanation of how funds will be raised during the event (for example, through ticket sales, donations, or auction bids). A well-crafted fundraising event letter should make the reader feel enthusiastic about supporting the cause and eager to register for the event.

To whom should you send them?

For an in-person event, send fundraising letters to all of your organization’s supporters who reside in your local area. However, hybrid and virtual events open up the possibilities, allowing your team to engage attendees over any distance.

As you craft your recipient list, include donors, volunteers, board members, previous event attendees, and even businesses that have interacted with your organization in the past.

When should you use them?

Send your fundraising letters well in advance of your event date. While the perfect timeline can vary from one organization to the next, aim to notify your supporters at least six to eight weeks before the big day. This will allow them to make any necessary arrangements for attending and enable your nonprofit to maximize the overall turnout.

Event fundraising letter template

Dear [Supporter],

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to invite you to [Nonprofit]’s upcoming event, [Event Name], which will take place on [date] at [time] at [location].

[Event Name] is a [type of fundraising event, like run/walk/ride, charity auction, gala, etc.]. This annual fundraising event helps us to raise funds for our organization, [Nonprofit], which is dedicated to [summary of mission statement or purpose].

We believe that every member of our community deserves access to [insert services provided by your organization], and your support helps us to achieve this goal.

We have exciting activities planned for the evening, including [details about the event such as entertainment, keynote speakers, or other activities]. And the best part is that all proceeds go towards supporting our programs and services.

We would be honored if you could attend this special event and support our cause. Your ticket purchase or donation will help us make a difference in the lives of those we serve.

Learn more about the opportunity at our event page here [URL].

We appreciate your consideration and hope that you can join us for this meaningful evening.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Event fundraising eCard example

This eCard from Vineyard Church North Phoenix pairs well with event fundraising letters

Designed by Vineyard Church North Phoenix, this event invitation was originally designed for congregants to invite their friends and family to an upcoming service. However, you can copy their approach by featuring photos you’ve taken and featuring welcoming text such as “You’re Invited” or “Join us!”

9. Recurring Gift Fundraising Letters

What are recurring gift fundraising letters?

Recurring donations provide nonprofits with steady and predictable income that allows them to plan for and maintain effective operations over time. In fact, recurring donors contribute 42% more each year than one-time donors. Whether you’re looking to expand your recurring gifts program or get started for the first time, well-written recurring donation letters can be immensely useful.

Recurring donation letters are tailored to appeal to dedicated supporters who may be interested in supporting your cause on a regular, automated schedule. These letters should provide an overview of the benefits of recurring gifts (for your mission as well as for the donor) and provide instructions on how they can sign up if interested.

To whom should you send them?

Send recurring gift letters primarily to donors who have already recently supported your cause, especially those who have made several one-off donations. However, first-time donors can also be good candidates for these programs if they’ve shown a commitment and a willingness to support your cause in the past.

When should you use them?

You should send a recurring donation letter to an existing supporter after they contribute a one-time gift to your organization—ideally within a few weeks following the most recent donation.

Additionally, you might decide to host a “recurring gift campaign” and promote your monthly giving program to all supporters. This can take place at any time during the year but may be particularly effective during the end-of-year holiday giving season. You can even set and communicate a goal for the number of recurring donors you’d like to sign up by a target date to drive urgency and leverage a sense of social proof.

Recurring fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor],

I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to reach out to you about joining [Nonprofit]’s recurring gift program. By setting up a recurring gift, you can provide ongoing support for our mission to [summary of mission statement or purpose] and provide services for [primary audience benefitting from your organization’s programming].

Recurring gifts are a convenient and effective way to support our organization. By making a regular monthly gift, you can help us to offer [list specific services provided by your organization] to those in need.

To sign up for the program, go to our website here [URL for recurring donation page] or text [recurring donation keyword] to [fundraising shortcode].

Thank you for your generosity.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Recurring gift fundraising eCard example

This eCard communicates the impact of recurring donations, making it ideal to send alongside your monthly donation fundraising letters.

Imagine you receive a fundraising letter paired with an eCard of a cute dog with pleading eyes. Wouldn’t you be compelled to donate to whichever animal rescue organization sent it to you? Try creating a greeting card like the one above and featuring text that communicates the impact of ongoing support.

10. Capital Campaign Fundraising Letters

What are capital campaign fundraising letters?

A capital campaign is a fundraising initiative that aims to meet a high-dollar goal over a relatively long time frame (often one to three years). Dedicated fundraising letters are an excellent choice for soliciting support for this campaign.

This letter should explain the purpose behind the dedicated fundraising effort, which is often used to reach a significant goal. Oftentimes, nonprofits launch capital campaigns to collect funding to build a new facility, purchase high-cost equipment, or establish an endowment fund, so you’ll want to specify the need and how it will impact your cause as a whole.

To whom should you send them?

Capital campaign letters are generally sent to your nonprofit’s existing donors. And don’t count them out if they’ve recently given to a different fundraising initiative, either. A capital campaign donation is generally considered an “above and beyond” contribution. Just be sure to acknowledge their other gifts and explain how the efforts are differentiated.

To produce optimal campaign results, segment your contact list according to donors’ previous engagement with your organization, giving history, and estimated capacity to give.

When should you use them?

Since a capital campaign is split into two key phases (the Private Phase and the Public Phase), it’s important to understand when you should employ your fundraising letters.

Generally, the Private Phase kickstarts your campaign by exclusively engaging major donors, board members, and other particularly high-value individuals. While you may opt to utilize capital campaign letters as a cultivation or stewardship strategy in this phase, you’ll likely make your largest asks in person (or, at the very least, over the phone). Nonprofits typically raise at least 75% of their goals in this phase.

Once you get to the Public Phase, however, your well-crafted fundraising letters can be an excellent tool for driving your campaign to the finish line with donation appeals sent to low- and mid-level supporters.

Capital campaign fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor],

On behalf of [Nonprofit], we are excited to announce a new and exciting capital campaign. And we’d like to invite you to join us in our efforts!

This large-scale fundraiser has a lofty goal of $[fundraising goal] to [summary of campaign purpose].

As you know, our organization is committed to [brief description of mission]. With your support, we’ve been able to make great strides in these areas, but we know that there is still much work to be done. That’s why we’re launching this campaign to raise the funds we need to [reiterate campaign purpose], which will have a transformative impact on our ability to fulfill our mission.

This is a critical time in our organization’s history, and we need your support to make our vision a reality. We believe that with your help, we can [describe the impact of the campaign, such as improving the lives of those we serve, expanding services, etc.].

This campaign will span over the next three years, and we are committed to transparency throughout the campaign. We’ll provide regular updates on our progress and milestones achieved.

We appreciate your consideration and hope that you can join us in this important endeavor.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Capital campaign fundraising eCard example

Send eCards with building-related designs like this with your capital campaign fundraising letters.

Capital campaigns require substantial amounts of support. If you’re building something, try including a stock photo of blueprints or actual project renderings on your nonprofit eCards. This will show you’re serious about the end result and your plans are already underway. You can also include a witty phrase like “Lay the foundation for tomorrow” or “Help build our future.”

11. Annual Fund Fundraising Letters

What are annual fund fundraising letters?

An annual fund is a nonprofit’s ongoing fundraising campaign that seeks to collect unrestricted funds—money not set aside for a particular project or program—for the organization. These funds often cover facility costs, staff salaries, and other “non-mission related” expenses. Annual fund fundraising letters solicit donations that go toward the fund.

These letters should focus primarily on the good work your organization is doing, highlighting recent, ongoing, and future projects made possible by generous donor funding.

To whom should you send them?

Just about anyone who has shown interest in your organization and its mission can be a great candidate for your annual campaign fundraising letters! This includes:

  • Existing donors
  • Prospective donors in your pipeline
  • Volunteers
  • Event attendees
  • Newsletter subscribers
  • Social media followers

You can also send these letters to try and re-engage lapsed donors, so consider sending your annual fund letters to that segment as well.

When should you use them?

An annual fund is typically a never-ending initiative with no set “finish line,” so organizations often collect donations for their annual funds year-round!

Aim to have a few annual fund pushes throughout the year to devote a good deal of time and resources toward driving support for the campaign. Then, you may decide to send one-off annual fund letters as a way to engage new supporters as they get involved with your cause.

Annual fundraising letter template

Dear [Donor],

I am writing to you on behalf of [Nonprofit] to invite you to support our annual fund campaign. Your donation helps us to provide [summary of services provided by your organization] to those in need. Plus, it allows us to continue our mission to [brief overview of mission statement or purpose].

This year, we aim to raise $[fundraising goal] from generous donors like you. We collected a record $[funds raised in the previous annual fund campaign] for our annual fund, and I think we can surpass it this year.

We appreciate your ongoing support and hope that you can consider making a donation to our annual fund campaign today. If so, please mail a check using the enclosed pre-stamped and pre-addressed envelope or make an online donation by scanning the QR code below [QR code redirects to your online giving form URL].

Thanks again for your generosity.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Annual fund fundraising eCard example

Sample online fundraising eCard

This eCard is perfect for an environmental organization to solicit donations year-round. It features a nature-inspired design complete with green, Earth-themed graphics. An alluring eCard like this can help capture attention for your fundraising letter.

12. Corporate Sponsorship Letters

What are corporate sponsorship letters?

Corporate sponsorship letters are used by nonprofits, schools, or other organizations looking to receive support from for-profit companies for a specific project or event.

Though they can vary depending on the company or nonprofit, sponsorship letter packages typically include the following components:

Corporate sponsorship letter packages typically include the sponsorship proposal letter and a document on sponsorship levels.

  • A sponsorship proposal cover letter, or the formal request for a sponsorship donation. It explains the nonprofit’s fundraising need and details how the funds will be used.
  • A sponsorship level document, which determines how companies decide how much they’d like to give. This resource often lists a few sponsorship levels to choose from and the perks that come with each. The higher the donation, the more perks the company receives.

Plus, there’s typically a sponsorship acknowledgment letter sent afterward to thank the company for its contributions.

To whom should you send them?

Send your corporate sponsorship request letters to any businesses with which you’re interested in partnering. A few ways to locate top prospects include identifying companies already in your network, such as your donors’ employers and top matching gift-givers, local businesses in your own community, and companies known for being particularly charitable.

When should you use them?

Sponsorship letters should be sent out well in advance of your event or project. This gives companies enough time to consider and respond to your donation request.

Furthermore, your nonprofit should send sponsorship acknowledgment letters immediately after a donation has been made and after the event has ended.

Corporate sponsorship letter template

Dear [CEO/CSR Manager/Business Owner],

I am writing on behalf of [Nonprofit], an organization dedicated to [summary of your mission, vision, and how you serve your community].

We are hosting our [event name] on [date] at [location]. Last year’s event was such a huge success that we decided to host it again!

In the past, this event has raised $[amount] and has [list out specific accomplishments using statistics and figures].

This year we’re hoping to raise even more! Our goal is $[amount], and we were hoping you could help us reach that goal.

By becoming one of our corporate sponsors, you’ll be able to [list projects that corporate donations could help accomplish].

We’ve also listed out some of the incentives and perks that your company can enjoy should you decide to become one of our corporate sponsors in our attached Sponsorship Levels Document. Regardless of the amount you choose to give, your company name will be included in our event program, and you’ll be mentioned in the press release that we’ll publish on our website.

We’re accepting cash donations as well as gifts-in-kind of goods or services.

Please browse the Sponsorship Levels Document to find the giving level that’s right for your company. If you’re ready to make a donation, tear off the perforated section of the following document and send it back to us in the self-addressed envelope we’ve enclosed.

I’d like to thank you in advance for your generosity. Please don’t hesitate to contact me directly at [phone number] or [email] if you have any questions.

All the best,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Corporate sponsorship eCard example

This eCard is an example of how you can showcase beneficiaries when sending sponsorship fundraising letters.

Connect with prospective sponsors on an emotional level by including images of your beneficiaries. You can showcase their situations and make your case for support that much more compelling when sending your sponsorship letters.

Check out other sponsorship request letters here

13. Donor Thank-You Letters

What are donor thank-you letters?

Donor thank-you letters are pretty self-explanatory. These letters (or emails!) thank supporters for their contributions to a recent fundraising campaign. Sending personalized gift acknowledgments is an excellent way to deepen your relationship with supporters and keep your cause at the forefront of their minds.

Best practices for effective thank-you notes include:

  • Greeting the recipient by name
  • Acknowledging the donor’s specific means of support
  • Addressing the impact made possible through their gift

Plus, you can share additional involvement opportunities (without asking for another gift). Encourage supporters to follow your social media pages, subscribe to your newsletter, or request a matching gift from their employer!

To whom should you send them?

Send thank-you letters to all of your supporters. In addition to traditional donors, this includes volunteers, in-kind givers, corporate sponsors, peer-to-peer fundraisers, matching gift donors, and more.

When should you use them?

Thank-you letters should be sent out as soon as possible after receiving a contribution. Ideally, this should be done within 48 hours of the initial gift being made.

It’s not a bad idea to use multiple channels, either. Consider sending an automated acknowledgment email immediately and following up with a tangible note in the days or weeks afterward. You can never be too appreciative of your donors!

Donor thank-you letter template

Dear [Donor],

I can’t tell you how much all of us at [Nonprofit] appreciate your generous support of our cause. Thanks to your donation of $[amount], we’ll be able to [list out specific goals, objectives, etc., made possible through the gift].

We are so grateful for your belief in our organization’s work.

At [Nonprofit], we are committed to transparency and accountability. Therefore, we’ll be sure to keep you informed about how your donation is making a difference in the lives of those we serve. We couldn’t do it without you!

I also wanted to let you know that we’ll be hosting an exclusive donor appreciation event on [date]. We’d love to extend an invitation to you to participate in this opportunity, with more details to come! Our current donors have all enjoyed developing a stronger partnership with our organization, and I’m hoping you’ll do the same.

Thanks a million,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Donor thank-you eCard example

Send a thank you letter alongside an eCard like this example.

Show donors some love with an eCard alongside your thank-you letters. Youth for Understanding offered several eCards that past beneficiaries could send to thank anyone who made their experience with the organization memorable. Add a custom note alongside an eCard like this, and the recipient will have a thoughtful keepsake that inspires them to keep giving!

Explore more donor thank-you letters and templates

14. Fundraising Update Letters

What are fundraising update letters?

Fundraising update letters are post-fundraising campaign communications sent to supporters. These messages allow you to wrap up loose ends, celebrate success, and look to future plans and goals.

This letter should contain a summary of your recent campaign (e.g., event, crowdfunding effort, peer-to-peer fundraiser, capital campaign, etc.) and your overall level of success (whether you reached or exceeded your fundraising goal). Plus, you’ll want to provide additional context, reminding your audience how the funding will be used to further your mission. And don’t forget to thank each recipient for the role they played in driving your fundraising efforts forward.

To whom should you send them?

Anyone involved with your fundraising campaign should receive a campaign update letter! This includes donors of all giving levels, volunteers, corporate sponsors, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and more who made your fundraising success possible.

You might even decide to send fundraising update letters to existing supporters who opted not to partake in your fundraiser. This can allow them to stay up to date on organization happenings and celebrate the generosity of their fellow donors.

When should you use them?

Like donor thank-you notes, fundraising campaign update letters should be sent as soon as possible. Rather than following each donor’s contribution, however, wait until the entire campaign has wrapped up. Then, send your letters in the following days or weeks to celebrate their support.

Think of this type of fundraising letter as the big finale after your solicitation letters and other engagement efforts!

Fundraising update letter template

Dear [Donor],

I wanted to reach out and provide an update on our fundraising efforts at [Nonprofit].

Thanks to your generous support, we were able to surpass our fundraising goal of $[insert fundraising goal] by over $[amount raised beyond your goal]. All in all, we collected $[total raised through the campaign] that is going to make a huge difference in the lives of [primary audience benefitting from your organization’s services].

Now, we will continue to work toward [nonprofit vision] by [list several specific projects or programs receiving funding from the recent campaign].

And we’ve already gotten started! Check out this photo to see how things have been going over here:

[Insert picture showcasing your organization’s efforts; ideally, a new project or program. Ex: breaking ground on a new building]

We are so grateful for your ongoing support and appreciate your commitment to our mission to [summary of mission statement or purpose]. We could not do this important work without your help.

Thank you for your ongoing generosity.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

[Name]

[Title]

[Nonprofit]

Donor thank-you eCard example

After sending fundraising letters, be sure to update donors with an eCard like this one.

Perfect for an environmental nonprofit, this eCard emphasizes a core mission of rebuilding the planet. It features a nature-inspired design that reminds the recipient of the cause at hand. Then, the sender can use the thank-you letter to provide concrete updates and explain the donor’s role in making the mission possible.

Click through to learn more about how 360MatchPro can help your nonprofit earn more from its fundraising letters with matching gifts.

Wrapping Up (& Sending Off!)

Crafting effective fundraising letters is vital to just about any giving campaign⁠. This is true for nonprofits as well as churches, schools, and even individuals.

To make your appeals impactful, it’s essential to understand your recipients and personalize your message accordingly. From there, you’ll want to convey your organization’s mission in a way that resonates with your audience and provide a clear call to action to support your cause.

For more valuable fundraising tips and tricks, check out these additional resources:

Learn how eCardWidget can help you revamp your fundraising letters and send them as eCards.]

Check out these 40+ marketing ideas for nonprofits to help spread your mission.

40+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits to Spread Your Mission

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Nonprofits are always pressed for funds, especially when it comes to their marketing budgets. There are so many exciting marketing ideas for nonprofits, but your organization might not have the resources to pull them off.

It’s important for your organization to know how to market on a budget. Effective nonprofit marketing allows people to find your organization, learn about your cause, and show their support. Without a strong marketing strategy, your organization cannot grow and reach its intended audiences.

Your organization can create a successful marketing strategy without spending tons on extra resources, though. In this article, we’ll walk you through over 40 marketing ideas for nonprofits that will help promote your organization without breaking the bank.

We’ll teach you how to use the resources you already have and introduce you to free and affordable resources you can leverage. Here’s a sneak peek at the categories of nonprofit marketing ideas we’ll cover:

It’s our job at Double the Donation to connect nonprofits with matching gift opportunities. Since we work with organizations looking to maximize their fundraising potential, we know just how important every last penny in your budget is. That’s why we’ve created this guide to marketing ideas for nonprofits that will help you promote your organization at little to no cost.

Now that we know where we’re headed, let’s jump right into these proven marketing ideas for nonprofits!Interested in earning $10,000 per month for your online marketing? Work with our recommended provider.

Nonprofit Marketing Basics

The term “nonprofit marketing” refers to the use of typical marketing strategies for nonprofit purposes such as amplifying your organization’s cause and mission, soliciting donations, and recruiting supporters.

As a nonprofit, your main goal is accomplishing your organization’s mission. To make your aspirations a reality, you’ll need to get others involved in your organization. It takes donors, volunteers, board members, and event attendees among others to ensure that your nonprofit can give back to the community it serves.

To let others know about the great work you’re doing, you’ll need to leverage a combination of proven marketing ideas for nonprofits.

Benefits of Effective Nonprofit Marketing

However, it’s easier said than done to pull off a nonprofit marketing campaign. There’s a lot of planning involved in developing a well-thought-out marketing plan. Despite the challenges that may come with nonprofit marketing, the resulting benefits will help your organization soar.

Nonprofit marketing can empower your organization to:Nonprofit marketing has many benefits for your organization.

  • Rally support for your cause. Educating people about your mission is a crucial part of nonprofit marketing. It allows people to understand not only the work your organization does but also why you do it and how they can help.
  • Fundraise. Perhaps the most concrete way to measure your organization’s success is by the amount of money you’re able to raise for your cause. Sharing your nonprofit with others will help your fundraising efforts immensely.
  • Foster donor relationships. One-time donations are not a sustainable fundraising source for your organization. Studies show that recurring donations are better for maximizing your fundraising potential. The best way to ensure regular donations is to curate good relationships with donors through consistent marketing.
  • Recruit other supporters. While donors are great assets to your organization, they’re not the only people who can help. Volunteers, board members, and event attendees all serve important roles for your organization. Marketing your nonprofit effectively will allow you to gather all the support you need.
  • Advertise your services. Before contributing to your cause, most people will want to know exactly what your organization does in service of its mission. With effective marketing ideas, you can make sure potential supporters understand the services your nonprofit provides.

It’s clear to see that nonprofit marketing offers so many advantages for your organization. However, you might be wondering where to start in the marketing process. To help you out, we’ll go over the best marketing ideas for nonprofits in a variety of useful categories.

The Top Nonprofit Marketing Idea: The Google Ad Grant

When looking for more information about a nonprofit, a cause, or truly anything, most people turn to Google first. That’s what makes the Google Ad Grant program so powerful. If you’re a qualifying nonprofit, Google will give your organization $10,000 per month in ad credits for free. With these funds, you can promote a variety of programs, including:

  • Educational content
  • Upcoming events
  • Volunteer registration forms
  • Advocacy activities
  • Donation and sponsorship opportunities
  • Nonprofit services

Of possible content to advertise, your educational content is likely to see the best results. This is because most people using Google to find nonprofit causes are entering queries related to the issues they’re most interested in. By marketing your high-quality educational content, you’ll earn clicks from these visitors who will then see your nonprofit as a reputable source of knowledge, leading them to continue exploring your website and even donating.

Of course, you can promote more than just your educational content, and most nonprofits using the Google Ad Grant do! Google Ad Grant campaigns allow nonprofits to create ads targeting multiple goals at once. Here’s a breakdown of the Google Ad structure:

As the image depicts, each Google Ad Grant account can run multiple campaigns. Each of these campaigns has an overarching goal, like educating supporters, attracting volunteers, or raising funds. In each of these campaigns are ad groups. Each ad group focuses on a specific keyword, like “volunteer opportunities,” “pet adoptions,” “Chicago homelessness,” and so on depending on the ad campaign’s goal.

Finally, each ad group contains multiple ads which are different messages targeting the ad group’s keyword. Individual ads will use different language and strategies to appeal to different audiences, helping you attract a variety of supporters searching your target keyword.

To get started with Google Ads, all you have to do is apply and follow all program requirements.

If you need help wielding this amazing resource, reach out to a Google Grants agency. We recommend Getting Attention! They’ll assist you with every step, including applying for the program, choosing keywords to target, and making sure your account is compliant with all requirements.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Building Their Missions

As we’ve mentioned before, your nonprofit’s mission is central to its goals and aspirations. It should also be one of the main focuses of your marketing efforts. Since it lays the groundwork for your organization’s values, your mission should inform your branding, outreach tactics, and promotional content.

If you don’t have a well-developed mission or want to give yours a refresh, try some of these nonprofit marketing ideas for building your organization’s mission:To build your organization's mission, you'll want to leverage some of these marketing ideas for nonprofits.

  • Write a powerful tagline. When it comes to marketing, people absorb more information when it’s concise. Your mission is one of the most important aspects of your organization, so you’ll want prospective supporters to understand it right away. Take the time to condense your mission into a short tagline that you can use in your marketing materials.
  • Establish standards for design, personality, and attitude. Make a good first impression with cohesive branding. From the way your website looks to the way your employees act, every aspect of your organization should work together to form a perfect picture of your nonprofit.
  • Rework your nonprofit’s appearance. Speaking of branding, changing yours up can bring new life to your organization. A funky new logo or elevated graphics can entice potential supporters and demonstrate your willingness to improve your nonprofit. You can even reach out to a graphic design company for help with your organization’s new look.
  • Be upfront about your organization’s goals and results. People interested in your organization want to know what you’re trying to accomplish and what you’ve been able to achieve so far. Being open about your nonprofit’s operations lays a solid foundation for great relationships with potential supporters.
  • Share what you do well. It never hurts to brag a little! Your organization is doing amazing work, and people should see that. If you show confidence in your nonprofit and highlight its strengths, people will be more eager to get involved.
  • Use storytelling. Giving people specific examples of individuals you’ve helped fosters deeper connections between your supporters and your organization. Stories make your marketing more personal and digestible for prospective supporters.
  • Create a marketing plan. To stay focused and organized, you’ll need a comprehensive marketing plan. That way, you’ll have all of your goals and intentions in one place for you to easily go back and reference.

Your mission is the foundation of your marketing efforts, but now it’s time to expand them! Head to your nearest computer or phone to start sharing your incredible organization with others.

Bonus Tip: Include your nonprofit’s values in all of your marketing values, including your Google Ads!

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Advertising Their Services

Letting others know what your organization does is essential to earning their support. Your nonprofit does great work, so why not show it off? Advertise your services with the following online and offline marketing ideas for nonprofits.

There are so many nonprofit marketing ideas for advertising your organization’s services.

Online Advertising Ideas

The internet allows you to share your services with a variety of people with the click of a button. Whether you want to invest in paid advertising or create eye-catching merchandise, there are endless ways to stand out in the digital space. In addition to the Google Ad Grant, try out these online marketing ideas for nonprofits:

  • Tell your supporters about peer-to-peer fundraising. Your supporters can help fundraise for your organization and advertise your nonprofit in the process. With peer-to-peer fundraising, people raise money by collecting donations from their friends and family. To encourage your supporters to participate, teach them how to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page. An even easier method is to leverage the built-in peer-to-peer fundraising options on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. This fundraising option is especially popular around holidays and birthdays, so if you know your supporters’ birthdates, you can proactively reach out and encourage them to create a fundraiser on your nonprofit’s behalf
  • Track your analytics. Data is the key to figuring out which of your marketing efforts are effective. Use Google Analytics or another similar tool to track and review website traffic and the actions people take once they’re there. That way, you can see if there are any patterns or areas where you can improve. For example, if a certain landing page on your site isn’t getting much traffic, it might be time to refresh it to make it more worthwhile for your supporters.
  • Sell branded merchandise. Turn your supporters into walking advertisements with branded merchandise! It’s a win-win situation because you’ll get to collect more for your cause and receive free advertising, while your supporters will get to show the world what they believe in. Branded t-shirts are always a great idea, but you could also go with hats, tote bags, or mugs depending on your audience’s preferences. Once you work with a graphic design company to bring your merchandise to life, you can set up an online store and let your supporters know all about it!

Online advertising is a proven way to connect with larger audiences than ever before. Break down geographical barriers by leveraging some of these marketing strategies.

Work with Getting Attention to leverage paid advertising!

Offline Advertising Ideas

Digital marketing is all the rage these days, and for good reason. However, that doesn’t mean that more traditional offline marketing efforts should go extinct. While online marketing can expand your reach, offline marketing can help create a personal experience for your supporters. Use these offline marketing ideas for nonprofits in conjunction with your online ones:

  • Create flyers. A good old-fashioned flyer is a great way to grab potential supporters’ attention. It allows you to fit an abundance of information about your organization into a small, foldable, and engaging handout. You can send flyers in your direct mail campaigns, hand them out at events, or keep them in your organization’s office for walk-ins. People will love the opportunity to learn about your organization’s services in an easily digestible format.
  • Recruit brand ambassadors. Influencer marketing is a fairly new yet powerful way to promote your organization. Finding people with an online presence who truly care about your nonprofit’s mission and are willing to spread the word can help you reach new audiences quickly. These brand ambassadors can also help you host in-person events or sell your branded merchandise to get people excited about your organization.
  • Research larger organizations. If you want to be the best, you’ll have to learn from the best. Look into what larger, more experienced nonprofits are doing and see if yours can replicate it. You can even reach out to someone on the team of an organization you admire and ask if they’d be willing to give you some advice for your nonprofit.
  • Personalize your outreach. Reaching out to people using offline methods allows you to create more personal connections with them. For example, you could go up to a volunteer at an event to learn more about them or send your donors more information about matching gift opportunities in a customized postcard. People will appreciate the thoughtfulness that goes into these outreach methods and associate that quality with your organization.

For the best results, use a combination of online and offline marketing ideas. That way, you’ll reach different audiences and see which methods work best for which supporter segments.

Your mission is the foundation of your marketing efforts, but now it’s time to expand them! Head to your nearest computer or phone to start sharing your incredible organization with others.

Bonus Tip: Use your Google Ads to support other marketing efforts! Link to your peer-to-peer ambassador page and merchandise store.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Leveraging Technology

These days, there’s so much technology at our disposal to help us improve and innovate our everyday lives. For nonprofits, leveraging technology appropriately can expand their impact and help them reach new audiences through different channels.

To make sure your nonprofit knows how to use each type of technology effectively, we’ve split our technology nonprofit marketing ideas into three separate categories.

Website

Like all organizations, nonprofits use their websites to teach others about what they do and what they stand for. Ensure your organization’s website is the best it can be with these website nonprofit marketing ideas:

This image lists website marketing ideas for nonprofits.

  • Update your nonprofit’s website.From Squarespace to Wix to WordPress, there are so many website-building platforms that make the process easy. Include information about current and upcoming events and initiatives to entice potential supporters to become involved in your organization.
  • Make SEO a habit. If you’re leveraging the Google Ad Grant, you’ll still need to do your part to promote your website. Optimize your ads and your website to help internet searchers find your content. Research which relevant keywords you should include on your website often to keep up with any new trends. Additionally, make sure your website is mobile-friendly to improve your ranking in mobile search results.
  • Start a blog. Keeping an up-to-date blog allows you to display news about your organization and industry with long-form, informative content. Writing blog content about nonprofit-related topics also establishes your organization as a reputable source of information in the field.

As you create informational pages and blog articles for your nonprofit’s website, be sure to focus on quality content creation. Take the time to make sure your copy is clear and concise, and break the text up with graphics wherever possible to help the reader follow along. If you have the resources, hiring a qualified copywriting team will help to make sure the copy across your site is strong and cohesive.

Event Landing Page

Your nonprofit may already use event management software to plan and execute its fundraisers. Depending on the type of fundraiser and the software you use, you’ll be able to utilize different features to promote your fundraising initiatives.

Oftentimes, these platforms can help you build customized event landing pages to spread the word about your upcoming events. These pages can include:

  • Information about the event: This can include anything from the fundraiser’s date and time to event-specific details. For example, where will your annual walk-a-thon be held this year? Will your charity auction involve mobile bidding or physical bid sheets?
  • Forms to take action: Registration and donation forms can easily be embedded into your event landing page. This way, supporters are encouraged to immediately commit to a donation or participation in your event.
  • Information about your nonprofit: Include your mission or vision statement, a synopsis of your work, and other information about your nonprofit on your landing page. This draws visitors in and urges them to continue exploring your nonprofit’s website to learn more about the cause they’ll support by participating in your event.

Plus, the customizable nature of these landing pages allows you to incorporate your nonprofit’s branding, reinforcing supporters’ trust in your organization. By associating your brand with your fundraising events, you’ll attract attention to the heart of your fundraising and outreach efforts: your mission.

Social Media

Social media is not only how people stay connected to their family and friends, but also to the companies and organizations they care about. With nearly every organization out there maintaining a social media presence, it’s important to understand how you can make yours stand out. Here’s what we suggest:

  • Utilize different platforms. To connect with as many people as you can, your organization should create social media accounts on several different platforms. Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are great places to start. Twitter, TikTok, and Snapchat also offer unique ways to engage with your younger supporters.
  • Participate in trends. Perhaps the most important part of your social media presence is playing into current trends like using humor and short videos over images. That way, your content stays fresh and engaging for your supporters.
  • Create marketing videos. While images can be very informative, videos are better for eliciting emotion. Creating and sharing videos about your mission on social media will allow you to connect with your audience on a deeper level.
  • Take advantage of social media advertising. If you don’t feel that you’re reaching the correct audience organically, you can create ads on the social media platforms you’re using. For example, Facebook allows you to set up campaigns that target people based on a variety of factors such as age, gender, location, and interests. This approach can help you segment your supporters into different groups and communicate with them accordingly.
  • Connect your online assets. To promote your online presence, make it easy for people to jump from platform to platform. For example, you can create a social media post about a new blog article and add a link to the article in your social media account’s bio. That way, you’ll drive traffic from your social media page to your website’s blog. Doing so can allow people to interact with your organization in a different way and perhaps learn more about what your nonprofit does.Check out these social media marketing ideas for nonprofits.

Your nonprofit’s website and social media accounts are your biggest online assets. Now that we’ve covered them, it’s time to learn some general online marketing ideas for nonprofits.

General Online Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits

To get the most out of your online presence, it’s important to follow general digital marketing best practices. Check out these marketing ideas for nonprofits looking to rule the marketing game online:

  • Leverage multi-channel marketing. Just as it’s useful to have multiple social media platforms, it’s also important to take advantage of every digital marketing opportunity. Post on social media and update your website, but combine them with more traditional marketing methods such as emails, phone calls, and direct mail. This way, you’ll increase your chances of reaching out to your supporters with their preferred communication method.
  • Encourage your supporters to take action. Informing your supporters about your organization is great, but what exactly do you want them to do to help you out? Use calls to action across your marketing materials to work towards your goals. For example, include the link to your donation page in your Instagram bio and create a post encouraging people to contribute. To help promote your events, add your event registration link to your regular email newsletter. Note that the most effective calls-to-action start with determining what actions you want your supporters to take and making it easy for them to do so.
  • Host virtual events. In the past couple of years, we’ve seen virtual events take off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t still use them as a marketing tool. Hosting events online, such as webinars and panels, allows more people to participate than ever before. Since no physical space is required, people can easily participate in virtual events from wherever they are, presenting a unique opportunity to engage with all different types of supporters at once.Check out these general marketing ideas for nonprofits leveraging technology.

Leveraging technology effectively allows you to reach your intended audience and rally support for your cause. We know that your nonprofit is likely working with a tight marketing budget, though. To make sure your organization has the resources it needs to create the best online content possible, we’ll teach you how to save money in other marketing areas.

Bonus Tip: The Google Ad Grant can be a central part of your SEO strategy. The pages you create to promote through the Google Ad Grant should be highly valuable and keyword-optimized, setting them up to rank in organic search results, as well.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits On a Budget

Marketing can get expensive. However, there are ways that nonprofits can promote their organizations while still keeping costs low. Maximize your marketing potential while minimizing your spending with these marketing ideas for nonprofits on a budget:Try these marketing ideas for nonprofits on a budget.

  • Determine your marketing budget. It’s easiest to keep costs down when you have a clear budget in mind. That way, you’ll know exactly how much you can spend on your nonprofit’s marketing and allocate your resources accordingly. Include costs such as those for physical marketing collateral, marketing software, and staff time.
  • Plan your printing. Printing can get expensive very quickly. Besides, there are so many digital marketing methods your organization can leverage. Only print what needs to be printed, and try to print double-sided and in batches.
  • Use unbranded envelopes for direct mail. If you do need to print materials for a direct mail campaign, there are ways to keep your costs down. Sending unbranded envelopes will help you save money. Just remember to indicate that the mail is from your organization in a different way so recipients don’t mistake it for junk mail.
  • Add a “Donate Now” button to your Facebook page. As we mentioned before, calls to action are key to motivating your supporters to contribute to your cause. Adding a “Donate Now” button to your nonprofit’s Facebook page is an easy way to encourage donations. The best part is that it’s free as long as your nonprofit qualifies for Facebook’s fundraising tools.
  • Work with a local business. To help you out financially, many companies are happy to pair up with a nonprofit. While you get extra funding or resources for your marketing efforts, they get to give back to their community. Before you look for a local business willing to work with you, determine what you want to get out of the partnership. Examples of corporate philanthropy include companies donating money directly to your organization, keeping a donation bucket in their store, or contributing food or supplies for your event.

It’s important to create a marketing budget and try to conserve resources when possible to save up for more expensive marketing efforts. These budget-friendly marketing ideas for nonprofits are a great place to start to maximize every dollar your organization earns!

Bonus Tip: The Google Ad Grant provides free ad credits, making it a low-cost way to attract attention to your website. All you need to do is put in the initial effort to get your site up to Google’s quality standards and complete the application process. From there, you’ll just need to create and maintain your ads.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Forming Stakeholder Relationships

There are so many different stakeholders involved in your organization. Donors, partners, volunteers, board members, sponsors, and event attendees all play a huge role in your nonprofit’s success. With that, it’s important to form good relationships with your stakeholders so you can build a strong support network.

In this section, we’ll go over some marketing ideas for nonprofits starting and stewarding relationships with their stakeholders.

Starting the Stakeholder Relationship

Building a good foundation for your relationships with stakeholders is essential to making sure your connections are long-lasting. Here are some marketing ideas for nonprofits beginning new stakeholder relationships:With these marketing ideas for nonprofits, you can start stakeholder relationships off right.

  • Look for opportunities to form new connections. For newer organizations especially, it can be tough to find stakeholders to work with. You have to put your organization out there and seek out potential partnerships. Leverage any connections you may already have and form new ones by reaching out on social media or attending a nonprofit conference in your industry. That way, you can start to meet people who may be potential stakeholders and have their own network of potential stakeholders they’re willing to share with you.
  • Create a welcome package. Once you initiate a relationship with a new stakeholder, it’s time to make them feel welcome in your community. Curate a package of information and branded merchandise to introduce new stakeholders to your nonprofit. You can include items as small as stickers of your logo to yard signs they can display to show their support for your organization. No matter what you send your new stakeholders, you’re showing them that you care.
  • Treat them to a meal. To form a more personal connection with a stakeholder, take them out to lunch or coffee. Learn more about your stakeholders and teach them more about your organization. You can answer any questions they may have and gather their feedback about their work with you so far. Not to mention, this is a great opportunity to learn more about who they are and what drives them to support causes like yours
  • Inform new donors of matching gift opportunities. Some of your new donors may not know what matching gifts are or if they’re eligible to participate. Make it easy for donors to identify matching gift opportunities by providing matching gift software that shows if their employers are willing to match their donations. That way, you can earn more, and your new donors can feel good about making an even bigger impact on your organization.

Now that you know how to start your stakeholder relationships off strong, it’s time to learn how to keep them that way with effective stewardship.

Stewarding the Stakeholder Relationship

Maintaining relationships with your stakeholders requires care and commitment. You must communicate with them well and respond to their needs. That way, you can build long-lasting connections that drive your work forward.

Practice good supporter stewardship with these marketing ideas for nonprofits:Use these marketing ideas for nonprofits to steward stakeholder relationships.

  • Communicate regularly and strategically. Like with any relationship, maintaining supporter relationships requires communication. Establish effective communication habits with your stakeholders by reaching out to them individually and sending email newsletters for each stakeholder type. You may want to assign different people to manage different stakeholder relationships so you don’t overwhelm any one person on your team. Additionally, you’ll want to choose an opportune time to communicate with your stakeholders. Factors that might influence the messages, timing, and platforms you use to communicate with supporters might include their age, career, lifestyle, or time zone.
  • Reach out to lapsed donors. Sometimes, donors will only contribute to your organization once. If so, you can encourage them to up their support, or inform them of different ways they can still support your nonprofit without contributing monetarily, such as by volunteering or sharing your social media posts. For recurring donors who haven’t contributed in a while, try sending them a gift or explaining new features of your donor program to spark that relationship once again.
  • Collect feedback. Listen to your stakeholders and any feedback they give you, whether it’s solicited or not. Stay true to your organization’s stakeholder guidelines, but also hear your stakeholders out. You want to provide them with a positive experience with your organization, and they may have some valuable suggestions for how to improve that experience.

If you’ve learned anything from this section, it should be that stakeholder relationships require effective communication. In the next section, we’ll dive into more nonprofit marketing ideas specifically focused on improving your organization’s communication skills.

Bonus Tip: Google Ad Grants are an opportunity to make a first impression on a large number of potential supporters. Start off on the right foot with strong ad copy, high-quality content, and a modern website.

Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits Staying in Touch with Their Supporters

It takes a lot of effort to keep up relationships with your supporters. With effective and regular communication, your nonprofit can keep supporters around and continue to grow your network. We’ll give you some marketing ideas for nonprofits working on their communication style and supporter involvement.

Once you develop relationships with partners and donors, communicate effectively to keep them with these marketing ideas for nonprofits.

Communication Style

You already know that the messages you communicate to your supporters are vital, but how you communicate those messages is just as important. Here are a few pointers to make sure you send the right messages to the right people in ways that will resonate with them.

  • Be timely. Simply responding to your supporters’ messages quickly shows that you care. Not only does it communicate that you want to address their concerns, but also that you want to respect their time.
  • Stay positive. Keeping a positive attitude in your communications will help supporters create a positive association with your nonprofit. Besides, it’s always more enjoyable to interact with organizations that have an optimistic outlook and kind employees.
  • Store individuals’ preferences in your supporter database. Organizing your supporters’ information in a database not only helps you learn more about them but also how they like to communicate. If you ask for supporters’ communication preferences and store that information in your database, then you can interact with supporters in the ways they prefer.
  • Create supporter segments. Segmentation is when you divide your supporters into categories based on certain characteristics in order to communicate with each group more effectively. There are various ways to segment your supporters. You may choose to divide them by stakeholder type with categories like donors, partners, clients, and board members. Another way to group supporters is by age, location, or length of involvement with your organization. That way, you can send relevant messages to the right people without flooding their inboxes with unnecessary messages.

Communicating with your supporters effectively will create a better reputation for your organization and lead to stronger stakeholder relationships.

Supporter Involvement

Communication goes both ways. You inform your supporters about what’s going on within your organization, but they report back to you with their thoughts and feelings about your nonprofit. These marketing ideas for nonprofits will help you get supporters more involved in your organization:

  • Survey your supporters. Your staff can brainstorm ways to make your organization better, but you’ll never know what more your supporters need unless you ask them. Sending out a survey will allow you to collect valuable feedback and show that you care about improving your supporters’ experiences with your organization.
  • Engage supporters on social media. Social media is built to help people create connections with each other. Strengthen your bonds with your supporters by making your social media presence interactive. For example, take advantage of polls, live stream capabilities, and Q&A features in the platforms you use.
  • Host events. What better way to get people involved than by gathering together in person? Hosting an event allows you to show off your organization and get your supporters excited about it. Deck out your event in branded materials such as table runners for a cohesive look. You can also plan activities such as raffles and games to make the event fun for everyone involved.
  • Interview supporters. As we discussed before, storytelling is a great way to make your marketing personal. For storytelling to work, you’ll need to collect stories from real people involved in your organization. Interview interested supporters so you can learn more about their experiences with your organization and use their quotes to promote your nonprofit across different channels.

Treating your supporters with the utmost care and respect begins with proper communication. You should use a give-and-take approach in which you update supporters about your organization and they give you feedback about your nonprofit in response. That way, you can work together with your supporters to constantly improve your organization.

Bonus Tip: As part of maintaining your website, continue posting high-quality content. Valuable research reports and blog posts are likely to get shared around, improving your nonprofit’s search ranking placements.

Conclusion & Additional Resources

Nonprofit marketing encompasses a range of considerations. In addition to the regular business concerns of how to promote your organization effectively, nonprofits must also worry about how to do so on a budget. With these marketing ideas for nonprofits, we’ve given you a head start on your marketing strategy to save you time and money.

We went over a ton of marketing ideas for nonprofits in this guide, but there may be some that you want to learn more about. To help you out, we’ve provided some resources that will allow you to dive deeper into some of our suggested nonprofit marketing ideas, including:

  • Google Ad Grants for Nonprofits: The Complete Guide. The Google Ad Grant program is a proven way to push your cause forward. Learn more about marketing your cause using paid advertising with this guide from Getting Attention.
  • 7 Steps to Design Your Nonprofit Logo. Logos build brand recognition among your supporters. Whether you’re creating your organization’s very first logo or refreshing an old one, take a look at this guide to help you out.
  • Creating Your Best Fundraising Flyer: 8 FAQs. If you’re looking for an easy and effective way to promote your organization or upcoming fundraiser, consider creating flyers. This article will answer frequently asked questions about fundraising flyers.
  • 12 Best Nonprofit Graphic Design Tools. A huge element of nonprofit marketing is creating a cohesive experience for your supporters. Using the right graphic design tools will allow you to create images that align with your organization’s branding and design standards.Promote your nonprofit online and capture more leads. Contact Getting Attention's team of Google Ad Grant to learn how you can earn more website traffic. Get a free consultation.
Matching Gifts and Relief & Development Nonprofits

Matching Gifts and Relief & Development Nonprofits

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In today’s nonprofit world, the collaboration between individual giving and corporate philanthropy has become more essential than ever. Charitable organizations working tirelessly to provide relief and development services often rely on the generosity of both groups to fund their vital initiatives. And that’s how matching gifts and relief and development nonprofits go hand in hand.

In this guide, we’ll explore matching gifts and their role in bringing mission-focused organizations like yours to new heights. This includes:

Corporate matching gifts offer a win-win opportunity for nonprofit causes—including those in the relief and development sector. Growing your knowledge of these powerful initiatives can set you and your team up for long-term, ongoing success.

Let’s get started!

The Basics: Matching Gifts and Relief & Development Orgs

Before jumping into the specific tools and strategies that can aid your relief and development organization in maximizing matching gifts, it helps to build a solid understanding of the opportunity at hand.

By definition, matching gifts are a specific form of corporate philanthropy in which participating companies match donations their employees make to qualifying nonprofit causes.

Corporate matching gift opportunities offer widespread benefits to the participating parties. These include…

  • The recipient organization, which ultimately receives two gifts for the cost of soliciting one. Not to mention, the nonprofit can benefit from increased donor engagement and strengthened individual relationships.
  • The initial donor, who gets to see their charitable contribution stretch twice (or even three times!) as far for a nonprofit cause they care about.
  • The contributing company, as it’s positively impacted by elevated employee engagement, improved brand reputation for its social responsibility, significant tax benefits, and more.

From a nonprofit perspective, the opportunity is too big to overlook. Still, matching gifts are left on the table each year—to the tune of $4 to $7 billion in unclaimed match revenue.

In order to position your organization for matching gift success, it helps to familiarize yourself with some of the most popular matching gift programs and their eligibility criteria.

Companies That Match to Relief & Development Causes

Many companies provide employees with the opportunity to double their support for the nonprofits they care about. Here are a few businesses with standout program offerings in the relief and development sector!

Johnson and Johnson matches gifts to relief and development organizations.

Johnson & Johnson

As a leading provider of matching gift funds, Johnson & Johnson is committed to supporting relief and development through its generous employee matching gift program and other philanthropic initiatives.

Employees who donate to eligible organizations can have their contributions matched by the company, enabling individuals to amplify their giving. Ultimately, it incentivizes team members and corporate leaders to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those served by relief organizations and beyond.

And here’s an overview of the company’s matching gift guidelines:

  • Minimum donation — $25
  • Maximum donation — $20,000
  • Match ratio — 2:1
  • Qualifying employees — Full-time, part-time, retired
  • Qualifying nonprofits — Relief and development organizations and nearly all other 501(c)(3) causes

Explore Johnson & Johnson’s matching gift program here.

Edgewell matches gifts to relief and development organizations.

Edgewell Personal Care

Encompassing some of the most prominent grooming, skin, sun, and feminine care brands, Edgewell Personal Care recognizes the importance of supporting widespread nonprofit causes. Thus, Edgewell employees have the opportunity to double their donations to eligible relief and development organizations⁠—along with other nonprofit missions.

This empowers qualifying employees to contribute to positive change and aid in disaster recovery, community development, and more. And here’s an overview of the matching program:

  • Minimum donation — $25
  • Maximum donation — $5,000
  • Match ratio — 1:1
  • Qualifying employees — Full-time, part-time employees
  • Qualifying nonprofits — Relief and development organizations and many others

Explore Edgewell Personal Care’s matching gift program here.

3M matches gifts to relief and development organizations.

3M Company

At 3M, employees are encouraged to make a greater impact through personal donations by participating in the company’s matching gift program. When individuals donate to eligible nonprofits⁠—like relief and development organizations⁠—3M Company matches at a dollar-for-dollar rate, effectively doubling the support provided.

This program aids in multiplying the reach of relief and development efforts to help communities grow and thrive. Take a look at the program overview below:

  • Minimum donation — $25
  • Maximum donation — $1,000
  • Match ratio — 1:1
  • Qualifying employees — Full-time, part-time, retired
  • Qualifying nonprofits — Relief and development organizations, educational institutions, and most other nonprofits

Explore 3M Company’s matching gift program here.

Intel matches gifts to relief and development organizations.

Intel Corporation

Intel Corporation aims to make a global difference in relief and development initiatives, and one way it’s doing so is through a generous matching gift program. This effort encourages Intel employees to increase the impact of their donations to eligible organizations, supporting critical relief efforts, contributing to sustainable development projects, and improving the lives of communities around the world.

Here’s an overview of the matching gift program guidelines:

  • Minimum donation — $10
  • Maximum donation — $5,000
  • Match ratio — 1:1
  • Qualifying employees — Full-time, part-time, retired
  • Qualifying nonprofits — Relief and development organizations, educational institutions, and many other nonprofits

Explore Intel Corporation’s matching gift program here.

JPMorgan Chase matches gifts to relief and development organizations.

JPMorgan Chase

JPMorgan Chase recognizes the importance of supporting relief organizations in their mission to foster sustainable development. Through its employee matching gift program, the company encourages employees to multiply the impact of their own donations to qualifying causes, thus demonstrating an ongoing commitment to supporting global communities.

And here’s an overview of the matching gift program:

  • Minimum donation — $10
  • Maximum donation — $1,000
  • Match ratio — 1:1
  • Qualifying employees — Full-time, part-time
  • Qualifying nonprofits — Relief and development organizations, health and human services, arts and cultural groups, civic and community organizations, and environmental nonprofits

Explore JPMorgan Chase’s matching gift program here.

Making the Most of Matching Gifts for Your Relief Group: Top Tips

At Double the Donation, we’ve worked with many relief and development organizations to aid in elevating their corporate matching gift fundraising. Here, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite tried-and-true tips to help your team unlock the full potential of matching gifts.

1. Utilize matching gifts to reach critical relief goals quickly.

When it comes to generating revenue for organizations that provide immediate assistance during and after natural disasters (such as food, water, shelter, and medical), it’s important to remember that great needs can arise very quickly. Luckily, matching gifts can play a key role in fundraising for these needs more effectively and efficiently than ever before.

After all, the offer of a corporate match does more than provide a free “bonus” donation⁠—which is a significant win in and of itself. It can also produce substantially heightened fundraising response rates and result in larger average gift amounts even before the match comes through.

Impact of matching gifts on relief and development organizations

2. Focus on doubling relief and development impact.

By participating in matching gift programs, eligible donors can contribute in even greater amounts to critical relief efforts, support sustainable development initiatives at new levels, and make an increasingly positive change in the lives of individuals and communities worldwide. Thus, it’s a good idea to communicate the amplified impact that matching gifts make possible in order to encourage your audience to participate.

For the greatest results, position the opportunity in terms of elevated tangible impact. For example, you might say something like this: “Double your contribution to support TWICE as many children in need,” or “Your donation plus a corporate match will enable our team to provide two kits of medical supplies for the cost of one.”

When you communicate the greater potential of each gift with an associated match, donors are more likely to get involved!

3. Automate the process so no matches are left unclaimed.

Our #1 tip for any organization has to do with streamlining matching gift operations with dedicated automation technology. Doing so allows nonprofit fundraisers to benefit from…

  • Better donor experiences (with guided assistance through the process);
  • More matches driven completion, ultimately producing additional matching gift funds for your cause;
  • Additional time not spent manually following up on matches that can be reallocated to other mission-critical activities.

Thus, automating matching gifts will be a game-changer for your relief organization. For example, Double the Donation’s industry-leading solution will identify more match-eligible gifts, integrate matching gifts directly into the giving process, trigger personalized follow-ups with company-specific guidelines and next steps, and track and report on matching gifts from start to finish.

See how it works in the video below:

Sample Matching Gift Messaging for Relief and Development Nonprofits

One of the best things you can do to drive matching gifts is to integrate matching gift promotions into your existing fundraising and marketing strategies. Check out these customizable templates to get started in your efforts!

Matching Gift Email Template:

Subject: Double Your Impact in Support of Relief and Development!

Dear [DONOR],

Your generous support has always made a significant difference in our relief and development efforts. Now, we have an exciting opportunity to make an even greater impact together.

Did you know that [COMPANY] has a matching gift program for employees like you? By simply submitting a matching gift request, you can double the impact of your donation to our organization. It’s an incredible way to amplify your support and help us provide vital relief, foster sustainable development, and transform lives.

Take a moment to check if your employer participates in a matching gift program and join us in this meaningful endeavor. Together, we can bring hope, resilience, and lasting change to communities in need.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our cause!

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[NONPROFIT]

Matching Gift Social Media Post Template:

Did you know that your donation to [NONPROFIT] can go twice as far? Many companies, like [COMPANY], [COMPANY], [COMPANY], and [COMPANY], offer matching gift programs to support nonprofits like ours. Take a moment to find out if your employer matches donations and maximize the impact of your support⁠—click the link to search the database tool on our website and learn more [URL].

Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those in need! #MatchingGifts #DoubleYourImpact #ReliefAndDevelopment

Matching Gift Text Message Template:

Hey [DONOR]! Did you know your employer might match your donation to [NONPROFIT]? Double the impact of your support and make an even greater difference in our relief and development efforts.

Click here to search for your employer, [URL], or get in touch with your HR department about their matching gift program today!

Matching Gift Web Page Template:

Multiply Your Impact for [NONPROFIT] with Matching Gifts

Double Your Donation, Double the Difference

Many companies have matching gift programs to support relief and development organizations like ours. By taking advantage of your employer’s matching gift program, you can double the impact of your donation and help us bring hope, support, and sustainable development to those in need. Check if your employer participates in a matching gift program and learn how to double your donation today.

[EMBEDDED COMPANY SEARCH TOOL]

Matching Gift Direct Mail Template:

Dear [DONOR],

Your support has been instrumental in our relief and development initiatives, and we want to share an exciting opportunity with you. Did you know that your employer may offer a matching gift program? By taking advantage of this program, your generous donation to [NONPROFIT] could be matched, effectively doubling the impact of your support.

We encourage you to reach out to your employer’s HR department to inquire about their matching gift program or visit the “Matching Gifts” tab on our website to learn more.

As always, your action makes a world of difference and helps us provide vital assistance to those in need.

Warm regards,

[NAME]

[NONPROFIT]

Final Thoughts

Matching gifts have the remarkable ability to transform nonprofit fundraising. By making the most of individual donor gifts and their associated corporate matches, relief and development organizations like yours can increase funding, expand programming, and maximize benefits for more individuals in need. And equipping your fundraising team with the right knowledge and tools can go a long way toward achieving optimal matching gift success.

Best of luck!

Keep learning⁠—check out these additional resources to dive deeper into matching gift strategies for organizations like yours:

Learn more about matching gifts for animal rescues with Double the Donation.

Matching Gifts for Homeless Shelters & Missions | A Guide

Matching Gifts for Homeless Shelters & Missions | A Guide

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As homelessness remains a persistent issue across the globe, the organizations that provide shelter and assistance to those in need are essential to our society. And in order to generate much-needed financial support for homeless shelters and nonprofit missions, impactful fundraising initiatives often come into play. Our favorite strategy for doing so is built around corporate matching gifts for homeless shelters and missions.

In this guide, we’ll provide an overview of corporate matching gift programs and share how these opportunities empower organizations to stretch their impact even further. Ultimately, it allows nonprofits like yours to maximize available resources that benefit widespread homeless communities⁠. In turn, those communities, as well as those supporting them, are also positively impacted.

It’s a win-win-win⁠—and an opportunity that your team should know more about. Dive in to explore the following topics:

A successful matching gift strategy produces more funds through both individual and corporate giving. This sets up nonprofit missions and shelters to do more to support the needs and lives of those experiencing homelessness.

It’s not an opportunity that you want to overlook.

What to Know About Matching Gifts for Homeless Shelters & Missions

Matching gifts can be a game-changer for organizations aiming to make the most of their fundraising efforts. Understanding the ins and outs of the programs is essential for maximizing their impact.

Here, we’ll cover the basics:

Corporate matching gifts are offered by companies to support their employees’ charitable contributions. When an employee donates to a qualifying nonprofit, the company matches the donation, typically at a dollar-for-dollar rate. These programs are designed to encourage philanthropy among employees and provide individuals with an active role in the company’s giving.

Each company establishes its own guidelines and requirements for matching gifts. While the guidelines vary from one employer to another, it helps to become familiar with common criteria⁠. For example, most companies determine minimum and maximum donation thresholds, match ratios, qualifying employees and nonprofit causes, and more.

Organizations interested in increasing revenue through matching gifts should proactively educate their donors. Though more than 26 million individuals qualify for corporate matching programs, an estimated 78% of the group has no idea their company participates. Thus, utilizing your website, emails, social media, and more to inform individuals about the potential to double their impact through matching gift programs can go a long way in driving submissions.

Donors love having the opportunity to get their gifts matched. In fact, studies indicate that the offer of matching gifts can even result in more donors giving⁠ (71% increase in response rate)—and giving in larger amounts⁠ (51% increase in average donation)—in the first place.

The matching gift process can be streamlined with automation. Managing matching gift programs can involve administrative tasks such as screening for potential matches, following up with qualifying donors, and tracking matching gift requests. Matching gift technology can significantly reduce the administrative workload, empowering your team to focus on mission-critical tasks.

Companies That Match Donations to Homeless Shelters

Matching gift programs can greatly benefit nonprofit homeless shelters like yours, providing them with additional funding to support their work. While there are far too many companies with mission-inclusive matching initiatives, take a look at a few exemplary companies with a focus on supporting nonprofit homeless shelters below.

The Home Depot matches gifts for homeless shelters and missions.

The Home Depot

Home Depot aims to support its employees’ philanthropic endeavors and make an impact on the communities in which it operates. With its corporate matching gift program, the company is able to do so!

Through this initiative, Home Depot employees have the opportunity to double their donations to eligible nonprofit organizations, including homeless shelters and missions, with a company match. This empowers employees to effectively double the impact of their own contributions, making a greater difference in supporting those in need.

Here’s a summary of the program offered:

  • Minimum donation ⁠— None
  • Maximum donation ⁠— $3,000
  • Match ratio ⁠— 1:1
  • Qualifying employees ⁠— Full-time, part-time
  • Qualifying nonprofits ⁠— Health and human services, civic and community organizations, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, environmental nonprofits, and more

Dive deeper into Home Depot’s matching gift program.

Starbucks matches gifts for homeless shelters and missions.

Starbucks

Similarly, Starbucks makes a point to financially back the nonprofit causes its employees⁠—or partners⁠—support. This produces a positive impact in the communities the company serves, including a focus on organizations that address homelessness and those affected by it.

Through the Starbucks Giving Match Program, employees have the opportunity to stretch their own dollars further, thus maximizing their donation impact.

Here’s a summary of the program offered:

  • Minimum donation ⁠— $25
  • Maximum donation ⁠— $1,000
  • Match ratio ⁠— 1:1
  • Qualifying employees ⁠— Full-time, part-time
  • Qualifying nonprofits ⁠— Nearly all, including health and human services, civic and community organizations, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, and environmental nonprofits

Dive deeper into Starbucks’s matching gift program.

Kimberly-Clark matches gifts for homeless shelters and missions.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

At Kimberly-Clark, employees’ charitable giving is valued and supported through a generous matching gift program. Qualifying employees are encouraged to donate to eligible nonprofit organizations⁠, with the company matching gifts for homeless shelters and other social good causes.

Kimberly-Clark also boasts a particularly high matching gift cap, encouraging high-level donors to get their gifts matched as well. (Not to mention, companies with lofty maximums tend to see heightened average participation rates of over 40%!)

Here’s a summary of the program offered:

  • Minimum donation ⁠— $50
  • Maximum donation ⁠— $10,000
  • Match ratio ⁠— 1:1
  • Qualifying employees ⁠— Full-time
  • Qualifying nonprofits ⁠— Health and human services, civic and community organizations, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, environmental nonprofits, and most others

Dive deeper into Kimberly-Clark Corporation’s matching gift program.

Colgate-Palmolive matches gifts for homeless shelters and missions.

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Colgate-Palmolive Company recognizes the importance of supporting charitable organizations, including those focused on homelessness and shelter services. Thus, through its matching gift program, employees are encouraged to support such causes. From there, the company matches employee gifts to stretch their value even further for the nonprofits they support.

Here’s a summary of the program offered:

  • Minimum donation ⁠— $25
  • Maximum donation ⁠— $8,000
  • Match ratio ⁠— 1:1
  • Qualifying employees ⁠— Full-time, part-time
  • Qualifying nonprofits ⁠— Health and human services, civic and community organizations, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, environmental nonprofits, and select others

Dive deeper into Colgate-Palmolive Company’s matching gift program.

Caterpillar Inc. matches gifts for homeless shelters and missions.

Caterpillar Inc.

Caterpillar Inc. values corporate social responsibility and provides a matching gift program as a key component of its dedication to supporting its employees’ charitable giving. Again, this company presents a generous donation maximum on an annual rolling basis⁠—and full-time, part-time, and retired employees are all encouraged to participate.

Here’s a summary of the program offered:

  • Minimum donation ⁠— $25
  • Maximum donation ⁠— $10,000
  • Match ratio ⁠— 1:1
  • Qualifying employees ⁠— Full-time, part-time, retired
  • Qualifying nonprofits ⁠— Health and human services, civic and community organizations, educational institutions, arts and cultural organizations, environmental nonprofits, and most others

Dive deeper into Caterpillar Inc.’s matching gift program.

Top Tips to Maximize Matching Gifts for Your Shelter or Mission

By effectively leveraging matching gift programs, shelters can enhance their ability to address homelessness and create positive change in their communities. Implementing the following practices in your strategy can help!

1. Use multiple screening methods to identify match-eligible donors.

The more you know about your donors⁠—and particularly the companies they work for⁠—the better you’ll be able to uncover matching gifts. If you already have donor employment data on hand, use the information to identify employers that match donations to shelters like yours.

And if you don’t know where a supporter works, we recommend employing multiple methods for collecting and screening this information. This might include a combination of…

  • Donation forms requesting employment data
  • Dedicated matching gift software
  • Email domain screening
  • Post-donation follow-up outreach
  • Employer appends services

By using multiple methods, organizations can ensure they capture all potential matching gift opportunities and increase their chances of securing additional funding. In fact, studies indicate that taking more than one approach to identifying match-eligible donors results in 77% more identified match-eligible donations.

Matching gift statistics for homeless shelters and missions

2. Don’t discount companies that typically exclude religious organizations.

If your shelter is associated with a religious institution, as many are, keep this in mind: you don’t necessarily need to discount companies with restrictions on matching gifts to religious causes. While some companies won’t match gifts to houses of worship, many still have policies open to supporting missions serving a secular purpose—like homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and more.

Thus, it’s crucial to thoroughly research (and perhaps reach out to) these companies to determine eligibility. And when you do so, be sure to provide a clear understanding of your shelter’s mission and the impact their matching gift could have on your community. Some decisions are made on a one-off basis, so it helps to put your best foot forward in positioning your cause as a worthy match recipient.

3. Consider volunteer grant programs (Dollars for Doers) as well.

In addition to traditional matching gift programs, where a company offers a financial match for an employee’s monetary support, many businesses also offer volunteer grants. Sometimes referred to as Dollars for Doers programs, these grants provide nonprofit organizations with grants based on an employee’s donation of their time. And if your shelter has a solid volunteer base, corporate volunteer grants can go a long way to amplify the value provided by existing support!

Consider volunteer grants in addition to matching gifts for homeless shelters.

Just be sure to inform your volunteer base⁠—as well as your nonprofit audience as a whole⁠—about the potential for corporate grants. Like matching gifts, many qualifying volunteers likely have no idea that their employer will match their time devoted to nonprofits like yours. Leveraging the opportunity can not only produce additional funding but also result in increased volunteer and community engagement.

4. Leverage constituent stories to communicate matching gift impact.

Constituent stories have a powerful impact when connecting with donors and illustrating the mission of a nonprofit homeless shelter. Thus, when communicating the value and importance of matching gifts, consider incorporating personal stories from individuals who have directly benefited from your services.

To get started, take a look at the total funds you’ve received from corporate matching in the past. If your organization has collected $5,000 in donation matches, translate that revenue sum into tangible outcomes and success stories. You might even say something like this: “Matching gifts have produced over $[TOTAL] in value for [ORGANIZATION]. Thanks to this funding made available by matching gift donors going above and beyond for our cause, we’ve been able to serve more people like [SAMPLE CONSTITUENT].”

The more your supporters can understand the impact of corporate matching gifts, the more likely they’ll be to take the steps required to solicit a match from their employer! And it always helps to put a face to your fundraising efforts when possible.

5. Invest in matching gift software to automate your efforts.

Matching gifts offer an excellent opportunity to maximize corporate giving revenue, but pursuing the funding source can be time-consuming on your own. That’s why we recommend organizations employ matching gift software⁠—like 360MatchPro⁠—to automate the process from start to finish.

A matching gift automation platform streamlines the experience for both nonprofits (such as your shelter or mission) and their donors, driving more matching gifts to completion than ever before. With groundbreaking features that include multiple forms of matching gift identification, automated post-donation follow-up messaging for donors, and match tracking through the disbursement process, your team is able to optimize its matching gift fundraising without the added effort.

6 Matching Gift Templates for Missions and Homeless Shelters

Bring your matching gift marketing efforts to the next level and get a headstart on your strategy. Take advantage of these free, customizable templates to begin incorporating corporate matching in your donor outreach.

1. Fundraising Appeal Template

[DONOR],

As we navigate the challenges of providing shelter and support to those experiencing homelessness in our community, we wanted to reach out and share an exciting opportunity to maximize the impact of your generosity.

Did you know that many companies offer matching gift programs to their employees? This means that when you make a donation to our homeless shelter, your employer may be willing to match it, effectively doubling the impact of your gift. It’s like giving twice the help to those in need!

By taking advantage of your employer’s matching gift program, you can significantly increase your contribution and provide even more critical resources to individuals and families seeking refuge and stability. This allows us to extend our reach and support more individuals in their journey toward permanent housing and self-sufficiency.

Here’s how you can make an even greater difference:

Make a donation: Your contribution, no matter the size, directly supports our efforts to provide a safe haven, nutritious meals, and essential services to individuals experiencing homelessness.

Check if your employer matches gifts: Visit our matching gift page to inquire about your matching gift eligibility using our company search tool here: [URL].

Submit a matching gift request: If your employer offers a match, simply follow the instructions provided by your company to submit a matching gift request. It’s a simple process that can significantly amplify your impact!

Spread the word: Encourage your colleagues, friends, and family members to join you in supporting our mission.

Thank you again for your generosity and dedication to our cause. It makes a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve. By doubling the impact of your donation through matching gifts, we can work towards a future where homelessness is no longer a reality for anyone.

Best regards,

[NONPROFIT]

2. Email Matching Gift Marketing Template

Subject: Double your impact…your donation can make twice the difference for homeless individuals!

Dear [DONOR],

Thank you for your continued support in helping us provide shelter and care for homeless individuals in our community. Did you know that your donation can have an even greater impact? Many companies offer matching gift programs that can double or even triple the value of your contribution.

By taking a few minutes to check if your employer offers a matching gift program, you can amplify the impact of your support. Imagine this: your generous donation could help provide access to a warm bed for two people in need.

To find out if your company participates in a matching gift program, please visit our matching gifts page here: [URL] or reach out to your HR department to learn more.

Thank you again for your kindness and generosity. Together, we can make an even greater difference in the lives of those experiencing homelessness.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[NONPROFIT]

3. Text Message Matching Gift Marketing Template

[DONOR] ⁠— Did you know your donation to [NONPROFIT] can go even further for our cause? Many companies offer matching gift programs that can double your impact. Check to see if your employer matches gifts by searching here: [URL].

Together, we can make a greater difference for homeless individuals in our community.

4. Social Media Matching Gift Post Template

Your support matters⁠—now more than ever! Did you know that your donation to [NONPROFIT] may be matched by your employer? Take a moment to find out if your company offers a matching gift program and make an even greater impact on the lives of those experiencing homelessness in our communities. #MatchingGifts #DoubleImpact

5. Matching Gift Web Page Template:

Text: Get Your Donation Doubled! Check if your employer matches gifts and amplifies your impact on our shelters.

Make your donation go further with matching gifts.

Your contribution to [NONPROFIT] can have an even greater impact when you participate in a corporate matching gifts program! Many companies offer matching gifts that double or triple the value of your donation.

By making the most of these programs, you can provide essential support to our shelters as we serve the community with your help. Check if your employer offers a matching gift program today and multiply the difference you make. Together, we can help end homelessness once and for all.

6. Direct Mail Matching Gift Marketing Template

Dear [DONOR],

Your generosity has made a significant impact on the lives of homeless individuals in our community. We want to share an exciting opportunity with you that will allow your support to go even further.

Many companies offer matching gift programs, which means your donation could be matched dollar for dollar by your employer. Matching gifts for homeless shelters like ours means that for every dollar you give, two dollars can go towards providing shelter, meals, and vital support for those in need.

Please take a moment to reach out to your HR department or check if your employer participates on our matching gifts page. The simple act of submitting a match request could make an immense difference in the lives of homeless individuals in your community.

Thank you for your continued compassion and support.

Sincerely,

[NAME]

[NONPROFIT]

Final Thoughts

By integrating matching gifts into your team’s overall fundraising, you have the chance to multiply the impact of each dollar you raise. Matching gifts for homeless shelters and other missions sets the organizations up to better provide vital resources and support to those who need it most.

Remember, the fight against homelessness is a collective effort. Your shelter should do what you can to partner with individual and corporate donors to make the largest impact possible. By leveraging matching gifts, spreading awareness about the opportunity, and encouraging supporters to participate, your organization can significantly enhance its operations thanks to access to new and growing funding streams.

Interested in learning more about matching gift fundraising strategies? Check out these additional recommended resources:

Learn more about matching gifts for animal rescues with Double the Donation.

Matching Gifts and Environmental Nonprofits | What to Know

Matching Gifts and Environmental Nonprofits | What to Know

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In today’s world, where environmental challenges are at the forefront of global concerns, nonprofits dedicated to protecting and preserving our planet play a crucial role. These organizations rely heavily on the generosity of individuals and corporations to fund their initiatives and ultimately make a positive impact on the world around us. One effective way for supporters to maximize their contributions to such causes is through corporate donation matching⁠. And luckily, matching gifts and environmental nonprofits go hand in hand.

In this guide, we’ll explore all things matching gifts and how environmental nonprofits like yours can maximize their benefit. This includes:

Without further ado, let’s dive in and discover what you need to know about matching gifts and their significance for environmental causes.

The Basics of Matching Gifts and Environmental Organizations

Matching gifts offer a valuable opportunity for individuals to increase their charitable giving⁠ impact—and for nonprofits to maximize their fundraising. When an employee donates to an eligible organization, the company contributes an equal (or sometimes greater!) ratio of funds.

In order for a donation to be matched, the process typically follows a few critical steps:

  1. Employee donation: An employee supports a nonprofit through a financial contribution.
  2. Qualification: The employee determines if their employer offers a matching gifts program and whether their recent donation qualifies. (Gifts to environmental causes typically do!)
  3. Submission: The employee completes the necessary online forms or paperwork to request a match.
  4. Review and approval: The company reviews the employee’s matching gift request and confirms the nonprofit and donation eligibility.
  5. Disbursement: Once the employer approves the request, they allocate the matching funds to the organization.

Matching gift process for environmental nonprofits

The benefits of corporate matching gifts are significant and far-reaching for environmental nonprofits of all shapes and sizes. Check out these impressive statistics that highlight the opportunity at hand:

  • 65% of Fortune 500 companies match gifts, along with thousands of smaller and mid-sized businesses.
  • $2 – $3 billion is donated through matching gift programs each year, while an additional $4 – $7 billion goes unclaimed.
  • Over 26 million individuals work for companies with matching gift programs. (However, 78% of this group is unaware of their employers’ initiatives.)
  • 84% of donors are more likely to give, while 1 in 3 would give more if a match is applied.
  • An awareness of matching gifts produces a 71% increase in response rate and a 51% increase in average gift amount.

Matching gift marketing statistics

All in all, employee matching gifts positively impact your organization, its donors, corporate partners, and beyond. In other words, it establishes quite a mutually beneficial relationship!

Companies That Match Donations to Environmental Groups

Tons of companies match charitable gifts by their employees to environmental causes. Check out these five standout examples with sustainable values of their own that actively support employee giving by matching environmental donations.

Patagonia matches gifts to environmental nonprofits.

Patagonia

Patagonia is renowned for its dedication and commitment to environmental sustainability. The company’s employee matching gift program supports nonprofit organizations focused on environmental conservation and activism and encourages current full- and part-time team members to do the same.

Employees are encouraged to donate to eligible environmental (or most other) nonprofits of their choice, and Patagonia will match their contributions up to $10,000 per year, doubling the impact of their support.

Note: Patagonia employees are encouraged to get donations of $2,000 and above pre-approved by the company by contacting employee.match@patagonia.com in order to guarantee the full match.

Learn more about the Patagonia matching gift program here.

Citadel Environmental matches gifts to environmental nonprofits.

Citadel Environmental

As an employee-owned Environmental, Health, Safety, & Sustainability consulting firm, Citadel Environmental Services, Inc. (or Citadel EHS) values environmental stewardship and supports employees who share this passion. Through its targeted matching gift program, Citadel Environmental employees can contribute to environmental nonprofits, and the company will match their donations.

Not to mention, the company has also acquired RMD Environmental Solutions, thus significantly increasing the number of match-eligible team members. This growing initiative empowers employees to make a difference in the environmental sector (as well as select other nonprofit causes) and amplify the impact of their giving.

Learn more about the Citadel EHS matching gift program here.

ADM matches gifts to environmental nonprofits.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company

The Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (also known as ADM) recognizes the importance of protecting the environment and thus supports employees in their philanthropic efforts to do so. The company’s matching gift program extends to nonprofit organizations that focus on addressing environmental conservation, sustainability, climate change, and other societal needs.

Employees can donate to these causes, and ADM will match their gifts between $100 and $5,000 per year, effectively doubling the support provided to environmental nonprofits and beyond.

Learn more about the ADM matching gift program here.

Ecolab matches gifts to environmental nonprofits.

Ecolab

A global leader in water, hygiene, and energy technologies, Ecolab understands the critical role environmental nonprofits play in creating a sustainable future. Through their matching gift program, employees and retirees can contribute to environmentally focused nonprofits, and the company will match their donations. (Note: Current employee gifts are matched at a dollar-for-dollar rate, while retiree donations are matched at fifty cents on the dollar.)

However, the company does stipulate that match-eligible donations must be made through its CSR platform on the Ecolab Giving Site. In addition, Ecolab employees qualify for generous Dollars for Doers and/or Board Leadership grants to further amplify their support.

Learn more about the Ecolab matching gift program here.

Pioneer Natural Resources matches gifts to environmental nonprofits.

Pioneer Natural Resources

As a powerful way to recognize the significance of environmental conservation and support its employees’ commitment to sustainability efforts, Pioneer Natural Resources matches team members’ donations to such nonprofits. Through this matching gift program, full-time and part-time employees can donate to environmental nonprofits (as well as educational institutions, health and human services, arts and cultural groups, community organizations, and more), and the company will match contributions accordingly.

This initiative encourages employees to support organizations dedicated to the environment, with qualifying individuals eligible to request between $50 and $5,000 each year.

Learn more about the Pioneer Natural Resources matching gift program here.

Growing Matching Gifts with a Sustainable Strategy | Key Tips

Encouraging donors to get involved with their employers’ matching gift programs can generate additional funding to support critical environmental initiatives. As you look to integrate matching gifts into your overall giving strategy, keep these recommended practices in mind.

1. Highlight environmental impact in matching gift communications.

When promoting employee giving opportunities to your donors, be sure to emphasize the environmental impact that corporate matching can have. Take the time to explain how an individual’s contributions, in addition to their match, will directly support initiatives like conservation, clean water and energy, and climate change mitigation⁠—or whatever your focus is.

By aligning matching gifts with your organization’s mission, you can better inspire donors to take advantage of the opportunity and make an even greater, tangible impact. Just imagine the results made possible when you’re able to plant two trees for the cost of every one!

This ultimately leads to more sustainable funding and enhanced donor engagement as your supporters feel increasingly connected to your mission.

2. Use donor employment information to your advantage.

The information you have about your donors is the key to developing a targeted matching gift strategy. And the most important data involves your supporters’ employment details. 

For example, if an organization knows which company a donor works for, the fundraising team (or its employer database tool) can research and gather information about the specific matching gift program. This enables the nonprofit to share tailored guidelines and forms required to request a match. And it ultimately simplifies the process and increases the likelihood of donor participation.

Employment information helps drive matching gifts for environmental nonprofits

Additionally, it’s worth noting that donors who back environmental nonprofits like your own tend to be increasingly likely to work for socially conscious companies. And these companies are more likely to offer matching gifts. As a result, your supporters may have a greater chance of eligibility in the programs in the first place than the average corporate employee!

This presents a significant advantage when promoting matching gifts, as you can target donors who are more likely to work for companies that match employee contributions.

3. Establish a seamless matching gift technology ecosystem.

Just like a healthy physical ecosystem is essential for maintaining a balanced environment, so too is an optimized technology ecosystem when it comes to successful fundraising. And one of the most crucial aspects of your organization’s technology system is a fundraising tool that integrates seamlessly with a matching gift platform.

Matching gift ecosystem for environmental nonprofits

This allows your team to enact a coordinated effort that incorporates matching gift opportunities directly into every step of the fundraising process⁠—from donation appeals and other promotions to the giving experience itself and associated follow-ups.

Doing so makes it easier for supporters to get involved with tailored guidance and information while your fundraising team doesn’t have to lift a finger. All in all, you can expect to receive more matching gift revenue and save time and resources that can be reallocated to your highest-value mission activities⁠—not to mention heightened donor engagement!

5 Free Templates to Encourage Matching Gift Participation

It’s time to begin promoting the matching gift opportunity to your network of support. Feel free to work off these provided messaging templates that overview matching gifts and their benefits, explain how donors can get involved, and encourage them to do so accordingly.

Template #1: Social Media Post

Did you know that your donation to [NONPROFIT] could have double the impact? Many companies offer matching gift programs for their employees⁠—and environmental causes like ours are often eligible recipients.

Want to multiply the value of your gift? Take a moment to check if your employer participates and unlock the potential for your donation to be matched! Together, we can make an even greater difference for the world around us. #MatchingGifts #DoubleYourImpact #SaveThePlanet #SupportEnvironmentalCauses

Template #2: Fundraising Appeal

Subject: Your gift has twice the power to protect the environment…

Dear [DONOR],

We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. We are reaching out today because we know you care deeply about the environment and our organization’s cause. With your continued generosity, we have accomplished remarkable things together, but there’s still so much more we can achieve.

We wanted to share an incredible opportunity to make an even greater impact with your donation. Many companies offer matching gift programs to their employees, which means your gift to [NONPROFIT] can go twice as far in protecting our planet.

Imagine the difference we can make if your donation is matched dollar-for-dollar⁠. Your $50 contribution becomes $100, $100 becomes $200, and so on. It’s an extraordinary chance to amplify your support without any additional cost!

To see if your employer participates in a matching gift program, visit our matching gift page to search our company database here: [URL]. Once you confirm eligibility, just submit your initial donation and follow your company’s instructions to initiate the matching gift process.

We are immensely grateful for your unwavering support and belief in our mission. Your commitment to environmental conservation has made a tangible difference. We invite you to join us once again in this extraordinary opportunity to double the power of your gift.

With heartfelt gratitude,

[NAME]

[NONPROFIT]

Template #3: Follow-Up Email

Subject: Double Your Impact: Your Gift Can Go Twice as Far!

Dear [DONOR],

Thank you for your dedication to building a sustainable future through your ongoing support of [NONPROFIT]. We’d like to share an exciting opportunity for you to double the impact of your recent donation: corporate matching gifts.

Many companies offer matching gift programs, which means they match donations made by employees to eligible nonprofit organizations. Take a few minutes to explore your company’s matching gift program. In doing so, you can unlock the potential to double the value of your contribution to our environmental initiatives.

Find out if your employer participates in matching gifts! Just click on the ‘Matching Gifts’ tab on our website for more information. Your generosity, combined with your employer’s support, can make a significant difference in our efforts to protect the planet.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to maximize your impact. Together, we can create a sustainable future for generations to come.

Best regards,

[NAME]

[NONPROFIT]

Template #4: Website Copy

Calling all eco-conscious donors! Did you know that your employer might double your donation to [NONPROFIT]? Tens of thousands of companies offer these generous giving initiatives. And more than 26 million individuals qualify to have their donations matched to charitable causes like ours!

And the process to do so is simple —

  • Step 1: Look into your company’s matching gift program by searching the matching gift database embedded in the page.
  • Step 2: Locate your employer’s matching gift submission requirements and complete the dedicated request process.
  • Step 3: Wait while your company processes the request, approves your match, and contributes to our organization on your behalf.

Remember: together, we can create a greener world!

Template #5: Direct Mail Insert

Header: Double Your Impact for a Greener Tomorrow!

Your dedication to preserving our environment through your support of [NONPROFIT] is truly inspiring. We want to share an exciting opportunity with you to make an even greater impact!

Did you know that many companies offer matching gift programs for their employees? This means that your employer might be willing to match your donation, doubling the impact of your gift. By leveraging a matching gift program, you can amplify your contribution and help us protect our planet for future generations.

Take a moment to check if your employer participates in matching gifts. Scan the QR code below to visit our website for more information. Together, we can create a greener tomorrow for a more sustainable world.

Wrapping Up

As you continue your journey to protect and preserve the world around you, matching gifts should remain at the forefront of your fundraising strategy. After all, this valuable⁠—yet continually underutilized⁠—source of support is crucial for maximizing fundraising efforts.

Remember, the key lies in effectively communicating the matching gift opportunity to your nonprofit audience. In doing so, you can empower supporters to strengthen their commitment to your cause. And together, with the support of matching gifts, you can play a key role in establishing a sustainable future.

Interested in learning more about matching gifts for your organization? Check out these additional recommended guides:

Learn more about matching gifts for animal rescues with Double the Donation.