Microsoft Matching Gift Figures

Directing Donors to Matching Gift Forms | 4 Standard Methods

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Does your organization have a strategy in place to maximize fundraising from employee matching gift programs? If not, taking donors and members to company specific matching gift forms is a great place to start.

Directing donors and members directly to matching gift forms is far more effective than suggesting they “reach out to HR”. In fact, it’s one of the most effective ways your organization can increase fundraising from corporate matching gift programs.

At Double the Donation, we utilize four different approaches to directing your organizations donors and members to the forms they need to submit matching gift requests. We know each method isn’t created equal, so we’ve prioritized the information we provide to donors to maximize the likelihood they’ll submit a matching gift request.

This post is designed to shed light on the prioritization process we use to ensure your donors can easily double their donations. Feel free to contact us via email or schedule time to chat with someone from our team if you have any questions.

Direct Donors to the Electronic Matching Gift Submission Process (1st Preference)

Many of the largest companies offer an electronic matching gift submission process. While a few companies have developed their own proprietary process, the majority of companies contract the matching gift administration process out to a vendor (ex. Easymatch, Cybergrant, etc.)

Fortunately for nonprofits, in the majority of instances the electronic login page is actually publicly available on a website which anyone can access. We direct donors to the login page where they enter their username and password and then proceed through the matching gift submission process.

Wondering what the electronic submission process is like for a donor? Read our article that includes a walkthrough of Home Depot’s electronic matching gift submission process.

Rationale: Your donors are already online and looking for company specific matching gift information. They’re most likely to submit a match request electronically, especially since once at the proper location, it only takes a few minutes.

View an example of Abbott Laboratories matching gift details page where we direct donors to an electronic submission process.

Link to the company’s matching gift website where forms are located  (2nd Preference)

While more and more companies continue to migrate over to an electronic submission process, many still require donors to print out / fill out a paper matching gift form. In many cases the form is posted out on a publicly accessible website so we direct donors to the company page where the matching form can be downloaded.

The two possible approaches were for us to download these forms and host them on Double the Donation’s servers or direct donors to the actual company page where the forms are hosted. After testing both strategies, we ultimately decided on the latter

Rationale: While directing donors to a company page to download the form involves an extra step, we see it as the preferred method for providing donors with the form. It ensures they have access to the most up-to-date form as well as reassures them the matching program is still active form.

Click here to view an example of Marathon Oil’s matching gift details page where we direct donors to an electronic submission page

Provide Donors with the Matching Gift Form on our Servers – (3rd Preference)

If a company requires employees to submit a paper matching gift form, we do our best to provide the donor with a copy of the form. If it isn’t posted publicly on the company’s website, we request that the company provide us with a copy of the form.

In these cases we host the form on our server (typically as a PDF) so your donors can easily download it.

Rationale: Providing a copy of the form enables a donor to submit the matching gift request without having to dig around for additional information.

Click here to view an example of Coca-Cola’s matching gift details page where we provide a copy of Coke’s matching gift form. 

Redirect Donors to the Company Intranet or HR / Community Relations Contact

Unfortunately we don’t always have the best access to the matching gift forms your donors need. Typically this is for one of the following two reasons:

  1. There’s an electronic submission process which can only be accessed over the company intranet.
  2. The form is posted on the company intranet, but the company didn’t want to share a copy with Double the Donation.

In these cases we typically redirect donors to the company intranet. If it’s an online submission process, we notify the donor of this and ask them to go to a specific location on the intranet or to search for “matching gifts.” If there’s a paper form, we provide it via a link or host the form on our servers.

Rationale: While this is less than ideal, just telling donors “Hey, company XYZ will match your donation up to $5,000 and your organization is eligible” increases the likelihood they’ll log into the company intranet to retrieve the form.

Learn How to Raise More Money from Employee Matching Gift Programs.

Learn how to use social media to promote matching gifts today.

Social Media: 12 Matching Gift Posts to Schedule Today

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Social media – we all use it in one way or another. Whether we’re connecting with friends or catching up on the latest breaking news, social media has become an integral part of the daily routines of many.

But are you maximizing the impact of your social media platforms for your fundraising efforts, specifically in regards to matching gift programs?

Remember: With corporate matching gift programs, your organization is able to collect two donations for the price of soliciting one. Through these programs, employers pledge to match the donations made by their employees to nonprofit organizations such as yours, effectively doubling the impact of the original gift. These programs present a huge opportunity to increase your fundraising revenue,and you want to capitalize on them whenever possible.

Promoting corporate matching gift options using Twitter, Facebook, and the like is a quick, easy and cost-effective way (read: free)  to reach your digitally savvy masses.

Social media is incredibly efficient, as you’re able to schedule posts in advance and on a recurring basis. This means you don’t have to remember to continue posting– the networks will do it for you! This paired with the extensive network available to you through these platforms makes social media an opportunity to use to the fullest.

We’re going to examine marketing matching gifts on social media through the following:

  • Sample Matching Gift Posts for Twitter
  • Sample Matching Gift Posts for Facebook

However, before you begin posting about matching gifts on social media– which will inevitably bring forth donors interested in the programs– ensure your internal matching gifts processes are comprehensive.

Learn the best way to market matching gifts.

The Best Way to Market Matching Gifts

Once you begin posting about matching gifts on social media, there’s a decent chance you’ll have a few interested donors inquiring about their eligibility. The easiest way to push donors in the right direction and get them started with the matching gift process is by simply directing them to a comprehensive matching gift tool!

For example, Double the Donation’s 360MatchPro is the perfect tool for nonprofits looking to build their matching gifts solicitation processes. Embed this comprehensive, searchable database directly on your donation form and website, and then link to it in your social media posts. Then, when donors see your posts and are interested, they know exactly where to look to search for their own eligibility!

Additionally, this automated matching gifts tool allows for the immediate searching of a donor’s eligibility upon making a donation. Once an eligible donor is identified, the software sends automated marketing communications to inform the donor of matching gift opportunities.

Matching gift software provides you with an easy way to manage the influx of interest generated by social media posting. Now, let’s check out the following 12 sample posts to inspire your Twitter and Facebook-based matching gift marketing.

Twitter is a great tool to market matching gifts.

Learn how to use Twitter in your matching gift marketing.Sample Matching Gift Posts for Twitter

Because of Twitter’s 280-character limitation, be concise and to-the-point in your communications. Further, include a quick link to your organization’s giving page, website, or dedicated matching gift page so interested donors can access it on-the-fly via tweet

Here are some example matching gift tweets:

1. Did you know your gift can be doubled, tripled & even quadrupled? Your employer might offer matching gift programs.

 

2. Did you donate to us this year? There’s still time to submit a matching gift request from your employer!

 

3. It’s February – do you love us? We love you, too! Click here to see if your company will double your donations:  <insert URL>

 

4. Ever wonder if your employer matches donations? Search our database to learn more about your employer at <insert URL>.

 

5. Last year, we raised $X from corporate matching gift programs – help make 20XX a better year!

 

6. Did you know that tons of organizations offer matching gift opportunities? Check to see if yours does.

 

7. It takes just a few minutes to submit corporate employee matching gift forms… have you submitted yours?

 

Additionally, with retweets, donors can also easily share the word about your organization’s offering. The platform was made with efficiency in mind—so if you want to simply and quickly inform your donors, Twitter is a great place.

However, to educate donors about matching gifts through more in-depth communications, consider using Facebook.

Facebook is a great tool for marketing matching gifts.

Learn how to use Facebook when marketing matching gift programs.Sample Matching Gift Posts for Facebook

Facebook doesn’t present the challenge of character limitations as Twitter does, but that doesn’t mean you can ramble on. The following examples balance offering more in-depth information with catering to the shorter attention span associated with the internet.

Here are some example matching gift posts for Facebook:

1. We sincerely appreciate all donations to <Your Organization’s Name>! Did you know that your generosity has the potential to be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled? Check to see if your employer offers a matching gift program!

 

2. What do Microsoft, Bank of America, IBM, and Verizon all have in common? Each one matches donations made by their employees’ to nonprofit organizations. This means that if you donate, or have donated to <Your Organization’s Name>, and work for one of these four companies, the company will double your donation. Many major employers offer similar programs. Search <insert URL> to find out if your employer offers something like this, as well as to access program guidelines, how-to instructions, and relevant forms.

 

3. A huge thanks to all of our donors, and a double thanks to those who submit matching fund requests from their employers! Does your employer offer a program like this? Check today!

 

4. Help us <Your Organization’s Mission>. Ask your employer to match, double, or even triple your donation today! Check out your organization’s matching gift options here: <insert URL>

 

5. We like to brag that our donors are the best. Not only do they contribute to us, but they also take the extra step to see if their employer offers a matching gift program that may double the total donation to our organization! Have you checked to see if your company offers a matching gift option? Thanks for being a super donor if so! Check here to see if your company has a program like this: <insert URL>

 

Just as with Twitter, donors can easily share your Facebook posts with their friends and family. It’s a great way to get in front of new donors you might not reach otherwise!

If used correctly, social media can be a valuable resource in marketing matching gift opportunities. For more information on how to use social media to market matching gift programs, check out some additional social media ideas.

Nonprofit Leadership Traits

4 Ways to Increase Matching Gift Revenue in 30 Minutes or Less

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Simple Ways to Raise Money From Matching Gift Programs

Are you looking to raise more money from employee matching gift programs but don’t have much time?

If you can find 30 minutes, you can make small adjustments to enhance your organization’s matching gift strategy.

Four Easy Yet Effective Ways to Increase Matching Gift Revenue

Promote matching gifts on social media

Do you maintain Facebook and Twitter accounts for your organization? If so, odds are donors and members are scrolling through past messages on a regular basis.

Take a few minutes to create a post about matching gifts. Not only will it appear on your fans’ walls today, but your matching gift post will linger on your organization’s wall forever. Here are a few sample matching gift messages you can use.

And don’t forget, if you use a service to schedule messages in the future, go ahead and create a few matching gift messages to post automatically over the coming months.

Effort: Ten minutes

View examples of how other organizations are promoting matching gifts through social media channels.

Modify your acknowledgement letters and emails to promote matching gifts

Do you send out an acknowledgement letter to donors? If so, this is a great place to promote matching gifts.

While asking donors to “check with your HR department to see if your employer will match your contribution” still places the burden of research on them, it’s better than nothing.

If you subscribe to Double the Donation’s matching gift service, make sure you’re including a link directly to your organization’s custom matching gift website. This makes it easy for your donors to access everything they need to submit their matching gift requests.

Effort: Five minutes

View additional suggestions on ways to modify the acknowledgement letter to promote matching gifts.

Add a sentence about matching gifts to your email signature

Do you ever communicate via email with individual donors or members? If so, utilize your email signature as an easy way to remind donors to submit matching gift requests.

If you subscribe to Double the Donation’s service, link directly to the custom website we maintain for your organization. Otherwise, ask donors to “please check with your company to see if they’ll match your donation.”

Effort: Five minutes

View email signatures you should consider using.

Educate colleagues about matching gift companies in your city

Send out a list of the top companies which match donations to everyone involved with fundraising in your organization. For instance, if you sell memberships, make sure your membership sales reps receive this email. You’ll be surprised to find out that some of your colleagues have never heard of employee matching gift programs.

While you’ll only be able to include a handful of companies representing a small percentage of companies in your area that will match donations, they’re a good way to raise awareness around the potential of matching gifts.

Effort: Ten minutes

View downloadable resources you can use to educate colleagues about matching gifts.

Take your matching gift efforts a step further:

Take a tour of Double the Donation’s matching gift service to see if our service would benefit your organization.

You may also want to check out a list of additional suggested ways to promote matching gifts. While many of them are more slightly time consuming than the above suggestions, they provide greater benefits and help maximize matching gift revenue. These include:

  • Matching gift newsletter articles
  • Banner ads promoting matching gifts on thank you confirmation screens
  • Incorporate matching gifts on the “Ways to Give” page
  • Include a matching gift link on your website’s navigation bar

Readers: How does your nonprofit promote matching gifts to donors and members?